Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night
Clear, with a low around 48. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 63. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Wednesday Night
Clear, with a low around 39.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 65.
Thursday Night
Clear, with a low around 39.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 63.
* Information provided by the National Weather Service.
By Travis Chapman
Last Friday night your Apaches travelled in the first round playoff game all the way to the cross state rivals of OCS Eagles in Monroe, LA. In the challenging environment, in which we are all too familiar with the hostile territory, your Apaches played hard but fell short to the outstanding Eagles, 49-12.
The evening started with my good friend, Jerame Durden, who is usually the voice of the Apaches for home games, and I on the live game call for our own local radio station, AM1240 KASO. What a treat that was. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and I want to extend a personal thank you for the sponsors that made it possible for us to bring the game to you, live, across the state. It was a great opportunity to show everyone how truly awesome Glenbrook School is, and how proud of it we are.
Your Apaches won the toss and deferred to the second half. After a well-executed onside kick the Apaches narrowly missed, the Eagles would start with great field position for the high-powered offense. From the Apache 48, it took the Eagles just 3 plays to put it in the end zone. The Eagles showcased a kicker that will definitely be kicking on Saturdays. With his 50-yard extra point, the Apaches trailed 7-0. The Apache offense came out and picked up some quick yardage but was forced to punt. Your awesome punter, Seth Mangrum booted it nearly 45 yards to flip the field, but the Eagles would showcase their 19-year-old seniors on this drive. OCS quickly scored behind their big senior running back in just 7 plays. The Apaches trailed 14-0. The next possession, the Apaches started moving the ball at will with great runs by Vicious Vining and Sonic Seth Mangrum. The offensive line push behind Nolan Still and edge seals by Channing Rainey pushed the Apaches all the way to inside the 25-yard line of the Eagles. The Apaches fell short on a 4th down play and turned it over on downs.
The Eagles would go on to score on every possession of the first half. The Apaches showed great resolve and would get inside the red zone another two times but would come up short in the first half. Coach Thurman dialed up a play that had my partner in crime, Jerame Durden and I standing and yelling in the press box, probably much to the dismay of the OCS coaches next to us, when the Red Rifle, Easton Sanders found Action Jackson Waller on a deep route, to which Jackson made an NFL catch and nearly scored on the play. After a fiery exit from the press box for Coach Thurman to go coach his team and we’ll call it the “lack of class” shown by OCS staff and fans in the stands, it was all Apaches in the second half. Connor Bolton put great pressure on the outstanding kicker to force a missed field goal. The offensive line had great pushes and the Thunder and Lightening duo of Vining/Mangrum went through the A gap and off tackle. Both of those men ran like their hair was on fire. I’d be sore not to mention, the “hair on fire, Colt Jellum came in to lead block and sealed edges, and paved the way to two touchdowns for the Apaches. The last of which came off tackle to Senior Sonic Seth Mangrum as he ran like his life depended on it. The offensive line opened the holes and sealed the edge for Mangrum to run through. Mangrum broke two tackles as he crossed the goal line just before time expired for the last score of his high school career from 17 yards out.
I got to catch up with Mangrum after the game to hug his neck. He told me; “Mr. Travis, I knew this would be the last time I got to run the football in my career and I gave it everything I had and wasn’t going to be denied.” Mangrum rushed for right near 1,000 yards this season and several touchdowns. But his attitude shown was the attitude of this outstanding group in every game this season. While they dropped the last 3 games of the season, 2 of the 3 are the absolute best teams in the state in their respective classes and will likely win their state championships.
We are so proud of these seniors and this team. This senior class was record setting for the Apaches. With all the accolades they racked up, quarter finalist, semi-finalists, state runners-up, all districts, all states, signing days for their collegiate careers, it all is second to the character they display. They have grown to be outstanding and contributing members of their community and prove what an outstanding school Glenbrook is and what it can do for your child. They treat each other as family, because we are family. On their senior night, they all professed Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Savior and were not ashamed to say in front of hundreds of standing fans. That’s the norm for our family here at Glenbrook, and these seniors showcase it well.
Once again, I can’t thank Mrs. Jinks, Mr. Gladney, and Coach Legendre and Glenbrook School enough for allowing me the opportunity to write about these outstanding groups of students each week. We look forward to what the future holds for the Apaches, and ladies and gentlemen, the future is bright in the cul de sac of Country Club!
FOREVER APACHES!!!!
