Mary Key Brocato

Soon children and adults alike will be enjoying the professional basketball
Goals and posts being installed at Leon James Park located on Martin Luther King Drive in Many.

The equipment, which is the highest grade possible, was made possible by generous donations from the private sector. Local businesses, politicians, elected officials, and many other citizens donated to the cause.

A man who grew up in Many but now lives in Houston, TX., gave one of the largest donations. Luckily, he remembers his hometown community and the people who live there with great fondness.

Jaret J. Barrett contacted Many Alderman at Large Mary Brocato, who had started the fundraiser to obtain donations to purchase and install the basketball equipment. He asked her how much money in order to purchase two goals so the park would have a full basketball court. She told him it was a substantial amount. He drove to Many that same weekend and brought her a check for the remaining substantial sum.

Born in 1978 to Sandra Barrett and Jerry Smith, Jaret developed a love for people, sports and his hometown of Many that gave him his roots and early upbringing. Later his mom moved, and he transferred to Spring Woods High School where he excelled in football and basketball. While there he honed in on his gift for athletics and teamwork. While Jaret attended Spring Woods, he caught the attention of a coach at Mayde Creek High School. He transferred to that school, and finished his high school sports career when he graduated in 2003.

After his high school graduation, Jaret started his college education at Texas Southern University. He was told that the college’s basketball team would not be taking on any walk-on players.  However he remained persistent and an opportunity came up for one walk on player. Out of 65 students who tried out, Jaret was the only one selected. The rest was history.

While at Texas Southern, he led his team to the SWAC Championship where they won their division and became state champions.

He later graduated from Texas Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree and was the first member of his family to graduate from college.

After he graduated, Jaret played professional basketball overseas. He played for China 2007 to 2009. He then played for the South American country of Panama in2009.

Jaret returned to the United States where he worked hard and transferred that love and energy for sports to his family and to establishing a business.

Today he is the successful owner of a pest control and power wash business in Houston.

The Sabine Parish Tourist Commission along with the Sabine Parish Leaders Against Litter are reminding local citizens of the Sabine Parish Trash Bash Final Weekend. 

This Saturday, April 24, 2021  is the last weekend of the Sabine Parish Trash Bash! 

Many in the area have taken part in this years annual parish clean up including the youth in Sabine Parish. 

Make sure to take this chance to join together with the parish to keep the towns and villages clean! 

If you need trash bags, vests, or water for your community, you can pick them up from the the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission at 1601 Texas Hwy in Many, La 71449.

The Sabine Parish District Attorney’s Office in addition to the United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime will be observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections and services. This year’s observance takes place April 18-24 and is the 40th anniversary of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

Don Burkett, District Attorney for Sabine Parish, made this statement in regards to the week of observance;

“April 18-24 is National Crime Victims Week.  Please join me in remembering particularly those who are victims of violent crime. As I think back over my career there are faces who will always haunt me. These days it seems all the media is concerned with are the criminals rights.  Never forget the true victims who have suffered at the hands of criminals. For many the nightmare never ends. May God show them grace and mercy. 

In celebration of Victim’s Rights week I want to thank my incredible staff for the tremendous job they do. In particular I want to recognize our victim rights advocate Karen Williams who has tirelessly and zealously been there over 20 years for Sabine Parish victims of crime. I have watched her support, cry with and pray for those in extremely difficult circumstances. She is the best!”

SOURCE: SPDA

Third grade students at Zwolle Elementary School participating in the Leader In Me program selected the Northwestern State University Food Pantry as the focus of a community service project. The students hosted a cereal drive and collected 129 boxes of cereal for the Pantry, which is free to NSU and BPCC@NSU students.

“Leader in Me is used throughout the school to promote and build leadership in our students, staff and community,” said Marissa Ross, ZES coordinating teacher. “It is based on the seven habits of highly effective kids. Through the habits, students learn how to plan ahead, set goals, manage their time, be considerate of others and ultimately how to be a leader. This year, we decided to complete a service project to show students that not only can they be leaders at school and at home, but also in their community. We wanted to show our students that the smallest contributions add up and make an impact. We chose to do this cereal drive for the Northwestern Food Pantry because we wanted to help other students in our community. We recognize that this has been a challenging year for students of all ages, and we wanted to help as much as possible. Our students have really enjoyed the opportunity to help others and we hope to continue doing service project for many years to come.”

