Athens man arrested on domestic abuse charges

By Pat Culverhouse

Aggravated assault with a firearm and domestic abuse battery charges have been filed against a 24-year-old Athens man as the result of an altercation that began on Minden’s Shreveport Rd. and ended just outside the city limits.

Chief of Police Jared McIver said Devon Michael Stiles was taken into custody by MPD officers and a Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputy Sunday evening after finding the suspect and his companion parked in the middle of a parish road.

Officers reportedly were dispatched to a residence in the 1500 block of Shreveport Rd. to investigate a reported disturbance involving a firearm, McIver said.

“Officers Logan Clingan and Dedrick Anderson were told the suspect had allegedly first struck his girlfriend, then pointed a small .22 caliber handgun at the complainant and began making threats,” the chief said. “The suspect and his companion left the residence before our officers arrived.”

WPSO Lt. Chase Walsworth reportedly detained Stiles on Allen Dr. until MPD officers arrived. Officers reportedly were told the suspect stopped the vehicle and began tossing items from the vehicle, including the keys.

Officers reportedly were told Stiles walked into a wooded area where the vehicle was stopped with a firearm, but returned without it. Officers failed to recover the firearm, but found four live rounds and one spent round of .22 ammunition in the suspect’s pocket.

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.


Barnette completes third year at Institute for Organization Management

Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce that Stephanie Barnette, President & CEO, of the Greater Minden Chamber of Commerce has recently completed her third year at Institute for Organization Management, a four-year nonprofit leadership training program at the Midwest Site in Madison, Wisc.

“Institute graduates are recognized across the country as leaders in their industries and organizations,” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, the U.S. Chamber’s vice president of Institute for Organization Management. “These individuals have the knowledge, skills, and dedication necessary to achieve professional and organizational success in the dynamic association and chamber industries.”

Since its commencement in 1921, the Institute program has been educating tens of thousands of association, chamber, and other nonprofit leaders on how to build stronger organizations, better serve their members and become strong business advocates. Institute’s curriculum consists of four weeklong sessions at four different university locations throughout the country. Through a combination of required courses and electives in areas such as leadership, advocacy, marketing, finance, and membership, Institute participants are able to enhance their own organizational management skills and add new fuel to their organizations, making them run more efficiently and effectively.

Institute for Organization Management is the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It is the premier nonprofit professional development program for association and chamber professionals, fostering individual growth through interactive learning and networking opportunities.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization representing companies of all sizes across every sector of the economy. Our members range from the small businesses and local chambers of commerce that line the Main Streets of America to leading industry associations and large corporations.


Man in lock-up after lock in at MHS

By Pat Culverhouse

School may be closed for the summer, but a 19-year-old Minden man is in law enforced detention after reportedly forcing his way into Minden High School.

Chief of Police Jared McIver said Devon Maurice Rascoe, who lives near the school in the 200 block of College St., is looking at charges of simple burglary, simple criminal damage to property and criminal trespass as a result of his excursion. Rascoe reportedly is also the subject of a pair of bench warrants.

McIver said the episode, which played out on surveillance cameras, shows the suspect reportedly entering through an unlocked door at the rear of the building in the early morning hours of June 12.

After wandering through several rooms, the suspect reportedly exited but found himself locked inside the courtyard and outside the building. Camera footage reportedly showed him using a piece of concrete to smash a window and regain entrance into the building.

While inside the second time, he allegedly entered a room where school uniforms were stored and walked out with four MHS shirts. For his efforts, Rascoe reportedly is currently housed at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.

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.


Pafford donates medical kits to MPD

Special to the Webster Parish Journal

By Brian Sparks, Medical Officer

Minden Police Dept., Special Response Team

According to national statistics, there were more than 3.3 million 9-1-1 calls within the state of Louisiana in 2023. While there is a wide range of circumstances leading to emergency assistance, medical emergencies top the list. The national average response time for EMS to arrive at an emergency is seven minutes.

This time increases to more than 14 minutes in rural areas, with nearly one in 10 encounters waiting at least 30 minutes for EMS arrival. EMS agencies are experiencing workforce challenges exacerbated by staffing shortages, supply chain deficiencies, and prolonged downtime in bottlenecked emergency departments. This strain on EMS presents communities with unprecedented public safety concerns.

