The University Programming Council at Northwestern State University will present the 64th Annual Miss Northwestern – Lady of the Bracelet Scholarship Program on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 4 p.m. in the A.A. Fredericks Auditorium. Those attending are asked to follow university regulations and to wear a mask at all times in the building.

Admission is free but donations will be accepted for the Children’s Miracle Network.

Seven candidates will compete in the scholarship program, which is a preliminary for the Miss Louisiana Competition. The candidates are Abigail Nelson of Pineville, Marissa Rowsey of Haughton, Makenzie Scroggs of Marksville, Sheridan Duet of Thibodaux, Bailey Willis of Opelousas, Emma McElwee of Many and Chileigh Mitchell of Lafayette.

The winner will receive more than $8,000 in scholarships and prizes.

Nelson is a sophomore early childhood education major and is the daughter of Mike Nelson and Julie Nelson. She was a President’s List student at NSU. Nelson is active in the BCM and Educators Rising. She was Tioga High School Student of the Year and was Miss Campus Beauty. Nelson was a two-time NCA National Champion

Rowsey is a freshman criminal justice major and is the daughter of Kymberly & Sean Rowsey. She was a magna cum laude graduate of Haughton High School.

Scroggs is a sophomore dance major and is the daughter of Rebecca and Derek Scroggs. She is a member of the Demon Dazzlers, Dance Organization of Students and the Presidential Leadership Program. At Avoyelles Public Charter School, Scroggs was National Honor Society treasurer, a top 10 graduate, CLI Ambassador, Elite Competition Dance Team Member and National Talent Winner.

Duet is a senior hospitality management and tourism and new media, journalism, and communication major and is the daughter of Dayna and Kenneth Duet. She is a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, Demon Volunteers in Progress and is a President’s Leadership Program mentor. She has been a freshman orientation leader and is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta and the Order of Omega. Duet is student coordinator for the NSU Food Pantry.

Willis is a sophomore secondary education major and is the daughter of Christopher and Alvada Willis. She is a member of the President’s Leadership Program and is Student Government Association student affairs commissioner. She is a freshman orientation leader and a member of Alpha Lambda Delta.

McElwee is a sophomore history major and is the daughter of Archie and Melissa McElwee. At NSU, McElwee is a member of the Catholic Student Organization and is a University Planning Committee member. She was chosen as Sabine Parish Student of the Year, Miss Many High School and Student Body president. McElwee won the American History Award and was a UDA All-American Dancer and academic letterman recipient.

Mitchell is a sophomore secondary education major and is the daughter of Cormick “Tazz” and Evangeline Mitchell. She is a member of the Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band and the University Programming Council open committee. She is a member of Tau Beta Sigma sorority. At Northside High School, Mitchell was a magna cum laude student and Viking of the Year and Student of the Year. She served as student body president.

Six students at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) have been commended in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. While these students won’t continue in the National Merit Scholarships competition next spring, they’re being recognized for the exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the qualifying test used for program entry.
The Commended Students at LSMSA are Olutunmike “Tum-Tum” Adeleye (’22) of Natchitoches, Travis Elmore (’22) of Slidell, Liliana R Geier (’22) of Mandeville, Leah Swanstrom (’22) of Natchitoches, Jake Touchet (’22) of Lake Charles, Amarige Yusufji (’22) of Shreveport.

“We would like to recognize these students for their exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the PSAT,” said Lead Counselor/Ap Coordinator Leah Lentz. “We are proud of them and grateful they are members of LSMSA.”

Students entered the National Merit Scholarship Program, a nationwide competition for recognition and awards conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) offered in October 2020 and January 2021. Of the 50,000 highest scores identified from the tests, 34,000 high performers were named Commended Students based on a national Selection Index score of 207, applicable to all program participants without regard to state-by-state distribution. Participants who scored at or above the Commended Student Selection Index score, but below their state or selection unit’s Semifinalist Selection Index score, are Commended Students.

LSMSA is a state-supported, residential public high school with competitive admissions for Louisiana’s high-achieving, highly-motivated sophomores, juniors, and seniors. While the school is tuition-free, assistance from the LSMSA Foundation ensures the program is available to all qualifying students regardless of family financial need. Learn more at LSMSA.edu.

