After not being able to hold summer camps last year due to Covid-19, a number of the Louisiana Tech Athletics programs will offer opportunities for boys and girls of all ages this summer. See specific information below and go to the appropriate camp website address provided for each sport.

Skip Holtz Football Camps

https://www.skipholtzfootballcamps.com/

High School Camp: This camp teaches the basic fundamentals of each position and allows campers to develop speed, strength and flexibility. It creates a competitive environment and stresses the importance of teamwork, attitude, discipline and work ethic.

Date: June 20th

Time: 1 to 3 p.m. at Joe Aillet Stadium

For boys entering grades 9 through 12

Cost: $30 per camper

Workout Gear Necessary: Football Cleats, Tennis Shoes, Shorts and T-Shirt

 

Eric Konkol Basketball Camps

https://www.erickonkolcamps.com/

 

Junior Bulldog Camps: The Junior Bulldogs Camp is designed to expose campers to the core elements of the game of basketball. Daily station work, contests, and game play are used by the Bulldog staff and players to assist in teaching the game to campers.

Dates: July 26 through 29 (9 a.m. to 12 p.m. daily)

For boys entering grades K through 6th

Cost: $150 per camper (various discounts available for multiple siblings, LA Tech faculty/staff or teams)

Contact: Josh Wolfe at wolfe@latech.edu

Youth Day Camp: The Youth Day Camp is designed to help campers improve their basketball skills and develop their love for the game of basketball. This camp consists of daily skill instruction, contests, competitions, and games. Lunch can be purchased daily.

Dates: August 2 through 5 (9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily)

For boys entering grades 3 through 8th

Cost: $200 per camper (various discounts available for multiple siblings, LA Tech faculty/staff or teams)

Brooke Stoehr Basketball Camps

http://www.stoehrbasketball.com/

Day Camp: A little basketball and a whole lotta’ FUN!

Dates: June 21-25 (9 a.m. to 12 p.m.)

For boys and girls entering grades K through 6

Cost: $200 preregistered campers ($250 after June 20) — $25 discounts available for LA Tech

Faculty/Staff and per additional family member

 

Developmental Camp: The perfect camp for your junior high or high school girl that wants to make their school team and get better!

Dates: June 28 through 30th (1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day)

For girls entering grades 6 through 12

Cost: $125 per camper ($150 for anyone registering after June 27)

 

Elite Camp: Advanced skill training for the aspiring college player.

Date: August 7th (12 to 5 p.m.)

For girls entering grades 9 through 12

Cost: $65 for preregistered campers ($100 after August 5)

Team Coaches wanting to register a group must call Scott Stoehr or Nick Long before the deadline to receive the discount if paying as a team.

Lane Burroughs Baseball Camps

https://www.laneburroughscamps.com/lane-burroughs-showcase.cfm

High School Showcase Camps:

Dates: June 23rd & July 21st

For boys entering grades 9 through JUCO sophomore

Cost: $200 per player

Contact: Matt Miller at laneburroughscamps@gmail.com

PHOTO:  Attached. Photo courtesy LA Tech Athletics

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By PAUL LETLOW
Written for the LSWA

Ronnie Coleman didn’t start off planning to become one of the world’s greatest bodybuilders.

The eventual eight-time Mr. Olympia had a simpler scheme — he wanted a free gym membership.

His origin story is one of happenstance.

Coleman majored in accounting while attending Grambling State University, but couldn’t find work in his field. Instead, he became a policeman in Arlington, Texas, where he served as an officer from 1989 to 2000, and a reserve officer until 2003.

“One day I was out on a call,” Coleman said. “One of the guys on the force saw me, and I’ve always been pretty big and muscular. He was asking where I was working out, and at the time, I was working out at the station.”

Coleman said his setup then was “about the size of a bathroom.”

So, his fellow officer took Coleman to Metroflex Gym, where owner Brian Dobson first spotted him and asked him if he ever considered bodybuilding.