By Marilyn Miller
“It all started with the school uniforms…I think it was my sophomore year,” recalled Michael Anthony Davis, thinking back to the first time that he realized his talent for fashion and style. “I was into the ‘Fresh Prince of Bellaire’ with Carleton and his scarves and loafers…Yeah, we’re wearing a uniform, but let’s just throw this scarf around it. If I’m going to wear a uniform, I’m going to be fashionable with it.”
Eighteen-odd years later, Minden’s own “Fresh Prince” is styling for the stars through The Michael Anthony Creative Agency, which he operates out of Shreveport and Minden.
While the name of the game is traveling and styling today, when he first opened the doors to his Minden studio in 2013 (it was a surprise from his dad), he was taking photos. He learned how to arrange and shoot photos with his trusty Nikon while covering his football-playing brother. His cousin, who has a photography studio in Houston, encouraged him. And soon he was getting calls to take studio photos.
Next, he added styling as a service, because he was using his artistic abilities to prepare people for the photo shoots. When he started doing more fashion styling than taking photos, he decided to close his studio and hit the road.
One of his jobs was prepping the 67th Miss Grambling State University, Ashley Dabney, for a feature shoot in Grazia Magazine. Of course, he also styled his cousin, Joy Davis, for her winning endeavor in Miss Minden 2020 (see more on her in a later edition of the Webster Parish Journal).
Other “winners” that Michael Anthony styled include Pastor Charles Johnson of KOKA Radio, who won both his nominations at the Stellar Awards in 2024; and gospel recording artist Jovonta Patton. He was named “new artist of the year” at the 39th Stellar Gospel Music Awards in Las Vegas earlier this year. Coverage during the event included Michael Anthony “styling” his two stars.
But everyone is special to him, from those he has styled for birthdays, anniversaries, pageants and proms to the national award winners.
“This is not my job, it’s my ministry,” he said, talking about how people “blossom” when they feel good about themselves. “I am thankful that people feel the confidence in me to let me work with them.” In fact, the day after his interview he was traveling to New Orleans to style a bride for her wedding.
The stylist, photographer, fashionista had lived in several big cities before deciding to come back to Minden. And he has made a difference here, starting with his non-profit, “Generations.” “I am big on youth,” he said, “And it will always be about the next generation.”
Michael Anthony has won many honors, but the latest, the “Fifteen Under 40” nomination, was “a very, very, very big honor for me. It’s a different kind of feeling when it’s in your hometown. And I was honored to be up there with so many other people who are leaders in this community.”
Michael Anthony is a 2007 graduate of Minden High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Davis, Sr. He has siblings, Justin Davis and Mariah Davis, and nephews and niece Julian, Kyler and Kimori.
It means the world to him to be able to set an example for his siblings’ children, so that they can see “an uncle who did not give up on his dreams. I always want them to have people they can look up to.”
What’s in this uncle’s future? He plans to open a high fashion boutique, which will be called “The Fashion Chamber.”
On Dec. 21, Michael Anthony’s second annual Christmas Toy Drive will take place at the Stewart Center adjacent to the Webster Parish Library. There will be food and drawings, and of course, new toys for the kids!
LHSAA Cross Country State Championship Meet
The LHSAA State Cross Country Meet was held on Monday morning at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. Glenbrook, Lakeside, and Doyline all sent representatives. To qualify for the state cross country meet, a school team (must consist of 5 runners or more) must finish in the top 8 at their Regional meet or a runner must finish in the top 25. These meetings took place on November 7.
Glenbrook girls qualified for the state meet after finishing 7th at the Region 1 Division 4 meet. The Lady Apaches’ top runner at the regional meet was Emerson McLelland who finished 20th. Laurie Kilgore finished in 26th. Emma Garner, Lela Margaret Miller, and Peyton Malone rounded out the scoring for the Lady Apaches at the regional meet. The Lady Apaches finished 18th in the Division IV state meet. Kilgore was the top runner for Glenbrook with a time of 24:39.37 and finishing 78th out of 150 runners. McLelland finished 94th. Garner, Miller, and Malone rounded out the scoring at state.
Glenbrook boys have sent their team with an 8th-place finish at the Region 1 Division 4 meet. Trent Clemons gave the Apaches a top-10 performance at regionals finishing 9th with a time of 18:03.52. Brody Walker was the next Glenbrook runner to cross the finish line in 35th. Hunter Shipp, Nolan Malone, and Reed Blake added points for the Apaches at the regionals meet. The Apaches finished in 24th place at the state meet. Clemons was the top Apache runner placing 35th. Malone, Walker, Blake, and Shipp rounded out the scoring for Glenbrook.
