Mardi Paws Game Night for LaMa Animal Rescue rescheduled for Saturday, January 31.
LaMa officials held out hope that the forecast would change — but it ain’t happenin’!! We were looking forward to seeing y’all, but I don’t want anyone slip sliding all along the 4-way! We hope you understand and appreciate your patience. We love the game nights, and I was so bummed to cancel the December one — Now we’ve got a winter storm rollin’ through!
All the same fun, games, prizes, BINGO, & shenanigans— just NEXT weekend.
As we step into 2026, the Young Women’s Service Club of Minden, LA invites you to help us recognize one of Minden’s most deserving women.
YWSC is proud to sponsor the 2026 Woman of the Year Award, honoring a woman who has served our community with selflessness, leadership, and heart. This honoree has gone above and beyond to support others and help make Minden a better place to live.
Nominations close: February 18, 2026
Winner announced at the Greater Minden Chamber’s Annual Awards Gala on March 24, 2026
Don’t let service and dedication to our community go unrecognized! Nominate an outstanding man for the Minden Man of the Year Award, sponsored by the Minden Lions Club. The winner will be announced during the Greater Minden Chamber Awards Gala on Tuesday, March 24.
DEADLINE: February 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
Man of the Year nominations will be judged by a committee consisting of representatives from the Minden Lions Club, Young Women’s Service Club, Greater Minden Chamber, Minden Evening Lions Club, and Minden Civitans.
Click here to submit your nomination and to see the complete list of past recipients:
A son of Reverend Alexander Banks and his first wife, Elizabeth Pratt, is reportedly buried in the Minden Cemetery. The are no records of those early burials. The only source we currently have is an article written by his younger half-sister in 1929. That article and her description of the cemetery are the reasons that I originally chose to write about him. As I learned more, my focus shifted to a different story that seemed to ask to be told.
In that article, Mollie Banks Gray tells of a trip to visit friends in Minden. During that trip, she stayed with Mrs. Katie Drew and they paid a visit to the cemetery. She tells of “the old cemetery where beautiful monuments and shafts, tall cedars, and great oaks…keeping guard over the loved dead.,” and how she “strolled around and read the names of Minden’s honored citizens…all loved and honored long ago, and so closely associated with the development and growth of this city.”
Their stroll through the cemetery took them to the grave of Mollie’s half-brother who she says died in 1847. “The monument was well preserved and had never been cracked or broken.” Today, there is no sign it. My thoughts are that it was likely damaged during the tornado of 1933. In the years since, his marker has been lost. Mollie does give a clue as to the location of his grave stating it was “not far from Mrs. Drew’s loved ones.” In addition, she reveals that her father’s first wife was Elizabeth Pratt. While she is not buried here, the Pratt plot is not far from the Drew plot. I hope that this lost marker is still there below the surface and that, one day, it can be restored.
To learn more about the Banks family, I started with Mollie and made a surprising and fitting discovery in light of the significance of this year as we celebrate America 250, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of our country. Mollie’s obituary states that she was a 2nd great-grandniece of President George Washington. So, I took a look. The obituary gives a slightly inaccurate line of descent from the Washingtons. Mollie was actually a 3rd great-grandniece. Her 3rd great-grandfather was Augustine Washington, Jr., a half-brother to George Washiington.
Reverend Alexander Banks was a Presbyterian minister born in 1808 in York County, South Carolina. He graduated from the Theological Seminary of Columbia, South Carolina in 1835 and made his way to Arkansas in service of the ministry. Rev. Banks is thought to be the first Presbyterian minister in North Louisiana. He made his home in Spring Hill, Arkansas. There, he met Elizabeth Pratt who had come there about the same time from New York to serve as principal of the Spring Hill Female Academy. The two were married in June 1838. I’m not sure for what period of time, but in 1847, the Banks family came to Minden for Mrs. Banks to teach. Their youngest son died here later that year.
