A call for volunteers went out Monday night during the monthly meeting of the Minden Main Street Board of Directors.
Board President Shawn Hatcher stressed that volunteers for “Main to Main” Trade Days are needed for both Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4. Responsibilities will include defining and marking booth spaces, collecting a $10 booth space fee from each craft vendor, on-site registration, and more.
Main Street Director Taylor Wren said that on-line registration can be accessed at www.mindenla.org, and highlighting “Main Street.” She said that she is already receiving registration forms. The “Main to Main” Trade Days route stretches from downtown Minden to downtown Springhill, via the Shreveport Road and Hwy. 371 north. There will be vendors along the way. “But we are only selling spaces on City of Minden property downtown,” Wren said.
The ”Christmas in Minden” celebration on Dec. 8-9, 2023 will be co-hosted by the Greater Minden Chamber of Commerce, the Webster Parish Convention & Visitors Commission and the Minden Main Street Office.
“We’re going to organize a Night Market,” Wren informed the Board. She said that there would be food vendors, one or two entertainment stages, a giant slide and possibly an ice-skating rink.
With the cost of the rink being so high, Board member Diane Silvis commented that “We will need to pre-sale tickets if we are going to have an ice-skating rink.” Board members agreed, adding that sponsors might become necessary.
The Board also:
Discussed hosting a carnival or street dance following the Mardi Gras Parade on Jan. 27, 2024. Minden Main Street is responsible for the judging arrangements, and a recommendation was made to have the judges sit on a trailer (in front of Under Dawgs) so that they are out of the foot traffic;
Discussed the possibility of hosting a Mardi Gras Ball. The final consensus was to have the Ball in 2025;
Learned that the Main Street office has ordered 10,000 new bulbs for Christmas using Capital Outlay funds;
Decided to offer to help with the Minden Fair Parade on Oct. 3, 2023;
The anniversary of September 11th has come and gone again. Twenty-two years really flew by.
The day was a somber one for me, as I am sure it was for many, but I went along with my day as usual, like I am sure most did, as well.
But I had a fleeting realization after I picked the girls up from school that day. As my oldest daughter, Emerson, hopped into the front seat – it hit me. She is the exact same age and in the exact same grade as I was when 9/11 occurred.
Isn’t that crazy?
It is to me. The whole length of my childhood and my early adult years has passed. We are now a generation of adults living with the memories of that day, while our own children are learning about the events we lived through, in a textbook.
Emerson told me that they had talked about it at school that day and she asked me if I remembered when it happened.
Some memories are a little blurred, others are a lot sharper.
Some of my more distorted memories involve watching the news in class and my teacher crying, but I wasn’t sure why. I vaguely remember the intercom going off every few minutes with parents checking their children out early. I do not think I left school early that day, but maybe I did. If I did stay, I do not remember anything else about that day at school except where I was sitting when my teacher flipped on the television.
I remember exactly where I was when I heard about the planes crashing. That’s really all I understood at the moment. I did not know why, but knew it was important somehow. I was sitting in my fourth-grade Mathematics class. Mrs. Killian was my teacher, and I was sitting in the second-row desk.
I remember after my mom did pick me up, going to the gas station my grandparents owned and seeing vehicles lined up at the gas pumps like never before. I remember being confused about this. I remember asking my mom what was going on. I knew that the plane crashes happened far away, but seeing so many people in a frenzy made it feel like it was happening here.
And it was.
I did not understand why or how, but I knew that this event would affect everyone in the country. The crashes happened in New York, but the sadness and fear rippled through every state, city and community. The sadness and fear turned into rage for some. But no matter the differences in emotions, everyone felt American.
Patriotism was at an all-time high in the days following the attacks. That is another thing I remember vividly – seeing American flags flying everywhere – some on flagpoles, some stuck in yards, some in windows of businesses and some pinned on shirts.
The importance of 9/11 overshadowed any argument of political party, race, gender or religion. Sadly, this has subsided.
It is crazy to now think of it as history, when it feels like it happened yesterday.
I am sure when Emerson is my age and has children of her own, they will probably be learning about the Covid-19 pandemic and Emerson will be reminded of the chaos during those times.
Now, I am wondering how many more historical events will occur throughout the remainder of my life. I feel as though I have already had my fair share. Y2K, Hurricane Katrina, Sandy Hook, the election of Barack Obama, the tsunami in Japan – all of these I remember, some better than others. But for some reason I cannot recall the exact age I was. place I may have been or what I was doing during those events quite like I can when remembering 9/11.
Webster Parish Journal’s Pick’em Contest is extending one day.
With no Thursday games on the schedule, you have until 4 p.m. Friday to get in your picks for this week’s games.
Each weekly winner over the life of the contest will be on the receiving end of $100 and have their photo taken at our title sponsor Under Dawgs Sports Grill, the gathering place featuring a home-field atmosphere.
Anyone 18 and older is eligible to participate. All it takes is an email address and a combination of skill and a little luck. Each week,10 local and area high school football games plus two tie-breakers based on total points of two selected teams will be posted on the Webster Parish Journal. And just like the Journal, there’s no cost to enter.
