Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a fatal crash on Feb. 24 around 7 am on Hwy. 1215, West of Hwy. 191. This crash killed Burley J. Hebert Jr., 62 of New Iberia.

The initial investigation revealed that Hebert Jr. was walking in the roadway when he was struck by a southbound 1995 Chevrolet van. As a result, Hebert Jr. sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on scene. 

Routine toxicology tests are pending. The crash remains under investigation.

Pedestrians should always make themselves visible to drivers by wearing bright/light-colored clothing and reflective materials. Pedestrians should always walk on a sidewalk, but if no sidewalk is available, they should walk as close to the roadway edge and face traffic. If pedestrians walk at night, they should carry a flashlight for added safety.

In 2023, Troop E Troopers have investigated six fatal crashes resulting in six fatalities.  

During its February meeting, the Sabine Parish School Board approved the 2023-2024 School Calendar.

If you were summoned for jury duty in Sabine Parish for the week of Feb. 27, you are released from service. There will be no jury trials that week. You need do nothing further in connection with your summons.

This past weekend I had the distinct pleasure of transporting my youngest daughter to her volleyball tournament in Dallas, Texas.

These weekends are epic for many reasons. We get three days of travel, watching her play ball (or sometimes keeping the bench warm while others play) hanging out with new friends and their moms, and exploring new places to dine. Tournament weekends are non-stop mama-daughter magic. I know these days are limited so we make the most of them.

While we were away one of the other parents found a trendy, locally owned burger place that had everything we were looking for. Good reviews, not too far away, it wouldn’t break the bank and it was super cute. The girls had been playing ball since early that morning so they were ravenous and ready for nourishment.

Once the burgers were ordered, it was time to wait. The younger girls sat at one end of the table and laughed nonstop about the various follies from the game, videos found online and all of the things that teen girls giggle about. The other end of the table held the moms. Our area of the table carried a more serious tone. We talked about the brackets for the next day’s game, the lack of funding for public schools, budgets for dress shopping and all the things that moms complain about.

A sudden hush fell upon all of us as our lunch arrived. We were all starving by this point. As the server passed out plates of burgers and bowls of fries it grew quieter and quieter.

Until….. my daughter had an audible nervous laugh. All of the girls kept asking her if something was wrong and she wouldn’t answer them. She just kept looking at me. At first I thought maybe her hamburger was undercooked or she found a bug in her food. The longer she gazed into my eyes I saw the panic. Her mouth was laughing but her eyes said she needed me.

I got up from my seat and was making my way around the table and she never lost her gaze with me. I knew she was in trouble so I asked, “Are you choking?” and she nodded in the affirmative. While I was walking I was praying under my breath.

When I made it to her, I was in full mama bear mode. Mama bear who knew how to administer the Heimlich Maneuver. I stood behind her, rubbed her back and asked was she ready. I softly said the name of Jesus, and was about to go to work when she said, “It moved!”.

Mama bear stood down and began thanking Jesus under my breath. Immediately Kat’s friends became irate with her and told her the universal sign for choking was not laughing. This was no laughing matter. They firmly told her that the next time this happens, place both hands near your throat so others will know you are choking. This also gave me a chance to remind her to chew her food completely before she swallows. In this particular instance there was a slice of bacon that was half way down her throat and would not move.

Crisis could have been averted with the proper amount of chewing.

It truly was scary for a brief moment but I knew every time I call on the name of the Lord he always comes through for me. He has never let me down and I know he never will. His word promises he will never leave or forsake us. Life can change in an instant, but he is a faithful friend who is always there.

“Call upon me in the day of trouble, I shall rescue you, and you will honor me.” – Psalm 50:15

One thing I’ve learned over my many years of fishing bass tournaments — never trust another angler! Now why would someone say such a thing? Because it’s a fact! Today we’ll look at a situation and you’ll understand why this is a true statement. 

No group of people on planet Earth are less trustworthy than bass fishermen. They will lie in a heartbeat to keep other anglers at bay when it comes to where and how they are catching bass. They will sell their first born for crucial information if it will help them win a tournament.

That’s why it’s so important to bond with a couple of guys who are your true friends that you can discuss what you’re doing and how you’re catching bass without the threat of one of them revealing your secrets. Trust is a word very few anglers use because the pool of people you can trust is small and almost non-existent.