NSU Food Pantry student volunteers Jessican Mullican and Sheridan Duet traveled to Zwolle Elementary with Reatha Cox, director of Student Affairs, to collect the donation.

“It was the cutest thing ever, with these third graders saying, ‘Look what we did for you!’ They were so proud of themselves,” Cox said.

The NSU Food Pantry was established in 2015 to address food insecurity among university students. The Pantry is run by student volunteers and provides not only non-perishable food and kitchen items, but toiletries, cleaning supplies and personal care items at no charge.

PICTURED: Third grade students in the Leader In Me program at Zwolle Elementary hosted a cereal drive to benefit the NSU Food Pantry. On the front row from left are Layla Landry, Alaina Stewart, Brently Ezernack, Yakendra Bolton, Alekzander Francis, Caleb Davis, Kacen Sepulvado, Wesley Remedies and La’Rayia Collier. On the back row are NSU Food Pantry coordinators Reatha Cox, Jessica Mullican and Sheridan Duet with ZES Teacher Marissa Ross.

Desoto Parish – On April 20, 2021, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Louisiana State Police Troop G responded to a two-vehicle crash on I-49 at milepost 185. This crash claimed the life of 70-year-old Joseph W. Powell, of Marthaville.

The initial investigation revealed a Ford F150, driven by Powell, and a commercial wrecker service vehicle, towing a commercial vehicle, were traveling northbound on I-49. For reasons still under investigation, Powell failed to slow down and ultimately rear-ended the commercial vehicle which was being towed.

Powell, who was unrestrained, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene. The wrecker driver was not injured. A toxicology sample was obtained and submitted for analysis. The crash remains under investigation.

While not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that properly wearing your seat belt will dramatically reduce your chance of being injured or killed in a crash. Louisiana law requires that every person in a vehicle, regardless of seating position, always remain buckled up. Not wearing a seat belt remains the leading cause of death in motor vehicle crashes.

In 2021, Troop G Troopers has investigated four fatal crashes resulting in four fatalities.

By Brad Dison

Late on the Friday afternoon of December 5, 1901, E.L. McKeen, a local milkman in North Tonawanda, New York, was delivering his milk as usual. This was in the era before automobiles were commonplace, so McKeen delivered his goods in a wagon pulled by a single horse. He took his time whenever he made his rounds so as to not put unnecessary strain on the horse. When moving at a slow pace, the horse could work all day with just a few, short breaks. If the milkman hurried the horse, it required much longer and more frequent breaks. The milkman usually seemed to be in no hurry whatsoever.

On this day, the milkman made his deliveries as if he had all the time in the world. His load consisted of numerous small cans and large barrels of milk. At every intersection, the milkman casually looked both ways to make sure no other traffic was coming. When he neared the railroad crossing at Lincoln Avenue, the milkman coolly looked down the railroad tracks. The milkman saw the Lockport train heading his direction on the tracks of the New York Central railroad. The milkman, unable to properly gauge the speed at which the train traveled, decided that he could make it across in plenty of time.

The train, being the fastest mode of transportation of the era, barreled through the town at a speed that many people thought was impossible only a couple of decades earlier. The engineer blew the train’s whistle as a warning, but the milkman paid little attention to it. The engineer engaged the train’s braking system, but it was unable to stop in time. Just as the horse stepped onto the tracks, the Lockport train struck. The horse took the brunt of the violent impact and flew through the air. The milkman and his wagon slammed against the train. The cans and barrels of milk exploded in a large white gush and covered the milkman. The force of the impact reduced the wagon to nothing more than kindling wood and scrap iron.

Witnesses to the collision rushed to the milkman’s aid. The horse was dead. They feared the milkman was dead as well, yet in the pile of debris, they noticed movement. The milkman, covered from his head to his feet with cold milk, shivered as he dislodged himself from the pile of broken wood and iron. Some of the townspeople helped the milkman stand up, and asked if he needed medical attention. The milkman reassured them that he was just fine. He escaped with barely a scratch.

Several of the witnesses relayed another incident which happened three and a half years earlier at the same crossing at about the same hour by a milkman. In that incident, which occurred in early May of 1897, a milkman was crossing the railroad tracks at the same intersection when he was struck by the same train, the Lockport train. That collision nearly killed the milkman. He spent the next couple of weeks confined to his home recovering.

