MANY, La – Congratulations to the Many High School Tigers on their Championship title for Fishing! 

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The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office is seeking information on then whereabouts of a man wanted for multiple violent crimes. The notice was made to the Many and Zwolle areas on Tuesday, March 30th around 11am. He is also said to have ties to the Shreveport area. 

Note: The suspect, Ladonta Deshannon Carter, is considered Armed and Dangerous. 

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Some restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Louisiana, including strict occupancy restrictions for bars and restaurants, will be eased this week following sustained improvements in COVID-19 hospitalizations and vaccinations, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced on March 30. Social distancing of six feet will still be required in businesses and Louisiana’s statewide mask mandate remains in place.

“At this point in the pandemic, our three best tools for slowing the spread of COVID-19 and keeping our hospitals operational are vaccinations, masks and distance,” Gov. Edwards said. “Right now, we have fewer people hospitalized with COVID-19 than we did this time last year, and we have a greatly improved supply of three highly effective and safe COVID-19 vaccines, which are available to everyone 16 and older in Louisiana. While COVID-19 and its variants remain a major public health risk, using the tools of vaccination, masking and distancing, we can keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. At least 20 states and one region of Louisiana are experiencing an increase in cases and hospitalizations, likely because of the U.K. variant. We aren’t yet out of the woods.

“Vaccination is the best way we have to put this pandemic in our rearview mirror. While we work to vaccinate even more of our neighbors, now more than ever it is critical that people wear facemasks when they are in public and keep six feet of social distance between them and anyone who isn’t in their immediate household,” Gov. Edwards said. “Today we are taking an important step forward, but all of us play a role in making sure our cases don’t spike again. Get your vaccine now that it’s your turn and help your friends and family members get their shots as well. Working together, we can bring back Louisiana.”

The Governor’s updated public health emergency order keeps requirements for six feet of social distancing in all businesses, as well as other mitigation measures deemed necessary by the Louisiana Department of Health and the State Fire Marshal.  The order runs for 28 days and expires on April 28, 2021.

The Governor’s updated order removes the limitations on when bars and restaurants may serve alcohol, defaulting to local ordinances. People younger than 21 are still not allowed inside bars and bars are only allowed to provide patrons with socially distanced seated service, under the new order.

Salons and beauty shops, gyms and fitness centers, malls and casinos also will not have capacity limits, though social distancing and the mask mandate remain in place along with any other additional measures that may be required by the State Fire Marshal.

Businesses and venues that host larger gatherings, like reception halls, will remain capped at 50 percent of their capacity, with a maximum gathering size of not more than 500 people indoors and strict social distancing. Outdoor events will be capped at 50 percent capacity and social distancing is also required. Some events may require prior approval by the State Fire Marshal. 

Indoor and outdoor sporting events will be limited to 50 percent of their capacity, with social distancing. Masks are required under all circumstances.

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Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office attended a domestic violence training class on Friday, March 26th. The class, hosted by Project Celebration, is designed to better prepare them for domestic violence situations.

Luci Collins and Janet Arnold talked with deputies about the importance of thorough investigations of domestic violence and sexual assaults.

It takes an average of 8 incidents of abuse before a victim will decide to leave his/her abuser. Domestic violence has no race or gender.

The Sheriff’s Office thanks PCI for helping us investigate domestic violence cases, providing services for victims and keeping us informed of the latest trends and statistics.

SOURCE: SPSO

Officers in Sabine Parish celebrated the birthdays of local kids with a party on Friday, March 26th.

Sabine Parish Sheriff Detectives, Deputies and School Resource Officers joined Chief Deputy Brad Walker at Apollo Plaza Apartments Friday afternoon to help celebrate the March birthdays.

Manager Lisa Scaife provided cake, hotdogs, chips, the Sheriff’s Office provided donuts and drinks, and PCI provided candy and coloring books.

Central Sabine Fire Department brought the fire truck and Many Police Department and Many Mayor Robert Hable were also in attendance.

It was great to interact with the kids and hand out Junior Deputy Stickers and other trinkets.

Sheriff Aaron Mitchell thanks everyone who took part and made this event possible.

SOURCE: SPSO

By Brad Dison

It was the largest ship afloat. At over 800 feet in length, nearly three football fields long, it was a floating city. Its engineers used cutting edge technology in every facet of its design. It was considered to be the fastest and safest ship afloat. Each officer aboard the ship was hand-picked based on his prior service record and on a rigid seamanship examination which focused on sea currents, tides, geography, and wind. Its crew was also hand-picked based on the strictest of criteria. The ship boasted two brass bands, two orchestras, and a theatrical company. It had a company of physicians and fireman in case of emergencies.

Engineers designed the ship with nineteen water-tight compartments which could be closed in thirty seconds by simply turning a single lever. Engineers designed the doors of the water-tight compartments in such a way that they would close automatically if they came into contact with rushing water. The ship could stay afloat even if as many as nine of the nineteen compartments flooded. Many people, including its designers, builders, and owners, considered the ship to be unsinkable.

