Journal Sports Staff

MANY – Being a Class 2A powerhouse that’s appeared in the last three state title games, Many football doesn’t exactly have teams lining up to play the championship-caliber Tigers.

Many fished Class 5A Sam Houston out of the Lake Charles area to open the season as the Tigers host the Broncos Friday at 7 p.m. at John Curtis Stadium.

It’s the first time Many has played a Class 5A opponent since losing to Natchitoches Central in 2019, and coach Jess Curtis hopes his team provides fireworks on the field to match the massive pregame fireworks display scheduled.

“We’re excited to get in front of the home crowd against a (5A) team like Sam Houston,” Curtis said. “I’ve had a hard time finding games, and we’ve had to go to Jasper (Texas) for a scrimmage and (2.5 hours) down to Jennings for a jamboree.

“We play 4A and 5A teams all the time, and we’ve basically had to reschedule all of our non-district teams from our original opponents because we got dropped.”

Many dropped Jennings in the jamboree 27-0 in one half of football in which the Tigers outgained Jennings 193-46 yards.

All of the Tigers’ offense came on the ground led by three rushing touchdowns from stud Jeremiah James. Jamarlyn Garner was the home-run hitter and led the attack with 91 rushing yards.

Sam Houston counters with an offense that attempts to spread its opponent out.

“Sam Houston has a good group of kids, and they have some size on the offensive line,” Curtis said. “They will spread us out and throw it around.

“Playing a 5A team this early will prove to be a good test for us.”

The Many defense, which returns 10 of 11 starters from this past season, thrives on its speed and will attempt to fly around with the Broncos’ spread. Many forced four turnovers in a muddy half against Jennings.

Since the 2008-09, Many does have a Class 5A win against Southwood in 2011 with other 5A losses to Southwood (2012) and Ruston twice (2009 and 2010).

The Tigers also line up against Class 5A foe Haughton this season.

Sam Houston has posted consecutive three-win seasons since 2020, but the Broncos 2021 squad was hamstrung by injuries which forced a lot of young players into action after a 2-1 start.

Now those youngsters are more seasoned as the Broncos boast one of the deeper teams in their 5A district. Despite the lack of recent success, Sam Houston does a pair of eight-win campaigns in 2018 and 2019, earning No. 10 and No. 14 seeds in first-round playoff losses.

The Town of Many monitors the disinfectant residual in the distribution system on a daily basis.
This measurement tells us whether we are effectively disinfecting the water supply. The
disinfectant residual is the amount of chlorine or chloramines in the distribution system.
Chlorine and chloramines are common disinfectants used by water suppliers to kill bacteria in
the drinking water; therefore, if the disinfectant residual is too low, microorganisms can
potentially grow in the distribution piping.

In order to provide the most effective disinfection process, Town of Many is making a
temporary change in the type of disinfectant used in the water supply. It is typical for water
systems that use chloramines to temporarily change to free chlorine in order to clean water
pipes and provide a reliable disinfectant residual throughout all points in the distribution
system. Free chlorine is proven to be more effective in killing organisms within the pipes of the
distribution system.

When is the switch scheduled?
The temporary switch from chloramines to free chlorine will occur 9-12-22 through 11/12/22.
If a longer duration is required, then we will continue to use free chlorine as long as necessary.

What is being done?
We are going to change the distribution system disinfectant from chloramines to free chlorine.
Although the level of disinfectant will remain the same, the type of disinfectant will change.
We will continue to monitor the chlorine levels throughout the water system.

What should I do?
You do not need to boil your water or take other actions. This is not an emergency. If it had
been, you would have been notified immediately.

What can I do if I notice a chlorine taste or smell?
During the temporary switch, you may notice a chlorine taste and/or odor in your drinking
water. Chlorine levels will continue to meet EPA standards and are not a health risk.
Run the cold water tap for several minutes when water is not used for several days.
Collect and refrigerate cold tap water in an open pitcher. Be sure to collect water after
running the cold water tap for two minutes. Within a few hours, the chlorine taste and
odor will disappear.

Water filters can reduce chlorine taste and smell. Be sure to use a filter certified to meet
National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) standards and replace the filter cartridge as
recommended by the manufacturer.

