After 37 years of caring for patients and families in the Minden community, Dr. Carl Hines is retiring from patient care.

Minden Physician Practices and the Minden Medical Center family invite the community to join us as we celebrate Dr. Hines and thank him for his many years of dedicated service.

Retirement Celebration for Dr. Carl Hines
Friday, October 16, 2026
2:00 p.m.
Minden Medical Center Cafeteria

For nearly four decades, Dr. Hines has been a trusted physician in our community, caring for generations of patients and families. His commitment to compassionate care, his medical expertise, and the relationships he has built with those he served have left a lasting impact on Minden and the surrounding communities.

From private practice to his years with Hines Family Practice, Minden Primary Care, and Minden Medical Center, Dr. Hines has dedicated his career to providing quality healthcare close to home.

“Dr. Hines has given 37 years of his life to caring for the people of this community,” said Keith Cox, CEO of Minden Medical Center. “His dedication to his patients and his commitment to the practice of medicine have made a lasting difference in the lives of countless individuals and families. We are grateful for everything he has contributed to our organization and to the Minden community.”

This celebration is an opportunity for former and current patients, friends, colleagues, healthcare professionals, and community members to come together and thank Dr. Hines for the many years he has spent caring for the people of this community.

Please join us for refreshments, fellowship, and an opportunity to wish Dr. Carl Hines all the best as he begins this next chapter.

Come celebrate 37 years of caring, commitment and compassion.

We hope you will join us in celebrating Dr. Carl Hines!

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By Josh Beavers –

I was on the couch Tuesday night when World News Tonight got to RJ Mitte. He played Walter White Jr. on “Breaking Bad,” and he was only 34. The anchor said he had died by suicide, and the broadcast moved on to the next story.

I sat there with the remote in my hand and asked the television a question it couldn’t answer. What was the point of telling us that?

I know the arguments for it. I went to journalism school and spent years in newsrooms, and I remember where I first heard a version of the industry’s answer.

I was a journalism student at Northwestern when I turned in a headline about a death. I had written that the person “passed.” My professor marked it and told me it should say “dead.” I told him, not very sure of myself, that “passed” seemed kinder.

He said journalists aren’t paid to be kind. Yes, he was, indeed, an A-hole. But I digress. 

I didn’t argue. I was young and figured he knew something I didn’t, so I nodded and fixed the headline.

As Anton Chigurh said, if the rule you follow brought you to this, of what use was the rule?

If I could go back, I’d tell him a few things I can’t print here. Then I’d tell him that the people reading about a death in the paper are sometimes the people who just lost someone. A little kindness in someone’s tenderest moment doesn’t cost a newspaper a thing.

But I never wrote “dead” in a headline again. I didn’t do it once in all my years at newspapers, and nobody ever noticed. It was passive aggressive and petty, and I’m still a little proud of it. It’s all about the small rebellions you can get away with in a world devoid of common sense and empathy.

If you look up why news outlets report suicides, you’ll find the same answer in different words. Facts get reported. One journalism ethics argument holds that reporters have a duty to share important facts even when they are unsettling. After Robin Williams died, a writer in the Los Angeles Times argued the manner of his death was public information and should be reported as long as the public stayed interested.

That last part is code for greed. We used to say if it bleeds, it leads, and a famous name with a sad ending still leads. More clicks. More pennies in the pockets. Money > people.

“Facts get reported” is a cop-out. It lets a person be cold and call it professionalism, because a rule made the decision for them and all they have to do is point to the rule.

As Anton Chigurh said, if the rule you follow brought you to this, of what use was the rule?

In fairness, nobody had to dig for this one. Mitte’s representatives confirmed the cause, and Bryan Cranston mentioned it in his own statement. But being handed a fact doesn’t obligate anybody to read it on the evening news.

The paper you’re reading right now made a different choice. The Webster Parish Journal will report that someone in our community has died, but it won’t report that the death was a suicide. Nobody here has ever complained that they weren’t told enough.

I don’t come at this as a media critic. My father committed suicide.

I can say that plainly now. I’m not ashamed or embarrassed about it. It’s a pain I have, a gash in my heart and soul and reminds me I’m human. Our scars tell our stories.  This one gives me perspective. Perspective I didn’t have back then as a youngin’.

What I remember most from that time happened at the visitation. A man came through the line, and instead of telling me he was sorry, he asked if my father did it on purpose.

I’m still stunned by that question. I don’t know what answer he expected, or what he planned to do if I confirmed it. He was standing a few feet from my father’s casket, and he couldn’t read the room.

That man was lucky. My mental state was not in a good place that night, and he came close to ending up in a coffin beside my father, or at least in the hospital. I’d have ended up in the lockup. I’m not proud of it. But it is what it is, as they say.

The survival instinct is the strongest force a human being has. I’ve watched lifelong believers, people who never doubted where they were headed, get scared at the end anyway. For a person to override that instinct, they have to be completely broken. My father was in that kind of pain, and the news still treats a death like his as one more item to read between commercials.

There’s a line that gets passed around online, usually credited to Dostoevsky, that people have beautiful things to say about you, but you must die first. With suicide, even that kindness gets taken away. Once the cause is out, people talk about how a man died instead of how he lived. Grief is hard enough in private. When everyone knows how someone died, they start to think they’ve been invited to ask about it. Every time a network reads a suicide into a newscast, it makes that kind of question a little more likely for some family it will never meet.

The thing is, journalism has rules for this, too. Newsrooms have had suicide reporting guidelines since 2001, written to keep coverage from putting vulnerable people at risk. An Ohio University study found that newspapers covering celebrity suicides followed only about half of them, and not one shared the message that suicide is preventable.

Those guidelines exist for a reason. One analysis of 20 American studies found suicide rates rose 8 to 18 percent in the two months after a celebrity suicide.

My professor enforced his headline rule like scripture. I never saw anybody that strict about the guidelines that might keep someone alive.

As Anton Chigurh said, if the rule you follow brought you to this, of what use was the rule?

Some people think somebody’s arbitrary rule is reason enough to throw out common sense. I see it every day, in every way. When did common sense become so easy to expel?

I’ve started to wonder whether people who insist every rule must be followed to the letter have much capacity for common sense, or for the empathy that’s supposed to come with it.

We keep using facts and rules as an excuse to be colder and crueler to each other, and we lose a little more of our humanity every time.

RJ Mitte’s family has some hard days ahead. I hope whoever comes through the line to see them knows what not to ask.

And if anybody wrote a headline about him this week, I hope it said he passed.

Josh Beavers is an award-winning columnist who earned four Best Columnist awards from the Louisiana Press Association. He traded the newsroom for the classroom in 2013, convinced that teaching young people to write, to think, and to become productive members of their community was the more important work.

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Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this letter are solely those of the author and do not reflect the editorial stance of the Journal.

Should the old board members select the upcoming Superintendent position for Webster Parish or should the newly elected board make that decision?

Our opinion: Newly elected Board Should make that decision!!!

Dear Webster Parish Schools,

I am writing to express the importance of involving the community in the selection of a superintendent for our school system. The selection of a superintendent is one of the most important decisions a school board can make because this individual will play a significant role in shaping the educational direction, leadership, and future success of our schools. Since the decisions made by the superintendent directly affect students, parents, teachers, school administrators, and the community as a whole, it is essential that all stakeholders have an opportunity to share their voices throughout the selection process.