The townspeople brought up yet another incident in which another local milkman was struck by a train. About five years earlier, a milkman was walking, seemingly without a care in the world, along the railroad tracks between North Tonawanda and Gratwick when he failed to get off of the tracks in time. The train struck the milkman but only slightly injured him.

As the townspeople spoke of the three separate incidents in which trains had hit milkmen in the vicinity, McKeen confidently told them that trains were unable to kill him. Because of his belief that he was invincible, at least with trains, McKeen was willing to take chances most people would be too afraid to take. You see, it was not three different milkmen in the stories the townspeople told, but one. It was McKeen who had tempted fate and survived being hit by a train on three separate occasions.

Sources:
1. The Buffalo Commercial (Buffalo, New York), May 21, 1897, p.6.
2. The Buffalo Times, December 6, 1901, p.2.

JOB VACANCIES: GRANT ADMINISTRATOR

QUALIFICATIONS:
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred
• Computer Literacy
• Working knowledge of grant funding policies and
procedures.

SALARY: According to Parish Salary Schedule

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 12 months

WHERE TO APPLY:
Linda Page, Personnel Director
Natchitoches Parish School Board
310 Royal Street
P. O. Box 16
Natchitoches, LA 71458-0016

DEADLINE: Thursday, April 29, 2021, 4:00 p.m.

Application packet should consist of a letter of application, resume’, transcript, and three letters of reference, one being from your immediate supervisor.

EOE

Royal Alexander/Opinion

The U.S. Supreme Court has forgotten that it is emphatically its duty and province to say what the law is, even in the face of intimidation. (Marbury v. Madison)

Intimidation. There is no other logical explanation for it. President Biden recently announced his Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court which could more accurately be called the “Latest Liberal Effort to Pack the Court with Left Wing Judges and Justices.” [The effort to pack or alter the Court when considered alongside discussions about adding two Democrat states and four additional Senators as well as repealing the Electoral College legislatively and ending the legislative filibuster all speak to the concerted effort of the fascist Left not to engage in political debate but to stifle it and ultimately criminalize political differences.]

Supporters and allies of President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt in 1906 and in 1912 and President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 threatened to pack, alter, or otherwise undermine the Court. The interesting thing is that liberals have never had to make good on these threats because the Supreme Court has allowed itself to be threatened and intimidated into ruling in the way the political Left wanted it to.

To his eternal credit, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer recently stated that packing the Court would undermine and harm the public’s perception of the Court and the rule of law. “Structural alteration motivated by the perception of political influence can only feed that latter perception, further eroding that trust.”

These attacks on the Court are both tragic and a perversion of what our Framers intended as the role of the Supreme Court in our Separation of Powers. There is nothing more critical to the preservation of our constitutional form of government than the abiding presence of a fair and impartial judiciary. Nothing. If a party loses in court, they may be disappointed, but they will accept the results if they believe they had a fair trial and “their day in court.”

That is why it is poisonous to our democratic form of government to do what the national Left is trying to do to our Supreme Court in order to advance a liberal agenda it most likely cannot advance in the appropriate and legal way—through legislation in Congress. It is also corrosive to the trust Americans must have in the judicial system to create the impression that the courts are nothing more than a third political branch.

As such, it is a complete dereliction of the Supreme Court to allow itself to be forced into the position that it is making policy and serving as a “Super Legislature.” That is fundamentally not its role.

However, even if the Court could somehow “save” itself as an institution by caving into political pressure, to what end would it do so? It would forever be viewed as weak, cowardly, and untrustworthy. It would certainly no longer hold its honorable and exalted place as one-third of our constitutional system of government. In fact, the very reason the Framers provided federal judges with life tenure and undiminished salary was to remove and insulate them from politics and political pressure.

Well, turnabout is fair play. If Democrats attempt to pack the Court with new justices, the Republican Party can always limit or strip the Supreme Court of its jurisdiction to hear appellate (appeals) cases. This is because the Constitution clearly affords the Congress this power under Article III, Section 2. One way to begin this would be, for example, to limit all cases seeking to “find” new substantive due process rights in the Constitution as the Court did, unconstitutionally, in Roe v. Wade. Congress could also withdraw jurisdiction from the Court and prohibit it from hearing cases involving issues such as, for example, immigration, a right to die, a guaranteed basic income and congressional redistricting. By doing so, Congress would simply be limiting the Supreme Court to its express, original, and traditional role.