Engineers designed the ship specifically for passenger traffic with every known convenience and comfort imaginable. Every possible amenity was made available to first-class passengers, fewer amenities for second-class passengers, and even fewer for third-class. The likelihood of the ship being destroyed by fire was unimaginable because the ship would not transport combustible cargo. Due to all of the ship’s safety features which rendered it practically unsinkable, the ship carried only twenty-four lifeboats, the number required by law. Cumbersome lifeboats detracted from the travelers’ views of the ocean. Similarly, the ship carried only the number of cork lifejackets required by law. Only about two dozen circular life-buoys decorated the decks of the ship. The buoys were almost considered decorations rather than life-saving devices.

Engineers determined that the ship was safest when traveling at full speed whether in calm waters, in fog, or during storms, for at least four reasons. First, if the ship struck another vessel, the force of the impact would be distributed over a larger area if it was traveling at full speed. Due to the strength of the ship’s construction, the other vessel would sustain the brunt of the damage. Second, due to the ship’s speed, weight, and construction, it would almost certainly destroy the other vessel, probably cut it in two, if traveling at full speed while only receiving damages that could be easily remedied with a paint brush. Traveling at only half speed, the ship would sustain more damages to its bows. Third, at full speed the ship could more easily steer itself out of danger than at half speed. Forth, in case of striking an iceberg, the ships bows would only be crushed in a few feet further at full speed than at half speed. At most, only three of the water-tight compartments would flood, which left six to spare before the ship was in danger of sinking.

On a cold, April night, the ship sailed at full speed in a dense fog in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the bowels of the great ship, members of the black gang, crewmen who garnered the nickname because they were covered with sweat and coal dust, moved coal by shovel and cart into one of the numerous furnaces. The passengers, oblivious to the workers toiling away below, enjoyed a variety of music, food, and other forms of entertainment. Some passengers sat in steamer chairs along the decks in the chilly, salty air.

In the crow’s nest, the highest lookout point on the ship, a single crewman struggled to spot any sign of danger in the thick fog. Most of the passengers were well asleep by this point. “All’s well,” the crewman shouted from the crow’s nest at exactly 1 a.m. At 2 a.m., the crewman in the crow’s nest called out “All’s well,” again. He yelled the same at 3 a.m. A few minutes after 3 a.m., the crewman in the crow’s nest yelled that there was something ahead that he was unable to make out. In the thick fog, the crewman could only make out the faintest outline. He yelled to officers below that it must be another ship. The crewmen tried to turn the ship to avoid a collision, but it was too late. Then the crewmen saw that it was not another ship but a large iceberg. The ship made only a slight shudder when it struck the iceberg. Most of the passengers were unaware that they had struck anything. The ship’s crew was only slightly concerned because the ship was unsinkable.

Conditions on the ship quickly spiraled out of control. Water quickly filled one water-tight compartment after another. The ship began to list. Passengers were awakened by the numerous sounds of plates, glasses, and a host of other items as they crashed to the floor. They scurried to the ship’s decks to see what had happened. Few passengers donned life jackets, and even fewer made it into the less-than-adequate number of lifeboats. The ship sank slowly into the frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Most of the passengers and crew perished in the sinking of the unsinkable ship.

People around the world know the story of the Titanic, and how the ship sank after it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean with an enormous loss of life. However, the story you read above was a work of fiction, a novella by Morgan Robertson. The name of the ship in Robertson’s novella was not the Titanic. The fictional ship he created was called the Titan. His book, originally entitled Futility, seemingly recounted the events of the wreck of the Titanic. However, Robertson’s Futility was published … in 1898, fourteen years before the Titanic sank.

Source: Robertson, Morgan. Futility. Rahway, N.J.: The Quinn and Boden Co. Press, 1898.

Royal Alexander/Opinion

The latest legal challenge concerns a New York law governing licenses to carry concealed handguns in public but there are potentially a host of others as well

The U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to strengthen and expand 2nd Amendment rights after a decade of no action on the issue. The Court has several current opportunities to further address the scope of its Heller decision that generally pose one legal question: how far may states go in restricting the individual right to carry guns outside a home.

These various legal challenges have worked their way up to the Supreme Court and now require at least four members of the Court to vote to grant the application to hear the cases.
These challenges include the New York law as well as multiple other cases nationally presenting distinct legal issues.

The Supreme Court has not directly addressed the issue of gun rights since its landmark rulings in 2008 and 2010. The 2008 Heller decision held that the right to keep and bear arms was both a collective (military and law enforcement) right as well as an individual right. The 2010 McDonald decision simply held that the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment extended to the states and municipalities the 2nd Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms.

Several months ago, the Court considered a different prohibition by New York City that kept gun owners from transporting firearms to ranges or second homes outside of the city but then decided not to hear the case after NY City officials repealed that prohibition, rendering that case moot.

During its 10-year break, the Court’s inactivity allowed a number of questionable gun laws and regulations to be passed and then remain law. These included, for example, a suburban Chicago ban on semi-automatic weapons, a variety of prohibitions across the country against carrying guns in public, age limits for carrying guns in Texas and requiring citizens to disable or lock up guns when not in use in San Francisco.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, as a federal appeals court judge, dissented from a 2019 opinion that banned convicted felons from owning a gun. That Kanter case involved a man, Rickey Kanter, who had pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Judge Barrett wrote in her dissent that the gun ban went too far because it was being applied to someone who had not been convicted of a violent crime, only mail fraud.

