Online voting open for Minden Pet Mayor. For more information and to nominate your pets, please visit https://mindenpetmayor.com/ . Contact: Ashlee Drake, Administrative Assistant to the Mayor, (318) 377-2144, ext. 433 or petmayor@mindenusa.com .
May 24, 25
A committee of former Thomas & Rhone Elementary School students have planned a reunion for all former students, faculty and staff. This reunion is schedule for Memorial Day Weekend, Friday and Saturday, (May 24 and 25). All activities will be held at the Shongaloo Civic Center, 119 LA 2 Alt Rd, in Shongaloo, La.
May 28-30
9 a.m. until noon, Robotics Camp. Northwestern State University’s Department of Engineering Technology Junior Camp for students in grades 3-7. Registration is free and will be open through noon Thursday, May 9. The Junior Camp is limited to 30 participants. For more information or to register, visit http://www.NSU.LA/ETcamps.
May 29
10 a.m. until 1 p.m. National Senior Health & Fitness Day, Minden Recreation Center. Community Health Fair with exercise demonstrations, BINGO, lunch and door prizes.
June 4-6
9 a.m. until noon, Robotics Camp. Northwestern State University’s Department of Engineering Technology Advanced Camp for students in grades 8-10. Williamson Hall. Registration is free and will be open through noon Thursday, May 9. The Advanced Camp is limited to 15 participants. For more information or to register, visit http://www.NSU.LA/ETcamps.
Valencia Burns, 56, Hill St., Homer; arrested May 21 by MPD on warrants for false impersonation of a peace officer, possession of synthetic marijuana. Bond set at $10,000.
Charles Thomas Beck, 40, Kennon St., Minden; arrested May 21 by WPSO on warrant for possession of CDS Sch. II. Bond set at $7,000.
Kyshun L. Banks, 39, Talton St., Minden; arrested May 21 by WPSO on outstanding warrant.
Eric Wayne Robinson, 57, 700 block Shreveport Rd., Minden; arrested May 22 by MPD for possession of CDS Sch. II (cocaine), possession of drug paraphernalia, open container, traffic violation.
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.
Visitation: 10 a.m. Saturday, June 1, 2024, Central Baptist Church, Springhill, La.
Memorial service: 11 a.m. immediately following visitation.
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.)
E&P’s website lists adjudicated properties from these parishes, as well as the City of Minden.
By Bonnie Culverhouse
During May’s meeting, the Minden City Council voted for an ordinance that establishes the City of Minden Adjudicated Property Program and allows the sale of property, with the aid of E&P Consulting, headquartered in Monroe.
A contract was signed that allows E&P to essentially work as an agent for the City to help rid them of properties that are described as adjudicated –that which tax sale title is acquired by a political subdivision, in this case, the City of Minden.
E&P Consulting’s website shows 21 parcels in the Minden City limits and owned by the City of Minden.
“This is a complicated subject and a common problem,” Minden Mayor Nick Cox said.
In April, Wesley E. Johnson with E&P Consulting Services LLC of Monroe addressed a Minden City Council workshop concerning adjudicated properties.
“Until the overhaul of the state law in about 2010, there was no process for the property to go back up for tax sale,” Johnson told the council members. “Once it was adjudicated to the political subdivision, it was just on this list – never to be taxed again.”
The tax debtor redeems the property by paying the back taxes. However, according to Johnson, that doesn’t always happen, and the list continues to grow, bringing a hardship to governmental entities that have libraries, properties and roads to fund.
“There would be a problem if the debtor ever decided they wanted to sell that property,” she said. “But otherwise it’s just sitting there. That’s where you are seeing your blight and abandonment.”
The redeemer actually still owns the property, however, the City or Parish (if that’s the case) must maintain it or see that it’s sold.
Johnson is an attorney that works for E&P where she researches adjudicated property to try and clear the title, so it can be sold.
“Many of these instances are ‘heir’ properties,” she said. “One of the residents dies and another continues to live there until they die. Then it goes to multiple heirs and eventually gets lost in the process.”
Johnson will receive no money from the City for working the process.
“The interested purchaser of the property is who comes to us, pays us for a fee for research – like who needs to receive notice, send the notice and do all the bits and pieces from start to finish,” she said.
Johnson said the notices are worded by the statute, and often that alerts the property owner and they will redeem the property.
“If that happens, our fee is $1,000,” she said. “It’s placed on the tax bill. We don’t put it on the tax bill until we’ve actually been hired to do the work, we’ve done the work, we’ve sent the notices. If they redeem it, that kills the sale … I can’t sell it to a third person. That means the notices did their job.”
Research includes finding heirs and an heirship educational program.
Eventually, the City will have a button on its website where Johnson said the City will see, in some cases, redemptions happening before notices are sent.
If you are interested in adjudicated properties in Minden or the 14 parishes listed on E&P’s website, visit https://louisianalandsolutions.com/ .
Not all condemned property is adjudicated, however, Johnson said it is a large percentage.
Calling for assistance from law enforcement officers might lead to a different result than expected, and a Webster Parish man learned how quickly the tables can turn.
Deputies responding Thursday to what was reported as a domestic dispute changed their focus after reportedly discovering illegal narcotics and firearms inside the LA Hwy. 518 residence of the caller.
“Deputy Chris Madonna was dispatched to the residence on a call concerning an unwanted person. As he was questioning the subjects, he noticed a firearm,” Sheriff Jason Parker said. “He asked the suspect if there were other firearms inside and was told there were.”
Other deputies arrived and after receiving permission to search the residence, drug paraphernalia and baggies of methamphetamine were discovered.
Parker said 71-year-old Thomas M. Wilson is now facing charges of possession of CDS Sch. II (methamphetamine), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia as a result of the call for assistance. His total bond has been set at $17,000.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph.
Thursday
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Some of the storms could be severe. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday Night
A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m. Some of the storms could be severe. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71.
