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By Judith Roberts

Educators and parents across the parish voiced concerned this week about House Bill 75, which currently states it would require each public school governing authority to post on its website information relative to instructional materials and activities for each school under its jurisdiction. 

Many teachers and parents understood that this would include lesson plans, curriculum and basically anything used in the classroom – and that all this information would need to be uploaded during their summer break before they even began the school year. 

State Representative Lance Harris, who authored the bill and is the education chair for the House of Representatives, said he thought there had been a lot of misinformation about the bill put out on social media. 

“This bill is about transparency for parents,” Harris said. “As a representative, I believe parents should have easy access to this information.” 

He said he thought one part of Paragraph A on page 1 needed to be amended to clarify some issues that had arisen, such as mentioned above, but the original goal of the bill was to add information such as a syllabus and textbook information to a school’s website for parents to easily find. 

“We want to have a link on the school’s website that takes you to the curriculum,” he said. “We’re not trying to micromanage the teachers…I will not allow this bill to be a burden on our hard-working teachers.” 

He said this was a way to strengthen parents, students and the community. 

“Parents can see what their children will be learning,” he said. “Parents are demanding it.” 

Hayley Smith, a teacher in Allen Parish, wrote about HB 75 in a Facebook post Monday that was shared more than 3,000 times – and by many Lincoln Parish residents. She said she didn’t understand why the bill was needed in the first place. 

“Our entire curriculum is accessible on the Louisiana Believes website,” Smith said. “I’ll admit – as teachers, we have complained very loudly to the state department that it isn’t a user-friendly website, and it is tough to navigate or find what you’re looking for. But that information is already available.” 

Smith said teachers are already told what to teach by the state department. 

“So if parents are finding that what is being taught in the classrooms might be developmentally inappropriate or inoffensive, then the issue would not be transparency between the schools, teachers or school boards – the issue is transparency between the state Department of Education and the parents within our state,” she said. 

Lincoln Parish resident Caty Simmons also said that she believed this bibliographic information Harris wants to be easily accessible is already available. 

“Where is this a problem?” she said. “All of this information is already publicly available. If it’s about what books are being read – that is sent out at the beginning of the year anyway. The literature the students read aligns with state standards.” 

Amanda Robertson, a former Lincoln Parish teacher who shared Smith’s Facebook post, said even if the bill is amended, she does not believe it is needed. 

“At the beginning of the year, you overcommunicate with parents with standards for the year and books you’ll be reading,” Robertson said. “I feel like teachers are taught to do that – to overcommunicate with parents, send out newsletters, call, text, use Google Classroom. I feel they already do that. If that’s what this bill says, it’s already out there.” 

Lincoln Parish’s State Representative, Chris Turner, said he talked to Harris, who said there was a misunderstanding with the bill. 

“In no way was he trying to add a burden to the teachers,” Turner said. “He’s amending the wording in the bill to fix that so the teachers won’t have to do all that extra work.” 

Turner said he understood the bill to require textbooks and syllabi to be added to the school websites, something that school boards would have final say over. 

He added that the bill was still being amended, and he would watch to see what the amendment ended up saying. He also urged any Lincoln Parish resident who had questions or concerns to contact him at HSE012@legis.la.gov.  

“The bill may change, and I don’t know if I’ll support it in the final stage,” Turner said. “I’m not in favor of adding extra work to the teachers. Period.” 

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These Lady Cougars made history.

Even though they still have one game left – one BIG game – the 2021-22 Cedar Creek Lady Cougars have already made history.

Second seed Cedar Creek (28-2) led from start to finish in defeating 6^th-seeded St. Martin’s Episcopal (21-6) by a score of 52-35 Tuesday afternoon at the Alario Center in Westwego, Louisiana.

When the Lady Cougars take the floor Thursday at 2:30 p.m. to face 5^th-seeded Southern Lab in the title game, it will mark the first time since the school joined the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) ranks that the girls basketball team has played for the state title.

The historical accomplishment isn’t lost on the players.

“It means so much to me and the rest of the girls,” said Allie Furr, who scored 13 points in the win on 6-of-9 shooting. “For the past two years we have lost in the semifinal game, but we knew this year was going to be different. We have worked so hard from the beginning of the season to now to be where we are at. We have such great chemistry and play together so well that we knew we had the potential to go all the way.”

“This was our third consecutive year to make it to the state tournament which is an outstanding achievement on its own,” said Sarah Adams. “But we are the first team to make it to the Finals. The opportunity to make these memories that will last a lifetime is truly a blessing.”

Adams, Furr and the rest of the Lady Cougars led from start to finish. Despite a slow down approach by St. Martin’s Episcopal, Creek was able to get an early lead, maintain it, eventually push it to double figures and cruise to the semifinal victory.

Creek led 11-6 after the first quarter and 23-14 at halftime.

“It was a good little game,” said Cedar Creek head coach Gene Vandenlangenberg. “It was a weird game. Their tempo was not like our tempo. They like to slow it down and slow it down and dribble dribble, dribble, dribble. We were okay with it because we got the lead early. We also got into a little foul trouble early. We didn’t want to try to do anything crazy. We just wanted to play our game.”

The third quarter saw the Lady Cougars outscore St. Martin’s Episcopal 16-10 and Cedar Creek eventually pushed its lead out to as many as 20 points late in the game.