In her dissent, then-judge Barrett wrote that “history is consistent with common sense: It demonstrates that legislatures have the power to prohibit dangerous people from possessing guns. But that power extends only to people who are dangerous. Founding-era legislatures did not strip felons of the right to bear arms simply because of their status as felons.”

Still other gun rights issues now pending before the Supreme Court involve a Pennsylvania man who pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in 2005 who is challenging the ban on purchasing or owning a gun. In another, a Pennsylvania woman who pleaded guilty to making a false statement on her tax returns sued over the ban. Also, the frequently reversed U.S. 9th Circuit recently upheld a Hawaii gun regulation that limits the ability of citizens to openly carry guns in public.

Further, in yet another New York State case, two residents sought a license to carry guns outside their home but were denied because they supposedly didn’t meet the state’s requirement that they have a “special need for self-protection” above and beyond what’s required by the general public. (That standard is so broad I doubt many of us could meet it but undoubtedly our right to self-defense is a “special need” for millions of us!).

Our Constitutional rights are rights that are “fundamental to the Nation’s scheme of ordered liberty and deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition.” None of those rights are more important than the 2nd Amendment and the Court should strive to further enshrine and protect it.

Virtual Application Period Will Run in Two Phases Beginning April 5, Will Follow Alphabet Schedule

BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has received federal approval to begin virtual Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) operations in 23 parishes severely affected by the winter storms on Feb. 15-18, 2021. The application process will run in two phases between Monday, April 5, and Saturday, April 17, 2021, and will follow an alphabet schedule according to applicants’ last names.

DSNAP provides food assistance to eligible households who do not receive regular SNAP benefits and who need help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a disaster. The state must request that the federal government initiate DSNAP but can only do so after the president activates the Stafford Act and approves the parish for Individual Assistance (IA). Each IA-approved parish must also request DSNAP before the benefits can be provided to eligible residents of that parish.

The 23 parishes that requested and were approved for federal Individual Assistance and DSNAP due to extensive power outages, water outages and other damage from the February ice storms are: Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, DeSoto, East Baton Rouge, Franklin, Grant, LaSalle, Madison, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Webster, West Carroll and Winn.

Residents who received SNAP benefits in February 2021 are not eligible for DSNAP and should not apply. Residents who began to receive SNAP benefits after February 2021 may be eligible.

What Applicants Need to Know
Due to ongoing concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, DSNAP applications will be handled by phone and benefits cards will be mailed to approved applicants.

Residents in the approved parishes will be assigned a day, based on the first letter of their last name, to call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP. On their designated day, residents will call 1-888-524-3578 (select language, then press 3-3-1), between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. See Application Schedule below for assigned dates.

Translation services are available for individuals whose primary language is not English.
Residents are encouraged, but not required, to take the following steps before calling to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP:

Pre-register online first. Step-by-step instructions for this can be found at dcfs.la.gov/page/dsnap-registration.
Download the LA Wallet mobile app for identity and residency verification. 

Residents who pre-registered or applied for DSNAP since March 2020 do not need to pre-register again.
When residents call to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP, a worker will verify the applicant’s identity and residency, and obtain information about their income, resources and disaster-related expenses. Most applicants will be told on the phone immediately after completing their application and interview whether they have been approved to receive DSNAP and, if so, the amount of benefits they will receive. Applicants will also receive a letter by mail, confirming the eligibility decision made on their application.

Applicants may name an Authorized Representative (AR) to apply for DSNAP benefits on their behalf. The head of household must authorize the person to serve as AR on their behalf, and the worker will need to speak to the head of household to confirm that they agree for the AR to speak on their behalf.

Elderly and disabled applicants who cannot complete the phone application process can apply at their local DCFS office.
Application Schedule

Residents should call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center to apply and be interviewed for DSNAP on their designated day (according to the first letter of their last name) or on the A-Z days, which are open to all residents in the approved parishes for each phase.

Phase 1
Parishes: Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, DeSoto, Franklin, Grant and Ouachita
Monday, April 5 – Residents with last names beginning with A-F
Tuesday, April 6 – G-M
Wednesday, April 7 – N-S
Thursday, April 8 – T-Z
Friday, April 9 – A-Z (All residents in Phase 1 parishes)
Saturday, April 10 – A-Z (All residents in Phase 1 parishes)

Phase 2
Parishes: Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, LaSalle, Madison, Natchitoches, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Webster, West Carroll and Winn
Monday, April 12 – Residents with last names beginning with A-F
Tuesday, April 13 – G-M
Wednesday, April 14 – N-S
Thursday, April 15 – T-Z
Friday, April 16 – A-Z (All residents in Phase 2 parishes)
Saturday, April 17 – A-Z (All residents in Phase 2 parishes)

The Community Foundation of North Louisiana – Clay Abington Donor Advised Fund, has awarded $16,000 in scholarships to students attending the Natchitoches and Sabine Valley campuses of Central Louisiana Technical College (CLTCC). With each campus receiving $8,000, scholarships were awarded based upon financial need, instructor recommendation, and program of study.