This week, we already have more entries to date than all of last week, so get on your phone, computer or tablet and get ‘er done!
An ages-old rivalry between Minden and Springhill will receive new life Friday at W.W. Williams Stadium.
Minden Crimson Tide and North Webster Knights will meet at 7 p.m. in a new “Battle of the Boot” contest that ends with the winning teams taking home a trophy.
The game will be sponsored by Army National Guard. They will supply two run-throughs for each end zone and the trophy presentation after the game.
Rosemary “Toni” Wurster Chandler Turner, a 1964 graduate of Louisiana Tech’s Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Program, and her husband, Dr. William W. Turner, Jr., longtime surgeon and educator, have gifted $100,000 to grow the University’s MLS Program in the School of Biological Sciences in Tech’s College of Applied and Natural Sciences.
Part of the gift is allocated to establish an endowed scholarship. The Turners have established two other endowed scholarships, each in the amounts of $100,000, in the past five years.
“We are very grateful to Toni and Bill for establishing an endowed scholarship for our Medical Laboratory Science degree program,” ANS Dean Dr. Gary Kennedy said. “This is the first endowed scholarship for the MLS program, and it will provide great support for our students.”
“Medical Laboratory Science graduates play important roles in providing healthcare professionals with medical laboratory test results regarding the diagnosis and treatment of various conditions,” he said. “We appreciate Dr. and Mrs. Turner’s support of this important healthcare profession.”
From the$100,000 gift, $25,000 will be used to establish “The Rosemary ‘Toni’ Wurster Chandler Turner Endowed Medical Laboratory Science Scholarship Honoring Professor S. S. Kilgore.” The annual scholarship will be awarded to a senior MLS student under the program’s accreditation guidelines and other criteria created by the Turners.
Friends and former students of Professor S.S. Kilgore and his wife, Colleen, established a scholarship honoring the kind and caring couple shortly after his death in 1997.Professor Kilgore came to Tech in 1954, and he served as the Head of the Medical Technology Program when Toni was a student earning her “Med Tech” degree. During Professor Kilgore’s tenure, the program grew with the changing scope of clinical laboratory science.Along with the help of Colleen, Professor Kilgore was able to obtain many grants that enhanced research and academics in the program. “Professor Kilgore was a great teacher and mentor, and he and Colleen were major supporters of his students,” Tony said.
The allocation of the remaining $75,000 will be designated to the “Turner (Rosemary ‘Toni’ Wurster Chandler & William W. Jr.) Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Fund” to promote and grow the University’s MLS Program.
Toni Chandler Turner, a Forever Loyal alumna, longtime community service enthusiast and Dallas resident, was valedictorian of her 1960 senior class at Block High School in Jonesville, Louisiana before graduating from Tech and beginning her career as a medical technologist.An early career change led her to 34 years with Delta Airlines as a flight attendant based in Houston, New Orleans, Dallas, Cincinnati, and Atlanta, serving on both domestic and international routes.
While a Tech student, Toni was active in the Sigma Kappa Sorority and the Wesley Foundation.She competed in the Miss Louisiana Pageant representing Catahoula Parish, and she danced in the Royal Ballet of the Natchez Pilgrimage.
She has been just as active during her post-college life as both a professional and volunteer, and her support of her alma mater has been unwavering.
In 2018, she and her husband established the “Rosemary ‘Toni’ Wurster Chandler Turner Health Science Endowed Scholarship in Memory of Oscar and Emeline Wurster,” Toni’s grandparents. The Wurster family now includes nearly two dozen former and future Tech students.
In 2020, the Turners established the “Rosemary “Toni” Wurster Chandler Turner and Dr. William W. Turner, Jr. Endowment” to support and grow Tech’s School of Biological Sciences and health science programs.
Learning how to read and use the nutrition facts label can help you make informed food choices that support a healthy diet.
See below three important definitions to know before reading food labels.
Calories: the total number of calories, or “energy,” supplied from all sources (fat, carbohydrate, protein, and alcohol) in a serving of the food.
Nutrient: a substance in food that is used by the body to function and grow. Examples: fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water.
Percent Daily Value (%DV): shows how much nutrient in a serving of the food contributes to a total daily diet. It can help you determine if a serving of the food is high or low in an individual nutrient and to compare food products.
What the New Nutrition Facts Label Tells Us
The first line tells you about the servings per container, which is the total number of servings in the entire food package or container. It’s common for one package of food to contain more than one serving.
The second line is serving size. The serving size is based on the amount of food people typically eat at one time and is not a recommendation of how much you should eat. The nutrition information listed on the Nutrition Facts Label is based on the serving size listed on the label, and, if there is a second column based on the amount per package, that column of nutrition information will be based on the entire package. Serving size is shown as a common household measure that is appropriate to the food (such as cup, tablespoon, piece, slice, or jar), followed by the metric amount. When comparing calories and nutrients in different foods, always check the serving size to make an accurate comparison.
The third line is calories. Calories refer to the total number of calories, or “energy,” supplied from all sources (fat, carbohydrate, protein, and alcohol) in a serving of the food. To achieve or maintain a healthy weight, balance the number of calories you eat and drink with the number of calories your body uses. 2,000 calories a day is used as a general guide for nutrition advice.