The Banks family soon returned to Arkansas where Elizabeth Pratt Banks died in 1853. Three years later, Rev. Banks remarried to Mary Fitzhugh. Mary was born in 1826 in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. She was the daughter of Dr. Edmund Fitzhugh and Eliza Ann Roberts who died within a month of each other when Mary was only six years old. She was raised in Tennessee by an uncle.
Mary’s grandparents were Judge Nicholas Fitzhugh, of the U.S. Circuit Court in Washington, D.C. and Sarah Washington Ashton.Sarah Ashton’s mother was Anne Washington, daughter of Augustine Washington, Jr. who was a half-brother to President George Washington.
When Mollie Banks Gray wrote her article about her visit to Minden, she probably had no idea that it would ever hold any future significance. That article, included among the society columns, left us with bits of historical evidence. While it led to other information that revealed her family’s connection to our larger national history, it provided clues to our own local history. Not only does she identify one of the many unmarked graves in the Minden Cemetery, she also includes other bits of information that help us piece together a more complete history of our community.
(Jessica Gorman is Executive Director of the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, Webster Parish Historian, President of the Minden Cemetery Association, and an avid genealogist.)
HK is available through LaMa Animal Rescue & Support Services in Sarepta.
He is a 10 ½ years old neutered male that weights 62 pounts.
HK is up to date on all age-appropriate vaccines & on flea/tick prevention. He is HEARTWORM POSITIVE but is currently undergoing treatment at our veterinarian. We can discuss treatment plans & options if you are interested in adoption. He is perfectly healthy otherwise, so do not let the HW+ status deter you!
HK has likely never known a loving home in his 10 years. We want to find him the retirement home he deserves. HK does not require much to be perfectly content — he would love a yard to sniff around in and a comfy couch to snuggle on with you. He is gentle, laid-back, and so sweet. What more can you ask for!
Adoption Fee: $175
Interested? Please fill out the application at the link below:
To schedule a meet-and-greet, you must fill out an application first.
We do not cat test at our shelter. All dogs are dog-friendly unless otherwise noted. Please only commit to adoption if you are willing to give the dog time to adjust to a home life – some dogs have been in our shelter for over a year.
I was doing Kameron’s hair the other morning, which, if you’ve ever tried to style the hair of a four-year-old, you know is less of a cute “getting ready” moment and more of a full-contact sport.
She was perched on the bathroom counter, swinging her legs, narrating her own reflection like she was hosting a talk show. I was trying to part her hair in a straight line (a personal goal I fail to meet at least three times a week), and I started telling her about something that happened at work the day before. One of those situations that, in adult terms, was mildly chaotic but in hindsight pretty funny.
Mid-story, she throws her head back, laughs – a full, confident, belly laugh – and says, “CLASSIC.”
Classic….
I froze. Brush mid-air. Part crooked.
Classic… what?
Ma’am, you are four.
I was laughing at this point not at the story, but at her choice of words and wondering how do you even know what “classic” means? Have you lived long enough to categorize moments? Do you have a mental filing cabinet of life experiences already? Is there a toddler committee I don’t know about handing out adult vocabulary?
I asked her where she heard that word, and she shrugged like it was common knowledge. “People say it,” she replied. As if I was the weird one for questioning it.
I kept brushing, but my brain spiraled. At four, “classic” to me meant a grilled cheese cut diagonally or cartoons on Saturday mornings. Meanwhile, my child is out here using the same word I’d use to describe an inside joke or a decades-old family story.
And the confidence. That’s what got me. No hesitation. No irony. Just a calm, well-timed “classic,” delivered like she’d been waiting her whole life to use it correctly.
It made me laugh harder than the original story.
Kids are wild like that. They absorb everything… words, tone, timing… and then casually drop it back into conversation like they’ve always belonged there. One minute you’re explaining why we don’t put gum in our hair, and the next you’re being verbally outmatched by a preschooler.
By the time I finished her hair (which still wasn’t straight, for the record), I realized this is one of those moments I’ll probably file away under… well… classic.
Because one day, she’ll be grown, and I’ll be the one laughing at her stories, brushing her hair in my memory, wondering when my four-year-old learned how to be funnier than me!