We’ve all, at one time or another, had those jobs that nobody else wants. Those jobs, where no matter what decisions you make, everyone will not be happy. If you’ve ever run a bass tournament, you’ll find out quickly that there’s not a bigger bunch of whiners on the planet than bass fishermen. If you feed them hamburgers for good performance, they want to know why they didn’t get a ribeye. They really are the most selfish and spoiled outdoorsmen that exist. They like to be catered to and hailed for their skills and abilities to catch bass. Another way to say it…they’re brats!

Without Tournament Directors (TD’s), anglers would be the inmates running the asylum. TD’s are the guys that run bass tournaments for different organizations all across the country and have a tough job trying to satisfy bass fishermen. They don’t write the rules, they just enforce them, even when they know it will hurt an angler or a team. That’s not their intention to hurt anyone, but it’s a part of the job that goes with being a tournament director. Sometimes they have to be the bad guy whether it’s a one-pound penalty for a minor violation, or worst, a disqualification, which is rare. An example of a one-pound penalty would be weighing a dead fish. If there’s one thing that’s really emphasized in bass tournaments today, it is keeping your fish alive before weigh-in. An example of a disqualification would be not wearing a life jacket either during practice or on tournament day.

But without good TD’s, bass tournaments would be a mess. They constantly have to hear anglers complain about this and that including, but not limited to, accusations from other anglers like… they were fishing too close, they were fishing my spot, they ran through a no wake zone, they weren’t wearing their life jackets….and the list goes on and on! Bass fishermen love rules, as long as they don’t apply to them. No matter what the TD decides on a situation, someone will not be happy. But for a fishing circuit or tournament trail to be successful, it better have a good strong TD who’s not afraid to hurt someone’s feelings. Nothing will ruin a tournament trail quicker than a weak director who does not enforce the rules, or even worse, changes or alters the rules the morning of a tournament. This will make anglers load their boats and leave….. never to return. Every tournament trail that’s ever failed, was usually because rules were not enforced with consistency. If things aren’t run the right way, anglers will abandon ship quicker than setting the hook on a big bass.

So today, I salute all the guys who have taken on that role of TD and had to be the bad guy every once in a while. They spend countless hours on the road and away from their families just like anglers do. In some cases, they literally go from one event to the next, loading and unloading, breaking down and setting up. They make sure the polygraph exams are done correctly. They coordinate all take-offs the morning of the tournament and they make sure all anglers are off the water safe and on time. Then they have to run the weigh-in and pass out checks, before packing up and heading to the next event. So, the next time you’re in a bass tournament or following a bass trail, tell the tournament director “thank you” for doing a great job. Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget to set the hook!

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

Over the summer Dr. Allison Landry, Principal Lecturer of Biology at the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts (LSMSA) completed a Genome Editing and CRISPR virtual workshop through the Milwaukee School of Engineering. This workshop was put on by the MSOE Center for BioMolecular Modeling.
This is the third workshop Dr. Landry has completed as part of the Louisiana School’s professional development opportunities. Through the LSMSA Foundation eligible faculty and staff can apply for grants from the Richard G. Brown Fund to receive scholarly and creative enrichment for their professional and personal lives. This leads to enhancing the quality of students’ overall educational experiences and the LSMSA community as a whole.

Proposals can relate to research and publishing; development and preparation of new courses or programs in academic or residential life; participation in workshops or university courses; acquiring new technological skills; creative, performing, and scholarly projects; enhancement of one’s skills in a service setting; and other substantive programs of study for personal or professional enrichment.

“The LSMSA Foundation funded my opportunity to participate in the workshop, which greatly enhances my understanding of this useful system,” said Dr. Landry. “This directly translates to my ability to teach our students.”

Dr. Landry received DNA replication models and a 3D printed model for a CRISPR Cas9 Complex. She and Dr. Jason Anderson, Lecturer of Biology, will use these models for special projects with students during the 2021-2022 school year. Special projects are a one-week short course between semesters.

“You don’t really think about using 3D printing in biology but it’s really neat to make models of proteins,” said Dr. Landry. “It takes the abstract and makes it more concrete, which helps the students understand the process.”

Some of the uses for CRISPR and genome editing research include treating cystic fibrosis, developing treatments for sickle cell anemia. This is one of the new hot areas and there’s lots of research going on right now.

In 2020 the Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded for the first time to two women, Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna. They invented a method, CRISPR Cas9, making it easier for researchers to change the DNA of animals, plants and microorganisms.