“We played at their tempo for most of the game,” said Vandenlangenberg. “We had two little spurts that really helped us. In the third quarter we kind of broke it open a little. We had a couple of steals and some run outs for easy buckets. The girls started to really relax. You could almost see the girls say, ‘Okay, we can do this.’”

And do it they did.

As she has done all year long, Adams spearheaded the Creek attack, finishing with a triple double with 18 points, 11 assists and 10 steals while adding five rebounds for good measure.

Furr’s 13 points and Lizzie McAdams 10 points provided Cedar Creek some balanced scoring as the Lady Cougars shot 48 percent (23-of-48) from the field. Defensively, Creek forced 17 turnovers and held St. Martin’s Episcopal to only 28 percent (13-of-48) shooting.

“Anytime we can get multiple girls in double digits that’s a good thing,” said Vandenlangenberg. “We played good defense and rebounded. St. Martin’s (Episcopal) wants to hold people in the 30s. I was concerned about our shooting going into the game because it’s a bigger venue, but our girls shot the ball fairly well today.”

Now the Lady Cougars turn their attention to the title game against a Southern Lab team that defeated No. 1 seed and defending state champion Ouachita Christian 51-42 in the day’s first semifinal.

“We’re so excited,” said Adams. “Obviously we want to win and that is the goal. But now that our nerves are out of the way after our first game down here we can really let loose and get after it.”

Vandenlangenberg said his team will need to do another good job on the defensive end and on the boards in order to bring home the school’s first state LHSAA title in basketball.

“Southern Lab is young,” he said. “I’ve been told they start three ninth graders and an eighth grader. They are a young but an athletic team. We have to make Southern Lab one dimensional. We have to make them 3-point shooters.

“They like to drive gaps. They attack the basket and get to the free throw line. They really rebound it well too. We have to control the paint and make them more of a perimeter shooting team.”.

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A “grab and run” theft at a Ruston store mirrors some of the well-publicized incidents plaguing large cities across America.

On Sunday, Ruston Police responded to the Rue 21 store at 1423 Eagle Drive regarding a theft of merchandise valued over $5,000.

Witnesses stated two men snatched up a large amount of clothing and ran from the store. They were last seen southbound on Eagle Drive toward I-20 in a vehicle described as possibly an older, light blue Lincoln with a temporary license plate. Store personnel were unable to obtain the plate’s number.

Numerous accounts of similar thefts have hit the news in recent months, mostly in large cities with high-end retail establishments. In some cases, numerous thieves flood the store and within a matter of minutes flee with thousands of dollars in merchandise. 

In November, a group of 14 thieves rushed into a Louis Vuitton store in Oakbrook, Illinois, while customers were inside and boldly drove away with $100,000 worth of merchandise. The entire incident was caught on the store’s surveillance video.

A similar incident at a Nordstrom store in California involved 80 people grabbing merchandise and rushing out in under a minute, injuring employees in the process.

Some of the upsurge in retail crime has been what is termed “smash and grab” burglaries where closed stores are forcibly entered, and expensive items quickly collected up and taken.

Rue 21 was open at the time of Sunday’s incident.

No arrests have been made in the case.

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Throughout the office of Louisiana Tech head baseball coach Lane Burroughs at cozy J.C. Love Field hang photos of him as a boy with his late father, Lavelle “Rube” Burroughs.

Daddy Burroughs was a train man.

Rube, as he became known in reference to an 1800’s train robber named Rube Burrow, worked for Norfolk Southern for almost four decades. Rube’s father – Lane’s grandfather – was also a train man.

“There was a long line of them,” Lane said. “I broke the cycle.”

According to Lane, his father had two great loves outside of his children: baseball and trains.

“It’s ironic that one runs past our field,” Burroughs said as he stared out the window, across the J.C. Love Field outfield and beyond the right field wall where – coincidentally enough – a railroad track runs. “(My dad) had passed away before I got this job. He would eat this up. This would be the greatest thing in the world to him. Baseball and trains at the same time.”

Growing up in Meridian, Mississippi, Lane learned to love trains at an early age. Decades later, his office is decorated with model trains. There are a number of photos of Rube with little Lane hanging from the walls, many of them with trains in the background.

“I love ’em,” Lane said. “I love ’em. I never complain when the train comes … that’s what put food on my table when I was little.”

One thing you learn about train folks, there is a pride – almost like the pride a fan base has in its team – attached to their railroad.

“Norfolk Southern,” Lane said when asked where his loyalty lies. “It was Southern Railroad and then it became Norfolk Southern. When you see the Norfolk (Southern run by the stadium), that’s what we call ‘The Rally Train.’ Not the Kansas City Southern.”

The Rally Train. Is it myth — or is its magic real?

“We were playing Arkansas my first year (at Tech),” Lane said. “A Tuesday night. This is a true story. That train came by. We were down 2-1.

“I guess they radioed the guy and said, ‘Hey, there are people on the tracks.’ So, (the engineer) stops. Literally stops. And as he stops, Chace Lunceford hits a two-run triple, put us up 3-2 and we never looked back. We went on to win the game. And that kind of started the legend.

“My wife claims that was my dad driving that train that night.”

Maybe it was just a coincidence. Or just good timing?

“We were playing Sam Houston in a midweek two years later,” Lane said. “It was nothing-nothing in the seventh. And here comes the Norfolk (Southern), and Seth White hits a bases loaded triple … literally as the train goes by.

