This Common Cents column is geared toward young adults – specifically those preparing to finish college or vocational training and embark on the chapter referred to as “adulthood.” Stepping into the working world can be both exciting and a little intimidating, but the habits you build early can shape your entire career – regardless of the field you choose. While talent and intelligence matter, it’s often the simple, practical behaviors that set people apart. 

Below are 10 pieces of advice to help you start strong and build a reputation that opens doors. I recommend that you share these tips with the young folks in your life.

1. Show up early, not just on time.
Arriving early communicates respect, reliability, and eagerness. It gives you a few minutes to settle in, prepare mentally, and start the day with intention. Being “on time” often means you’re already late in a professional setting. 

2. Be productive.
Avoid the temptation to do the bare minimum. Stay focused, limit distractions, and take initiative when you finish a task. Employers notice people who use their time wisely rather than waiting to be told what to do next. Put the cell phone and social media down and lock in on the work you were hired to do.

3. Practice integrity in everything.
Your character matters more than your resume. Be honest, even when it’s inconvenient. Admit mistakes and avoid making excuses or blaming others. Always keep your word, and treat others fairly. Trust is hard to earn and easy to lose, but it’s one of the most valuable assets you can have.

4. Communicate clearly and confidently.
Good communication prevents misunderstandings and builds strong relationships. Ask questions if you’re unsure, speak respectfully, and keep others informed. Whether it’s face-to-face, over the phone, or in writing, clarity and professionalism go a long way. 

5. Look people in the eye.
It may seem simple, but eye contact shows confidence, respect, and attentiveness. When speaking with supervisors, coworkers, or customers, this small habit can make a powerful impression. I taught my children at an early age to shake hands with others, look them in the eye, and actively engage in conversation. Those traits have already opened up opportunities for them. 

6. Go above and beyond expectations.
Don’t settle for “good enough.” Look for ways to exceed expectations, whether it’s double-checking your work, helping a teammate, or offering to take on an extra responsibility. Pick up the piece of litter you see in the company parking lot. Never say, “that’s not my job.” 

7. Be teachable and open to feedback.
You won’t know everything – and that’s OK. Be willing to learn, accept constructive criticism, and improve. People who are coachable tend to grow faster and earn more opportunities over time. If you’re not learning something new every day, you’re doing it wrong.

8. Build strong relationships.
Success is rarely a solo effort. Be kind, approachable, and supportive of others. Remember names, show appreciation, and treat everyone with respect – regardless of their position. The relationships you build early can benefit you for years to come.

9. Avoid drama and gossip.
Trust me, this never ends well. Stay away from chronic complainers and instigators – almost every company has them, and they will drag you down. Never bad mouth the people or place that you work for. If you don’t think what you say eventually gets back to the boss, you’re fooling yourself.

10. Maintain a positive attitude.
Every job has challenges, and not every task will be exciting. A positive attitude helps you push through difficult moments and makes you someone others enjoy working with. Optimism, combined with effort, can turn even small opportunities into meaningful growth.

I’m confident that if you follow the 10 tips above, you’ll have a better chance at a rewarding future. If you focus on being dependable, respectful, and willing to grow, you’ll stand out in any environment. These principles may seem simple, but when practiced consistently, they can lead to extraordinary results over time. My best to you as you take on this new life adventure.

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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By: Jason Pugh, Associate Athletic Director for External Relations

NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State athletic department and Rhodes Properties and Development have partnered to create a unique opportunity for fans and supporters of Demon athletics.

The two entities have combined to present the 2026 Rhodes Properties and Development Demon Dream Home giveaway – a raffle that will see the winner collect a brand-new Rhodes-built home in the Hidden Oak subdivision in Natchitoches, located along Louisiana Highway 3191.

Raffle tickets will be sold for $100 each beginning May 4 and can be purchased through Northwestern athletes or online through www.NSUDemons.com. The live drawing will take place Nov. 6 at Riverside Reserve in Natchitoches with additional prizes awarded at the event.

Proceeds from the raffle will go toward the Northwestern athletic department in support of its student-athletes.

“Working hand-in-hand with Rhodes Properties and Development to bring the Demon Dream Home to life was an easy decision,” Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian said. “Their support of Northwestern State athletics never has been in question, but it has reached another level with this partnership. We are far beyond grateful for Rhodes Properties and Development for their input and expertise in this process.”