Who should take special precautions during the temporary switch to Free Chlorine?
Customers who normally take special precautions to remove chlorine from tap water,
such as dialysis centers, medical facilities, and aquatic pet owners. Such customers
should continue to take the same precautions during the switch to free chlorine. Most
methods for removing chloramine from tap water are effective in removing chlorine.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially
those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in
apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this
notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

System: Town of Many
Phone: 318-256-3651

Sabine Fire & Rescue responded to a vehicle fire on I-20 at mile marker 584, East bound. Units arrived three minutes after dispatched and quickly extinguished the fire.

The following is a Public Service Announcement from The Division of the Least of These Things to Worry About, Ever, My Brethren.  

A guy created a website and, for a while there, had people believing he’d recruited well-meaning and caring atheists who’d care for the pets of Christians after their rapture.  

In other words, “Send money. Rest easy.” 

I’ll hang on a second while you read that again because me my own self had to ponder it too, the first time I heard it; I had never had the thought either. Ever. And it’s not because I don’t love my pets. I do. But … while I’ve heard bizarre things, this might be at the top of the heap. 

Bizarro Mountain. 

Bizarro Mountain Range, even. 

NPR reported that a guy charged “hundreds of people more than $100 apiece, promising the business would care for their pets after the owners were carried up to Heaven. The self-described animal-loving atheist called his site Eternal Earth-Bound Pets. The New Hampshire Insurance Department thought some monkey business might be going on and decided to investigate”. 

Props to the New Hampshire Insurance Department, which seldom gets props. 

Life’s not fair. 

Anyway, the New Hampshire Insurance Department guy in charge of Pre-Rapture Pets, Etc. guy said it was a hoax. Which it was, same as the After the Rapture Pet Care site inventor admitted. 

I think they said this pre-rapture. Lord, I hope so. 

But I’ll give both guys points for creativity. 

For my pet’s future, I’d bet it on the After the Rapture Pet Care guy. He charged only a $10 registration fee, because those Left Behind were going to “care for the pets they rescue as their own, including being financially responsible for them,” the site claimed. 

Indulge me for a sec, and if you’ve read this far, you already have. The After the Rapture Pet Care guy, or (ATRPCG), also typed this on his site, under the ingenious “Frequently Asked Questions” part, (which I thought was a nice touch): 

Who are these Volunteer Pet Caretakers and how do I know they’ll take good care of my pets? 

Most Volunteer Pet Caretakers fit this description: 

• They are atheists or another non-Christian religion; 
• They love animals enough to register with us even though they do not believe there will be a Rapture (or are agnostic about it); 
• (My words, because this bullet point was the part about how they’d treat your pets as their own — their still-alive-but-non-raptured own.)  

Another of the FAQ’s questions is, “Isn’t the world going to be totally collapsed after the Rapture?” It’s a long answer on the website, but the short answer from this bureau is, “Yes. That’s an affirmation. Bet your hat. If you have gift cards, use them ASAP. If you have one from After the Rapture Pet Care, well … ” 

Lord have mercy …  

We conclude with a sobering thought, I think from Mark Twain, and it’s one of my favorite thoughts, at least one of my favorite sobering ones, and should ease the mind of all us pet lovers who are worried about how things might end up for animals we loved, as if God who created them isn’t aware: 

“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” 

Amen. 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu 

Mayor Robert Hable and the Town of Many would like to commend Mrs. Lisa Butler with the Sabine Parish Animal Shelter on a job well done!

In compliance with the Louisiana Revised Statue S 3:2364, the Office of the State Veterinarian at
the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry recently conducted an annual shelter inspection of the Sabine Parish Animal Shelter. The shelter inspection was conducted in the presence of the Sabine Parish Animal Shelter Director, Melissa Butler.

The purpose of this inspection program is to act in an advisory capacity to assist community
programs in ensuring and promoting the proper treatment and well-being of animals. The shelter
inspection program follows the Minimum Standards for Animal Shelters as prescribed in RS
3:2461. These guidelines provide a minimum standard of performance for publically operated
animal shelters.

We are pleased to inform you that the inspection conducted, by the Louisiana Department of
Agriculture and Forestry, determined that the Sabine Parish Animal Shelter was in compliance
with RS 3:2461, Minimum Standards for Animal Shelters at the time of the inspection. 

The Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office located the fourth victim of a tragic drowning on Sabine River, a young boy who was found on Aug. 29 around 8:30 am.

BROOKELAND, Texas– Boater Tater Reynolds of Florien, Louisiana, caught 10 bass weighing 48 pounds, 14 ounces, to win the two-day MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine on Sam Rayburn Reservoir . The tournament, hosted by Jasper County Development District, was the fifth and final regular-season event for the Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division. Reynolds earned $8,467 for his victory.

According to post-tournament reports, Reynolds said he focused his tournament efforts above the Highway 147 bridge on Sam Rayburn and targeted brush piles in 15 to 35 feet of water. Reynolds used a Table Rock Pro-colored 6^th Sense 106X Jerkbait to land his bass.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1st:          Tater Reynolds, Florien, La., 10 bass, 48-14, $8,467
2nd:        Derek Mundy, Broaddus, Texas, 10 bass, 38-8, $3,733 
3rd:        Blake Schroeder, Whitehouse, Texas, 10 bass, 35-13, $2,738
4th:         James Allen Pruitt, Houston, Texas, 10 bass, 35-4, $1,742
5th:         Jason Bonds, Lufkin, Texas, 10 bass, 35-0, $1,493
6th:         Wesley Dawson, Chester, Texas, 10 bass, 32-14, $1,569
7th:         Walt Stevens, Bernice, La., 10 bass, 32-6, $1,544
8th:         Tommy Loving, Cypress, Texas, 10 bass, 31-13, $1,620 (includes $500 Phoenix MLF5 contingency bonus)
9th:         Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, 10 bass, 29-15, $996
10th:      Cody Wise, Chireno, Texas, 10 bass, 27-6, $871

Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Kevin Jeane of Natchitoches, Louisiana, caught a bass weighing 8 pounds, 14 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – to earn the Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $1,140.

Ben Faucheaux of Natchitoches, Louisiana, won the Strike King Co-angler Division and $3,733 Sunday after catching a two-day total of eight bass weighing 22 pounds, 6 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:

1st:          Ben Faucheaux, Natchitoches, La., eight bass, 22-6, $3,733
2nd:        J.J. Matzke, League City, Texas, seven bass, 19-10, $1,867
3rd:        Daniel Bryant, Scott, La., five bass, 19-8, $1,914
4th:         James Moore, Jr., Lampasas, Texas, eight bass, 19-8, $1,221
5th:         Hannah Gryder, Many, La., eight bass, 19-5, $747
6th:         Zane Parker, Goodrich, Texas, nine bass, 19-4, $684
7th:         Mitchel Martin, Washington, La., seven bass, 18-3, $622
8th:         Jimmy Saltzman, Lake Charles, La., seven bass, 18-3, $560
9th:         Zachary McDaniel, Pitkin, La., six bass, 16-9, $498
10th:      Steven Fisher, Nacogdoches, Texas, four bass, 14-9, $436

Daniel Bryant of Scott, Louisiana, caught the largest bass in the Strike King Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 9 pounds, 6 ounces. The catch earned him the Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $570.

With the regular season now complete, boater Tater Reynolds of Florien, Louisiana, won the 2022 Bass Fishing League Cowboy Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with a five-event total of 1,363 points to earn the $1,000 boater AOY award. Greg Dennis of Fort Worth, Texas, won the 2022 Strike King Co-Angler Cowboy Division AOY race with 1,258 points and earned the $500 Strike King Co-angler of the Year award.

Now, the top 45 boaters and co-anglers in the division based on point standings, along with the five winners of each qualifying event, will advance to compete in the Oct. 20-22 Bass Fishing League Regional Championship on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma. Boaters will compete for a top award of $60,000, including a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard and $10,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Phoenix 819 Pro with a 200-horsepower Mercury outboard.

The 2022 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six Regional Championships where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All-American. 

The top 45 boaters and Strike King co-anglers plus tournament winners from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League division will also earn priority entry into the MLF Toyota Series, the pathway to the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the MLF Bass Pro Tour. 

Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Revital Outdoors, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X, YETI and Yo-Zuri.

For complete details and updated tournament information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Bass Fishing League updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF5’s social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019, MLF expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care. 

Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing™

By Brad Dison

Red was small for his age, smaller than the other kids in his neighborhood of Yorkville, New York. In the first decade of the twentieth century, all young boys were expected, with few exceptions, to join the neighborhood gang. To be exempted and respected, a boy had to have a good excuse such as being crippled, small, or having tuberculosis. Even then it might earn a nickname such as gimpy, short sh*t, lungsy, or coughy.

“I wanted no part of running the gang,” explained Red during their elderly years, “and size was a prerequisite of power. The biggest kid usually took control simply because he was the biggest. He could have been stupid, as some of the leaders were. But because he was big, he was the boss. That was fine with me. I never ran with the gang anyway.”

Red’s two brothers were on the smaller side as well. For this reason, their mother began teaching them to box.

In the evenings after school, Red’s mother cleared the small living room in their meager home and used it as a boxing ring. Two brothers boxed while the third one rested, all the while Red’s mother instructed them on foot movements, types of punches, and blocks. Red’s mother had learned about boxing from Red’s father, an amateur boxer turned bartender, who was usually away from home in a drunken stupor. When the bouts got too heated, as they often did, Red’s mother separated the boys and explained that to lose their tempers meant losing the fight. The boys and Red’s mother quickly noticed that Red had a knack for boxing. He was light on his feet, could get in, jab a punch, and get out before his opponent could react.

Word spread quickly to the boys in the neighborhood gang. “They would call me in to beat up a bully,” Red said. “The gang knew I was available. I became a kind of combination troubleshooter-backup man and never really part of the gang.”

The streets were full of bullies who pushed the younger, weaker kids around, usually to take what little money or candy they had. “Send for Red” became a regular request, and Red would appear and “clean some kid’s clock” who was usually far superior in physique. Red disliked having to fight on the streets, but he disliked bullies even more.

One day, Ed, Red’s younger and smaller brother, whom his family always referred to as Gentle Ed, was playing with a golf ball he had found in the street. A new bully on the block spied the golf ball and wanted it for his own. While the golf ball was in mid-bounce, the bully darted in, pushed Gentle Ed to the ground, and grabbed the golf ball. Gentle Ed tried to reclaim the ball, but the bully shoved him to the pavement. Gentle Ed tried again, and the bully shoved him harder. This continued until Gentle Ed was bruised and bleeding. Gentle Ed returned home and told Red about the incident.

In a fury, Red began searching the neighborhood for the bully. When they finally met, a fight broke out like nothing any of the boys, especially Red, had ever seen. The bully not only took Red’s punches but was able to return them in equal measure. A large crowd gathered to watch. The boys fought tit for tat until a policeman broke them apart. They met up the next day at a prearranged spot and the fight continued. A larger crowd gathered before a policeman broke them apart again. On the third day, an even larger crowd gathered to watch what, to them, looked almost like a professional boxing match.

One woman yelled over the crowd, “These boys are killing each other. Where are their mothers?” No one knows where the bully’s mother was, but Red’s mother was in the crowd cheering for Red. During the bout, Red had broken four bones in his left fist, but the adrenaline allowed him to keep fighting. The bully sustained several injuries and was bleeding severely. Finally, the boys realized it was a draw and ended the fight with the stipulation that they would finish the fight once they had both healed.

In his adult life, Red became what he detested as a child, a bully, and a gangster. Red detested the bully in his childhood, but he used those experiences to his advantage. Red and the bully never met again. The bully eventually became a semi-professional boxer. During the Great Depression, more than two decades after the boys fought, the bully sent Red a letter in which he explained that he, the bully, had fallen on hard times. The bully knew that Red had become successful and asked for, not money, not food, but for cigarettes and any extra clothing that Red could spare. Red sent the former bully a package with the requested items along with an undisclosed amount of cash.

You see, Red was only a bully and a gangster in films. He played characters based on the bullies he had known during his childhood. In real life, Red was described by everyone who knew him as a sweet, kind, and gentle man, which was exactly the opposite of the characters he was known for playing. So different were the parts Red played that Orson Welles opined, “[Red] maybe the greatest actor who ever appeared in front of a camera.”

The kids in his old neighborhood knew him as Red, but you and I know him as James Cagney.