“So the guys were like, ‘That’s it. It’s real.’ So if you ever hear the horn in the game … if it’s the Kansas City Southern the guys will be like, ‘Oh, that’s not it.’ It has to be Norfolk Southern. That’s the real ‘Rally Train.’”

In year No. 1 of the rebuilt J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, the Rally Train was working overtime during the Bulldogs 42-win season. Never was it more evident than the Saturday of the 2021 Conference USA Baseball Tournament hosted by the Bulldogs.

Tech had to fight its way out of the losers bracket. It was beat hated rival Southern Miss twice or watch the Golden Eagles play for the league title on the Bulldogs own field the following day.

Hollywood couldn’t have written the script any better.

Game 1: Tech trailed 8-0 in the fifth inning. The Bulldogs needed a miracle … or in this case … the Rally Train to force a second game. Eleven runs later, Steele Netterville’s walk-off double to right centerfield gave the Bulldogs new life and an 11-10 extra inning win.

Hours later.

Game 2: Tech trailed 5-3 in the ninth and was down to its last out. Here comes the Rally Train. And with it, more magic for the Bulldogs. A Cole McConnell single plated one and a Phil Matulia single scored two as once again the Rally Train proved to be more than a myth.

Tech had engineered two of the most miraculous comebacks on a day that Bulldog fans will remember for a lifetime.

And the train? Well, it did what the Rally Train is supposed to do.

“It’s unbelievable,” Lane said. “It really is.”

On Friday evening Ruston Police officers responded to a residence on Pleasant Hill Lane regarding a domestic abuse complaint.

The victim told officers her boyfriend of four months, James Jones, 59, of Ruston, had battered her. She reported Jones struck her with a closed fist on the left side of her face multiple times, causing her lip to bleed and swell. She also stated Jones had struck her in the head with a beer bottle. 

Officers observed what appeared to be a burst lip and swelling around the victim’s mouth. A broken glass beer bottle was found on the kitchen floor. Jones was advised of his rights and stated they had gotten into a verbal altercation, and he threw the beer bottle on the floor because he was upset. He denied striking Williams on that day and said her facial injuries where are the result of a previous incident. 

Jones was transported to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and booked for a domestic abuse battery.

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By T. Scott Boatright

Former Louisiana Tech University President Dan Reneau had a catch phrase he’d use at every college graduation he presided over.

“It’s a red-letter day,” Reneau would tell new graduates during commencement exercises.

There have also been some red-letter games for Tech athletics over the years — Karl Malone and the Dunkin’ Dogs taking Waymon Tisdale and the Oklahoma Sooners to overtime with a NCAA men’s basketball tourney Elite Eight berth on the line.

The Lady Techsters edging past Auburn in the 1988 NCAA Women’s Championship Game.

The LA Tech football rallying from behind to score in the final three minutes to beat Colorado State 31-30 at Joe Aillet Stadium Stadium and earn a spot in the Independence Bowl against Maryland.

Last year’s home heroics in the NCAA Regionals in the newly rebuilt J.C. Love Stadium were red-letter games for the LA Tech baseball team, but the Diamond ’Dogs have had other big games, too. And maybe none bigger than the Bulldogs’ 1987 home game against LSU.

Both teams had been to the NCAA Tourney in 1986 and were playing well the following season, setting up an April 16, 1987 contest that is still remembered by much of Tech Nation today.

LSU threw a different pitcher every inning, but Richie Leblanc pitched all 10 innings for the Bulldogs and fondly remembers that game.

“I remember everything about it,” said Leblanc, who will be enshrined into the Louisiana Tech Hall of Fame this fall. “Every time we play LSU, everybody still wants to talk about that game back in ’87. It was a great game for the program. The enthusiasm around that game — other than last year in the Regionals — I don’t know of any other time that stadium has seen that much excitement and enthusiasm generated from a ball game.”

Charlie Montoyo, current manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, was the Bulldogs’ small-statured but big-hitting second baseman at the time.

“I’ve never forgotten that game, and I’ve been part of thousands of baseball games,” Montoyo said. “That’s still one of the top two or three games of my career. I’ll never forget the crowd and how loud it got. It was awesome.”

The teams went into the 10th inning tied at 4-4, and Leblanc, who threw nine strikeouts on the night, returned to the mound. And after the Bulldogs recorded two outs, Tech head coach Pat “Gravy” Patterson made a trip to the mound because LSU’s star hitter, Albert Joey Belle, was on deck for the Tigers.

“Gravy and I discussed it several times,” Leblanc said Patterson considered putting in another pitcher. “Jimmy Faircloth (Tech’s No. 2 pitcher) will tell you he threw a whole game in the bullpen.

“In that game, Belle hit a home run, then I struck him out,” Leblanc said. “Then he hit another home run and then I struck him out again. Those home runs he hit were over the lights in right field. And they were opposite field home runs, because he was right-handed and hit them right. They about made it to Memorial Gym. Both of them.

“He was on deck in the top of the 10th and Gravy came out and made it known I was not going to pitch to Joey, because what had already happened. Belle was due for another home run. That was the pattern he had set for the game. And my pitch count was up there in the 160s – 170s, which is unheard of today. So I’m glad that we got the third out, because I would have come out of the ball game.”

Then in the bottom of the 10th, Montoya finally got the pitch he was looking for as he launched the ball out of the park for the 5-4 walk-off win for the Bulldogs.

“I just wanted to hit the ball out,” Montoyo said of that at-bat. “I just wanted it all to fall into place and I was just praying for that to happen. And it did.”

