A Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office patrol unit that was sideswiped is loaded onto a wrecker.
There have been no updates on the condition of a Webster Parish deputy sheriff who was struck by a vehicle Tuesday evening around 7 p.m. while directing traffic on U.S. Hwy. 371 north of Dixie Inn near the Whispering Pines church.
Sheriff Jason Parker said the deputy, whose name is being withheld at this time, was assisting with removal of a stalled vehicle and had nearly completed the task when he was hit.
“They were in the process of wrapping up and were about to leave when the vehicle sideswiped the deputy’s vehicle and then hit him,” Parker said. “The driver said he saw the lights but did not see the deputy standing there.”
Parker said accidents such as this can be avoided if drivers will remember a simple rule.
“When you see blue lights flashing, slow down and move over if possible,” the Sheriff said. “If there is approaching traffic and it’s not possible to move over, then slowly brake to a stop and yield to the emergency lights.”
Parker said the deputy was believed to be in serious condition, but was alert and talking when emergency medical personnel arrived. He was transported to a Shreveport hospital where doctors reportedly are awaiting results of X-rays and an MRI.
More information on the incident will be provided as it is released.
Minden Mayor Nick Cox believes the I-20 service road is one of the city’s lowest hanging fruits … and it’s under utilized.
But what if there were an easier way to get to the businesses located there? What if there were a more centrally-located road connecting Minden to Industrial Drive, otherwise known as the service road?
“We have looked at several projects, but I believe – to get Minden in a better place – access to the service road is where we need to focus,” Cox said. “The infrastructure is already there … the sewer, the water are already there. That’s a big deal.”
Using its contract with Manchac Consulting Group, the City of Minden is seeking a $5.1 million grant that would allow them to go from Highway 80, just east of Fincher Road south to the backside of the Louisiana Technical Community College and Harvey’s Way (road), thus connecting to the service road.
“There’s a lot of land out there that is underdeveloped,” said the mayor.
Cox said some of the service road issues include the inability to see it from the Interstate 20.
“Developments would fix that, clearing of the property and putting up signs from businesses,” he said, going on to name various property owners in that area. “Some of them are businesses, but there is still some property owned by families that live on the Penal Farm Road side (of I-20).”
After talking with the council and Public Works Director Tyler Wallace, Cox said he believes it would be beneficial to build a road “from Minden to the service road. Right now, you have to go around the world to get there.”
A map, supplied by Manchac, shows the road connecting 80 to Harvey’s Way would bypass much of what’s known as Cooley Bottom and property that floods or is “swampy.”
“This is just a draft,” Cox said of the map. “It is not final by any means. This is just to help us apply for the grant. It is not necessarily the route it will take.”
However, the owner of the property has no issue with it at this time, according to Cox.
If the connecting road can be built, Cox said it would allow for a back entrance and exit access joining the city-owned Recreation Center, as well as the college and other businesses.
Cox admits qualifying for the grant is difficult, and the city needs help.
“The window to apply for this grant is now,” Cox said. “We are currently seeking letters from officials – including our Congressional and state delegates – to help make this happen.”
He also pointed to a strong medical community that could benefit from access to the service road.
“Letters of support from them would be beneficial to helping us get this RAISE grant,” he said.
A RAISE grant, (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity), is a federal discretionary program through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“Our eligibility will decide whether we are qualified for the grant and whether we will receive 100 percent of the money or have a 20 percent match,” said the mayor.
Any of these officials or businesses that would like to send letters of support for this road, may send them to adrake@mindenusa.com by Monday, February 5.
Carleton H. Prothro sits on the couch in the den of his house on Drake Drive. About 15 feet away, just outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, birds riotously go after food that has recently been put out for them, while a lone squirrel positions himself below to feast on the cast-offs.
Carleton has been out of the hospital for a couple of weeks, having overcome a bout of double pneumonia. His wife, Lois, and his son, Lance, float quietly in and out of the room, deciding on and consolidating what will move with the Minden couple to their new home in Mooresville, North Carolina on Feb. 12, 2024. They stop every now and then to answer a question. And right now, the longtime educator is pondering.
“I guess what I am most proud of in my professional life is that so many of my former students are now my friends,” said Prothro. “I mean my dentist is a former student, my doctor is a former student, my lawyer is a former student…” And he proudly calls these people, and many, many more who were students, his friends.
Where did it all begin? Back in 1954, when Prothro graduated from the University of Arkansas, he was commissioned a first lieutenant. After completing flight school, he became an Army aviator, and was stationed at Ft. Benning near Columbus, GA. He flew home to Shreveport from Ft. Benning one weekend because he had a blind date – with Lois. That obviously worked out well, since they are still married 66 years later.
Knowing that their relationship was getting serious, the couple began making plans. Carleton’s active duty enlistment period (four years) was coming up, so he requested a “desirable” stationing. He learned that the Army was going to send him to helicopter school, and then…to South Korea. Instead of “re-upping,” he joined the U. S. Army Reserves. After 23 years with the Reserves, and four with the Army, Prothro retired from the Army in 2006 at the rank of colonel.
Meanwhile, Carleton’s sister, the late Mrs. Emily Van Horn, put a bug in her brother’s ear that the Civics and junior English teacher at Minden High School was retiring. “That was in 1958-59,” he recalled. “W.W. Williams was the principal, Kirtley Miles was assistant principal, there was a really great staff…” He took the job and continued to teach Civics and English for two years. Then he was transferred into World Geography (his degree). During the 1960s and ‘70s, he taught Civics, World Geography, Economics and American Government.