“We try to keep the curriculum relevant and keep the students engaged,” said Dr. Landry.

LSMSA is a state-supported, residential public high school with competitive admissions for Louisiana’s high-achieving, highly-motivated sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Learn more at LSMSA.edu.

SABINE:
Ernest “Ernie” Constable Jr.
October 16, 1946 – September 22, 2021
Service: Sunday, September 26 at 9:30 am at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

Dan “Bo” Richard Holden, Jr.
March 6, 1963 – September 18, 2021
Service: Sunday, September 26 at 3 pm at Toro Baptist Church

James Rickey Hebert
May 20, 1963 – September 12, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 10 am at Spring Ridge Baptist Church

NATCHITOCHES:
Lomma Peter Sarpy, Jr.
June 08, 1954 – September 21, 2021
Service: Monday, September 27 at 7 pm in the chapel of Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

John Raymond Moss
August 27, 1958 – September 16, 2021
Service: Friday, September 24 at 3 pm at Bellwood Cemetery

Detre Willis
March 28, 1972 – September 22, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Michelle Ann O’Donnell
May 09, 1969 – September 17, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 10 am at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Joseph Lynch
September 20, 2021
Arrangements TBA

James Clark
September 21, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Cyldia B. Groce
September 17, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 11 am at the Pentecost Baptist Church on Hwy 1 South in Natchez

John Jackson Sr.
September 15, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 2 pm at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches

Ricky Lane Carpenter
May 27, 1961 – September 14, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 11 am at Fern Park Cemetery in Natchitoches

Gloria Shields
September 12, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 10 am in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel

Felenn Sowell
September 08, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Minnie Johnson
September 04, 2021
Arrangements TBA

RED RIVER:
Stanley Derrell Horton
October 28, 1938 – September 19, 2021
Service: Friday, September 24 at 11 am at Open Door Fellowship Church

The Sabine Parish School Board has voted on the new superintendent for the district. Monday, September 20th, the Sabine Parish School Board met to interview the candidates for the superintendent position. The result was a 5 to 4 vote in favor of candidate Shane Wright. 

The interviews can be viewed here.

MANY, La – The Sabine Valley campus of CLTCC will be hosting a free COVID-19 vaccination event next week. 

This event will be open to the public with walk-ins welcomed and no appointment is required. The COVID-19 vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and family members from COVID. The Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available. 

This event will take place on Tuesday, September 28 from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Sabine Valley campus of CLTCC located at 1255 Fisher Road, Many, LA 71449.

Adults and children 12+ are welcome and eligible for the shot.

For more information, citizens are encouraged to contact CLTCC at (318) 256 – 4102

Cane River National Heritage Area and the Cane River Creole National Historical Park will host the Cane River Fall Festivities throughout the month of October. Magnolia Plantation located far from the light pollution of civilization is the ultimate place to learn about and enjoy the splendor of the night sky.

Join us on October 8, 2021, to explore the night sky! This FREE program will take place from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm and is limited to twenty participants. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 318-352-0383 x316. All ages are welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult. A Junior Ranger program for children will start promptly at 6:30 pm. Kids will earn their Junior Ranger Night Explorer patch. At 7:00 pm, Professor Michael Scanlan of Northwestern State University will begin a short indoor program which will be followed with outdoor observational instruction.

Come experience your park after dark! Please dress for the weather and bring your own lawn chairs or blankets to sit on, bug spray, and a flashlight. Binoculars or telescopes are optional. Magnolia Plantation is located at 5549 Highway 119, Derry/Cloutierville, LA. Due to a road closure Magnolia Plantation can only be accessed from the southern end of Highway 119 via LA Highway 1.

The grounds of Oakland and Magnolia Plantations are open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nearly 80 original buildings remain, many open for self-guided tours including several that are historically furnished from Wednesday through Sunday. Park staff conducts tours of the plantation grounds daily Wednesday through Sunday. In addition, the park offers a cell phone tour. The Oakland Main House is open for self-guided tours from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Magnolia Main House is privately owned and is not open to the public. For more information call the park at 318-352-0383, ext. 316.

In continuing the university’s long-held tradition of recognizing military service at home athletic events, Northwestern State University welcomed Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Drake and his family to Natchitoches and honored his service to the nation during the Sept. 18 football game.