The home, valued at $265,000, is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, 1,450-square foot heated building in one of Natchitoches’ newest subdivisions that Rhodes Properties and Development and Rhodes Realty began developing in early 2026. Hidden Oak subdivision is located near Sibley Lake, west of Louisiana Highway 1 in Natchitoches.

“We at Rhodes Properties and Development, alongside Rhodes Realty, understand the importance of the Northwestern State athletic program to the Natchitoches community,” Rhodes Properties and Development owners and operators James and Justin Rhodes said. “We believe in the vision of Northwestern State athletics and where it is going. We presented this opportunity to Kevin as our way to support nearly 400 student-athletes as well as the coaches and staff members with whom we have developed relationships. The vendors who will help us bring this home to life share that same vision. Being involved in all facets of this project allows us to continue to demonstrate our commitment to Northwestern State and Natchitoches.”

Purchase Raffle Tickets: https://nsudemons.com/

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Bacon is one of the few things on earth that a man can use to measure whether he’s home or not. After eight weeks of European breakfasts, I needed three mornings in a row at table 19 in the Midtowner before the question got settled. The bacon here is cooked the way bacon was meant to be cooked — crisp at the edges, no microwave shortcuts, not the almost-raw European ham-like floppy pork I ate for the better part of two months. Bacon, done right.

The Europeans have us beat on a few things. Olive oil. Old masters. Pasta dishes. The general willingness to spend two hours on a meal that probably didn’t need to take more than thirty minutes. Fair enough, no argument from this writer. But pancakes and bacon are ours, and it isn’t even close. Eight weeks of European breakfasts and I’m here to tell you the cold cuts and baked beans do not stack up. Not even close.

I started two hundred miles above the Arctic Circle in early March. And was two hundred miles above Africa by late April. London and Milan and a month in Tuscany were sandwiched in between. Five Yonderlust groups along the way — a veteran group through Sweden, Denmark, and Norway to start. Three new groups in Tuscany after that. A short Easter break to catch my breath, and a veteran group again in Portugal to close it out.

Came home grateful. Grateful for table 19. Grateful for the parking spot that’s always waiting on me in front of the restaurant at 6:45. Grateful for the team back home that ran five restaurants and two bars without missing a beat while I was off staring at a fjord. Grateful for a family who puts up with my weird schedule and numerous eccentricities. Grateful, frankly, that any of this is the life I get to live.

A morning like this one will get a man thinking.

Two months on the road has a way of stirring up the questions one tries not to ask. Now I’m back at table 19 with three glasses of iced tea (man, I miss iced tea) and the same question is still waiting on me.

What scares me isn’t failure. It’s living a life that never really mattered. Falling short doesn’t keep me up at night. Playing small does. Standing before God one day knowing I played it safe when I was called to live fully — that’s the one that does.

For years, I didn’t have a name for that particular fear, until I heard someone on a podcast last year tag it as “the fear of an unlived life.” That phrase has stayed with me. The unlived life haunts me because it isn’t built in one big surrender. It’s built one small compromise at a time, one day at a time, until one day becomes a lifetime.

Gifts buried. Words unsaid. Work undone. Comfort crowding out purpose. That’s the version of my life I’m fighting against — every morning, every decision, every yes and every no.

The real loss isn’t losing. It’s never stepping into the life I was meant to live. I’m not here to coast. I’m here to go all the way.

I’m sixty-four years old now. Working harder than I worked at 34, and I worked hard at 34. I don’t know whether that’s age tightening up the calendar or whether I’m just more plugged in to the work than I used to be. Probably a little of both. The years feel shorter and the list feels longer, and that combination tends to make a man pick up the pace.

The actuarial tables give me about fifteen more years. The insurance people peg me right around 79. With all due respect to the bean counters, I’m not interested in those numbers. My goal is a healthy 100. That isn’t me being cute — that’s an actual plan. Eat better. Move more. Sleep well. A plan, not a wish.

That isn’t fifteen summers left. That’s thirty-six. More restaurants to open. More countries to discover. More mornings at table 19. More opportunities to hand to the next generation of people who work with me. The well isn’t anywhere close to dry.

I’m blessed to love what I do — and I mean that. Restaurants, podcasts, books, tours. Over 1,500 Yonderlusters across 10 years. A team I trust enough to leave for eight weeks at a time. Most people don’t get to say any of that. 

I don’t take any of it for granted.

Plenty of folks can’t travel. Health, money, the season of life they’re in, kids at home, jobs that don’t allow for it — the reasons are real, and I’m not preaching from a villa. Travel isn’t the only road out of the unlived life. It’s just one of mine.