The City of Minden is not shielded from these obstacles, and the Minden Police Department (MPD) is working with local EMS agencies to lessen these burdens. MPD leadership has collaborated with numerous local agencies to build a robust cache of emergency medical equipment to support their ability to meet the city’s needs in the event of a major incident.

All Minden police officers are required to maintain current basic life support certification and are trained to assist Minden’s citizens in any medical crisis, pending EMS arrival. Police officers often arrive at medical emergencies prior to EMS. It is the goal of the department to provide their officers the necessary tools and skills to give the public the best chance for a favorable outcome.

Financial and budget obstacles are hurdles shared among all municipal agencies, and Minden is no exception. The police department has enjoyed a robust relationship with the local EMS providers, and they have always worked hard to support our local initiatives.

Most recently, Pafford EMS has donated first response kits to outfit the police department’s patrol vehicles. These kits will allow patrol officers to handle emergencies at a basic level, pending the arrival of paramedics.

Pafford EMS is a family-owned business with a fleet of more than 120 ambulances and a mix of rotary and fixed wing aircraft. They have operations in multiple states and numerous cities, including Minden. This company sets the standard in providing optimal, evidence-based prehospital emergency care.

The Minden Police Department is overwhelmed by the generosity of Pafford EMS and their commitment to the well-being of the local community. This act of philanthropy is what sets Minden apart from most larger communities.

Moving forward, MPD hopes to expand more advanced training to its officers and continue to build resources to meet the evolving needs of a modern law enforcement agency. The department currently has three Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in its inventory and the desire is to place an AED in every patrol vehicle.

Any community business willing to sponsor this program is encouraged to contact one of their representatives. 


Round Table Luncheon Saturday will provide up-close, memorable moments

The “youngest” event during this weekend’s Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration is the most exclusive, yet casual, opportunity for the public to enjoy hearing from the Class of 2024 inductees.

It’s the Round Table Luncheon this Saturday, June 22, at noon at Riverside Reserve, 104 Mill Street, in Natchitoches. There are still a few seats available among the 300 guests for the sixth annual Round Table Luncheon presented by the Tiger Athletic Foundation.

Registration is available for the luncheon can be made by visiting LaSportsHall.com, or by calling 318-238-4255. It is a ticketed event.

Festivities begin Thursday evening at 5 with the free of charge Welcome Reception open to all, no registration necessary, at the Hall of Fame museum facing the traffic circle at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches.

Friday’s slate begins with the BOM Celebrity Bowling Bash at Four Seasons Bowling Center in Alexandria. Friday evening is the free Rockin’ River Fest concert on Cane River Lake in downtown Natchitoches, from 6-10:30, with the Class of 2024 introduced at 9:15 right before a sports-themed fireworks show over the water.

Events on Saturday include the filled-to-capacity Saints and Pelicans Junior Training Camp, the Round Table Luncheon, and the Induction Reception and Ceremony, which is sold out. It will be live-streamed on LPB.org online.

The Round Table Luncheon starts with tremendous Louisiana cuisine and quickly kicks into gear with Fox Sports announcer (and 2020 LSHOF inductee) Tim Brando interviewing small groups of inductees on stage in a very informal and fast-moving setting.

A poignant scene at the 2019 luncheon unfolded before the program when Peyton Manning, being inducted later that day, stopped by to greet LSU legend Johnny Robinson, who was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame two months later.

Scenes like that, up-close access and the fun-filled dialog between Brando and the 2024 inductees combine to provide a memorable 90 minutes.

The Hall of Fame Round Table Luncheon shapes up as a highly entertaining opportunity for guests to have an up-close-and-personal experience and be entertained and well fed in a casual setting, with a touch of elegance at the brand-new Riverside Reserve on the banks of Cane River Lake just a mile from downtown Natchitoches.

 


Forecast: Chance of rain over next few days

Tuesday

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. East wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday

A slight chance of showers between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. East wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Wednesday Night

A slight chance of thunderstorms before 7 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Chance of precipitation is 10 percent.

Thursday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 70.

* Information courtesy of National Weather Service.


JOB OPPORTUNITY: Springhill Medical Center

Springhill Medical Center is hiring licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to provide basic direct patient care under the supervision of registered nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals. A LPN job description often includes a variety of tasks to provide assistance for injured, ill, disabled, and other patients throughout a range of different healthcare environments.


LSP arrests Alabama men traveling through Webster Parish with large quantity of marijuana

By Pat Culverhouse

A pair of Alabama men have made an unexpected stopover in Webster Parish after a traffic stop on Interstate 20 led to drug-related charges and a visit to the parish prison.