Doyline’s Zach Mareno finished 9th with a time of 19:17.39 to qualify for the state meet at Division 5 Region 1 meet in Ruston. Mareno finished 78th at Northwestern State on Monday morning in the Division 5 state championship.
Lakeside’s Luke Mandino also qualified via the Division 4 Region 1 meet with 21st place. Mandino finished 87th at the Division 4 state championship on Monday.
Three Local Athletes Sign College Commitments
Three local diamond athletes will continue to play at the next level. Glenbrook’s Easton Sanders signed to play baseball at Louisiana Tech. Doyline hurler Noah Spears committed to become a Northwestern State Demon pitcher. Minden’s Leigha Gilbert signed on to buck the competition in softball in Magnolia at Southern Arkansas University.
Basketball
The Doyline Panthers and Lady Panthers are still the only teams that started basketball for the season. The Panthers hosted and won the Jimmy Stewart Memorial over the past weekend. Doyline (6-1) defeated Providence and Summerfield to take the title. The Lady Panthers (1-6) came up short against Family Community and Providence in the tournament.
Lakeside and Minden started basketball with jamboree matchups at Minden High on Friday night.
Boys
Monday, November 11
Stanley 83, Doyline 54
Tuesday, November 12
Doyline 69, Evans 36
Thursday, November 14
Doyline 66, Providence 36
Friday, November 15
Doyline 59, Summerfield 55
Girls
Monday, November 11
Stanley 60, Doyline 18
Tuesday, November 12
Evans 61, Doyline 15
Thursday, November 14
Family Community 59, Doyline 45
Friday, November 15
Providence 57, Doyline 20
Soccer Season Kicks Off For Minden
Minden kicked off their soccer season last week. Minden boys took the 2-1 win over Parkway. The Lady Tiders shut down North Caddo 2-0 in their opening win.
By Pat Culverhouse
Many Webster Parish Sheriff’s deputies will be sporting a little extra facial hair while others may be coloring their hair and nails, but it’s not a revolt against Sheriff Jason Parker’s dress code.
November has been declared “No Shave November” and Sheriff’s Office personnel have been given the opportunity to opt out of the dress code for a good cause. Deputies will change their appearance for a minimum donation of $20, and all the money collected will be donated to a local charity.
“In addition to enforcing laws and ensuring safety of our parish residents, our deputies are community minded individuals and they show this spirit in many ways during the course of their duties,” said Sheriff Jason Parker. “No Shave November is one way we can do something for those in need.”
“This is a fun event, and it’s one that will benefit a local charity. Our goal is to always be ready to provide assistance when it’s needed.”
United Christian Assistance Program has the following needs:
Food: Ramen noodles (we are totally out) and pasta (spaghetti, etc. without sauce)
Household goods: sheets, towels & wash cloths
Clothing: men’s shoes/tennis shoes (9 and up)
Toiletries: men’s and women’s deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc.)
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.
Send non-profit calendar events to wpjnewsla@gmail.com .
November 22, 23
6:30 until 8 p.m., The Walk Through Bethlehem at Pine Grove Methodist Church, 4549 Lewisville Rd., Minden. Visit Bethlehem Market. Music, live animals, Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus; leave with hot cocoa and cookies.
November 26
6 p.m. Minden Civic Center. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Fashionetta.
November 30
Breakfast with Santa at the Partea Room
9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Mistletoe Market, Springhill, La.
5 until 7 p.m. Springhill Lighted Christmas Parade.
December 6
6 p.m. Minden Medical Center Rehab Reindeer Run. Registration online – runsignup.com/Race/LA/Minden/RehabReindeerRun, forms available MMC Rehab, 1120 Homer Rd or MMC Business Office, 346 Homer Rd.
December 9
5 until 7p.m. Chicken & Sausage gumbo with rice, bread and dessert. Gumbo from Herby-K’s. $12. Springhill Farmers Market, 404 N. Giles, Springhill. Proceeds go to LaMa Rescue.
December 12 – 14
6 until 9 p.m. Walk-through Live Nativity, Parkway Baptist Church, 160616, Hwy. 79, (Homer Road). Free event. Refreshments served.
December 13
5:30 p.m. Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
6 until 9 p.m. Holiday Trail of Lights Hayride and Historic Tour
6 p.m. Reindeer Run
December 14
9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Christmas Brunch at Geaux Fresh Bistro and Bakery
Noon until 3 p.m. pics with Santa and kids activities at Dorcheat Museum.