“He said, ‘You need to compete. You could be world champion one day,’” Coleman said. “I told him I didn’t want to do it at the time. I just got on at the police department and I didn’t like being on a diet and having to take drugs like I’d heard to those guys did. I didn’t know anything about bodybuilding.”

A few days passed, with Coleman working out every day and Dobson trying to convince him to give it a try.

“About the fourth day, he finally said, ‘I’ll give you a free membership to the gym if you compete in this show coming up in about four months,’” Coleman said. “Soon as he said that, I’m like, “OK. You should have led with that the first day.”

Coleman didn’t know it then, but he’d steered himself toward his destiny. From an unceremonious beginning emerged one of the greatest bodybuilders on the planet.

“Ronnie was special, man,” Dobson said. “He was amazing. He was supernaturally strong. Even now, his body does not carry body fat. He literally has no body fat. None, with paper thin skin. That’s something that you either have or you don’t. It’s rare to see a man that large that maintains that low a level of body fat.

“But he also had the ability to put on huge amounts of muscle. That made him even greater.”

For all his achievements, Coleman is part of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020, one of 11 inductees to be honored June 24-26 in Natchitoches. He is the first bodybuilder elected.

“I was shocked,” Coleman said. “Bodybuilding is not a real popular sport in the United States. I was shocked they were putting me in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. The biggest crowds we get are five or six thousand. NFL, NBA, they get hundreds of thousands. I was shocked but I was honored they would recognize my sport like that.”

For tickets to the LSHOF Induction Celebration events, and information about the festivities, visit LaSportsHall.com or call 318-238-4255.

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Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents are investigating a boating fatality that occurred on June 12 in Union Parish.

The body of Ernest A. Walker Jr., 38, of Downsville, was recovered from Lake D’Arbonne around 2:10 a.m. on June 13.

Agents received information around 8 p.m. on June 12 about a missing boater on Lake D’Arbonne near Farmersville. Agents responded to the scene immediately and began searching for Walker Jr.

According to the other occupants on the vessel, Walker Jr. was a passenger on a pontoon boat when they decided to jump in the water to swim. Walker Jr. disappeared shortly thereafter and one of the other occupants immediately called for help.

LDWF will be the lead investigative agency for this fatal boating incident. Walker Jr. was not wearing a personal flotation device.

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A free Friday evening riverbank concert. Food trucks, refreshments, free games for kids.

A spectacular, holiday-season level fireworks show set to sports-themed music, just after dark.

And just before the dazzling aerial show over Cane River Lake, on-stage introduction of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 including worldwide celebrities Ronnie Coleman (eight-time Mr. Olympia bodybuilder), Sweet Lou Dunbar of the Harlem Globetrotters, and Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson.

It’s all part of the Friday evening, June 25 Rockin’ River Fest, a focal point of the LSHOF’s Class of 2020 Induction Celebration. The Rockin’ River Fest is presented by Rapides Regional Medical Center.

It’s on the Rue Beauport river bank stage in downtown Natchitoches, beginning at 6 with music lasting until 10:30, no admission required.

There’s an upscale party in an air-conditioned tent to the left of the stage. The Hancock-Whitney Taste of Tailgating shindig runs from 7-10, with guests enjoying tailgating-inspired food stations, specialty cocktails, free beer and wine, a silent auction, a photo booth, and music by DJ Geaux.

Tickets are $100 per person ($50 for under 21 partygoers) and must be purchased in advance through the LaSportsHall.com website or by calling Gracen McDonald, the LSHOF Foundation executive assistant, at 318-554-9020.

The Taste of Tailgating party has filled to capacity each of the first two years of the Rockin’ River Fest. The crowd in and around the amphitheater, however, has no capacity limit, and the entertainment is cost-free.

At least three bands will perform, with feature act Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys bringing their rockin’ zydeco, high energy style to Louisiana’s oldest city and its fun-loving people.

“A young, Cajun band that’s definitely the real deal. These guys play Cajun music they way it’s supposed to be played, keeping true to their traditional heritage, yet pushing the limits of groove with a mature experimentation that’s guaranteed to keep you dancing,” wrote one reviewer.