The Supreme Court must be viewed as—and truly serve as—a fair, impartial and neutral arbiter of law or it will be viewed as illegitimate. Fearlessly reasserting its independence is the only way the Court can preserve its legitimacy and discharge its constitutional duty. It must do so, or the delicate balance maintained by our system of checks and balances will be lost and the belief in America as a free and just society, imperiled.

SABINE:
Edna Genevieve Moore Dufour
April 1, 1944 – April 15, 2021
Service: Friday, April 23 at 1 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home, located at 355 Capitol St. in Many

Jackie Ruth Holcomb
July 17, 1943 – April 18, 2021
Service: Saturday, April 24 at 2 pm at Mt. Olive Cemetery

NATCHITOCHES:
Preston Lance Tilley
1-7-1980 – 4/20/21
Arrangements are being handled by Blanchard-St. Denis. Natchitoches. The family will receive visitors Thursday, April 22 and services will be held Friday, April 23. More information to be released soon.

Marvin Louis Freeman
July 09, 1962 – April 18, 2021
Service: Wednesday, April 21 at 2 pm at Apostolic Truth Tabernacle in Robeline

Terry G. Waxham
March 08, 1940 – April 18, 2021
No service details

Donnie Ray Armstrong
February 1, 1953 – April 18, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Rickey Lane Smith Sr.
October 7, 1968 – April 17, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Thelma Jean Morris
April 16, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Annie Belle Davis
April 15, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Mary “Margaret” Gant Barnhill
March 17, 1939 – April 16, 2021
Service: Thursday, April 22 at 10 am at Blanchard St.-Denis Funeral Home, in Natchitoches

WINN:
“Dub” William Len Huffman
September 15, 1938 – April 18, 2021
Service: Wednesday, April 21 at 10 am at Kinner & Stevens Funeral Home

Kadence Raylynne Blundell
March 10, 2005 – April 16, 2021
Service: Wednesday, April 21 at 10 am at Southern Funeral Home

Deputy Clerk Janice Randow completed a records management class.

In a social media post made Tuesday, Mayor Kenneth Freeman along with the Town of Many made the following announcement.

The Town of Many is pleased to announce that Deputy Clerk Janice Randow attended a Records Management class in Baton Rouge on March 16th and received a certificate.

She is officially the Records Retention Officer for the Town of Many through the Louisiana Secretary of State. We would like to congratulate Janice on her hard work.

Ricky Dewayne Montgomery was arrested Wednesday, April 14th by Louisiana Probation & Parole Agents and the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Tactical Narcotics Team.

A search of Montgomery’s Lawrence Street home in Many revealed approximately 32 grams of methamphetamine, 14 grams of marijuana and 818 grams (almost two pounds) of synthetic marijuana. A measuring scale and plastic baggies were also located.

Montgomery was arrested on January 25th of this year for similar drug charges.

Montgomery was booked into the Sabine Parish Detention Center for Possession with intent to distribute schedule I (Synthetic Cannabinoids), Possession with intent to distribute schedule I (Marijuana), Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Meth), Possession of drug paraphernalia.

SOURCE: SPSO

Ronald Carnell Holland Jr was arrested yesterday by the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Tactical Narcotics Team.
T.N.T. Agents received a tip of Holland’s illegal narcotic activity.

Agents obtained a search warrant and searched Holland’s Buffalo Drive home in Many and seized approximately 14 adderall pills, over 2000 Xanax bars, 156 grams of marijuana, over $1000 in cash, a 9mm pistol, a .45 cal pistol, a .223 cal AR-style pistol, several high-capacity magazines, ammunition, measuring scales and several boxes of plastic bags.

Holland’s four month old child was also at the residence at the time.

It is noted that the street value of the Xanax bars is approximately $25,000.
Holland was booked into the Sabine Parish Detention Center for Possession with intent to distribute schedule I (Marijuana), Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Adderall), Possession with intent to distribute schedule IV (Xanax), Possession of firearm by a convicted felon, Possession of firearm while in presence of CDS, Illegal use of a CDS in the presence of persons under age 17, Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff Aaron Mitchell continues to stay persistent in his fight to put the drug dealers in Sabine Parish behind bars!