5 p.m. Minden Christmas Festival and Parade
7 p.m. Fireworks
December 15
1 until 6 p.m. Christmas Tour of Homes
Tameika Gage, 23, 4500 block W. Kie St., Dallas, TX; arrested Nov. 14 by MPD for aggravated assault of a police officer, resisting an officer, fugitive from an outside agency, possession of alcoholic beverages in motor vehicle. Total bond set at $20,500.
Jaterryon Grigsby, 28, 600 block Pershing St., Minden; arrested Nov 17 by MPD for unauthorized entry, domestic abuse with child endangerment, theft, on bench warrants. Bonds set at total of $36,589.50.
Paul Winzer, 50, 900 block Nunley St., Homer; arrested Nov. 14 by MPD for possession of alcoholic beverages in motor vehicle.
Stephanie Ann Keeton, 33, 500 block North Main St., Heflin; arrested Nov. 17 by Doyline PD for parole violation.
Alexander Lee Gonzalez, 26, 500 block Bayou Ave., Minden; arrested Nov. 18 by MPD for possession of CDS Sch. II (methamphetamines), pedestrian on highway. Also placed on hold for Probation and Parole.
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.
Jane G. Pugh
May 6, 1935 – November 18, 2024
Minden, La.
Visitation: 9 a.m. Thursday, November 21, 2024, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden.
Graveside: 11 a.m. Thursday, November 21, Gardens of Memory, Minden.
Belinda Ruth Jones
April 27, 1953 – October 25, 2024
Haynesville/Homer, La.
Memorial service: 11 a.m. Saturday, November 30, 2024, Ruple Baptist Church, Haynesville, La., under the direction of Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 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.)
By Scotty Blackwell
The atmosphere was a little different Friday night in the Sibley ‘holler. High School Playoff Football was anticipated by some, but I’d venture to say, not all. However, after Friday night’s dominant performance against the visiting Bogalusa Lumberjacks, it’s apparent that every coach and player on this Lakeside team knew this was going to happen. The Warrior faithful were treated to sky-divers, the home-teams’ top-notch offense and suffocating defense, and also “wow’d” by a spectacular halftime performance by the visiting Lumberjack marching band. It was an awesome night at Warrior Stadium where the home team prevailed, 37-12.
After the turf cleared and the game ball presented to the officials courtesy of the sky-divers from Kyle Towns Enterprises, the 1st quarter revealed itself to be as typical of playoff football as one could imagine.
Nerves.
The first couple of drives by each team were riddled with uncharacteristic mistakes that could only be chalked up to the “playoff jitters.” However this didn’t last forever and both teams woke up and realized it’s “do or die” time. Someone who took the “do or die” mentality to heart was Lakeside Senior #5 Taron Riley … and boy did he ever show up to play! Possibly the only memorable moment in the 1st was a Riley interception that set Lakeside up for a quick end-of-quarter field swap and early 2nd quarter touchdown, followed quickly by a Brock Case to Trevor Thorpe 2pt conversion. Lakeside sits anxiously confident at 8-0. Anxious because of the visible athleticism posed by the Bogalusa skills’ players … they looked impressive … early on. The Lumberjacks started the drive with a few nice QB runs to get inside Warrior territory and then decided to go to the air. And to quote the 21st Century philosophers Hanumankind & Kalmi, “WAIT A MINUTE, GET IT HOW YOU LIVE IT”, Taron!
Riley goes up in the air again and pulls down interception #2 (there’s a pattern here, just wait). Lakeside take over and faces a pretty aggressive Bogalusa defense and is forced to punt it away back into the hands of the eager Lumberjack offense. The drive ensues, some decent plays were made by the visiting team and the quarterback decides to test his arm again with an end-zone try.
However sneaking back around the 4 yard line, TEN TOES IN, was, you guessed it, Taron Riley, who leaps high for the grab & interception that turned into a 95 yard pick-six. Coach Ware decides to go for two and the Warriors retire back to the “Ware”house up 16-0.
It’s halftime, time for a turkey leg and some good vibes from the Lumberjack marching band. Thank you Bogalusa for allowing the marching band to make the trip and play for the Lakeside home crowd. The Warriors’ fans showed our appreciation to an outstanding half-time show with a rousing standing ovation.
