Beginning at 9 a.m. until they’re all gone, Minden Lions will be selling their famous chicken charbroil meals Saturday (Sept. 23) in the parking lot at Walmart on Homer Rd./Hwy. 79.
No advance tickets are needed. Dinners consist of a half chicken, chips, brownie and roll, all for $10. Proceeds go to support local organizations such as Scouts, Boys and Girls State Programs and other local non-profit organizations.
LaTanya ”Tan”’Grigsby is a lifelong resident of Minden, La. She is a member of Mt. Zion C. M. E. Church. She taught in Webster Parish for 30 years before retiring.
She is a 1977 graduate of Minden High School and a 1982 graduate of Grambling State University.
She is married to Andree Grigsby and they have two children: LaTanjorea Burley Smith and John-Joseph Grigsby.
She is seeking the office for Webster Parish Police Jury District 10 in the 2023 election.
Enjoy these five simple tips to help reduce your sodium intake, while cooking meals at home.
1. Use fresh herbs. Use onions, garlic, herbs, spices, citrus juices, and vinegars in the place of some or all salt to add flavor.
2. Drain and rinse all canned vegetables, beans, and meat. This may help to cut the sodium content by 40%.
3. Combine regular versions of foods with low sodium versions. If you don’t care for the low sodium version, combine it with equal parts of the regular version. Chances are you won’t notice a difference in taste, while cutting back on the amount of sodium.
4. Cook pasta, rice, and hot cereal with no added salt. Also use cooking methods like grilling, braising, and searing to bring out a food’s natural flavors.
5. Incorporate foods with potassium. Potassium helps to counter the effects of sodium and may help lower your blood pressure. Foods high in potassium include sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, greens, tomatoes, white and kidney beans, non-fat yogurt, oranges, bananas, and cantaloupe.
Shakera Williams, M.P.H.
Assistant FCS Nutrition Extension Agent – Nutrition
Webster/Claiborne Parish
Office: (318) 371-1371
Fax: ( 318) 371-9005
Pineville, Louisiana – In support of a widespread call for unity within the House Republican Delegation, State Representative Mike Johnson sent a letter addressed to colleagues and candidates for state representative, emphasizing the critical need for strong, reform-minded leadership to propel Louisiana toward a brighter future. He laid out a vision for unity in selecting a Republican candidate for Speaker of the House.
As Louisiana stands on the brink of transformative change, it is important to have a unified Republican Party in the House to effectively pass a bold agenda that will benefit the state and its citizens. His message made it unequivocally clear that he is not a candidate for Speaker of the House, nor does he endorse any specific candidate in the running.
In launching this project, the primary objective is to ensure that the process of selecting a Republican candidate for Speaker remains transparent and undivided.
To safeguard this process from outside interference, Representative Johnson pledged to support only the Republican candidate who secures the support of the caucus, regardless of who they are.
He now calls upon all Republicans to do the same, emphasizing that unity is essential for the prosperity of the chamber and the state. Representative Johnson encouraged fellow Republicans to join him in preserving the integrity of the selection process.
Johnson highlighted the immense potential for positive change in Louisiana, with the possibility of a Republican governor and super-majorities in both chambers, making it clear that the stakes are too high to squander this opportunity.
In support of a widespread call for unity and reform, Mike Johnson is ready to build a coalition that will set the tone for a more prosperous future for the state.
(Rep. Mike Johnson is a Republican from District 27 Rapides Parish.)
The following arrests were made by local law enforcement agencies. Minden Police Department (MPD), Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office (WPSO), Louisiana State Police (LSP) and others which are named.
Sept. 19
Adam LaPrairie, 47, of Keithville, La., was arrested by WPSO on a warrant for failure to appear in court. Original charge was possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
Robert E. Loud, 59, of Leroy Tillman Rd., Heflin, was arrested by Sibley Police for domestic abuse battery. Bond is $10,000.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sentencing from outside Webster Parish
Daniel W. Newell, District Attorney for the Second Judicial District in and for the Parish of Bienville, makes the following announcement relative to disposition of cases in Bienville Parish on the dates indicated:
08/15/23
Joshua Ray Boykin of Heflin. Pled guilty to Unauthorized Entry of an Inhabited Dwelling. He was sentenced to 4 years hard labor.
08/31/23
Matthew Christopher Hashieder of Heflin. Pled guilty to Possession of Schedule II CDS-Methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 2 years of hard labor, which was suspended. He was placed on 2 years supervised probation and ordered to pay fines and costs to the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Send non-profit calendar events to wpjnewsla@gmail.com .
Sept. 23
10 a.m. until 2 p.m. A Taste of Mt. Zion. Mt. Zion CME Youth and Young Adult Department.
4:30 p.m. (Drive through) 5 p.m. (Dine In) Judy Rayner Memorial Fundraiser, Pine Grove Methodist Church, 4549 Lewisville Rd., Minden. Chicken Spaghetti or Red Sauce Spaghetti meal. Baked goods auction, raffle tickets, silent auction items. Meal tickets ($10), raffle tickets ($5) contact Robin McCormack (426-4691), Lisa Peters (707-3226, Lanea Dooly @ AJ Price (617-8465), Monica Clark (464-2349) and Pine Grove Church Office (377-2609).