The Percent Daily Value, or percent DV, shows how much nutrients are in a serving of the food contributes to a total daily diet.Use the %DV to determine if a serving of the food is high or low in an individual nutrient and to compare food products – but make sure the serving size is the same. As a general guide: 5% DV or less of a nutrient per serving is considered low, and 20% DV or more of a nutrient per serving is considered high. You can find the %DV on the right side of the list of nutrients.
On the left side of the food label lists the different nutrients contained in the food product. Use this section of the label to help choose products that are lower in nutrients you want to get less of and higher in nutrients you want to get more of. Nutrients to get less of include saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and added sugars. Most Americans exceed the recommended limits for these nutrients—and diets higher in these nutrients are associated with an increased risk of developing some health conditions (such as cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure).Compare and choose foods to get less than 100% DV of these nutrients each day. Nutrients to get more of include dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
Dual-Column Labels
On some food items or packages, you may see a dual-column label. These labels are used for certain products that are larger than a single serving but that could be consumed in one sitting or multiple sittings. Manufacturersare mandatedto provide “dual column” labels to indicate the amounts of calories and nutrients on both a “per serving” and “per package” or “per unit” basis. The purpose of this type of dual-column labeling is to allow people to easily identify how many calories and nutrients they are getting if they eat or drink the entire package at one time. For example, a bag of pretzels with 3 servings per container might have a label that looks like this to show you how many calories and other nutrients would be in one serving and in one package (3 servings).
If you have any questions about learning how to read food labels, please contact
A disturbance on Pershing Street in Minden late Tuesday night has landed a convicted felon behind bars again.
Jeremy L. Grant, 31, of the 600 block of Morrow St., Minden, was arrested by the Minden Police Department following a call, stating Grant allegedly threatened to shoot a female victim.
Upon arriving on the scene, a deputy contacted the female. She told the deputy that Grant approached her at her residence and reportedly said, “I will shoot you in the face.”
The victim identified Grant to the deputy, who allegedly appeared to be in an intoxicated state.
“The deputy patted down the subject for officer safety and provided the deputy with permission to empty his pockets,” said MPD Chief Jared McIver. “Inside of his pocket was a Cashapp debit card with the name Jeremy Grant.”
According to McIver, even after the discovery of the debit card, Grant proceeded to lie about his identity and gave the deputy the name of Jeremy Green, instead.
“The deputy asked the subject whose card it was, and he stated it was his brother’s card,” said McIver.
A background check quickly confirmed that the subject in question was indeed Jeremy Grant. While he was being placed under arrest, another deputy on scene had dispatch check for any active warrants. A check of Grant’s criminal history returned that he was a convicted felon.
When the deputy returned to speak with the victim, she pointed out something lying in the roadway at the corner of East and Pershing streets. A firearm was discovered at the scene with a magazine loaded with .380 auto caliber hollow point rounds.
“The deputy secured the weapon and emptied the magazine,” said McIver. “The chamber was unloaded, but the spring to the magazine was missing.”
The deputy performed a search of Grant and discovered a backplate of a magazine and additional .380 auto caliber hollow point rounds that matched the rounds in the firearm found in the roadway.
The female victim told the deputy she felt Grant threatened her with serious bodily harm. The deputy filed her complaint and explained the process of obtaining a restraining order.
Grant was transported to Minden Police Department where he was booked on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, resisting an officer by lying, disturbing the peace by intoxication and an active bench warrant.
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.
The City of Minden is accepting applications for the position of Assistant City Clerk.This is a responsible administrative/clerical position involving heavy accounting and financial functions in the City Clerk’s office. The position requires a High School Diploma or GED plus two years advanced education in bookkeeping and accounting. One to two years administrative, clerical and accounting experience required, preferably with city government. Experience involving governmental funds or related accounts preferred. This position also performs certain functions of the City Clerk in his/her absence. Secure employment with excellent benefits. Brief job description and application online http://www.mindenla.org/job-listings/ or come by City Hall to pick up app in person. Minden City Hall, 520 Broadway St. Minden, LA. The City of Minden is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
The Spirit of Science Hill was a publication of the Minden Female College. In 1859, it included the obituary of former student Mrs. Elizabeth Oliver. It reads as follows:
“Died – In Minden, on the 16th ult., Mrs. Elizabeth Oliver. She was born in Pike County, Miss. 1841.Thus, at the early age of eighteen, the silver chord of life was loosened, and many sunny hopes blasted in the morning of existence.
‘She’s gone, forever gone! The king of Terrors lays his rude hands upon her lovely limbs, and blasts her beauty with his breath.’
Besides numerous friends, the deceased has left a devoted husband, a sorrow stricken, widowed mother, and several mourning brothers and sisters to weep her loss. Cease your grief, melancholy husband and fond mother, though nature requires your tears; you should be consoled by the happy thought that your loved one is among the spotless and redeemed in heaven. Disconsolate brothers and sisters, let the hope of meeting her whose loss you deplore, in a better land, comfort you. We, her former classmates and companions would not call her happy spirit from regions of bliss to this world of troubles; though tears unbidden will force their way down our cheeks, and we cannot suppress the sighs – sad tributes – that our hearts pay to her memory.”