The 3rd quarter was an exciting one. Bogalusa gets the ball first and is pressing fairly well. On the other side the Warriors defense is playing lights out, until an extremely questionable flag hits the ground for a pass interference call. The Lakeside fans felt it was a “bail out” call. Then on the very next play another eye-raising flag goes flyin’! The Warriors get penalized with a roughing the passer call and with 30 free yards awarded, the ‘Jacks find their way into the end-zone for 6. Not to worry if your the home team … only a few plays later Kentravion Miller (K14) bull-dozes in for a touchdown and the Warriors never looked back. Taron Riley is not only STANDING ON BUSINESS, but also on a record night with 5 (five) interceptions. K14 and QB Brock Case each score another touchdown and close out one of the most exciting games of the year. Lakeside just absolutely dominates, 37-12.
The Warriors (9-2) are undefeated at Home this season, a feat that we are all extremely proud of. No matter what happens going forward, Lakeside, under the direction of Coach Ware, has a solid foundation to build on. The Warriors look to face #6 Sterlington next Friday, 11/22/24 in an away game. Let’s have a great week, guys, and get ready to play!
It’s a great day to be a Warrior!
By Pat Culverhouse
Wossman’s Wildcats continued their hex over the Minden Crimson Tide Friday, knocking the Tiders out of state playoff competition with a 26-11 first round win in the state’s Division II Non-Select action.
It was the 15th win in 19 meetings between the two schools for Wossman.
Friday’s contest was not a thing of beauty, as the teams combined for five lost fumbles (two for Wossman, three on the Tide side) and inopportune penalties.
Minden’s troubles began almost immediately when a Tide pitchout was dropped and Wildcats defensive back Prestavion Washington dashed 80 yards with the fumble for a score at the 7:09 mark of the first quarter.
Washington’s score halted a promising Tide drive that began at their own 30-yard-line and advanced with the aid of a pair of Wildcats’ penalties.
Trailing 6-0, Minden got a 37-yard Bryson Ranger field goal to cut into the score, making it 6-3 at the end of a nine-play, 45 yard drive. That drive was helped along by a pass interference call, helping the Tide make it as far as the Wossman 17-yard-line before stalling.
Wossman rebounded in the second quarter thanks to a Tide fumble at its own 38. Just one play following the recovery, Richard Wilson, Jr. turned the corner and dashed to pay dirt. A missed two-point try left the Wildcats up 12-3.
Minden got on the scoreboard with just over four minutes remaining in the half when a bad snap sent Wossman quarterback Ja’Terrance Long into his own end zone where he was tackled for a safety, bringing the Tide within a touchdown at 12-5.
Things began to look up for the Tide early in the third quarter when running back Denarius Crowe dashed 10 yards up the middle to score with 9:43 remaining. A missed extra point, however, left the Tide on the short end at 12-11. And that would be the last score of Minden’s season.
Wossman iced the game with 3:30 left in the third quarter on a Long eight-yard touchdown run, ending a long 12-play, 82-yard drive. A missed two-point try left the score 18-11, but the Wildcats forced a turnover on downs on the Tide’s ensuing possession with just under two minutes remaining in the game.
From their 37, Wossman marched to the end zone, scoring on Michael Henderson’s one-yard run with only 48 seconds left in the game and a successful two-point try made it 26-11.
Minden’s usually strong running game was held in check by a swarming Wossman defense which limited Tide runners to only 113 yards on 35 rushes.
Caylien Aubrey, the Tide’s leading rusher for the season, finished the night with 40 yards on 11 carries while Crowe had 35 yards on nine attempts. Freshman Lucas Owens managed 31 yards on 10 tries and Kaiden Shine carried twice for 12 yards.
In the air, quarterback Hudson Brown completed six of 15 attempts for 37 yards as the Tide picked up just 150 yards in total offense.
Wossman gained 283 yards in total offense with 234 of that coming on the ground. Leading rushers for the Wildcats were Henderson with 118 yards on 20 carries followed by Long who had 86 on 12 attempts. The Wildcats were penalized 12 times for 115 yards while the Tide had four for 51 yards.
Minden ends its season at 8-3 while Wossman goes to 6-5 on the year. Next for the Wildcats will be a road game at Iowa (10-1), the fifth-ranked team in Division II.
Glenbrook Apaches fans, never fear! Travis Chapman will have a senior wrap-up and game highlights for you in Tuesday’s Webster Parish Journal, hopefully, along with a few of Emily Glasscock’s award-winning photographs. Please stay tuned!
By Gray Haynes
Friday night, the North Webster Knights made their final trip of the season as they ventured south to Kaplan to take on the Pirates. This was the Knights’ second trip to Kaplan, as they made the trip in 2016. North Webster entered the playoffs as the number 25 team in non-select division III while Kaplan was was the number 8 team. The game began with North Webster kicking off to Kaplan. Kaplan marched down the field with a running game that was relentless. In their first drive, the Pirates did not attempt a pass. They crossed the goal line with a little less than eight minutes left in the first quarter. The two point conversion attempt was thwarted by the Knights’ defense to make the score 6-0.