LTC Drake joined the Northwestern family as the professor of Military Science this summer. He was commissioned as an Infantry Officer in 2005 from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. With over 17 years of active service, including four combat deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, he brings a wealth of experience to NSU’s ROTC program. Most recently, he was an Observer, Coach, Trainer and Brigade S3 in the Operations Group, Joint Readiness Training Center, Fort Polk.

LTC Drake holds a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering from the United States Military Academy and a Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Webster University. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Maneuver Captain’s Career Course, and Command and General Staff College.

His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters (OLC), Meritorious Service Medal w/2 OLC, Army Commendation Medal w/4 OLC, and the Army Achievement Medal. The Oak Leaf Cluster is a bronze or silver device that designates a subsequent awarding of a medal or ribbon. Drake has also earned the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Ranger Tab, and the Parachutist Badge.

LTC Drake hails from Lakeland, Florida. He and his wife, Brittany, have two daughters, Ava and Jada.

Taylor McFall has been promoted to assistant athletics director for student-athlete development, announced Northwestern State athletics director Greg Burke on Monday.

McFall served in the NSU Athletics academic services department for nearly one year as the academic coordinator and director of the enhanced academic program.

“Taylor has done an outstanding job of mentoring student-athletes and engaging with coaches over the past eight months, which combined with experience working at other Division I programs across the country, has provided a solid foundation for assuming oversight for the athletic department’s overall academic support program,” said NSU Director of Athletics Greg Burke. “Taylor will have big shoes to fill as NSU has been blessed over the past couple of decades to have highly dedicated leaders in the academic support area, but she is up to the task.

“She is bright, energetic, creative and genuinely cares about the student-athlete. Her work ethic is tremendous. I look forward to working with her and her staff.”

McFall guided women’s basketball, volleyball and track and field/cross country programs this past season, handling academic eligibility, secondary advising and registration services and a host of other duties.

She will manage NSU Athletics’ academic support operations for the nearly 400 student-athletes on campus.

McFall will also coordinate life skills training for NSU’s competitors, along with overseeing the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and helping direct community service initiatives involving NSU Athletics teams and staff members.

Prior to arriving in Natchitoches, McFall spent two-plus years at Louisiana Tech as an athletic academic advisor, working closely with a variety of Tech’s athletic teams.

The Western Kentucky product has an undergraduate degree in social work and a masters degree in recreation and sport administration.

McFall has experience at other regional schools, working as an athletics academic advisor at Old Dominion and Central Arkansas.

SABINE:
James Rickey Hebert
May 20, 1963 – September 12, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 10 am at Spring Ridge Baptist Church

RED RIVER:
Suzanne Marie Bumgardner
February 13, 1954 – September 18, 2021
Service: Wednesday, September 22 at 10 am at Ashland Baptist Church

Stanley Derrell Horton
October 28, 1938 – September 19, 2021
Service: Friday, September 24 at 11 am at Open Door Fellowship Church

NATCHITOCHES:
Michelle Ann O’Donnell
May 09, 1969 – September 17, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 10 am at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Joseph Lynch
September 20, 2021
Arrangements TBA

James Clark
September 21, 2021
Arrangements TBA

James “J.C” Coutee, Sr.
March 12, 1962 – September 16, 2021
Service: Wednesday, September 22 at 2 pm at Bay Springs Baptist Church

Cyldia B. Groce
September 17, 2021
Arrangements TBA

John Jackson Sr.
September 15, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Ricky Lane Carpenter
May 27, 1961 – September 14, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 11 am at Fern Park Cemetery in Natchitoches

Gloria Shields
September 12, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Felenn Sowell
September 08, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Minnie Johnson
September 04, 2021
Arrangements TBA

A high school football matchup that usually produces a very good, close outcome, did not this time.

Friday night in Stonewall, the Many Tigers roared out to a quick 16-0 advantage in the first quarter and never looked back. Even on their home field, the North DeSoto Griffins were no match for the Tigers, who applied a 50-0 drubbing that wasn’t that close.

It was 44-0 Many – at halftime.

Many, the defending Class 2A state champions, improved to 2-1 with its second straight win. The Tigers lived up to their current No. 2 ranking in 2A as they gashed the 4A Griffins (0-3, with their other two losses to 5A foes).

