Staff writer

Fresh off of a pair of wins over Top 5 ranked SEC foes, the Louisiana Tech baseball team will travel to New Orleans for a three-game series against Tulane highlighting a busy weekend of action for Universities athletic programs.

Soccer and volleyball, normally fall sports, are at home this weekend as spring officially arrives.

BASEBALL: Louisiana Tech (10-5) looks to build upon the momentum of home wins over No. 1 ranked Arkansas (2-0) and No. 4 ranked Ole Miss (13-1) as the Bulldogs travel to Greer Field at Turchin Stadium for a three-games weekend series against Tulane.

The Green Wave (9-7) have wins over Mississippi State, Louisiana-Lafayette and Western Kentucky (twice) already this season and are coming off a 12-6 win over Texas Southern on Tuesday.

“They are really good,” said Bulldogs coach Lane Burroughs. “Their Friday night is one of the best pitchers in the country. We have heard a lot of great things about them. They are an older club just like we are. We haven’t been on the road for a while. It will be a challenge for us. We told our guys to put these last two behind us. It’s another opportunity as we are in the middle of this gauntlet of great teams right now. I couldn’t be more pleased with the way we are playing heading into the weekend.”

Tonight’s game begins at 6, with Saturday’s first pitch at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s action starting at 1 p.m. All three games can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network on 97.7 FM with Dave Nitz providing a call of the action.

SOFTBALL: The Lady Techsters (5-11) travel to Tennessee for the weekend to play a three-games series against Memphis at Tigers Softball Complex. Saturday’s DH is set for 1 p.m. while Sunday’s single game will begin at noon.

LA Tech is coming off a weekend that saw it split two games with Montana while falling twice to Texas A&M – although the Lady Techsters led or were tied in the fifth inning of both losses.

BOWLING: The No. 5 ranked Louisiana Tech bowling team will compete this weekend in the Southland Conference Championships at Colonial Bowling Lanes in Harahan. The event will run Friday through Sunday.

The Lady Techsters are the No. 2 seed in the event and will open competition today in the 4th match of the day against the No. 7 seed, Stephen F. Austin.

Each match will follow a best-of-three format: Teams will bowl one standard five-person game for total pinfall, then five baker games for total pinfall. If one team wins both the traditional game and baker games, they advance. If both teams split the standard and baker games, they will move on to a best-of-seven series of baker games.

SOCCER: LA Tech will play a pair of home matches this weekend, hosting Rice this evening at 7 and Louisiana-Monroe at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Ruston Sports Complex.

The Lady Techsters (8-4, 1-2 C-USA) have only four matches remaining in the regular season, including three Conference USA contests.

Tech has played three one-goal matches in league play so far, defeating Texas-San Antonio (1-0) while falling to North Texas (1-0) and Texas-El Paso (2-1, OT).

Fans can follow the action through a subscription to CUSA.tv.

VOLLEYBALL: Louisiana Tech (1-17, 0-10) will close out its season by hosting UTEP at 1 p.m. Sunday and at noon Monday at the Thomas Assembly Center. Admission is free.

Fans can follow the action through a paid subscription to CUSA.tv.

LA Tech baseball photo by TOM MORRIS

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First National Bank, a Louisiana-owned bank with more 100 years of operation,
has announced that it will change its name and is also expanding into the Baton Rouge market.

In spring of 2021 the bank will open a location at 6919 Corporate Blvd. in Baton Rouge, where it recently bought an existing full-service banking facility.

Along with this geographic expansion, First National Bank also announced it will begin operating under a new name — Louisiana National Bank — beginning in May 2021.

Russell Woodard, Chairman of the Board of the bank, addressed the adoption of a new name by saying, “Due to the
number of banks around the state and the nation using “First National” in their titles, the use of First National Bank has become confusing to many of our customers and other banks.

“To better distinguish who we are and who we now serve, the Board recently determined to change the bank’s name to Louisiana National Bank.”

Woodard emphasized that the ownership, officers, and management of the bank are not changing.

“Only our name is changing. Our commitment to all the customers and communities we serve will remain our focus. Everyone here at the bank expresses our continuing gratitude to all our customers who have helped the bank become the institution it is.”

“This expansion is the natural next step for our bank in continuing to serve the people of Louisiana the way we do best, through truly uncommon relationships and customer-focused service,” said Brian Woodard, President and CEO of First National Bank.

“We have provided financial support for individuals and businesses since our founding and our bank takes pride in being integrally
involved in the communities we serve. With the addition of our new location, we are committed to providing the Baton Rouge area with the same high level of customer service.

Since opening its doors in Arcadia, Louisiana in 1905, First National Bank has served Louisiana communities and businesses as a locally owned and operated bank with personalized and prompt service. FNB offers a full range of services for personal and business banking and has a demonstrated history of supporting and advancing the needs of its customers, employees and
shareholders.

For more information, visit fn.bank.

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The Louisiana Peach Festival is set for Saturday, June 5.

The Louisiana Peach Festival is a family-oriented event produced by the Ruston-Lincoln Convention & Visitors Bureau and Downtown Ruston.

There’s no doubt that the Louisiana Peach Festival brings about a time of excitement in the town of Ruston. From a weekend full of festivities, awesome food, and great laughter, it is an event that you do not want to miss. With great success comes great history that dates back many years.

More details will be released soon.