Our schools are an important part of our community. Parents entrust our educators with their children’s education, teachers dedicate their time and expertise to student success, and community members invest in the future of our school system. For these reasons, the selection of a superintendent should not be viewed as a decision that affects only the school board. It is a decision that affects the entire community and deserves meaningful public participation, transparency, and accountability.

Community involvement provides an opportunity for stakeholders to express their expectations, concerns, and priorities for the future of education. Parents can share their perspectives on student achievement, school safety, communication, and educational opportunities. Teachers and other school employees can provide valuable insight into instructional needs, staff support, professional development, and the daily challenges faced by our schools. Community members can also offer perspectives on how the school system can strengthen partnerships, use resources responsibly, and better serve the needs of students and families.

I strongly encourage the school board to establish a transparent selection process that includes opportunities for public input, community forums, stakeholder surveys, and opportunities to hear from superintendent finalists when appropriate. These measures would allow the board to gain a broader understanding of the qualities, qualifications, experience, and leadership characteristics that the community believes are important in its next superintendent. Although the school board must fulfill its legal responsibilities and make the final decision in accordance with applicable laws and policies, community participation can help ensure that the decision reflects the educational needs and priorities of the people the school system serves.

The next superintendent should demonstrate strong leadership, integrity, effective communication, fiscal responsibility, and a genuine commitment to student achievement. Equally important, this individual should be willing to listen to teachers, parents, administrators, students, and community members. A superintendent must understand that successful educational leadership requires collaboration, trust, accountability, and a shared vision for continuous improvement.

When the community is included in the process, it can help build confidence in the board’s decision and establish a stronger foundation for cooperation between the school system and the people it serves. Excluding community voices, on the other hand, may leave stakeholders feeling that their concerns and perspectives have not been considered. Meaningful participation demonstrates respect for the community and reinforces the principle that public education is a shared responsibility.

Ultimately, our primary responsibility must remain the education, safety, and success of our students. Selecting a superintendent should be about identifying a leader who possesses the qualifications, vision, experience, and commitment necessary to move the school system forward. Community input should be considered alongside professional qualifications, demonstrated leadership, and the district’s educational goals.

I respectfully request that the school board make community engagement an important part of the superintendent selection process. By inviting parents, teachers, school employees, and community members to participate, the board can demonstrate its commitment to transparency, collaboration, and the long-term success of our schools.

Our children deserve strong educational leadership, our teachers deserve a leader who understands their needs, and our community deserves an opportunity to be heard when decisions are made that will affect the future of our school system. Working together, we can help ensure that the selection of the next superintendent reflects a shared commitment to educational excellence and the success of every student.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and continued service to our students, schools, and community. I look forward to seeing a selection process that values community participation and places the best interests of our students at the forefront of every decision.

Respectfully,

Terrell Mendenhall

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While fans of the schools of the second-longest football rivalry in the state were arguing about what to call each other’s university, a wonderful college football game was played Saturday night at Origin Bank Field (which prefers to go by “Origin Bank Field”) at Joe Aillet Stadium (which prefers to go by “Joe Aillet Stadium” or “The Joe” or “Joe Aillet Stadium-Ruston” or, when it’s feeling cocky, “The Stadium” or the even more brash “Stadium,” although that hasn’t caught on and probably won’t).

Anyhow, the game. We forget about the game.

Louisiana Tech (more on that in a second) outscored the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (more on that in a second) 19-7 (or XIX-VII) in the fourth (IVth) quarter to win, 32-31, in what can best be described as a stemwinder of Biblical proportions. 

Great game.

Quick wrap: ULL came back from a 13-10 halftime deficit to take a 31-19 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Ragin’ Cajuns had scored in seven straight second-half drives going back to last week’s win against the University of Arkansas State at Jonesboro until the Tech defense held the visitors to a couple of three-and-out possessions in the fateful fourth, then snatched an interception on a third-down play and knelt on the ball twice to ice the home squad’s victory in its first ever game in the Sun Belt Conference, which sometimes prefers to go by Sun Suspenders Conference or Sun Side Adjusters Conference, depending on its mood.

Who can keep up these days? Everybody wants another jersey number. Wants to be on another team. Wants to be in another conference. Sigh …

But back to the game.

The ending — a win by the Fightin’ Tech Peaches — was somewhat a surprise for a couple of reasons.

One, Tech spent most of Saturday night’s fray/sheepshearin’/tustle doing little more than fluffing pillows on the devil’s bed, as grandmomma used to say. Playing with fire, in other words. Shooting its ownself in the foot. That is, if your definition of self-destruction is a missed field goal, missed PAT, failed two-point conversion try, two fumbles lost, mishandled snap, and a miss-snapped snap. Tech gave up so many Big Plays, some of the 20,000-plus fans must have thought they were in the Gershwin Theater.

The Dogs didn’t play their best. That was one thing.

Two, we have in our possession a melancholy sheet that charts, in obit fashion, ways in which Tech has lost 21 of 60 games by one score since 2021. A couple in OT. (Cue the bittersweet piano.) A couple of Hail Marys. (Cue the mournful violin.) Late fumble on the bad guys’ 25. Blocked FG. Only three points after four drives inside the 6 in a six-point loss. A 20-point lead late in the third quarter, turned to ashes. A Pick 6 negated by a penalty and two enemy drives kept alive by unsportsmanlike penalties in a seven-point loss. Twice, Tech could have won games by recovering its opponent’s onside kick but …

Neg.

Like watching a blindfolded man walk off a cliff, over and over, and over…

But last week, Tech held on to beat a good Army team, 31-29. And Saturday against ULL, a fourth-down conversion to make it a one-score game, then the winning drive and TD with under a minute, then an interception to end it.

A two-diaper, possibly three-diaper game.

Oh how the turns table. Or something like that. Tech is 3-2, has covered the spread four times, and is 1-0 in the league. 

Go back to last season’s November comeback win against Liberty and another comeback win over Coastal Carolina in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl and it’s clear that the Bulldogs are now winning the types of games they’d made an anguished habit of losing.

Next, they play Saturday night on the road against the winless University of Louisiana at Monroe, which brings us to the sordid underbelly of the Tech-ULL game. 

In short, ULL wants to go by “Louisiana.” They have talked ESPN into it. They have talked some other schools into it. But they have not and never will talk their old foe Louisiana Tech into it. The rivalry is too deep and the argument against it — ULL is the name of the University — is too strong. In Tech broadcasts and on the scoreboard, ULL will always be ULL or the Ragin’ Cajuns, which is one of the great nicknames in all of sports; why not just hang your hat on that?

(Speaking of, the ULL quarterback, or QBB, is D’Wanye’ “Lunch” Winfield, a nickname his grandfather gave him when as an infant, young D’Wayne’ snatched a chicken wing off his granddad’s plate and started gnawing on it. D’Wanye’ was instantly rebranded “Lunch.” How beautiful is that? If rebranding were only that easy all the time.)