In 1964, Prothro received a grant to enroll at the University of Alabama to earn his master’s degree in counseling. At Alabama, while taking a course in “counseling athletes,” students were arranged in a circle introducing themselves and telling where they were from. When Carleton said “Minden,” a gentleman by the name of Bear Bryant looked up at him and asked, “Do you have any more Crows or Becks around that area,” referring to premiere football players John David Crow (Heisman winner) from Springhill and Ken Beck (NFL defensive end) from Minden.
Upon finishing, he returned to Webster Parish and became an itinerant counselor. However, when Cleve Strong became principal of Minden High School, he requested and was assigned Prothro as counselor. He was promoted to assistant principal, and served in that position for one year before becoming test director in Federal Programming for Title I. He remained in Federal Programming until he retired in the early 90s after 35 years in the system.
It was during this time that he also earned his “Plus 30” from Louisiana Tech University. Although he attended Arkansas, Alabama and Louisiana universities, “He’s a Razorback,” Lois said, during one rest-stop in the den.
One of his former students, Dr. Richard Campbell had the honor of presenting Minden’s “Man of the Year” Award to Carleton in 2017. “For over 40 years, he has contributed to the education of local schools from classroom to guidance to administration,” Campbell said. “As a social studies instructor at Minden High School, he made learning enjoyable…he had an uncanny ability to relate closely with his students while retaining their respect.”
Carleton and Lois married in 1957, and they have two sons, Carleton H. Prothro (Becky) from Mooresville, NC and Lance B. Prothro (Stephanie) from Nevada; two grandchildren, Hunt Prothro (Ivy) and Whitney Fain (Stephen); and three great grandchildren, Anderson, Parker and Riley Ann Fain.
Community has been a large part of Carleton’s life. He and Lois are members of St. John’s Episcopal Church, where he served on the Vestry, was a Junior Warden multiple times, a Reader and an Usher. He is a longtime member and director of the Minden Lions Club, is past commander of Wiley-Pevy American Legion Post #74 and is a director emeritus of the Dorcheat Historical Association & Museum. He is past president of the Louisiana Association of School Administrators of Federally-Assisted Programs (LASAFAP) and served on the Board of the Louisiana Association of School Executives. And Kirtley Miles, football player and later coach at Minden High (48 years), talked Carleton into filming all the football games at MHS on 16mm film.
“Colonel” Prothro’s best memories of teaching revolve around the goodness and intelligence of his students. “Teaching was fun, and I enjoyed it so much, but I don’t think it is like that anymore,” said the man who always has a joke to tell. “My advice to young people today is to STOP if you are approached by the police. Be NICE…don’t be so confrontational. And learn to COMPROMISE! Look at politics, I don’t think the word ‘compromise’ exists anymore.”
For Prothro it boils down to the Bible. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
About leaving? “We’ve received so many calls and cards. We don’t want to leave, but we are both in our nineties! Lois and I love our church and we hate to leave all our friends…” Those friends and the community will have a chance to say goodbye to Carleton and Lois Prothro on Sunday, Feb. 11 beginning at noon at St. John’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall. Refreshments and birthday cake will be served.
Yes, Carleton turns 92 on Sunday, Feb. 11. And on Feb. 12, the couple will leave Minden for Mooresville, NC to begin a new chapter in their life. Bring them a card and tell them you love them on Sunday, Feb. 11. Please no gifts, after all, THEY ARE MOVING!!
Upcoming Events….
Carleton and Lois Prothro will be honored during a “Farewell” Party on Sunday, Feb. 11 at noon in the St. John’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall. The community is invited to wish the couple safe travels, and to wish Carleton a Happy 92nd Birthday!! Refreshments and cake will be served.
From left: Sara McDaniel, Rachel Miller, Patrick Miller and Lela Margaret Miller during 2023 St. Jude Auction.
By Paige Nash
A lot of strenuous work goes into the Minden St. Jude Auction every year and 2024 is no different as auction volunteers and patrons strive to find a “cure and beyond.” There is no denying the evolutions over the decades since the inaugural auction that first occurred in 1976. One of the most significant changes includes the auction going digital.
Many of those that participate in purchasing raffle tickets do so online through the auction website. The first website launched in 2005 and brought in approximately $15,000. In almost two decades since its creation, the website has become a big contributor to the auction’s success allowing participants from near and far to contribute to the grand total every year.
Owner of Parish Design Co. Patrick Miller is a graphic designer by trade so there was no question as to why Minden St. Jude Auction representative Melissa Brown reached out to him in 2014. Although he had been involved with the auction long before then. He volunteered at his first auction in 1999 to work the phone bank alongside his then fiancé Rachel Longfellow. Miller admits he wasn’t very good at it but is happy to serve in any capacity needed but feels more comfortable behind his computer than on the phone.
Miller said, “Melissa Brown contacted me about designing theme artwork for shirts, printed pieces, and taking over the website. It seemed right up my alley. I have been fortunate to design all the auction materials and build/host the website ever since.”
He also works closely with Kenneth Greer, who Miller describes as a “genius architect of the auction system” as well as Lea Ratcliff who oversees content and raffle items on the website every year.