Sept. 24
2 until 4 p.m. Cora Lou Robinson Day, First Methodist Church, 903 Broadway, Minden.
3 p.m. Mt. Zion CME 153rd Anniversary.
Sept. 22-24
Springhill PRCA Rodeo and Parade, Springhill, La.
Sept. 28
5 p.m. Candidate Meet & Greet at Minden Community House.
6 p.m. Candidates give a brief 2-3 minute overview of their platform.
September 28 through 30, Oct. 1
Minden High School 30th Class Reunion
Sept. 28 – 6 until 9 p.m. Meet and Greet, Under Dawgs Sports Grill, 605 Main St., Minden, La.
Sept. 29 – 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., Meet and Greet, Under Dawgs Sports Grill, 605 Main St., Minden, La.
Sept. 29 – 9 p.m. until 1 a.m., Kickback, Camp Minden, 100 Louisiana Boulevard, Minden, La.
Homecoming Parade TBA
Sept. 30 – 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., Family Fun Day, Hot Wheels Skating Rink, 3000 Old Minden Rd., Bossier City, La.
Sept. 30 – 7 p.m. until 1 a.m., Still Rollin 30 Years Later, Camp Minden, 100 Louisiana Boulevard, Minden, La.
Oct.1 – Church Fellowship TBA
Youth Basketball registration begins and runs through December 1 at Minden Rec Center.
Oct. 7
8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. “Day of Worship for Women, North Acres Baptist Church, 1852 Lewisville Rd., Minden. Cost is $25 and space is limited.
Kathy Nelson with Speak It Ministries will be the speaker and Serena Gray will be leading worship. Register by contacting Janice Nelson at or 318-393-1990
or calling the church 318-377-4315. Childcare provided, lunch included.
Oct. 12
6 p.m. Seeds Women’s Center annual Fundraising Banquet. Dinner at program. Minden Civic Center. For tickets, call 318-639-0907.
Oct. 14
11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Minden Makers Fair. Accepting vendor applications, demonstrations and volunteers. https://www.mindenmakersfair.com/vendorregistration.
Oct. 19
4 until 6 p.m. Witches’ Ride in downtown Minden. Tickets can be purchased online at the following link https://linktr.ee/witchesrideminden or in person at Red Blooms, Say Baby or Simply Chic in Bossier. They are $45 per ticket. All money raised from ticket sales will benefit Miller Quarters Park, which will serve as the ride’s starting and ending point and will be the site for the block party set to follow the ride. A portion of money raised will also be donated to a non-profit organization called We’re Here, We Care.
Oct. 24
6:30 p.m. 15 Under 40 Awards Gala, Minden Civic Center.
Oct. 26
4:30 p.m. Ghostly Gathering Trunk or Treat, Mack Memorial Library, Springhill, La.
Oct. 28
6 until 9 p.m. Minden Rec Annual Fall Festival.
Oct. 30
5 until 7 p.m. Glenbrook Fall Fest
5:30 p.m. Ghostly Gathering Trunk or Treat, Minden Branch, Webster Parish Libraries.
Nov. 4
10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Mission Baby Bazaar Craft/Bake Sale. First Baptist Church gym, Minden. Blessing families that are adopting/fostering children. Handmade crafts, silent auction, bake/casserole sale, hot dog or jambalaya lunch. All proceeds go to the children.
The following civil suits were filed with the Webster Parish Clerk of Court the week beginning Sept. 14. All civil suits are a matter of public record.
Sept. 14
Joyce Westbrook vs. Wendell (Chicago) Turner, protective order.
Sept. 15
Lexi S. Strother vs. Lauren T. Helms, divorce.
Sydney Elshout vs. Calan Novack, protective order.
Sept. 17
Melissa Ward vs. Jason Kubrick, State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance, petition.
Sept. 18
Kassi L. Charles vs. Jeremy M. Stockwell, protective orde.r
Tammie Jean Tyson vs. Robert Allen Tyson, divorce.
Sept. 19
Alliant Credit Union vs. George Walker, petition.
Baylee Olivo vs. Rydeldrick Hawthorne, protective order.
Sept. 20
Solomon Porter, North Webster Men of Progress vs. Allen Gilbert, Donnie Jackson, eviction.
Etta Jo New McCullough
July 5, 1937 – Sept. 16, 2023
Homer/Minden, La.
Reception/visitation: Following graveside service.
Graveside service: 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, Mt. Mariah Church and Cemetery, 2 miles north of Arcadia on Highway 9.
Thomas “Tommy” C. Stokes Jr.
Oct. 26, 1939 – July 20, 2023
Sibley, La.
Celebration of Life: 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, Stokes Residence, 484 Leachman Rd., Sibley, La. 71073
Webster Parish Journal publishes paid complete obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or wpjnewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are free of charge.)
By Paige Nash
It is official. The Scottish Society of the Louisiana Highlands will be returning to Minden to host their 22nd Annual Scottish Tartan Festival in 2024.
Originally, the festival was held at the Scotland Farms owned by Dr. Alan Cameron. Last year was the first year the festival was held downtown at the newly-renovated Miller Quarters Park. The venue brought in approximately 2,000 visitors to celebrate Scottish and Irish heritage.