Lest we forget, ULL is the artist formerly known as Southwestern Louisiana, or USL, and Tech is the artist formerly known as Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, eventually LA Tech. The LA is supposed to be pronounced “lah” like in the Christmas song but often is called “El Ay” Tech, which is incorrect in newfangled branding parlance — but what are you gonna do except fight for your right to party and call your school by the “right” name, amirite?

The whole mess is profoundly annoying, to be frank, EXCEPT that it underlines the competitive hate upon which the best rivalries run. And that’s a beautiful thing.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones…” works on the playground but when you get grown and become a FAN, them there’s fightin’ words! 

This bureau would argue with Juliet that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, that not so much is in a name, that it doesn’t matter what you call me, just don’t call me late for supper. But then, it matters not that, aglow and lovely on a moonlit balcony, Juliet, forthwith, be right: I forswear, she’d still get booed out of every stadium in the country.

This is why it’s fabulous that the Fightin’ Ruston Peaches and the University of Louisiana-Near Opelousas More Or Less are in the same conference again. We’ve still got basketball and baseball and tennis and track and field and so much more to go. It’s only October! Episode after episode of “Let’s Play Name That Team.”

Next stop for ULL: the Troy Wooden Horses. And for Tech: the other UL, this time, the one in Monroe. We think. At least that’s their name right now. Maybe names can enter the transfer portal too.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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For many employees, a company 401(k) – or equivalent retirement plan – is one of the most valuable benefits they receive – but it’s also one of the benefits people are most likely to overlook. Whether you are 25 or 55, contributing to your employer’s retirement plan can be an important step toward building financial security.

For younger workers, the most important thing is simply to get started. When you’re in your 20s or 30s, retirement can seem so far away that saving for it doesn’t feel urgent. But time can be one of an investor’s greatest advantages. Money invested early has decades to potentially grow through compounding. Even relatively modest contributions, made consistently over a long period of time, can become significant.

Younger employees should also take advantage of an employer match when one is available. If your company matches a portion of what you contribute, failing to contribute enough to receive the full match can mean leaving part of your compensation on the table. For example, if your company matches 6% and you only contribute 4%, you’re missing out on an additional 2% from your employer. That adds up over time!

Older workers shouldn’t assume that it’s too late to participate. If retirement is still several years away, there may be a meaningful opportunity to build additional savings through payroll contributions. Many plans also allow employees age 50 and older to make additional “catch-up” contributions, subject to annual IRS limits. For someone approaching retirement, increasing contributions may be one of the most effective ways to strengthen their retirement income plan.

Another important decision is whether to use traditional or Roth 401(k) contributions. Traditional 401(k) contributions are generally made with pre-tax dollars, which can reduce your taxable income today. Taxes are generally paid when the money is withdrawn in retirement. Roth 401(k) contributions are made with after-tax dollars, meaning you pay the taxes today, but qualified withdrawals in retirement are generally tax-free. 

Neither option is automatically better for everyone. Your current tax bracket, expected future tax rate, income, retirement plans and overall financial situation should all be considered. Some employees may even benefit from using both options to create tax diversification in retirement.

It’s also important to remember that a 401(k) is an investment account, not a guaranteed savings account. The investments inside the account can rise and fall in value. That makes diversification important. Rather than concentrating your retirement savings in one company, industry or type of investment, spreading your money across different asset classes can help reduce the impact of a downturn in any single investment.

For employees who aren’t comfortable choosing their own investments, a target-date fund can be a useful option. These funds are designed around an approximate retirement year and generally invest more aggressively when retirement is farther away. As the target date approaches, the fund typically becomes more conservative. While target-date funds are not risk-free and aren’t right for everyone, they can provide a simple way to maintain a diversified portfolio without having to constantly make investment decisions.

Perhaps the most important lesson is this: don’t wait for the “perfect” time to start contributing. Start with what you can afford, increase your contribution when your income rises, and periodically review your investment choices and retirement goals.

Your 401(k) may not feel like a priority today, but years from now, those regular contributions could become one of the most important parts of your financial future. I know retirees who didn’t contribute to their company’s 401(k) while they were in the workforce – and all of them wish they had a time machine so they could go back and participate. Don’t miss the opportunity. 

Tracy L. Campbell is a partner and financial advisor at Meriwether Wealth and Planning, an independent Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) firm headquartered in downtown Minden, La. E-mail Tracy at tracy@meriwether.com. Disclaimer: This content is for general knowledge and education, not a substitute for professional advice.

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Flunking out of college may have been the best career move I ever made. I would have had a hard time selling that theory to my mother at the time, and I certainly didn’t offer it as an option to my children. But it got me into the restaurant business.

I needed a job. I found something I loved, became obsessed, and have spent the past 46 years doing it. For 39 of those years, I have been an owner. In December, we’ll begin our 40th year in business, which is a fairly respectable track record for a guy whose original plan was to figure out a plan.

My travel business happened much the same way. In 2011, Jill and I took the kids to Europe for six months. They were the perfect ages for that trip, and we wanted to go while we could still have them to ourselves for that long.

When we returned, people began asking me to take them to Europe. For a while, I did it as a side gig. Today, Yonderlust Travel has team members in America and overseas, and I spend about four months a year hosting guests in places I once visited with my wife and children.

Typically, I host five trips in the spring and five in the fall. Three each season are in Tuscany, where this whole thing started. The other trips take us elsewhere in Europe, including Scandinavia and Puglia next spring.

I just finished hosting trips in Greece and to Rome and the Amalfi Coast. My usual schedule gives me one day between groups to catch up and restock the villa. By the next day, I am ready for the next arrivals.

Occasionally, an event at the Tuscan villa I rent leaves a week open in my schedule. That happened this past week. For the third time, I filled the gap by going to London.

Granted, I don’t expect much sympathy for having to spend a week in London.

London is my favorite city in Europe and my favorite world capital of any I have visited. People have asked why a food guy would choose London, usually mentioning the old reputation for terrible English food.

That hasn’t been my experience at all.

Some of the best Chinese food I have ever eaten has been in London. The same goes for Indian food. I haven’t visited China or India yet, so those opinions come with that qualification. But I’ve eaten in a lot of Chinese and Indian restaurants over the last 40 years, and I could spend a great deal more time in London and never run out of restaurants I wanted to try.

Modern British cooking is excellent, too. My favorite restaurant in London, Fallow, is also my favorite in Europe and probably my favorite in the world.

I have often said that if someone decided to build a restaurant specifically for Robert St. John, they would come up with Fallow. It is casual enough to suit me, the service is flawless, and the food is perfect to my taste.

After 46 years in the restaurant business, I still look around that dining room and wonder how they make the labor numbers work. There seem to be almost as many team members as guests, and they take great care of everyone.

They are masters at hospitality. Even on vacation, I’m paying attention to how other restaurants operate. It’s a gift and a curse (my wife would say the latter).

The mushroom parfait is amazing. It has the richness of a high-dollar pâté, and I find myself trying to account for that much flavor coming from mushroom ends and pieces. My favorite dish is the smoked cod’s head with sriracha butter sauce and leek oil.

I have watched Chef Jack and Chef Will’s videos trying to figure out that sauce. The base includes water and butter, which sounds straightforward enough until I eat it and start wondering what I am missing.