Mrs. Elizabeth Oliver was Mary Elizabeth Houston, daughter of James and Elizabeth Houston. She married Jasper N. Oliver on 26 August 1857 in Bossier Parish at the age of sixteen. Although her obituary gives her age as eighteen, she was just seventeen years old, her death occurring only days before her birthday. Her obituary mentions her husband, mother, and siblings. However, it does not mention an additional family member not yet old enough to grieve her loss, her one-month-old daughter, Mary Josephine. Sadly, Mary Josephine also died just six months later. The 1860 United States Census Mortality Schedule reveals her cause of death as chicken pox. Mother and daughter share a headstone and are buried in the old section of the Minden Cemetery.
You may wonder why I chose to write about Mrs. Elizabeth Oliver. It may seem that there isn’t much to tell. Maybe it’s my interest in genealogy or cemeteries, but I think that everybody’s story is important, regardless of the perceived significance of a person.We can learn so much about life and history, and hopefully gain a little bit of perspective about the people who lived in times so different from those we live in today.The stories of everyday, ordinary people help us to connect to the past and reveal its humanity, to realize that history is more than just a collection of facts. The story of Elizabeth and her daughter represents the reality of life in earlier times, of so many lives cut short.
(Jessica Gorman is the Assistant Director and Archivist for the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum in Minden and is an avid genealogist.)
All the years I’ve spent closely watching college and high school football games, almost every one including a halftime show with at least the home team’s band, and I didn’t know.
Many of the best shows have featured both the home and visiting bands, as was the case Saturday night in Aillet Stadium and in Tiger Stadium.
No doubt the sold-out crowd in Baton Rouge was eagerly anticipating the performance of the “World Famed Tiger Marching Band.” And they were certainly not disappointed, enjoying a trademark show from Grambling’s finest. Louisiana Football Magazine’s Lee Brecheen reported many LSU fans said it was the highlight of the night.
In Ruston, there was tailgating talk centered around halftime, with Louisiana Tech’s faithful having watched dynamic performances in 2014 and 2017 by NSU’s “Spirit of Northwestern.” The “Band of Pride” at Tech has rising stock and proved it Saturday night.
But until then, I never knew. Neither did Shreveport’s Gordon Boogaerts, a Demon football legend who joined me on the way down from the visiting athletic director’s suite (I wasn’t in there, of course – I was in the O.K. “Buddy” Davis Memorial Press Box, an appropriate showcase honoring the legendary Ruston Daily Leader sports editor).
I knew Gordon should strike fear into the heart of any Bulldogs. In the 1973 State Fair Classic, with a struggling Demon squad facing off with the Bulldogs’ eventual Division II national championship team featuring the likes of future Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Dean, current Evangel coach and longtime chancellor Pastor Denny Duron, Pro Bowl pass catchers Roger Carr and Mike Barber, Gordon made 33 tackles.
Thirty-three. Not a misprint. Just an indelible impact by a Captain Shreve product who has since become a successful farmer and businessman and an aficionado of beautiful roses. You probably never knew.
We navigated the west side stands, running into friends including Lady Techsters’ basketball coach Brooke Stoehr, eventually finding the elusive staircase to the field. Three steps down left Gordon briefly in the Bulldogs’ bench area, and that could have been bad if he suddenly reverted back a half-century.
There was no bull-in-the-china shop incident, although Gordon admitted he felt young again being so close to the action. We swept right, moving quickly past Champ the Bulldog mascot and the enthusiastic Tech cheerleaders, looping around to the NSU bench area in the waning moments before halftime.
Gordon was back in his element (not that he spent much time on the bench back in his day). In my 30 years as sports information director at Northwestern, I’d been on the Demons’ sideline plenty, but never at that stage of games, just in the closing minutes. I watched walk-off field goals score stunning upsets at TCU (2001) and Tech (2014). I watched coach Sam Goodwin carried onto the field on the shoulders of his players, more than once. I saw goalposts tugged down (twice). As the clock wound down, I had one of NSU’s greatest running backs, Clarence Matthews, ask me about his game rushing total, and then give me what he’d kept in his head. There wasn’t much difference, but he didn’t agree with the Stephen F. Austin stat crew.
The back of the bench area Saturday night began getting congested as the Band of Pride left the stands, moving into position to march. On the other end of the bench, there was an even larger contingent from the SON, as they’re called, massing in their purple and orange. They were first up.
Suddenly, the halftime horn sounded, the teams trotted toward their dressing rooms, and NSU’s band began excitedly streaming into position to take the field.
Northwestern-Tech, once a bitter rivalry, now not so much. For the guys wearing helmets and shoulder pads, there was obvious intensity but there was a definite pecking order – the Bulldogs were not only at home, they were supposed to win, being a much-greater resourced Football Bowl Subdivision team compared to the Football Championship Subdivision Demons.