The decision to continue hosting this long-time festival in Minden can be largely attributed to the dedication of Administrative Assistant of Webster Parish Tourism Johnnye Kennon.
She said, “The event this year was a huge success with over 2,000 people in attendance, many of the attendees were from Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.”
This year vendors, booths and tents lined the streets in the vicinity of Miller Quarters Park. Multiple stages were set up at the event space and in the parking lot of the Civic Center that hosted numerous types of entertainment for festival goers.
“This event had a huge economic impact on our local economy,” said Kennon. “It has been my pleasure to work with the organization on their inaugural event at Miller Quarters Park and I look forward to working closely with them on their upcoming event to see how we can make it bigger and better.”
By Marilyn Miller
Minden Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of Broadway and Lewisville Road, is turning 100. Plans are being made to celebrate this remarkable milestone on Sunday, October 1, 2023 with refreshments and tours of the sanctuary immediately following worship services around town (from 12 noon until 2 p.m.).
According to past church historian, the late Mrs. Susie Lester, in the early 1920s the congregation began setting aside legacies toward the building of a new sanctuary.
“A substantial amount of money from legacies left by Miss Annie Drake and Mr. Felix Drake, a devoted member of the church and Sunday School Superintendent for 25 years, was set aside by the congregation in anticipation of building a new sanctuary,” Mrs. Lester wrote. “On April 2, 1922, the congregation appointed a Ways & Means Committee to look into the matter of erecting a new building.”
“With the legacies and liberal contributions on the part of the members, the Committee reported on March 25, 1923 that $24,000 was in sight for the new building, and the same Committee continued as a Building Committee.”
Committee members were J.H. Nelson, C.M. Hutton, R. H. Miller, A. E. Drake (grandson of Hervey Drake, and Claire Drake Moore’s father).
“The building, still in use today, was erected and occupied on Easter Sunday, April 20, 1924.” The cost of the building and furnishings was approximately $35,000. When completed, the building was free of debt.
Mr. and Mrs. C.M. Hutton, together with Mr. S. C. Webb, donated the “Hook & Hastings” pipe organ, which was first used on June 8, 1924.
Today, the church is part of the Minden Historical District.
“Everyone is invited to a reception in Hutton Hall and to tour our 100-year-old church, the oldest in Minden, on Sunday, Oct. 1 from 12 noon until 2 p.m. Former members, pastors and employees will be invited to attend as special guests,” said pastor, Rev. Keith Mariott.
Congratulations, Dennis Lary, our Week 3 winner of Webster Parish Journal’s Football Pick’em Contest.
Lary’s picks were 11-0, and he was awarded $100 in cash from title sponsors Under Dawgs. See Lary’s photo in Thursday’s Webster Parish Journal.
Celebrity stats:
Sibley Mayor Jimmy Williams: 8 of 11
Minden Mayor Nick Cox, 6 of 11
Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker, 7 of 11
Minden Police Chief Jared McIver, 6 of 11
WPJ celebrities:
Pat Culverhouse, 9 of 11
Curtis Mays, 8 of 11
Signing up for the contest only takes a couple of minutes. Log on to https://form.jotform.com/232385564755163 and follow the instructions.
Entries will remain open until 4 p.m. each Friday before the listed games.
Etta “Jo” McCullough, 86, died after a lengthy illness on September 16, 2023 surrounded by her family. She was born July 5, 1937 in Homer, Louisiana and grew up in Athens, Louisiana where she always talked fondly of her childhood.
Jo graduated from Athens High School, Class of 1955 and was on the lady Trojans basketball team with a state championship win. Following graduation she attended Louisiana Tech University and later transferred to McNeese University where she met her husband, Donald McCullough. While attending McNeese, she served as homecoming queen and subsequently received a B.S. degree in education.
Following her marriage to Don, they ultimately resided in Minden and called Minden home. She was a faithful member of the First Methodist Church where she served as a member of the choir and numerous other committees for many years. In addition to her church involvement, she was very active in the community and served in the Young Women’s Service Club and Junior Service League, just to name a few.
She was preceded in death by her parents, L.M. “Kinney” and Ollie James New, a sister, Barbara Sue New, and husband, Donald McCullough. She was survived by her two sons, Steven McCullough of Longview, Texas, and Scott McCullough and his wife, Melanie, of Minden; four grandchildren, William Bossert and wife, Rachele, Nicholas McCullough and wife, Jaimie, Madison McCullough, and Kassidy McCullough; and three great-grandchildren, Amellia, Lincoln, and Griffin Bossert.
A graveside service of remembrance will be held at 1:00 PM on Sunday, October 1, officiated by Rev. William Douglas Peeples, at Mt. Mariah Church and Cemetery, located two miles north of Arcadia, LA on Highway 9. Following will be a reception/visitation. Pallbearers are Steven McCullough, Scott McCullough, Nicholas McCullough, Buzzy Buckner, Mickey Love, Dr. Ray Spurlock, and Kyle Robertson.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the First Methodist Church in Minden, choir or children’s building funds.
Only God can see us on the inside. He knows what’s in our hearts, and he knows our thoughts.
There’s nothing we can do that’s hidden from GOD!
He’s the only one who can cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Lord Search My Heart!