“We are infinitely grateful for community partners, such as Mr. Abington, that aid our students and college. Support of this kind reduces the financial burden to the student; thus, allowing them to focus heavily on their academics. The result is a well-skilled, growing workforce,” stated Sabine Campus Dean Gwen Taylor Fontenot.

Established in 1961, the Foundation works to promote philanthropy and improve the quality of life. The Foundation partners with donors to help them achieve a legacy, support nonprofit organizations, and act as a convener. Overseeing more than $150 million in assets, the funds are managed by the Foundation and invested for the community’s benefit, returned to the community in the form of grants.

“I am a big believer in what CLTCC is doing and in doing what I can to prevent any barriers from people learning a trade or earning a credential,” said Clay Abington. “I’m from this area. I grew up in Many and I live in Natchitoches, and it seems our area is in need of more men and women who want to learn a trade. A four-year degree is fine – as it was for me – but it’s not for everyone. We need trades people to grow and maintain our infrastructure and keep this part of the country vibrant.”

Natchitoches Campus Dean Laurie Morrow said, “We are grateful to the Community Foundation and Mr. Abington for recognizing and supporting Career and Technical Education. CLTCC is committed to continue providing relevant skills training to build a skilled workforce in our communities. The generous donation will help lift the financial burden for students who are eager to enter the workforce.”

Natchitoches students receiving scholarships are: Amie Bolton, Manufacturing; Slade Bievnenu, Manufacturing; Joshua Lucky, Manufacturing; Camryn Mitchell, Welding; Colby Stewart, Welding; Trevor Waldrup, Manufacturing; and Kenwick Jewitt, Welding.

Sabine Valley students receiving a $1,000 scholarship are: Miranda Allen, Patient Care Technician; Johnathan Fountain, Welding; John Bercier, Destrick Holmes, Zachary Malmay, Ethan Parrie, Phillip Sarver, and Patrick Woods, Electrician Technology.

NATCHITOCHES:
Barbara Ann Delphin Balthazar
January 21, 1927 – March 27, 2021
Service: Wednesday, March 31 at 11 am at St. Augustine Catholic Church

Mildred Braden Anthony
March 27, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Mary Lee Bradford
March 25, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Garry Augustus Cole
October 14, 1942 – March 25, 2021
Service: Saturday, April 3 at 1 pm in the chapel of Blanchard-St. Denis

Mike McCart
April 11, 1961 – March 21, 2021
Service: Monday, April 5 at 7 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Van Thomas Barker, Jr.
January 03, 1945 – December 26, 2020
Service: Friday, April 9 from 5-6:30 pm in the chapel of Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

SABINE:
Hazel Mae Faircloth
April 15, 1932 – March 29, 2021
Service: Thursday, April 1 at 10 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church

WINN:
Mary Lee Sproles Ortego
May 29, 1949 – March 18, 2021
Arrangements TBA

RED RIVER:
Edward Marion Scallion
July 28, 1943 – March 25, 2021
Service: Wednesday, March 31 at 1 pm at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel

Sabine Parish School Board will offer a summer SOAR Program for 2021.

Students in Sabine Parish, grades Pre-K through 8th, will be eligible to apply for this years Student Opportunities for Academics and Recreation Program. While in attendance, students will have the opportunity to review and prepare for the upcoming school year to give them a better starting point to the 2021-2022 school year.

The program will focus particularly on English Language Arts and Math from the 2020-2021 academic year. Though students will learn much more throughout the five week program.

Beyond academics students will also have daily experiences geared towards:

• Music
• Art
• Computer Skills/Coding
• STEM
• Outdoor Recreation
• Physical Education

SOAR will run from June 7th to July 8th 2021 (with July 5th being a holiday) and the school days will be Monday-Thursday 7:30-2:30. The tentative locations include Converse, Ebarb, Florien, Many Elementary, Many Junior, Negreet, Pleasant Hill, Zwolle Elementary, and Zwolle High.

Students of Sabine Parish that are interested in attending this summer academic program should apply here. 

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MANY, La – The Town of Many will host their month long cleaning initiative, “Get Off Your Fanny & Clean Up Many” on Saturday April 17th.

In conduction with the Sabine Parish Trash Bash, spanning a month from March 17th through April 24th, The Town of Many will present their own hometown cleanup project.

Trash bags will be available for individuals and teams that wish to participate in collecting litter, trash, and debris that lands in ditches and along the roads where the citizens of Many live.

Locals are encouraged to make this event fun by creating their own friendly competition to see which team can collect the most bags! The Town of Many wants everyone to “celebrate our efforts to Keep Sabine Clean! Get your friends and family together and join in efforts to clean up our towns, villages, and Parish”.

Suzanne Williams at Many City Hall can be contacted at 256-4019 if you want to register your group for the Get Off Your Fanny & Clean Up Many event or to reserve your trash bags. A dumpster will be placed at the Many Depot on Highway 171 throughout the Sabine Trash Bash month-long event.