SOURCE: SPSO

Malificent 2 is the Walt Disney movie scheduled to play at Movies in Many on Saturday, April 17.
The movie is free and is sponsored by The Town of Many Cultural District Advisory Committee, Many Mayor Ken Freeman and the Many City Council.

Malificent 2 is the sequel to Malificent 1 and stars Angelina Jolie as the Mistress of Evil.

The story goes like this: Maleficent travels to a grand old castle to celebrate young Aurora’s upcoming wedding to Prince Phillip. While there, she meets Aurora’s future mother-in-law — a conniving queen who hatches a devious plot to destroy the land’s fairies. Hoping to stop her, Maleficent joins forces with a seasoned warrior and a group of outcasts to battle the queen and her powerful army.

With a PG rating, it’s a movie the entire family can enjoy. It’s the retelling of the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty and has life lessons for everyone throughout the entire movie.

Bring the parents, the children, the grandparents, and cousins to Movies in Many on Saturday, April 17. The Many Community Center will open at 6:30 and this intriguing fairy tale will be entertaining for every member of thefamily. Remember it’s totally free. Concessions are sale for only $1.00 each. See you at the movies!

The West Central La Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child team had their first meeting of the year. The team was honored to have the regional coordinator, Jesse Reimers, attend the meeting and share exciting information for this upcoming year.  

The team includes year round volunteers in the areas of Prayer, Community Relations, Church Relations, and Media. The team is made up of volunteers from Red River, Natchitoches, Sabine, and Winn parishes. The four drop off locations are located at Calvary Baptist Church in Many, Mitchell Baptist Church in Mitchell, Martin Baptist Church in Martin, and First Baptist Church in Winnfield. The Collection  Center is located at First Baptist Church in Natchitoches. 

Shoeboxes are collected each year filled with toiletries, school supplies, clothing, shoes, toys, stuffed animals and a “Wow” item. The shoeboxes are sent to girls and boys from 2-4, 5-9, and 10-14. Each child hears the gospel and receives a book sharing the gospel.  The children are invited to “ The Greatest Journey” which is a 12 lesson bible study sharing the gospel. The shoeboxes are collected the third week in November each year.  The goal this year for the West Central La team is 14,500. If you have any questions or would like more information go to Samaritan’sPurse.com or contact Pansy Morgan at 352-6233

Pictured on front row from left are Cherry Wells, Brenda Ingram, and Freida Berry. On back row are Bill Huggins, Jack Ingram, Glenna Ott, Helen Antilley, Pansy Morgan and Jesse Reimer. Not pictured are Susan Longino, Alvester Barfield, Ciena Thompson, and Jeanine Ford.

Long before the Corona Virus hit our nation, before schools and businesses were forced to find alternative ways of doing business, we were slowly saying goodbye to traditional hardback paper text books in our schools. We are now a society that relies more on technology such as; Smart Boards, iPads, Chrome Books, and Goggle Classrooms to assist in teaching our children. Back in my day, I can’t say that we loved our text books, but this was all that we knew at the time.

They were heavy and bulky and if you could not leave them in a classroom, it was a burden to lug them around everywhere while making frequent trips to your locker. Sometimes, we even had two for each subject that we were registered for. I am not one to complain about change and progress but I must admit that there is one thing that still brings me joy when I reflect on those days.

In the olden days some people associated the new school year with new school clothes and shiny clean shoes. There was always the excitement of moving up a grade. There was a pride factor of growing older and wiser among your peers. With that, sometimes there would be the excitement of even moving to a new school the older you got. I thought I was full grown when I moved from East Natchitoches Elementary to Natchitoches Junior High. Sometimes I associated the new school year with the smell of a classroom when there was a fresh new coat of paint. The smell would linger for weeks.

But, the one memory that totally gave me life during my school years was opening a textbook to see the names of all of the students who held the book prior to me. I always wanted a book that a popular kid or my older sister had. Or, I would merely settle for it being any name I recognized. This produced so many “show and tell moments” among my friends.