“In the early days, orders would arrive online and had to be manually re-entered into Kenneth’s auction system. When I joined in Fall 2014, Kenneth and I put our heads together and built a more streamlined process which pulls down web orders and inserts them directly into the auction system,” said Miller. “Lea’s incredible web team now does order extracts every 3 to 4 minutes which allows us to push thousands of raffle purchases into the auction system in near real-time.”
With the digital aspect growing, the auction felt a real need to incorporate a dedicated social media team. Since then, the Minden St. Jude Auction has gone global by way of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and SnapChat.
According to Miller, the website broke its first $100K in 2011 followed by an impressive $362K in 2015 and then hit $537K in 2019. Seeing a trend here?
In 2023, the auction saw 49,000 web visitors from all 50 states and 49 countries around the world. “This web traffic contributed to 600,000+ pageviews on auction weekend. Orders were placed from as far away as Alaska, New York, Wisconsin, Australia, Germany, and Guatemala,” said Miller.
From 2005 to 2022, the auction website brought in approximately $5.5 Million dollars, but according to Miller a major milestone was reached just last year. “In 2023, the website broke the million-dollar mark with $1,036,433 in orders. That Million dollars consisted of 8,028 transactions made up of 85,633 items which puts the total amount of money raised on the web at $6.6 Million since 2005.”
The grand total raised last year came to a monumental $2,030,013, which means approximately half of the money came from digital sales through the website alone.
Over the past 48 auctions, Minden, Louisiana continues to remain the top contributor to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital per capita. Visit [https://www.cure4kids.org/] for more information.
“None of these milestones would be possible without the love and support of our volunteers, sponsors, donors, and a community which desires to eradicate catastrophic childhood cancers,” said Miller. “We are all excited to launch the 2024 Minden St. Jude Auction as we strive to find “… a Cure and Beyond!”
The auction will kick-off on Thursday, February 8. For those that cannot support in person, keep up with raffle items, updates, photos and more at view https://mindenstjude.com or via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and SnapChat @mindenstjude.
Ward I Marshal Dan Weaver (left) and City Court Judge Sherb Sentell III,
The first Chamber Connect After Hours of 2024 boasted a large number of business owners and officials at the Minden Civic Center Tuesday.
Hosted by Minden City Court Judge Sherb Sentell III and Ward Marshal Dan Weaver, the event allowed attendees to exchange business cards, network and enjoy a full meal provided by Lucy Weaver and family.
Sentell and Weaver spent some time telling everyone about their positions and how they serve the public.
(Editor’s note: One of prop bets for Super Bowl LVIII [or 58 if you’re tired of Roman numerals, which we don’t use except at Super Bowl time because we are not Roman, DUUH! ] is whether Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce will propose to superpower Taylor Swift, who has recently been classified as her own planet, displacing Pluto, on the field. As of Tuesday, odds were long on Super Love Sunday: to wager on “no proposal,” you’d have to bet $2,200 and, if there were no proposal, you’d win $100 and get your $2,200 back. Betting-wise, not a great proposal.)
Sunday’s two NFL conference championships games were examples of why it would be fun for coaches to interview journalists now and then, instead of always the other way around.
Because first, the games were shining examples of why sports are the only true reality television.
Baltimore had the best running game in the NFL in the regular season, rushed for 229 yards in a 34-10 route of Houston Jan. 20 in the AFC Divisional round — and ran the ball only 16 times in a 17-10 loss to Kansas City in the AFC title game. The Ravens running backs rushed just six times. The Ravens defense held Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes scoreless in the third quarter, gave up just 17 points, but did not even really try to run, just expected quarterback Lamar Jackson to be Superman and/or silver-armed Tom Brady, so did NOT do “what brung ’em,” and lost.
Detroit pretty much DID do what brung ’em, but they lost too, 34-31 in San Francisco. Dan Campbell, a big man who in three years as head coach has turned Detroit’s franchise around and made them winners for the first time since Moses was cleaning Red Sea slime off his sandals, has gambled since he took over the team, running and gunning on fourth down, rolling the dice, all that sort of thing. Playing with a reckless, carefree confidence. Those results paid off — until they didn’t Sunday, when ill-timed fourth-down decisions in a game with No Tomorrow didn’t go as Campbell and Detroit and their long-suffering fans had hoped.
“Part of the gig,” Campbell said afterward, having been around long enough to know you win some, you lose some, you get praised for some, you get criticized for some, but you dress out for all of them. He didn’t read the room right Sunday, but you’ve got to love the guy.
This is what might have happened had Campbell gone to the press box 45 minutes after the game and had a press conference with the writers, tables turned, concerning several stories and TV reports that all those critical failures to convert fourth downs contributed to Detroit’s loss, which they did. Same as they’d have contributed to a win had they succeeded.
Coach: “So here’s the lede you wrote: ‘Four chances. Four chances on fourth down for Detroit to show the football world what it’s made of. The Lions blew them all.’ You start a sentence with a NUMERAL and end a sentence with a PREPOSITION?! Where did you learn grammar, K-Mart?”
Writer: “I got your ‘starting a sentence with a number’ right here. How about ‘Four score and seven years ago.’ Sound familiar? How about this?: ‘Sugar and spice and everything nice. That’s what little girls are made OF.’ It’s only one of the most famous nursery rhymes ever and has been around 10 times longer than since Detroit last won a playoff game.”