If you live outside of Many city limits and want to participate, please call the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission at 256-5880. Bags will also be provided at this location.

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— — PELICAN, La – The Battle of Pleasant Hill Committee will host the 157th anniversary of the Battle of Pleasant Hill Reenactment and Festival April 9-11th 2021.

“Our event commemorates one of the last Southern victories of the War Between the States and is held on the actual battlefield where Union and Confederate forces met on April 9, 1864. Please join us every year on the second full weekend of April to temper the historic events that took place in Pleasant Hill over 150 year’s ago. The Battle of Pleasant Hill Committee (BPHC) and the host units, the Trans Mississippi Volunteer Infantry (TMVI), look forward to seeing you all there!”

The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactments and activities in the re-enactors camp will take place 3 miles north of Pleasant Hill at 23271 Hwy. 175, Pelican, LA.

Below is a list of the events throughout the festival.

Friday, April 9, 2021

9 AM – 1 PM School Day

Saturday, April 10, 2021

6:30 AM – 9 AM Breakfast – Battlefield Hall

10 AM Battle of Pleasant Hill Parade – Downtown Pleasant Hill

11 AM Battle of Pleasant Hill program at Mansfield State Historic Site

12 PM – 1 PM Guest Speaker: Donne Kennedy, “They Fought for Us” – Battlefield Hall

1:30 PM Opening Ceremonies

2 PM Battle Reenactment

6:30 Luminary Memorial Ceremony – Battlefield (FREE and open to the public)

7 PM Period Ball and Court Presentation – Elam-O’pry House (Period dress suggested)

Sunday, April 11, 2021

6:30 AM – 9 AM Breakfast – Battlefield Hall

10 AM – 12 AM Open Camp Activities

10 AM Church Services – Elam O’Pry House (open to all)

11 AM to 12 PM Guest Speaker: Richard Holloway, “Bravery on Display: The Charge of the Texas Cavalry and Other Stories at Pleasant Hill” – Battlefield Hall

1 PM Crowning Ceremony of 2020-2021 Miss Battle of Pleasant Hill followed by Opening Ceremony

2 PM Battle Re-enactment

The event will take place April 9-11th 2021 in Pelican Louisiana.

To report an issue or typo with this article – CLICK HERE

Washington, D.C. (March 11, 2021)—The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today announced that local community banker Ken Hale, President & CEO of BOM Bank in Natchitoches, Louisiana was named to serve on ICBA’s Political Action Committee.ICBA is the nation’s voice for community banks.

“I am honored to represent our industry and share my experiences as a community banker and civic leader to help ICBA communicate the positive story of community banking,” Hale said. “Community banks are trusted relationship-based lenders, invested in the success of their customers and the economic prosperity of their community.”

In addition to helping shape and advocate ICBA’s national policy positions and programs, Hale’s duties include engaging in grassroots activities in Louisiana to promote pro-community bank policies and serving as a liaison between community banks and ICBA staff and leadership in Washington, D.C.

“Ken is a dedicated community banker who is highly respected in hiscommunity and by his industry peers,” said ICBA Chairman Robert M. Fisher, president and CEO of Tioga State Bank, Spencer, New York. “We are delighted Ken has accepted this appointment and generously volunteered his time and professional talents in pursuit ofcreating an environment where community banks, and the communities they serve, continue to flourish.”

About ICBA

The Independent Community Bankers of America creates and promotes an environment where community banks flourish. ICBA is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education, and high-quality products and services.

With nearly 50,000 locations nationwide, community banks constitute 99 percent of all banks, employ more than 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence in one in three U.S. counties. Holding more than $5 trillion in assets, over $4.4 trillion in deposits, and more than $3.4 trillion in loans to consumers, small businesses and the agricultural community, community banks channel local deposits into the Main Streets and neighborhoods they serve, spurring job creation, fostering innovation and fueling their customers’ dreams in communities throughout America.

To report an issue or typo with this article – CLICK HERE

By Reba Phelps

During the late 1980’s my parents decided to relocate our family from the metropolis of Natchitoches to the rolling hills and salt mines of Goldonna. If you were at all familiar with technology and communications during this time you will know that it simply did not exist. We traded in our numbered housing for a Rural Route, white framed house, that was best described as, “About two miles past Mr. Pete’s store on the left and right before you get to the Loop Road.

We moved there just as the “Party Line” days were ending and you only needed to dial four digits to reach someone’s house phone. There was no social media and the only way to keep up with my small tribe of friends was to call Long Distance. Unbeknownst to me, Long Distance, cost a lot of money and that was one thing my family was short on.

When the first BellSouth bill arrived, a family meeting was scheduled. Every child was called in and presented with the evidence. Pages upon pages that detailed misdemeanors. Each phone number that was called, the cities in which they were housed, and the number of minutes spent on said phone call was all there. In black and white. Being the middle child and the most street smart child in the home, I knew better than to plead guilty immediately. I needed to wait and see if any of the other siblings took blame for their calls.