I love walking through London between meals. Soho is busy with people headed to restaurants and shows. Mayfair and St. James’s have a more traditional London feel, and I enjoy those neighborhoods just as much.

Rome has a different energy, especially in the Monti neighborhood at night. It can be a random Tuesday and feel as though the whole neighborhood has decided to go out. London, even when it’s busy, seems a little more composed. When I have a week to myself, London usually wins.

Though I enjoy these weeks, I would rather keep the trips close together and get home sooner. We have more than 400 people working in our restaurants, and I love being there with them.

I am grateful to our leadership team for making that six-month family trip possible and for allowing me to spend part of each year overseas running this travel business. That original trip remains one of the best decisions of my life.

The theater is another reason I keep returning to London, and my mother deserves the credit for that.

She dragged me to plays when I was a kid. I hated going and did very little to conceal that opinion. She kept taking me, hoping something would stick, and one of those outings was to see Yul Brynner in “The King and I.”

That one stuck.

I didn’t tell her then. But all these years later, I try to see a couple of West End shows whenever I’m in London. A great dinner and a night at the theater will keep me perfectly happy on a day off.

As a kid, I couldn’t have imagined any of this. I certainly couldn’t have explained to my mother that I would someday make a living taking people to places I thought they ought to experience.

My mother died two years ago this month. I was working over here when she passed away. Maybe that is why I have been thinking about her so much as I write this.

I hope she knew I was paying more attention than it appeared. All these years later, I remember seeing Yul Brynner in “The King and I,” and I remember being there with her.

These days I buy my own theater tickets.

I wish I could buy hers, too. She wouldn’t have to talk me into going.

Onward.

Get my weekly letter free at roberts-newsletter-2dc27c.beehiiv.com/subscribe.

Gingerbread

I have loved gingerbread since I was a child. For some reason, it’s not offered as much as it used to be. I am on a mission to change that trend. Hard cider is fermented apple cider with alcohol content.

1 stick unsalted butter 
1 cup brown sugar 
3 large eggs 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 tsp ground ginger 
1 1 /2 teaspoons baking soda 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1 /2 teaspoon salt 
1 /2 teaspoon ground cloves 
1 /4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup molasses 
1 cup hard cider
Apple Icing for Topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Grease a 13 by 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper that has been greased. 

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. In a second bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg. In a third bowl, combine the molasses and hard cider and stir to dissolve. Add the dry ingredients and cider mixture alternately to the egg mixture, beating after the addition of each. 

Pour into the prepared pan and bake until puffed and set, approximately 35 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack. 

Cut into squares and top with Apple Icing.

Yield: 24 squares

Apple Icing

2 Tbl butter

1 cup apple, peeled, cut into small dice

1 /4 tsp cinnamon

1 /2 cup hard cider

1 1 /2 cup confectioner’s sugar

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook apples for five minutes, stir in cinnamon and cider and cook five more minutes until most of the liquid is cooked out. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Cool completely before topping gingerbread.

(Robert St. John is a chef, restauranteur and published cookbook author who lives in Hattiesburg, Miss.)

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By Brad Dison

Dr. Kathryn “Kathy” Sullivan wanted to take a walk, but this was no walk around the block.  She wanted to take a 140-mile walk.  Let me explain.  Kathy’s brother Grant had heard about the planned walk, had applied to be a participant, and encouraged Kathy to apply as well.  She was uninterested at first because she wanted to take a seven-mile swim in the Pacific Ocean instead.  Kathy disregarded Grant’s suggestion until she saw an advertisement for the upcoming walk in a scientific magazine.  Shortly after she applied for the walk, William Ryan of Columbia University offered Kathy the chance to take the seven-mile swim that she had been dreaming of for years.  William and Kathy discussed the walk and the swim, and they concluded that Kathy should wait to hear if her application to take the walk was accepted.  Williams reassured Kathy that she would have another opportunity to take the swim but the opportunity to take the walk would probably never happen again.  Kathy’s wait was worth it.  She was invited for a week of interviews, psychological examinations, and physical examinations.  Of the large group who were chosen, Kathy was one of six females selected.  Grant, Kathy’s brother who had encouraged her to apply, was not selected.                    

The magazine advertisement I mentioned earlier said women could apply, but many scientists believed that women would be unable to complete such a walk because they were inferior to men.  Scientists believed women would require more specialized equipment than men to complete such a walk.  Of course, those scientists were mostly men.  Kathy was fitted with a special pressurized suit which provided oxygen and blocked out the Sun’s rays.  Kathy spent years training for the 140-mile walk which would last just a few hours.  On October 11, 1984, 33-year-old Kathy dressed carefully in her specialized clothing which weighed more than she did.  Then, she stepped out of the vehicle and began her walk.  There were no trees, no sidewalks, nor automobiles on her route.  Despite the initial doubts of scientists, she completed the walk without any trouble at all.  Kathy made history.

Kathy still wanted to take that seven-mile swim, but it took longer than she had imagined.  36 years after Kathy completed her walk, she finally got the opportunity to take that swim in the Pacific Ocean.  Just as she had for her walk, Kathy prepared well and used specialized equipment.  On June 8, 2020, sixty-eight-year-old Kathy finally fulfilled her dream and completed the swim that she had dreamed of for decades.                   

Kathy does not consider herself an adrenaline junkie, but a scientist and explorer.  You see, the 140 miles I mentioned was not the distance she traveled on her walk, but the height above the Earth she was when she took her walk.  On October 11, 1984, Kathryn Sullivan became the first American woman to take a walk…a spacewalk 140 miles up in space.  On June 8, 2020, she became the first woman to swim, well… descend, in a submersible to Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest known point in Earth’s oceans.  Kathy is the only woman known to have both walked in space and visited Challenger Deep.

 Sources:

1.     Colin Dwyer, “1st U.S. Woman To Walk In Space Dives To Deepest Point In The Ocean,” NPR, June 9, 2020, accessed September 27, 2026, https://www.npr.org/2020/06/09/873194201/first-u-s-woman-to-walk-in-space-dives-to-deepest-point-in-the-ocean.

2.     Mark Kahn, “Kathryn D. Sullivan: From Outer Space to Under the Sea,” September 17, 2022, accessed September 27, 2026, https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/kathryn-sullivan-outer-space-under-sea.

3.      “The New Space Age with Kathryn Sullivan,” University of Alaska Anchorage, accessed September 27, 2026, https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/academics/college-of-arts-and-sciences/cas-community-lecture-series/sullivan.cshtml.

 © 2026 Brad Dison. All rights reserved. Remember This? is distributed for licensed publication only.

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Tuesday, October 20
Fair Parade Downtown Minden At 5 p.m.
Livestock Weigh-In 6 p.m.
Poultry And Rabbit Show 4:30 p.m.
No Rides Until Wednesday

Wednesday, October 21
Admission Gate Opens At 5 p.m.
Rides Start At 6 p.m.. ‘Armband Nite”
Gate Entrance Fee: $3.00/Rest Week
4-H Swine Showmanship At 6 p.m.. Then Swine Weight Classes (Livestock Arena)
Pet Show At 5 p.m.