On their first possession, the Tigers got a long scamper from quarterback Tackett Curtis down to the 12-yard-line and London Williams resumed his season-long TD onslaught from there. After a goal line stand by the Tigers, Curtis ripped off another 30-yard bolt, followed by a good run by Jeremiah James. Williams capped the 99-yard march on a 3-yard TD run, and with a second successful two-point conversion, Many led 16-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Tigers rang up 28 more points in the second quarter. Touchdowns from Williams, a pick-six interception runback by Tylen Singleton, Wiliams dashing across again, and finally a run by James lit up the scoreboard.

The second-half Many tally came in the fourth quarter by Curtis on a short run.

The Tiger defense dominated, notching its first shutout. Led by the player of the game, Keaton Montgomery, who received the game ball, Many gave the Griffins’ offense trouble all night. The Tigers wound up with interceptions from Singleton, Jayvion Smart, and Ked Gosey.

The Tiger offense accumulated 513 yards to only 150 from North DeSoto.

Many comes home after two straight road games to host Tioga next Friday night at John W. Curtis Stadium.

Scoring Summary:

1^st – London Williams 12 run (two-point conversion good), 8-0

        Williams 3 run (two-point conversion good), 16-0

2^nd  – Williams 28 run(conversion failed), 22-0

          Tylen Singleton interception return (two-point conversion good), 30-0

          Williams 2 run  (two-point conversion good), 38-0

          Jeremiah James 4 run (conversion failed), 44-0

4^th:    Curtis 1 run (conversion failed), 50-0

Player Stats:

Passing:  Curtis 1-2, 52 yards

Receiving: Matkin 1-52 yards

Rushing: Williams 24-180, 4 TDs, James 16-117, 1 TD, Curtis 5-116, 1 TD, Aldredge 7-32, Higginbothom 1-11, Maxie 3-6, Deville 1-minus 1

One thing the Northwestern State football team did not lack for Saturday night was scoring opportunities.

Converting those chances was a little more difficult.

The Demons went 1-for-6 in the red zone against UT Martin in Northwestern State’s home opener at Turpin Stadium, falling 35-10 to the visiting Skyhawks.

“When you look at this game, you go back to the first half,” fourth-year head coach Brad Laird said. “The opportunities we had, four times plus-30 or in and not getting any points out of it. Fast forward to the second half, a great drive and a great call on fourth down for the touchdown to Jay (Griffin). Then get the ball back, driving down and have the turnover at the goal line.

“We got the momentum, but we weren’t able to sustain it.”

Toward the end of a first half in which UT Martin (2-1) built a 21-0 lead, the Demons (0-3) began to capture some of that momentum.

Eddie Godina’s 27-yard field goal at the first-half buzzer capped a 10-play, 65-yard drive to get the Demons on the board at 21-3.

For the second straight week, Northwestern State took the second-half kickoff and drove down the field. Unlike a week ago at Alcorn, the Demons completed the drive as Kaleb Fletcher found Jay Griffin in the along the far sideline for a 21-yard touchdown on fourth and 9.

“I’m happy we got the offense moving more than in the first two weeks, but there are obviously things we have to get cleaned up during the off week,” said Griffin, who finished with five catches for 33 yards. “Fixing our mental mistakes and not hurting ourselves in the red zone – that’s what we’ve done.”

The Skyhawks jumped to a 14-0 lead after a first quarter in which UT Martin racked up 229 yards offense. A strip sack by Isaiah Longino and ensuing fumble recovery by Jared Pedraza – one of two on the night for the linebacker – kept the Skyhawks from going 3-for-3 on scoring drives in the opening quarter.

The Purple Swarm defense again settled down across the next 40 minutes of game play, holding the Skyhawks to 62 yards in the second and third quarters.

“After we felt out the offensive line on a couple of plays, we started sitting in our gaps and making adjustments where they were needed,” said defensive end John Daigle, who led NSU with a career-high eight tackles. “Consistency is key with us. It’s not every single play we weren’t consistent, but when it counted, we weren’t. To win a game, you have to be consistent every play.”

The Demons ran for 174 yards against a UT Martin defense that surrendered and average of 73 years per game on the ground and posted a season-high 423 yards. Fletcher led NSU with a career-high 71 rushing yards while going 28-of-47 through the air for 249 yards.

NSU, however, was undone by its inability to finish drives.