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
If we asked God to do a spiritual X-ray on us today….What would he find?
Would he find love, peace, joy, kindness, a repentance heart, or would he find hate, evil, unconfessed sin, selfishness, jealousy, bitterness, grudges.?
We should ask the Lord to search our hearts daily and remove anything that displeases him.
I’m reminded of Cain and Abel.
Jealousy will cause you to turn on your sisters, brothers, friends..etc.
We should ask the Lord to help us and guard our hearts from this evil spirit called envy and jealousy.
See Genesis 4
Cain was jealous and envy of his brother Abel because his sacrifice was sincere from the heart, and Cain was not.
God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s.
We should make sure that when we give and do acts of kindness by helping others,we are doing it with a sincere servant’s heart and not with the wrong motives.
Only what we do for Jesus Christ will last and be accepted by God.
God knows more about us than we know about ourselves!
He already knows what’s in our hearts. He allows circumstances to rise up so we can see who we really are!
God wants us to humble ourselves and repent like David did.
Psalms 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Do you ever tell God..it’s not my sister, it’s not my brother, but me God standing in need of prayer.
God is trying to tell us all something. Look around our world today.
We all need to repent from something!!!
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Only JESUS can change hearts and save souls!
Be Encouraged!
Glory To God!
(LaTina DeLoach, a native of Minden, is a Christian,a devoted wife and mother and Lady Deloach As the wife of Pastor Gregory DeLoach, Blue Run Baptist Church.)
Following multiple citizen complaints from around the state, Troopers wish to make the public aware of a current phone scam. Scammers are fraudulently using the authority of Louisiana State Police in an effort to obtain information and money from victims.
These impersonators are reportedly contacting the phones of potential victims by using a call that gives the appearance of originating from a phone number belonging to Louisiana State Police. The complainants have stated that the caller is pretending to be law enforcement and attempts to gain personal information and (or) money from the victim over the phone.
Troopers stress that citizens should never give unsolicited callers any personal information, and the Louisiana State Police would never ask for any type of personal identifying information, payment or monetary donation over the phone.
Citizens wishing to report suspected fraudulent calls can contact the Louisiana State Analytical and Fusion Center (LA-SAFE) at 225-925-4192. The Louisiana State Police online reporting system is also available to the public through a convenient and secure reporting form that is submitted to the appropriate investigators. Citizens can access the form by visiting the LA-SAFE website here and report the activity.
The scene from The Andy Griffith Show, in black-and-white of course, is one you could have starred in at most any time this past Scorching Summer of 2023.
Two chairs on the wide sidewalk outside Floyd’s Barber Shop. Floyd sits in the one nearest his shop’s door, on the left of your TV screen. He is blank-faced and lazily working a wicker fan in front of his face. Up walks Sheriff Andy Taylor, who takes a seat and, as he crosses his legs, says, “Howdy, Floyd.”
Floyd, with no small amount of effort, the heat evident on a face that, even in black-and-white, is obviously ashen: “92.”
Andy: “It feels it.”
Floyd: “I just looked at the thermometer over the door (points his wicker fan that way). You know what it says?”
Andy: “92?”
Floyd, slack-jawed and fanning, a folded newspaper, no doubt The Mayberry Gazette, resting on his lap under his other hand: “92. Like an oven. Hot! Ohhh … it’s HOT.”
Andy: “Well, like Mark Twain said, ‘Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.’”
Floyd, stops fanning and looks at Andy: “He say that?”
Andy: “Yep.”
Floyd: “I thought Calvin Coolidge said that.”
Andy: “No. No Floyd. Calvin Coolidge didn’t say that.”
Floyd: “What’d Calvin Coolidge say?”
Andy: “I don’t know.”
Floyd, fanning again, then turning back to Andy: “You sure Mark Twain didn’t get that from Calvin Coolidge?”
Andy: “No Floyd. Mark Twain lived before Calvin Coolidge.”
Floyd, sitting up a bit and leaning toward Andy: “Oh … he COULDN’T have gotten it from him. NO … but it’s HOT.”
And so it went, all summer in Mayberry over in Carolina back in the early 1960s — and all summer here in North Louisiana.
Funny deal about the weather. It gets hot around here and few seem to remember that it is always hot in the summer here. Some are cooler than others, but they’re all hot.
Summer of 1982, I had the privilege of helping build the bypass in Camden, Arkansas. (It’s a heckuva bypass, if you’re ever up that way.) My job was to walk in front of the grader — the big tractor that has the smoothing blade — and knock the dirt off stakes, driven at equal heights, so the driver could see them and make the dirt level for the rebar and pavement that’s to come. There is not a lot of shade in roadwork, as there are few trees in the middle of roads. And it was more than 100 degrees 21 days straight.
That was — clears throat — 40 years ago.
It’s always been hot. Next summer, it’s going to be hot again. (Just a guess.)
But you’ve made it! Hold out ’til Saturday and you’ve made it to autumn!
This is being typed on an evening where the outside temperature is mid-70s as we head into October, and what a fine month it is. October might just be the best of all the months — if it didn’t mean cold weather was coming.
And then what will you and Andy and Floyd talk about? Probably the weather. And possibly, during an ice storm, wish for a day like one we complained about in July, whicker fan in hand.