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By Steve Graf 

No one is more blessed than the bass fishermen in this part of the country. By this I mean the Ark-La-Tex region. Nowhere in the great USA do you have access to better bass fishing than we do. Every year Bassmaster Magazine publishes it’s “Best Bass Lakes in America” publication and it always has three or four lakes from our region as an angler destination. Most of the time, they base their rankings off tournament results. While this is a great barometer, it doesn’t always tell the whole story. Some anglers base their own personal rankings off how many fish they catch or maybe the lake’s potential for huge largemouth bass in the 10 pound plus range. 

Over the next two weeks, I’ll attempt to break down the two of the best. Let’s start with the legendary Lake Fork located in the heart of East Texas just south of Sulphur Springs. It can best be described as “Wow” and just might be the number one fishery in the country. If you’re looking to catch that fish of a lifetime, Lake Fork would be right at the top of the list. No lake in the state of Texas has more entries into the state record books than Lake Fork. Ever since it opened in the early 80’s, this impoundment has been on the bucket list for anglers all across America. If you don’t believe me, just look up the number of bass fishing guides for Lake Fork and you’ll realize there must be something to it. I actually remember my first trip to Lake Fork back in the early 90’s. We literally had to wait in line to launch our boat for over an hour and this was ten years after the lake had officially opened!

To give you an idea of how good this lake can be, I took a trip with 4 Time Lake Fork Guide of the Year Johnny Guice, with my daughter and two of her college basketball teammates.  On day one we caught 35 bass in 4 hours and all were between 5 and 9 pounds apiece! Day two was pretty much the same with 30 bass all over 4 pounds! Lake Fork is also a crappie destination as well but the lake will get a lot of pressure especially this time of year as folks north of the Mason-Dixon line converge on this southern body of water.

Another example of the potential of Lake Fork, is by looking at the results of several B.A.S.S. Pro Tour events like the Texas Bass Fest in which anglers shattered records for the most pounds caught with one pro  angler catching over 100 pounds of fish during the four day event. Even with so many tournaments taking place and with all the fishing pressure, Lake Fork continues to produce both quality and quantity.

The lake has several great resorts but none better than Lake Fork Marina and Motel just outside of Alba, Texas. They have everything an angler is looking for from a super nice motel to lake house rentals along with an awesome RV park. They offer a great restaurant, gas, ice, outerwear and a nice selection of bait and tackle to catch those huge Lake Fork bass. So if you’re looking for a great fishing trip with the potential to catch the biggest bass of your life, book a trip to Lake Fork Texas! Next week we’ll take a look at another great Texas fishery in Sam Rayburn. Till next time, don’t forget to set the hook!

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The Ruston Farmers Market will have fresh red snapper, ahi tuna, and shrimp at the market from 9 a.m. – 1 p,m. Saturday.

Visit early because this fresh catch won’t last long!

And look for the homemade hummus.

Pick up some fresh hummus and bread from one of the Ruston Farmers Market many vendors: Haj’s Kitchen. They focus on bringing authentic Middle Eastern cuisine to Ruston.

The Ruston Farmers Market is located at 220. E. Mississippi Ave. The phone number for the Farmers Market is (318) 957-1305.

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Mrs. Ozie Lee Alexander McKeever
Dec. 19, 1938 – March 17, 2021
Visitation: Friday, March 19, 2021 at King’s Funeral Home, 2 -5 p.m.
Service: Saturday, March 20 2021 at King’s Funeral, 11 a.m.

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By T. Scott Boatright

From tornadoes to COVIDcanes, Lincoln Parish has faced more than its share of storms over the past two years.

Not yet two years after an F3 tornado ripped through parts of Ruston, taking two lives on April 25, 2019, and a little more than six months since Laura was still a Category 1 when she caused widespread damage throughout the parish last August, the National Weather Service and the Lincoln Parish Department of Homeland Security are warning parish residents to be on the lookout and prepare for potential severe weather today.

Warning Coordination Meteorologist Charlie Woodrum of the National Weather Service office in Shreveport said Tuesday afternoon that the Lincoln Parish has a moderate risk of severe weather from this morning through this evening with the potential for tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail to occur during the expected storms.

Ruston was right at the far edge of the moderate risk area when Woodrum spoke Tuesday afternoon with an enhanced risk of tornadoes to the west.

The NWS service says the potential for isolated tornadoes in Lincoln Parish is considered medium while golf ball to tennis ball-sized hail and potential winds of up to 70-80 mph are possible.

“Severe weather is possible through (this) afternoon throughout the area with no significant weather Thursday through Sunday, so after (today’s) round no more significant weather is anticipated,” Woodrum said.

“We think (this) afternoon will bring the largest threat for tornadoes, hail and damaging winds.

Woodrum offered tips in case tornado sirens sound today.

“We want people to know there are less safe places in their houses and places they can go to make them more safe,” Woodrum said. “You don’t want to go to the top floors of your house. You want to go to the lowest floor. You need to stay away from the exterior walls of your home. Often when a tornado hits, its the exterior walls of a home that come down first. You want to move to the losest, most interior part of your home. Often that’s under a stairwell or in a bathroom. You can get inside a bathtub and throw an air mattress or pillows over you.

“Also, having a helmet is a good way to protect yourself as well — a baseball helmet, hockey helmet, construction helmet – whatever that might be is a good thing to have when you’re tornado sheltered to protect your head, because a lot of the fatalities that happen with tornadoes are from traumatic force to the head.”

Woodrum said the NWS believes mobile homes will especially be at risk.