A friend told me once about a guy he knows whose entire borders end at Oxford and Destin. Everything he’s ever wanted lives in the space between. Granted, those are not bad borders. Oxford is charming and Destin’s beaches are some of the best, anywhere. But the borders are the borders. He’s stayed inside them his whole life and never wanted out.

Some of us are wired to keep pushing the line. I’m one of them.

Travel does things to a person that books and podcasts can’t. It makes you smaller in the best ways. Stand inside a 12th century church in Tuscany and your problems back home stop looking quite so big. Sit at a long table in Norway with the aurora borealis pulsing green over the roof of the lodge while nobody at the table says a word, and the existence of God stops being a question.

Watching the world from a couch in front of a TV and standing in the middle of it are not the same thing. Not even close.

The world is bigger and warmer than cable news will ever let you believe. You come home different. Quieter than you were. More likely to pick up the phone and call somebody you’ve been meaning to call for two years.

The unlived life is built out of small nos. No to the trip. No to the unfamiliar table. No to the stranger who could have become a close friend. It’s a life narrowed down to six square miles and ten familiar meals, and it shrinks quietly until there’s nothing left to shrink.

Travel is the opposite of all of that. Every trip is a yes. Yes to discomfort. Yes to people you haven’t met. Yes to food you can’t pronounce and a language you don’t speak. You can’t coast through a week in Portugal the way you can coast through a Tuesday back home. Travel demands your attention, and attention is the first thing the unlived life surrenders.

There’s also this. A week on a good trip leaves more memory behind than three months of ordinary life. The unlived life travels light on memory. The lived life is loaded with it. Travel is one of the few reliable ways to add weight to the record.

And travel is practice in saying yes. You book the flight. You get on the plane. You sit down and share a meal with people you don’t know who, within a matter of days, will become friends. Every one of those yeses is a rehearsal for the bigger yeses — the calling, the risk, the thing you’ve been putting off for fifteen years.

That’s the bridge. Fear the unlived life, and travel is one of the answers. Not the cure. Not even close. But a good and faithful start.

Back at table 19. The bacon is gone. The waitress refilled my tea glass three times without being asked (they know me well). Thirty-six summers left, give or take. Plenty of time, and not near enough.

I came home grateful. Always do.

Onward.

Minestrone Soup

I created a version of this in the early days of the Purple Parrot Café in the late 1980s. When we opened Tabella, I revised it and it’s a regular menu item.
¼ c. Pure olive oil
1 ½ c. Onion, diced
1 ½ c. Carrot, diced
1 c. Celery, diced
½ c. Garlic, minced
¼ c. Kosher salt
1 tsp Dried basil
1 tsp Dried oregano
½ tsp Dried thyme
2 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
¼ tsp Crushed red pepper
2 ea. Bay leaf
2 TB Balsamic vinegar
½ c. White wine
¼ c. Tomato paste
2 ea. 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes, chopped
1 gal. Vegetable Stock 
2 c. Zucchini, medium dice
2 c. Yellow squash, medium dice
1 ea 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed, drained
2 ea 15 oz. can kidney or cannelloni beans, drained
¼ c. Pesto 
1 TB Worcestershire sauce

Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
Add onions, carrots, celery, salt, peppers, basil, oregano, thyme and bay leaves. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add wine and balsamic vinegar.  Continue cooking for 3 minutes.
Add tomato paste and cook 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly, being careful not to let it burn.
Add canned tomatoes and chicken stock. Simmer for 1 hour.
Add zucchini, squash, spinach and kidney beans and cook for 8 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in pesto and Worcestershire.

Yield: 1 gallon

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

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By Brad Dison

Peace River K9 Search and Rescue is a non-profit corporation located in Englewood, Florida, dedicated to providing a professional highly trained search and rescue team for the rapid, effective, and safe return of lost or missing persons.  PRSR uses every tool available to them to find people including but not limited to human searchers, tracking dogs, boats, jet skis, helicopters, remote control airplanes, and drones. 

Since 2016, Michael Hadsell has worked as a forensic diver for PRSR.  When not on a rescue mission, Michael trains dogs how to sniff out humans.  Michael and the other K-9 searchers know that the major drawback for searches with dogs is that they lose the scent trail at the water’s edge.  From there, search and rescue divers don scuba equipment and continue the underwater search by sight and, in murky water, by feel.  Then, Michael began training a four-month-old pup named Splash.  As the name implies, Splash loves the water.  He seems to feel most comfortable when in the water.  Unlike the other dogs used by the PRSR, Splash’s unique senses allow him to, as Michael described it, “‘taste’ the bubbles in the water for a human scent.”  Splash spent about three months on scent training following months of conditioning and other training such as deployments from land and boat, and with Michael in the water and with Michael remaining on land.