Luck was not on my side this day. Not one sibling of mine called one friend outside of the Goldonna City limits. How could this be? ALL of these calls were mine? This itemized list of sins costed me four weeks without phone privileges and not one red cent of allowance. I would love to report this was a one and done sin and I that I learned my lesson.

That was not the case.

Fact of the matter is, we held this same family meeting for years without fail every single month. I was the perpetual abuser of phone privileges and dreaded when the phone bill arrived with the itemized misdemeanors. The punishment grew more severe with each passing month and I always tried to obey but I just really enjoyed talking to my pals from town. Even the months where my long distance calls were few, I was still pegged as the perpetrator.

The madness finally stopped when phone companies introduced “Circle Dialing”. Even though the phone bills decreased it was almost as if my parents were not forgiving me for my crimes and constantly reminding me every time they saw a phone in my hand.

My parents were Bible believing people but they also were firm believers that the many scriptures about forgiving others transgressions did not apply to juvenile repeat offenders. They were less than impressed when I reminded them that they should forgive seventy times seven times. I am pretty sure I was grounded four hundred and ninety days for that one comment. Most of my youth was spent grounded for some reason or another. This was nothing new.

Forgive and forget was not in their vocabulary.

How blessed are we that we serve a God that does not keep an itemized list of our high crimes and misdemeanors? We serve a forgiving, loving and compassionate God. He shows grace and mercy even when we do not deserve it. Once we ask for forgiveness of our sins, he remembers them no more. Being a follower of Christ does not give you freedom to go and sin as you wish, it only promises new mercies every morning.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteous”. – 1John 1:9

“I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for my own sake and I will not remember your sins.” – Isaiah 43:25

To report an issue or typo with this article – CLICK HERE

By Steve Graf

Last week we looked at one of Americas best bass lakes by breaking down Lake Fork Texas. This week we’re going to hook up the boat and load the rods and head to Southeast Texas and another legendary bass fishery in Lake Sam Rayburn. I think it’s safe to say that no other body of water gets more pressure than this one. If you’re looking to get your line stretched or catch that fish of a lifetime, Sam Rayburn is the place to go. Anglers can literally lose sleep the night before they launch their boat on this lake. Today I’ll give you a better idea as to what I’m talking about and why this lake continues to rank in the top 5 nationally and has recently been ranked number one by Bassmaster Magazine.

Sam Rayburn is located on the Angelina River just east of Lufkin, Texas. It’s an Army Corp of Engineer lake built in 1965 as part of the development plan for the Neches River Basin. It’s main purpose; flood control and hydroelectric power generation. It had an estimated cost of $66 million which also included recreational facilities all over the lake.

If you looked at the Sam Rayburn calendar of events from January thru September, you’ll see what I mean by fishing pressure. There’s not a single weekend during this entire stretch of time in which there’s not a bass tournament or two. Yet week after week and month after month, Sam Rayburn puts out huge numbers of bass as anglers are known to weigh-in 5 fish limits with as much 40 pounds of bass. It’s common place for anglers to weigh-in 5 fish limits over 25 pounds each and every event. This is another popular lake (like Lake Fork) that you could end up waiting in line to launch your boat.

Sam Rayburn is a bass fishing factory in that you can catch both quality and quantity. It’s loaded with hydrilla (grass) and coontail moss especially south of the 147 bridge. This is a fishery in which you can catch bass deep (20 to 30 feet) or go shallow in the 2 to 5 foot range. You have great structure with humps and ridges, you have cypress trees and bushes in shallow water all over the lake that hold bass when the lake is at pool stage (164.4) or higher. If you’re not sure where to start, main lake points are always a good place and can hold good schools of fish. When you get north of the 147 bridge up to the 103 bridge you’ll find standing timber and its in this part of the lake you’ll need to be careful as there’s not a marked boat run. Once you get north of the 103 bridge, you’ll find an abundance of cypress trees, bushes and river type of fishing the farther north you run. If you’re going to Rayburn on a weekend, you might want to avoid both Umphrey Family Pavilion and Cassels-Boykin boat ramps as this is where the majority of the bass tournaments go out of and can be extremely crowded Friday thru Sunday.

One good thing about Rayburn is that there’s no shortage of boat ramps and you can find one just about anywhere that’s close to where you want to fish. One word of caution, Sam Rayburn can get extremely rough when winds blow out of the south/southeast at 15 to 20 mph. But again, you can pretty much find a boat ramp that will allow you to launch your boat safely. Some of my scariest moments as a bass fisherman have been on big Sam when the winds start to blow as this lake is not very forgiving. Bottom line, keep an eye on the weather.

Make no bones about it, Sam Rayburn is an awesome body of water that’s full of bass big and small. It’s definitely in my top 3 of the best bass fisheries I’ve ever fished and it continues to amaze myself and other anglers just how good it is even with all the fishing pressure day after day and week after week. Next week, we’ll break down another lake that has a great past in Toledo Bend. Till next time, don’t forget to set the hook!