Loxley, Alabama residents Blake Parker Marshall, 30, and Javis Kamil Dade, 26, are looking at distribution and conspiracy charges after Louisiana State Police troopers reportedly found 12 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle.

Troopers reportedly discovered several sealed bundles of drugs hidden inside a large cardboard box in the rear cargo area of the SUV the suspects were driving.

In addition to a traffic offense, Marshall reportedly is charged with possession of CDS Sch. I (marijuana) with intent to distribute and criminal conspiracy. Dade’s charges include possession of CDS Sch. I (marijuana) with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

Both men were booked into Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Facility.

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.


Read here to plan for VBS during your child’s summer vacation

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)

First Methodist Church

5 until 8 p.m. July 15-19, 903 Broadway. Kindergarten entering sixth grade. SCUBA – each day students will encounter God through a well-known story of the Bible, interacting with the text tangibly through kinetic, immersive activities. The link for First Kids is: www.facebook.com/fmcmindenkids . The link for First Methodist Church is: www.facebook.com/fmcmindenla . Church office also has registration applications.

Mt. Zion C.M.E. Church

6 until 7:30 p.m. June 19 – 21. 414 East Union Street, Minden. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the scenes of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11.

Galilee Missionary Baptist Church

6:30 p.m. nightly, June 17 – 19, 595 Central School Rd., Dubberly. You are invited to our 2024 Vacation Bible School experience: “God’s Superheroes: Adventures in Faith!” Our theme verses read, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report.” (Hebrews 11:1-2, KJV) This summer, God’s Superheroes will lead us on adventures in faith! We will be encouraged to look within ourselves and find inner strength to believe and endure whatever comes our way. When we believe, we see that God’s promises are true for everyone. So, let us activate our faith and enjoy the adventure!

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.

North Acres Baptist Church

6 until 8:30 p.m. June 24 – 28, PreK-6th grade. Join us for VBS this year, as we discover that God’s truth never changes, everyone needs Jesus, and we learn to speak the truth in love. Adventure awaits each day as we explore Breaker Rock Beach!  “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 Online Registration: https://nabcminden.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2328987

Springhill Methodist Church

6 until 8:30 p.m. June 23 – June 27, Springhill Methodist Church, 104 4th Street NW, Springhill, LA 71075, children from Kindergarten through 5th grade are invited to attend. You may register at https://tinyurl.com/SMCVBS24 . For more information, email djr498cr74@gmail.com . Camp Firelight VBS is based on Psalm 56:3  “Whenever I’m afraid, I put my trust in you.”  This theme will focus on trusting God to go with us, to lead the way, to share wisdom, to give us peace, and to spark joy.  There will be music, crafts, science and recreational activities related to the Bible Theme.

Beech Springs Baptist Church

9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. June 24 – 28, VBS – Keepers of the Kingdom, 4 yrs old – 6th grade Beech Springs Baptist Church, 15910 HWY 80, Minden Register at https://beechspringsbc.myanswers.com/keepers-of-the-kingdom or thru our FB page. We are engaged in an epic battle for the hearts and minds of our youth. Every day, they’re bombarded with lies about who they are, who their Creator is, and where their salvation comes from. Thankfully, God has given his children armor to wear in this battle between truth and lies, light and darkness.

Eastside Missionary Baptist Church

6 until 8 p.m. July 8 – 12. Schools out for Summer. That means it’s VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL TIME. We’d love to have your kids SHINE with us as we learn about Jesus. Here’s a preregistration link to get a head start on the fun.  Please use this link to pre-register your children:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16Qvm4fl3Au5s8XG9l5WEs1eQp64JfF46btSk6rFyhSw/viewform?edit_requested=true


Lions learning to cope with grief

By Tracy Campbell

Lion Mike Wise (pictured at left) invited and introduced today’s guest speaker for our noon club meeting. Bro. Steve Gilley, associate pastor of First Baptist Church Minden, spoke about the GriefShare grief and loss support group that he leads.

While everyone’s response to loss is unique, people facing loss and grief will experience many of the same challenges. The weekly GriefShare topics address these common struggles—providing valuable tips, encouragement, and direction. Lion Mike shared an emotional story about the impact the GriefShare program made on his and his wife, Judilyn’s, lives following the tragic loss of their son, Preston, in January.