Friday
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.
Friday Night
A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.
* Information courtesy of National Weather Service.
Matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation or MACI is a procedure in which a patient’s own cells are used to regrow new cartilage for full thickness defects in the knee joint.
“It’s been around for a while,” said Dr. Mark Wilson, a Sports and arthroscopy fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopedic surgeon. In fact, the procedure with the “MACI” acronym was 1st published in 1994 and became popular in the United States in the 2010s about the time Dr. Wilson was in fellowship. In 2015, Dr. Wilson completed a year-long Sports and Arthroscopy Orthopedic Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin where he was an associate team doctor and was able to learn advanced surgical techniques from six other team doctors.
This is where he was blessed to learn the new technique of MACI.
“All of the various cartilage surgeries have been well studied and MACI is the only procedure that has the best studies, Level 1, that show good to excellent long term outcomes at 10 years. Everything else is inferior (to MACI),” Dr. Wilson noted. These results were the basis for Dr. Wilson’s use of the MACI procedure in his practice.
Who are good candidates for MACI?
“The age currently of 55 is the cut-off,” said Dr. Wilson. These procedures are best done on patients that still want to live an active lifestyle including sports, hiking, and outdoor activities. This is a procedure to restoration procedure that attempts to “give more mileage on your tires” rather than replacing the tires with an arthroplasty surgery.
MACI is a two-stage procedure.
Simplifying the first stage, the surgeon looks inside the knee using a very small camera. While inside, the surgeon removes a bit of the patient’s cartilage for biopsy. Then the surgeon maps out the exact shape and location of the cartilage defect or defects. The cartilage is sent to a lab to grow on a matrix for approximately one month. The biopsy that is done allows the surgeon to determine whether the cells are viable for surgery.
During the second stage, the surgeon makes an incision into the knee. The surgeon cuts the lab-grown MACI implant to the exact size of the defect(s) in the patient’s knee. The implant is then applied over the defect and secured with a fibrin glue. The cartilage cells then grow and start making cartilage matrix that thickens and strengthens over 10-12 months.
While MACI is not the fastest knee-repair procedure, it is the best. “There are other options, but they have limited outcomes,” Dr. Wilson noted. “It’s really neat,” he continued. “We can take a young person and give them a knee ‘replacement’ and they must act like they are 60 using it.” Or they can undergo MACI and act their age again.
Dr. Wilson attended the University of Notre Dame, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree and MS in Biology and Physiology. He attended medical school at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana, and completed his internship and residency at LSU Shreveport, where he became versed in General Orthopedics. He completed his Sports Fellowship in Wisconsin to enhance his expertise in Team Sports Medicine and Complex Arthroscopic surgical techniques. While attending the University of Wisconsin, he assisted in caring for Division I athletes on and off the field, and co-authored multiple peer review articles.
Dr. Wilson offers individualized care for a wide range of patients including high school and college athletes to those considering joint replacement. He practices the latest techniques in arthroscopic surgery for joint preservation, cartilage restoration, ligament reconstruction instability repairs and joint reconstruction of the shoulders, hips, and knees.
In his spare time, Dr. Wilson enjoys his 3 children, weight training, soccer, watching Notre Dame football, and most importantly extending God’s kingdom.
Wilson’s Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is located at 216 West Union Street, Suite A, in Minden.
Winning looks good and losing looks bad, no matter the uniform.
The sharpest unis in the world are lipstick on a pig if the gang wearing them can’t play. (Happens more often than you’d think.)
They’ll never create a jersey that’ll make an “L” look like a “W.”
But if you look sharp (or even just think you do), you tend to play better. Which brings us to Louisiana Tech’s Diamond Dogs, who’ve won the regular season Conference USA championship and looked good doing it.
A bonus, baby.
The Dapper Dogs have a secret weapon here in the formidable duo of trainer/director of baseball operations Dan Takata and associate pitching coach Matt Miller, a former righthanded starter for Tech who punched out 97 opposing batters in 2019 on his way to becoming all-conference and a Bulldog Man, (which translates to Team Captain for Life, nice work if you can earn it).
Looking good, these two dudes.
In his transition from player to coach, Miller drew up a Columbia Blue uniform that Adidas spun into reality in 2021. For a while, it was all the rage; the Dogs couldn’t seem to lose in what they called their Sunday Blues. (There’s a new version now, still sharper than a barber’s blade.)
Meanwhile, in the Uniform Lab, Matt and Dan were cooking up something even more special. For everyone to “wear.”
Shortly after the tornado of April 2019 shuttered J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, Marucci Sports gifted the Team Without A Ballpark with good-looking T-shirts the Dogs used as batting jerseys. On the front was “Ruston Strong” with an outline of the City of Ruston.
The Dogs get a new set of jerseys every year or two, and our hardball fashionistas started thinking …
What if the team incorporated Ruston into a jersey? After all, it was Ruston who flocked to the new J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park in May of 2021 and took part in what might be the Greatest Two Weeks Running in Tech Athletic History. The Diamond Dogs played 16 straight home games — thank you, Baseball Gods — hosted the conference tournament and the first Ruston Regional, and even though the Dogs lost in the finals of both, The Love Shack turned into something between Woodstock in Cleats and Field of Dreams for those glorious dozen days.
Meanwhile in major league baseball, a trend called “City Connect” had begun. You’ll see big leaguers playing in jerseys with “Cincy” or “Philly” on the front. The Cubs have a “Wrigleyville” jersey, the White Sox a “South Side” top, Detroit some “Motor City” digs. Astros fans know their teams’ “Space City” jerseys.
And so …
Last year the jerseys debuted. Black with “Ruston” in script across the front, big white numbers on the back, and both filled with the red, white and blue of the country’s flag. Also on the back, the blue patch that’s the outline of the City of Ruston. a perfect understated tribute and hat tip to a town that’s embraced a group of guys easy to pull for.