They’ll be preceded by the area’s premiere show band, Johnny Earthquake and the Moon Dogs, who often have top flight musicians and vocalists making surprise appearances to team up with the exceptionally gifted singers and musicians who are mainstays of this ever-popular Natchitoches act fronted by the colorful Johnny Earthquake.

“Quite simply, Louisiana’s best show band!” wrote a reviewer for City Lights magazine.

The Rockin’ River Fest Kids Zone is presented by Louisiana Propane Dealers and will have free interactive games for children 4 and up.

The Friday night spectacular sets the tone for Saturday’s festivities, which begin with a free Junior Training Camp and include the Roundtable Luncheon and the Warmup Reception at the LSHOF Museum and the Induction Ceremony at the Natchitoches Events Center, televised live by Cox Sports Television at 7 p.m. on June 26.

Reservations are necessary for the Junior Training Camp by visiting LaSportsHall.com or calling McDonald at 318-554-9020. Those are pathways for tickets to the luncheon and induction reception and ceremony.

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Earl F. Lingle
September 1, 1932 – June 12, 2021
Visitation: Parkview Baptist Church, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Service: Parkview Baptist Church, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 11:00 am
Cemetery: Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery, Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Ronnie Whitehead
August 31, 1941 – June 12, 2021
Visitation: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – West Monroe, Thursday, June 17, 2021, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Service: Providence Baptist Church, Friday, June 18, 2021, 2:00 pm
Cemetery: Acree Cemetery, Friday, June 18, 2021

Ruth Evelyn Gray
July 29, 1928 – June 11, 2021
Visitation:  Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – Ruston, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Service:  Sharon Baptist Church, Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Cemetery:  Pine Grove Cemetery in Bernice, Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Terry Lynn Counts
September 4, 1960 – June 10, 2021
Visitation:  Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – West Monroe, Monday, June 14, 2021, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Service:  Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – West Monroe, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 11:00 am
Cemetery:  St. Paschal Catholic Cemetery, Tuesday, June 15, 2021

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On March 15th, human remains were discovered near the intersection of Highway 563 and Interstate 20. With the help of LSU FACES Laboratory in Baton Rouge, the remains have been positively identified as Alexis Mullins (36). While cause of death remains unknown, we do not suspect foul play.

While Mullins did not maintain a permanent residence- he was known have ties in Florida, Louisiana (New Orleans area), and Texas. Detectives have been unable to track down next of kin. If you have any information regarding Mullins, please contact us at (318)251-6417.

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Join us at the Railroad Park on Wednesday, June 23 at 7:00 pm to honor the Tech Baseball Team after their incredible season.

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The Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s office reports that a Monroe, Louisiana man has been booked into the Lincoln Parish Detention Center in Ruston, Louisiana on one count each of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated arson.

Ladarrious Ignont, 27, of Monroe, was booked into the Lincoln Parish Detention Center at Ruston on June 9, 2021

 

 

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Are you interested in teaching in 2021-2022 in the highest-paying school system in North Louisiana?

Visit https://www.lincolnschools.org/page/jobs to view openings and apply!

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What are you willing to take a risk on? Your job? Relationship? Parenting? For many just thinking about this question is a risk. Many live their lives so planned out that any deviation will throw their whole life into a tailspin. You would think that someone with this type of personality would not know how to function without a to-do list or a daily planner. Now do not get me wrong, I think these tools are very important and many of my clients would be standing out in the cold if I had not realized the importance of these things years ago.

The risk I am talking about is the risk of doing something in your life different from the way you have done it before. Many of us are so married to what we have always done that we are not willing to take the risk of trying something new, even if what we have always been doing is obviously not working. There is an old cliché that speaks volumes about this topic.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Just take a minute to think about that statement. How much truth is spoken there? How many times do we truly see this cliché played out in our life? We just keep treating the relationships and situations in our life the same way. Then we get together with our friends and complain about how things will never change.

So, are we insane?