Bro. Steve announced that the next GriefShare session should begin this fall. He encouraged anyone interested in participating to call (318) 377-4434 and ask to be put on the GriefShare list. More information about GriefShare can be found at www.griefshare.org.


Cynically using the false narrative of climate change to do social engineering

I periodically return to this topic because of the intensity and frequency with which the narrative is pushed by the Climate Change Religionists, this time regarding the UN (United Nations) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) which continuously promote hysteria and the supposed “apocalyptic” nature of climate change to push an agenda that will essentially remake humanity and human beings.  

What do I mean?

The WEF and the UN previously signed a formal agreement entitled United Nations Agenda 2030: Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).  There are 17 goals identified that they want to have accomplished by 2030. 

However, while many of the proposed goals are salutary and broadly supported by much of the planet—such as reducing or ending poverty, creating a healthy planet, and ending violence and inequality for girls and women—the scary part is contained in the fine print upon which those plans are based.  

The result is a small number of elites trying to force the implementation of their ideas regarding how the world we live in should look and function.  In other words, social engineering.  This social engineering will cause enormous and unneeded suffering and the only way to force these changes is by scaring people about the “ominous” heating and cooling of the planet.

Climate change is indisputable.  Our climate has always changed including long before man was ever on the earth!  The literature broadly reflects that the earth’s temperature occurs in certain rhythmic cycles and did so long before humans ever appeared on earth, approximately 200,000 years ago. 

So, honest science reflects that humans are not the principal cause of climate change, but the Climate Change Religionists stay fanatically focused on it anyway.  And we are endlessly told that carbon dioxide levels are higher than they have ever been—dangerously high levels causing the warming of the planet—and the planet will die shortly! 

This is simply false.  

“While there is an increase in carbon dioxide, that increase is not being driven largely by human industry.  We are contributing to it … but 90% of global warming is occurring in the ocean causing the internal heat of the waters to increase.”  So, the oceans are “warming from underneath.  The glaciers are melting from underneath.”  (Gregg Braden, Geologist, Computer Scientist, expert in Applied Earth Sciences).  Braden continues “… and the reason the oceans are warming from underneath is due to a phenomenon that occurs about every 12,000-13,000 years and this phenomenon is forcing molten mantle up and into the crust of the earth in places where the crust is weak and thin under the oceans … resulting in an increase in earthquakes and volcanoes.” 

During this phenomenon, the oceans rise and at other times “super volcanoes” erupt.  This phenomenon beneath the earth warms the oceans and releases CO2 into the atmosphere causing climate change.  (Id.)  In fact, Braden concludes, we don’t currently “have the greatest CO2 levels we’ve ever had.  In fact, we are on the low end in light of geologic history.”

So, to frighten the U.S. and the planet into accepting such jarring and fundamental changes to our culture, lives, and world, this phenomenon is being weaponized—as the national so-called news media and politicians simply repeat lies. 

What lies?

Climate Change Religionists have been advancing doomsday scenarios for decades now.   Acid rain would deforest large swaths of the globe; there would be another ice age; the ozone would disappear; global warming would melt the world’s glaciers.  Now, the “world is on fire!” but the percentage of the globe that burns each year has been declining since 2001.  (B. Lomborg, Wall St. Journal, 8-1-23).   None of it has happened.  In fact, in the last 200 years the temperature of the earth has increased, slightly and erratically, by only about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. (Richard Lindzen, MIT Physicist. 04-18-2016)

Obviously, their goal is to eliminate all fossil fuels.  However, renewable energy—whether solar, wind or other—is nowhere near being able to energize our country or planet.  We are not going to be able to be free of fossil fuels for decades if not generations. 

We must not allow the lie of man-made climate change to be used to force the equivalent of a new world order on the U.S.  

P.S. The hypocrisy of these elite climate alarmists is unmistakable as they take hundreds of private jets to posh worldwide locations to discuss climate change, creating huge amounts of CO2 as a result.

(Shreveport attorney, Royal Alexander, worked in D.C. in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly 8 years for two different Members of Congress from Louisiana.  He has witnessed up close several Speaker races.)


UCAP needs week of June 17

United Christian Assistance Program has the following needs:

Food:  Cereal, biscuit mix

Household goods: king & queen sheets, towels & wash cloths, pots, pans & skillets

Toiletries: soap, deodorant, toothpaste

Thank you for supporting UCAP!