While the jerseys were created more to remember the way the city and area and University reacted as a team to the 2019 tornado, it has grown into more of a tribute to a town from a grateful team, a way of saying “thank you” (as much as one can through a cotton/wool/polyester blend).
City Connect.
Granted, they’ve worked better this year than last, when the Dogs struggled to finish just below .500. (Long, loooong story.) But this year, with those City Connect jerseys good and broken in, with more strikes being thrown and a longer lineup and a chemistry that demands accountability, the Bulldogs are 41-15 overall, 18-6 in the league, and a hearty 26-5 in the welcoming Love Shack.
To paraphrase the late great entertainer/songwriter/musician/stud Glen Frey, Louisiana Tech’s Diamond Dogs belong to the city. They’re a group of seniors led by the last of the Tornado Team, left fielder and Bulldog Man Adarius Myers. Then there’s The Law Firm of McConnell, McCloud & Corona, a trio that remembers playing at Ruston High when the team had no park.
And now the just-right accessories, too many to mention. But they’re all wearing the same thing, like their hearts on their sleeves, and that makes it awfully easy to pull for the guys in the good-looking gear, the ones playing for each other, and for the name on the front of the jerseys.
Time is running out to vote for your favorite pet for mayor, while helping the City of Minden build a new animal shelter.
Voting is open now through May $27. Cost to vote is $5 per vote.
All proceeds from this event will benefit the Minden Animal Shelter. Plans include to build a new shelter to house and protect those awaiting a forever home.
Scroll through our wide selection (48 Candidates) of amazing and cute pets and cast your vote for as many of them you feel would make the best Pet Mayor of Minden!
1st Place will be named Pet Mayor
2nd Runner-Up will be named Chief of Pawlice
3rd Runner-Up will be named Fur Chief
4th-8th Runner-Up will be named the Pet Council
Click on View Details on each pet to learn more about them and why their owner feels they should win this prestigious honor.
Sponsored by:
Harrington’s Communications, JDM Custom Cabinets, Rocking RoosterVeterinary Services, TG Companies, LLC, Ace Hardware, b1 BANK,Bobbies Hobbies, Buffington Veterinary Hospital, Cinnamon Creek RV Park, Gibsland Bank & Trust, Harper Chevrolet-GMC, Home Federal Bank, Mayor Nick Cox, Mike’s Hometown Spirits, Meriwether Wealth & Planning, Minden Animal Clinic,Police Chief Jared McIver, Spotless Paws, Minden Family Dental, Minden Farm and Garden, Under Dawgs Sports Grill & Yocom Law Firm .
It’s fun to focus on the games played on the field.
But the real to-the-victor-goes-the-spoils competition in college sports is going on in places you wish it wasn’t.
Down the hallways of the U.S. Capitol. On Zoom, and by e-mail between D.C. and Birmingham, and Chicago, and Charlotte, where the SEC, the Big Ten and the ACC are headquartered.
Nobody else matters. Texas and Oklahoma bolting the Big XII for the SEC has marginalized those spurned name brands just to the west of us. The west coast is a wasteland, with remnants of the Pac 12 unsure what their collective will be called after USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington slide into the Big Ten and Stanford and Cal stretch coast to coast to join the ACC.
That conference is the poster child for college sports’ hookups and breakups. Just as the Bay Area big boys prepare for cross country travel, the ACC is facing an exodus by standard-bearers North Carolina, Clemson and Florida State.
This week the NCAA and the real powers-that-be in college sports – the King Kong schools in the SEC, Big Ten and those atop the ACC pecking order – will vote whether to settle a federal class-action lawsuit challenging the current business model, and seeking full-scale revenue sharing for athletes.
The base amount to be awarded, some in back pay to athletes at Power 5 schools prior to 2021, is almost $3 billion. Then there’s the pay scale to the players today and in the future.
As is usually the case in college sports, the power mongers get hurt the least. And they’ll feel some burn, shouldering as much as $1.4 billion of that amount, to be spread over several years. But they have the fat TV and media rights contracts, and huge revenues from season ticket and merchandising, to cope with it.
About $1.6 billion will be carved away from the NCAA revenue that gets shared with less-prominent conferences, the mid-majors and small majors, and even the nearly big-time ones like the American and the Mountain West. Pity those that include our favorite Division I schools – Louisiana Tech’s Conference USA, ULM’s Sun Belt, the Southland that Northwestern State has called home for nearly 40 years, and the proud but fairly poor SWAC with Grambling as a iconic member.
It’s a dark and deep rabbit hole. And it’s real. Will have real landscape-altering implications, sooner than you’d like.
This week, administrators, coaches and fans of Southland schools are savoring the pending announcement that Stephen F. Austin has realized the folly of the WAC and is coming back to the SLC. It is good news for everybody, SFA and its former conference colleagues.
But it’s a garden hose going against a six-alarm fire.
By the time the new landscape of college sports stops shaking, there’s going to be a lot of agonizing budget decisions made, at all stops but especially down the line.
The money machines like LSU, Alabama, Texas, the Aggies, the Sooners and them Jorga Bulldawngs. O-HI-O and the Wolverines, the Golden Domers, et al will quiver a bit but lurch on. Their operations will radically change, but they will survive on top of the mountains.
The other 300-or-so current members of NCAA Division I? They’ll go through a massive makeover that they didn’t want, can’t alter, but have to handle.
If you’re old enough, you might recall the split-level of college sports before the mid-1970s, when the NCAA created divisions I, I-AA, II and III. Tech, NSU, Grambling, and Northeast in Monroe were clearly relegated to a secondary level of championships, called college division or even NAIA, and opportunities to play the big schools were infrequent.
Prepare for a 50-year shift backwards. How it’s branded won’t be the big issue. How it’s funded will be.
In the most dire scenario, we’ll see the end of Cinderella in March Madness. You won’t enjoy a run by Fresno State or Stonybrook or Coastal Carolina all the way to Omaha. No Ragin’ Cajuns in Oklahoma City.