At least that’s what Mark Twain said … or maybe it was Calvin Coolidge.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
Bodcau Wildlife Management is part of the upcoming youth squirrel season for Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
The season is set for Saturday, Sept. 23 and Sunday, Sept. 24 and offers an additional hunting opportunity specifically for hunters ages 17 and younger.
For more information, refer to LDWF Hunting Regulations at https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/seasons-and-regulations.
Everyone has a personal wonderland. When my brother visits a hardware store, a garden center, or a tackle shop he has hit peak existence as those places are his wonderland. When my wife is in an antique store it’s her little slice of heaven. Years ago, my mother loved art galleries and art supply stores. My friend Anthony’s wonderland is Disneyland (though that seems like cheating). For me it’s restaurant trade shows, and restaurant supply showrooms and stores.
A few weeks ago, I was in New Orleans and dropped by the Restaurant Depot to pick up a couple of items we needed at the bakery. For those who aren’t familiar with Restaurant Depot, just think Sam’s Club or Costco with wholesale prices— equipment, small wares, supplies, and a lot of food— exclusively for restaurateurs. My supposed 15 minute visit to shop for a couple of items turned into a two-hour browsing and purchasing session. Welcome to my Wonderland.
When I was a little kid, I could spend an hour on the small toy aisle in the Ben Franklin Five and Dime store. It probably consisted of three shelves and 12 linear feet. That was my five-year-old wonderland. Any type of restaurant supply store that has a showroom is going to grab my attention for several hours these days, and the National Restaurant Association trade show that I attend every year in Chicago captures my attention and sparks my imagination for several days.
I got to the Restaurant Depot that morning just after it opened and dozens of small independent restaurant operators from across the city were scampering through the aisles buying groceries and small wares to get them through the Sunday brunch/lunch service. It took me back to the early days when I was in the kitchen full time, and we were a struggling upstart restaurant doing everything we could to survive. It was 1987 and I was working 90 hours a week, living in a one-room apartment above a garage, paying myself $250.00 a week and loving every minute of it. Those are still some of the fondest days of my career.
As I passed the independents who were shopping for that day’s supplies it took me back to simpler times. Don’t get me wrong. I love where I am today. The volume we do wouldn’t allow anyone to go to the grocery store with any frequency anymore, and I’m grateful for that. Very grateful. But I also understand that— in those early days— I was the guy walking around the grocery store picking up supplemental products to make it through lunch to get to this point. I had to be that guy. Truthfully, I loved being that guy.
There’s joy in building a business and growing it from an idea, concept, simple thought, or a notion sketched on a cocktail napkin. The process of turning those thoughts and ideas into an actual brick-and-mortar concepts is my dream job. It’s what I have always done. It’s what I still do. I have a drawer full of notebooks and cocktail napkins with current, former, and future restaurants mapped out on them. It’s the most satisfying and gratifying part of my job.
Walking the aisles of the Restaurant Depot I wanted to pull every one of those restaurateurs aside— many of whom looked frustrated and stressed— and tell them, “These are the ‘good ‘ol days.’ You may not be able to see it now, but this was your dream and it’s come true. This is what you fought for. This what you saved money to do. You are doing it. You are living it. Trust me, one day you’re going to look back on the times you were just getting started— and were having to go to the store to buy your groceries for the day because you didn’t have enough money in the bank to put together a large order with one of the mainline suppliers— and remember them fondly. Just hang in there. It’s tough, but if it was easy everyone would do it, and everyone can’t do it. It’s the restaurant business. We have one of the highest mortality rates of all businesses. 80% of all independent restaurants close after the third year. But you’re still here. You’re doing it. Just keep following your passion. Do what it takes— whatever it takes— to make your restaurant successful. Give it all you’ve got. Change when you need to change, never stand still, and follow your passion because success always follows passion. Get a little bit better every day, and when you take a few steps backward just wake up the next day and keep pressing forward. Don’t worry about the criticism. You’ll never be criticized by someone doing more than you. You’ll only be criticized by someone doing less. Keep moving ever onward.”
But I didn’t pull anyone aside and say that. I wanted to, but I didn’t, because that would be weird and creepy, and most young restaurateurs can’t see the forest for the trees at this stage anyway. It’s not until one comes out on the other side of those early days that they realize how blessed they were to be able to start something from scratch and build it into a viable business that is creating jobs and opportunities for others.
It’s not brain surgery. I’ve learned if you put your nose to the grindstone, work hard, and dedicate yourself to a mission of quality and consistency great things happen. Will there be problems? Definitely. Almost daily. But business is problems. A successful business is problems well handled. If you can’t handle problems, it’s time to get out of business.
It’s not always a success. I’ve had failures. Plenty of them. But I’ve learned from every one of them. The expensive mistakes are the ones I’ve learned most from and have rarely repeated. I don’t consider myself a winner. I’m just a loser who’s never given up. Occasionally, you hit it on something and if you can keep a positive cashflow then everything works out and the world spins in greased grooves for a while.