UCAP is open from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at 204 Miller Street, Minden, for food, utility and rent assistance. Clothing is dispersed on Wednesdays only.


Upcoming Events

Send non-profit calendar events to wpjnewsla@gmail.com .

June 18

10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Cuffs & Hoses Blood Drive, Springhill Brookshire’s parking lot. Mobile Collection Vehicle. Choose your department and SHOW UP!!! This is ALWAYS a close competition between police and firefighters. You don’t have to be a firefighter or a cop. Choose who you want to represent!! Either way, many lives are saved and YOU can be their hero!!

June 22

5 until 8 p.m. Juneteenth Celebration at Woo’s on Martin Luther King Drive, Minden. Family fun with food trucks, music, special performances, Juneteenth History, bounce house, fireworks provided by Beyond Burgers and Woo’s Daiquiri Shop. For more information, contact Michael Walker at 318-210-1799.

June 28

6 until 10 p.m. Webster Parish Boys 2 Men “Bridging the Gap” Meet & Greet. Central Community Association, Inc., 5500 Highway 531, Dubberly, La., Register by June 211. Free event; ages 9-18. For more information: Deware Jones (214) 537-0208 or dwrenjones@yahoo.com .

June 29

7 a.m. until 8 p.m. Webster Parish Boys 2 Men “Bridging the Gap” Fishing & Fun. Central Community Association, Inc., 5500 Highway 531, Dubberly, La., Register by June 211. Free event; ages 9-18. For more information: Deware Jones (214) 537-0208 or dwrenjones@yahoo.com .

June 29 & 30

UCAP Golf Tournament. Sponsored by UCAP, b1 Bank and others. Pine Hills Country Club, Minden. Sign up in the Pro Shop.

June 30

8 a.m.  Webster Parish Boys 2 Men “Bridging the Gap” Sunday Worship. Central Community Association, Inc., 5500 Highway 531, Dubberly, La., Register by June 21. Free event; ages 9-18. For more information: Deware Jones (214) 537-0208 or dwrenjones@yahoo.com .

5 p.m. 6th Annual Duck Derby Extravaganza, downtown Minden. Food vendors, face painting, jump houses, music and Duck Derby race.


Arrest Reports

Bruce Bernard Jones, 50, 500 block Penal Farm Rd., Sibley; arrested June 13 by MPD for traffic violations, felonin possession of a firearm.

Joshua Smith, 34, 1000 block College St., Doyline; arrested June 12 by WPSO/MPD on outstanding bench warrants.

Kenneth Jerrod Thomas, 34, McRaven Rd., Jackson, Miss.; arrested June 15 by Louisiana State Police for DWI first offense, careless operation.

Jon M. Strickland, 35, Filhal Rd., Monroe; arrested June 15 by WPSO on warrants for simple burglary and criminal damage to property. Total bond set at $20,000.

Kathleen Nicole Brown, 31, Resident St., Cotton Valley; arrested June 16 by WPSO on active warrants. Total bond set at $1,500.

Jerome Mitchell, 43, 300 block Middle Landing St., Minden; arrested June 16 by MPD for simple battery, disturbing the peace (two counts), resisting an officer. Total bond set $2,250 surety.

Rebecca Lynn Hinton, 48, 100 block Watson St., Doyline; arrested June 14 by WPSO on outstanding warrants. Total bond set $1,650.

Brian Sims, 55, 300 block Ellis Dr., Minden: arrested June 14 by WPSO on warrants for possession of methamphetamine, fugitive from Claiborne Parish.

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.


Notice of Death – June 17, 2024

Donald A. Elmore

Sept. 12, 1945 – June 15, 2024

Springhill, La.

No service per deceased’s request.

Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.

Peggy Farmer

Oct. 23, 1944 – June 9, 2024

Minden, La.

Service: Contact Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden.

Albert W. “Bill” Berry

Oct. 18, 1937 – June 11, 2024

Heflin, La.

Memorial Service: A later date

Contact Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden.

Audalie Nuckolls

June 23, 1917 – June 10, 2024

Springhill, La.

Visitation: 3 p.m,. June 23, 2024, Kings Corner Assembly of God Church, Springhill.

Service: 4 p.m., immediately following visitation.

Supper reception: 5 p.m.

Charles “Bo” Thomas Blackwood

Oct. 23, 1940 – June 8, 2024

Homer, La.

Service: 2 p.m. Saturday, June 29, Cornerstone Church (former First UMC), Homer, La.