When Michael and his team begin a search, they use their K-9 dogs to track a scent to the water’s edge.  Once a dog alerts on a spot, Michael unleashes Splash at that location.  Splash swims around, blows bubbles, and then tastes the bubbles.  He continues this bubble tasting routine always in search of a stronger scent which can lead him to the source, usually the remains of a missing person.  Once he finds the source, he alerts by making a squeaking sound.  Then, he leads divers to the location.  As of February of 2026, Splash has been deployed on 27 missions nationwide and has had six confirmed finds.  Now two years old, Splash has grown from a pup to an adult dog, but he is different than the dogs you and I keep as pets.  This dog named Splash is a full grown Asian small-clawed otter.

Sources:

1.     “Explore Peace River,” Florida State Parks, accessed April 19, 2026, https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/explore-peace-river.

2.     “Peace River Search and Rescue, Inc.” prsar.org, accessed April 19, 2026, https://www.prsar.org/.

3.     “Otter trained in water search rescue has 6 confirmed finds,” WQAD News 8, February 8, 2026, accessed April 19, 2026, https://youtu.be/g8VwkMTmpV8?si=UbcV3dxtkogSLkeG.

4.     Caroline Fanning, “Where Dogs Can’t Sniff, This Otter Dives In,” Reader’s Digest, February/March 2026, p.12.

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Wednesday

A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Calm wind becoming north around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Wednesday Night

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., then a chance of showers after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Thursday

A 40 percent chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 71. Northeast wind around 10 mph.

Thursday Night

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.

Friday

Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1 p.m. High near 61. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.

Friday Night

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1 a.m., then a slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.

Saturday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.

*Information provided by National Weather Service.

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

May 2

9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Lakeview Methodist Church, annual, “Come Grow With Us,” plant/art sale benefiting Lakeview Preschool at Turner’s Pond.

W.H.O. Golf Fiesta 2026, Springhill Golf Course. Register here: whoofnorthwebster.org/golf .

May 7

7:30 a.m., City-Wide National Day of Prayer, Jacqueline Park, 396 Main Street, Minden. Also time capsule burial ceremony as part of the City of Minden’s 190th anniversary celebration.

6:30 p.m. National Day of Prayer Gathering, Pine Grove Methodist Church.

May 9

2:30 p.m., “Meet and Greet” and special music. St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1107 Broadway, Minden.

7 p.m. Piney Woods Jamboree in the CAC building, Springhill. Special guests will be Caleb Williams, Thomas Wooley and Tamera Mathers.

May 30

3:30 p.m. doors open; 4:30 p.m. games start, LaMa Animal Rescue Game Night, Springhill Civic Center, $20 for games, BINGO, purse raffle, dessert auction, concessions Split the Pot and door prizes.

June 20

8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Men’s Wellness Fair, presented by Healing from the Heart LLC. Minden Recreation Center.

June 21

8 a.m. until a p.m., service at 10:45 a.m., Men’s Wellness Fair weekend continues, New Light Baptist Church, Minden. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at eventbrite or at the door.

June 22 – 26

9 a.m. until noon, Earth Camp 2026 at The Farm of Cultural Crossroads, Minden, ages 6 through 9.

1 p.m. until 3 p.m., ages 10 through 16.

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Word of the Day: Boondoggle
Phonetic: /BOON-dah-gu/
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition
A boondoggle is an expensive and wasteful project usually paid for with public money. Boondoggle is also a word for a braided cord worn by Boy Scouts as a neckerchief slide, hatband, or ornament.

Critics say the dam is a complete boondoggle—over budget, behind schedule, and unnecessary.

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Play Sudoku online!

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Anita L. Harkness
February 6, 1937 — April 28, 2026
Minden, La.
Visitation: 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, 2026, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden.
Funeral service: 2 p.m., immediately following visitation.
Burial: Gardens of Memory Cemetery, Minden.

Dee Anne “Dee Dee” Smith
June 2, 1966  –  April 25, 2026
Springhill, La.
Visitation: noon until 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, 2006, Bailey funeral Home, Springhill.
Graveside service: 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Springhill Cemetery.