A good friend of mine, who is a legendary angler from East Texas, told me one time that he was done with fishing Pro/Am events. Pro/Am events are tournaments where you have a Boater/Pro who runs the boat and the trolling motor while he’s paired up with an Amateur/Co-Angler for the day. The biggest problem in these types of events, is that the Pro/Boater spends all his hard-earned money and time finding fish for an event while the Am/Co-Angler benefits from all that hard work without ever wetting a hook in practice or burning any gas.

When you take a Co-Angler to your best spots, you hope and pray that he won’t go tell all his buddies where these spots are and how you’re catching them. 

So many times, I’ve asked Co-Anglers nicely to please not tell anyone where and how we caught our fish for that day. But no matter how much they promise they will keep everything a secret, they’re lying!

This happened to me last year on Sam Rayburn. I had a good crankbait bite early off one spot. We both had our limits in the first 30 minutes of the tournament. I had over 16 pounds in the live well and my Co-Angler had his three-fish limit of almost 10 pounds.

I specifically asked the young man to please not share this spot with anyone else as I had another tournament coming up the next weekend. He reassured me that he does not share other anglers’ spots or information with anyone. 

So, feeling good about the rapport and connection we had made, I thought this guy was trustworthy. Guess what? Once again, my faith in humanity and trusting another angler was lost when I returned the following Thursday to scout for my next event on Rayburn.

Just after daylight I ran to my starting spot from the week before, where I had caught 16 pounds in 30 minutes. As I approached the spot, I noticed a boat was fishing almost directly on the same location. So, I pulled up and lowered my trolling motor trolling in his direction. Once within speaking range, I asked the angler if he had caught anything off this spot. He said “yes” with enthusiasm as he set the hook on a four-pounder!

While smoke and blood began to ooze from my ears, he commented that the area was loaded with some really good quality fish that his son had caught with a guy last weekend. I told him, “Yeah, I’m that guy!”

I could see the look on his face when he said, “Uh oh!”  He knew immediately that his son was not supposed to have told him about the spot. Once again, I politely asked the dad if he would lay off these fish until after my tournament on Saturday. He obliged and apologetically pulled up his trolling motor and left. 

While I understand that I really don’t have the right to claim this or any spot as off limits to anyone, it’s just the ethical part among other tournament fishermen to honor another angler’s spot or area. Now if another angler had found those same fish as I did, then it’s a matter of who gets there first. This is all a part of the unwritten rules of tournament fishing that so many anglers today refuse to observe.

Ethics have been thrown out the window in today’s bass tournament world. It has now become every man for himself with little to no regard for anyone else. 

If the ethical part of tournament fishing does not return, there will be some bad consequences for anglers down the road, especially the up-and-coming high school and college anglers who are not being taught these unwritten rules.

Until next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to wear sunscreen. Melanoma is real and can be deadly if not caught early. Early detection is critical to overcoming this form of cancer. 

Contact Steve at sgraf26@gmail.com

Josh Beavers is a teacher and a writer. He has been recognized five times for excellence in opinion writing by the Louisiana Press Association.

By Joshua Webb

This part of my story begins with me recovering from an MS exacerbation that in California earthquake terms was, “The Big One.” One day I was playing in and sponsoring a charity golf tournament, and the next day I was in critical condition. All the doctors would say is it was a result of the stress of being a business owner and the outrageous Texas summer heat and humidity. A perfect storm that almost cost me my life.  Then, the journey began for me to learn not only how to walk again, but how to dress, eat and simply function as a somewhat normal adult. 

Recovering from such a flare took me seriously busting my ass with instructions from a team of incredibly remarkable human beings. First there were two weeks of inpatient therapy, then two months of home health, all led by team of people I will forever be grateful for. The team saw my potential, never pitied me, and cut me zero slack. Zero.  

Since, I’ve had 13 similar, additional hospital stays, then recovery; I’m now only two months out of a wheelchair. Each time I’ve lost my ability to walk, I’ve gotten back on my feet. 

Such flares do quite a number not only on my legs, but the way my heart beats, my speech, and my ability to swallow. They’ve often taken the music making ability from my hands, but not the song from my heart; the last being the hardest for me to overcome, emotionally.

I know what I’m capable of IF I do what it takes and keep myself in the company of quality people: the encouragers, not the loathers. This formula is simple and will work for anyone. We can only achieve our maximum potential IF we have people in our lives who believe and act along with us to the same standards. No pity is allowed in my life, and it shouldn’t be allowed in yours. DO NOT PITY YOURSELF! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! 