The Group of 5 having a real shot at the big college football prize was already a fallacy before it began.
In the new order of college sports, it’s very likely that NSU, Tech, Grambling and ULM will become much better acquainted with Southern Arkansas, Henderson State, Ouachita Baptist, even Centenary, East Texas Baptist and Louisiana Christian.
There’s more common ground there than trying to dance on a financial cliff. Brace yourself for the shock waves.
Bobbie Booth, long time resident of Sibley, died in her sleep at home on May 14, 2024. She was 98.
Ms Booth was born in Yellow Pine, Louisiana on April 26, 1926 to Mattie and Dolf Daniel. At the age of 2, the family moved to Sibley where she lived the rest of her life. She attended Sibley High School, graduating in 1943 at the age of 17. After graduation, she went to work at the Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, better known as the Shell Plant, until her marriage to Jack Booth in 1944. They had five children; Robert, Wayne, Susan, Larry, and Danny. She worked for many years in the cafeteria at SHS while all of her children went to school there. Later, in the 60’s, she again worked at the Shell Plant until an explosion in August of 1968 closed part of the plant and caused many, including her to be laid off. She then worked as a medical sitter. She loved her patients and they all loved her. She finally retired when she was 72.
She was a kind and loving mother and enjoyed having children and their friends around. An expert seamstress and wonderful cook, she later had an afternoon coffee group that she looked forward to every day. Friends and neighbors had an open invitation to drop by and have coffee and sweets any afternoon.
Recently, she was looking forward to reuniting with her family that had preceded her in death; her brothers J.W., W.A., Reggie, and Fred, sister Ruby Daniel, husband Jack Booth, daughter-in-law Regina Booth, and son Wayne Booth.
She is survived by her sons Robert, Larry, and Danny, daughter Susan, son-in-law Frank, and daughter-in-law Charlotte Booth, numerous nieces and nephews including Paul and Kenneth Booth who live locally. Her nine grandchildren are Kim Stephens (Heath), David Booth, Holley Jones, Niki Duck, Dana Parrish (Wayne), Allen Morgan, Matt Noonan, Pam Klimkiewicz (Scott) and Patrick Booth.
Her thirteen great grandchildren are: Whitney Phillips (Bodie), Tyler Perryman (Alora), Paige Marie Lott, Ryan Booth, Whitney Martin (Devon), Brittni Holden, Justin, Brandon, and Logan Klimkiewicz, Gage Edwards (Andie), and Hosston and Raylea Duck.
She was blessed with ten great-grandchildren; Emmilyn Blake Phillips, Case Michael Phillips (Whitney & Bodie), Brooks Bryant Perryman (Tyler & Alora), Cassie Booth (Ryan & Kady), Hudson and Evie Martin (Whitney & Devon), Kennadi and Teagan Holden (Brittni), Henley and Kolt Edwards (Gage & Andie)
Ms Booth will be greatly missed by her family and friends. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Memorial Day at Lane Cemetery in Sibley. Friends and family are welcome to attend.
The family wished to acknowledge and thank Hospice for their invaluable help in making her comfortable in her last few months.
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
We must humble ourselves and admit that we need God to help us in every area of our lives. God is so powerful that he can handle the situations in our lives.
Let Go and Let God! This is a saying many say,but do we really mean what we say?
We often quote this, but at the same time, we try to fix problems and situations in our lives.
There are somesituations that are just out of our control. We have to allow GOD to handleand fix it his way! His way is much better than our way!
In others words, we have to give it totally to God and let him fix it, he don’t need our help…! God wants us to do our part by being obedient, have faith and trust him.
God ways are BETTER and HIGHER than ours!
If we let go and let God have his way, he will deliver in his time!
I’m reminded of the three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who were thrown into a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon for refusing to bow to the king’s image. (See Daniel 3:23-25)
God delivered the three Hebrew boys from the fiery furnace.What is your fiery furnace? God is able to deliver us from a hot situation. Things happen when Jesus is with you!
God give us a choice, In order for one to be delivered…we must submit and surrender completely to God and stand on the promises of God.
We can’t bow to the ways, plots, plans, and schemes of the devil. He’s a deceiver, and he’s always trying to bring down the children of God.
We must trust God, pray, and stay connected to Jesus!
5 Things we should LET GO AND LET GOD.
1.) Unforgiveness……Let Go…Let God!
2.) Worry………………. Let Go…Let God!
3.)Grudges…………Let Go…….Let God!
4.) Negativity ………..Let Go…Let Go
5.)Hate…………………..Let Go…Let God!
~A Prayer~
Lord help us all to let go of things that we can’t fix or control in our lives. Lord have your way, in JESUS name Amen.
Be Encouraged!
All Glory Goes To God
(LaTina DeLoach, a native of Minden, is a Christian,a devoted wife and mother and Lady Deloach As the wife of Pastor Gregory DeLoach, Blue Run Baptist Church.)
Is your church hosting Vacation Bible School? Webster Parish Journal would like to know about it, so we can inform the public on where they can bring their kids to join in on the fun.
Please email the time, date and location of your church’s Vacation Bible School to wpjnewsla@gmail.com and we will begin publishing immediately. (See below)
Lakeview’s Vacation Bible School
9 a.m. until noon, Monday, June 17 – Thursday, June 20
For those turning 4 this year – those entering 5th grade this fall
You may register online at https://lakeviewmethodistchurch.mycokesburyvbs.com . Click on Child Registration at the top of the page. Please register by Wednesday, June 12. Lakeview Methodist Church, 301 Lakeshore Drive, Minden VBS Contact: Susan Strange: 318-268-0669
CHICAGO— No one would ever accuse me of being a creature of habit. Other than my morning breakfast routine, I have managed to live a life free from getting pigeonholed into repetitive activities. There aren’t too many places I visit on an annual basis. For the past quarter of a century my wife, two kids, and various groups of their friends spend a week on the beach in the Florida Panhandle. But other than that, there is only Chicago.