Many times couples come into my office and truly don’t understand why their spouse does not get it. They make statements like, “I can’t believe she keeps doing that” or “he doesn’t care how I feel.” When I ask if they have told their spouse how they feel, the answer is usually, “He would never understand” or “she doesn’t want to hear it.” How do you know? If you don’t risk that conversation or change how you have done it in the past, how can you expect a different result? This communication block is the death blow to many relationships.

At least they come in to see me. One of the other issues people are not willing to risk is to seek counseling or other professional services. Even though their relationship is rocky and both parties have exhausted every tactic they know, they are still not willing to seek an outside opinion. “Mom and dad never had to go to a counselor and what if it gets out that we couldn’t handle it ourselves.” Many times they have preconceived notions about counseling. People do not understand what counseling really is and the ethics governing the therapeutic relationship. Counseling is a great way to get your thoughts and feelings straight along with someone who can share some tested interventions that have been proven to help in situations such as yours.

Counseling is also a biblical concept. God did not make us to solitary individuals. He wants us to pray and discuss with him, he has set up pastoral relationships for counseling, and calls us to seek wise counsel.

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The Arbor and Terrace is an assisted living facility seeking an RN or an LPN willing to earn RN licensing for the position of Wellness Coordinator. The following job duties are necessary for this position:

Strong communication skills to deal with residents, staff of hospice and home health companies and family members. This position works with families daily through each step of admission and all stages of living at The Arbor and Terrace
Strong knowledge of regulatory guidelines for assisted living practices as well as home health and hospice protocol
Proficient with record keeping and organizational skills, managing residents’ medical needs
Ability to inform and manage information to care staff and administration regarding resident care.
This position requires RN licensing OR LPN willing to pursue RN licensing in the next year.

Phone: 318-251-3116

EOE

*** PLEASE CALL THE ARBOR AND TERRACE FOR AN INTERVIEW***

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Seven hundred thirty-two Northwestern State University students were named to the Honor List for the Spring 2021 semester. Students on the Honor List must be enrolled full-time at Northwestern and have a grade point average of between 3.0 and 3.49.

Nine hundred and twenty-four students were named to the Spring 2021 Dean’s List. Students on the list earned a grade point average of between 3.5 and 3.99.

Five hundred and seventy-four students were named to the Spring 2021 President’s List. Students on the list earned a grade point average of 4.0.

For questions about the honor lists, contact the University Registrar at (318) 357-6171, toll-free at (800) 807-8849.

Those named to the Honor List are:

Ruston – Kayanicka Anderson, Victoria Bell, Reagan lee, Emily Willis;

Simsboro – Madison Moore;

Those named to the Dean’s List are:

Oak Grove — Baily Barnett;

Ruston — Chirstan Bates, Jalen Garrison, ShaTaylor Reed, Lara Schales;

Sibley — Audrey Jones;

Those named to the President’s List are:

Dubach – Olivia Hancock;

Ruston – Jena Green, Aujani Richburg;

Sibley – Melanie Tobin

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Lincoln Parish Residents: Louisiana received federal approval to issue Pandemic EBT benefits to families of children who receive free or reduced-price school meals, but haven’t been receiving those meals due to school closures or virtual/hybrid learning schedules due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

No application is needed to receive the benefits. Schools will provide the DCFS a list of eligible students and their learning situations.

Pandemic EBT, or P-EBT, cards are expected to start reaching families over the next several weeks.

Find more info at www.pebt-la.org

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Nanosystems Engineering and Studio Art freshman and Monroe native, Nicholas Jones has two full-time jobs: one as a student taking a full load of classes, and another as a single dad of three small children. He also has a part-time job as an undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Shawn Chen, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University’s Institute for Micromanufacturing, researching nanomaterials in harvesting energy.

Despite his busy schedule, Jones has embraced the Louisiana Tech College of Engineering and Science’s hands-on, project- and service-based learning model, finding research opportunities and joining the Freshman Engineering and Science Association.

His ability to focus on multiple projects at once has resulted in a 10-week National Science Foundation REU (undergraduate research experience) at the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, which he began this summer.

