Jonathan V. Pablo
April 26, 1981 — April 23, 2024
Service: Saturday, May 11 at 1 p.m. at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches

Harvey S Johnson
August 31, 1957 – May 3, 2024
Arrangements TBA

Nelda Faye Liles
April 7, 1934 — May 5, 2024
Service: Wednesday, May 8 at 2 pm at Coldwater Baptist Church Cemetery located in Hagewood

Brian K. Babineaux
June 18, 1971 – May 6, 2024
Service: Saturday, May 18 at 11 am in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches

By Doug De Graffenried

“Lost as a he-haint in high weeds.”

I have used it before, and it still applies. Some people are that lost. For you folks that don’t speak with an Alabama accent, a “he-haint” is a male ghost. And a male ghost in a corn field, or a field with high weeds, is very lost!

Before GPS, most men would refuse to stop and ask for directions. It is in our genetic coding. Our brides would demand that we stop at the sketchy-looking convenience store and ask for directions. Our universal response was, “Honey, I think I recognize that water tower and I know where I am.” After another hour of being lost, the exasperated wife would demand we stop. She would walk into the same sketchy-looking convenience store and ask for directions. With the advent of GPS technology, men don’t need to ask for directions. Now we are never lost. If there is a problem, we blame it on that nice British woman speaking through our GPS. Google is infallible, right?

I do like to make my GPS lady mad by not following her directions. She will tell me to make a “legal U turn” or she will woefully offer the words, “recalculating.”

The notion of a male being lost for all eternity is both sad and humorous. Maybe that’s what a ghost is, a person who refuses to ask for directions on their journey to the pearly gates. They will eventually catch on to the fact that it is OK to ask for directions and go on to eternal bliss.

If you see someone who is lost, what should you do about point them in the right direction? Do you have an obligation to warn them that they are lost? 

With all this technology in automobiles, how can anyone be lost?

The other day I was doing a wedding in Simsboro. It is a nice new wedding venue. I programmed my car to get me there. The car did a great job of making sure I arrived on time. As I left the wedding, I looked at the car map. According to my car, I was driving in the middle of nowhere. I was not on a road, nor was I headed in a direction. I wondered how long it would be before my vehicle would correct the navigation system oversight. It was amusing because the wedding was over. What if the same thing happened as I was headed to the wedding? Heading to the wedding and being lost would have been a most unpleasant experience. Being lost is a matter of destination and the perspective of time. Let me ask you three questions about your life journey.

In life’s journey, where are you? Where are you headed? Do you have a nagging feeling that you might have lost your way? Spiritually, how you do recalculate the journey?

When you are lost, how do you “get found?”

I think the question has a spiritual dimension and an answer involving Jesus.

The truth is He’ll leave the ninety-nine and go looking for the one that is lost.

By Brad Dison

Reeve learned as a child how to survive.  When he was a child, his parents recognized that there was something different about Reeve.  He was highly intelligent but struggled with social interactions.  He was unable to make friends, failed to understand social cues, became lost in his own thoughts, became obsessed with certain interests, and was unable to understand empathy.  During conversations, Reeve would often stop mid-sentence and get a glazed look.  He would pause, sometime for minutes, while his thoughts were processing.  Sometimes he would continue the sentence where he left off as if nothing had happened.  Other times, he would simply walk away.  Reeve, the smallest child in his elementary class, was constantly targeted by bullies who enjoyed punching him in the face.  As an adult, Reeve said, “If you have never been punched in the nose, you have no idea how it affects you the rest of your life.”   

His mother thought he was a genius, but his father saw his awkwardness as a weakness.  Reeve’s father often used physical and mental torture against him.  Reeve’s father constantly berated  Reeve and called him useless, an idiot, and, one that stuck more than the others, stupid.  Although never officially diagnosed, Reeve was born with a neurodevelopmental disorder known as Asperger Syndrome.  On the autism spectrum, someone with Asperger’s Syndrome is considered “high functioning.”  Reeve’s father thought Reeve just needed toughening up. 

When he was twelve years old, Reeve’s father sent him to a wilderness survival camp.  At camp, counselors gave the children a small ration of food and water.  The children were allowed, then encouraged, to fight the other children for their rations.  The bigger, stronger kids thrived after beating up and stealing the food and water from the weaker ones.  Reeve, small and socially awkward, was one of the weaker ones.  At the end of the first week, the boys were divided into two groups and ordered to attack.  The stronger team took the food and water from the weaker team.  The children on both teams were left battered and bleeding.  Every few years, a child died during the wilderness survival camp.  Rather than altering the mission of the wilderness survival camp for safety, the counselors used the deaths as warnings.  “Don’t be stupid like that dumb [expletive] who died last year,” they would say, “Don’t be the weak dumb [expletive].”  When Reeve returned home from camp, he had lost ten pounds.