For the guys and girls in shorts and shirts, toting instruments, trotting giddily to find their spots so the show could begin, the dynamic was flipped. Over the past three decades, the scholarship-heavy SON has earned a national reputation for excellence – mentioned in band blogs alongside stalwarts like Ohio State, Texas and yes, LSU – along with the Human Jukebox from Southern, and Grambling’s crew. That I knew.
What I didn’t know, had never seen before, was the kinship between the bands. I was later told that’s not uniformly the case, in bitter school rivalries, but what I saw in a few fleeting moments on that sideline was remarkable.
Louisiana Tech’s bandmembers were cheering NSU’s. They were encouraging them. They were high-fiving them as the SON streamed in front to start the show.
I never knew.
It was very, very cool.
I’m pretty sure Boogaerts and Duron never had that friendly bond 50 years ago.
Send non-profit calendar events to wpjnewsla@gmail.com .
Sept. 14
6 p.m. SEC Football Trivia Night, Under Dawgs Sports Grill, 605 Main St., Minden. Proceeds go to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children). For more information: www.vyjila.org
Sept. 15
Webster High School Homecoming
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. 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.
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. 12
Izaiah N. Smith, 22, of the 500 block of Marion St., Minden, was arrested by the MPD on an active bench warrant for speeding. Bond was set at $500.
Demarcus D. Willis, 33, of the 300 block of Myers St., Minden, was arrested by MPD as a fugitive from Harris County for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. He was booked into BDCC for holding.
Jeremy L. Grant, 31, of the 600 block of Morrow St., Minden, was arrested by MPD for aggravated assault with a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, resisting an officer by lying, disturbing the peace by intoxication and an active bench warrant.
Francis S. Vancise, 43, of the 100 block of Mt. Olive Rd., Summerfield, was arrested by Cotton Valley PD for felony theft, criminal trespass and simple burglary.
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.
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.)
An item to approve a Webster Parish Police Jury (WPPJ) Resolution to order and call a special election to authorize establishing off track wagering facilities in the parish was removed from the agenda at the jury meeting this past Tuesday, September 5.
But that does not mean it will not be happening in the foreseeable future.
Kevin Preston purchased Louisiana Downs almost two years ago for $22 million and is hoping to establish five off track facilities – one of those possibly being in Webster Parish.
“When we bought the track part of our license through the racing commission, it states we are allowed to have five O.T.B. ‘s (Off Track Betting) within a 55-mile radius. So, what the racing commission is asking is that we look at locations,” said Preston. “We are not sold on anything yet obviously, but we are looking to get approval from various parishes so if and when we do decide to do something it would be something that we could do.”
Preston explained the importance of horse racing to the state and that is a part of the reason that under his ownership, Louisiana Downs has received a multitude of improvements recently.
The off track betting facility Preston and his team are considering in the parish would include a restaurant, televisions and machines that would allow visitors the opportunity to bet on horse races taking place around the country. The facility would employ 10 people to operate the facility with full benefits offered.
WPPJ President Jim Bonsall expressed his concern with the facility being built in the parish due to it possibly taking from the taxes that the parish receives from those that partake in video poker casinos throughout the parish. The off track betting facility is state driven, so the parish would not see a return on its operations.
“To me whatever money is spent on off track betting is going to come from these little casinos and that is going to cut our money,” said Bonsall.
Preston explained that this may not be the case. He said, “There are folks who like to bet on horses, there are folks who like to just play video poker and there are some who like to do both. I wouldn’t say that it would necessarily go down. I would just say that it would be in addition to. It is a different core customer for sure.”
So far this year, the parish has received $240,000 in taxes from the video poker casinos throughout the parish.
If the jury wanted to get this item added to the upcoming fall election, it should have been approved at this month’s meeting. The jury decided to pull the item and proceed with further discussions and the possibility of having it moved to the spring election.
The WPPJ would not be required to pay for the election if it gets jury approval in the coming months. That expense would be covered by Preston and Louisiana Downs.
City of Minden officials have agreed to join other governmental entities across the country in filing a lawsuit against social media companies in an effort to protect community youth.
City attorney Jimbo Yocom explained the class action suit through Beasley Allen Law Firm of Montgomery, Ala. executes a contingency fee agreement and will not cost the City.
“Social media is taking information from private citizens, including under the age 18 for marketing targeting,” Yocom explained. “They sell the information to marketing companies.”
Yocom said these companies have been known to use entities such as City of Minden’s account to track personal information of followers.
The lawsuit specifically names Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube/Google. It claims these companies have targeted youth through “inadequate age verification measures, insufficient parental controls, endless scrolling and notifications, and targeted algorithms designed to addict teen and adolescent users.”
Ward I City Judge Sherb Sentell is not backing down from finding a solution to the rising juvenile crimes rates and lack of beds in Webster Parish.
The latest possible solution involves a satellite center established and operated by Ware Youth Center out of Coushatta. If that comes to fruition, the biggest concern would be where the money would come from to not only initially build the facility but to cover yearly operating expenses.
“There are a lot of cost saving things that can be done,” said Sentell. “Eight jail spaces for Webster Parish is all we would need for the foreseeable future if we can get it built.”