Montoyo said he knew right away the hit was going to leave the park.

And so did the Bulldog faithful as they erupted into one of the biggest parties ever seen in Ruston.

“You could feel it as much as you could hear it,” Montoyo said, “The crowd was awesome and everybody was going crazy. It doesn’t get any better than what happened that night.”

A night that still lives in the annals of Tech athletics lore.

“I was in the dugout knowing I was out of the game,” Leblanc said. “They had taken my glove away and my arm was already being iced. I can’t even remember seeing Charlie’s swing. But I do remember seeing the ball take off thinking, ‘That’s got a chance.’ Obviously it was a home run, and what ensued at that point was a lot of fun to be a part of. It was an unforgettable night.”

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By William Midkiff

On the evening of Feb. 22, the Ruston Planning and Zoning Department had a 22-minute meeting during which four zoning items were addressed and all unanimously passed.

The agenda contained no items pertaining to planning, so the meeting continued straight on to zoning issues.

The first item to be addressed was an application to amend a conditional use permit. Conditional use permits are zoning exceptions that allow property owners to use their land in ways not otherwise permitted within the particular zoning district.

The permit addressed belongs to Park Development Group, L.L.C., and authorizes the construction of a cul-de-sac and surrounding buildings at the end of Trinity Way. The site is located behind the Dairy Queen and Brister’s Smokehouse BBQ off of Cooktown Road.

The amendment to this permit states that the plan will now involve the construction of a cul-de-sac and one single-story clubhouse/office, three two-story multi-family buildings, and four three-story multi-family buildings on this site.

The amendment was unanimously passed.

The second item to be addressed was another application to amend a conditional use permit. This permit belongs to Young Learning Academy, L.L.C., a children’s daycare located on Gilman Street.

The amendment proposes the addition of a second modular building to the daycare, which will allow space for additional employees. This, in turn, will allow for the daycare to service a greater number of families.

The amendment was unanimously passed.

The third item to be addressed was a designation of a property’s zoning classification after it was traded by Louisiana Tech to a private owner. Planning and Zoning director Jim Hays explained the situation to the meeting.

“Louisiana Tech owns property. When they trade it with private property owners, it goes back into the private ownership, and there has to be a zoning class assigned to it,” Hays said. “This is the first one of numerous that you all are going to be seeing. There has been a lot of land swapping, both back and forth.”

The piece of property in question was the lot on the corner of Tech Drive and West California Avenue, formerly the location of a church.

The designation passed unanimously.

The final item to be addressed was an application for a conditional use permit, submitted by Cedar Creek School.

The permit requested approval for the bleachers and press box that have been constructed on the north end of the school’s softball field.

Normally, a conditional use permit would have to be approved before construction began. In this case, however, the permit slipped through the cracks amidst the recent change in administration.

“When Mr. Yepson was there, we had everything lined out pretty good,” Hays said. “I think just with the change in administration, it got by somebody. But it’s not causing any issues with setbacks or anything.”

The application passed unanimously, and the meeting was adjourned.

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By Madison Plaisance

The LSU AgCenter and Health Communities teamed up to travel to different schools, libraries, parks, community centers, and various other public locations where children are likely present in order to introduce and apply the stencil project.

The stencil project is a way to help children remain active during the pandemic by playing various educational games drawn using chalk and stencils.

Earlier this month, the stencil project came to Dubach Elementary School to create a colorful playground for children while promoting physical activity.

Volunteers use stencils to create eye-catching stencils with chalk that create interactive games for the children to participate in such as mirror me, hopscotch, four square, and many more.

Cathay Judd works for the LSU AgCenter and for the past five years has been in charge of contacting schools to introduce the stencil projects.

“One of the reasons we started stenciling was for children to have more activities at school,” Judd said. “We want to encourage our children to participate in physical activity but it also gives them the opportunity to learn.”

Through these activities created by this project children can practice letter awareness, rhyming, color and number recognition, counting, patterning and measurement.

Although children participate in physical activity and learning during recess, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools were unable to use their equipment for protection reasons so the stencil project was a safe and healthy replacement during this time. 

“It is a community service for sure and we have to have volunteers, it takes about 30-45 minutes to paint a stencil,” Judd said, “We can reach so many more people with volunteers… I love when they step up and want to help.”

As more volunteers begin to help, the stencil project will be able to expand across the state by allowing more schools and different communities to become aware of this project.

To view the results of Dubach’s stencil project click here: Dubach School Stencil Project – YouTube

To find out more information or to volunteer email healthycommunities@agcenter.lsu.edu or visit Healthy Communities (lsuagcenter.com)

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By Spencer Drake

Black History Month is celebrated all throughout Lincoln Parish. People in all walks of life stops and recognize the importance of the month-long holiday.

Devonia Love-Vaughn is the dean of Inclusion Initiatives & Student Success at Louisiana Tech University and said she is very passionate about the holiday.

“Personally, Black History Month is something I celebrate all year,” Love-Vaughn said, “through my desire to honor those who have paved the way for me to be able to work in an area of higher education that is near and dear to my heart.”

Businesses in Lincoln Parish also celebrate the month-long holiday. Antwuan Watson is the manager of the local shoe store, KickzThrone, in Lincoln Parish. 

“Here at Kickzthrone, we greatly appreciate and recognize Black History Month. It is very important to us,” Watson said.  “It’s a time to reflect on the people who paved the way to give us an opportunity to be where we are today.”