There were also many occasions where the previous student even wrote the answers to questions in the blank spaces or underlined important facts that may show up on a test. That was almost like winning the lottery. Sometimes, there was even profanity that littered the pages of the books. You never knew what you may find…. but I was most interested in the names.

The Bible tells us that there is also a book in which many names are written on the pages. The Book of Life and the contents of the pages are so important to our Lord and our salvation. He cherishes those names and it is not because they are the most popular kids or even the smartest kids. The names written are the ones who have shown faith and accepted salvation. The names written also believe that Christ died for our sins and rose again.

Unlike the traditional outdated school text books with many names that have faded over time, this book is written with a permanent record for eternity. This book will never be outdated and replaced by a newer version or a new technology. It is never too late to have your name added because you do not have to wait until the book is issued to you. Salvation is free for all of those who believe.

“Then they that feared the Lord spoke often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.”
Malachi 3:16

“And if anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15

By Steve Graf

It does not matter what life throws at you, there’s always choices or decisions to be made. Some are easy and straightforward, and some are an educated guess while others are a calculated risk. Just like in the movie “Spiderman” we have a choice, but our choices or decisions have consequences. Some decisions we make are for selfish reasons but then some might be for the good of helping others. As an angler every day on the water is full of choices and decisions that lead us either to victory or just an average finish.

Today I’m going to walk you through what an angler goes through before and during a bass tournament. An angler’s choices or decisions are based on things like; time of year, the lake he’s on, watercolor, water temperature to moon phase. All these things can dictate bait selection. He bases his choices and makes his decisions off his pre-fishing time. Let’s start with maybe the most important element; what time of year is it?. For this article, let’s go with April. Here in the south, most of our waterways or lakes are warming up fast. Warm nights and warmer days really bring the water temps up into the lower to mid 60’s. In April we still have bass that have not spawned (laid eggs) yet. But if you look ahead for the next full moon, you’ll know when there will be another group of female bass ready to pull up shallow for the spawn. The general rule of thumb is that three days before and after the full moon is when fish are the most active but not all fish spawn at the same time.

Mother Nature is smart on how she replenishes our lakes and waterways. From February even into the month of May, there will be bass spawning during each of those months and it usually coincides with the full moon. Knowing this information allows you make an informed decision to either go shallow for spawning fish or find the first deep drop off leading into the shallow water where bass might be staging before pulling up for the spawn. Hence, we call these “staging fish”. Some anglers like myself are very comfortable in shallow water while others like to find fish in the deeper water near the drop off. If your decision is to go shallow, now let’s decide what baits to throw. My first choice is to pitch, flip or drag a lizard. Then I’ll pick up a spinnerbait or maybe a shallow running crankbait. Creature’s baits like the V&M Baby Swamp Hog or a beaver style bait are also great choices. But don’t forget to have a frog tied on as well. Nothing draws a bigger more aggressive strike than a frog sitting over a bass on bed.

If you decide to go for the bass in pre-spawn or staging mode in deeper water, you can tie on a Texas rigged worm, a Carolina rig worm or a deep diving crankbait. A slow rolled spinnerbait or a swim bait is also a great choice. The pre-spawn fish might be a little easier to catch for two reasons, they might not have had the fishing pressure and are not as skittish as the bass that have moved up to spawn. A bass on a bed can be a difficult fish to catch and you can waste a lot of precious time on tournament day trying to trigger a bed fish into biting.

People have asked me how much luck comes into play in fishing? The luck part is when you hook a fish and just as you flip the fish in the boat, the hook falls out while the fish lands in the boat rather than in the lake. That’s luck! Good anglers seem to have instincts rather than luck and it seems like they always make the right choices and decisions. This is why pre-fishing can be so useful and help an angler on tournament day to make the right choices. Maybe he caught a lot of two-pound fish in an area, but the luck part is that when he got there on tournament day, three and four pounders had moved in. But his decision to start an event in that particular area is calculated based on the results of what he caught while pre-fishing.

While watching Major League Fishing a short time ago, MLF Pro John Cox made a tournament clinching decision by stopping in a small pocket 10 minutes before weigh-in. The result was John catching a four-pound bass, sealing the win for him on Smith Lake. Now this does not always happen but it’s a great example of an angler making the right decision on tournament day.