Sentell’s main plea was getting the Webster Parish Police Jury on board along with the City of Minden and City of Springhill to share the cost of building the juvenile detention center in the parish and maintaining it.
He believes that the police jury may have ample opportunity right now to establish this juvenile center while they are currently in the process of building a new women’s prison to be located on Penal Farm Road.
According to Sentell the biggest cost would come from the dining facility and aid station- both of which could be shared between the women’s facility and possible juvenile facility as long as neither party is within sight or sound of each other at the same time.
Mixing the women and juveniles would not be an option according to Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker. He said, ““I just talked with our insurance this last week and unless it is an absolute emergency, we cannot house juveniles at this women’s facility. They will drop us from insurance.”
Sentell informed the jury that the Executive Director of Ware Youth center has agreed to establish a satellite office in the parish. The Center is already accredited and insured. He stated that the employees would be hired locally with a minimum of 2 people on location, 24/7.
Educational expenses would be minimal due to the access of virtual learning now available following the pandemic.
“I have confirmed that we could put computer monitors in each cell with plexiglass in front of them and then the juveniles can plug into the appropriate classroom. We do not have to have a live teacher. The recurring cost would be a lot less if we do it right and do it in a very thoughtful manner,” said Sentell.
Sentell suggested attempting to pass a millage to cover the cost of initially building the facility. He believes 1 mil which equals approximately $275,000 would be enough for the build.
The jury and municipalities are currently paying $310 a day per bed at Ware. The judge ensures that the cost per bed would be significantly lower if the parish was able to establish a facility locally.
The two beds available to Webster Parish at Ware are currently being occupied by juveniles from Shreveport who stole a vehicle and traveled to Love’s Truck Stop where they attempted to carry out another carjacking. This failed attempt resulted in a nine-year-old girl from Dallas who was traveling to Floridia for a cheer competition being hit by the vehicle and hospitalized in a nearby hospital.
“If it was an easy problem I wouldn’t be here, but if we can save them as juveniles, we can save hundreds of thousands of dollars by not having to incarcerate them as adults,” said Sentell.
He requested the police jury form a sub-committee to meet with local law enforcement agencies, administration from Ware Youth Center including Executive Director Scott and building engineers to discuss possible solutions.
Got some handy information for you, as I was wrong about something but have seen the light, and it was cool and it was refreshing.
Knew I wouldn’t get in bed until after midnight Saturday because of working a football game so when I was asked at the first of the week about going to the Texas Rangers game in Arlington the next day—this past Sunday—it didn’t sound so hot, simply because I am not 20 years old and not totally insane anymore.
But when a trio of friends of 40 years ask and they have good tickets and they use the magic word — “Free” — you go to bed as quickly as you can, even if that’s not until 2 Sunday morning, get up at 6 and drive to Chief’s so the Senator and Hearing Aids can pick you up, get your butt and your water bottle in the backseat of the Senator’s Jeep Cherokee and head toward Texas, tired but up for whatever.
Good times.
This was my first trip to Globe Life Field, home of the Rangers, that opened during the virus-throttled 2020 season. When the Rangers announced in 2016 they were building a new ballpark, my first thought was, “They just BUILT a new ballpark?!”
And, in terms of a ballpark’s normal lifetime, they had. The Ballpark in Arlington opened in 1994. I had socks and shoes that old. The park was just getting broken in. And what a glorious ballpark it was.
It’s still gorgeous. It stands a home run from the new stadium, which looks from the outside like an airplane hanger. No contest. The old ballpark wins swimsuit and evening gown and it’s not close.
Except … you know what they say about judging a book. That’s Globe Life Field. The beauty is on the inside.
And by “beauty” I mean “air conditioning.” The retractable roof on the $1.1 billion new stadium keeps the 68-degree air inside and the 90-degree air and sun outside. No sweat. We’d have melted Sunday in the old ballpark, especially at this stage of our development.
Globe Life Field is a five-tool player. It’s all about “fans first.” Actual baseball things would be No. 6, tops, on my list of things that are awesome about this new yard.
You start with the roof. Arlington had three 110-degree days this summer and dozens over 95. Mercy!
All kinds of food along what has to be the widest, most open concourses in big-league baseball. People love food and people love not being crowded. Double play.
There are helpers/ushers in baby blue shirts by the dozens, maybe by the hundreds. One was by an escalator and while we explored an hour before first pitch we asked the man if we could go down to that level and he said we needed a ticket for down there and we said we were just ignorant people from Louisiana and he said OK and down we went, then self-reported when we got back and he said that was good because he was a few seconds from calling a SWAT team.
Good-natured folk.
Since Chief had a bum leg and handicapped parking, those same support people drove us in a golf cart from the Jeep to the front door. Took us back after the game. No charge, tipping not allowed. One of our lady drivers was packing heat, too.
Texas.
The park is a multi-purpose palace for concerts and rodeos and even basketball and who knows what else they might use it for.
The immediate area outside is called Texas Live!, an entertainment district around AT&T Stadium (where the Dallas Cowboys play) and the new park and the “old” ballpark, now used for football and soccer and whatnot. Also in the mix are a couple of half-billion-dollar hotels, eating places, a concert venue, convention center, partridge in a pear tree, and on like that. Really pretty.