“Any time there are potential tornadoes in the forecast, single-wide and double-wide are threatened and could be destroyed. If we have tornadoes, that’s going to be part of our challenge. If you live in a mobile home, talk to family or friends about going over and stay with them through the storms, because if you wait until a tornado comes out you only have about 10 minutes or less to find a safer place. And sometimes that’s just not enough time.

“The thing is to prepare now and make plans to act in case we do see severe weather. These situations change change quickly, so preparation is key.”

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By T. Scott Boatright

Things got as hot and spicy as a Louisiana mudbug during Monday night’s Ruston Planning and Zoning meeting as commissioners reviewed and considered action on a request from Kyle Green and Dubach Deer Factory & Smokehouse to place a mobile food vending location to sell crawfish at 1601 N. Trenton St.

That property lies between Origin Bank to the south and the Trenton Dental Center to the north.

Green and partners Mike Smith and Andy McIntyre requested use of the property as a one-time food truck location to be used through June 30 or whenever crawfish season ends.

Green said that operating hours for the location would be on Thursdays through Sundays from either 5 – 9 p.m. or noon to 5 p.m. with no alcohol sold and crawfish available for take-out only.

The property between the vacant lot and Origin Bank contains the empty residence of Smith’s late grandmother.

“All of the details are still being worked out, but I expect the property — both lots — to be sold as commercial property sometime later this year,” Smith said.

Green said that is no legal impediment for the location not to be used for food-truck operation.

“The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals has already approved it and the Louisiana Department of Transportation has approved the site,” Green said. “There is a picnic table there for people who want to sit and wait for their food, but the goal is for people to be able to drive through, get their food and go.”

Green said there might be a little cooking done on site but that the “vast majority of the crawfish will be cooked at what he called “the commissary” in Dubach.

Still, the thought of a food truck at the location or it being used as commercial property was not pleasing to several nearby residents in attendance at Monday night’s meeting.

Loyce Miller, who lives on Ridge Drive, half a block behind the property requested for the food truck, is one of those unhappy residents.

“Excellence made here — we started out with that in mind,” she said. “(La. Highway 167 — North Trenton Street) would be developed with excellence in mind. Why put a food truck next to a dignified, beautiful building? There is a well-structured plan for commercial zoning keeping Ruston’s dignity in mind. Acceptance of a food truck is the exact opposite of excellence. It’s sliding into failure.

“Traffic along Hwy. 167 is always full of traffic moving too fast and logging trucks making driving hard. Businesses along the highway have always been well-maintained through the years. The presence of a mobile food unit does not conform. … The city appears headed down a hodge podge track where anything goes. There’s no footpaths, no sidewalks and a highway that is well-traveled.”

Pat Garrett is another area resident who voiced concerns over the idea.

“I, my family and many of my friends oppose this,” Garrett said of the idea of allowing a food truck at the location. “We oppose it for many reasons, but my primary one is about safety. Six months ago I was traveling south on 167 and a car came out of Super 1 and went through the first two lanes fine but then came across the third line and T-boned my truck, which was knocked over into the bank building. It totaled my truck and I’m still recovering from that. This is a safety problem. Even more people are going to be going in and out of there crossing heavy traffic. And I oppose that.”

Nearby residents Dev Altic and Stokley also expressed their concerns over the idea.

“We are building my dream home on Chautauqua Street abutting this area, and I’m concerned about nearby residents,” Altic said. “I want to make sure city Zoning is protecting the residents. Kyle answered some of my questions but the smell sitting out on my back porch is one thing I’m worried about. I just have reservations about it because of how much money I’m spending on what I think is my ‘forever home.’ I’m not opposed to crawfish. I go to eat crawfish at Kyle’s place in Dubach. I just want zoning to protect me as a resident.”

Things seemingly reached a near boiling point after commissioners began trying to decide on the issue.

Commissioner Sarah Warren first proposed approving the location for the location but failed to get a second on that motion.

Then Commissioner Julie Mays made a motion to deny the request and then briefly was seemingly seconded by Commissioner Sam Costanza. But as he seconded Mays he said that “given this proposal is a one-time thing, I second the original proposal (made by Warren).

That caused confusion based on parliamentary procedure.

“There’s a motion on the table and that would have to be denied,” city attorney Bill Carter told the commissioners.

Commissioner Karl Puljak then seconded the motion to deny the request, which failed by a vote of three to two (Warren, Costanza and Wilbert Ellis against denying and Mays and Puljak in favor of denying. Commissioner Otha Anders was absent from Monday’s meeting).

So then Warren again made a motion to approve the request, with Warren, Costanza and Ellis voting in favor of approving and Mays and Puljak voting in favor of denying the request, meaning it was approved by a vote of 3-2.

Voting on the final item on the agenda, an application for conditional use for a food truck owned by Heavenly Sno-Balls 2, LCC, was postponed until next month’s meeting because not all application paperwork had been completed and filed in time for the meeting.

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Staff writer

Cade Gibson received a standing ovation coming off the mound in the eighth inning of Tuesday night’s performance in Louisiana Tech’s 13-1 win against No. 4 Ole Miss.

The Ruston native had just thrown his 103rd pitch, giving up a double to Rebels leftfielder TJ McCants.

As Gibson walked toward his Bulldog teammates waiting to congratulate him with the hometown crowd cheering in the background, it brought back childhood memories.