(Paige Gurgainers is a mom of three girls, digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal.)
I wrote one article, got scared, and quietly disappeared. Fear and anxiety convinced me it was safer to stay silent than to be vulnerable. But the thought kept coming back to me: What if my story could help someone else?
Wouldn’t it be terrible if I let fear stop me from sharing something that might matter? Would that mean everything I went through was in vain? Would all the hard work I’ve done to become a better woman be for nothing? And, hardest of all to admit, would it mean I didn’t fully trust God?
So here I am.
This year, I’m telling my story. Not all at once, but little by little. And as it unfolds, my hope is that somewhere along the way, it gives someone else the courage to face themselves and break free from their own self-destructive patterns.
I grew up in a very dysfunctional environment. I don’t share that to place blame on my parents. One of the most eye-opening things I’ve learned through the last four years of trauma therapy is this: my parents were carrying their own unhealed wounds.
Plus, they were just two kids trying to raise a little girl without really knowing what they were doing. They were “winging it”, as they say.
Like so many parents, they weren’t intentionally trying to cause pain, but the pain still happened.
For most of my life, I carried everyone else, especially my mom. I tried to keep everything under control. I tried to save her when I was still a child myself. I lived in a constant state of fear, confusion, and overwhelm.
Healing has given me something I never expected: deep compassion for my mom. Forgiving her and recognizing her pain has been one of the most powerful parts of my journey. Our relationship still isn’t perfect, but the love and compassion I feel for her now has changed everything.
Forgiveness really is the key.
If you want to change your own self-destructive patterns, you must get to the root of them. You must dig until you uncover the REAL issue, then do the hard work of making sense of it so you can forgive.
Forgive the people who hurt you. And forgive yourself.
Without forgiveness, we become bitter, angry, and controlling. Our bodies hurt. Our relationships suffer. We may not even realize how deeply unforgiveness is affecting us, but it’s powerful enough to quietly destroy our lives.
Forgiveness is hard. Very hard. Many of us have built our entire identity around being right. But I beg you: QUIT TRYING TO BE RIGHT! This isn’t about who is right or wrong. It’s about healing relationships that matter.
Not just that relationship, but every relationship you’ll ever have, including the one you have with yourself and the one you have with your children.
So, unless you want the cycle to continue, even if your kids are already grown, heal your past. Forgive. In doing so, you don’t just change your own future, you change the future of your family forever.
This is how cycles are broken, not by perfection, but by courage, truth, and the willingness to forgive and heal.(Shannon Wright is a real estate agent and digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal who lives in Sibley.)
(Shannon Wright is a real estate agent and digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal who lives in Sibley.)
On the subject of weather, Quote, The old Farmer’s Almanac 2026 Edition, January 22-24, Snow showers north, sunny south: colder. It looks to be right on schedule for this weekend.
Another quote, Bring diversity back to agriculture. That’s what made it work in the first place. David R. Brower, American environmentalist, (1912-2000).
For farmers today, Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Farmer’s Markets seem to grow bigger every year. Everyone, me included, really likes to by from the locals. Vegetables are so much fresher and really look good on the tables and baskets set on the tables. Many farmers today do just that. My nephews that live in corn country have second jobs. One is a state trooper as his main job, and corn farmer as the second. His son, JT, a 9 years old grows and sells sweet corn. Everyone in the area meets him on the side of the road to by their corn for the freezer. That is a good start for his college. People sell eggs, beef, and vegetables. Once you get used to the good stuff it is really hard to go back to the grocery store. The eggs we get from our friend, Bobby Foster, are so much better and fresher than the grocery store. We just got some beef back from Parish Meat and there is no comparing to the grocery store.
Well, let’s get winterized for the weekend and what is to come with the weather. Get in the kitchen and try new recipes. I did yesterday. A tasty bundt cake and homemade bread. I’ve been trying new bread recipes for a while. This one was good but I’m still looking. I’ve tried the sour dough route. I keep killing the starter. I hope one day I can figure it out. The cake was great. It was from a recipe that Sara’s, my daughter-in-law, grandmother sent me. I’ve never made a cake that had nutmeg, and mace. The mace was new to me. The cake was really good. She also sent me a recipe for fresh apple cake. I’m gonna try it soon.