Northwestern State had a field goal blocked and missed another in the red zone before Godina connected on the field goal at the end of the first half. Twice in the second half, the Demons were unsuccessful on fourth-down red-zone attempts.

The costliest red-zone miscue came on the possession after Fletcher hit Griffin for the touchdown.

The Purple Swarm held UT Martin to a three-and-out, forcing a punt and giving the Demons the ball at their 25.

On the 11th play of the drive, John Ford picked off Fletcher at the 1-yard line and raced 65 yards back to the Demon 33-yard line. Six plays later, Zak Wallace’s 5-yard touchdown run re-established UT Martin’s three-score advantage at 28-10.

“The opportunities early to get points on the board after putting together drives and the turnovers – whether it’s a turnover on downs or the turnover at the goal line – that’s four opportunities for points,” Laird said. “If you don’t take advantage of those opportunities in terms of getting points, that’s something I talked about. We have two weeks, beginning with this open date, and it’s going to be important, starting with me, to look in the mirror as coaches and players. What do we need to do moving forward, because as we kick off two weeks from today, we’re 0-0 (in conference play).”

After its open date, the Demons host Incarnate Word in NSU’s Southland Conference opener on Oct. 2.

Photo: Chris Reich/NSU Photographic Services

MANY, La – Please note that on Tuesday morning, September 21,  starting around 10:00 a.m., San Antonio Avenue will be blocked off while repairs are being done to the theater sign at Many Community Center. Many P.D. will be directing traffic.

MANY, La – Local Officer from the Many Police Department is currently in Shreveport being treated for a heart attack. On Friday, September 17th, Officer Stanley Cook suffered from a heart attack while on duty. The Many Police Department made the following post to their social media asking for prayers for the officer. 

“Please keep the family of Officer Stanley Cook in your prayers. He suffered a heart attack while on duty yesterday. He was transferred to Shreveport for further treatment. “

The SPJ will post updates on Officer Cooks condition as they become available. 

BOM is a proud sponsor of the NSU Purple Pizzazz Pom Line! You can watch these talented dancers this Saturday at Turpin Stadium! In this photo from left to right: BOM’s Samantha Bonnette, Captain Kelsy Elkins, BOM’s Scott Maggio, and Co-Captain Mariah Kador.

The Women’s Resource Center held its annual Celebration of Life Gala on Sept. 16. After a fully virtual Gala last year, the WRC wanted to bring it back to an in person event for 2021. That meant a few changes to the usual format to ensure everyone’s safety, but it turned into a very successful evening.

A good crowd came out to support this non profit organization that provides free and confidential services to women who are, or think they may be, pregnant. The WRC exists to provide information, education, emotional, material, and spiritual support to empower individuals to make life-affirming choices. They do this through in-depth visits that provide prenatal and parenting information, community referrals, free pregnancy tests, free limited obstetrical ultrasounds with trained nurses, parenting classes, breastfeeding classes, and numerous community partnerships.

Steve McAlister from Westside Baptist Church welcomed attendees to the event. Tommy Rush with FBC Natchitoches then led the invocation. A video shared several testimonial interviews from clients who had the opportunity to benefit from the services provided by the WRC.

Executive Director Jennifer Luna spoke on the impact the Center has on the Natchitoches community.

“I get to see babies saved every single day,” she shared. “I love this sacred work!”

This past year, the center helped change the lives of over 500 clients with 825 referrals to community resources and 138 children being born with their help.

The keynote speaker for the event, Mike Williams, is a 2017 DOVE Award winner; the founder of Cups Mission, an organization that has started two pregnancy centers in the Dominican Republic; and a well traveled author. He has written 14 books, five of which involve the work of local pregnancy centers like the WRC in Natchitoches.

Williams delighted the crowd with meaningful stories filled with humor and joy.

“All life belongs to God,” he said. “Don’t mess with God’s stuff.”

Williams then spoke to everyone about how they have an opportunity to save lives by supporting the WRC. A gift of $3,600 can provide a full year of supplying a car seat for every woman taking the class. A gift of $418.50 can provide a month of diaper bags for new moms. A gift of $300.15 can provide a full year of pregnancy testing supplies. A gift of $260 can provide a month of gas and utilities. For $1.38 a day someone can choose to cover the cost for one mother and child to go through the program ($41.25 monthly).