In college, Reeve still struggled to make friends, but he used his ability to concentrate for long periods of time to his advantage.  He wrote a business plan for an electronic book service similar to the e-books many of us now read.  Following college, Reeve, along with his brother and another student, founded a company that became known as Zip2 whose product was internet-based city guides with maps and directions.  Most of us use this technology on our mobile phones to get directions.  In February 1999, the founders sold Zip2 and Reeve received $22 million.  In the following month, Reeve co-founded an online banking service and email payment company now called PayPal.  Three years later, the founders sold PayPal to eBay for $1.5 billion in stock, and Reeve received $175.8 million.  From there, Reeve cofounded two other companies which have become successful. 

Despite what his father thought, Reeve was not worthless.  He certainly was not stupid.  Reeve still struggles with social interactions and refers to ideas that he disagrees with, even some of the ideas of his own employees, as stupid.  “Adversity shaped me,” he claims.  Reeve said the time at the wilderness survival camp taught him some necessary skills which have helped him run SpaceX and Tesla.  Reeve is the middle name of Elon Musk.

 Source: Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk, (New York, New York, Simon and Schuster, 2023).

The 2nd annual City of Lights crawfish cookoff hosted by the Natchitoches Parish Fair Board will be held on May 4th at the fairgrounds. Teams will be boiling their best recipes competing for cash prizes and people’s choice.

This event is open to the public, 11 am to 5 pm for only $30 – all-you-can-eat crawfish!!! There will be live entertainment provided by the Comeback Kids & the Born to Boogie band. A Taste of Heaven Food Truck, Cane River Pizza Co., snow cones, Murphy’s Sweets & eats, a bouncy house play area for the kids, and Antoons will be selling beer to that ID as 21 and over.

No ice chests or outside food or drinks will be allowed, bags will be checked, and lawn chairs are recommended. Visit our 2nd annual City of Lights crawfish cookoff Facebook page to find sponsorship and /or registration information to enter a team or to purchase pre-sale tickets.

All proceeds from this event will benefit the NRMC Cancer Center. So come to the fairgrounds on May 4th to support this great cause.

This being my sixth straight year qualifying for the Ray Scott National Championship, I’m always amazed at just how good some anglers are. This year was no exception, as the tournament was on a body of water that very few of its participants have fished — Lake Seminole in Georgia.

Turns out for me that it set up very similar to the backwaters of the Red River. It was defined by a river system (the Flint, Chattahoochee, and Spring creeks) that feeds this body of water. It had massive stump-filled flats with a great mix of vegetation. But this tournament also brought to light just how invasive some anglers can be today.

Before I get on my soap box, let me first congratulate two of my roommates for this event. Fellow north Louisiana anglers Brennan Flick (West Monroe) and Walt Stevens (Bernice) both had top 10 finishes, Brennan sixth with a great Day 2 comeback of 18.99 for a two-day weight total of 32.20. Walt also had a great event and was leading after Day 1 with 23.24 but had some bad breaks on Day 2 to finish eighth.

Both guys did a great job of fishing this event and making daily adjustments that allowed them to finish in the money. But they also had some issues with opposing anglers coming in on their territory.

Tournament fishing is getting to be a test of an angler’s patience, as some anglers think it’s OK to bump another angler’s boat. That’s right, bump another angler’s boat! How in the heck does this happen on a body of water with over 37,000 surface acres?

While fishing on Day 1, one angler had a competitor with an Auburn University boat wrap actually bump his boat during competition! At first, he was in shock that an angler would even make this mistake due to the fact there is a rule that states no fishing within 50 yards of another competitor anchored or not. But it’s just another example of how anglers are conducting themselves on the water today. It’s about winning at all costs no matter who or how anyone gets in their way.

Walt Stevens also had an issue on Day 2 with anglers coming in on his territory and not respecting the fact that he was in first place going into the final day. Young anglers today no longer show respect for any angler who has a chance to win a multi-day event. This probably cost him the Ray Scott Championship due to the fact that other anglers saw him catch his fish on Day 1 and decided to invade his territory. Three spots that he had all to himself on Day 1 were inundated with anglers who knew where he was fishing.