Source: John McCabe, Cagney (New York, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1997), 16.

Don’t miss out on the Depot Art Gallery’s Fall Sale on Saturday, Sept. 3 from 10 am – 4 pm at the Depot, located at 750 Hwy. 171 Bypass in Many. There will be many new items to decorate your home or office for the season!

BOM is continuing our sponsorship of the Many High School Football Scoreboard. We are excited to cheer on our tigers to another successful season. Pictured: Tylen Singleton, Jeremiah James, BOM’s Tiffany Miller, JC Hendrickson, Jay Smart.

SABINE:
Larry “Pat” Patrick Small
May 2, 1955 – August 26, 2022
Service: Wednesday, August 31 at 2 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

NATCHITOCHES:
Irene Bryant McGee
Service: Friday, September 2 at 11 am at Goldonna Cemetery

Amy Nichole Turner
February 9,1987-August 26, 2022
Service: Saturday, September 3 at 2 pm at the Winnfield Funeral Home Chapel
Viewing: 1-2pm (prior to service)

Terry A Janes
November 8, 1927 – August 25, 2022
Service: Wednesday August 31 at 10 am in the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

Charles Henry Christopher
September 8, 1939 – August 26, 2022
Service: Saturday, September 17 at 11 am at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Isle Brevelle

Jessica Midkiff Avelis Fontenot
July 3, 1974 – August 16, 2022
Service: Sunday, September 4 at 3 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, located at 533 2nd Street in Natchitoches

WINN:
Cynthia Lynn Bedgood
June 20, 1955 – August 27, 2022
Service: Thursday, September 1 at 1 pm at Southern Funeral Home

Jewell William Rushton
October 21, 1940 – August 27, 2022
Service: Wednesday, August 31 at 10 am at Hebron Baptist Church in Dry Prong

JENNINGS – Mud might have caked the Many football jerseys and the bus ride home after a three-hour trip Friday, but the Tigers didn’t slop around with Jennings in the jamboree. 

Many dominated the host in a 27-0 win in just a half of football in the last preseason tune-up before the regular season. 

“The field conditions weren’t ideal – it was like we’re playing in a sea of oatmeal and quicksand,” said Many coach Jess Curtis. “We were sloppy in some areas, and the conditions neutralized both teams’ speed somewhat, but we worked really hard all week on ball security and making sure that we didn’t have any turnovers. 

“We didn’t have any, and they had four or five, and that was really the difference in the game.” 

Heavy rain throughout the week drenched the field at Simmons Stadium, favoring the run-heavy Many squad. 

Many’s Keaton Williams started the defensive standout performance by forcing a fumble that the Tigers turned into a touchdown. 

Six plays and 38 yards later, Many scratched the scoreboard with an 11-yard Jeremiah James touchdown run capped with a Deacon Lafollette extra point with three minutes left in the first quarter. 

“We’re expecting big things from the defense this year, and we have a lot of seniors that were starters two seasons ago on that 2020 state championship team and again on the 2021 runner-up team,” Curtis said. “We return 10 of 11 starters from a season ago, and we’re expecting them to be one of the strongest parts of our team. 

“We’re fast, and we turn people over, Then we let our offense go to work grinding the clock.” 

The Tigers cashed in on another Jennings fumble with a 4-yard James touchdown run to highlight a 31-yard drive. James finished the night with three scores. 

Many added two more touchdowns after halftime to pull away. 

Set up by a long kickoff return by Jayvion Smart to start the second half, Jamarlyn Garner punched in a 1-yard run to put Many up 20-0. 

The Tigers added their final score after a third Jennings fumble. Many marched 62 yards in 12 plays with a third James touchdown run, this one a 1-yard plunge. 

Many piled up 193 yards (all rushing) of offensive while the Tigers ironclad defense held Jennings to juts 46 yards.  

“We’ve got a good group of backs that moves of chains but are also capable of making the big play,” Curtis said. “We’re excited about what our offense can be, and even though we’ve lost some good running backs through the years, we keep producing good backs. 

“Jeremiah James started last year, and along with Trent Williams and Garner, we’ve got another good group. Garner was a defensive back last year, but he’s been a tremendous running back so far, and we’ve liked what we’ve seen in the first two outings.” 