Stay safe.
(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal. Email Mitzi questions at mitzithomas40@yahoo.com.)
We Want to Hear From YOU! The LSU AgCenter is dedicated to helping Louisiana communities become healthier places to live, work, learn, and play. We work closely with residents and local partners to make healthy foods and physical activity more safe, accessible, and affordable for everyone. As we prepare our plans for 2026, your input is especially important. Please share your thoughts by completing our short survey! Your feedback will: Shape potential community projects for 2026 Help us review and improve our nutrition and outreach programs Ensure our efforts truly meet the needs of your parish Thank you for taking a moment to support a healthier Louisiana!
The following persons are scheduled to appear in 26th Judicial District Petit Jury Court Monday, January 26:
JOINER, JONCONNOR 91713 Second Degree Murder
BOYD, JR, SHANNON KEITH 99852 CT 1 Distribution of a Schedule I CDS 99852 CT 2 Distribution of a Schedule I CDS 99852 CT 3 Distribution of a Schedule I CDS
BURT, TERRY D. 99877 Resisting An Officer With Force Or Violence
WILLS, DEMARCUS DEANDRE 99937 Possession Of Firearm Or Carrying Concealed Weapon By Convicted Felon
DAVIS, LAWEZLEON M. 99577 CT 1 Possession of a Schedule II CDS (Two Grams or More But Less Than Twenty-Eight Grams) 99577 CT 2 Simple Burglary 99577 CT 3 Felony Illegal Possession Stolen Things ($5,000 – $25,000) 99577 CT 4 Felony Illegal Possession of Stolen Things ($1,000 – $5,000) 99577 CT 5 Felony Illegal Possession Stolen Things ($5,000 – $25,000) Restitution per impact statement- $969 plus $145.35 fee = $1,114.35 total
RUFFIN, DUSTIN JAMAR BLACKMON 99875 Possession Of Firearm Or Carrying Concealed Weapon By Convicted Felon
HALEY, JESSICA RENEA 98628 Theft of a Motor Vehicle – $5,000 or more, but less than $25,000 Restitution owed to the victim per the victim impact statement- $947, plus $142.05 = $1,089.05 total
STOWE, DAVID LEE 99262 CT 1 Molestation of a Juvenile Under Thirteen 99262 CT 2 Molestation of a Juvenile Under Thirteen
SHINE, SHANNON 99110-CT.1 Attempted Second Degree Murder 99110-CT.2 Possession Of Firearm Or Carrying Concealed Weapon By Convicted Felon
UPDATE: 8 a.m. until noon, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Scholarship Program Tree Sale, 216 B Broadway St., Minden. Call 318-377-3950 ex. 3.
2 p.m., 28th Annual Minden Mardi Gras Fasching Parade.
RESCHEDULE: 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. LaMa Animal Rescue’s Mardi Paws Game Night. Springhill Civic Center, 101 Machen Dr., Springhill. Special Pre-game performance by Mike Spillers as Elvis, BINGO, games, Mardi Gras, Costume Contest, door prizes and raffles.
Feb. 5 through 8
Champions for a Cure, Minden St. Jude.
Feb. 28
8:30 a.m. Buds & Blooms, First Methodist Church, Minden, sponsored by Piney Hills La Master Gardeners.
March 10
Deadline to sponsor 2026 Springhill, North Webster Chamber of Commerce Banquet. Email chamber@springhillla.com . Tickets go on sale April 1.
March 20
7 p.m., Malpass Brothers Show, CAC building, Springhill. Tickets are $ 25.00 for general admission and $ 30.00 for reserved seats. You can purchase tickets at Express Tax Title & License at 101 N Main Street or call (318) 539-2750.
March 24
7 p.m. 84th Annual Greater Minden Chamber Awards Gala. Minden Civic Center, Minden, La. Tickets: greatermindenchamber.com/awardsgala.