And then there’s baseball. In the past three-ish weeks, the Rangers have nose-dived from a 3-and-a-half game lead in the American League West to a neck-and-neck race with Seattle for the AL’s third and final wild-card spot. Me and the boys did our part Sunday in rooting the Rangers to a 9-4 victory over hapless Oakland, a team that sports classic uniforms but just does not have any major league players to wear them.
Now it’s your turn. The Rangers have only six regular-season home games left: Monday-Wednesday, Sept. 18-20, vs. Boston, and Friday-Sunday, Sept. 22-24, vs. those pesky Mariners from Seattle. The Rangers need you. Keep in mind that for that Sunday game against Seattle, Blue Bell ice cream sandwiches are just — wait for it — $1. I kid you not. All you’ve got to do is get your posterior to Globe Life Field.
A local church is honoring the memory of a faithful member with a fundraiser to benefit its programs.
Pine Grove Methodist Church will be hosting a Judy Rayner Memorial Fundraiser Saturday, September 23 at 4549 Lewisville Rd., Minden.
There will be a chicken spaghetti or red sauce spaghetti meal ($10). Drive through will be available between 4:30 and 5 p.m. Dine-in begins at 5 p.m.
Raffle tickets are on sale now through the fundraiser evening for $5.
Raffle times include 2 knives by Eddie Martin; custom made tumbler by L-K Fast Krafts, 2 pairs of diamond earrings and 2 crochet afghans by Kelli Knowles.
Silent auction items include:
Dragon Fly painting by Linda Lyles
Birdfeeder/plant hanger by Davis Ironworks
Large and small handmade quilts by Ruby Dees
Home Delights Gift Basket by Monica Clark
Spa Day Gift Basket by Monica Clark
L-K, S Fast Krafts Tumber by Lisa-Kay Moore
2 front end alignments by John Collins
Painting by late artist and pastor Frank DeLoach
A Night at the Villas by Sara McDaniel
20 cases of Music Mountain Water by Marcus Wren
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).
Judy Rayner of Minden, was a loyal member of Pine Grove Methodist Church. She died March 21, 2023.
A Webster Parish Deputy in the right place at the right time landed a Minden local behind bars on multiple charges this past Saturday, September 9.
According to Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker, Deputy Derrick Phelps pulled into Buzz Buy parking lot in Dixie Inn and immediately became aware of a verbal altercation taking place between Randall Lary, 42, of the 100 block of Hollow Road in Minden, and his girlfriend.
“As the altercation progressed, Deputy Phelps witnessed Mr. Lary push the woman, knocking her phone to the ground,” said Parker.
Deputy Phelps quickly approached the pair. Upon asking them what was going on, he discovered that they were arguing because the woman allegedly sent another gentleman money via Cash App on her phone prior to leaving the store.
Parker said, “Mr. Lary stated that he did not mean to push her so hard.”
Deputy Phelps proceeded to arrest Lary in the Buzz Buy parking lot. Upon putting Lary in cuffs, the deputy searched his person and discovered two tin foil packages that Lary reportedly admitted was methamphetamine.
Lary was booked into Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center. During the booking, it was discovered that Lary was also wanted for a previous warrant in a separate investigation. He was charged with domestic abuse battery, possession of Schedule II and theft of a firearm.
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.
“Crabs” by Wyatt Waters, from our book A Southern Palate
One of the most frequent questions I am asked in interviews is, “What is your favorite ingredient?” That’s a broad and subjective question, but it’s low hanging fruit for an interviewer when speaking to someone in the food business. My answer typically varies depending on the season, my mood, what genre of the food world I am exploring at that moment, and a dozen other factors that might come into play.
Nevertheless, the ingredient I cite most often is crabmeat.
I love crabmeat, and the blue crab that comes from the Gulf of Mexico, just 65 miles south of my hometown is the ingredient that makes its way into many of my favorite creations. It is rich, mild, delicate, sweet, and buttery. It’s a very healthy protein with a low salt content. Jumbo lump crab is the best of the bunch, though we use regular lump, special white, claw meat, and claw fingers at our restaurants.
Blue crab is plentiful in the warm Gulf waters. So much so that a large portion of the year (mainly the colder months), Gulf Coast seafood suppliers are shipping crabmeat up to Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. Though we do hit spells where availability is limited down here.
One place where crabmeat is plentiful these days is a place where that particular species couldn’t even be found a few years ago— Italy. That country has been experiencing an “invasion” of blue crab over the past year or so.
It’s a problem. A big problem.
Blue Crabs have taken over certain areas of the northern Italian coastline, especially in the Po Delta. Though the Tuscan coast is experiencing the same invasion. “Invasion of crabs” seems like a term that would be used in a cheesy 1950s B-movie science fiction flick, but it’s happening.
One might think, “In the world of problems, having an overabundance of blue crabs in your waters seems more like a blessing than a problem.” I would love to have an invasion of Blue Crabs in the Gulf of Mexico. The problem on the northern Italian coast is that the blue crab has no predator. In our waters sharks and rays thrive on blue crab which keeps the ecosystem balanced. Sharks and rays don’t exist on the northern coastline of Italy.