If you are a restaurateur early in your career, keep your head down and keep moving forward. Treat people well and always try to do the right thing in every situation, whether it be life or business. Prioritize your spiritual self and your family before your business, but when it’s needed, hunker down, and do what it takes to make it through the challenging times. You’ve got this. And if you see me, wide-eyed and smiling while walking around a restaurant show, a wholesale warehouse. or a showroom, pull me aside. Let’s talk shop. You’ll be able to teach me something, too. After 42 years in this business, I’m learning new things every day.
Onward.
Grilled and Chilled Asparagus with Dill Mayonnaise
For the asparagus
2 lbs Asparagus, fresh
3 Tbl Olive oil
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
Toss the asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange the asparagus on a medium-heat grill and cook for 5-7 minutes. Turn the asparagus often to prevent burning.
Remove from the grill and cool.
Note: Asparagus can be baked in an oven set to “broil.” Place on a cookie sheet, roll in olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and broil for five minutes or until al dente.
Dill Mayonnaise
2 Egg Yolks
1 tsp Salt
1 /2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 1 /2 tsp Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
1 tsp White Vinegar
1 cup Canola Oil
1/4 cup Fresh Dill, chopped
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, salt, and mustard. When mixture becomes light in color, add lemon juice. Blend.
Drizzle oil slowly into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. After adding half of the oil, stir in vinegar. Continue whisking and add remaining oil. Add fresh dill.
The mayonnaise may be held refrigerated for one week.
To serve, arrange the chilled asparagus on a serving platter. Serve the mayonnaise on the side for dipping.
Yield:
6-8 servings
(Robert St. John is a chef, restaurateur and published cookbook author who lives in Hattiesburg, Miss.)
Have you ever heard of an Electric Flowerpot? Akiba Horowitz was born in Minsk, Russia in 1856. At the young age of fifteen, Akiba moved to Berlin, Germany where he studied liquor distillation. In 1891, Akiba immigrated to the United States. Upon entering the country, Akiba changed his name to something more American. He called himself Conrad Hubert. Conrad, now 35 years old, needed to find work immediately. In New York, Conrad operated a cigar store, a boarding house, a restaurant, and a jewelry store. Conrad was not satisfied until he began operating a novelty shop.
All things dealing with electrical power following the invention of the light bulb were in fashion. Conrad was a tinkerer. During his lifetime, Conrad’s patented inventions included “the first automatic electric self-starter for automobiles, …the first exact amount check protector, the autoped,” and an electric gas lighter.
Joshua Lionel Cowen was an inventor as well. Joshua had invented the electric doorbell and the electric fan, both of which initially failed to find a market. People complained about the protracted ring of the doorbell, and the fan produced only the slightest breeze. His most successful product, which was the most popular item Conrad sold in his novelty shop, was his battery-powered light up tie tacks.
Joshua and Conrad had numerous discussions about their ideas for inventions. During one such conversation, Joshua told Conrad about one of his most recent inventions, the electric flowerpot. The contraption was made up of a battery within a paper tube with a light bulb at one end. The tube was mounted in the center of a flowerpot. Once the battery was switched on, the light illuminated the plants in the flowerpot. Joshua had patented his electric flowerpot, but he was unsure of its marketability. Conrad had faith in the invention and convinced Joshua to sell him the patent.
Conrad manufactured a large number of electric flowerpots, added them to his inventory, and began advertising. In the summer of 1894, citizens in Buffalo, New York held a Fourth of July fireworks competition. Among the prizes were American flags, balloons, packages of fireworks, toy cap pistols, small battery-powered lights, and Conrad’s electric flowerpots. Despite his best efforts, the electric flowerpot was a failure.
Conrad had a surplus of electric flowerpots which were in no danger of being sold. David Misell, an employee of Conrad’s novelty shop, tinkered with the electric flowerpot to see if he could help Conrad create something marketable from its parts. David had previously invented a wooden-cased signal light and a bicycle light. David and Conrad separated the tube and bulb from the flowerpot. They lengthened the tube so they could fit three “D” batteries inside it, and added a brass reflector under the light bulb. Finally, they had a product that Conrad thought he could sell. They filed a patent application for the “Electric Device” in March of 1898. The paperwork listed David as the device’s inventor and Conrad as a witness. The patent was awarded in January of 1899. Because David was an employee of Conrad’s, he assigned the patent rights to the device to Conrad’s novelty company. Conrad added the device to the inventory of his novelty shop. The device sold very well, but the public had just one complaint. The “D” batteries would only illuminate the light bulb for a short time before the customer had to replace the batteries. Due to the device’s short battery life, customers said the device could only produce a flash of light. In many English-speaking countries, the device is generally referred to as a torch. In the United States, Conrad’s customers gave the device a nickname that stuck. They called it the Flashlight.
Sources:
1. Buffalo Courier Express, June 24, 1894, p.15.
2. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 17, 1928, p.2.
3. The Standard Union (Brooklyn, New York), March 18, 1928, p.8.
4. “Conrad Hubert.” www.nndb.com. Accessed September 17, 2023. https://www.nndb.com/people/439/000169929/.
5. “Stories of Inventors and Their Inventions: Conrad Hubert.” www.linkedin.com. Accessed September 17, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/stories-inventors-inventions-conrad-hubert-elena-louis.
Send non-profit calendar events to wpjnewsla@gmail.com .