Students from the surrounding universities, Louisiana Tech and Grambling State, also shared similar views on the importance on celebrating Black History Month.

Sara Falcon is a student at Louisiana Tech and said she understands how important it is to properly recognize the holiday.

“I think it is very important to recognize Black History Month because it is a reminder of the systematic racism that still plagues our country and state today,” Falcon said. “It reminds us of how far we have come and how far we still have to go.”

At GSU, Shemar Page outwardly shows his appreciation for the people who have fought for the causes celebrated in Black History Month.

“There were people before me who did things a certain way and those people allowed me to live the way I do: a free African American with the freedom of choice,” Page said.

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By Ellie Puljak

Louisiana Tech University will host Human, Humanism, Humanities: Refections on an Education for Freedom – a lecture by Dr. Roosevelt Montás – at 4 p.m. March 17 in Wyly Auditorium as the University’s next Presidential Leadership Colloquium. 

Montás, who currently serves as Columbia University’s Senior Lecturer in American Studies and English, will discuss the significance of a liberal arts education and its profound role in his life as an immigrant from the Dominican Republic to the United States. 

Dr. Jeremy Mhire, Director of the Waggonner Center for Civic Engagement and Public Policy and Associate Professor of Political Science at Louisiana Tech, said Montás’ work has sparked meaningful discussion on the unwavering significance of the humanities and their particular relevance to students from marginalized communities. 

“Professor Montás’s recent book Rescuing Socrates is at the forefront of the national conversation about the future of higher education,” said Mhire. “In this lecture, Montás will speak of the transformational effects the liberal arts had on him as a young immigrant to the United States in the early 1990s, and why those experiences are more vital than ever for future generations of Americans.” 

Rescuing Socrates is Montás’ own testament to the significance of a liberal education. The book cites the works of Plato, Augustine, Freud, and Gandhi, synthesizing memoir and literary analysis in defense of the education often criticized by modern academics and seen as a force of exclusion for underprivileged students. 

“Louisiana Tech is truly fortunate to sponsor this event,” Mhire said. “This lecture will appeal to anyone interested in substantive questions about education. It will be especially important for those committed to removing the barriers faced by too many students from underprivileged or unrepresented backgrounds.” 

Montás serves as Director of the Center for American Studies’ Freedom and Citizenship Program, a program designed to introduce high school students to college-level work in the humanities and prepare them for lives as informed, responsible citizens. In the program, students attend a free four-week summer residential program where they take an intensive seminar course on political philosophy taught by Ivy League professors and then engage in a year-long civic leadership project focused on contemporary political issues and advocacy initiatives. 

Montás’ book is available at a 30 percent discount through the Princeton University Press. Use the code RMPUP on checkout at press.princeton.edu. 

 

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Felton Wayne “Pat” Barlow   
June 11, 1934 – February 14, 2022   
Visitation: Temple Baptist Church Sanctuary, Saturday, February 26, 2022, 10:00 am – 11:00 am   
Service: Temple Baptist Church Sanctuary, Saturday, February 26, 2022, 11:00 am   

James Leroy West   
May 26, 1959 – Feb. 14, 2022   
Family gathering: 2 p.m., Friday, Feb. 25 at King’s Funeral Home, 1511 W. California Ave., Ruston   
Visitation: 3-5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 25 at King’s Funeral Home, 1511 W. California Ave., Ruston   
Funeral service: 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 26 at St. Rest Baptist Church, 813 St. Rest Road, Quitman   
Interment: Saturday, Feb. 26 at Mt. Zion/St. Rest Cemetery, Quitman   

Mike Marshall   
July 24, 1952 – February 17, 2022   
Funeral service: 10 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 23 at Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 2300 W. California Ave., Ruston   
Cemetery committal: Wednesday, Feb. 23 at Dean Cemetery, Hwy 827, Dean Halle Rd., Dean Church Rd., Marion 

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Last week, the University of Louisiana System Board approved a proposal to name Louisiana Tech University’s Biomedical Engineering Building for former president Dr. Daniel D. Reneau, whose vision in 1972 led Tech to start one of the first biomedical engineering programs in the nation. 

“Dan Reneau came to Louisiana Tech in 1967 as a faculty member and then served 26 years as president of our beloved institution,” said Tech President Dr. Les Guice. “I believe, when we mark the 200th anniversary for our University in 2094, people will say he had the greatest impact and was the longest-serving president in Louisiana Tech’s history. His achievements are too vast to list them here, but he built the foundation for our current success as an institution.” 

The motion passed unanimously, and Board Member Alejandro “Al” Perkins noted Reneau’s service to the UL System as its interim president in 2016. 

“Dr. Reneau served as a strong leader for our system,” Perkins said, “and during his tenure at Louisiana Tech, the University showed great performance in both athletics and academics. Not all universities can say that.”  

ULS President and CEO Dr. Jim Henderson acknowledged Reneau’s impact on the state through higher education and his work with the System. 

 “The most important thing a leader can do for their legacy is to establish the groundwork for future success of the institution,” Henderson said. “Dr. Reneau certainly did that for Louisiana Tech, and he was here when the Board needed a hand to direct the System. He did 10 years of work in 10 to 11 months while he led the system, and we are indebted to him for his hard work and vision for our state’s future and the impact of higher education.” 

 

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With spring football just a few months away, a new name has emerged as a strong candidate for the Cedar Creek head coaching search.