Coach, to another writer: “You start a story with ‘It,’ the ultimate in lazy. You wrote, ‘It will go down as one of the great blunders in NFL Championship history.’ As in, ‘I can’t think of how to describe ‘it’ right off the bat so I’ll just say ‘it’ and explain later. Hopefully.’ Pitiful.”
Writer: “Really? REALLY? ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’ If it’s good enough for Chuck Dickens, it’s good enough for me. I almost went with ‘Call me Ishmael,’ ‘Ishmael’ being Arabic for ‘Guy Who Should Have Taken The Field Goal.’”
Coach: “You said our second-half defense was a ‘colander.’ Did you mean ‘sieve’? The phrase is ‘a sieve-like defense,’ not a ‘colander’ defense.”
Writer: “Sieve. Colander. Sling blade. Kaiser blade. Potato. PoTAHto. You’re nit-pickin’ now! Tell me, when’s the last time you wrote on deadline? The next time will be the first time, that’s when. You make a B+ on a freshman theme or win an award from the Optimist Club for an essay and think you’re Grantland Rice. I’m done here: I still have to write a column and a sidebar…”
Coach: “Well why not try for something lighter, something more optimistic, something like, ‘It was the best of times, it was the could-have-been-a-little-better of times…’”
When the clock strikes midnight Jan. 31, no one turns into a pumpkin, but nominations for 2024 Woman of the Year will be officially closed.
This prestigious award is sponsored by the Young Women’s Service Club (YWSC) of Minden and presented annually at the Greater Minden Chamber’s Annual Awards Gala.
“We accept nominations from community members and then present those to a board created by the Greater Minden Chamber, who hosts the Annual Gala,” said YWSC President Elizabeth Campbell. “In selecting the next Woman of the Year, we are looking for someone who loves Minden and continuously works to make it a better place. They engage both professionally and socially in the well-being of others and the town. They are selfless in their actions and words and truly represent Minden in the brightest light.”
The 82nd Annual Minden Chamber Gala is set to take place this year on February 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Minden Civic Center, where the 2024 Woman of the Year will be announced among other honorees. Nominations will be open until 11:50 p.m. on January 31. To nominate your personal Woman of the Year, click the link below and fill out all the required fields.
Princess Jaylea Willis (left) and Prince LeJerrius Bryant.
On January 27, 2024, J. L. Jones Elementary presented their inaugural Panther Prince and Princess Pageant. The pageant was conducted as a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Twenty-eight students participated in this year’s event held at Minden High School.
In the Prince category, the winners were Austin Kelly – People’s Choice, Isaiah Lard – 2nd Runner Up, Donald Fuller-Henix – 1st Runner Up, and LeJerrius Bryant – Panther Prince. In the Princess category, the winners were Gaelynn Holmes – People’s Choice, Saylor Kibodeaux – 2nd Runner Up, Avionna Smallwood – 1st Runner Up, and Princess Jaylea Willis.
From left, Princess – Jaylea Willis, 1st Runner Up – Avionna Smallwood, 2nd Runner Up – Saylor Kibodeaux, People’s Choice – Gaelynn Holmes.
From left, Prince – LeJerrius Bryant, 1st Runner – Donald Fuller-Henix, 2nd Runner Up – Isaiah Lard, People’s Choice – Austin Kelly.
The deadline alarm sounds at 11:59 p.m. today (Jan. 31) for Man of the Year.
Don’t let service and dedication to our community go unrecognized. Nominate an outstanding man for the Man of the Year Award, sponsored by the Minden Lions Club. The winner will be announced during the Chamber Awards Gala on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
In the 1985 Ron Howard movie, “Cocoon,” a group of senior citizens from a retirement home break into an abandoned indoor swimming pool filled with alien pods. The energy radiated from the pods at the bottom of the pool gives the seniors bucketloads of youthful vigor and renewed energy.
I haven’t been swimming in a pool of extra-terrestrial objects, but I have hit some type of professional resurgence in my career and life lately in which I feel an amazing amount of renewed commitment and passion for the restaurant business and my career.
After 43 years in this industry, and only three years away from the age when the government thinks people should retire, I feel as energetic and passionate as I did in my twenties when I first got into this business.
There hasn’t been a lot of time lately for me to sit down and self-analyze where this rebirth has come from, but I also don’t want to question it too closely for fear it may go away.
It’s been an interesting journey to get to this point.
In 1981, I flunked out of college and moved back home, embarrassed and aimless. I was 20 years old and lost. Two ladies were in the process of opening a delicatessen. They were new to the restaurant business, which is evident because they hired me as the manager. I fell in love with restaurant work immediately. I couldn’t get enough of it. I managed the deli during the day and got a second job waiting tables at night. I set my sights on opening my own restaurant one day.
Looking back, I was a terrible manager as I was as clueless as anyone could be in a leadership role. On top of that I was a 19 year old with a full-blown alcohol and drug addiction. The owner of the restaurant had to come wake me up at my apartment on several occasions, just to get me to come to work. As a 43-year veteran of this industry, it embarrasses me to have written the previous sentence, I am fortunate that the owners didn’t know enough best practices to have fired me immediately. Had they done so, I might have gone back into the radio business and never found my true calling.
After a few more jobs in other restaurants, I ended up in an alcohol and drug rehab center on May 25, 1983. It saved my life and future career. I have been clean and sober ever since.