April 1-April 9
2026 Chamber of Commerce Banquet, Springhill, North Webster. Tickets: chamber@springhillla.com .
The following civil suits were filed with the Webster Parish Clerk of Court the week of January 16 through 22. Civil suits are public record.
January 16 John Richard Yager, succession over $125K. Sharon M. Smith vs. Lee F. Smith Jr., divorce. Autumn R. McGraw, name change. Justin Howard, Margaret Lee Allen Brewer Wren, succession over $125K w/petition to probate.
January 19 NCB Management Service INC. vs. Katelyn Ezernack, monies due.
January 20 Meghan Lynn Brock vs. lineage of Joseph Rex Source, declaratory judgment. Katie Lynn Lair vs. Cody Scott Carson, protective order.
January 21 Kristina Garner vs. Stephan Vincent Leone, divorce/no children. Crystal Dawn Culverhouse Sheak, Steven Alton Sheak, tutorship.
Ronald Lee Graham February 9, 1945 – January 21, 2026 Springhill Private memorial service to be held at a later date.
Melba Louise Scarborough February 16, 1939 – January 21, 2026 Springhill No services at this time. Contact Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill.
Anita Jane Bickham Phiffer October 6, 1953 — January 16, 2026 Bossier City Visitation: 10 a.m. Friday January 23, 2026, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Bossier. Funeral service: 11 a.m., immediately following visitation. Burial: Rose-Neath Cemetery, Bossier City.
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.)
Webster Parish Superintendent of Schools Johnny Rowland is watching reports on this weekend’s expected serious winter event and said decisions will be made based on all available data.
Rowland said the latest information he received from the Webster Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, received at 11 a.m. Thursday, shows moderate to major threats to roadways and infrastructure around and north of Interstate 20.
“The report (Thursday) said the transition to wintry precipitation has been moved to a little later Friday night into early Saturday morning,” he said. “To be on the safe side, we’ve cancelled all after school activities scheduled on Friday.”
Rowland said the next update is planned for Friday after WOHSEP Director Brian Williams concludes his 2 p.m. briefing with the National Weather Service. But, he added, a winter storm watch was expected to be upgraded Thursday afternoon to a winter storm warning from Friday evening through Sunday morning for I-20 and north.
This area has also been upgraded to a major risk for snow, ice and sleet for Sunday and Monday with an added elevated risk for Sunday due to continuing impacts from prior accumulations.
“We’re told we can expect 80 hours of below freezing temperatures after Friday, and the impact to roads, power lines, water lines and trees should occur by mid-day Saturday and continue through Tuesday,” he said. “Our decisions on parish schools for next week will be made as quickly as we can.”
Glenbrook School officials say they are continuing to monitor the weather situation and decisions on closure will be made based on conditions.
Webster Parish Superintendent of Schools Johnny Rowland is watching reports on this weekend’s expected serious winter event and said decisions will be made based on all available data.
Rowland said the latest information he received from the Webster Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, received at 11 a.m. Thursday, shows moderate to major threats to roadways and infrastructure around and north of Interstate 20.
“The report (Thursday) said the transition to wintry precipitation has been moved to a little later Friday night into early Saturday morning,” he said. “To be on the safe side, we’ve cancelled all after school activities scheduled on Friday.”
Rowland said the next update is planned for Friday after WOHSEP Director Brian Williams concludes his 2 p.m. briefing with the National Weather Service. But, he added, a winter storm watch was expected to be upgraded Thursday afternoon to a winter storm warning from Friday evening through Sunday morning for I-20 and north.
This area has also been upgraded to a major risk for snow, ice and sleet for Sunday and Monday with an added elevated risk for Sunday due to continuing impacts from prior accumulations.
“We’re told we can expect 80 hours of below freezing temperatures after Friday, and the impact to roads, power lines, water lines and trees should occur by mid-day Saturday and continue through Tuesday,” he said. “Our decisions on parish schools for next week will be made as quickly as we can.”