Thursday, October 22
Doors Open At 8 a.m. (Coffee & Donuts Served)
Senior Citizens Day 9 a.m. Until 1:30 p.m. (Civic Center)
Rides Start At 6 p.m.. “Armband Nite”
4-H Goat, L a.m.b, Beef Showmanship At 6 p.m.
4-H Dairy And Doug Sale Showmanship At 7 p.m.

Friday, October 23
Buyers’ Luncheon At 11:30 a.m.
Livestock Auction At 1 p.m. (4-H Show Barn)
Admission Gate Opens At 5 p.m.
Rides Start At 6 p.m.

Saturday. October 24
Fair Gates Open At 12 p.m.
Kids Day! 1 p.m. To 5 p.m. (Kid’s Special Ends 5 p.m.)
Free Admission For Kids 12& Under
Pizza Eating Contest At 3 p.m. Forestry Bld) Sponsored By Johnnys Pizza

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Shreveport man charged with murder

Louisiana State Fire Marshal (SFM) investigators arrested 38-year-old Sherrick Hill of Shreveport Thursday, Oct. 8, in connection to the death of an individual following an intentionally set residential fire in September.
At approximately 8:18 a.m. on September 1, 2026, the Shreveport Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 3100 block of Drexel Street in Shreveport. A 55-year-old woman suffered burns in the fire and was transported to the hospital, where she died two days later.

Swamp People stars coming to Claiborne Parish Library

Stars of the hit History Channel series Swamp People will bring tales from Louisiana’s swamps—and a message about protecting the state’s natural resources—to north Louisiana soon.
Bruce Mitchell, known to fans as “The Alligator Man,” and Anna Ribbeck, better known as “Anna the Archer,” will appear at the Claiborne Parish Library from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, the evening before Claiborne Parish’s Louisiana Legends Fest.

Whistling duck harvest reports due by Oct. 26

Hunters who obtained a black-bellied whistling duck permit must report their effort and harvest by Oct. 26, whether or not they hunted. The reporting window opened Oct. 12 at louisianaoutdoors.com/bbwd-report. The special season, Louisiana’s first for the species, ran Oct. 3-11 with a daily limit of four birds.

DeRidder woman charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson

Beauregard Parish – Louisiana State Fire Marshal (SFM) investigators arrested 44-year-old Karla Evans of DeRidder Thursday in connection to an intentionally set fire involving an occupied home. At approximately 1:13 a.m. on October 2, 2026, Beauregard Parish Fire District 4 responded to a house fire in the 1100 block of Johnson Street in DeRidder. A 53-year-old man was inside the home at the time of the fire, but escaped unharmed.

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Wednesday

Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 91. South wind around 5 mph.

Wednesday Night

Clear, with a low around 64. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.

Thursday

Sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph.

Thursday Night

Clear, with a low around 65.

Friday

Sunny, with a high near 82.

Friday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 51.

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 72.

Saturday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 46.

*Information provided by National Weather Service

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

October 15

Noon, Lucky Pup Too ribbon cutting, 30 Reynolds St., Springhill.

October 16

2 p.m. Minden Medical Center Cafeteria, Dr. Carl Hines’ retirement. The public is invited to attend.

October 19

5 until 7 p.m., LaMa Animal Rescue Hamburger Fundraiser. Minden Civic Center Parking Lot. $10 buys burger, chips, homemade dessert.

October 20-24

Webster Parish Fair, Minden. (See special event schedule.)

October 24

6 p.m. Fire in the Field, at 870 Highway 516 in Heflin. The evening will feature worship led by Enrique Magana, worship leader at First Methodist Church in Monroe.

November 7

10 a.m. until 1 p.m., Mission Adoption Bazaar, Craft, Makers Fair, Bake and Casserole Sale, Silent Auction and Lunch 

First Baptist Church, Family and Community Life Center, Minden. 

All proceeds go to participating families adopting and/or fostering.

4 until 6 p.m., Fall Festival, 814 Constable St. (back parking lot), hosted by The Christian Church at Minden and Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry. Outdoor movie playing immediately afterward.

7 p.m. Movie Night, sponsored by Men and Women of Courage, 314 Dixie Street (behind Seafood Empire), Minden.

November 14

8 until 10 a.m., American Legion Hall in Minden, Veterans Day Pancake Breakfast, hosted by Minden Evening Lions Club, with support from Webster Parish Veterans Safety Net and American Legion. Veterans and their families are invited to come out, share a meal, and spend the morning together.

November 16-28

Community voting for Joe LeBlanc Food Pantry’s “We CAN make a difference: canned food competition. Vote on the organization’s Facebook page. Each vote is $1. The participants that are open to the public will also have in person ballot boxes. There will also be a passport  for voters to get stamped at each location. Voters can turn their completed passports in to be entered into a drawing for a prize. Winners announced Nov. 30.

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Word of the Day: Defunct

Phonetic: /de· funct/
Part of Speech: Adjective
Definition:
no longer living, existing, or functioning

wrote for a magazine that is now defunct
a defunct railroad

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Play Sudoku online!

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Julia Sue Dick, 48, 22000 block Hwy. 371, Cotton  Valley: arrested Oct. 13 by WPSO for disturbing the peace. No bond set.

Thomas C. Howell, 35, 1500 block Pietsch Rd., Ringgold: arrested Oct. 12 by Minden PD on bench warrants. Bond set $25,000 surety or $2,500 cash. 

Jayden Mills, 24,400 block 8th St. SE, Springhill: arrested Oct. 12 by Probation and Parole for probation violation. No bond set. 

Thomas Cole Kennedy, 31, 2500 block LA 153, Castor: arrested Oct. 12 by Louisiana State Police/Minden PD K9 unit for simple possession of CDS Sch. II (methamphetamines), possession of drug paraphernalia, introduction of contraband into correctional facility. Bond set $16,000.

Michael B. Dillon, 37, 7000 block Soda Lake Dr., Blanchard: transported Oct. 13 from Bossier City jail by WPSO on warrant for molestation of a juvenile under the age of 13. Bond set $250,000.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Earl Dee Benson
December 2, 1947  –  October 11, 2026
Shongaloo
Visitation: noon until 2 p.m., Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill.
Funeral service: 2 p.m. Friday, immediately after visitation.
Burial: Pilgrims Rest Funeral Home.

Laura Lea Prichard Bolton
February 28, 1960 — October 12, 2026
Sibley
Visitation: 5 until 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden.
Funeral service: 11 a.m. Thursday, October 15, 2026, Rose-Neath Funeral Home.
Burial: Lane Memorial Cemetery, Sibley.

Omega Huffman Brown
October 16, 1939 — October 10, 2026
Minden
Graveside service and burial: 11 a.m. Wednesday, October 14, 2026, St. Rest Baptist Church Cemetery, Dubach.

Earl Ray Moseley
October 29, 1951 — October 11, 2026
Doyline
Visitation: 5 until 8 p.m. Thursday, October 15, 2026, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden.
Funeral service: 11 a.m. Friday, October 16, 2026, First Baptist Church, Doyline.
Burial: Doyline Cemetery.

Eunice Elaine Burns
August 27, 1943 — October 1, 2026
Minden
Visitation: 1:30 p.m. Saturday, October 17, 2026, First Baptist Church of Minden, West Chapel.
Memorial service: 2 p.m., immediately following visitation.
Burial: Fellowship Cemetery, Dubberly.