Then— with a clear mind— the dream of opening my own restaurant one day was stronger than ever. I put my life on a fast track. I re-enrolled in college at the University of Southern Mississippi and got a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration. I worked 40 hours a week waiting tables to support myself. All my spare hours were spent either in a restaurant or working towards opening a future restaurant. In between classes I went to the library and read the restaurant trade magazines. At night I stayed up until two and three in the morning designing future restaurants and creating menus. I was obsessed.
My goal in those days was just to open one restaurant so I could wear shorts and t-shirts to work every day. That’s it. Nothing more. That dream came true on December 28, 1987, when we opened The Purple Parrot Café. I paid myself $250.00 a week which was half of what I was making as a server in other restaurants. But the truth is— had I had any money— I would have paid someone for the privilege of owning my own restaurant. I loved it. I had a blast. I was working 90 hours a week cooking in the kitchen for the first four years, and the only reason I wasn’t putting in more hours is because there was nothing left to do at the end of the day. So, I went home and stayed up late designing future restaurants and menus in my one room garage apartment.
In the following years many of those restaurants I dreamed of, and designed late at night, came to fruition. Some were a hit. Others weren’t. More opened. Others closed. Luckily the successes outweighed the failures. No matter what the problems and issues were I never lost my passion for the industry. Good or bad I was having a blast.
When Covid hit things changed. It seemed like the end had come, for me, for our restaurants, and for the industry at large. I never lost my passion, I just went into survival mode and only had to close a couple of the concepts. But now, far removed from the carnage that pandemic had on everything, I can see that it not only forever changed this industry, but we struggled to survive way more than we realized at the time.
It made us stronger.
Years ago at a seminar I heard Danny Meyer— one of the country’s preeminent restaurateurs— say, “Business is problems. A successful business is problems well handled. If you can’t handle problems, get out of business.”
Sometimes out of bad things come better things. That is the case for us. We opened a couple of concepts in the post Covid world, and the challenges were greater than ever. But being in survival mode made us leaner and more streamlined. I reached out for help in ways I had never done before.
Eighteen months ago, we partnered with a multi-integrated restaurant management software company called Restaurant Systems Pro which was one of the wisest moves I have ever made. It made such a difference in our business that I invested in the company. I began reading more industry-related business books. I hired an executive coach, then I hired that same coach for our executive team and our leadership team. We began building a corporate infrastructure to handle the growth. My personal restaurant revival and rebirth was underway.
This resurgence was based on results. And the more positive results we experienced the more committed I became. I shored up our company’s mission statement: “We give our guests exceptional experiences through fanatical, wall-to-wall hospitality.” I began communicating our company’s core values— hospitality, quality, consistency, cleanliness, and community— and started basing all our management decisions on whether they fell in line with those values. We have made amazing progress, yet still have a lot of room to grow.
Wilford Brimley was 11 years younger than I am now when he played senior citizen Ben Luckett in “Cocoon.” Though I feel as if I am just hitting my stride. I love my work. Actually, it has never felt like work. I will never retire. I don’t know what I would do. I don’t hunt, fish, or play golf. Restaurants are my hobby.
I’ve got a 22 year old son who is a few years away from joining the team. These days I am as excited about this industry, and our company’s future, as I was in my mid-twenties when I was dreaming all this stuff up.
Onward.
Miniature Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp and grits became popular in southern restaurants in the late 1980s. This is a preparation that allows them to be hand held.
1 /4 cup quick grits
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp creole seasoning
Combine grits, cream and seasoning in a small covered baking dish and cook in a 300 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove and cool slightly.
Grit Biscuits
1 1 /2 cups flour
1 Tbl sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 /4 cup shortening
1 recipe grits
1 /2 cup buttermilk.
1 egg
Combine all dry ingredients and using a fork, blend shortening into the dry mixture.
Whip together the egg, buttermilk and grits. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and blend well. Do not overmix.
Roll out biscuits to 1 /2-inch thickness and cut 2-inch circles.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes.
Top each biscuit with one piece of the BBQ shrimp and serve
Yield: 16-20 grit cakes
BBQ Shrimp
2 Tbl clarified butter
20 large shrimp, peeled and split in half lengthwise
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns
3 /4 cup BBQ Shrimp Stock
Melt clarified butter in a skillet and add shrimp. Sauté for two minutes Add cracked black peppercorns and BBQ Shrimp Stock and cook until shrimp are just done. Make sure the cold BBQ shrimp stock is stirred vigorously before adding to skillet.
BBQ Shrimp Stock
½ cups white wine
1 cup Shrimp Stock
2 Tbl Creole Seasoning
1 1 /2 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 1 /2 Tbl lemon juice
3 tsp paprika
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp liquid crab boil
2 Tbl creole mustard
1 bay leaves
1 tsp Crescent City Grill Hot Sauce
Bring all ingredients to a boil, immediately remove from heat and cool (can be made 2–3 days ahead of time). adding it to the skillet.
Yield: 2 cups
(Robert St. John is a chef, restaurateur and published cookbook author who lives in Hattiesburg, Miss.)
In the mid-nineteenth century, banks were free to produce their own currency. In August 1842, the Illinois State Bank had to file for bankruptcy and announced that its paper money was worthless. The bank would only accept silver and gold as payment for loans and debts to the bank. Most citizens did not keep a supply of silver and gold, so many people no longer had the ability to pay their mortgagees or to buy much needed supplies. The situation seemed hopeless.
James Shields, state auditor of Illinois, sided with the bank’s decision to close and to not accept its own paper money. James, the ultimate authority in the matter, became the prime target of citizens who lost everything when the bank failed. People argued and railed against James verbally but in the following month Rebecca took it to print.