Kaplan, then, kicked off to North Webster, and due to a huge hit by the Pirates’ kickoff team, the ball flew into the air where Kaplan recovered near the 20 yard line. A few plays later, Kaplan again reached paydirt. Again, the two point conversion was no good, and the score was 12-0. The rest of the game was more of the same. Kaplan kicked off to North Webster. The Knight’s were unable to get anything going offensively due to two false start penalties on the first drive. They were forced to punt the ball back to Kaplan. The Pirates, again, found the endzone behind a strong, physical offensive line. This time, the two point conversion was good to make the score 20-0.
North Webster received the kickoff and, again, fumbled the return. This gave Kaplan great field position again. They used their physical offensive line to punch the ball across the goalline again and converted the two point conversion to make the score 28-0 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was more of the same, and the score was 43-0 at the half. Kaplan was able to score another touchdown in the third quarter and kicked the PAT to make the final score 50-0.
The result of this game made it seem as though the trip down from Springhill took its toll on the Knights. Although the record was not indicative of it, the Knights’ first season under the leadership of head coach Christopher Wilson was successful. The team had to endure injuries to the starting running back and quarterback as well as other key players throughout the season which led to playing some younger players and having to move many players around. The Knights have four starters returning on offense and eight starters returning on defense, and many of the replacements gained much valuable experience during this injury plagued season. The Knights look forward to an intense off season-the first under Coach Wilson- while Kaplan will host Pine in round two of the playoffs.
Monday
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Monday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 9 p.m, then showers likely between 9 p.m and midnight. Cloudy during the early evening, then becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 53. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light southwest in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.
Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 75. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night
Clear, with a low around 47.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 63.
* Information provided by the National Weather Service
Tomorrow (Tuesday) morning Week 12 of the Webster Parish Journal Pick’em Football Contest will kick off with a new link for you to click on to pick this week’s teams.
Lakeside Warriors remain in the playoffs and we will all be cheering them to victory over Sterlington Friday at 7 p.m. As long as they remain in the playoffs, our contest will continue. The contest is simple and free – just like the journal. websterparishjournal.com.
Come back tomorrow to read all the news and play. Good luck and have fun!
Send non-profit calendar events to wpjnewsla@gmail.com .
November 26
6 p.m. Minden Civic Center. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Fashionetta.
November 30
Breakfast with Santa at the Partea Room
9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Mistletoe Market, Springhill, La.
5 until 7 p.m. Springhill Lighted Christmas Parade.
December 6
6 p.m. Minden Medical Center Rehab Reindeer Run. Registration online – runsignup.com/Race/LA/Minden/RehabReindeerRun, forms available MMC Rehab, 1120 Homer Rd or MMC Business Office, 346 Homer Rd.
December 12 – 14
6 until 9 p.m. Walk-through Live Nativity, Parkway Baptist Church, 160616, Hwy. 79, (Homer Road). Free event. Refreshments served.
December 13
5:30 p.m. Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
6 until 9 p.m. Holiday Trail of Lights Hayride and Historic Tour
6 p.m. Reindeer Run
December 14
9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Christmas Brunch at Geaux Fresh Bistro and Bakery
Noon until 3 p.m. pics with Santa and kids activities at Dorcheat Museum.
5 p.m. Minden Christmas Festival and Parade
7 p.m. Fireworks
December 15
1 until 6 p.m. Christmas Tour of Homes
Belinda Ruth Jones
April 27, 1953 – October 25, 2024
Haynesville/Homer, La.
Memorial service: 11 a.m. Saturday, November 30, 2024, Ruple Baptist Church, Haynesville, La., under the direction of Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 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.)
Jessica Smith, a 27-year-old white female from Covington, LA, is wanted for allegedly using counterfeit $100 bills at three local businesses to purchase items.
Smith attempted to use a fake bill at one local dollar store, but the manager was alert and did not fall for it. Smith was identified using store surveillance video, vehicle information and social media.
Social media is becoming the best way to identify suspects in crimes.
Anyone with information on Jessica Smith is asked to contact Det. Lt. Jason Smith of the Minden Police Dept. at 318-371-4226 (office) or 318-268-1441 (cell).
All information will be considered confidential.
(Editor’s note: Thanks to Mark Chreene of KASO/KBEF Radio for sharing the statistics.)