Former Louisiana Tech quarterback and current Waller (Texas) High School head coach Gene Johnson is now in the mix, according to sources close to the search.

Johnson was hired at Waller High School in 2019 with more than 20 years of coaching experience in Texas public schools, having served as the head coach at Hightower High School and Klein Forest High School. He has won more than 150 games in his career.

It wouldn’t be the first time Johnson has stepped foot on the Cedar Creek campus, having served as an assistant coach on AL Williams staff in 1996. Johnson served as the offensive coordinator for the Cougars that one season.

Johnson played collegiately at Louisiana Tech, helping lead the Bulldogs to the 1990 Independence Bowl and a 34-34 tie against Maryland. A deal with Johnson could be close to being done, but until an announcement from the school, anything is a possibility.

Ruston High School assistant coach Steven Ensminger’s name keeps resurfacing for the job. Although earlier reports thought the Ruston High quarterback coach was content on staying with the Bearcats, it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that Ensminger is the next Creek head coach.

Former Creek coach Dan Childress has been mentioned as another possible candidate since the search opened. Childress’ wife Mary Bell is one of the top school administrators in the south and many people feel that Cedar Creek may try to hire both with the head of school position currently being filled by interim Cindy Hampton.

Following a highly successful season at Cedar Creek, Matt Middleton announced his decision to take the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach job at Southern Arkansas back in January.

Board of Directors President Lomax Napper and the members of the board (hiring committee) will be making the decision on the hire, an important one for both the Cougars program and the entire school.

Whoever gets the job will inherit a talented roster that lost only three players off of this past year’s team that finished 6-4 with a historic win over Oak Grove.

 

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By Thad Williams

In the month of March, Temple Baptist Church will open a new wing of its building as a Counseling Center for members of the church and community to utilize.

In 2021, Temple hired a full-time therapist to fill the need the church saw to provide mental health support to people of the community. It initially started as an idea to have someone to meet with people for counseling, but quickly began to grow as time went on and word spread through the community.

Over the past several months, the counseling center at Temple has seen over 90 people seeking guidance counseling and other various forms of therapy. The church congregation decided that its current facilities were not properly housing the influx of people or properly respecting their right to privacy.

Temple has received several generous donations and held a series of discussions within the church, which has led to the hiring of a new part-time therapist and the construction of a new wing within the church which will create a private office space for sessions to be held.

Jordan Armentrout is the head counselor of the center and began working for the service in August 2021. Armentrout has been able to be a part of the service since its start and played a large part in the organization and creation of this new facility.

“The people have been generous enough to give to what it is that we are doing,” Armentrout said. “The church saw the need for more privacy … so therefore we’ve opened up construction on a wing of the church that is more private.”

The new facility will be located near the back of the church with its own private entrance to allow for people to feel more comfortable upon entry. It will also house multiple offices for people to meet with different therapists at a time, as well as have space for group therapy sessions.

The therapy center has been widely discussed among the church members, especially with the college students who make up a large part of its demographic. 

Abigail Railey, a Louisiana Tech student on the Temple leadership team, has heard many discussions about the new facility being opened.

“It’s going to be a great space for counseling sessions,” Railey said. “I would like people to know that Temple tries their best to look after the members of the church along with non-members.”

With the opening of the new wing, the center will now be offering many new services. In addition to its one-on-one counseling sessions that have been offered in the past, group sessions will be offered for people dealing with issues such as trauma, grief, anxiety and more.

As of now, there are no set dates for when the opening will be, but the office is projected to be fully furnished by the first week of March. Temple will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony shortly thereafter.

The counseling center also offers prices that hope to better serve people seeking help. The center’s current rates to best help the community are currently set at $20 for college students, $60 for Temple Baptist Church members and $80 for members of the community.

Armentrout and the rest of the staff are anticipating the time when these services will be fully open to the public when they can assist as many people as possible with whatever they need.

“My experience here has been nothing short of fantastic,” Armentrout said. “I hope the hearts and lives of the people who walk through the doors of Temple Counseling Center are changed.”

For more information on how to get involved with the Temple Therapy Center, stop by Temple’s main office or call the center’s private line at 318-255-6940.

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The Lincoln Parish Journal will have a random drawing to give away two tickets to the Louisiana Tech vs. LSU baseball game on Wednesday.

First pitch from JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park is at 6 p.m.

In order to become eligible for the drawing individuals must subscribe to the LPJ morning email, a free and easy way to have the LPJ come straight to your inbox each and every morning at 6:55 a.m.

Current LPJ email subscribers who share this on Facebook or Twitter are also entered into the drawing for the tickets.

The drawing will take place Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. and one lucky winner will win two tickets to the game.

To subscribe to the LPJ morning email, simply click on the link below and enter your information. This information is not given away or sold to third parties.

Tech hosts LSU for the first time since 1997.

SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3sM7slQ

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Louisiana Tech University recently hosted its annual Undergraduate Research Symposium to celebrate the academic research, scholarly activity, and service-learning experiences of students within each of the university’s five colleges. 

“This event offers students the opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom to address a scholarly question, investigate a phenomenon, solve a global challenge or address a community need,” Dr. Jamie Newman, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies for the College of Applied and Natural Sciences said. “This symposium exemplifies the experiential learning that Louisiana Tech strives to offer its student.”  