Rebecca was friends with Simeon Francis, the editor of the Sangamo Journal. Rebecca wrote a scathing editorial for Simeon’s newspaper which attacked James politically and personally. “I’ve been tugging ever since harvest getting out wheat and hauling it to the river,” Rebecca wrote, “to raise State Bank paper enough to pay my tax this year and a little school debt I owe; and now, just as I’ve got it…, lo and behold, I find a set of fellows calling themselves officers of State, have forbidden to receive State paper at all; and so here it is, dead on my hands.” Then, Rebecca attacked James for his pursuit of women. James’s “very features, in the ecstatic agony of his soul, spoke audibly and distinctly— ‘Dear girls, it is distressing, but I cannot marry you all. Too well I know how much you suffer; but do, do remember, it is not my fault that I am so handsome and so interesting.’”
The editorial had the desired effect and James was outraged. He contacted Simeon and demanded to know exactly who Rebecca was, to which Francis obliged. James wrote to Rebecca and demanded a retraction. “I have become the object of slander, vituperation, and personal abuse,” James wrote. “Only a full retraction may prevent consequences which no one will regret more than myself.” Rebecca responded in a letter to James with the request that he rewrite it in a more “gentlemanly” fashion, which further outraged James.
James realized their dispute could not be settled with words, so James challenged Rebecca to a duel. Rebecca accepted. Because James made the challenge, by the rules of dueling Rebecca had the privilege of selecting the weapons for the duel. Rebecca chose cavalry broadswords “of the largest size.” Rebecca stood six feet four inches tall and had long arms. James stood just five feet nine inches tall and had arms which were shorter than Rebecca’s. Rebecca had a longer reach. “I didn’t want the d—-d fellow to kill me,” Rebecca explained, “which I think he would have done if we had selected pistols. …I felt sure [I] could disarm him.”
On September 22, 1842, James and Rebecca met at Bloody Island, an island in the Missouri side of the Mississippi River adjacent to St. Louis. At the time, dueling was illegal in Illinois, but it was legal in Missouri. Bloody Island derived its name from it being a popular dueling ground. Rebecca and James each took their broadsword. A wooden plank was placed between them which neither was allowed to cross. They approached the plank, swords in hand, and Rebecca saw a low hanging tree branch just above them. Whether what happened next was part of Rebecca’s plan or completely by chance has never been determined. Rebecca, eyes fixed to the branch, swung the sword, and cut the branch out of their way. The sound of the blade cutting through the air above James’s head was impossible to ignore. James realized in that instant that he was at a disadvantage which could be fatal. With the encouragement of everyone present, James and Rebecca agreed to a truce. Since they both agreed to a truce, their honor remained intact.
Rebecca disliked speaking of the duel. Two decades later, memories of the duel were still unpleasant. Someone asked Rebecca if the stories about the duel were true. Rebecca replied sternly, “I do not deny it, but if you desire my friendship, you will never mention it again.”
Despite Rebecca’s advantages over James, anything is possible in a duel. Had Rebecca and James held their duel as planned and James had won, had Rebecca been killed, the consequences for American history are unimaginable. Rebecca was not the editorial author’s real name. Nor was Rebecca a woman. Rebecca was the pen name the self-described “prairie Lawyer” who, almost two decades later became the 16th President of the United States. You know Rebecca as Abraham Lincoln.
Northwestern State University announces the names of 552 students named to the President’s List for the Fall 2023 semester.
Students on the President’s List must be enrolled full-time at Northwestern and have a grade point average of 4.0.
Evergreen – Latyriona Jones;
Minden – Clotis Ary, Morgan McCanliss, Megan Mitchell.
NSU named 856 students to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2023 semester. Students on the Dean’s List must be enrolled full time and earn a grade point average between 3.5 and 3.99.
Cotton Valley – Haley Sandlin;
Minden – David Adkins, Myles Akins, A’Shuntee Simmons, Heather Weldon.
NSU announced the names of 689 students who were named on the Fall 2023 Honor List. Students on the Honor List must be enrolled full-time at Northwestern and have a grade point average of between 3.0 and 3.49.
Students listed by hometown are as follows.
Dubberly — Sarah Parnell;
Minden — Jada Franklin, Lauryn Gaddy, Adrianna Maddox, Madison Smith, Tyliayah Smith.
Decisions, decisions, decisions…. that is something both coaches and tournament anglers have in common. For a baseball coach, he must decide when to make a pitching change. If he waits too long, the opponent will take advantage and push runs across the plate. For a football coach, calling the right play at the right time can be the difference between winning or losing.
But for a tournament bass angler, he or she must make the right decision all the time or they’ll get to watch someone else walk across the stage collecting the check that was meant for themself. For anglers, it’s about being in the right place at the right time. Timing in bass fishing is everything and it’s important that the angler plan out his day and try to be in the right location approximately at the same time he might have caught them the day before, give or take an hour.
Some anglers keep a log of every practice day and make notes on when, where, and how they caught fish. Some anglers use what is called an iSolunar Chart which is a predictor of daily wild game activity. This chart is based off the position of the moon and its location in the sky. For example, when the moon is underfoot or overhead, game activity is supposed to be at its peak. I’m a firm believer in this chart and it has proven itself to be fairly accurate over my many years of fishing and hunting.