By Pat Culverhouse
Head coach Spencer Heard will be leading his Minden Crimson Tide into the state Division II Non-Select playoffs Friday night when the Wossman Wildcats invade W.W. Williams Stadium for a first round contest.
Minden will be coming into the contest fresh off a 38-21 win over Southwood to cap an 8-2 season and finish 5-2 in District 1-4A. In the state’s power rankings, the Tide places in the 12th spot; Wossman finishes in the number 21 position.
Wossman also finished the regular season with a win, downing Peabody 26-6 to square its season record at 5-5 and a third place finish (3-2) in District 2-4A. The Wildcats’ two district loses were to a pair of 9-1 teams, Franklin Parish and West Ouachita.
Friday’s meeting will be the first time Minden and Wossman have met on the gridiron since 1998 when the Wildcats took a 27-12 win. Overall, the Wildcats hold a 14-4 edge in series meetings, but Heard will rely on a punishing ground game to advance to the second round.
On the season, the Tide has rushed for 2,217 yards with a pair of backs bearing the bulk of the duties. Junior Caylien Aubrey comes into the game as Minden’s leading rusher, averaging just under seven yards per carry while picking up 707 yards on 102 attempts. Senior Denarius Crowe, a converted offensive lineman, is right behind with 111 carries for 624 yards.
Freshman Lucas Owens has contributed 411 yards on 81 tries while junior Kaiden Shine has carried 30 times for 228 yards and a team-leading 7.6 average per carry. Senior Porter Neal is averaging five yards per carry, totaling 195 yards on 39 attempts.
Minden’s passing attack, which has been used sparingly this season, has been in the hands of junior Hudson Brown. Brown has thrown for 349 yards, going 37-for-84 with three touchdowns and six interceptions.
In its 10 regular season games, the Tide has outscored opponents 286-174.
Defensively, the Tide has relied on a big, aggressive unit which has given up an average of just over 217 yards a game, equally divided between rushing and passing.
Leading tackler for the Tide is talented freshman Javen Calloway, a six-foot, 237 pounder who has recorded 19 solo tackles and three sacks. Calloway also has 17 tackles for loss. Junior defensive back Treshun Young has 14 solos to go along with junior Kameron Harris’ 13 solo hits. Harris also leads the team in interceptions with four.
Other double digit tacklers for the year include senior linebacker Landyn Huddleston with 12 solo tackles, senior lineman Jarvis Davis with 12 solos; junior defensive back Jamal Carey has12 tackles and lineman Demetrius Robinson also has 12. Junior defensive back Brayden Britton has totaled 11 solo tackles.
Sophomore lineman Jeremiah Jones, a 6’4’’, 248-pounder, leads the Tide in sacks with five.
Heard, who is in his 12th season as the Tide’s head coach, will be hoping to lead his team to its first playoff win since a thrilling 21-14 overtime victory over Leesville in 2020. It would also be win number 73 for Heard, who already holds Minden’s record for most win in a career as a head coach.
One thing that I know for certain (possibly the only thing) is that being a parent means that you live in a constant state of second-guessing.
To be fair, I have always been the type to second-guess every decision I was making, but it seems I have earned my mastery in it since becoming a mother.
In the early stages of motherhood, I second-guessed whether or not I was even built for this. I questioned if they were sleeping too much during the day, if we were doing enough tummy time, if they were meeting milestones at the appropriate times.
Then we arrived at the toddler stage, and I REALLY second-guessed if I was built for this. This was also in the midst of me deciding I would go back to work which brought on a ton of anxiety and guilt. I was fairly sure this was the best decision for me and my family. The girls would get some social interaction with kids their age and I would get some adult interaction with people that were not constantly asking me for a snack or to help wipe their….
When they started school, I second-guessed if we did enough to prepare them for this transition. Would they be behind everyone else? Did I teach them enough when it comes to manners? Would they be kind or stand up to someone that wasn’t being kind to them? The anxiety I have surrounding bullying was a tough one for me and still is honestly.
That concern only grew as my oldest is about to start middle school. I am also second-guessing whether or not I should have hired a math tutor because there is absolutely no second-guessing that I can continue to help her with her homework in that subject.
Outside of school… do I provide them with enough opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities? Are we involved enough in church? Then, we have sibling rivalries. Didn’t I teach them better than this? Is anything I say to them actually sinking in?
I haven’t openly spoken about my divorce on this platform, but you can only imagine the second-guessing that came along with that one, which is definitely the reason there was so much back and forth over the last couple of years, but ultimately there came a time where there was no second-guessing the fact that staying in an unhappy marriage was a healthy option for my children.