Many starts its official regular season next week when Sam Houston visits. 

Scoring Summary: 

First quarter 

3:07 Jeremiah James –11 yard run (Lafollette kick) 7-0 

0:24 James – 4 yard run (Lafollette kick) 14-0 

Second Quarter 

8:37 Jamarlyn Garner 1 yard run (kick blocked) 20-0 

1:16 James 1 yard run (Lafollette kick) 27-0 

Rushing: 

Jamarlyn Garner 13-91, 1 TD 
Jeremiah James 13-64, 3 TD’s 
Trevor McLendon 1-19 
Kentravious Maxie 4-16 
Tackett Curtis 3-3 
Leading Tackler: 
Jayvion Smart 3 
Tylen Singleton 3  

PHOTO: Darrin Dyess

BATON ROUGE – Louisiana taxpayers have until Oct. 6 to claim millions of dollars in state income tax refunds before they become unclaimed property.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) sent letters to 20,400 individual and business taxpayers advising them to claim their refunds before they are transferred by law to the Unclaimed Property Division of the state treasurer’s office. More than $36 million in unclaimed refunds is due for transfer if not claimed from LDR.

To claim a refund, complete and return to LDR the voucher in the Notice of Unclaimed Property letter dated Aug. 18, 2022. The department will issue paper checks to all taxpayers submitting completed vouchers by the Oct. 6 deadline.

Any refund not claimed by the deadline remains the property of the taxpayer and can be retrieved from the Unclaimed Property Division.

Check for any unclaimed money here: CLICK HERE

SABINE:
Larry “Pat” Patrick Small
May 2, 1955 – August 26, 2022
Service: Wednesday, August 31 at 2 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

NATCHITOCHES:
Jessica Midkiff Avelis Fontenot
July 3, 1974 – August 16, 2022
Service: Sunday, September 4 at 3 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church, located at 533 2nd Street in Natchitoches

WINN:
Carolyn Bedgood
April 5, 1941 – August 26, 2022
Service: Monday, August 29 at 11 am at Goldonna Assembly of God

The receiving line stretched from the open casket past the back door and into the lobby where we signed the guest book. 

Even after two days of a houseful of friends, the mom and dad were not close to being hugged-out. I don’t know what else you do when your child, 25, is gone. Suicide. And there’s the open casket, and you’re at church on the business end of the receiving line. 

I guess you keep accepting hugs, and you hold on. 

And you wish you could turn back the clock. 

We all wish we could turn back the clock on some things. I suppose you never wish it more than at a time exactly as this. 

Who has answers? 

And what do you do? One day a brother and son and teammate are quietly neat, efficient, a good-grades maker, a championship junior golfer, and a young believer. But after one semester at school on a golf scholarship, his room looked like the inside of a clothes-washing machine, his grades reflected indifference, his clubs just idle, old toys. A bad crowd, a bad decision, a bad deal. 

He couldn’t leave the stuff alone. The drugs. He’d have good runs, then a trip to the bad side of town. Nothing he did was out of the ordinary for a guy chasing a lie he’s bought into, hook, line, sinker, future, and life. Stories like this more often than not turn out the same way: somebody gets killed in the end. 

He was sweet. He was gentle. He helped the little-boy golfers on the course where the family lived. Polite to everybody. Lots of friends who reflected most of what he had been before The Big Lie knocked, and he’d answered and invited him in. 

He was talented. Three years ago, he dusted off the golf clubs, practiced a few days, won the city championship, and flashed all the old promise. No big surprise: he was that good. 

But his problem was worse. And a lot bigger than he was. So, it was never a shock when the shadows would come and he’d be gone again until, at age 25, he was gone for good. 

His parents did all they could. Tens of thousands of dollars invested in the last year alone, getting him help. Loving him soft and loving him tough. Hugging him close, giving him space. Praying and hoping. They never lost hope. But for a tiny window of time, their son did. 

It must be a terrible weariness, the one that hits someone just before they call it quits. The moment when all motivation is gone. To some, it comes after a pink slip or a divorce paper or a dream’s death. Desperation blasted with a kind of veiled self-honesty that must say, “Well, this is the only way left. The only thing right. The only way out.” 