Kirby Samuel Adams
February 11, 1956  –  April 23, 2026
Texarkana, Texas/Springhill, La.
Visitation: 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill.
Graveside service: 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Springhill Cemetery, Springhill.

Huey Calvin Ratliff
October 29, 1934  –  April 24, 2026
Sarepta, La.
Visitation: 1 p.m. Saturday, May 2, 2026, Central Baptist Church, Springhill, La.
Funeral service: 2 p.m., immediately following visitation.
Burial: Union Springs Cemetery, Shongaloo, La., under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill.

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 Jerry Strahan
The National Weather Service in Shreveport in association with the Severe Storms Forecast Lab has issued a tornado watch for Webster Parish from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. today (Tuesday)

Looking at the models, we have a 3 percent chance of a tornado,  4 percent change of large hail and 6 percent of damaging winds. 
Heavy rain can lead to flooding in highways and streets. Our *CAPE is intensifying. 

We have the potential for more rounds of severe weather throughout the week.

*CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) is a measure of atmospheric instability representing the “fuel” available for thunderstorm development.

(Jerry Strahan was a first responder in fire and emergency services for almost 45 years. He lives in north Webster Parish and has written weather articles for other publications.)

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By Webster Parish Journal Staff

Financial problems apparently continue for Allegiance Health Management-owned Minden Medical Center with another pair of court filings, including one for reportedly failing to pay federal withholding taxes.

A lawsuit was filed Thursday, April 23 in the Webster Parish Clerk of Court’s office against PHC-Minden (Minden Medical Center) by Sleep Specialists No. 3, LLC, a Jefferson Parish-based company.

Records show the suit seeks $132,575.68 (plus judicial interest, court costs, attorney fees) for unpaid invoices from April, 2025 through December, 2025.

According to the suit, final demand for payment was made on March 26, 2026 and the outstanding balance remains unpaid.

Sleep Specialists operated the sleep disorder diagnostic clinic until Dec., 2025. Contract called for $635 per sleep study performed at their Minden clinic and $150 per study performed at patient’s home.

Also, MMC is the subject of a federal tax lien (No. 60-368733)  filed April 7 for unpaid taxes for period ending Sept. 30, 2025 totaling $1,484,855.60.

Filings show failure to pay IRS form 941, the employer’s quarterly federal tax returns to report federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare taxes withheld from employee paychecks, along with the employer’s share of FICA taxes.

Included in the total owed is $197,400 for federal tax 6721, failure to file correct information returns.

Federal tax 6721 is an IRS civil penalty imposed on businesses and individuals for failing to file accurate information returns (e.g., Forms W-2, 1099, 940, 941) by the deadline, or for submitting incomplete/incorrect information. 

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By Pat Culverhouse

A Minden woman has jumped from the frying pan into the fire after turning a cooking utensil into a weapon during an alleged domestic dispute.

Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said 37-year-old Jessica M. Alley is facing a charge of domestic abuse battery-use of a dangerous weapon with child endangerment following the Sunday incident.

She is being held in the parish jail.  No bond has been set.

Parish deputies responded to a reported domestic incident at a residence in the 16000 block of Hwy. 80 where they were told Alley had allegedly struck her husband in the head with an eight-inch cast iron skillet.

During questioning, Alley reportedly claimed her husband had first sprayed her in the face with a cleaning agent. Further investigation reportedly revealed Alley had first sprayed her husband, who then took away the can and sprayed her.

At that time, Alley reportedly struck her husband with the skillet. The couple’s juvenile son reportedly was present, witnessed the incident and provided a verbal statement to deputies.

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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Quotes by Steve Dougherty, Wall Street Journal

Alison Krauss is probably one of the most renowned “Bluegrass” singers and musicians in the world. When she performs in concert at 7:30 Wednesday evening at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, she’ll be welcoming a family group from Cotton Valley, LA – the Cox Family – to perform as her opening act.

After all, she’s known the Cox family since she was 16. They are like family to the Decatur, Illinois native.

Steve Dougherty, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, quoted Ms. Krauss as saying, “Music is a byproduct for that family. They are fierce lovers of each other. They have the kind of family ties that we all long for.”

Krauss is also a music producer, and her collaboration with The Cox Family on “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow” led to a Grammy-winning album.

So how did the Illinois Bluegrass performer meet the rural Louisiana family group? According to Dougherty, they met at the same time Suzanne Cox was celebrating her 21^st birthday in 1987.