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.)


Investigation ends in early morning arrest

By Pat Culverhouse

A lengthy investigation initiated by the Minden Police Department’s narcotics unit ended early Thursday with the arrest of a Minden man on numerous drug distribution charges.

Chief of Police Jared McIver said 29-year-old Deotis Germany was taken into custody at his residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue when Minden’s Special Response Team (SRT) enforced warrants around 6:30 a.m.

“Our narcotics investigators had built a solid case against this suspect and we used our SRT, in coordination with other agencies, to conduct the arrest successfully,” McIver said. 

Germany reportedly faces seven drug charges including three counts distribution of CDS Sch. I (synthetic marijuana), two counts distribution of CDS Sch. II (methamphetamine), possession of CDS Sch. I (synthetic marijuana) with intent to distribute and possession of CDS Sch. I (Ecstasy). Total bond for the offenses has been set at $175,000.

Lt. Kenneth James of the narcotics unit said marijuana was found in various rooms inside the residence and a large bag of synthetic marijuana was discovered hidden beneath steps leading into the residence. A baggie containing Ecstasy tablets were found in the bedroom.

“We want people to know we’re going to get those who are dealing drugs in Minden, no matter how long it takes,” James said.

“We had five active distribution warrants on this individual and everything went well,” said narcotics unit member Lt. Shane Griffith. “We had our SRT, plus cooperation from the Sheriff’s Office narcotics unit and DEA. We believe in working together to get positive results.”

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.


Investigation ends in early morning arrest

By Pat Culverhouse

A lengthy investigation initiated by the Minden Police Department’s narcotics unit ended early Thursday with the arrest of a Minden man on numerous drug distribution charges.

Chief of Police Jared McIver said 29-year-old Deotis Germany was taken into custody at his residence in the 400 block of Park Avenue when Minden’s Special Response Team (SRT) enforced warrants around 6:30 a.m.

“Our narcotics investigators had built a solid case against this suspect and we used our SRT, in coordination with other agencies, to conduct the arrest successfully,” McIver said.

Germany reportedly faces seven drug charges including three counts distribution of CDS Sch. I (synthetic marijuana), two counts distribution of CDS Sch. II (methamphetamine), possession of CDS Sch. I (synthetic marijuana) with intent to distribute and possession of CDS Sch. I (Ecstasy). Total bond for the offenses has been set at $175,000.

Lt. Kenneth James of the narcotics unit said marijuana was found in various rooms inside the residence and a large bag of synthetic marijuana was discovered hidden beneath steps leading into the residence. A baggie containing Ecstasy tablets was found in the bedroom.

“We want people to know we’re going to get those who are dealing drugs in Minden, no matter how long it takes,” James said.

“We had five active distribution warrants on this individual and everything went well,” said narcotics unit member Lt. Shane Griffith. “We had our SRT, plus cooperation from the Sheriff’s Office narcotics unit and DEA. We believe in working together to get positive results.”

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 large bag of synthetic marijuana was discovered under the steps leading into the residence. (Photos by Pat Culverhouse)

First 500 days: Mayor plans his work and works his plan to improve Minden

By Bonnie Culverhouse

To many folks, 500 sounds like a lot, but to Nick Cox, his first 500 days as Minden’s Mayor have flown.

“It’s one of the busiest but at the same time, one of the best jobs on the planet,” Cox said. “There are so many things you have to have working knowledge of.”

In one day, he laughed, he can go from sewage to police to recreation to an angry ball parent.

“The best thing I do is have a schedule,” he said, pointing to the board behind him. “Plan my work and work my plan.”

It’s his motto.

“If I structure my day, it goes a lot better,” he said. “If I don’t, I can end up way off into something else.”

From the time he took the oath of office, Cox had a plan for Minden. And he is “getting more done than I ever dreamed we’d be able to do.”

He credits the city council, only one of whom has held office previously.

“The council we have matches my ambition, and the synergy there is really unbelievable,” said Cox. “They’re bringing ideas … it has to be God. They’re all financially responsible people … no one is frivolous, so we are doing a lot with the same money we had before.”

Cox has a list that includes plans that are complete, in progress and in the near future.

Completed projects include lights in Beaver Creek subdivision, Love the Boot litter and condemnations clean-up and raising funds for a new animal shelter.

With a grant and the Pet Mayor fundraiser, the city will be able to complete the new shelter, which is also on Cox’s “in-progress” list.