Sept. 23
10 a.m. until 2 p.m. A Taste of Mt. Zion. Mt. Zion CME Youth and Young Adult Department.
4:30 p.m. (Drive through) 5 p.m. (Dine In) Judy Rayner Memorial Fundraiser, Pine Grove Methodist Church, 4549 Lewisville Rd., Minden. Chicken Spaghetti or Red Sauce Spaghetti meal. Baked goods auction, raffle tickets, silent auction items. Meal tickets ($10), raffle tickets ($5) contact Robin McCormack (426-4691), Lisa Peters (707-3226, Lanea Dooly @ AJ Price (617-8465), Monica Clark (464-2349) and Pine Grove Church Office (377-2609).
Sept. 24
2 until 4 p.m. Cora Lou Robinson Day, First Methodist Church, 903 Broadway, Minden.
3 p.m. Mt. Zion CME 153rd Anniversary.
Sept. 22-24
Springhill PRCA Rodeo and Parade, Springhill, La.
Sept. 28
5 p.m. Candidate Meet & Greet at Minden Community House.
6 p.m. Candidates give a brief 2-3 minute overview of their platform.
September 28 through 30, Oct. 1
Minden High School 30th Class Reunion
Sept. 28 – 6 until 9 p.m. Meet and Greet, Under Dawgs Sports Grill, 605 Main St., Minden, La.
Sept. 29 – 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., Meet and Greet, Under Dawgs Sports Grill, 605 Main St., Minden, La.
Sept. 29 – 9 p.m. until 1 a.m., Kickback, Camp Minden, 100 Louisiana Boulevard, Minden, La.
Homecoming Parade TBA
Sept. 30 – 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., Family Fun Day, Hot Wheels Skating Rink, 3000 Old Minden Rd., Bossier City, La.
Sept. 30 – 7 p.m. until 1 a.m., Still Rollin 30 Years Later, Camp Minden, 100 Louisiana Boulevard, Minden, La.
Oct.1 – Church Fellowship TBA
Youth Basketball registration begins and runs through December 1 at Minden Rec Center.
Oct. 7
8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. “Day of Worship for Women, North Acres Baptist Church, 1852 Lewisville Rd., Minden. Cost is $25 and space is limited.
Kathy Nelson with Speak It Ministries will be the speaker and Serena Gray will be leading worship. Register by contacting Janice Nelson at or 318-393-1990
or calling the church 318-377-4315. Childcare provided, lunch included.
Oct. 12
6 p.m. Seeds Women’s Center annual Fundraising Banquet. Dinner at program. Minden Civic Center. For tickets, call 318-639-0907.
Oct. 14
11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Minden Makers Fair. Accepting vendor applications, demonstrations and volunteers. https://www.mindenmakersfair.com/vendorregistration.
Oct. 24
6:30 p.m. 15 Under 40 Awards Gala, Minden Civic Center.
Oct. 26
4:30 p.m. Ghostly Gathering Trunk or Treat, Mack Memorial Library, Springhill, La.
Oct. 28
6 until 9 p.m. Minden Rec Annual Fall Festival.
Oct. 30
5 until 7 p.m. Glenbrook Fall Fest
5:30 p.m. Ghostly Gathering Trunk or Treat, Minden Branch, Webster Parish Libraries.
There are many ways that we as outdoorsmen can enjoy the great outdoors. There’s fishing, a very popular hobby by many, and there’s camping which takes the outdoor experience to another level. Maybe your idea of being outdoors involves playing golf or maybe exercising. But for thousands of others…there’s hunting, which for many is the main reason they wake up every day! Hunters, in most cases, are very hard-core outdoorsmen who have a serious passion for pursuing wild game from doves and squirrel to ducks and bucks. But why?
To understand a hunter, you need to be a hunter or live with one. This group has the same mind set and passion for the outdoors that LSU Tiger fans have for football…they’re crazy! Hunters put in a lot of time and effort to not only hunt, but to get ready for the hunt. Just like a bass tournament angler, preparation is key to being successful and is a part of the grind that hunters must go through to increase their chances for success in the fall. For most hunters, all the preseason planning is just as much fun as the hunt itself…or is it?
Whether they are on a lease or hunting public land, hunters have a lot of work to do. When it comes to certain things needing to be done, they tend to have more flexibility on a private lease than they might on public hunting land. But most leases, public and private, do not want hunters to put nails into trees since at some point, the landowner or timber company will probably be harvesting the timber. But most of the time, they’re okay with you cutting a few shooting lanes, bush hogging pipelines, or planting food plots on old logging roads.
For deer hunters, the next season begins only a few months after the last one ended. Deer hunters do not get much of a break as they start the process of preparing for next season by planting food plots, fixing feeders, and repairing deer stands. Most take their ATV or UTV vehicles in for service due to the abuse their machines have gone through.
For duck hunters, the biggest job is building the blind. Some simply rebrush blinds they’ve used for years, while others may build new blinds in different locations. Make no mistake, the amount of work to build a duck blind is no less than what a deer hunter must do. Duck hunters must go out and gather moss and cut brush so they can brush-in their blind. This takes time and lots of work to secure the brush to the blind. Of course, all this takes place when temperatures are usually in the 90’s, so sweating is a major part of both a duck and deer hunter’s world as they prepare for another season.