Pamela J. Smith
March 5, 1961 – October 9, 2026
Heflin
Funeral service: 2 p.m. Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Bienville United Methodist Church.

Andrew Jerry Haynes
November 29, 1937  –  October 11, 2026
Taylor, Ark.
Visitation: 1 until 2 p.m. Thursday, October 15, 2026, Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill.
Funeral service: 2 p.m., immediately following visitation.
Burial: Springhill Cemetery.

Fran Moore
October 6, 1937 — September 23, 2026
Memorial gathering: 3 p.m. Saturday October 17, 2026, Rose-Neath Funeral Home Chapel, Minden.

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.)

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By Pat Culverhouse –

A 34-year-old Shongaloo woman has been charged with second degree murder in the shooting death of her 78-year-old father Sunday afternoon.

Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said Lacey M. Mann was arrested by patrol deputies shortly after she allegedly shot and killed Earl Benson at a residence in the 1300 block of Hwy. Alt. 2 in Shongaloo.

She is being held at the parish prison where she is also charged with battery of a police officer. No bond has been set.

Parker said deputies responded to a call of a shooting around 5:53 p.m. Sunday and found Benson unresponsive from two apparent gunshot wounds to the back. Mann reportedly was located in the front yard of the residence and placed in custody.

At the scene, deputies found Mann’s 11-year-old son who had made the call to report the shooting.

During interviews, detectives reportedly were told Benson had asked the youth to call 9-1-1 due to Mann’s erratic behavior. When Benson and the youth reportedly exited their vehicle at the residence, Mann allegedly grabbed a .22 caliber pistol from the center console, shot Benson and chased the youth when he fled. 

Officers found a .22 revolver in the driver’s seat of the victim’s vehicle. All five shots had been fired. Mann reportedly was swabbed for gunshot residue and both hands tested positive.

After she was placed under arrest for second degree murder and was being removed from an interview room, Mann reportedly became combative and assaulted one of the detectives.

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.

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Pick’em players are entering Week 7 of the WPJ’s contest

You can click below for this week’s games, pick the winning teams and get in the running to win $100. The game closes out at 6 p.m. Friday, and a new game starts Monday.

Our four parish high school teams will be featured in the contest, as well as some college and pro teams and two tie breakers.

Each week, the contest closes at 6 p.m. before Friday’s high school games, unless there is a Thursday game, then it closes at 6 p.m. that day.

Weekly winners will be notified and announced in the following Wednesday edition of the Journal. If you win, your photo will be taken with the owner of our Title Sponsor Under Dawgs. Remember, you must 18 or older to play.

Thank you to all our sponsors this year. In addition to Title Sponsor Under Dawgs, Broken Bean will be our anchor sponsor. Others include Holcomb’s Body Shop, A.J. Price Tire, Brown Chrysler, Shelter Insurance, KASO/KBEF, Express Tax and Title and Mike’s Hometown Spirits with Hugh Woods Specialty Meats and Catering. Please patronize these local businesses.

So, fire up your phones, tablets or computers to pick ‘em, click the button below and get started.

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Story and Photos by Jerry Strahan – 

People in the Springhill community and surrounding areas seemed happy to have 42nd Annual Lumberjack Festival in its original location at Springhill City Park  

The weather couldn’t have been any better. The festival was loaded with booths ranging from food, arts and crafts, face painting, singing and the band Delta. 

A car show with some very nice and very expensive rides was also on tap. 

Zach Tipton from Benton took home a rifle, and Stanley B. Sanders of Minden won 1st place at the Lumberjack Car, Truck & Tractor Show in the Tractor Division.

A mechanical bull drew a lot of children. It seemed the girls were braver than the boys.

Springhill Fire Department set up some fun by providing a sledge hammers  for people, including J.B. Law to destroy the cars.

To close out the festival, there was Dragging Main, something done by the kids a long time ago – driving one end of Main Street to the other end for hours.

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By Shannon Wright 

There are so many great family-friendly and community-building events taking place throughout Webster Parish, and the Men and Women of Courage are adding another special evening to the calendar with an outdoor movie night in Minden.

Please notice that there has been a date and location change from when this article was originally published.

The event in Minden will be held Saturday, Nov 7, beginning at 7 p.m. at 314 Dixie Street, behind Seafood Empire. Just look for the big screen!

If you have never experienced watching a movie under the stars, this is a great opportunity to gather up your family and friends and enjoy an evening together. And even if you’ve done it before, come experience it again.

“I love seeing families get to spend time together…and witnessing God change lives,” said D. McCoy.

McCoy shared a story from the first movie night the group ever hosted.

“The first time we ever hosted a movie night, we were set up at the GBT drive-through on Broadway and a couple drove by, saw the big screen and stopped. Chris Plants spoke with them and gave them their very first Bible that night! They hadn’t seen an ad or anything, simply driving by, and God was able to change their lives,” McCoy said.

Those attending the event are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs or blankets and settle in for a free movie night. Drinks and snacks will be provided.

The movie being shown will be Disciples in the Moonlight, a powerful film that asks a thought-provoking question: What if the Bible became illegal?

The movie follows a group of believers who risk everything to preserve God’s Word and live out their faith when the Bible is no longer allowed. It is a thrilling story that is sure to give families plenty to talk about together after the movie ends.

Come enjoy a movie under the stars.

It promises to be a special night for the entire family. 

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United Christian Assistance Program has the following needs:

Food: powdered milk, canned fruit

Household Goods: twin sheets, towels, pots & pans

Clothing: men’s shoes

Thanks to all for supporting UCAP, and a special thanks to all who helped fill our pantry last week!!  

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.

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By Travis Chapman

The Glenbrook Apaches welcomed the Haynesville Golden Tornado to town for their first district matchup, and if anybody thought this one would be a gentle breeze, they clearly underestimated the weather forecast. The Apaches battled, traded haymakers, and kept swinging until the final whistle in a wild 54-38 shootout that featured big plays, defensive fireworks, and enough turnovers to make a football coach consider taking up golf.

The Apaches wasted little time getting things rolling. On third-and-five, Braxton Tibbitt handed the ball off to The Beast-Carson Whitehead, who promptly turned it into a 60-yard touchdown sprint! The two-point conversion failed, but the Apaches struck first. Rowdy Ryan Reagan then introduced himself to the Haynesville quarterback by intercepting a pass and returning it to the 49-yard line. Rowdy Reagan was apparently just getting warmed up!

The defenses traded punches, with T. Bubba Davis Edwards delivering a big tackle on the edge and Day Day-Davis Powell and Rowdy Reagan helping force a punt. Then Tibbitt connected with Hollywood Hollingsworth for a 35-yard gain to move the Apaches downfield. Unfortunately, the drive stalled just short of the sticks, and Haynesville answered with a 50-yard touchdown to tie things at 6-6.

Enter Kryptonite Kleaton Davis, who ripped off a 40-yard run to put the Apaches right back in business. But the Golden Tornado threatened again, only to meet Day Day Powell, who delivered a sack for a 12-yard loss, and Ace Rollen, who broke up a pass. On fourth down, Rowdy Reagan struck again with his second interception of the night! Somebody check that boy’s gloves for magnets!