“Minden Police Department is now in charge of Animal Control, but Brent Cooley is still in charge of our buildings, so he is currently meeting with the architect and plans are under way to start building the shelter,” the mayor said. “And thanks to the $21,000 raised from the Pet Mayor’s contest, we will be able to provide heating and air conditioning for the animals – something the shelter has never had.”

City of Minden has several projects in progress. Please watch Webster Parish Journal for more stories on the following:

Capital Outlay – Clerk street water tank

Building Project – PWCC (Public Works Center)

Building Project – Animal shelter completion

Building Project – Airport taxi expansion

Building Project – Bathrooms on High Street (almost finished)

Clean up Project – Condemnations

Fund Raising – Rec Diamond Club

Promotional Projects – Building this City Video Podcast

Street Projects

Improvements – Audio/Video Equipment for Minden Civic Center

Improvements – Remodel Community House, including new audio/video

Improvements – Shreveport Road Water Main: Replace 100-year-old main


Observe Flag Day today

By Wesley Harris
Friday is Flag Day. It’s one of those observances often overlooked, coming in between Memorial Day and Independence Day, holidays usually accompanied by a brief vacation from work.

But most of us will be working Friday. Even though it is an official national observance, first signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1949, it usually passes by uneventfully.

To me, Flag Day is a big deal. It celebrates more than our national flag but the country the flag represents.

I have toured the Washington, DC museums and monuments many times. Nothing stirs  more emotion than the Star Spangled Banner in the National Museum of American History. That flag flew decades after the war for American independence during a conflict to see if the new nation would survive as a free country.

On September 14, 1814, U.S. soldiers at Baltimore’s Fort McHenry raised the huge American flag to celebrate a crucial victory over British forces during the War of 1812. The sight of those “broad stripes and bright stars” inspired Francis Scott Key to write the song that became America’s national anthem. Key’s words gave significance to a national emblem that stirs emotions among those who realize it represents all the sacrifices necessary to ensure our freedoms and way of life endure.

The flag that flew at Fort McHenry is tattered, missing almost a quarter of its length, not because of war damage, but because it was so sacred to Americans that many pieces were cut off and given away as treasured keepsakes.

In his 1915 Flag Day address, President Woodrow Wilson said, “For me the flag does not express a mere body vague of sentiment. The flag of the United States has not been created by rhetorical sentences in declarations of independence and in bills of rights. It has been created by the experience of a great people, and nothing is written upon it that has not been written by their life. It is the embodiment, not of sentiment but of a history, and no man can rightly serve under that flag who has not caught some of the meaning of that history. Experience, ladies and gentlemen, is made by men and women. National experience is the product of those who do the living under that flag. It is their living that has created its significance, ”

The flag has always been important in our community. Not only does it fly at government buildings but at schools, businesses, ball parks, and private homes.

The flag is an expression of national identity, of unity, pride, perseverance, freedom.

Fly it proudly Friday.


Forecast: Hot temps through weekend; rain possible on Monday

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Friday Night

Clear, with a low around 69. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Saturday

Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.

Saturday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 73.

Sunday

Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.

Sunday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.

Monday

A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.

Monday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.

Tuesday

A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92.

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.

* Information courtesy of National Weather Service.


Brown sentenced in manslaughter case

By Bonnie Culverhouse

A local man has been sentenced to 9 years with benefit of time served in the 2022 shooting death of Laricker Washington.

Henry L. Brown Jr., of the 700 block of Brook Alley, Minden, entered a guilty plea for manslaughter in Judge Michael Craig’s courtroom and was sentenced on May 29, 2024.

In Webster Parish Journal’s original story from the Saturday, November 5, 2022 incident, Tashun Bailey, 25, allegedly shot Washington in the head.

“Apparently, there was some bad blood between Bailey and Washington,” then-Police Chief Steve Cropper said. “Supposedly, some time in the recent past our victim threatened the shooter with a gun.”

According to Bailey, he drank beer all day Saturday with his uncle, Johnathan Cooksey.

“He got drunk, and when he left his uncle’s house, his path crossed with Washington,” Cropper said. “Bailey said Washington stared at him and it scared him because Washington had pulled a gun on him in the past.”

Bailey reportedly said he was so frightened, he returned to his house, retrieved a gun and as he passed the motel and saw Washington standing there, he shot him. Washington died Sunday, November 26, 2022.