A hopeless, frustrated kind of tired and weary. Hope’s not gone, but it’s lost. And if a piece of it isn’t found quickly enough, a receiving line and a shovel and a lot of tears are just around the corner. 

When they found him in his room, his faithful dog Dice, 14, wouldn’t leave him. Dice would have stayed by him forever. Same as everyone else. But a guy at the end must feel as if he’s taking up space, and always will be. Maybe when hope is lost, the whole system breaks down. 

“His whole life, he was good to everybody but himself.” I heard that time and again on the day of the funeral, the day of the open casket, and the hold-tight-to-the-promises preaching. Heard it from people who loved him, from people scared and hurt by so much of what he’d done, people who knew the beautiful boy inside him but never could push the good deep enough in there to change his heart. 

Why do some of us in the dirty pile of broken people believe just enough to dodge the early darkness, and some of us don’t? No answer fits. But I know there’s a pile. This funeral was proof of that. 

In it is the once used and no longer wanted, the never used and never useful, the cracked and the torn and the misshapen. And I know there’s a guy who wants the pile to stay just as it is, a guy who wants us to feel worthless and hopeless and ashamed. 

But I know there’s another guy too, one who wants us to see grace and mercy and feel a conviction to change, a guy gentle and humble in heart, a man who offers rest for the weary and burdened. He champions the underdog. He loves a comeback story. And he majors in solving the problems of people broken in the pile. 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Sabine Parish Sheriff Aaron Mitchell reports two men have been arrested the past two months for stealing equipment from gas/oil well locations in Sabine Parish.

On June 15 Chesapeake Energy reported an item missing from a location on Old Pleasant Hill Road.

The item was located at the residence of Bobby Ray Bufkin, 40 of Shamrock Loop in Robeline. Bufkin admitted to Sabine Parish Sheriff Detectives Trevor Beason and Don Flores he took the item. Bufkin was under supervised probation at the time. The item was returned to Chesapeake Energy.

Bufkin was arrested and booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center for Illegal Possession of Stolen Things on June 15.

One month later on July 14, Bufkin was transferred to the Sabine Parish Detention Center and booked for Theft $1,000-$5,000 (Felony).

Bufkin’s bond was set at $1,000 by the 11th Judicial District Court and he bonded the next day, but he was held and transferred back to Natchitoches Parish on July 18.

On July 29 Chesapeake Energy reported another item missing from a location on Bozeman Loop north of Belmont.

On August 18 the item was located at the residence of Adam Jackson Lightfoot, 38 of Bozeman Loop in Belmont. Lightfoot admitted to Detective Beason he took the item. The item will be returned to Chesapeake Energy.

Lightfoot was booked into the Sabine Parish Detention Center for Theft $1,000-$5,000 (Felony).

No bond has been set at this time by the 11th Judicial District Court.

Sheriff Mitchell said the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office has developed a close-working relationship with Chesapeake Energy to investigate crimes involving their property and equipment.

The South Sabine Fire Department Wards 1&2 announced that Dustin Bell (Peason 2) was named the Firefighter of the Month for August.

Not only is Dustin one of our firefighters but he also serves as our South Sabine District cook. Congratulations Dustin, we appreciate all the time you put into responding to calls, working around the district/community and keeping our members fed at meetings/trainings.

Johnny Allen was born on November 27, 1942, during World War II. During his teen years, Johnny occasionally got into minor trouble, but nothing too serious. In 1961, Seattle policemen were investigating a rash of home burglaries in which about $2,500 worth of goods and cash was stolen. On Tuesday night, May 2, Johnny and three friends were riding around in Seattle having a good time when they were pulled over by a policeman. Upon speaking with the boys and checking the paperwork on the car, the policeman learned that the car was stolen. All were arrested. Johnny and his three friends were transported to the Rainier Vista 4-H Youth Center. Johnny was a passenger in the car and, with no evidence to prove it was he who stole the car, Johnny was eventually released to his father. Johnny claimed he had no idea the car was stolen and his father believed him.