As the saying goes in the wonderful state of Texas: If the horse bucks you off, get back on him and try it again! Never give up on yourself or those you love. You need each other’s reinforcement day in and day out. One foot in front of the other. Because all of you matter. You matter!

I’m telling this part of my story with the hope that others will find the bravery within themselves to tell their story too. You are brave. You are not alone. Tell your story because you never know how many lives the telling can change for the better, starting with yours. 

To tell your story here, reach out to me via email at you.matter.ms@gmail.com or through my Instagram @you_matter_ms. We look forward to hearing your story.

BOM is continuing our support of the Many High School softball team. Pictured left to right: Sara Kate Booker, BOM’s Linda Guay, Kirsten Martinez, and Georgia French.

Sabine High School Revitalization Project Management Group, Inc. (SHSRP) has been awarded a $748,650 History of Equal Rights grant from the Department of Interior, National Park Service (NPS) funded through the Historic Preservation Fund for the Sabine High School Exterior Rehabilitation Phase One. SHSRP will use the funding to complete substantial rehabilitation of the historic Sabine High School gymnasium and install temporary roof and window coverings on all other campus buildings awaiting
rehabilitation.

Sabine High School was a K-12 school for African Americans in Sabine Parish, Louisiana until desegregation in 1970, when parish officials redesignated it as Many Junior High School. The facility was closed in 2001 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2020. When rehabilitation is completed, the campus of Sabine High School will serve as a multi-purpose community center complex for northwest Louisiana and once again be a beacon for the community and region. This project
addresses the critical national issues of inclusion, education, and health and wellness for underserved communities while preserving and sharing the rich cultural heritage of the school.

“We are delighted and grateful that the National Park Service, through the Historic Preservation Fund’s History of Equal Rights grant program deemed the campus of Sabine High School worthy of historic preservation,” said Sandra Garner-Coleman, President of SHSRP Management Group, Inc. “The grant funds will allow the SHSRP Management Group, Inc. to fulfill its vision of developing the campus as a tool for not only memorializing, but for looking forward to providing a new place of inclusion and
community for the Northwestern Louisiana region.”

The National Park Service (NPS) awarded $4.48 million to eight projects in seven states as part of the Historic Preservation Fund’s (HPF) History of Equal Rights grant program, which focuses on the preservation of sites directly associated with the struggle for all Americans to gain equal rights. “Equal rights are an enduring struggle in America. Through the History of Equal Rights grant program, the National Park Service helps States, Tribes, local governments, and nonprofit organizations invest in locally-led preservation of historic structures honoring some of our nation’s most defining and important history,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams.

Martindale-Hubbell, the leading worldwide legal information service, which has been been providing background information on lawyers and law firms in the United States and other countries for over 150 years, has given The Harrington Law Firm and partner C. Rodney Harrington an “AV Preeminent Rating, the company’s highest possible rating.

According to Martindale-Hubbell, the AV Preeminent Rating, which is established by the company obtaining peer reviews from other attorneys in the same geographical area, recognizes law firms and attorneys for their strong legal ability and high ethical standards.

An elite group of approximately 10 percent of all firms and attorneys hold an AV Preeminent Rating, a designation recognized as “The Gold Standard” of legal ratings and recognized worldwide by buyers and referrers of legal services.

The Harrington Law Firm and C. Rodney Harrington are included in that elite group.

C. Rodney Harrington says the rating, while appreciated, is humbling.

“It is especially humbling and gratifying to know that our peers and colleagues, who we deal with on a daily basis, thought enough of us to give us this Preeminent Rating”, said Harrington, “To think that we’re recognized among the top 10 percent of all attorneys and firms in the nation is simply unbelievable.”

The Harrington Law Firm is composed of partners C. Rodney Harrington and C. Edward “Eddie” Harrington and is located at 459 Jefferson St., Natchitoches, La. 71457. Their areas of practice are Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Bankruptcy, Social Security Disability, Wills and Successions, and Divorces.

SARC will hold their Walk-A-Thon in Many to raise funds for future events and outings for clients. It is being held on Saturday, March 25 from 10am – 2pm at the Many Fair Grounds. There will be T-Shirts for sale via preorder only, ranging from $20-$22. Food will be provided as well as entertainment. 