This kind of conduct used to never happen, but with so many young anglers on the water today, most have never been taught the unspoken rules of fishing etiquette. Today, it’s not unusual for anglers to have unkind words for each other when one angler decides not to respect another angler’s area. This is why it is so hard to win a bass tournament today. So many young anglers have no respect for anyone and just don’t care.

For me, this event started out with high expectations with a very good three-day practice. I felt really good going into Day 1 with three areas holding quality fish. But the loss of two fish over 5 pounds on Day 1 really put a damper on what I felt was a promising event. The key to high finishes is not losing fish. There’s no making up for losing a 5-pounder or in my case, two.

But I was proud of myself for a good Day 2 comeback with over 14 pounds, which allowed me to finish in 27^th out of 104 competitors, missing the check cutoff at 25^th place. Just to show you how important it is to not lose fish, the weights were so tight that the two fish I lost on Day 1 would have placed me in the top 12.

My final thoughts on this event: ABA (American Bass Anglers) does a great job of putting on this event every year. Tournament director Chris Wayand of Shreveport, does an outstanding job of running this event. A special thank you goes out to ABA and their entire staff for their commitment to making this tournament special. Looking forward to hopefully making my seventh straight Ray Scott in 2025 as it will be held on Lake Eufaula in Alabama for a third time.

‘Til next week, good luck, good fishing and when in doubt, set the hook!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame has announced that the Natchitoches based Rock & Roll and R&B group, Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs will be inducted into the Hall with their formal presentation being made at the Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival on May 11th at the close of the Moondogs’ main set on the main stage at approximately 6:50 p.m.

According to Hall of Fame Executive Director, Mike Shepherd, the Moondogs check off several critical boxes that the Hall used for determining the band’s eligibility. “The main thing is just the band’s extensive contributions to Louisiana music and Louisiana musical heritage over the three decades of the Moondogs’ existence.”

“The Moondogs have been widely respected as a top quality show band not only in Louisiana but throughout the South for 30 years and that alone may have qualified them for inclusion into the Hall,” Shepherd continued. “But, their contributions to the music of our state goes far beyond that.”

Shepherd went on to say that the Selection Committee also considered the band’s charitable contributions. Over the years, they have unselfishly helped various charitable organizations raise millions of dollars. One of those charities is the James Burton Foundation for which the band has helped raise money to buy thousands of guitars for children in schools and hospitals.

The Moondogs also recorded an album several years ago, “Reflections on the Cane,” and donated all the proceeds from the sales of that album to the Louisiana Special Olympics which recognized that the Moondogs and the album as having been that organization’s “Project of the Year.” The Moondogs have also recorded several other albums of both original music and covers which received wide-spread critical acclaim. Their music has been featured on compilation albums and in a Hollywood movie.

“The fact that the band has its own syndicated radio show which regularly features Louisiana music, both recorded and live in the studio, was also a factor in determining the band’s eligibility for the Hall.” Shepherd went on to say. “I know that no other band in Louisiana has its own radio show, and seriously doubt if there is another regional band in the United States that has one.”

Over the band’s storied 30-year existence, they have performed and worked to bring together many legendary and iconic musical artists. The Moondogs brought together Elvis Presley’s former band members, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, James Burton and D. J. Fontana, along with former Elvis backup singer, Estelle Brown, and had them performing together for the first time since the King’s death in 1977.

In addition, the Moondogs have performed with Rick Derringer, Trombone Shorty, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Wayne Toups, Jo-El Sonnier, Sonny Landreth, Steve Lukather, T. Graham Brown, John Gros, Sam the Sham, Mitch Ryder, Albert Lee, and Peter Rivera of Rare Earth, to name just a few. Johnny Earthquake, himself, has been invited to perform as a guest artist with The Doobie Brothers, The Beach Boys, BadFinger and Percy Sledge, among others.

In short, Shepherd says that the inclusion of Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs into this hallowed group is probably long overdue. “Oh, we’ve been following them for years,” concluded Shepherd. “We

Inducted their bandleader and Johnny Earthquake himself, Rodney Harrington, into the Hall several years ago and it was just a matter of time before all members of the Moondogs, past and present, were brought in as well. It is extremely well deserved to show our great appreciation for their contributions to the rich musical heritage of our state.”

From May 2-4, Downtown Alexandria will turn into a vibrant festival playground with Alex River Fête. Enjoy three days of music, featuring an eclectic mix of big-name and emerging artists across multiple stages.

Dinner on the Bricks: Start the festivities from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on May 2 with a feast of local flavors on Third Street, where dining meets community spirit.