I’ve been coming here almost every year— a least once a year— since 1988.
The National Restaurant Association holds its annual convention and trade show here every year in May. I rarely miss it. I come for several reasons. The show itself is massive, and one of the largest trade shows in the country. Anything and everything that has to do with restaurants from food to equipment to small wares is here under several roofs at McCormick Place on Lake Michigan. It’s Disneyworld for restauranteurs. But there is a more important reason that I love Chicago. It is, undisputedly— along with New York and New Orleans— one of America’s top three restaurant cities.
Combine a restaurant utopia trade show with an overabundance of excellent restaurants and a personal mecca has been created for someone such as me. Throw in the fact that I have several friends up here who are killing it in this industry and are at the top of their game in the restaurant world, and it’s restaurant heaven. To top it all off, my son has flown over from culinary school in New York to join me the past two years. We use it as an opportunity for father-son quality time, but we also eat our way across this wonderful restaurant city.
I’ve been coming to this restaurant show for over 35 years. Actually, I’ve been coming so long I can remember seeing booths on the showroom floor that proclaimed, “Computers are the future of the restaurant business.” I scoffed. Of course, a couple of years later, all point-of-sales terminals were computerized. My son continually hears the, “When I was a waiter, I used to have to write down all of my customers orders on a piece of paper and pass it through to the kitchen,” stories from his old man, but he endures. And when I repeat myself, he usually just nods and listens again as if he’s hearing it for the first time.
The fact that he’s in culinary school now greatly alters how we visit the show. I brought him as a high school teenager, and he seemed disinterested. These past two years he has had great input and insight and often schools this old restaurant dog— who’s been eating, sleeping, and breathing restaurants for the past 43 years— and offers new insight and information into products and techniques. I love that. It’s my hope that once he starts working in our businesses full time, he’ll blow past my level success in a matter of years and forge his own path to reach even greater heights and achievements.
He’s on a good road and he’ll be well prepared. When he came to me as a 14 year old and told me, “Dad, I want to get in the restaurant business one day.” I wrote it off as a passing whim.
Though he kept coming, and around 16 years old I said, “OK son, if you want to get into this business, and you want to work for me with me and our company, then this is what you are going to do. You will go to four years of college and get a degree in management with a minor in accounting. Then you will go to culinary school. And you will go to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY because I believe that that is the Harvard of cooking schools. Then, after you graduate, you will go work for other people for two years. That’s eight years. Then, and only then, you can come back to work in one of our restaurants. But you are going to start at the bottom. It won’t matter what your experience is, what your education is, or what your level of management is. You will start at the bottom and the degree to which you rise through the ranks— if you even do rise through the ranks— will be 100% dependent upon you and will have nothing to do with me being your father.” He’s all in.
He’s over five years into the plan and he’s killing it. He’ll graduate in December and then move to Chicago and work for one of the top 10 restaurant groups in the country, the Boka Restaurant Group. They are stellar. In addition to getting to work for Boka, he’ll have access to dine in restaurants operated by other restaurant groups I admire such as, One Off Hospitality, Lettuce Entertain You, and Hogsalt.
I am often asked by friends, restaurant guests, and readers of this column to make restaurant recommendations to help with travel. Most recommendation solicitations are for dining recommendations in Italy and Spain, but I receive a lot of restaurant requests for New Orleans, Atlanta, New York, and Chicago. My current lists of Chicago favorites would include:
Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill and Toplobombo which is some of the— if not the— best Mexican in America, by the preeminent Mexican cuisine expert in the country.
There are a lot of great steakhouses in this city. Swift & Sons is my favorite these days.
Big Star has killer tacos, queso fundido & guacamole.
Longman & Eagle is a dive bar w a Michelin star in the Logan Square neighborhood. Excellent.
Three Dots and a Dash is a very cool and legit tiki bar.
I mainly stay in the West Loop/Fulton Market area these days, and many of the Boka restaurants are nearby the Hoxton Hotel where I post up when I’m in town. The Hoxton has two great restaurants, a late-night jazz club, a solid breakfast, and a great vibe.
Au Cheval serves, in my opinion, the best hamburger in America. The length of the waiting list lets me know others think so as well. Though there are a couple of satellite locations called Small Cheval where one can get almost the same burger, though not with the same atmosphere.
The Girl and the Goat has great food and atmosphere. It’s always a solid choice. Stephanie Izard deals in bold flavors. My son says it’s one of his favorite restaurants of all time. I ate there twice on this trip and the Naan appetizer is the best thing I’ve eaten all year (and I’ve dined across Europe and a good bit of America since January).
Duck Duck Goat is Izard’s Chinese concept and it, too, is excellent.
Momotaro is next-level Japanese cuisine and located across the street from the Hoxton.
The Doughnut Vault is worth the wait in the short line.
Bavette’s, and the speakeasy below, is my wife’s favorite dining room in Chicago.
Avec and The Publican are great choices and Dove’s Luncheonette is one of my favorite breakfast spots along with Lou Mitchell’s and Publican Quality Bread.
The Purple Pig just off Michigan Avenue near the river has good tapas.
The Violet Hour is one of the top cocktail bars in the nation and is one of the two or three places where the cocktail renaissance began.
There are more in my rotation, and so many more I hope to add when my son is living here. He’ll surely tire of my constant visits, but he’ll likely be complaining with his mouth full.
Onward.
Crab Bread with Tomato Basil Concasse
1 Tbl butter
2 Tbl green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup diced red peppers
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbl butter
2 Tbl flour
1/3 cup hot chicken stock
2 TBSP sherry
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbl hot sauce
1/2 pound cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 pound Fresh lump crab meat
2 Tbl parsley, chopped
1 French Baguette, 16-20 inches in length
Preheat oven to 375.