Glenbrook School officials say they are continuing to monitor the weather situation and decisions on closure will be made based on conditions.
Webster Parish Superintendent of Schools Johnny Rowland is watching reports on this weekend’s expected serious winter event and said decisions will be made based on all available data.
Rowland said the latest information he received from the Webster Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, received at 11 a.m. Thursday, shows moderate to major threats to roadways and infrastructure around and north of Interstate 20.
“The report (Thursday) said the transition to wintry precipitation has been moved to a little later Friday night into early Saturday morning,” he said. “To be on the safe side, we’ve cancelled all after school activities scheduled on Friday.”
Rowland said the next update is planned for Friday after WOHSEP Director Brian Williams concludes his 2 p.m. briefing with the National Weather Service. But, he added, a winter storm watch was expected to be upgraded Thursday afternoon to a winter storm warning from Friday evening through Sunday morning for I-20 and north.
This area has also been upgraded to a major risk for snow, ice and sleet for Sunday and Monday with an added elevated risk for Sunday due to continuing impacts from prior accumulations.
“We’re told we can expect 80 hours of below freezing temperatures after Friday, and the impact to roads, power lines, water lines and trees should occur by mid-day Saturday and continue through Tuesday,” he said. “Our decisions on parish schools for next week will be made as quickly as we can.”
Glenbrook School officials say they are continuing to monitor the weather situation and decisions on closure will be made based on conditions.
A Cotton Valley youth is being held in a state juvenile facility after he allegedly stabbed his father during a domestic dispute Monday.
Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said the victim, who reportedly suffered multiple stab wounds, was airlifted to a Shreveport hospital where he is currently in stable condition.
Parker said deputies responded to a 911 call reporting the incident shortly before 1 p.m. EMS personnel were on scene providing treatment when deputies arrived. The suspect reportedly was detained without incident.
Major Bobby Igo III, head of the WPSO Criminal Investigation Division, said an investigation into the incident is continuing.
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 Minden woman’s illegal system of attempting to pick winning lottery numbers didn’t play out well and she has won a seat in the parish jail.
Lakisha Davis, a 46-year-old Shane Dr. resident, was arrested Wednesday by Webster Parish deputies for allegedly taking 10 lottery tickets. She is charged with misdemeanor theft and false statements relating to a lottery.
Sheriff Jason Parker said deputies were dispatched to a business in the 2100 block of Hwy. 532 early Monday where the store’s manager reportedly provided video evidence of the theft.
Deputies reportedly contacted Davis at her residence and after being advised of her Miranda rights, admitted taking the lottery tickets without paying.
Davis is currently being held in the parish jail. No bond has been set.
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 forecast of a winter weather event which could feature freezing rain, sleet or snow, is headed toward northwest Louisiana and local agencies are on full alert.
Emergency plans include every local and parish agency, and Brian Williams, Director of the Webster Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said daily briefings are an important part of those plans.
Williams said he is monitoring the forecasts with the National Weather Service and communicating with all parish agencies.
“We’re getting daily briefings from the National Weather Service and we share what we learn with all agencies in the parish,” Williams said. “We have plans in place for this type of emergency and we’re working those plans.”
Williams said the parish public works has trucks ready to deliver sand where needed, and there’s an ample supply on hand. All equipment has been serviced and is ready.
He has also been in contact with first responders including law enforcement, ambulance services, fire departments and the Community Service Transportation.
“All the agencies are ready in case of power failures due to icing on trees and power lines, and in case there needs to be a change in schedule for the transportation service,” he said.
Webster Parish is ready to provide service or assistance in all areas except one, Williams said.
“We do not have the staff or facilities to provide shelters or warming centers at this time,” he said. “Caddo Parish is the closest location where there are shelters.”
Williams said his best advice for residents of Webster Parish is to use good judgement if the weather does bring icy conditions, making travel hazardous.
“We would urge people to stay off roads unless there’s an emergency situation,” he said. “And, they should be prepared for the possibility of power outages, even for an extended time.”
With the anticipated front still days away, Williams said forecast models could change.