Que’in on the Red: Experience fierce competition in our barbecue battle, sanctioned by the Barbecue Competitors Alliance, featuring categories like chicken, pork spare ribs, and beef brisket.

Art Fête: Explore a world of creativity with stunning artworks in various mediums, perfect for art enthusiasts looking to add to their collections or just to browse and enjoy.

IndieFête: Celebrate the spirit of local, independent creativity at IndieFête, offering a unique blend of crafts, art and performances.

Food and Refreshment: Indulge in a variety of delicious offerings at Food Truck Alley and unwind in the Beer Garden for those over 21.

Luminary Procession (May 3, 8pm): The Alexandria Museum of Art’s Luminary Procession is a dazzling parade of hand crafted, life sized art pieces made by local artists and community members!

Join us for a weekend of joy, culture, and community spirit. Alex River Fête is more than just a festival—it’s a vibrant showcase of what makes Alexandria unique. For more details, visit alexriverfete.com. Come hungry, leave inspired, and make lasting memories!

November 2, 1938 — April 28, 2024

Jimmie R. “Jim” Davis, a beloved father, skilled contractor, and resilient survivor, passed away peacefully on April 28, 2024 in Natchitoches, Louisiana, at the age of 85.

Born on November 2, 1938, in Robeline, Louisiana, Jim was the son of Sadie Mae O’Con and Jeff Joseph Davis. Throughout his life, Jim embodied qualities of strength, determination, and a fierce love for his family.

Jim began his career as a young railroad crew member working the rails in West Texas. He found his true talent as a carpenter apprentice, honing his skills and eventually rising to the role of superintendent before venturing out on his own as a contractor. Over the course of several decades, Jim’s craftsmanship and dedication left an indelible mark on the landscape of Natchitoches, as he built, remodeled, and restored numerous buildings and homes throughout the area.

A man of many passions, Jim found great joy being in nature. He was an avid deer hunter, spending long weekends in the woods, riding his four-wheeler, camping, and enjoying time with his boys. He loved to fish and enjoyed being out on Sibley Lake and Cane River Lake. He enjoyed growing food gardens and shared his produce to anybody in need. Despite facing adversity, including surviving a stroke and a heart attack, Jim’s resilience and determination never wavered, as he was able to continue his hobbies for many years after.

Jim’s legacy extends beyond his professional accomplishments to the love and care he provided to his children, whether born to him or not. He was known for his toughness, strength, and yes, even stubbornness, but above all, he is remembered as a good man who took care of his family.

He is survived by his wife, Susan, his daughter Jennifer Davis Martin (Joe), his son James Tony Davis (Amy), and those who lovingly referred to him as “Pop”–his stepchildren Lisa Scaife, Timothy Scaife (Rhonda), and Jeffrey Scaife (Rachel); also, grandchildren: Jake, Drew, Ali, Jackson, Eva Jean, Megan (Jonathan), T. Austin, Mikayla, Gavin, Anna, and Maddie. The oldest of five siblings, he is survived by his younger sister Edwina Ferer-Westrop (Richard) and little brother Jeff “Duke” Davis (Pam). He was preceded in death by his younger brother John Alvin “Jack” Davis, his younger sister Faye Davis Gray and by his wife of 26 years, Gloria Jean Tidwell Davis.

A funeral service to celebrate Jimmie’s life will be held at Blanchard-St. Denis at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 3, 2024. Visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Burial will follow at Pilgrim’s Rest Cemetery in Many. The family looks forward to hosting friends at Merci Beaucoup after the burial from 4pm to 6pm for a celebration of life. In lieu of flowers, the family appreciates anything you can do to support the residents and staff of the Courtyard of Natchitoches.

Pallbearers will be Jake Martin, Jonathan Cook, Scott Ewing, Aaron Farmer, Jay Gray, and Will Garcia. Honorary pallbearers will be Jackson Davis, John Clyde Davis, Richard “Cooter” Dove, Gavin Adcock and Ralph Hernandez.

Jimmie R. Davis will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him, but his memory will live on in the hearts of those whose lives he touched.

Jimmie Ray Davis
November 2, 1938 — April 28, 2024
Service:  Friday, May at 1 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis

Rosella Marie Moody Rushing
August 22, 1938 — April 26, 2024
Service: Thursday, May 2 at 1 pm at Calvary Baptist Church of Natchitoches

Daylon D. Harris
January 15, 2009 – April 29, 2024
Arrangements TBA