Melt the first tablespoon of butter in a small sauté pan over a medium heat. Add in the green onions, peppers, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter in a small sauté pan over a low heat. Stir in the flour to form a roux. Cook the roux for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, being careful not to burn the roux.
Whisk the hot stock, sherry and lemon juice into the roux mixture. Cook for 3-4 more minutes and remove from heat.
Place the softened cream cheese into an electric mixing bowl, and using the paddle attachment, beat it for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl using a rubber spatula, and then add the thickened stock mixture, peppers and onions and Swiss cheese. Blend until smooth.
Next gently fold in the crab and parsley using a rubber spatula.
Cut the baguette in half lengthwise and spread the crab mixture evenly over the bread.
Place the two halves on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for twenty minutes.
Remove the bread from the oven and allow cool for 3-4 minutes. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut 2” wide slices. Arrange slices on a serving dish and top each piece with a teaspoon of the tomato concasse mixture.
Tomato Basil Concasse
1 1/2 cups Fresh Ripe Tomatoes, seeds removed, very small dice
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TBSP freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients.
Yield: 8 servings
(Robert St. John is a chef, restaurateur and published cookbook author who lives in Hattiesburg, Miss.)
Interested in becoming a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Aquatic Volunteer Instructor? LDWF is hosting Aquatic Volunteer Instructor Program (Aquatic VIP) workshops across the state. Workshops will be tailored to either formal/informal educators or the general public. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming an Aquatic Volunteer Instructor, then register and join us at an upcoming workshop near you.
Volunteer instructors are trained and certified by Fisheries Outreach and Education staff to educate youth and adults across the state about Louisiana’s fisheries and aquatic resources. These hands-on workshops include topics on fish identification, fishing and casting assistance, and other fisheries-related activities. Attending a workshop is the first step to becoming a certified Aquatic VIP. Certified Aquatic VIPs must also pass a background check as well as a course and policy test. Once certified, instructors gain access to activity guides, lesson plans, fishing equipment, and other aquatic educational materials and resources.
Upcoming workshops include:
Thursday, June 6, 2024 – Educator and General Public Workshop in Lake Charles
Tuesday, June 18, 2024 – General Public Workshop in Lacombe
All workshops are free. To learn more about the Aquatic Volunteer Instructor Program or to register for an upcoming workshop please visit: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/aquatic-vip.
The Aquatic Volunteer Instructor Program is hosted in conjunction with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation (LAWFF). The LAWFF was formed to provide a means for individuals and corporations to become partners with LDWF and the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries Commission in the challenge of conserving Louisiana’s wildlife and fisheries resources.
The Aquatic Volunteer Instructor Program is funded by the Sport Fish Restoration Fund, a USFWS grant program that provides funds to the states, the District of Columbia and insular areas fish and wildlife agencies for fishery projects, boating access and aquatic education.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. LDWF depends on license sales as a major funding source. Please help us protect your hunting and fishing heritage while preserving habitat, wildlife, and aquatic resources by purchasing your license at http://www.wlf.la.gov.
Many people are unsure of what to do with their future when they graduate from high school. That was not the case with Sarah Ophelia Colley. As a youngster growing up in Centerville, Tennessee, she decided she would become a dramatic actress. She taught herself how to mimic those around her, but that was about as far as it got in high school. She knew she needed formal training. Once she graduated from Centerville High School, Sarah auditioned to join the theater department of Ward-Belmont College, which is now Belmont University. She was well spoken with a southern drawl which she struggled to mask. Despite her southern drawl, Sarah was accepted into the program. She majored in theater studies and dance.
For the first few years after graduating from Ward-Belmont, Sarah taught dance. Sarah realized that unless she changed course, she could never realize her dream of performing on the stage. In the late 1930s, Sarah began working as a play director for the Wayne P. Sewell Production Company, a touring theater company based out of Atlanta, Georgia. She performed her parts perfectly, but Sarah was forgotten almost as soon as she walked off stage. In 1947, Sarah married Henry Cannon. Despite her best efforts, few people knew Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon as an actress. In the 1980s, after being successfully treated for breast cancer, Sarah became an outspoken advocate for cancer research. In 1987, she helped create the Sarah Cannon cancer foundation to raise money for cancer research. This led to the creation of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute which specializes in cancer treatment. On March 4, 1996, 83-year-old Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon died from complications from a stroke.
As I said earlier, few people recognize Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon as an actress, but there is more to Sarah’s story. While working for the Wayne P. Sewell Production Company, Sarah made brief appearances at civic organizations. While directing a ten-day musical comedy in Baileyton, Alabama, Sarah met a woman that changed the course of her life. Sarah needed a place to stay for the ten days, so she boarded with the Baileyton woman and her husband. Something stood out about the Baileyton woman. Sarah watched as the woman spoke. She paid careful attention to her mannerisms, her attire, and her accent which was very similar to her own. Remember, Sarah had struggled for years to hide her southern drawl. When it was time for Sarah to move on to another town, the Baileyton woman said, “I hate to see you go. You’re just like one of us.”
Shortly thereafter, Sarah bought a dress and shoes similar to those worn by the Baileyton woman. Rather than hiding her southern drawl, she began to embrace it for comedic affect, but something was missing. In 1939, Sarah was set to perform her imitation of the Baileyton woman in Aiken, South Carolina. Before the show, Sarah went to Surasky Bros. Department store in downtown Aiken. While shopping for nothing in particular, Sarah put on a straw hat and did her best imitation of the Baileyton woman. The hat completed the character. Sarah bought the hat for $1.98 and headed to the theater.
As an imitation of the Baileyton woman, Sarah poked fun at rural Southern culture. Rather than target other people, her jokes were aimed at herself, her fictional family, and her fictional hometown of Grinder’s Switch. She was always trying and failing to gain the attention of “a feller.” She told fictional joke-laden stories about her Uncle Nabob and Aunt Ambrosia, Lucifer Huckelhead, Miss Lizzie Tinkum, Doc Payne (pun intended), and her brother who remained nameless. In character, she once quipped about her Uncle Nabob, “He ain’t a failure. He just started at the bottom, and he liked it there.”