There you have it ladies, now you know why your husbands are gone so long during hunting season, and especially during the months leading up to the hunting season. Hunting requires hard work and long hours of preparation to guarantee success. But don’t try and justify the cost of hunting because when it comes down to dollars spent versus pounds of meat put int the freezer, you’ll see it does not come out very well for the hunter. But it’s all worth it when that back strap comes straight off the grill and is sitting in front of you at dinner time. It just doesn’t get any better than that!
Till next time good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to invite me for supper when back strap is served!
Steve Graf Angler’s Perspective
The following arrests were made by local law enforcement agencies. Minden Police Department (MPD), Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office (WPSO), Louisiana State Police (LSP) and others which are named.
Sept. 15
Scott Brady Magnum, 47, of the 100 block of Noles Landing, Sibley, was arrested by WPSO for 2 counts of simple assault.
Sept. 18
Cassie M. Guillory, 36, of the 100 block of E. School Ave., Waskom, Texas, was arrested by MPD for disturbing the peace (screaming obscenities) and damage to property (damaging holding cell, rendering it unusable).
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Joseph Robert Beatty
Feb. 10, 1941 – Sept. 18, 2023
Heflin, La.
Funeral service: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, Rose Neath Funeral Home, Minden.
Burial: noon, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, Bistineau Cemetery.
Philip Hudgins Kitchens
March 16, 1945 – Sept. 7, 2023
Graveside service: 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, Gardens of Memory Cemetery, Minden, La.
Thomas “Tommy” C. Stokes Jr.
Oct. 26, 1939 – July 20, 2023
Sibley, La.
Celebration of Life: 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, Stokes Residence, 484 Leachman Rd., Sibley, La. 71073
Webster Parish Journal publishes paid complete obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or wpjnewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are free of charge.)
By Bonnie Culverhouse
Things can change in a short period of time, and what is a landmark case in 26th Judicial District Court and the State of Louisiana – scheduled to begin Monday – has been pushed to the second week of November.
“This is the first case from ‘Operation Save Our Streets’ where Minden Police and other agencies arrested around 20 gang members within one week,” said Assistant District Attorney Jimbo Yocom. “The statute has never been used to dismantle a street gang, so we’re paving the way.”
Yocom said word reached the district attorney’s office Monday that the first gang member on trial – Latavion Thomas – was interested in making a deal.
According to court records, Thomas was offered 20 years with all but 8 years suspended.
“He backed out at the last minute,” Yocom said.
Judge Michael Craig was set to preside over the trial. Thomas is charged with Criminal Street Gangs and Patterns of Criminal Street Gang Activity. Yocom is prosecutor and Thomas Mayfield of Shreveport is the defense attorney.
“We will try all of the gang members separately,” Yocom said. “Thomas was chosen first. We make that determination by previous crimes that were committed, his connection to the gang, his record of violent crimes and how much evidence we have to connect him to the gang.”
Yocom said when the case finally comes to trial, evidence will be presented that connects Thomas as a TTS (Trained To Step) gang member.
It’s been more than a year since Minden Police, a FBI task force, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, Probation and Parole, United States Marshal’s Service and Bienville Parish blitzed the gang and originally made 12 arrests. As the week wore on, several more were made.
The law was modified August 12, 2003 and and the statute describing punishment was modified July 23, 2010.
The Revised Statue to which Yocom referred is RS 15:1403.
It reads:
A. Any person who intentionally directs, participates, conducts, furthers, or assists in the commission of a pattern of criminal gang activity as defined shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than one-half of the maximum term of imprisonment provided for an underlying offense committed in a pattern of criminal gang activity and may be fined an amount not to exceed ten thousand dollars. Any sentence of imprisonment imposed pursuant to this Section shall be in addition and consecutive to any sentence imposed for an underlying offense committed in the pattern of criminal gang activity.
B. Any person who is convicted of a felony or an attempted felony which is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with any criminal street gang, with the intent to promote, further, or assist in the affairs of a criminal gang, shall, upon conviction of that felony, in addition and consecutive to the punishment prescribed for the felony or attempted felony of which he or she has been convicted, be imprisoned for not less than one year nor more than one-half of the maximum term of imprisonment provided for that offense.
C. Any person who is convicted of an offense other than a felony which is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with, any criminal street gang, with the specific intent to promote, further, or assist in any criminal conduct or enterprise by gang members, shall, in addition and consecutive to the penalty provided for that offense, be imprisoned for an additional period of six months.
D. The court may elect to suspend all or a part of any additional mandatory punishment or enhanced punishment provided for in this Chapter only in an unusual case where the interests of justice would best be served, and if the court specifies on the record and enters into the minutes the circumstances and reasons that the interests of justice would best be served by that suspension of punishment.
The punishment section of the statute also states that any person over the age of seventeen who violates the provisions of this Section by knowingly soliciting, recruiting, enabling, encouraging, or otherwise causing a child under the age of seventeen to become a member of a criminal street gang, when there is a difference in age of at least three years between the solicitor and the person being solicited, shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than four years, fined not more than ten thousand dollars, or both. Lack of knowledge of the child’s age shall not be a defense.
The cases will be tried at the Webster Parish Courthouse. New date is November 13.