Steve Graf
Owner/Co-host
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show
And Tackle Talk Live

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Natchitoches Central High School Job Opening: Guidance Counselor

POSITION AVAILABLE

JOB VACANCIES: Guidance Counselor

SITE LOCATION(S): Natchitoches Central High School

QUALIFICATIONS: Certification according to State Department of Education as a Guidance Counselor.

SALARY: Starting salary: According to parish school salary schedule.

DEADLINE: Monday, March 29, 2021; 4:00 p.m.

WHERE TO APPLY:
Linda G. Page, Personnel Director
Natchitoches Parish School Board
P. O. Box 16
Natchitoches, LA 71458-0016
(318) 352-2358

EOE

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NATCHITOCHES:
Sammy Jackson
September 24, 1958 – March 24, 2021
Service: Friday, March 26 at 2 pm at Memory Lawn Cemetery in Natchitoches

Garry Augustus Cole
October 14, 1942 – March 25, 2021
Service: Saturday, April 3 at 1 pm in the chapel of Blanchard-St. Denis

Mike McCart
April 11, 1961 – March 21, 2021
Service: Monday, April 5 at 7 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Martha Jean Howington Jordan
February 13, 1928 – March 19, 2021
Service: Saturday, March 27 at 2 pm at Blanchard – St. Denis Funeral Home

Van Thomas Barker, Jr.
January 03, 1945 – December 26, 2020
Service: Friday, April 9 from 5-6:30 pm in the chapel of Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Annie M. Law
August 17, 1947 – March 17, 2021
Service: Saturday, March 27 at 11 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Natchitoches

Frankie Hunter
November 30, 1954 – March 16, 2021
Service: Saturday, March 27 at 2 pm at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Natchitoches

Stephen “Bumpy” Hudson
May 5, 1996 – March 6, 2021
Service: Saturday, March 27 at 11 am in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Natchitoches

WINN:
Larry Jack Casey
November 09, 1932 – March 19, 2021
Service: Tuesday, March 30 at 11 am at the Bandy family plot in the Atlanta Community Cemetery in Atlanta

Mary Lee Sproles Ortego
May 29, 1949 – March 18, 2021
Arrangements TBA

RED RIVER:
Alice Lee Doskocil
June 29, 1935 – March 25, 2021
Service: Saturday, March 27 at 10 am at Bethany Cemetery

Nita Joy Dupree
July 28, 1937 – March 23, 2021
Service: Friday, March 26 at 2 pm at Clear Springs Cemetery in Martin

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The Sabine Parish Tourist Commission (Toledo Bend Lake Country) is seeking a new Director. The Commission is a quasi-governmental organization responsible for destination marketing and development with a primary goal of increasing overnight room sales to its hotels, RV parks and vacation rentals through leisure travel, groups, and outdoor enthusiast. Position qualifications include strong leadership qualities, ability to develop and manage annual budget, governmental relation skills, and vision for development of tourism product.  Applicant should have knowledge of marketing including digital and print advertisement, social media, and publication of printed material. It is required that the selected candidate have a bachelor’s degree or similar work experience in a tourism or hospitality related field. Salary range from $50,000 – $70,000 per year, depending on education level and experience, 50% of employee medical insurance premium provided plus vision and dental. Retirement IRA opportunity available. Physical requirements: must have a valid driver’s license, be able to lift and carry 40 lbs. and ability to maintain a flexible work schedule that includes morning, evening, and weekends. Includes approximately 10 overnight out of town trips for educational or promotional purposes. Employment application, Self Evaluation form and job description are below or can be requested by email at sptc@toledobendlakecountry.com. Please email completed employment application, self evaluation form & resume to sptc@toledobendlakecountry.com. Application deadline is Monday, April 12, 2021 by 4:00 p.m.

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— — ZWOLLE, La – If you’re looking for family fun this Easter Sabine Parish will be full of fun activities for kids of all ages.

The Town of Zwolle is excited to bring their Annual Easter Extravaganza to the area!

From the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission:

“Take your family to Zwolle’s 2nd Annual Easter Extravaganza Saturday, March 27 from 10:30-3:30pm at the Zwolle Dixie Youth Ballfield. There are lots of fun things to do at this FREE event including an Easter Egg Hunt at 1:00pm!”

This fun family event will feature bounce houses, face painting, sack races, a car show, and a free hot dog with Chios and a drink along with a photo with the Easter Bunny.

Check back with the Sabine Parish Journal to find all of the information on the Easter events happening around the parish this year!

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The Sabine Parish Soccer – AYSO Region 1670 is desperately looking for volunteers for the Spring 2021 soccer season.

The following is the post made to the Sabine Parish Soccer – AYSO Region 1670 Facebook with the volunteer information:

Unfortunately, we were not able to secure enough volunteers for a spring session. We REALLY do not want to let soccer go in Sabine Parish and we need your help to get it going again. We need volunteers. Roughly, we need 1 head coach for every 8 kids. Over 8 kids: we will also need assistant coaches.

We get it. Soccer isn’t a super familiar sport to most people in this region, so that can make one feel uneasy and unwilling to help. Be assured that we won’t let you fail. You will be guided if you don’t know. There are practice plans for the age groups already laid out for you. What we need are not soccer-gurus (although, you are welcome!), but we need adults with positive attitudes who will encourage the players and enforce team work and sportsmanship and hard work. Think about it: you’ve got to take your child to practice and games anyway, may as well volunteer to help out.