Jones says he feels well-prepared for the REU because of his experience with Chen’s lab. Through his undergraduate research assistantship at Louisiana Tech, Jones has learned the basics of molecular dynamics, researching how to create longer battery life for solid-state batteries using a solid electrolyte interface.

“It’s been a steep learning curve, but the technical experience and the hands-on programming I’ve gotten is worth it.”

Jones hopes to learn new skills and techniques working with a University of Arkansas team.

“I’m looking forward to working with a different team because there’s a lot to be learned from working with new people and a different professor. They’ll have different perspectives, more to bring back to apply to what I’m doing.”

Jones discovered his love for nanosystems engineering while he was in the U.S. Navy, where he spent nine years as a Nuclear Mechanist’s Mate in the Navy’s Nuclear Operations program, eventually becoming an Instructor. As a Nuclear Machinist, Jones worked with engineers in water control for nuclear reactors and power generation.

Seeing the leadership and technical skills that the engineers brought to the projects, Jones decided that he wanted to become an engineer, too.

“I decided I wanted to become an engineer because I like taking stuff apart and putting it back together and I wanted to contribute to advancing the human race. I chose nanosystems engineering because I want to eventually get into engineering for the aerospace industry. Since nanosystems engineering focuses on nanoscale items, it will be a very easy transition from nanosystems engineering into an aerospace engineering job. I’m also interested in power generation and new materials. None of the other engineering programs felt right for my goals.”

As a dual Nanosystems Engineering and Studio Art major, Jones’ spent his freshman year getting hands on through the first-year engineering series and creating art through design courses.

“The intro to engineering series is great. I really enjoyed how you can take what you’re learning and apply it later in the series. I like to tinker with things, and with the Living with the Lab courses, we get to build. But my favorite project so far is a piece of art I created using layers of paper stacked on top of each other. The end product is a silhouette of my kids walking on a path.”

After graduation, Jones plans to pursue a graduate degree in nanosystems or aerospace engineering.

 

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By TED LEWIS
Written for the LSWA

“Miss Hogg, we’re going to win the national championship.”

That was a pretty audacious promise, especially considering it was coming from a player at a rural Class C school and made to a coach recruiting her to a college just four years into having a women’s basketball program and which had yet to sign anyone from more than 100 miles away from Ruston – including this one.

But that player was Angela Turner. And, sure enough, while she was at Louisiana Tech, the Lady Techsters claimed not one but two national titles plus two other Women’s Final Four appearances to boot, establishing a tradition that kept the school among the sport’s elite into the 21st century.

“I don’t know what made me say that other than I believed it was true,” said Turner, the Final Four MVP in 1981 when Tech took the AIAW championship and a Kodak All-America in 1982 when the Techsters became the first NCAA women’s champion, “When I dream, I dream big.

“I didn’t see any reason why it couldn’t be us.”

And now, more than four decades after first made that memorable pledge to Tech coach Sonja Hogg, Turner’s can-do attitude — not to mention her versatile abilities topped by an ahead-of-its-time jump shot — have landed her in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

She’ll be honored in the pandemic-delayed 2020 Induction Celebration June 24-26 in Natchitoches. For tickets and information, visit LaSportsHall.com or call 318-238-4255.

Turner’s going in long after her playing days. But she’s fine with that.

“Better late than never,” said Turner, now Angela Turner Johnson, a soon-to-be-61 grandmother (and minus her trademark gold tooth and Afro) who resides with her husband, Troy Johnson, in Carrollton, Texas.

Turner Johnson joins Hogg, then-associate head coach Leon Barmore and teammates Pam Kelly, Kim Mulkey and Janice Lawrence-Braxton in the state’s shrine to its top athletes, located in Natchitoches. That’s just 32 miles from Saline in Bienville Parish and now-closed Shady Grove High School where Turner was both a star player, averaging 30.9 points and 15.1 rebounds as a senior, but also the valedictorian of the 17-member Class of 1978 along with being Miss Shady Grove and student council president.

Turner Johnson’s fellow Hall of Famers from her Lady Techster days are unanimous in saying her inclusion is long overdue.