“I saw Coach Burroughs coming out to get me,” said Gibson, who allowed one run on five hits over 7.1 innings in picking up the win. “As a competitor your first thought is always you never want to come out of the game. For (Tech head coach Lane Burroughs) to give me that opportunity to enjoy that moment was something special.

“I have always loved this city. Actually, I threw the first pitch out here for my 10th birthday. I’ve always wanted to play here. To get that opportunity to walk off the mound with everyone standing and clapping … it was something special for sure.”

As have the last three days for these Bulldogs.

A little more than 48 hours after knocking off No. 1 ranked Arkansas, Louisiana Tech (10-5) banged out 14 hits — including four straight doubles to lead off the game — in handing its second straight Top 5 ranked SEC team a loss.

“We challenged them today,” Burroughs said. “The majority of the scouting report today was the ability to put a big win Sunday behind you and not have any hangover into today. You don’t get too many opportunities to play back-to-back top 4 ranked teams in the country and an opportunities to beat both of them. These don’t come along very often. I am very proud of our guys. They put it behind them. That’s what great teams do.”

After Gibson worked a clean first inning, the Bulldog bats came to life. Taylor Young, Hunter Wells, Parker Bates and Steele Netterville all doubled off Ole Miss starter Josh Mallitz as Tech grabbed the 3-0 advantage.

It was all Gibson would need.

“Obviously, Cade was outstanding,” Burroughs said. “(I’m) Very proud of him. He has always wanted to play here. And he has been through so much. He has been here three years and he hadn’t stepped on the mound until this year. He had to sit out a year with the transfer rule. And then he had Tommy John surgery. He had to sit out another year. It’s been a long haul for him. For a hometown kid, I’m glad he got this moment.”

Gibson said he felt calm from the very first pitch.

“Honestly, I felt like I had no heartbeat,” Gibson said. “I haven’t had that up to this point. That’s why I felt like I’ve struggled. I just tried to go out there and throw, trust everything and just put it where the catcher set up.”

Tech added four runs in the fifth and sixth innings and two more in the seventh in handing Ole Miss (13-4) its most lopsided loss of the year. Young, Wells, Bates and Netterville each recorded two hits while Netterville also added four RBIs.

The Diamond ‘Dogs will next travel south this weekend to face Tulane in a three-game series on Friday through Sunday.

Photo by TOM MORRIS

 

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Staff writer

Skip Holtz was ready to hit the practice field with his team last March when the college athletics world — the entire world — came to a screeching halt due to Covid19.

Fast forward one year.

The veteran Louisiana Tech coach is just as excited — if not more excited than in years past — to walk out onto the turf at Joe Aillet Stadium Friday afternoon to start spring ball.

Tech is coming off a season that saw the Bulldogs maneuver through the COVID-19 minefield and earn their seventh straight bowl berth before falling to Georgia Southern in the New Orleans Bowl.

Although two years removed from the last spring practice, Holtz said he doesn’t foresee much different in 2021 albeit a few new assistant coaches and some new faces.

“It will be pretty much the same,” Holtz said. “We have to adjust to two new coaches with Coach (Dave) DeGuglielmo (offensive line) and Coach (Perry) Carter (defensive backs). We have to give them a chance to get their feet on the ground with the offense and the defense and the terminology.

“We are just talking about treating it like its Day 1. On Day 1 we are starting all over with installation. Going back to two plus two equals four. I think the NCAA passing a new rule a few weeks ago giving us 10 hours instead of eight enables us to add a couple more hours in the meeting room and walk through. That has been invaluable for some of these new players to go through it mentally.”

Tech announced last week the addition of four Division I transfers to the roster, including running back Marcus Williams (Rocky Mount, N.C./Appalachian State) and defensive backs Baylen Buchanan (Lawrenceville, Georgia/Tennessee), Elijah Hamilton (Roswell, Georgia/Vanderbilt) and Myles Mason (Trussville, Alabama/Arkansas).

Those four will join a nucleus of returners as Holtz hopes to utilize the spring to build team chemistry while getting important reps for a number of position battles.

“It’s not about having 85 guys on your roster,” Holtz said. “It’s about having the right 85 guys on your roster. Making sure you have the mix of experience and newcomers so the learning curve early in the season isn’t so great.

“We started all over (on) Jan. 1. It’s a new year. Not being able to go through it last year will be an eye opening experience for some of these underclassmen, just like the winter workouts have been. I think it is needed. I think they are excited about it. They are tired of doing drills and competing against each other. They are ready to get out on the field and roll the balls out on the grass and play the game.”

Season tickets for the 2021 Louisiana Tech football season are on sale now. Fans can purchase season tickets online at LATechSports.com/tickets or by calling the LA Tech Ticket Office at (318) 257-3631.

Fans who purchase or renew their season tickets by end of business day today (Wednesday) will be able to attend the first-ever “Meet The Bulldogs presented by Origin Bank” on Friday.

Photo by TOM MORRIS

 

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By T. Scott Boatright

An investigation is underway by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office after human remains were discovered Monday afternoon at the intersection of La. Hwy. 563 and Interstate 20.

The remains were reportedly found near the I-20 Industry Exit 78 East near the Ardagh glass plant.

An LPSO release said that at approximately 12:49 p.m. Monday deputies responded to the intersection in reference to the discovery of human remains.

That release said that information is limited and that the remains have been “sent to the medical examiner to determine the cause of death.”

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Staff writer

The Louisiana Tech basketball teams each recorded a gritty win at the Conference USA Tournament in Frisco, Texas, but each suffered a heartbreaking loss to the eventual champion.