Sarah’s imitation of the Baileyton woman was a hit, and it led to her becoming the first solo female member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 1975, she became the first female comedian inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She performed the character on the stage and screen for over fifty years. Still, no one knew Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, and she never seemed to mind that she was overshadowed by the character she had created by imitating the Baileyton woman. Her family, friends, and even her husband called her, not Sarah, but Minnie Pearl. Her greeting to the audience became famous. “How-DEEEEE! I’m just s’proud to be hyere!”
Online voting open for Minden Pet Mayor. For more information and to nominate your pets, please visit https://mindenpetmayor.com/ . Contact: Ashlee Drake, Administrative Assistant to the Mayor, (318) 377-2144, ext. 433 or petmayor@mindenusa.com .
May 24, 25
A committee of former Thomas & Rhone Elementary School students have planned a reunion for all former students, faculty and staff. This reunion is schedule for Memorial Day Weekend, Friday and Saturday, (May 24 and 25). All activities will be held at the Shongaloo Civic Center, 119 LA 2 Alt Rd, in Shongaloo, La.
May 28-30
9 a.m. until noon, Robotics Camp. Northwestern State University’s Department of Engineering Technology Junior Camp for students in grades 3-7. Registration is free and will be open through noon Thursday, May 9. The Junior Camp is limited to 30 participants. For more information or to register, visit http://www.NSU.LA/ETcamps.
May 29
10 a.m. until 1 p.m. National Senior Health & Fitness Day, Minden Recreation Center. Community Health Fair with exercise demonstrations, BINGO, lunch and door prizes.
June 4-6
9 a.m. until noon, Robotics Camp. Northwestern State University’s Department of Engineering Technology Advanced Camp for students in grades 8-10. Williamson Hall. Registration is free and will be open through noon Thursday, May 9. The Advanced Camp is limited to 15 participants. For more information or to register, visit http://www.NSU.LA/ETcamps.
Not many people reach legendary status. But there’s one man who lives just across the Louisiana/Texas line that falls into the category of a legend. He’s a guy who for years has conducted the greatest bass tournaments in the world. He’s become so big that National Geographic came to East Texas and did a one hour special on his amateur bass tournament trail. His name…Bob Sealy! He is the owner and creator of the Bob Sealy Big Bass Splash Series.
Back in the 1980’s, Bob had this great idea to conduct a big bass tournament on Lake Sam Rayburn as part of an initiative to bring tourism to the lake area. Little did he know that 40 years later it would explode nationwide, and now globally, as anglers all over the country and the world come and compete in one of his many big bass tournaments held all across the south.
Bob was also the guy who sat down with Ray Scott, the founder of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), and convinced him to bring a professional bass tournament to Sam Rayburn. This brought national exposure to the area as Sam Rayburn became one of the legendary lakes in America with its reputation for producing huge bass and 30-pound tournament winning stringers.
Why so much success over a bass tournament? What has been the reason so many people have come and continue to make their way to all Bob Sealy events? It’s all due to a simple formula Bob figured out a long time ago. He realized most anglers will never have the opportunity to make the kind of money professional bass fishing offers. That’s when he came up with the slogan, “Where amateurs win like the pros!” As they say, the rest is history!
Another reason for the Sealy success is the fact that Bob does what he says he will do. Early on when he started these big bass tournaments, he took a few financial losses mainly due to the promises he had made. There were times when he did not have enough entries to cover the amount he was giving away. Bob still wrote checks and borrowed money from the bank in order to make sure everyone got paid.
Another example of why Bob has had so much success is his willingness to give. There’s one aspect of all Sealy tournaments where he offers $5000 each day for any angler that weighs an exact 3.00, 4.00, or 5.00-pound bass. Even if no one weighs in an exact size bass, he will put all the entries from the tournament into a hopper and will draw a random name to give away three $5000 checks. Most tournaments would just pocket this money and move on. Not Bob Sealy, he wants anglers to walk away with money in their pocket!
These are just a few reasons why Bob Sealy has so many participants follow his tournament trail. Bob does what he says he will do, no matter what the cost. This is the key to any successful bass fishing circuit. Anglers only want two things: enforce the rules and make sure the payout is exactly what each event says it will be.
Today we salute Bob Sealy on his commitment and dedication to making this tournament trail so successful. Sealy events are for all weekend warriors who love to fish. It’s also about family by offering something for all ages with plenty of food, entertainment and kids fishing division. As a member of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and the Outdoors Hall of Fame, Bob continues to set the bar for all bass tournaments.
This article would not be complete without recognizing and thanking the entire Sealy Outdoors staff and volunteers who coordinate and make all Sealy events possible. Without these folks, the Bob Sealy Big Bass Splash would not be possible.
To learn more about the Sealy Big Bass Splash Series of tournaments go to sealyoutdoors.com. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and when in doubt…. set the hook.
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Funeral service (past): 2 p.m. Monday, May 20, 2024, West Chapel, First Baptist Church, Minden, under the direction of Rockett Funeral Home, Ringgold.
Burial: Wimberly Cemetery, Ringgold.
Lanny Dexter O’Glee
March 6, 1951 – May 19, 2024
Springhill/Minden, La.
Memorial service at a later date. Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden.
Shelba Jean Hull
April 17, 1937 -May 11, 2024
Spring, Texas
Private graveside service at a later date, Springhill Cemetery, Springhill, La., under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.
Pamela Jean Lawrence
August 28, 1952 – April 21, 2024
Springhill, La.
Visitation: 10 a.m. Saturday, June 1, 2024, Central Baptist Church, Springhill, La.
Memorial service: 11 a.m. immediately following visitation.
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.)