Over the course of the symposium, students presented 51 research and service-learning projects. Topics ranged from disease-specific oral supplements and the history of Saturn’s rings to hair discrimination in the workplace and a Woodard Hall beautification project. 

Victoria Wells, a senior in Political Science from Shreveport presented her research on academic funding and how it contributes to student achievement. Her poster presentation was judged among the top five in the category. 

“I truly believe that everyone should have equitable access to quality education,” Wells said. “Most people don’t know that their property taxes fund the schools in their area. If published, my research could help educate cities and parishes on how better funding for school districts can improve student achievement across our state.” 

Dr. Jennifer Hill, an assistant professor of Biological Sciences, said the experience gained at the symposium can provide students with the tools needed to succeed beyond their undergraduate degree. 

“The symposium is a great way for our students to create impactful research and opportunities while still in their undergraduate degrees,” Hill said. “Students get to experience what it is like to share those projects with people from different backgrounds and get valuable feedback for the future.” 

Not all of the student presentations are chosen to move forward to the University of Louisiana Academic Summit but the experience gained gives students the chance to work in their passions. Judge Nathan House, a Louisiana Tech Forestry graduate said he was impressed by the research from students who shared personal stories of their connection to their research. 

“As a Louisiana Tech graduate, it is encouraging to see so many students who are passionately intertwined into their research,” House said. “Seeing the high-caliber research developed by students who experienced the shift from in-person classes to online and then back to in-person learning was impressive, to say the least.” 

The top five presentations in each category will represent Louisiana Tech at the University of Louisiana Academic Summit to be held April 7-8. All 20 students received a $250 scholarship awarded by University Advancement. Top presenters in each category are listed below. 

Oral Research Presentations 

• Crabtivating Behavioral Analysis: The Impacts of Fipronil Pesticides on Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) Behavior – Annabeth Rawls, Dr. Jennifer Hill 
• Transition to Virtual De-Implementation of Feeding Practices in Early Care and Education Settings – Megan Gremillion, Janna Martin, Daphne Gaulden, Peyton Percle, Dr. Taren Swindle, Dr. Julie Rutledge 
• Police Officer Eye Training Program: Improving Field Decision Making Skills – Meredith Fisher, Hali Mitchell, Hayden Shoemaker, Nathan Valez, Gabe Courville, Maggie Young, Alexandra Crovetto, Aislinn Cobb, Dr. Todd Castleberry 
• Cu/Ni and Cu/CuNiCo Bilayer Interfaces – Peter Ford, Ibrahim Altarabsheh, Dr. Xiang Chen 
• Evaluation of Physical Fitness and Skill of Collegiate Dancers – Alexandra Crovetto, Jessica Syzmanski, Lori Jacques, Dr. Rachel Atkins, Nathan Velez, Dr. Todd Castleberry 

Poster Research Presentations 

• Spare No Expense: An Empirical Analysis of the Relationship Between School Expenditure and Student Achievement, featuring a Case Study of Louisiana – Victoria Wells, Dr. Amanda Sanford, Dr. Bryan Zygmont 
• Pollinator Diversity on a Shortleaf Pine-Oak-Hickory Restoration Site – Taygan Kohlman, Chanse Takaccs, Dr. Natalie Clay, Dr. Don Shepard 
• Effects of Bark Beetle-Attacked Wood on Leaf Litter Invertebrate Biodiversity – John Carrier, Courtney Siegert, Juliet Tang, John Riggins, Dr. Natalie Clay 
• A Brief Astronomical History and Analysis of Saturn’s Rings – Benjamin Meleton, Dr. John Shaw 
• Food Science Students Design Disease Specific Oral Supplements Using Curricular Knowledge – Brittney Burford,C. Beck, K. Banks, A. Henington, M. Horne, H. Koenig, A. Lau, C. Yan, N. Levitt, E. Whiteman, M. Pennywell, K. Johnson, M. Sesser, B. Burford, M. Parks, A. Butts, K. Ware, K. Howard, C. Alvarez, Dr. Catherine Fontenot, Dr, Simone Camel 

Service Learning Presentations 

• Choudrant Master Plan: The Pursuit of Smart Small Town Growth – Jenna Roblee, Ashley White, Yuan Zhou, Emery Johnson, Robert Brooks, Brad Deal 
• STI Prevention and Contraceptive Usage – Wesley Wilkerson, Mary Kathrine Eastman, Tanya Sims, Dr. Sherry Peveto 
• The Journey Starts Here: The Benefits of Hands On Learning – Ashleigh Ogden, Kyle Sieberth, Curtis Gremillion, Will Higginbotham, Brad Deal, Robert Brooks 
• Reimagining the Food Pantry Experience at Louisiana Tech – Abigail Henington, Emery Johnson, Martha Pennywell, Mr. Brad Deal, Dr. Simone Camel, Dr. Ethel Jones, Dr. Mary Fontenot 
• Woodard Hall Beautification Project – Kerington Bass, Kyleigh Bass, Sonni Tarver, Dr. Paul Jackson 

The Symposium was also generously supported by Justin and Jeanette Hinckley, Cathi Cox and Tom Boniol, Danna and Rusty Mabry, Rufus and Brena Estis, Johnny and Karen Armstrong, Jason Smith and Citizens National Bank. 

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It has become almost a right of passage for Ruston residents for the last six decades.

How many of us have memories of attending the pancake supper in Ruston with our families?

Well, it is that time of the year.

Presented by Century Next Bank, the 60^th annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper will be Tuesday, March 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Ruston.