So, whether you’re a tournament angler or a weekend warrior, the decisions or choices you make on the water, can be the difference in having a successful tournament or one that you would rather forget. Till next time, stay strong, keep the faith in your abilities and the choices you make. Good luck and don’t forget to set the hook!

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

OMC Seeking qualified candidates for the following key management positions:

· Chief Nursing Officer / Director of Nursing
· Executive Assistant to CEO/CMO
· Director of Billing & Collections
· Patient Services Representative

For more information, call 318-357-2071.

You may also submit resume and a cover letter to info@outpatientmedical.org

Find us on facebook at our new page: “The NEW Outpatient Medical Center”

EOE

NATCHITOCHES:
Betty Brosset Carnahan
September 29, 1936 – April 10, 2021
Service: Saturday, April 17 at 11 am at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Cloutierville

Dennis Wayne LaCaze
December 21, 1959 – April 12, 2021
Service: Saturday, April 17 at 2 pm at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Natchitoches

Edward Reliford Sr.
April 14, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Thomas Allen Solomon
September 14, 1950 – April 12, 2021
Service: Friday, April 16 at 1 pm at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Natchitoches

Sean Anthony Revels
June 22, 1968 – April 7, 2021
Service: Friday, April 16 from 6-9 pm at the Winnfield Life Funeral Home in Natchitoches

Johnnie Coleman
April 10, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Amos Payton Jr.
April 4, 2021
Arrangements TBA

SABINE:
Brandy Lane Simpson
March 22, 1970 – April 4, 2021
Service: Friday, April 16 at 2 pm (location not included in the obit)

WINN:
Harrell Glen Hopkins
September 15, 1953 – April 13, 2021
Service: Saturday, April 17 at 11 am at Kinner & Stevens Funeral Home in Jena

Larry Williams
November 19, 1938 – April 08, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Darren Jackson
April 1, 2021
Arrangements TBA

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

Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Dillon Merritt, 53, of Many, Louisiana, has been convicted by a federal jury in the Western District of Louisiana on firearms charges. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter presided over the trial.

After a full day of trial and evidence being introduced, a federal jury deliberated and found Merritt guilty yesterday on both counts in the indictment. Evidence introduced at trial revealed that law enforcement officers with the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, learned that Merritt, who has several felony convictions, had firearms in his possession. On January 12, 2018, law enforcement officers arrested Merritt on a warrant based on his illegal possession of a firearm and on May 22, 2019, he was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Western District of Louisiana and charged with two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

Merritt has a lengthy criminal history, including felony convictions for cruelty to juveniles (2003), aggravated domestic battery (2010), and possession of methamphetamine (2015).

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison for both counts and up to a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for August 5, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.

The ATF and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cadesby B. Cooper and Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The Louisiana Department of Health is placing a temporary pause on all administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine while federal health agencies investigate whether six reported cases of blood clotting in other states were caused by the vaccine. Providers in the state of Louisiana will continue to use the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and all Louisianans are encouraged to take advantage of the available vaccines, so the state can continue to slow the spread of COVID-19 and put the pandemic in its rearview.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have recommended that the United States pause the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine out of an abundance of caution over six reported U.S. cases of a “rare and severe” type of blood clot.

“Today’s pause in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is out of an abundance of caution. This morning, I had a call with White House officials and other governors to discuss this issue as we work to safely get as many Louisianans 16 and older vaccinated as quickly and safely as possible. While I understand that this news may be concerning, I remain committed to working alongside public health experts to make sure people can get the answers they need to make an informed decision,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “Right now, there are two safe and effective vaccines – Pfizer and Moderna – available and being administered in Louisiana and I encourage everyone in Louisiana to keep their appointments and to take advantage of the vaccines we have available. Nearly one million Louisianans have already completed their vaccinations against COVID-19. There have been around 85,000 Johnson and Johnson doses administered in Louisiana and no reported cases of this rare blood clot that we are aware of. In the short-term, this means some community vaccination events may have to be rescheduled or shifted to use Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for now and working with the team from the Louisiana Department of Health and health care officials, we will continue the important work of administering vaccines.”

“While this news is frustrating and concerning, we appreciate the FDA acting with abundant caution and transparency,” said Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health Officer. “We do not yet know whether these reported cases of blood clotting were caused by the vaccine. The State of Louisiana takes vaccine safety very seriously, and this temporary pause should give the public and providers confidence the system of monitoring and safety checks are working as intended.”