For the Bulldogs, it was a 54-48 loss to North Texas that sent them home. However, the team learned Sunday night they will head back to Frisco to participate in the National Invitation Tournament.

At Monday’s press conference, Dunkin’ Dogs head coach Eric Konkol talked about the team’s excitement to play in the postseason.

“Any chance of being able to extend our season, extend our time together and compete, is a great thing,” Konkol said. “Of the teams that have been invited to play in postseason with the NCAA and NIT, it is only about 16 percent of all Division I. We feel a great sense of pride in our program, getting to represent Louisiana Tech and Conference USA in the National Invitation Tournament.”

The Bulldogs will take on Ole Miss in the first round of the 16-team field. The matchup will take place at 8 p.m. Friday at the Comerica Center and will be televised on ESPN2.

Playing SEC teams is nothing new to LA Tech. In fact, the ‘Dogs have experience knocking off SEC teams, like last season’s win at Mississippi State and the victories over Georgia and Texas A&M in the NIT in recent years.

Konkol said the team can lean on that experience to know what it takes to win against teams like the Rebels.

“I think we lean on experience very much and we have all year long,” Konkol said. “You look at the guys that have been in this program for a number of years, they have experienced winning on the road against some high-profile teams. Those experiences, and even the ones in our league this season, have made us battle tested.”

As for the Lady Techsters, their season came to an end with a 77-71 loss to Middle Tennessee. Head coach Brooke Stoehr said the team was not ready for the season to be over, but was proud of the way they competed.

“I am really proud of their effort,” Stoehr said. “We liked our matchups, but we knew every game was going to be tough. In a very physical game against Marshall, our defense was solid. I thought we competed really well against Middle Tennessee, too. We were right there with 20 seconds and down just three with a chance to tie. (I) loved the way our players competed.”

One player that really shined for the Lady Techsters was sophomore forward Anna Larr Roberson. The Ruston native and Cedar Creek product averaged 20.0 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two C-USA Tournament games at The Star. Stoehr said she is excited about Roberson’s future with the program.

“I look at what she has done two years in a row in Frisco,” Stoehr said. “Her thing is going to be how do you view yourself and where do you want to take this. I think she has a great chance to turn into a great player in this league. She has had some big games and some big moments.”

Photo courtesy of Conference USA.

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Staff writer

Any other year, Broderick Fobbs would be elbow deep in some crawfish with sausage, turkey necks and all the trimmings, soaking in March Madness and watching his youngest daughter crush the softball.

This, however, is March 2021.

The scene is not as dire as it was a year ago. We’re playing games now, but Fobbs’ Grambling football team is 0-2 in this unique spring campaign, and his offensive coordinator has fallen on the sword, hoping his resignation will help cure the Tigers’ scoring hiccups

Grambling will hit the halfway point of the spring schedule Saturday in Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium, when Arkansas-Pine Bluff visits for a noon kickoff.

“The only way to learn to handle adversity is to be in adverse situations, and this is one of them,” said the Grambling head football coach, who hasn’t had crawfish this year, has no clue about the NCAA Tournament bracket, and relies on his wife’s video of their daughter’s Henry Aaron-style clouts.

In baseball and softball, a fruitless day or a bad stretch can be a temporary malady. In basketball, there’s dozens of games and plenty of ebb and flow in outcomes, or at least quality of play.

“In football, you can’t play your way out of a slump. You have to practice your way out,” Fobbs said in his Monday media Zoom call. “You play once a week.”

Acknowledging 0-2 is tough for any Tiger. Especially when it’s so close to being flipped in their favor.

“We’re 11 yards from being 2-0 –- one yard in the first game, 10 yards last week (a 17-10 loss to Prairie View). That’s football. That’s the margin,” he said. “We’re not down on ourselves. We just have to execute better.”

While Louisiana Tech begins spring practice this weekend, the G-Men try to turn around their season in the second of their two home games this spring.

“Everybody’s building a house and living in it at the same time,” Fobbs said. “Normally you get spring practice and summer workouts before a season, but for all the SWAC programs (and most all in FCS), that’s not happening now.”

Instead, there’s a scoreboard that holds everybody accountable. The focus starts at quarterback, where Geremy Hickbottom had a strong first game and was shaky last Saturday, and Elijah Walker provided a late spark against Prairie View but was far from flawless.

With OC Mark Orlando now an interested observer, Fobbs will collaborate with his remaining offensive staff to shape game plans. Quarterbacks coach Kendrick Nord will call the plays on Saturdays.

Fobbs planned to use both quarterbacks throughout the spring, mindful of the threat of a positive COVID test, or a twisted ankle, and the big picture view of development toward a full fall schedule.

That plan might change. Or may not. But it’s not just on the passers to improve, he said.

“We lost a lot (from 2019) on our offensive line. We’ve got to play better football up front, at quarterback, at receiver, at tight end, at running back,” Fobbs said. “Defensively last Saturday, we played well enough to win. When you can’t score, that’s a huge problem.”

Count on the Tigers taking more shots downfield and calling plays more aggressively, he indicated. He’s counting on the defense to continue producing turnovers.

And he’s banking on a productive practice week to turn the Tigers’ fortunes.

Photo by CARTLON HAMLIN/Courtesy of GSUTigers.com

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By T. Scott Boatright

An ordinance aimed at eliminating loitering in the parking lots of bars, clubs and liquor stores within city limits as well was one of three passed by the Grambling City Council during its monthly March meeting.