There was plenty of questioning myself when it came to how much I was willing to share with them on the subject. Now I question, if our custody arrangement is the best option along with a multitude of other specifics I won’t get into.
I constantly ask myself…” what if I did this,” or “if only I had done that.” There is not much I know for certain, but I do know that every decision I make regarding my children I do it with the best intentions in mind. What more can I do?
When I really dig deep into why I am so anxious when it comes to parenthood, I have realized it is because I have set some pretty unattainable standards for myself and sometimes for my children. But I have also realized all of us could just use a little grace.
Being a parent is hard! Some days it’s a breeze and others… well …everyone is crying for no apparent reason (including me), but I hope one day my kids will look back and know without second-guessing, that I did the best I could.
(Paige Gurgainers is a mom of three girls, digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal and publisher of Bienville Parish Journal and Claiborne Parish Journal, who does the best she can.)
By Paige Gurgainers
For anyone that has driven around town this week, it is clear that Minden is already getting into the Christmas spirit. City crews have been busy putting up Christmas decorations and lights throughout downtown. Business owners have already begun adorning their storefronts with trees, garlands and wreaths. Churches are also beginning to plan for plays, caroling and services.
But more preparations are happening behind the scenes.
This year, residents will have the opportunity to visit not only one, but two local Live Nativity scenes right here in Minden.
The first one is set to take place on December 12 through 14 at Parkway Baptist Church, located at 16016 Highway 79 (Homer Road), from 6 to 9 p.m. nightly. The scene will be set up in the church parking lot where attendees can park and walk through to take it all in. Members will also have refreshments available inside.
This event is free to the public.
By Paige Gurgainers
For those who were unable to attend the Informational Meeting last week for the upcoming Miss Minden and Miss Outstanding Teen Scholarship Competition, another meeting will be held Tuesday, November 19, at 7 p.m.
This event will be live and strictly virtual via the Young Women’s Service Club of Minden’s Facebook page.
“Going live on Facebook will give the potential contestants and parents a chance to get all of the information and answers to any questions they may have about the Miss Minden and Miss Minden’s Teen Pageant,” said pageant chair Gillian Davis. “We’re excited to be able to do this and talk to our community about our upcoming event.”
The club unanimously decided to raise the scholarships this year to be awarded to the 2025 winners. Miss Minden 2025 will receive $2,000 and Miss Outstanding Teen will receive $1,000.
The competition is set to take place on January 18 at 7 p.m. in Minden High School’s Auditorium.
In previous year’s Miss Minden has been a closed title only available to participants who reside in the city limits, but this year the title is open with all ladies living in the state eligible to win and move on to the next phase of competition – Miss Louisiana.
Many moving parts and details are required while preparing for this competition every year, which is why it is crucial for potential contestants and/or parents to tune in to Tuesday’s live event. Comments will be open for questions and concerns.
The Young Women’s Service Club is also still searching for the 2025 Presenting Sponsor. Individuals or businesses interested in sponsoring can reach out to their Facebook page or club members.
What is the biggest question that we have about lawns? Of course, it is how do I get rid of the stickers in my yard. That is a hard question to answer. To tell people that you should spray in the fall to keep them from coming up in the spring. Most people don’t realize that once the sticker forms, you cannot get rid of it. You need to kill the weed before the sticker forms. Try explaining that!
Using a preemergence herbicide application in the fall will help with this matter. Preemergence herbicides should be applied in November to prevent weed germination. Fertilome makes a product called Atrazine that is a good preemergence herbicide. Mix 9 ounces to a gallon of water plus a couple of teaspoons of a surfactant(spreader sticker) to the mix and start walking. This should cover about a 1000 square ft, depending how fast you walk and how much you put out at a time with the sprayer. Atrazine is labeled to spray St Augustine and centipede lawns. Do not use on bermuda. You can also mix another Fertilome product called Weed Free Zone to the mix. Use 1 oz of the Weed Free Zone to a gallon.
Another thing you could do in the fall is to take soil samples. This will help you decide what kind of fertilizer you need to use in the spring. A soil sample will also tell you weather or not you need to spread lime in the yard. Ninety percent of the land in Webster Parish needs lime. You can spread the lime and fertilizer at the same time. If you get your soil sample results back soon enough, you could put out the lime, if needed, now. The sooner you apply it the faster it will do some good.
All of this information proves that keeping up the lawn is a full time job. It is worth all of the work when you look outside and see how pretty the grass is.
(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)