The bigger problem is that blue crabs thrive on clams and squid. Italian citizens also thrive on clams and squid. Currently, there’s an area in Italy where blue crabs have wiped out 90% of the young clam harvest. The Italian government is trying to solve the dilemma on two fronts. They’re giving a small amount of governmental assistance to all the family farmers and seafood harvesters in the affected areas. Though, from the reports I have read, it’s not near enough to cover the damage done to families in the seafood trade. The government has also mounted a media campaign teaching Italians how to cook and eat blue crab.
When I heard this news my first thought was— how did the blue crab made its way to the Italian coastline? It appears that international shipping is to blame. Cargo ships when filling their ballasts with water take in blue crab. When the ballasts are emptied in Italian ports the water is not always filtered.
The Italians are now dealing with the saltwater version of kudzu.
One blue crab can lay up to eight million eggs at a time. It can also have up to seven broods in one year. All one must do is a little fourth-grade math to figure out that problem is going to get exponentially worse without a natural predator. The only solution appears to be that the Italians are going to have to develop the taste and appreciation for blue crab. As tasks go it’s not a tough one if you know what you’re doing. I could take on that problem in a heartbeat.
After Hurricane Katrina I was told that Louisiana sent a delegation to Holland to learn how they have spent centuries holding back the North Sea from flooding their country— a large portion of which, is below sea level. They do it brilliantly and have done it for years. It may be time that we send a contingent of Mississippi Gulf Coast chefs, New Orleans chefs, and anyone above the age of twelve who owns a stove in Houma Louisiana to Italy to show them the glory of blue crab cooking and how many ways it can be served at the dinner table.
There’s one huge problem though—Italians never mix dairy and seafood. Americans do this often. People in the South do it almost exclusively. Crabmeat au gratin would be seen as an abomination in Italy. But there are plenty of dishes in which crabmeat could be sauteed in olive oil and garlic and then flashed with a little white wine to top a nice grilled sea bass. There are several pastas we have served over the last three-plus decades that have used crabmeat as the main ingredient. Angel hair pasta works best but we typically use a butter sauce such as beurre blanc to bring out the richness of the protein.
I have faith. Italian chefs are some of the most talented and creative cooks in the world. They will figure it out. I head over there in October to work for six weeks. I may give a few of my friends a few pointers. Afterall, jumbo lump crabmeat is selling for $5.00 a pound over there. To put that in perspective my price last week on jumbo lump crabmeat— wholesale mind you— was $28.50.
Tomatoes came to Italy from the Americas, so did corn. They’ve figured out how to use those items better than most. I have faith that crabmeat will be the same.
Onward.
West Indies Crab Salad
2 pounds Jumbo Lump Crab
1 1/2 cup Yellow Onion, small dice
1/2 cup Canola, cottonseed or peanut oil
1/2 cup Champagne vinegar
1/4 cup ice water
2 Tbl fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbl kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Gently fold all ingredients together and cover tightly. Refrigerate overnight before serving. Just before serving, toss the salad well to redistribute the dressing.
French Bread Croutons
Preheat oven to 400
2 French Baguettes, sliced into 1 inch thick rounds
2/3 cups light olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 Tbl kosher salt
Arrange the sliced bread on one large baking sheet,
Use a pastry brush to brush each slice of bread with the olive oil.
Bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven and quickly rub each slice with the raw garlic.
Sprinkle with the kosher salt and serve.
Yield: 6-8 servings
(Robert St. John is a chef, restaurateur and published cookbook author who lives in Hattiesburg, Miss.)
LaMa Animal Rescue is shinning a light on a special donor, Debra Hamiter, this month’s featured artist at the Art League in Springhill.Debra is using her talents to graciously donate the proceeds from the sales of her beautiful paintings to help support the animals in need at LaMa Animal Rescue.
Debra grew up in Greenwood, Louisiana and moved to the Lake Earling area after marrying her husband. She retired from International Paper after 34 years of dedication and has been enjoying her time with the art league for the past six years. She is a pet owner that started at a young age caring for animals from the example her family set. Debra has two dogs of her own and with her cooking skills, a following of several neighborhood dogs that like to follow her on her walks and assist with any table scraps she needs help with.
You can see Debra’s beautiful paintings in the window of the Art League on Main Street this month. The 16×20 paintings are on sale for $25 and the smaller paintings are $10. The proceeds will go to help the 150 dogs and cats in Lama’s care right now. The enormous vet bill has put a huge stress on the rescue group and Debra’s kind heart and talents are helping to support this worthy cause in our community.Her example to others of how everyone can do something to help make a big impact is an inspiration to others. If you would like to purchase one of her paintings and help support LaMa, come by the Art League on Main Street in Springhill. Thank you, Debra, for being an animal advocate in our community and for being an example that everyone can do something to give back.
There are many ways you can be a part of or help support LaMa Animal Rescue group, whether you can foster, assist with fundraising, community events or give of your time and talents, please visit LaMaAnimalRescue.org and become an impactful person in our community.