Grambling’s Board of Aldermen also approved ordinances creating a “North Grambling Economic Development District” along with an ordinance creating a “Grambling Progressive Economic Development District” during that meeting.

Those ordinances were passed in hopes of taking advantage of new hotel and restaurant taxes Mayor Edward Jones hopes might come to fruition in the near future.

“There are still some things being worked out, so I can’t say much about all of it right now,” Jones said. “But I do hope we’ll have much more to say about it soon. We’re working hard to try to make some good things happen.”

Ensuring that Grambling residents have safe and potable water is something else Jones and the city council are working on.

That came when the council granted approval for Jones to begin the process of investigating the possibility of purchasing three lots, one with a house on it, on Gum Street in hopes of providing better security for Water Wells 5 and 6.

Both water wells 5 and 6 are adjoining the property Jones would like to investigate the potential of purchasing.

“You have to gather information, including getting an appraisal, before trying to purchase, and that’s all I’m asking for right now — approval to begin that process of information gathering,” Jones said. “After that we’ll be able to make an intelligent decision about whether or not we need to purchase the property.”

Jones said that the owners of the property, including the house, have indicated a willingness to sell the property should the city consider purchasing it.

“I’m asking that the city consider purchasing this property so we can secure our two (water) wells for both present and future use,” Jones said. “Right now we really don’t have any secure protection against anyone invading our wells. So if it can be worked out I would like for us to investigate purchasing the property, putting up locked gating around it and even putting cameras around the property so if anyone tried to enter it the police would be able to quickly react and make sure our water supply is secure.

“Well No. 5 has a generator but Well No. 6 does not, so I would like to get a generator for Well No. 6 to be proactive — just to ensure that if we have a tornado or another ice storm, or whatever emergency we might face, that the city of Grambling is secure. This is just gathering information to see if it would be feasible for the city to purchase.”

Jones indicated that part of his concern is being able to assure city workers have permission to traverse the property should work needs to be done on the wells, particularly work involving heavy equipment and that the home located on the property could be used for storage and other uses as opposed to being a residence.”

The Grambling City Council also approved a pair of proclamations for the month of April per requests from the state of Louisiana.

One is a proclamation acknowledging the week of April 5-9 as Community Development Week in the state of Louisiana while the other is a proclamation acknowledging April 2021 as Fair Housing Month in the state of Louisiana.

 

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By T. Scott Boatright

Lincoln Parish can expect an injection of COVID-19 relief funding in the near future.

The parish and its municipalities are expected to receive nearly $20 million in relief money from the recently-approved $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package and signed into effect by President Joe Biden on March 11.

Estimates from the National Association of Counties say that the Lincoln Parish Police Jury should receive a little more than $9 million while the Louisiana Municipal Association estimates that the city of Ruston should receive around $8.6 million.

COVID relief funding for other parish municipalities included estimates of  $360,000 million for Choudrant, $330,000 for Dubach, $310,000 and for Simsboro.

Parish Administrator Doug Postel said he is waiting to receive federal guidelines before any decision on how the parish might use its funding while Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker said increasing city reserve funding, which is several million dollars short of the level stood before the COVID-19 pandemic, is one area he’s targeting for use of the relief funding while constructing a new animal control facility as well as a planned new West California Avenue fire station could also receive some of the proceeds.

Louisiana as a state will receive a total of $5.8 billion that includes for state capital projects, state governments, parish governments and municipalities.

The American Rescue Plan signed by Biden requires half of the money headed to all entities to be distributed within 60 days with the other half arriving no longer than 12 months later.

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By T. Scott Boatright

Eight area juveniles were arrested last week for multiple concession stand break-ins at the Ruston Sports Complex.

The youths include both males and females ranging in age from 14- to 17-years-old and all face charges of burglary and simple criminal damage to property.

Those break-ins began in the middle of February with the most recent happening the weekend of March 5-7.

Ruston Police Chief Steve Rogers said that officers have increased patrols in the area as the break-ins continued and on one of those patrols found some of the youths that were later arrested on the ground of the sports complex.

Further investigation by Ruston Police Department officers showed that a soccer field concession area had been broken into with chili for hot dogs spread across the floor of the concession stand.

While food goods to be sold in the concession areas were stolen, there was no money left in the stands to be taken during any of the break-ins.

During an earlier break-in, microwave ovens were destroyed and the glass door of a soft-drink cooler had been shattered. Roll-up aluminum windows for the stands were also damaged during the earlier break-ins, and fired extinguishers had been discharged and sprayed around the area.

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Louisiana Tech University electrical engineering sophomore Julia Everett placed second at the 2021 Integration Bee held by the Louisiana-Mississippi Section of the Mathematical Association of America.

Everett was one of roughly thirty competitors who participated in the event, which was hosted virtually by Delta State University due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Everett, along with five other Louisiana Tech students, Tarandaas Anand (biomedical engineering), Avereigh Barras (mechanical engineering), Jacob Boyt (physics), Brady Duplessis (chemical engineering), and Timothy Oliver (computer science and geographic information science) represented the University at the competition.

Dr. Shanaz Tiwari, lecturer of mathematics and statistics at Louisiana Tech, recruited the students two weeks before the event. Shortly after the students were recruited, Louisiana Tech’s campuses were closed due to a snowstorm that kept students, staff, and faculty from the University for a week.