“I’ve seen a model that suggests this weather might be moving a little to the north, but we’re still a few days out and things can change quickly,” he said. “My advice is to hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.”
National Weather Service predictions continue to show a winter weather event, with possible sleet, freezing rain or snow and extremely low temperatures, headed for the Minden/Webster Parish area.
With those predictions in mind, local and parish first responders are fine-tuning plans for what could be an extended period of emergencies.
Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver said his department is making sure all necessary equipment is ready to go, and it will be “all hands on deck” for as long as it takes.
“All shifts are going to be ready, and all our equipment has been checked out. We’re going to be as ready as we can be,” he said.
McIver said the potential of hazardous driving conditions in the city is one of the reasons he’s been purchasing all-wheel drive vehicles when it’s replacement time.
“We have these vehicles which are more suited for getting us around in bad conditions,” he said. “And, we have our side-by-side that we will deploy. I think we will be able to get to anyone who needs us.”
McIver said city residents can be a big help by following some simple advice.
“If there’s hazardous conditions, like icy streets, stay at home unless it’s an extreme emergency,” he said. “The best advice we can give is to use good judgement. Make all your preparations now. Don’t wait until the sleet or snow begins to fall.”
Fire Chief Brian Williams said his department will be operating with full shifts, increasing manpower during the course of the winter event. His firefighters have also made sure the necessary equipment is ready.
“We have snow chains for our fire trucks, and we have de-icer ready for the concrete lots at the stations,” he said. “We have our side-by-side ready. I think we’re prepared for the weather.”
Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker agrees that staying indoors, especially if temperatures drop drastically and roads become ice-covered, is the best idea.
“There are plenty of roads in our rural areas that are very hazardous when ice covered,” he said. “We would urge residents, especially those who live on the lesser traveled roads, to exercise good judgment and caution.”
Parker said deputies will be patrolling during the weather event as long as necessary.
“We’re going to have everyone on duty and on standby to be sure we can handle all calls for assistance,” he said. “We’ve made sure all our vehicles and equipment are ready to go and we’re making sure we have the parish covered.”
MILLION MILE SMILE: Minden native Lou Dunbar (standing, center) with (from left) Logan McConathy, Ryan Barnette, Harper Barnette, Aubrey Chanler and Stephanie Barnette. (Journal photo by Kevin Pickens)
By Nico Van Thyn, Journal Sports
The globetrotting man from Minden is making news … again.
Louis Dunbar, or as he has been known to the world of basketball for more than five decades, “Sweet Lou” Dunbar.
This is the 100th-year anniversary of the Harlem Globetrotters — who were in Bossier City on Tuesday night, beating their always hapless opponent — and the February issue of Sports Illustrated honors the occasion with a story titled, “Still Hot to Trot.”
The featured Globetrotter — as he has been for about half of their existence — is Sweet Lou Dunbar, who remains a legendary star.
The story by SI senior writer L. Jon Wertheim — who also is a regular television correspondent for CBS’s 60 Minutes — includes a three-page question-and-answer with Dunbar.
When Wertheim lists “familiar faces” with the ‘Trotters, he writes, “None more than Lou Dunbar. ‘Sweet Lou’ was a hell of a player in his day, a 6’9” forward named Mr. Basketball in his home state of Louisiana. He then played for the University of Houston shortly after the Elvin Hayes era, averaging more than 22 points a game. He was a fourth-round pick by the Sixers in the 1975 NBA draft, but when he wasn’t given enough minutes for his liking in NBA training camps, he decided to join Meadowlark Lemon, Geese Ausby, Curly Neal, et al., on the Globetrotters. He’d not only have more fun, he’d make more money.
“Marrying his basketball skills with an irrepressible smile, Dunbar would become a fixture for 27 seasons, one of only eight Globetrotters to have his jersey retired. (He’s also done turns on The Love Boat and Family Feud.)
“Almost a half century later, he’s still a front-facing figure. At age 72, he is currently the director of personnel and a coach of one of the teams, which sometimes includes overseeing his son, Lou Dunbar Jr., d/b/a Sweet Lou II, who wears his father’s No. 41 jersey.”