Kelly (1992): “A.T. should have gone in with the rest of us. She worked her butt off a player and a student, and that included helping me out with math when I couldn’t get it.”

Lawrence-Braxton (2005): “You can always tell good people, and from the time I met her, A.T. was good people. She was a leader on and off the court. Without A.T. you really don’t have the history of Lady Techster basketball.”

Barmore (2000): “Angela Turner could score, defend, steal and rebound. That God-given ability was just there. There was just an electricity about her game and you don’t find people that have the class she has.”

Mulkey (1990): “A.T. had a mid-range jump shot back in the day when mostly it was just men who were shooting them. She’d do it with a smile on her face, too. And on top of that, she was and is just a kind and classy person.”

Hogg (2013): “Angela was a joy to coach because she was the kind of player who would run through a brick wall for you. And she was a great student-athlete in every sense of the word.”

PHOTO:  Courtesy Louisiana Tech Athletics

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Earl F. Lingle
September 1, 1932 – June 12, 2021
Visitation: Parkview Baptist Church, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Service: Parkview Baptist Church, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 11:00 am
Cemetery: Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery, Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Jackie B. Stover
August 26, 1939 – June 11, 2021
Visitation: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – West Monroe, Monday, June 14, 2021, 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Service: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – West Monroe, Monday, June 14, 2021, 2:00 pm
Cemetery: Luna Assembly Of God Cemetery, Monday, June 14, 2021

Terry Lynn Counts
September 4, 1960 – June 10, 2021
Visitation: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – West Monroe, Monday, June 14, 2021, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Service: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – West Monroe, Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 11:00 am
Cemetery: St. Paschal Catholic Cemetery, Tuesday, June 15, 2021

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The Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce celebrated another new member on June 10: Borders Poultry of Louisiana, LLC in Choudrant. It is so much more than a Poultry supply store. They have a bit of everything you could need to fix up around your house, garden, or farm.

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Three Cedar Creek softball standouts and two from Choudrant have picked up more honors, with the Louisiana Softball Coaches Association naming them to the organization’s All-State teams announced Thursday.

Junior shortstop Sarah Adams, sophomore outfielder Allie Furr and senior infielder Riley Spradlin represented Cedar Creek on the Class A squad. Adams and Spradlin were two of six infielders chosen. Furr was one of five outfielders picked by the coaches.

Senior centerfielder Tori Martin and eighth-grade catcher Zoey Smith were the Choudrant standouts named to the LSCA’s Class B All-State roster. Both were picked as utility players, and they were two of seven competitors named at that position.

The Lady Cougars finished 17-11 and reached the quarterfinals of the Division IV state playoffs.

The Lady Aggies were 19-11 and almost made it to the Class B quarterfinals, falling 2-1 at Stanley after a blowout first-round playoff win.

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I’m wondering why the milk is always in the back of the grocery store. It turns out the milk is often located in connection with the large storage refrigeration of that particular grocery store. If you will look, you will notice that most milk coolers are backless. The answer is milk is really near the refrigerated storage and/or the loading dock. I was hoping for a more conspiratorial answer since I too grow weary of walking to the back of the store when all I need is milk.

That imponderable was posited while I was standing in the line of Super One. I started thinking of other imponderables.

If a fine is a tax for doing wrong, is a tax a fine for doing well?

If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?

Isn’t Disney World a people trap operated by a mouse?

Doesn’t expecting the unexpected make the unexpected become the expected?

If you fail and succeed, which have you done?

If horrific means to make horrible, does terrific mean to make terrible?

Is there another word for synonym?

Why do women wear evening gowns to nightclubs? Shouldn’t they be wearing night gowns?

Why do croutons come in airtight packages? It’s just stale bread to begin with.

If you mixed vodka with orange juice and milk of magnesia, would you get a Philips Screwdriver?

Is Atheism a non-prophet organization?

If all is not lost, where is it?

Do Roman paramedics refer to IV’s as “4’s”?

Why is it that if someone tells you that there are 1 billion stars in the universe you will believe them, but if they tell you that a wall has wet paint you will have to touch it to be sure?