Sam Scroggs then drilled a 37-yard field goal to give Glenbrook a 9-6 lead. But Haynesville answered, and a couple of costly turnovers and missed holding calls helped the Tornado build a 20-9 halftime advantage.

The Tornado came out of the break looking to blow the game wide open, scoring quickly to stretch the lead to 27-9. But the Apaches weren’t ready to quit yet!

Tibbitt found Hollywood Hollingsworth for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 27-15. After Haynesville answered, Tibbitt launched another deep ball, finding CP-10, Carson Powell for a 45-yard touchdown grab as Powell jumped out of the gym over the defender, hauled it in, and strolled into the end zone. With the extra point good, Glenbrook was back within striking distance at 34-22.

Then The Mad Man-Max Wimberly recovered a Haynesville fumble to give the Apaches the ball in plus territory. Unfortunately, another turnover handed it right back. The Tornado capitalized, but Tibbitt and Hollingsworth connected again for another touchdown, trimming the lead to 41-28.

Just when Glenbrook looked ready to make things interesting, Haynesville answered with a fake reverse for a touchdown. Another turnover led to another Tornado score, stretching the margin to 54-28.

But the Apaches saved one more firework for the crowd. Carson Powell caught a wide receiver screen and turned on the afterburners, racing 70 yards for a touchdown! Luscious Louie Collins punched in the two-point conversion, giving Glenbrook the final word on the scoreboard.

Final: Haynesville 54, Glenbrook 38.

Despite the loss, the Apaches showed plenty of offensive firepower. Tibbitt threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns, while Carson Whitehead rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown. Kleaton Davis brought 55 yards with him, which propelled the Apaches to 223 rushing yards as a team. Powell hauled in three catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns, while Hollingsworth added five catches for 99 yards and two more scores.

Defensively, Reagan’s two interceptions, Louie Collins’ six tackles and forced fumble, and Max Wimberly’s fumble recovery highlighted a night full of big plays.

The biggest difference came down to ball security. Haynesville capitalized on Apache turnovers, turning more than half of its points into gifts that Glenbrook would certainly prefer to exchange for store credit.

The Apaches may not have controlled the storm, but they proved they could throw a few lightning bolts of their own. Now it’s back to work, back to the film, and back to finding a way to keep the football out of the other team’s hands.

The Apaches take their show on the road this Friday as they travel to Ruston, LA to take on the Cedar Creek Cougars. This is sure to be a great matchup and we hope to see every one of the Apache faithful in the stands, Friday night! Forever and always, Apaches! 

FAMILY ON THREE!!!! 

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I recently delved into the purpose and importance of the Separation of Powers in our constitutional scheme, and the requirement that our Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches “remain in their own lanes.”  This week I am going to address another equally important issue: our American system of co-federalism—the relationship between the 50 states and the national, federal government.  

These longstanding issues emerge again within the context of a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court—Suncor Energy, Inc. v. Commissioners of Boulder County—which will address whether or not state courts may constitutionally weaponize tort law to implement a comprehensive national regulatory regime applied to interstate, and even international, climate energy policy.  This is an area constitutionally, and practically, preempted by federal law.

Our U.S. Constitution sets up a framework by which the states and the federal government are co-equal sovereigns, with the authority of the states being generally limited to their own state lines.  The Framers grounded this idea of dual sovereignty on the principle that both the states and the federal government each have their own independent spheres of authority to protect individual liberty.  (I would argue that the 10th Amendment, primarily, but other constitutional provisions as well, actually provide the states with greater authority in our system of co-federalism but I will address that another day).  

So, by splitting power between state and federal governments, the Framers intended to establish a national government of limited powers while maintaining a distinct zone of autonomy within which the state governments could exercise general police powers on behalf of their state residents including health, education, welfare and the running of elections.  What this really means is that under the Supremacy Clause the federal government would have the final word if there was a conflict between federal and state law but, beyond that, each individual state was to be given great freedom to govern themselves as they saw fit.

Now, let’s apply this principle of co-federalism to the Suncor Energy v. Boulder County case.  Directly at issue are the constitutional limits of states and localities who are attempting to punish oil and gas companies for supposedly contributing to “global warming.”  Boulder, Colorado sued oil companies in Colorado state court for “local climate damage” allegedly caused by their global greenhouse gases.   

Firstly, because I have done so before I won’t again today address the fallacy and deceit surrounding so-called “proof” of man-made climate change.  I simply re-urge that our climate has always changed, including long before man was ever on the earth!  Earth’s temperature occurs in certain rhythmic cycles and did so long before humans 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.  

However, today I am focusing only on the key issue in the Suncor Energy case: whether states and localities can turn federalism on its head and dictate policies for the rest of the country.    Well, the U.S. Supreme already broadly addressed and answered this question in AEP v. Connecticut, a 2011 case, wherein the Supreme Court held that federal law—the Clean Air Act—preempts state law claims related to CO2 emissions. 

Here, the attorney for Boulder is attempting to get around that ruling by arguing, in Colorado state court, that Suncor is different: that the oil companies supposedly violated Colorado state law by creating a “public and private nuisance,” “trespass,” and “unjust enrichment” by selling products (presumably oil and gas) without warning about their impact on the climate.

That’s a real reach and flies directly in the face of Supreme Court precedent addressing state and federal power. As the Wall Street Journal summed it up: “… the Framers wrote the Constitution to prevent states from pursuing self-interested policies that intrude on the powers of other states and the nation.  Individual states have sovereign police powers over crime and other matters, but they don’t extend to running the U.S. economy or its foreign policy.”

What this means for us is that, while the Climate Change Religionists in states like Colorado, California and New York may generally pursue such policies within their own state borders, they may not dictate that policy insanity to the rest of the country.  Rather, our Constitution clearly places that responsibility with the U. S. Congress and President.  I hope the Supreme Court will make that point, yet again, unmistakably clear.

(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. He can be reached at RoyalAlexanderlawfirm@gmail.com .)

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     As of Wednesday, it has been three years since the Hamas terror attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1200 people and started the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. I normally only report on American news, but since this conflict has now cost U.S. taxpayers over 30 billion dollars, with a seemingly endless amount of more money expected by Israel in the future, American citizens deserve to know what is happening over there and what led to this.

     So let’s start with the basics. We all know what happened to the Jewish people during the Holocaust. Not good. Anyway, two years after the end of World War II, the UN wanted to make up for what Germany did to the Jewish people, and wanted to give them their own land, so that they were no longer at the mercy of other countries’ governments. 

     Their solution was to declare that the thousands-of-years-old nation of Palestine be divided into two provinces, a Jewish side, and an Arab side. The Jewish section of the country would be known as Israel, after the Biblical Jewish land. Palestine was chosen as the country to separate because it had a high population of Jewish people already, and Britain had control over the country and was finding it difficult to control the existing tensions between the Arabs and the Jews. Splitting it was a win-win for them, but a nightmare for the citizens. 