Now don’t misunderstand, it’s not an exact science but it is based off science. The way I attempt to use this chart is to make sure I’m in one of the better areas I found in practice during the predicted peak time the chart says. The problem with using this type of logic, or science, is that if you don’t catch them during this so-called peak period predicted, it can cause you to spin out or lose confidence, which is something all anglers try to avoid.
For tournament bass fishermen, confidence is very important. You must believe in and try to execute whatever game plan you’ve put together. Whether they believe in moon charts or horoscopes, an angler’s mental state of mind is crucial for their success. But the one constant that great anglers tend to have is the ability to adjust their game plan depending on changing conditions that mother nature presents.
In bass fishing, every day is a new day and how you caught them in practice may not be how you catch them on tournament day. Bass fishing is a constantly evolving game depending on the conditions. No two days are hardly ever the same except during the summer months when the weather tends to be stable with less fronts coming through.
Once again, tournament fishing is all about making the right decision at the right time. Like a poker game, you must know when to hold them or when to fold them. Till next time good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to apply your sunscreen. Melanoma is the number one killer of all types of cancers. Don’t take any chances, wear good UV protective clothing, and use sunscreen.
Registration open for Upwards Soccer, hosted by North Acres Baptist Church. Discounts available for multiple children. Scholarships also available. K5-5th grade boys and girls. Games will be Saturday mornings at North Acres Baptist Church, beginning March 16 through April 27. Contact church office at 377-4315 for more information. https://regisgtration.upward.org UPW85195 .
7 p.m. Glenbrook School presents Beauty and the Beast at First Assembly of God, 407 Fort St., Minden. Tickets available at the door for $10. Purchase a light-up rose for $5. Proceeds go to Drama Department.
Feb. 7
1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Glenbrook School presents Beauty and the Beast at First Assembly of God, 407 Fort St., Minden. Tickets available at the door for $10. Purchase a light-up rose for $5. Proceeds go to Drama Department.
Feb. 8-11
Minden St. Jude Auction.
Feb. 10
1 p.m. North Webster 13th Annual Black History Parade. Line up starts on Church Street. Deadline to sign up is Feb. 5. Grand Marshal: Edward Bankhead.
Feb. 27
6:30 p.m. Doors open for the 82nd Annual Greater Minden Chamber Awards Gala at Minden Civic Center. Program begins at 7 p.m.
March 2
Caney Puzzler Adventure Race, Caney Lakes
March 3
6:30 p.m. True Girl Crazy Hair Tour at First Baptist Minden for mothers and daughters ages 7-12. This live event will be full of games, worship, fashion show, solid biblical truth and will deepen the relationship between mothers and their daughters. Visit www.mytruegirl.com for tickets. For more information, call the church office at 318-377-4434.
March 16
9 a.m. until noon, District 2 Star of Hope O.E.S. 30th Annual Gala, “Star Struck” Welcome to Old Hollywood. 630 Factory Outlet Dr., Arcadia, La. Attire: Sunday’s best with “fascinators and fedoras. Entertainment, food, drawings. Public is welcome. $5 donation at the door.
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 no charge.)
A Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputy is possibly in serious condition after being struck by a motorist earlier this evening. Sheriff Jason Parker said the deputy was directing traffic around a stalled vehicle near Whispering Pines Church on Hwy. 371 north, when a driver from Plano, Texas allegedly struck the deputy. The driver reportedly said he could not see the deputy. This was not reported as a hit-and-run accident. An ambulance is transporting the deputy to a Shreveport hospital via U.S. Hwy. 80, due to a possible traffic issue on Interstate 20. Please watch Webster Parish Journal for more details.
An early Sunday morning traffic stop escalated to an arrest of a Minden woman on a number of drug-related charges, according to Chief of Police Jared McIver.
McIver said 20-year-old Alanna Nichole Stiles is being held for possession of CDS Sch. IV (Klonopin), five counts of possession of Legend drug, possession of CDS Sch. I (natural marijuana), possession of drug paraphernalia plus three traffic counts of speeding, no drivers license and no insurance.
McIver said MPD Sgt. Chris Cayer stopped the vehicle Stiles was driving shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of Sibley Rd. and Carolina St. for exceeding the posted speed limit. During questioning, Stiles admitted to not having a valid drivers license and further investigation showed no insurance on the vehicle.
“When Sgt. Cayer asked the suspect if there was any dangerous instruments or illegal narcotics in the vehicle, she said there might be a little bit of marijuana inside,” McIver said. “He conducted a search and found illegal substances in her purse, in the center console and inside a color pencil box on a rear seat.”
Stiles reportedly is incarcerated at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.
Robert Smart, left, at a recent Sibley Town Council meeting.
By Pat Culverhouse
Robert Smart has been appointed to fill the vacancy as Mayor of Sibley created by the death last week of the town’s long-time mayor, Jimmy Williams.
Smart, who has been Mayor Pro Tempore, received unanimous approval from the Sibley Town Council during a special meeting Monday morning.
Following the appointment Smart officially resigned his position as alderman, creating a vacancy on the council. That vacancy reportedly will be filled on an interim basis at the council’s next regular meeting if proper paperwork has been filed.
Election for Sibley’s administrators is scheduled for November.
“I would like to say thank you to the Sibley Town Council for having the trust in me to fill the Mayor’s position. I’m looking forward to completing the plans, with the support of the council, that Mayor Williams had in motion,” Smart said.“It was his desire to see Sibley grow and we will work diligently to make that happen. I take great pride in our town and it is an honor to serve the people of Sibley.”