“The year before, Ms. Krauss heard a snippet of a recording made by her banjo player at a Bluegrass festival in Hannibal, MO,” said Dougherty. “She (Krauss) was 15 years old at the time, an up-and-coming singer and fiddle player who was already signed to a Rounder Records contract. She became intrigued by the tape of the Cox Family singing ‘Cry Baby Cry’ (a song by Sidney Cox that the group and Ms. Krauss would later record).”

“Group leader Willard Cox was heard on the tape introducing each of his children to the audience,” Dougherty said.

“I remember being fascinated equally by the singing and the songs, as by the introductions of the family and the way Willard talked,” Alison said. “He would say ‘stuff’ and they would laugh. You could barely understand what Suzanne Cox said, her accent was so thick.”

When she learned that she and the Cox Family were both booked to appear at the Mitchell Family Bluegrass Festival in Perrin, Texas in early June the following year, Ms. Krauss said, “Oh my gosh, I was counting down the months.”

“Finally we got down there,” she recalled. “I got up early and I’m walking around the festival campground trying to find them. I don’t know what they look like and nobody’s awake. How goofy! I must have looked like a crazy person. Finally, I found someone” and she asked if they knew the Cox family. They did.

“I knocked on the door of the camper, and we’ve been going along ever since.”

The Northwest Louisiana Walk of Stars honored The Cox Family with one of its highest distinctions on Monday, recognizing the music group’s enduring influence on bluegrass, gospel, and country music and its deep ties to the region.

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Members of the Archery Shooters Association (ASA) set-up and operational crews, along with Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center warden, deputies and working inmates as well as other special guests were treated to crawfish during a dinner Friday night at Camp Minden.

According to Johnnye Kennon, Director of Community Affairs, crawfish were supplied by Louisiana Seafood Association and prepared by Seafood Empire of Minden.

Joseph Lee and Friends brought the music.

Thousands of archers and enthusiasts from across the country descended on Camp Minden Thursday through Saturday (April 23-25) as the annual ASA Easton/Hoyt Pro/Am held its fifth year of competition at the site. The group signed a 10-year contract to host the event at Camp Minden which brings in competitors and their families and makes a huge economic impact to the area.

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By Pat Culverhouse

Pulling a gun and threatening his girlfriend has put a 27-year-old Sarepta man in the parish prison on domestic and assault charges.

Justin Kayne McKinney reportedly was arrested at his Caraway Lane residence Sunday by Webster Parish deputies responding to a call of an active domestic incident, according to Sheriff Jason Parker.

McKinney is being held at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center where he is charged with domestic abuse battery with child endangerment and aggravated assault with a firearm. His bond reportedly has been set at $30,000.

WPSO Sgt. Hannah Baker reportedly arrived at the residence early Sunday morning in response to a call claiming McKinney had a gun and was threatening to kill his girlfriend and himself.

On arrival, the deputy reportedly heard McKinney and his girlfriend arguing inside. McKinney was successfully ordered out of the residence where he was arrested without incident.

During questioning, deputies were told McKinney had pointed a gun toward the girlfriend and threatened to kill her. During the confrontation, McKinney allegedly struck the woman in the temple with a closed fist.

Deputies learned the couple’s young child was inside the residence during the alleged confrontation.

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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By Jerry Strahan

The following is the weather summary for Springhill. 
April
20:  Low was 44F high was 75F
21:  Low was 46F high was 75F 
22: Low was 50F high was 78F     
23: Low was 63F high was 80F
24: Low was 64F high was 80F
25: Low was 64F high was 75F 
26:  Low was 64F high was 75F. 

The following is the weather summary for Minden 
April
20: Low was 47F high was 75F 
21: Low was 48F high was 75F 
22: Low was 50F high was 72F
23: Low was 62F high was 81F
24: Low was 63F high was 80F 
25: Low was 64F high was 80F 
26: Low was 66 F high was 75F 

Rainfall on the 23rd 24 100s of an inch for Springhill.

Rainfall for Minden was 70 100s of an inch.  All rainfall readingsare taken each morning at 7 a.m. CST for the previous 24 hours. 

On the 24th we had a severe thunderstorm warning for Webster Parish (see attached radar) with 111 lightning strikes per minute. Rainfall in Springhill was 07 100s of an inch.  Minden was 22 100s of an inch. This was associated with the severe thunderstorm. 

Extended forecast.  From Monday to Saturday, May 2. 
A chance of thunderstorms each day.  Highs will be in the upper 70s to low 80s from the thunderstorms and cloud cover.