Officers of the Minden Police Department’s Special Response Team (SRT) cautiously entered hallways, classrooms and assembly areas of J.L Jones Elementary School, checking potential danger points where a shooter might be hiding while planning to attack.
It was part of the SRT’s regular training regimen, and the heavily armed team members left no space unchecked as they scoured the building.
“We have held these training maneuvers at just about every school in Minden and we hope to be able to expand that to others in the parish,” said MPD Assistant Chief Chris Cheatham. Cheatham is the SRT commanding officer and it’s his responsibility to make decisions that could prove critical in dangerous situations.
Cheatham said exercises like the recent J.L. Jones session help provide team information that could prove invaluable if a real situation should occur. It’s important to know the layout of buildings, especially those where there may be large numbers of vulnerable individuals, he said.
“We train in schools and businesses, homes and buildings to understand where a shooter might hide,” he said. “We need to be aware of the possibilities, especially in places where we have school children, customers in a large business or employees in a building.”
SRT members meet for regularly scheduled exercises twice a month, with each session covering at least four hours.
“Our guys train at least eight hours a month to maintain the highest degree of proficiency we can,” Cheatham said. “We want to be prepared for any situation, and work as a team to address any threat.”
Minden’s SRT members are well trained and equipped, and they also have something a little extra that could make a big difference in case of serious injury.
“We have a team member who’s an emergency medical professional. That’s a benefit to us,” Cheatham said.
That member is Reserve Officer Brian Sparks. He has been with Minden Medical Center’s emergency department for 15 years where he is now the Lead Advanced Practice Provider.
Cheatham said the team will continue to hone their skills, conducting drills in a variety of locations and at various times of day and night.
“We never know when or where we may be called, so we’ll train at all hours and at as many locations as we are allowed,” he said.
The Minden Teen Challenge “Freedom Walk” 2024 celebration took place Saturday, May 18 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at The Broken Bean on McDonald Street.
Nearly 100 adults, children, teens and little ones in strollers started the day with the annual walk/run challenge, which went by the motto “Walk the Talk” this year. Challengers either paid a $25 fee to participate or were sponsored by an organization or individual. The runners took McDonald Street to College, turning east onto West Union and turning back at The Villas at Spanish Court. Tim Greer bested the group, coming in way ahead of the next closest challengers.
Activities included face-painting by Miss Minden 2024 Maison Wilbanks, the much-loved bouncy house, dining on cotton candy, snow cones and all Broken Bean favorites, and a great line-up of entertainment including Lit Skwad, evangelist Brandon Digilormo, Lizzie Balkom and Cooper Parks, and Gracie Young and Carlee Lange.
Pastor and director of the Teen Challenge program, Bro. Andy Jenkins, sat in the Dunking Booth, and got taken down into the cool water many times.
According to Ashley Tate Miller, manager of the Broken Bean Coffee Shop, all proceeds collected from Saturday’s “Freedom Walk” will go directly to the Louisiana Teen Challenge Minden Family Center.
Donations to Teen Challenge of Louisiana (Minden Family Center) can be made anytime at 100 Meadow Brook Road, Minden LA 71055.
Featured speaker Ryan Barnette (right) listens to comments from Lions Club member Robert Pepper.
By Pat Culverhouse
Louisiana has passed new legislation making it legal for its citizens to carry concealed weapons without a permit, including lowering the age of those who will able to do so.
“Our new governor signed a constitutional carry law in Louisiana that makes it possible for any law abiding citizen who has never been convicted of a felony to carry a concealed weapon without applying for or obtaining a permit,” Ryan Barnette told Minden Lions Club members recently. “The major change is the law will apply to all persons 18 years of age and over.”
Before moving to a position in the private sector, Barnette served 16 years in law enforcementand is a long-time concealed/carry instructor. His perspective on the new law?
“I like the law change. If you’re a good guy who wants to carry a gun for the right reason, it decriminalizes you,” he said.
Although Louisiana no longer will require permits for conceal/carry, Barnette believes there are still benefits to obtaining those documents.
“Louisiana has reciprocal agreements (to honor conceal/carry) with 38 other states,” he said. “If you’re traveling to these it will benefit you to have a state issued permit…they’re good if you are stopped for any reason by law enforcement. Another benefit is you can bypass a background check when buying a firearm. It’s a good idea to have a permit.”
Barnette said he isn’t bothered that the permitting process is no longer necessary, but there is one area that he would like to see addressed.
“I would much prefer they impose a training regulation rather than just hand out slips for carrying,” he said. “I am a huge proponent of firearm training…it should be for everyone who carries a firearm. As responsible gun owners, we should all be trained.”
And, he pointed out, lowering the age limit for permits is not as important as knowing how to properly handle firearms.
“An untrained 18-year-old is just as dangerous as an untrained 55-year-old,” he said.
Barnette also told Lions Club members there are three “Rs” that are important to proper training.
“Firearm training must be recent, relevant and realistic,” he said.
Proper firearm training could help gun owners if a case ever arose where circumstances forced a person to fire their weapon in self-defense.
“If you find yourself as a defendant, it’s always better to be able to say you’ve been trained, and to have the trainer testify on your behalf,” he said.
Barnette explained the legal grounds for a person to discharge a firearm in critical circumstances. He was responding to a question referring to a juvenile who allegedly was shot and killed while attempting to steal a car.
“Louisiana is a ‘stand your ground’ state. You are under no legal obligation to retreat from a violent attacker, even if you have the opportunity or ability to do so,” Barnette explained. “Butyou cannot use lethal or deadly force upon another person in defense of property. You may do so only in defense of yourself or another person.”
Barnette also had advice for anyone who holds a permit to carry a concealed weapon and plans to travel out-of-state, events those with reciprocal agreements with Louisiana.
“You must abide by that state’s gun laws and some regulations may be strict. States have varying laws and it would be good to research those laws,” he said. “Something legal here may not be legal there, and ignorance of the law is not a defense.”