“Since my Louisiana Tech professor believed in me enough to reach out to me,” Everett said of her participation, “I had the confidence to go forward with the Bee! All the mathematics classes I have taken at Louisiana Tech gave me the foundation to succeed at the competition. Without the effort and passion my professors have had for the topics they teach, I would not have the tools to approach problems of the level that were on the Integration Bee ‘test’. That’s one of the best things about the professors here at Tech, from my experience – they don’t just teach what you need to know for the test. I have learned the techniques and foundational theories to approach problems that I will experience in my career!”

“I participated in the Integration Bee because I think math is so much fun,” Barras added, “which I know is due to the amazing professors I have had at Louisiana Tech, like Dr. Tiwari and Dr. (Jonathan) Walters (lecturer of mathematics and statistics), who have taught me all I know! I am thankful that I was able to participate.”

Tiwari says that she’s impressed with the students’ performances despite the short preparation time and the distractions that followed.

“We quickly reached out to a couple students around February 10 to find out if they would be willing to participate in the event on Saturday, February 27 knowing that it was in the middle of finals and very short notice. They all enthusiastically replied yes. We then had the snow storm, and everything was really on the students as individuals. I am very proud of the group of students that competed.”

The Mathematical Association of America is the largest professional society that focuses on mathematics at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure and applied mathematicians; computer scientists; statisticians; and others in academia, government, business and industry. The Louisiana-Mississippi Section of the Mathematical Association of America serves mathematicians in Louisiana and Mississippi.

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Only 19% of the College of Engineering and Sciences at Louisiana Tech University are women.

Louisiana Tech students are paving the way for future students and coworkers by engaging with each other and building a community of successful women.

“Engineering has been a male field since it started, so one thing is not only getting women together but educating others to be advocates for women in these fields,” said Allie DeLeo-Allen, the director of enrollment management and employer relations for the College of Engineering and Science.

Louisiana Tech’s College of Engineering and Science is fostering that idea by creating Women in STEM (WiSTEM) which started out of the Office of Women in Science and Engineering by Katie Evans, Krystal Corbett, and DeLeo-Allen, three female faculty members at Louisiana Tech.

Abby Phillips, a junior in chemical engineering, said what sets Louisiana Tech apart from other universities is the faculty and administration. When looking at these larger universities, she noticed the difference between a faculty and administration that cared about student success and others that do not prioritize it.

“At other universities, they were not personally concerned with student success but at Louisiana Tech all of the professors want their students to succeed,” Phillips said.

Louisiana Tech offers several opportunities for women in engineering that include workshops and internships. Victoria Carroll, a junior in chemical engineering, has been selected for three separate internship opportunities from the knowledge and resources provided to students at Louisiana Tech who are in the COES.

“For African-American women, a lot of companies are looking to diversify and looking for new ideas or different ways of thinking so there are definitely a lot of opportunities, especially here at Louisiana Tech,” Carroll said.

Black women in STEM often do not have the opportunity to relate or be able to see students that look like them so it can be difficult for women of color to feel comfortable expressing their accomplishments or making connections.

“We are talking about women in STEM but you have that added layer,” said Caroline Canatella, another student studying chemical engineering.

These students understand how important it is to take these experiences and use them to continue to pave the way for future women in the field.

“Think of our journey as women in STEM as going hiking on a new trail,” DeLeo-Allen said. “The women who have come before us have cleared the path to a certain point, and it is our responsibility to continue to clear the path further, even if just another foot, so the women who come after us can go even further than we’ve come.”

This article was written by Communication student Kelly Cole.

 

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Each year Lincoln Parish 4-H celebrates Black History Month by conducting a Black History Month Poster Contest. The poster is to be an informative poster about Black History. This year’s Black History Month Poster Contest Award Winner is A’myrie Jackson, a 5th grade student at Cypress Springs Elementary School.

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Larry Don Rainwater
November 14, 1948 – March 13, 2021
Visitation:  Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – Ruston; Sunday, March 21, 2021, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Service:  A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, March 21, 2021 at Kilpatrick Funeral Home, 4-6 p.m. The family has requested a private burial.

Krystavia Da’nise Buggs
January 1, 2003 – March 12, 2021
Visitation:  Thursday 03/18/2021 3:00pm to 5:00pm, At Funeral Home: 1511 W. California Avenue; Ruston, LA 71270
Service:  Friday March  19, 2021 12:00pm, TEMPLE BAPTIST CHURCH 1515 S. SERVICE WEST RUSTON, LA 71270

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This fits to a T.

Longtime local journalist T. Scott Boatright has become the publisher and managing editor of the Lincoln Parish Journal.

Boatright, 57, brings deep family ties and more than 35 years experience in our community serving the parish through local media outlets as well as both Louisiana Tech and Grambling State universities.

“I am thrilled about this innovative opportunity to continue serving the people of Lincoln Parish, where my family roots are based and I’ve made my home for more than three decades,” Boatright said. “And to be able to do so through a new and exciting format is gratifying beyond belief. I look forward to providing Lincoln Parish residents with the news and information they need, when they need it, on real-time platforms, free of charge.

“The Lincoln Parish Journal is an extremely logical progression for local news and sports content. It’s a smart concept. As publication and production expenses have badly eroded conventional, once-timely print and broadcast coverage that our parish counted upon for decades, this format provides the ‘get it now’ aspect, cost-free to the consumer, convenient by using a cell phone, receiving an e-mail, and accessing social media. It’s the antidote to corporate retreat from news and sports reporting in local communities,” he said, “and we will provide coverage that hasn’t been possible before to bring live events and breaking news to our audience.”