As of April 12, more than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered in the U.S. CDC and FDA are reviewing data involving six reported U.S. cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals after receiving the J&J vaccine. All six cases occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination.

CDC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on Wednesday to further review these cases and assess their potential significance. FDA will review that analysis as it also investigates these cases. Until that process is complete, LDH is temporarily pausing in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution.

Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare. People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, chest pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.

Minor side effects are a normal sign the body is building protection. Side effects may include pain and swelling in the arm, fever, chills, tiredness or a headache. Most side effects will go away in a few days or less.

Vaccine availability of Pfizer and Moderna will continue uninterrupted.

By Brad Dison

Frank Hayes was an apprentice jockey originally from Ireland. Rather than a full-fledged jockey, Frank was employed as a stable hand and horse trainer. In 1923, the twenty-year old had been working with horses for about five years, had raced only occasionally, and had never won a race. Frank’s passion was to become a professional jockey. Frank’s boss saw that he had potential and offered him a chance to prove himself in an upcoming race. In his determination to win, Frank took drastic measures in his preparations for the race. To qualify to ride in the race, Frank had to weigh 130 pounds or less. At 145 pounds, Frank was too heavy. He needed to lose weight quickly. Frank used every trick known to jockeys, and, according to newspaper accounts, lost fifteen pounds in 24 hours, a feat which hardly seems likely or possible. Whether Frank lost fifteen pounds in a single day or over a period of a few days, his quick weight loss was extraordinary. By the time of weigh-in, according to the judges Frank weighed exactly 130 pounds. He was able to compete.

On June 4, 1923, Frank was “piloting” a horse called “Sweet Kiss” in a steeplechase at Belmont Park, a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City. Steeplechasing originated in Ireland, and took its name from the church steeple used for orientation in plotting the course’s direction. While thoroughbred racing typically uses an oval track, a steeplechase track is made up of obstacles for the horses to jump, usually hedges or fences with pools of water on the far side.

On that day in 1923, the odds were twenty to one against “Sweet Kiss.” It was a long shot. The horses lined up in their starting gate and awaited the sound of the pistol. Pow!!! The gates opened and the horses were off. Another horse, Gimmie, gained a slight lead from the start. Frank held his body as close as possible to Sweet Kiss’s back to lessen wind resistance. Patrons of the horse race could see little more of Frank than his bright silk jockey uniform as he and Sweet Kiss sped past them. The horse and jockey seemed to soar gracefully and effortlessly over each of the twelve obstacles on the two-mile track. The crowd roared with cheers. In the final turn, Sweet Kiss took the lead. When Sweet Kiss leaped gracefully over the final obstacle and straightened out for the run to the finish line, Frank swayed in the saddle. He slipped to one side for just a moment but quickly recovered.

The crowd cheered as Frank and Sweet Kiss crossed the finish line at Belmont track. Sweet Kiss won by a length and a half. Frank showed no emotion although it was the first time he had won a horserace. By all accounts, Frank piloted Sweet Kiss to an easy victory. After crossing the finish line, Sweet Kiss trotted then walked toward the judges stand. Rather than sitting up in the saddle like all of the other jockeys, Frank remained in his racing position, close to Sweet Kiss’s back. The crowd continued to cheer for Frank and the horse. Suddenly, Frank fell from the horse onto the track. Attendants hurried onto the track to attend to Frank. They quickly realized that Frank would never race again.

You see, during the race Frank suffered a massive heart attack. He died just as Sweet Kiss landed his last jump of the race. Doctors attributed Frank’s death to his incredibly quick weight loss. Three days later, Frank was buried in his bright silk jockey uniform. Frank Hayes holds the Guinness World Record as the first (and only) jockey to ride to victory… after his own death.

Sources:
1. Buffalo Courier (Buffalo, New York), June 5, 1923, p.11.
2. Des Moines Tribune (Des Moines, Iowa), June 5, 1923, p. 16.
3. The Standard Union (Brooklyn, New York), June 6, 1923, p.10.
4. “First Deceased Jockey to Win a Race,” Guinness World Records, accessed April 2, 2021, guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-deceased-jockey-to-win-a-race.