The weather was damp and cold, but the Annual Minden Mardi Gras Parade went off without a hitch on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024. Crowds lined up along Elm Street, East & West, up McDonald to downtown. After a stop for judging at Under Dawgs, the parade continued around downtown, and then back along Broadway to Elm Street again.
After all was said and done, the Krewe des Ambassadeurs’ newly-designed float captured top honors as the “Best Over-all,” according to members of the Minden Main Street Board of Directors.
J.L. Jones Elementary School won the award for “Best Small Float,” with Pine Grove Methodist Church earning honorable mention.
Minden High School captured the “Best Band” title, while the MHS JROTC took honors for the “Best Marching Unit.”
Minden’s Vintage Car Club brought home the “Most Spirited” trophy.
Photos by Paige Nash, slideshow photos by Marilyn Miller
Major Dustin Reynolds has been elected president of the Ware Youth Center Authority’s Board of Commissioners, a four-year term that officially began Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Reynolds, who heads the Operations Division of the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, has served on the Ware board since 2016 and has held the vice president’s office since that time.
Ware Youth Center is a 24-bed non-secure residential group home for juvenile offenders located just north of Coushatta on U.S. Hwy. 71. Ware’s territorial jurisdiction includes Webster, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Red River and Sabine parishes.
Reynolds will lead a commission with the declared purpose “…to assist and afford opportunities to preadjudicatory and postadjudicatory children who enter the juvenile justice system to become productive, law-abiding citizens of the community, parish and state by the establishment of rehabilitative programs within a structured environment…”
Commission members are also empowered to authorize and approve contracts of employment for a superintendent or administrator and other personnel, plus enter into contracts for legal, financial, engineering and other professional services necessary for the operation of the facility.
“As a commission, we’re hoping to be a team that works with legislators and others within the juvenile justice system to find long-term solutions to the problems we’re facing,” Reynolds said. “I’m honored the commission selected me to be their president.”
Reynolds, a life-long Webster Parish resident, has been with the WPSO for 28 years, rising through the ranks from patrol to detective and head of the Criminal Investigation Division. As Major over operations, his duties include overseeing training, internal affairs, records, warrants, contracts, purchasing, public information, fleet and equipment and maintenance.
He graduated from the Bossier Parish Community College Law Enforcement Academy in 1996 and is POST certified.
Reynolds background in law enforcement includes extensive training and service focusing on juveniles. He served as the WPSO juvenile officer and graduated from the LSU Juvenile Officers Institute in Baton Rouge. He has been assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, the Northwest Louisiana Crimes Against Children task force and the FBI Crimes Against Children task force.
“I’ve been involved in several areas where the focus is on juveniles and I know what we’re facing, especially in housing youthful offenders and staffing those facilities,” Reynolds said. “Ware is a fine facility. I know our board is willing to make the hard decisions necessary to keep it operating as a major part of the juvenile justice system.”
With the support of the Webster Parish Police Jury (WPPJ), the Dorcheat Museum has purchased a brand-new laptop and scanner.
At the Nov. 7 meeting, WPPJ approved funding in the amount of $1,000 for the laptop and $780 for the scanner. It has been purchased, set up and ready to go.
It is the hope of Dorcheat Museum Director Jessica Gorman that this will expand the museum’s digitization capabilities but will also give the public an opportunity to preserve their own family history.
“Anybody who has old family photos, documents or anything else, they can come in and it is free of charge to digitize items,” said Gorman. “I am excited about people having this available to them. I am really hoping people will come in to take advantage of this new asset to the community.”
Appointments are required to use the new laptop/scanner. To set up an appointment, call the museum at (318) 377-3002 or email them at dorcheatmuseum@yahoo.com.
The Dorcheat Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed from 1 to 2 p.m. for lunch. Tours are free.
The Minden St. Jude Auction will feature loads of great raffle items, one of those will be an official LSU jersey signed by LSU basketball stand-out Angel Reese donated by Under Dawgs Sports Grill. The jersey has been matted and framed along with two photos of Reese.
“One of the pictures was taken during the National Championship where she is pointing to her ring finger,” said Under Dawgs owner Claudine Thomas.
Thomas explained that her husband Rick and his friend attended the National Championship game in Dallas last year. “They went to the semi-finals and the finals. Angel Reese was an instrumental part of the team and that is why we just had to buy it.”
Reese led LSU to win their first National Championship and was named “Most Outstanding Player.” She set the Southeastern Conference single-season record in rebounds and assisted in winning the United States a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.
Being the only sports bar in the area, Under Dawgs has always donated sports memorabilia to the auction as raffle or board items. Last year, they donated a Dallas Cowboys jersey signed by Dak Prescott and the year before, donated a New Orleans Saint’s jersey signed by Alvin Kamara.
But Claudine and her husband were supporters of the auction even before they opened a business downtown.
“We have always supported St. Jude. When I was in Junior Service League in the 1990’s, I answered the phone. I have helped behind the scenes, as well as just supported as a patron buying raffle tickets,” said Thomas. “We have too many people in our area that we know or are acquaintances with that have had to go to St. Jude.”
Under Dawgs Sports Grill will be open downtown during the weekend of the auction. Watch their Facebook page for information on specials. You may even catch the auction while enjoying a hot meal or drinks on one of their 10 televisions.