Something AYSO prides ourselves in is that all volunteers working with kids will clear a background check first. Safety of the players is important to all of us, and this is one way we support that.

Kids LOVE soccer. Nonstop running, kicking, and fun! It is a great sport to help with speed and agility for other sports, too. We want to keep that going in this community.

Reply on the post or send a message if you are willing to help! I have three volunteers who committed to spring (I haven’t forgotten about you!!). If we can get 10 more to commit, We should be all set!

Reach out to one of us if you will volunteer!

Volunteers are encouraged to contact Andrew Newman, Haley McCarty, Valarie Williams, Flint Miller, or Shawn Bozzell. Their contact information can be found on the Sabine Parish Soccer – AYSO Region 1670 Facebook page.

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By Brad Dison

Robert “Bob” Craig needed direction in his life. School was boring to him. He craved excitement. He was an adrenaline junkie. Bob decided that he had had enough of schooling and quit Butte (Montana) High School in his sophomore year. He was anxious to get out into the real world.

Bob enjoyed his newfound freedom from school and he lazed around for a short while. Pretty soon, though, Bob realized that he needed money to survive. Bob found employment at the Anaconda Mining Company where he worked as a diamond drill operator in a copper mine. Shortly thereafter, Bob earned a promotion and drove an earth mover, work he considered unimportant. Just like school, Bob quickly became bored working in the copper mine. Bob’s boredom had become too great for him to quell. Rumors persist that Bob somehow rode a wheelie in his mammoth piece of heavy equipment and ran into Butte, Montana’s main power lines. The massive machine damaged the power line infrastructure which shut off the electricity in the town for several hours. Bob’s boss fired him immediately. Bob liked the rush he got from making the gigantic machine pop a wheelie, and searched continually for ways to feel that sort of feeling again.

On March 7, 1959, twenty-year-old Bob entered in Butte, Montana’s fourth divisional ski jumping championship in the men’s class. Lou Buckmaster skied down the slope of the long jump, launched, soared through the air using his body movements for steering, and landed the jump successfully. Officials recorded Lou’s jump at 86 feet. Paul Maxwell performed his jump with precision and reached a distance of 99 feet. Bob was the ultimate competitor. He was determined to win. Bob shot down the ski slope, used his legs to spring himself higher into the air, and soared toward the bottom of the hill. His landing was perfect. Officials recorded his distance at 111 feet. Of the three people who competed in the men’s class, Bob won by a distance of twelve feet. Of the seventeen people who competed that day, Bob came in second overall.

Skiing was fun, but Bob needed money. Bob went through a host of jobs. He played with the Charlotte Clippers of the Eastern Hockey League. He formed, acted as owner, manager, coach, and player of a semiprofessional hockey team called the Butte Bombers. He ran a hunting guide service and once hitchhiked from Butte to Washington, D.C. carrying a 54-inch set of elk antlers along with a petition to stop the planned slaughter of 5,000 surplus Elk in Yellowstone National Park. Bob was not an animal rights activist; he had an angle. Bob’s plan was for the transplantation of the elk to the area where he ran his hunting guide service. Rather than incurring the expense of transplanting the elk, and in an effort to appease the public, the commission abandoned the planned slaughter. Bob ran a Honda motorcycle dealership where he offered $100 off the price of a new motorcycle to anyone who could beat him at arm wrestling. He claimed to have been a swindler, a holdup man, a card thief, and a safe cracker.

According to former U.S. Representative from Montana Pat Williams, “No one had more guts than Bobby. He was simply unafraid of anything.” Bob was good at self-promotion and was always comfortable in the limelight. Few people remember Bob as a skiing champion, a hockey player, hunting guide, owner of a Honda dealership, or any of the negative jobs Bob claimed to have had. Even fewer people knew Bob by his real name, but Bob certainly became famous. Bob once claimed that he “made $60 million, spent 61. … Lost $250,000 at blackjack once. …Had $3 million in the bank, though.” In the mid-1970s, the Ideal Toy Company released a series of toys and other merchandise based on Bob, which became best sellers and are still sought after. Hanna-Barbera produced a series of Saturday morning cartoons based on Bob. Bally created a pinball machine based on Bob.

Bob was an entertainer whose performances were dangerous. Bob still holds the Guinness World Record for the “Most broken bones in a lifetime.” According to Guinness, by the end of 1975, Bob had suffered 433 bone fractures. Bob received most of his bone fractures while performing in front of a live audience. Bob was a stunt performer and entertainer. His real name was Robert Craig…Knievel. The world knew Bob as Evel Knievel.

Sources:
1. The Montana Standard (Butte, Montana), March 9, 1959, p.7.
2. The Montana Standard, November 22, 1961, p.8.
3. The Montana Standard, December 1, 2007, p.7.
4. Guiness World Records. “Most Broken Bones in a Lifetime.” Accessed March 12, 2021. guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-broken

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