Did you know that dolphins are so intelligent that within only a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand at the very edge of the pool and throw fish at them?

If quitters never win, and winners never quit, what fool came up with, “Quit while you’re ahead?!”

How much faith does it take to be an atheist?

So, what’s the speed of dark?

After eating, do amphibians need to wait an hour before getting OUT of the water?

I’ve checked with the CDC; it is OK to laugh again!

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Three Nanosystems Engineering students at Louisiana Tech University have earned spots in the National Science Foundation REU (research experiences for undergraduates) program.

Senior Brandon Hubbs (Baton Rouge), sophomore Gabriel Peterman (Alexandria), and freshman Nicholas Jones (Monroe) have earned spots in the program at Louisiana Tech, the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and the University of Arkansas, respectively.

The three students will work in a variety of fields within nanosystems engineering and technology over the summer.

Hubbs will work with Dr. Adarsh Radadia, Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering with the Louisiana Tech Institute for Micromanufacturing and Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Sciences, to devise a code to simulate the resistance between any two points on a 3D-printed part. Because the code will measure the resistance before printing, the resulting work will save researchers money as they develop parts.

Hubbs’ work is in the same area that he and his College of Engineering and Science Senior Projects Conference team worked on with Radadia over the last academic year. During the 2020-21 year, Hubbs and his team refined the annealing process designed by the previous Nanosystems Engineering Senior Projects team.

At the University of Nebraska, Peterman will research treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) with nanoparticles that act as super antioxidants under the mentorship of Dr. Forrest Kievit, a biomedical engineering professor at the university.

His Louisiana Tech research advisor, Dr. Yuri Voziyanov, Professor of Biological Sciences, says that he is impressed by Peterman’s work ethic and intellectual curiosity.

“Gabriel is an intelligent and highly motivated individual,” Voziyanov said. “Last fall, he took the initiative to join my laboratory to get experience in molecular biology techniques. Gabe demonstrated great interest in working in a laboratory environment. His performance in the lab as an undergraduate student is always exemplary. His lab experience includes, among other techniques, PCR [polymerase chain reaction], plasmid DNA digestion and ligation, the transformation of bacteria, and isolation of plasmid DNA from bacteria.”

“I enjoy nanosystems engineering,” Peterman said, “and I enjoy working with Dr. Voziyanov on biological and genetics research. In his lab, I see a lot of products that are designed based on nanotech, and from my perspective, editing DNA is working with a nanomolecule. I’m grateful for the proper lab experience I’ve gotten with Dr. Voziyanov and to have the opportunity to use chemistry, physics, and nanosystems labs at Tech, where I’ve learned manufacturing techniques. I’m looking forward to working with Dr. Kievit and getting the new experience.”

Jones will carry what he’s learned working with Dr. Shawn Chen, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Institute for Micromanufacturing at the University into his research with the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville.

“There’s a lot to be learned from working with a different team and professor. I hope to get a different perspective, more techniques to bring back to apply to what I’m doing. Plus, I look forward to the opportunity to expand my research and professional network, which will be helpful after I finish my undergraduate degree since I plan to go to graduate school.”

Chen says that she expects Jones will do excellent research during his REU.

“Nicholas is working in our group on atomistic simulations of battery materials. He is a detail-oriented problem solver; even as a freshman, he is highly motivated in doing research and has shown exceptional leadership skills.”

The NSF REU program provides undergraduate students with the opportunities to expand their research experiences outside of their home universities, providing participants with exposure to new ideas and methods for research.

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Louisiana Tech undergraduate Biology majors Annabeth Rawls and Caitlyn Fontenot each won student awards after presenting their research at the annual meeting of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) held virtually May 27-28.

It was the first presentation either had given at a scientific meeting.

Rawls, who works with Tech Assistant Professor Dr Jennifer Hill, presented her research on “Crabtivating behavioral analysis: the impacts of fipronil pesticides on Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) behavior.”