On Saturday, May 2 a cold front is forecast to enter Webster Parish. Lows should be in the upper 40s to low 50s. Highs should be in the middle 60s to lower 70s. 

If I see any of the severe weather of any significance, I will let you readers know.

(Jerry Strahan was a first responder in fire and emergency services for almost 45 years. He lives in north Webster Parish and has written weather articles for other publications.)

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The Village of Dixie Inn is seeking an Assistant Clerk. See job duties below. Send resume to clerk@villageofdixieinn.com or mayor@villageofdixieinn.com .

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Glenbrook’s Savannah Mangrum hurled a three-hit gem Saturday, shutting out the defending state champions Holy Savior Menard 6-0 and sending the Lady Apaches to the LHSAA Division IV Select semifinals in Sulphur.

A six-run explosion in the third inning was all it took to put the number two seed Lady Apaches into a Friday matchup
with 14-seed St. Frederick at Frasch Park.

After Holy Savior’s starter walked the bases loaded in the third, Ellie Earnhardt drove in two runs with a single and Hallie Sutton followed with a run-scoring double. Chloe Gregg’s sacrifice fly pushed across one more and RBI singles by Kenzie Smith and

Anna Grace Vining capped the scoring.

Earnhardt and Smith each collected two hits for the Lady Apaches while Vining, Sutton and Gracie Heard added one hit apiece.

Kaylee Methvin took the loss for Holy Savior Menard’s Lady Eagles. She went six innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking three. Addy Wright went 2-for-3 at the plate for Holy Savior.

Glenbrook upped its record to 24-6 on the season with Saturday’s win. St. Frederick, which knocked off sixth-seeded Sacred Heart by a 10-8 score to advance, comes into the tournament with a 20-13 record.

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Things didn’t end well for high school baseball at historic Griffith Stadium as the Minden Crimson Tide dropped a Saturday double header to the Iota Bulldogs, ending the Tide’s state playoff run.

Iota, the number nine seed in Division II Non-Select, swept the eight-seed Tide 8-1 and 8-4 to take the best-of-three series and send the Bulldogs into the next round.

Minden took the first game of the series on Friday by 5-4 when Landon Brewer walked the Tide off with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh. Brewer’s game winner came following singles by Barron Bower and Bray Winston.

Brewer also had a game-tying home run win the bottom of the third.

In Saturday’s first game, Iota got all the runs it would need on a two-RBI single off the bat of Reece Dommert. The Bulldogs went up 5-0 in the third before the Tide could get on the scoreboard.

Brewer continued his hot hitting in the playoffs with another two hits. Keegan Pope and Jaxon Smith had the only other hits for the Tide.

In Saturday’s clincher, Minden took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Hudson Brown, the first of his two hits on the day.

That lead lasted only one inning as Iota came storming back with seven runs in the top of the fifth to put the game away. The Tide managed two in the bottom the sixth and one the seventh, but the Bulldogs came away with the 8-4 win and a trip to the next round.

Brown and Keegan Pope had a pair of hits each. Dakota Street and Brewer, who was walked twice intentionally, had one hit apiece.

Minden closed its season at 23-13.

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Lakeside’s Lady Warriors fell short Thursday, losing to Grand Lake 3-1 in the state LHSAA playoff quarterfinals.

Ella Wood, Lakeside’s starting pitcher, surrendered only two hits but was the victim of three unearned runs in the loss.

Emily Jones led the Lady Warriors with two hits as Lakeside outhit Grand Lake four to two.

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Dorcheat-Bistineau Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution met in April at the Webster Parish Library. Our hostesses for this meeting were Margaret Evans, Libbey Watkins, and Linda Wood. They provided three tables filled with refreshments, and gave a large platter of cookies to the library staff.

Our special guest for this meeting was State Regent Katie Collins. Katie gave a presentation about her State Project. The project will begin with the preservation of the Don Juan Fihoil sword. Fihoil was the founder of Monroe, and was a soldier for General Galvez during the Revolutionary War. After the war, he was presented with a ceremonial sword. A grandson donated it to the Ouachita Parish Courthouse where it hung for over 140 years. The sword will be cleaned, and then it will be placed in the Chenault Aviation Museum. The museum is being restored, and it will include a new American Revolution Room where the sword will be displayed.

Katie is also helping restore the 1816 Clerk of Court’s Office, which is the oldest building in Ouachita Parish.  It is located on the southeast corner of the present courthouse square in Monroe, on land that was donated by Don Juan Fihoil. The site was originally part of Fort Miro, the first parish seat, which was renamed Monroe in 1819 after the arrival of the steamboat “James Monroe.” Katie is working with the Historical Preservation Board and the City of Monroe to write a grant for this $100,000 restoration project. After its completion, the DAR President General will be invited to attend the ribbon cutting.