Just three days later, another policeman pulled another car over in Seattle. Just as before, the policeman learned that the car was stolen. Just as before, Johnny was a passenger in the stolen car. All were arrested. This time, Johnny did not get off so easy. After spending seven days in Rainier Vista, he was taken to court to face the judge. The judge considered the fact that Johnny was experienced at being in stolen cars. The public defender assigned to Johnny’s case put forth a plea bargain to the judge. The judge suspended Johnny’s two-year sentence provided that he immediately enlist in one of the branches of the military. Johnny had no desire to join the military, but he had less desire to go to jail. On May 29, 1961, Johnny joined the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne and left Seattle on a southbound train for Fort Ord, California.

The United States had committed itself to stopping the spread of communism in the world. Just a month prior to Johnny’s arrests, in the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, the United States covertly financed and directed the Cuban exiles’ invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. The invasion, part of a larger mission to overthrow Fidel Castro, was an utter disaster. Tensions between the United States and Cuba grew worse seemingly with each passing day. Both the United States and the Soviet Union continued testing nuclear weapons despite agreements not to do so. After the Bay of Pigs, Cuba became allied with the Soviet Union. With tensions flaring in multiple parts of the world, it seemed likely that Johnny would eventually see military action.

After completing eight weeks of basic training, Johnny was sent to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the home of the Screaming Eagles Air Assault Division. From there, Johnny wrote a letter to his father which detailed the challenges he was experiencing: “There’s nothing but physical training and harasement [sic] here for two weeks, then when you go to jump school, that’s when you get hell. They work you to DEATH, fussing and fighting.”

In January 1962, after eight months and eight days in the Army, Johnny finally earned his 101st Division Screaming Eagles patch. Johnny, however, was homesick. He missed his family. He missed his girlfriend, Betty Jean, and he missed his guitar. Johnny knew that he could not get a pass to return home to visit and knew they would be unable to visit him. His guitar was another matter altogether. He wrote to his father and pleaded for him to send his guitar, a red Danelectro Silverton electric guitar on which he had scrawled the name Betty Jean after his girlfriend, to the Army base as soon as possible.

Johnny seemed to change once his guitar arrived. His constant strumming annoyed his fellow soldiers. They derided him for talking to and even sleeping with his guitar. Eventually, some of the soldiers in his unit hid his guitar. After begging and pleading with them, the soldiers finally returned Johnny’s prized guitar. His superior officers in the Army were displeased at Johnny’s performance as a soldier. He often abandoned his work details to play the guitar.

In February 1962, Army Captain Gilbert Batchman sent Johnny for a physical and psychiatric examination. Captain Batchman concluded that “Individual is unable to conform to military rules and regulations. Misses bed checks; sleeps while supposed to be working; unsatisfactory duty performance. Requires excessive supervision at all times.” The Army brought up proceedings against Johnny to determine his fate in the military. Johnny declined counsel and submitted no statements or evidence on his own behalf. Johnny was ultimately given an honorable discharge from the Army.

The remainder of Johnny’s short life revolved around guitars and music. He continued to sleep next to and to talk to his guitar. On September 18, 1970, Johnny’s girlfriend woke up and found that Johnny was unconscious and unresponsive. Johnny was dead. With only four years as a mainstream artist, Johnny became one of the most influential electric guitarists in history, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century.

In 2019, the post office at 4301 4th Street in Renton Highlands, Washington, which is about a mile from Johnny’s grave, was renamed in Johnny’s honor. You see, Johnny Allen was the name he was born with but not the name he died with. Four years after his birth, for reasons that have never been fully explained, Johnny’s parents changed his name to James Marshall. The post office in Renton Highlands is now known as The James Marshall “Jimi’ Hendrix United States Post Office.

Source: Steven Roby and Brad Schreiber, Becoming Jimi Hendrix from Southern Crossroads to Psychedelic London, The Untold Story of a Musical Genius (New York: Da Capo Press, 2010), p.9-24.

The Sabine Parish Assessor’s Office open book period will run until Aug. 31. If you have any questions regarding your assessment, please call 318-256-3482 or come by at your earliest convenience to discuss. Many taxpayers wait until they receive their tax bill before coming in. We encourage you to address any issues or questions you have prior to the tax roll being filed. If any changes are to be made after the tax roll is filed and bills are sent out, they require approval of the Louisiana Tax Commission. You can access your assessment information online at www.sabineassessor.com.