“Presenting was such a rush,” said Rawls, who won third place in the student abstract category. “This was the first time I have presented at a conference, so I was not sure what to expect. Overall, it was a great experience being able to share what I have been working on the past year and seeing everyone take interest in it the way I have. And hearing and seeing everyone else present their research helped me learn what I could do to better my own presentation.”

Fontenot’s research was done as part of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON)/Louisiana Tech Internship Program; she was mentored by Associate Professor Dr. Terri Maness from Tech and Dr. Abigail Bockus from LUMCON.

The poster presentation of Fontenot’s research was titled “Pass the salt! Environmental predictors of Brown Shrimp abundance in Louisiana.”

“This was my first real scientific presentation, along with my first time using an online meeting platform for such a large audience,” she said. “It felt so gratifying to finally present my research to my peers and receive feedback. It felt even more rewarding when I got second place in the poster division. Turns out all my hard work actually paid off. I do wish that I could have been able to talk to people face-to-face and have a bit more time to elaborate my findings, but now I’m even more prepared for conferences to be back to in person.”

The awards competition grouped undergraduates, master, and PhD students in the same category.

“Our students should be proud of how well they performed,” Maness said. “They exemplified the high standard of research conducted by faculty and students in the School of Biological Sciences and at Louisiana Tech to researchers, agency managers, and other stakeholders throughout the state and across the southern division region.”

All meeting presenters were required to submit an abstract of their presentations, which are then published in the Meeting Abstract Book.

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Summer time fishing means one thing to me…it’s time to break out the big worms. By big worms I mean “BIG” …anything from a 10 to 12-inch worm. There’s a saying… “If you want to catch big fish, you need to throw big baits.” It’s no secret that big fish like a big meal and most big bass don’t want to have to exert a lot of energy to feed. So, a big worm is a great bait to entice those sluggish largemouth bass.

Now don’t get me wrong, I will still pick up my faithful 6.5-inch trick worm more often than not just because I have so much confidence in it but my body starts to shake and quiver every time, I throw either a Texas rigged 10.5-inch V& M Wild Thang, or Straight Wild or even a Zoom Ol’ Monster. These are my three favorites and all will catch fish. The 10.5-inch V&M Wild Thang and the Zoom Ol’ Monster both have great ribbon tails which have a lot action. But there are days when the V&M Straight Wild is a better choice when the bass aren’t as aggressive. The Straight Wild worm is also great for rigging on a big 5/16th or 3/8th oz. shaky head. The shaky head technique is a finesse technique used when the bite is really slow. It’s a great way to put a limit of bass in the boat on those tough summer days. Worms of all sizes are used on a shaky head from 4 up to 10-inch worms.

The thing about fishing a big worm, is that it’s great in all situations whether you’re fishing a hard drop off, punching hydrilla(grass), fishing lily pads or dragging it through a brush top. A big worm is never a bad choice due to its versatility. Now let’s talk what colors are best. If you ask ten anglers their favorite color worm, you’ll probably get ten different colors. But I’m going to give you a good rule of thumb to follow when it comes to color that former Bassmaster Classic Champion Dion Hibdon gave me back in 2004. Stick to your earth tone colors like watermelon, watermelon/red, green pumpkin, red bug and black neon (black with red flake). With these 5 colors, you can fish anywhere in the country and catch fish especially with green pumpkin. Now that being said, every angler has his “go to” color that he has a lot of confidence in. If you have one favorite color, throw it! Because the more you believe in a certain color, the better you’ll fish it. Of the five colors I’ve given you here, there’s one that will work 90% of the time…green pumpkin! There’s not a single major bass tournament where someone in the field does not throw some form of soft plastic in green pumpkin. It just might be the most popular soft plastic color of all time!

To wrap this up, remember this, no other bait has been responsible for more bass caught that the plastic worm. It is without a doubt the number one bass lure of all time. A lot of professional anglers like Tommy Martin, Larry Nixon, Bill Dance and Roland Martin have all made a good living throwing the plastic worm. So, the next time you reach into your tackle box, grab a soft plastic worm! Till next time, don’t forget to set the hook…. especially when you’re throwing a worm!

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

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