After Katie’s presentation, our Chapter Regent Donna Sutton presented her with a beautiful hydrangea plant in a spring basket from Minden Floral, and a donation to help fund her project. Because Donna was the first chapter regent in the state to donate to the project, Katie presented her with a pin that is a replica of the Don Juan Fihoil sword. She will also provide our chapter with a native tree to plant for America 250.

Our Chapter Regent attended a district regents’ meeting at the Bossier Parish Library. For Library Appreciation Month, the district regents presented the library staff with refreshments and a Certificate of Appreciation.  She also represented our chapter at a Galvez Chapter Sons of the American Revolution wreath ceremony honoring Jethro Butler, a Revolutionary War patriot buried in Hebron Church Cemetery near Summerfield in Claiborne Parish. Jethro served as a Private, fifer, and spy in the South Carolina troops. He fought in numerous battles from 1775 – 1781 and was taken prisoner during an expedition to Florida. He was then commissioned to Captain in the South Carolina Militia. After the war, he migrated to Louisiana via Georgia and Mississippi. Many of his descendants still live in the area.

DAR is a volunteer organization dedicated to education, patriotism, and historic preservation. Any woman age 18 years or older who can prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence from Great Britain during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) is eligible to join DAR. For more information, contact us at dorcheatbistineau@yahoo.com

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There are days I catch myself sounding exactly like my mom and I have to laugh, because if you’d asked 8-year-old me in the 90s, I would’ve sworn that would NEVER happen.

My mom raised me in a time when parenting felt… simpler. Not easier, just simpler. In the 90s, she didn’t have Google to second-guess her every decision. There were no Facebook mom groups, no TikTok trends telling her what she was doing wrong, no 24/7 access to every worst-case scenario imaginable. She had instinct, a landline and maybe a pediatrician she trusted.

And somehow, my sisters and I survived.

I grew up riding bikes with my cousins until the streetlights came on, drinking out of the water hose like it was a five-star beverage, and knocking on friends’ doors without texting first (because… we couldn’t). My mom didn’t track my every move. She trusted the world a little more… and maybe trusted me a little more, too.

Now here I am, raising girls in 2026, and whew… it’s a whole different ball game!

My kids don’t just grow up in a neighborhood… They grow up online. Their world is bigger, louder, faster and way more complicated than mine ever was. There are apps I have to monitor, conversations I have to explain earlier than I ever expected, and pressures they face that didn’t even exist when I was their age.

Back then, comparison was limited to who had the coolest Lisa Frank folder. Now? It’s constant, curated, filtered and it’s everywhere.

And if I’m being honest, sometimes it’s exhausting trying to keep up with it all while still holding onto the kind of childhood I want them to have. Because deep down, I want them to have a little 90s magic.

I want scraped knees and imagination. I want boredom that turns into creativity. I want laughter that isn’t for a camera and memories that don’t need a caption. But I also know I can’t raise them exactly the way I was raised because sadly the world isn’t the same.

So I find myself walking this tightrope between two generations.

Part of me is my mom… telling them to go outside, figure it out, be kids. And part of me is very much a 2026 mom… checking locations, setting screen limits and having conversations my mom didn’t have to think about until much later.

And here’s what I’ve realized…

My mom wasn’t a great mom because of the decade she raised me in.

She was a great mom because she loved me, trusted herself and showed up every single day.

That part hasn’t changed.

The tools look different. The challenges are louder. The expectations feel heavier, but at the core of it, motherhood is still motherhood.

It’s still late nights and early mornings. It’s still worrying if you’re doing enough (or doing too much). It’s still hoping that one day your kids look back and say, “She did her best… and it was exactly what I needed.”

So maybe I’m not raising my girls in the 90s, but if I can give them even a piece of what my mom gave me… freedom, love and a safe place to land, then I think I’m doing alright.

And if I catch myself sounding like her along the way? Honestly… I’ll take that as a win.

(Paige Gurgainers is a mother of three girls, and a digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal.)

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United Christian Assistance Program has the following needs:

Food: Canned meats, pasta, pasta sauce, cornbread mix, biscuit mix

Household Goods: towels, pots & pans, twin & queen sheets

Clothing: men’s shoes and boots

Thanks to all for supporting UCAP!!

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

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