There’s plenty of ways to help, large and small, that are all tax deductible. If you’re interested in supporting the work the WRC does in the Natchitoches community call 318-357-8888 or text 318-527-0010.

Fr. Derek Ducote gave the benediction before guests visited over a delicious meal before the night ended.

By Reba Phelps

When a young lady reaches a certain age she is able to join the workforce in the form of a babysitter. During my youth I remember my sister babysitting and being paid a whopping fifty dollars a week. Back in the day this was a lot of money, especially when you did not have to pay room and board. It never failed that she would come home with horror stories about the children she watched, but as soon as payday rolled around, her memory became short.

Money talked.

Once I reached the age of accountability I soon launched my own babysitting and house cleaning business. I loved the little odd jobs that would pay just enough to buy a fresh pair of Keds tennis shoes. Our parents never really had much money so it also helped them when we could finance our own expenses. I always kept a side hustle with a small cash flow.

Once I became an adult and was planning a wedding, I realized that my meager salary would not finance a wedding of any sort. So, I returned to my roots and picked up a side hustle. I worked as an insurance agent during the day and as a Wal-Mart cashier at night and on weekends. The extra cash paid for a wedding dress, vail, and a few down payments on the photographer and wedding cake. After the wedding date passed, I kept the side hustle because I loved having the extra money.

Through the years I have sold makeup, worked at a pharmacy, a video store, a gas station, babysat children, and sold miscellaneous items online. As my daughters got older it became a little more difficult to keep an extra job. I didn’t want to miss too many moments of their life and time was passing quickly.

Plainly put though, I will always completely respect a side hustle and I am fairly positive that the phrase was named in honor of my hustle.

Now hiring! Help Wanted! Signing Bonus! Higher wages per hour! Apply now! These are all words that would make any reformed side hustler’s eyes perk up!

The multitude of signs you see around town simply speak for themselves. Everyone is hiring. Not only are these words visible in every local window but you can Google, “jobs in Natchitoches” and the website, simplyhired.com will tell you that there are 348 jobs available in the Natchitoches area alone. That is almost unheard of and it is so difficult to not schedule a new side hustle for every other weekend that my daughter is not home.

It is an employee’s market right now with the sad reality that no one wants to work.

When God created Adam and Eve he did not waste any time putting them to work. Barely out of the second chapter of Genesis, it is written that Adam’s job was to tend the garden and name all of the beasts of the field that God created. I oftentimes wonder if God micromanaged that request or if he let Adam have his creative control. And, did Adam ever get writer’s block while trying to come up with new names?

Nonetheless, for the first six days of creation, that is all that God did. Work. He created man to work. He created women to work. Proverbs 31 specifically talks about the virtues of a noble woman. All of the virtues have one common thread. They all revolve around labor and the fruits of your labor.

“She gets up while it is still night, she provides food for her family….and considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings.”

Earnings do not come without sweat equity. While I am paraphrasing… You can see that God places a high value on work ethic and so should we. He also tells us in Proverbs 16:27 that idle hands are the devil’s workshop. According to this scripture, even the devil works. But, our God has more tools in his workshop, he just expects us to pick them up and use them.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” – Colossians 3:23-24

SABINE:
James Rickey Hebert
May 20, 1963 – September 12, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 10 am at Spring Ridge Baptist Church

Wendolyn Faye Berry
March 17, 1959 – September 16, 2021
Service: Monday, September 20 at 2 pm at St. John The Baptist Catholic Church

Linda Dianne Laroux
May 14, 1958 – September 15, 2021
Service: Monday, September 20 at 10 am at Warren Meadows Funeral Home in Zwolle

NATCHITOCHES:
James “J.C” Coutee, Sr.
March 12, 1962 – September 16, 2021
Service: Wednesday, September 22 at 2 pm at Bay Springs Baptist Church

Cyldia B. Groce
September 17, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Cheryl Ann Jeter Choate
March 08, 1953 – September 15, 2021
Service: Monday, September 20 at 6 pm in the chapel of Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

John Jackson Sr.
September 15, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Ricky Lane Carpenter
May 27, 1961 – September 14, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 11 am at Fern Park Cemetery in Natchitoches

Gloria Shields
September 12, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Felenn Sowell
September 08, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Minnie Johnson
September 04, 2021
Arrangements TBA