By Brad Dsion

In 1877, Thomas Edison’s engineers worked on a machine that would transcribe messages sent over telegraph lines.  Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone just one year prior, but it would be years before it became commonplace.  As Edison and his engineers pondered over the different uses for this invention, Edison speculated that an audio message could be recorded in a similar fashion.  This is one of the earliest known mentions of an answering machine or, in the cell phone era, a voicemail recorder.  Edison proposed a sketch of this invention to mechanic John Kruesi, who built a working model within 30 hours.  Edison tested the machine by reciting “Mary had a little lamb.”  The machine recorded the recitation on a hollow cylinder made of tin foil.  He was astonished to hear his own words played back to him.  On Christmas Eve, 1877, Edison filed the patent for the phonograph.  On January 24, 1878, Edison created the Edison Speaking Phonograph Company.  Due to the sound being recorded on fragile tin foil, the phonograph was viewed only as a novelty because the tin foil only allowed the recording to be played back a few times.  Edison’s work on the incandescent light bulb drew his and his engineer’s time away from further developments on the phonograph.     

Alexander Graham Bell and his team of engineers made improvements on Edison’s phonograph, most notably of which was the replacement of the tin foil with a wax cylinder.  Bell and his team patented what they called the graphophone, and approached Edison to discuss a collaborative effort to make further improvements.  Edison refused and made improvements on his phonograph which included Bell’s wax cylinder.  Edison called it his New Phonograph.   In October 1887, Edison formed a new company to market the machine.  One advertisement pictured Edison standing alongside his newest model with the quote, “I want a phonograph in every home.”

In 1906, Hodson Burton, a wealthy, elderly resident of Buchanan, Michigan, revised his last will and testament.  Burton’s will specified the distribution of some but not all of his property.  Among other information, his will included the statement that he had buried a large sum of gold in a secret location.  He recorded the location of the gold on a phonograph cylinder which was to be kept in his attorney’s safe until he had been dead five years. 

In the spring of 1906, shortly after completing his will and phonograph recording, Hodson Burton died.  For five long years, Burton’s heirs puzzled over the location of the hidden gold.  Despite their requests, the attorney was resolute in honoring Burton’s will.  Finally, on Saturday, April 1, 1911, all of the heirs gathered in the front parlor of the home of Burton’s son, Luke Burton, to finally play the phonograph cylinder and learn the location of the hidden gold.  While they anxiously awaited the arrival of the attorney, they imagined what they could purchase with the gold such as “automobiles, mansions, and aeroplanes.” 

The attorney had taken every precaution to ensure the fragile wax cylinder and phonograph machine remained safe.  The attorney arrived through the rear of the house and went to the kitchen.  On the kitchen table, he carefully unwrapped the phonograph and the wax cylinder.  After five long years, the attorney was ready to rid himself of the responsibility of keeping it safe.  He placed the cylinder on the phonograph and carefully lifted it off the table.  With a deep breath, he slowly carried the phonograph from the kitchen, over the threshold to the parlor where a table had been cleared for the device.  The attorney glanced back and forth between the phonograph and the table as he walked.  As the attorney entered the parlor, he tripped over a footstool and the wax cylinder shattered into countless tiny pieces as it struck the floor, forever concealing the location of Burton’s hidden gold.

Sources:

1.     loc.gov/collections/edison-company-motion-pictures-and-sound-recordings/articles-and-essays/history-of-edison-sound-recordings/history-of-the-cylinder-phonograph/

A celebration for Operation Christmas Child was held recently at Calvary Baptist Church in Many. There were videos, prayers, and praises for the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes donated during 2022. Each church’s and group’s Operation Christmas Child donation was celebrated. These Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes, which are distributed in countries all over the world, not only include toys, school supplies, and other items; but include the Gospel of Jesus Christ printed in their own language. One packed shoebox makes an eternal difference in a child’s life and for each shoebox packed, ten people are positively impacted by the Good News of Jesus Christ. For every six shoeboxes donated, one child will spend eternity in Heaven. 

The West Central Louisiana area, which includes Sabine, Winn, Natchitoches, and Red River parishes collects more shoeboxes per capita than ALL the teams in Texas and Louisiana. There are 2 drop-off locations in Sabine Parish: Calvary Baptist Church in Many and Mitchell Baptist Church in Converse. 

Cherry Wells, Drop Off leader for Calvary Baptist Church in Many and Glenna Ott, Drop Off leader for Mitchell Baptist Church in Converse are willing to help your church, organization, group, school or business to begin packing shoeboxes for 2023. They have resources, materials, shoeboxes, ideas and videos to share with you. National Collection Week is always the third week of November. Start early and pack one more shoebox.

Sheriff Aaron Mitchell announces the arrest of Rodney Lane Waller (age-44) of Many on Feb. 10.