Boatright earned his masters and bachelors degrees at Louisiana Tech. He previously served as editor in chief, sports editor, layout and page designer and photographer for the Ruston Daily Leader after working as an athletics media relations director at both Tech (as an assistant) and Grambling State.

“There is so much history in Lincoln Parish, and I love the part all of that plays in my role of reporting the news here,” Boatright said. “My parents grew up here. My father is on a picture displayed in the Chick Childress Field house at Ruston High School. I long ago created my personal haven in the piney, red-dirt hills we live in here and because of that I look forward to making the Lincoln Parish Journal the leading source of news and information for parish residents, accessible at no cost from anywhere at any time.”

He has won numerous awards from the Louisiana Press Association, Louisiana/Mississippi AP Managing Editors Association and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Boatright has been honored in categories including Best News Story, Best Sports Story, Spot News Story, Spot Sports Story, Feature Story, Sports Feature Story, Continuing Coverage, Editorial Writing, Personal Column Writing, Sports Column Writing, Headline Writing, General News Photography, Multipicture Photo Package and Layout and Design.

His biggest year came in 2014 when he earned a combined 15 awards from media organizations, including nine first-place, two second-place and four third-place honors.

“I’m doing what I love in a place I love, and you can’t ask for anything more than that,” Boatright said. “That is what makes it easy to strive to serve the people of Lincoln Parish to my best abilities.”

Boatright, widely known as “Boat,” is married to Karen Rose Boatright, a native of Ruston, where the couple has raised two daughters.

Photo: Lincoln Parish Journal

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Just minutes after pitching a complete-game, two-hit shutout Sunday to lead Louisiana Tech to a 2-0 win over No. 1 ranked Arkansas, Bulldog pitcher Jarrett Whorff talked via zoom with local media covering both programs.

Whorff (3-1) used only 106 pitches to blank the Razobacks (12-1), leading the Bulldogs (9-5) to the program’s first ever win over a No. 1 ranked team.

Tech will host its second straight top-5 ranked opponent tomorrow and Wednesday when No. 3 Ole Miss come to JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park. Tuesday’s game starts at 6 p.m. and Wednesday is a 2 p.m. first pitch.

Whorff won’t be throwing any pitches against Ole Miss, but nearly all he threw Sunday were masterful, until the ninth inning.

When asked if he was starting to tire in the top of the ninth when he hit a batter and then walked another to put the tying runs on base with one out, Whorff didn’t shy away from the truth.

“I wasn’t tired at all,” said Whorff. “It was the situation. I was nervous. Absolutely. But I was able to calm myself down after the first three hitters. Obviously, I walked two of the first three batters. So yeah, I was nervous.”

Whorff responded by retiring the Hogs’ cleanup hitter Cayden Wallace on a long fly ball to centerfield for the second out. He then recorded his 10th strikeout of the day as Brady Slavens was rung up looking for the final out of the game.

“He did it all,” said Bulldog skipper Lane Burroughs. “Jarrett had all three pitches working. His fastball was coming out in the low to mid 90s. Change-up was working. Breaking ball was working. He threw them all for strikes.”

Arkansas saw a 16-game winning streak dating back to the COVID19-shortened 2020 season come to an end. It also marked the first time the Razorbacks had been shutout since falling 1-0 to Florida State in the 2019 College World Series, a span of 29 games.

“If you had told me two runs would win this game today, I would have put all my money on that,” said Burroughs. “I never in my wildest dreams thought if we just scored two runs, we would beat them.

“It is a big win for our program. We say Sunday is about toughness, and championships are won on Sunday. We lost a heartbreaker on Friday (8-7 in 10 innings) and they pretty much boat raced us yesterday (8-1 Arkansas). So I’m proud of our guys for the way they responded today.”

While Whorff was cruising on the mound – Arkansas’ only two hits were a Matt Goodheart double in the first and a Casey Opitz single in the second – the Bulldog offense was having just as tough a time through the first four innings against Razorback starter Lael Lockhart.

That is until Burroughs inserted Adarius Myers into the lineup in the bottom of the fifth inning. Myers promptly singled up the middle to jumpstart the only scoring in the ballgame.

Manny Garcia followed with a single to left field as Myers advanced to third and then Ben Brantley drove him home with a single to left field, giving Tech a 1-0 lead. Garcia scored the second run of the frame on a fielder’s choice groundout by Taylor Young.

“I’d love to sit and here and tell you it was a great managerial move and that I was thinking ahead of the game,” said Burroughs. “Truth is Phil (Matulia) is banged up from when he collided with Parker (Bates) yesterday. I just thought (in Phil’s first at bat) they threw three breakers and he swung right through them. His swings did not look good. I just felt like we needed to make a move.”

The move paid dividends in more ways than one.

In the top of the ninth inning with Tech holding onto a 2-0 lead against the Heart-Attack Hogs, Myers made a diving catch on a sinking line drive off the bat of leadoff hitter Robert Moore. It came right before the hit by pitch and walk issued by Whorff.

“Amazing catch by AD,” said Whorff. “I mean we wouldn’t be sitting here (talking) if AD didn’t catch that first ball honestly. Amazing catch in left field.”

And an amazing day by the Bulldogs.

Photo:  by Tom Morris

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