     Arab Palestinians were deeply opposed to it, because Israel was allocated around 56% of the total land, even though they made up around 33% of the population and only owned about 6-7% of it. Also, the land was not divided in a half-and-half border that made sense. It was done in a patchwork pattern where one side would have to cross into the other’s side to get to another patch of their own territory. It was always going to be a recipe for disaster. 

     And then in the coming ten years, around one million Jews immigrated to Israel. The Palestinians whose families had owned their houses for generations and chose to stay in what was now Israeli territory were forcibly expelled to make room for the Jewish immigrants, and the ones who did not comply had their houses destroyed. 

     Cue several, several more years of conflict and civil wars and we are brought to more recent times. By this point, things have gotten pretty bad. Palestinians are still salty about being forced out of their homeland, and a lot of Israelis have begun to embrace an idea known as Zionism, which is a belief that the Jewish people have a God-given right to own their ancestral homelands, which encompasses all of Palestine, and areas of Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt. 

     This belief in Zionism caused a lot of Israelis to have hostility toward anyone they believe is residing in their land. As a result, more and more Israelis took to settling outside of Israel, in Palestinian territory. Israel also set up armed blockades for any Palestinian crossing into Israeli territory (as you have to do to get to the other parts of Palestine). These Israeli blockades have been known for their brutality and oppression, even going so far as to confiscate food and medical supplies, because they see Palestinians as intruders, and want to make things so bad and inconvenient on them that they move somewhere else so that Israel can have their land. The quality of life of the Palestinian people worsened rapidly during this time.

     This created the perfect conditions for a radical group called Hamas to take over control of Palestine in 2007. When people are heavily oppressed, they are far more likely to elect someone radical as a sort of “Hail Mary” because normal measures to free themselves have not worked. Hamas is a radical Islamist militia that believes it is their religious duty to stand their ground, protect their land, and keep Israel from taking it. Some of the even more radical members believe that it is also their duty to fight Israel and retake their land, going back to the pre-1947 borders. 

     Which leads us to October 7, 2023. That day, Hamas and its allies sent around 6000 people across the Israeli border and used thousands of rockets in an attack that killed around 1200 people. 

     It’s very important to note right here that Palestine has no government military. Hamas is basically just a militia of armed citizens and donations of military equipment that have been smuggled from other countries and improvised. This is a huge contrast to Israel’s IDF, one of the most sophisticated and well-funded (thanks to us) militaries on the planet. 

     I’ve never experienced the oppression that leads to desperate measures to free themselves such as that sort of violence, so I’m probably just being insensitive, but from the outside looking in, it was a very stupid decision for them to attack a country who was already looking for an excuse to get rid of them.   

     Israel made sure that its full wrath reigned over Palestine in the coming months. Palestine attempted to fight back, its attacks successfully killing around 800 more Israelis. But Israel’s death toll? Over 75,000 people killed, over 175,000 injured, and between 80% to 90% of Palestine’s hospitals, schools, and homes have been destroyed. Satellite image before-and-after’s of the Gaza Strip are harrowing. 

     In addition to these things, Israel has greatly damaged Palestine’s food supply and water treatment plants, and their blockades are now tightly limiting the amount of food that is allowed to enter Palestine, including international attempts at aid, creating mass starvation for the people still alive there. Many of the blockades are also refusing to allow injured Palestinians, even children access to their hospitals, or to bring medicine and medical supplies back into Palestine. 

     This is where things get complicated. How much is too much force? At what point does an unequal war become a genocide? Is how Israel is treating the Palestinians similar to how Nazi Germany treated the Jews? Does Palestine deserve this for the October 7^th attack? You would get a different answer from pretty much anyone you asked.

     I’m sure you have all heard about the children’s entertainer, Ms. Rachel. She has called for Israel to stop the war on behalf of the children on both sides. She claims that as a Christian, it is her duty to speak up for the innocent children that are being harmed in the war. She’s gotten a lot of hate for being so vocal about it but she isn’t wrong. Over 64,000 Palestinian children have been killed or injured since October 7, 2023, and that’s a tragedy no matter what your other views are. I don’t think “We shouldn’t kill children” is a problematic stance.

     Then, of course, came Israeli the claims that the children were only casualties because Hamas uses human shields. They claim that Hamas has hidden its military infrastructure underground below civilian things like schools and hospitals, and that they weren’t actually targeting the schools and hospitals, but instead the underground military sites. Hamas has denied this, and claims that Israel is the one who builds these things under civilian buildings, using their own citizens as human shields. Neither of these things have been able to be confirmed, so we can only speculate about what is true about them. 

      Last month, however, came a bombshell that shook everyone’s understanding of October 7^th. Reports came out that the president of the UAE and multiple Israeli security agencies warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the October 7^th attack at least ten days prior to it happening. Netanyahu, who is up for reelection in just two weeks, has, of course, denied these allegations as “fake news”. 

     But the reports are extremely credible. So if Netanyahu knew about this and did nothing, it would mean that he wanted it to happen. He is a documented Zionist, so he welcomed any opportunity for Israel to wipe them off of “their” land and still look like the good guys. A military attack that he could propagandize as something similar to 9/11 would do just that. He obviously couldn’t bulldoze the country and get away with it. But if it was framed as self-defense, it would be a little easier to sell. But that would mean that he sacrificed those 1200 people who died on October 7^th so that he could get his dream of destroying Palestine and expanding Israel. That’s a bad thing to come out just before election day. 

     Most of the Muslim countries, and even the European Union and the UN have sent aid to Palestine and condemned the actions of Israel. As for Israel’s allies, The United States is by far their largest donor. We have chosen their side unconditionally and given them over $300 billion since they were formed in 1946. Why have we given them so much money? Well, the answer is complicated. 

     In 1909, a study Bible called the Scofield Reference Bible was published, and it introduced to most of America the idea of dispensationalism, the belief that Christians are to support the Jewish people because they are still God’s chosen people. It’s still a popular belief in our country today and is the primary reason for so much support of Israel as a country. 

     Then there’s the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, also known as AIPAC, which is a political organization that funds campaigns for pro-Israel candidates. It is funded primarily by dispensationalist Christians and Jewish citizens, and it has an enormous level of pull in our elections. AIPAC has spent over $221 million on US elections in the past five years, and their candidates have a win rate of approximately 98% and span across both Republicans and Democrats. 

     There is a lot of fair criticism about a political committee with interest in a foreign government influencing our elections, especially where the outcome is candidates who will vote for sending our tax dollars and military tech to that foreign country. I am not unbiased. I am a part of that criticism, because I believe our tax dollars should stay for the betterment of our own country. I also believe that it is hypocritical to accept this because Israel is our ally, when it would be unacceptable if any other country had this much influence over our elections. 

     If Netanyahu truly did not know about October 7^th, then I don’t see an issue with his retaliation to that one attack. However, I think there is a level of respect for humanity that we must maintain, even in wartime. I think Israel went too far on that regard, and the excess punishment that they delivered and are still giving to Palestinians should be seen as the war crime that it is.

     But I don’t see the Israeli-Palestine conflict as entirely their own fault. It was a system set up to fail from the start, and everyone knew it was going to happen eventually. 

     I just wish our tax dollars weren’t paying for it. 

(Taryn Ogletree is a local small business owner and author with previous experience of several years in finance.)

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