Brown is charged because he reportedly was with Bailey and served as his “look out.”

Kenisha Franklin, 30, of the 1000 block of Cherry Street, was charged with obstruction of justice. Cropper said Franklin was in Washington’s motel room when the shooting took place.

“Mr. Washington had a firearm in that motel room the night he was shot,” said the chief. “Prior to law enforcement’s arrival, Franklin removed the firearm and gave it to another male to hide.”

Cropper said the firearm was illegal because the serial number had been “drilled out.”

“I don’t know what she was trying to accomplish because that firearm was not involved in the shooting whatsoever,” he said. “It was an AR 15-type rifle. Shell casings left at the scene were from .22 caliber ammunition.”

The obstruction of justice charge against Franklin was subsequently dismissed.

Tashun Bailey entered a guilty plea of manslaughter and was sentenced by Judge Craig on November 13, 2023 to 25 years with benefit of time served.


60 Teams to field annual Dixie Open; no rain expected (we hope)

Stanton Haynes

By Marilyn Miller

When you’ve got 60 ball teams coming to town for a tournament, how do you handle the manpower?

“I’ve got a big family,” said Jeff Haynes, director of the Minden St. Jude Dixie Open, which will take place at the Minden Recreation Complex this weekend, June 15-16, 2024. His family and all volunteers give their time “from daylight until dark,” he added.

The first Dixie Open took place in “2015 or 16,” according to Haynes. “The St. Jude Minden Auction was growing bigger, and someone suggested that a tournament would help bring in even more money. It’s grown bigger ever since.” That first year, the 40-team tournament made $25,000 for St. Jude’s. Last year, even though it rained, and the tourney was played in one day, the take was $42,000.

The 59 teams that are signed up to play this weekend will compete in (boys) TBall, 7-8 Coach Pitch, 9-10, 11-12 Ozone, and 13-14 Dixie. According to Haynes, most of the teams are from the All-Stars, which will begin playing soon. “That’s how we get the teams, because we host the tournament right before All-Star play and it’s on Father’s Day weekend, also.”

All games are played at the Recreation Center. Concessions are handled by the City of Minden, which gives the tournament a percentage of the take.

“The City of Minden really helps me out,” Haynes said. “They are unbelievable.” Someone who also helps out? The umpires. “I pay them, and they turn around and make donations to the tournament,” Haynes commented. “We get a lot of donations.”

The Dixie Open has been played in memory of Stanton Haynes since the beginning. Jeff and Tina’s son, Stanton, who “played a little TBall” was a patient at St. Jude’s. He passed away in 2005. “That first year, some of the teams had Stanton’s name on their jerseys. They presented jerseys to Tina and me,” Jeff recalled.

Jeff puts his heart and soul into the Dixie Open.

“I love kids, and I don’t want anybody to go through what we went through for our child. That’s why I do it.”


WJH Eighth grader on 2028 Olympic team

By Paige Gurgainers

Webster Parish may have another break-out football star coming up the ranks.  

12-year-old Ian Clark, soon to be an eighth grader at Webster Junior High School, has been given a once in a lifetime opportunity to play for the National USA Football Team and will be traveling to Los Angeles, California in July 2028 to showcase his skills in the Olympics.  

According to Ian’s mother Whitney Clark, they traveled to Missouri City, Texas earlier this year in May to try out for the team.

“On May 29, we received a call from Ms. Chloe Sullivan congratulating Ian on making the National USA team,” said Whitney.  

Ian expressed that he had no expectations of making the national team.

“Although I did get several interceptions,” he said. “I am very excited and happy that my hard work really showed.” 

Now the real work begins – preparing for the 2028 summer Olympics.  

“I will have to attend several ID camps and USA football tournaments,” said Ian. “I will also have to do online training, as well.” 

Ian has been playing 7 on 7 and tackle with a travel team for the past 6 years with the last two being year-round. He received a championship ring last December for True Talent of America in New Orleans and recently won 12u, 7 on 7 and SPAR football championships with the Port City Goats football team.  

He is not only determined on the gridiron, but he perseveres in the classroom. This last school year, Ian was on the A Honor Roll every 9 weeks and finished out the year in the top 3 of his seventh-grade class for Social Studies and Mathematics.  

When asked if he felt that football was his passion and possibly something he would like to make a career of, he was very quick to answer. “Yes, I love football more than anything. I plan to be just like J.J. Sneed someday.”