In this story, Wertheim asks Sweet Lou, “Where are we catching you?” The answer: London. Lately, though, the answer would be back in Louisiana as the Globetrotters makedd the rounds here.
But, of course, he’s been all over the world. He notes, deep into the Q-and-A, that he’s been to about 95 countries. But he’s still on the move, still traveling, although his home base has been Houston for decades.
It’s a long road from Minden, where he first drew notice as a high school star at old Webster High in the late 1960s/early 1970s. As he said to Wertheim, “I wasn’t bad.”
Put together a short list of the greatest male basketball talent from across North Louisiana, and Dunbar has to be on it.
In the Minden days is where his rivalry — but a very friendly one — began with Robert Parish. They were born 22 days apart in August 1953 (Dunbar is older) — and as players they were only three inches apart, Parish a 7-footer.
They faced each other in seven games, first in the all-black high school organization (LIALO) — Webster vs. Union High — and then in college — Houston vs. Centenary.
And while Parish is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, Dunbar also has many Hall of Fame honors, including the Globetrotters’ Hall and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (Class of 2020).
Dunbar for many years was the Globetrotters’ “clown prince,” the main source of entertainment on (and often off) the floor.
As John James Marshall wrote in a 1992 Shreveport Times story, “the one thing that Dunbar has always had is the personality. That smile. That chatter.”
“It was probably meant for me,” Dunbar said then of his ‘Trotters’ role. “Performing has always come natural.”
In the current Sports Illustrated story, Sweet Lou provides a history of the Globetrotters and discusses the foundation of what keeps them popular.
“… We’ve got the lights, we’ve got the glitter, and we still got the tradition running,” he said. “We’re still good, clean, wholesome entertainment, and that’s what kept us around 100 years.”
Where Mother Nature is concerned, there are never any guarantees, but Minden Mayor Nick Cox says his city is prepared for cold weather at the end of the week.
“We are preparing to sand roads, if necessary,” Cox said. That decision is generally last minute, he added. “We don’t want to do it if we don’t have to.”
Plans are in place if a bad freeze hits, and Cox has held meetings with department heads, including Terry Combs, head of Street Department.
“Everything is on hand already, and we will load the trucks ahead of time,” he said. “Also we have sand spreaders and are looking at buying more.”
Roads most traveled will receive the first attention.
“We don’t have very many bridges we are in charge of in the city,” Cox said. “The ones we do have are state bridges on state highways.”
There are a few problematic areas, he said.
“There is a steep hill on Miller Street that requires sanding. East Todd hill comes to mind.”
The most heavily sanded hill is referred to as “Depot Hill,” which is located near the railroad tracks.
“Those are inclines where people slide,” he said.
Industrial Drive and La. 531 have hills that cause slippage.
While 531 is a state road, Cox said it is important for the city of sand it, if possible.
“It’s our emergency personnel that respond, so we want it as safe as possible,” said Cox. “We’re going to approach it like we are going to take care of it.”
A Minden man is in custody on a charge of domestic abuse after an alleged verbal confrontation with a family member escalated to violence Monday evening.
Minden Chief of Police Jared McIver said 44-year-old Brian Cooper has been charged with domestic abuse battery with child endangerment and resisting an officer as a result of the incident at a residence in the 400 block of Russell St.
Officer Cadyn O’Connor was dispatched to the call shortly before 9 p.m. and learned Cooper had left the scene. He was spotted at the corner of Hardy and Fort streets where he was placed under arrest.
During interviews at the scene of the incident, Lt. Spencer Tippen reportedly learned Cooper had entered the residence of his niece while intoxicated and engaged in a verbal confrontation.
When the niece reportedly attempted to walk away, Cooper allegedly punched her numerous times in the head and face. Blood reportedly was visible on the victim’s face. Two young children of the niece reportedly were present and witnessed the attack.
Cooper reportedly is being held at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center under a $10,500 bond.
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.