Tickets are $10 and available at the door.

The event is sponsored by the men of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer.

For 60 years the Pancake Supper has been a social event in Ruston and an opportunity for our community to come together while enjoying some great food.

Century Next Bank and the men of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Ruston would like to invite you and your family and friends to participate in this year’s event.

The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer is located at 504 Tech Drive. For more information, call 318-255-3925.

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Ryan Bond points to a loss way back in December as the turning point in the Ruston Bearcats season.

“Don’t get me wrong,” said Bond. “Winfield is a good team. I am not taking anything away from them. But a (Class) 2A school should not come into our place and beat us. We didn’t play well that night. There were some things I could have done better as a coach. Winfield beat us by six that night.

“That game really galvanized us. It showed us we have to pull together. That’s coaches and players. If we want to be successful, we have to be going in the same direction. It showed us some flaws that we needed to work on and fix. Since that night in December we have lost one game.”

Ruston (24-4) is one of the hottest teams in Class 5A and the No. 3 seeded Bearcats will open the playoffs Friday night at 6:30 p.m. against No. 30 seed Dutchtown (13-14). Tickets for the game will be $8 and can be purchased at the doors to the Ruston High School Main Gym.

“They have a played a tough schedule, and their record doesn’t reflect how good they are,” said Bond about his opponent. “They are well coached. Their coach has been at that school for a long time. He mentioned the last time they came to Ruston to play years ago.

“They have some good guards. They have a bunch of guards. They are a scrappy bunch. They can shoot it, and really handle it. They don’t have a lot of size. They play a lot of zone.”

Ruston is one of five teams in District 2-5A that will make up the 32-team field, including No. 2 seed Alexandria, No. 5 Ouachita, No. 10 West Monroe and No. 26 Pineville. The Bearcats finished 9-1 in district play, claiming the district title.

Bond feels that stiff competition his team faced in district play has prepared them for a run in the playoffs. However, he points more to team chemistry than anything in a reason why the Bearcats have a chance to end up at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles in a few weeks.

“I definitely think we can make a deep run,” said Bond. “Why? Our guys pull for each other. If you have a team full of guys who don’t care if they play 1 second or 32 minutes, you can be successful. They want the team to succeed. We are connected. We like each other. We hang out off the court. They have a group text where I’m sure they talk about coach all the time but they are always communicating. They are excited to come to practice and get better.”

Braylan McNeal, Jay Lillard and Aidain Anding are just three of the Bearcats who will need to be key contributors in the playoffs. Bond is quick to say that its Ruston’s depth that is one of its biggest assets.

“To be successful at the Class 5A level, you have to have more than just five,” he said.

The winner of the Ruston-Dutchtown game will face the winner of No. 14 East Ascension against No. 19 Hahnville.

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By Madison Remrey

Ruston High School’s music program, the Bearcat Band, encourages its members to be not only successful musicians, but also well-rounded students and members of the Ruston community.

Directed by Walter Moss, the band has over 100 members that meet daily in class to rehearse and prepare for various events. These events include things such as football games, concerts and music assessments. 

Being a musician takes more than knowing how to play an instrument. It takes other skills such as having a strong sense of dedication, having good time management, being detail oriented and knowing how to work together as a team.

To learn these skills, students do tasks that include spending extra hours at the school to attend rehearsals, clean up after graduation and complete inventory of band supplies once the school year has ended. 

“These kids work hard,” Moss said. “[They’re the] first ones here and last ones to leave of the entire student population.”

A unique sense of community can be found within the Bearcat Band and students are encouraged to be who they are without fear of judgment.

“It gives the individual student a chance to be an individual that they may or may not receive in a classroom setting – to express themselves and to be a part of a family, something greater than just themselves,” Moss said. “We just accept you for who you are, and we don’t expect you to be any different. It is a safe place in a world that is so judgmental.”

Because of this, there are students in the program who want to excel in both band and other areas of their academic careers.

“It’s definitely the pinnacle of what I go to school for,” said Gunther Simpson, senior percussionist at Ruston High School. 

Simpson said that being in the band motivates him to enthusiastically show up to school and do his best in all subjects.

Members of the Ruston community can support the band either financially by offering donations or physically by attending events throughout the year such as their concerts and music assessments. 

To keep up with events happening within the program or to learn more about what they do, visit https://rustonband.com/media or contact Walter Moss at wmoss@lincolnschools.org. 

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The Choudrant High School Future Business Leaders of America has always performed well at the District II FBLA Leadership Conference. After taking the last two years off due to the pandemic, they returned to face even more competition than before as Louisiana FBLA moved to a regional format, combining District I and District II. In doing so, nearly all schools in north Louisiana competed in the Louisiana FBLA Northeast Regional Conference hosted at Louisiana Tech University.

CHS FBLA officially returned to competition at the Louisiana FBLA Northeast Regional Conference at Louisiana Tech University, led by advisers Beth Rinehart and Kathy Lowery. With over 30 members registered, CHS turned in an outstanding performance, capturing 22 Excellent ratings and an amazing 21 Superior ratings qualifying for state. 

Topping off their performance, CHS FBLA walked away with four Regional Championships. These included two team victories: Banking & Financial Systems members Reagan Breslin, Carson Pickett, and Trinity Richardson; and Business Ethics members Elizabeth Davis, Abby Johnston, and Owen Watson. CHS FBLA’s Hayden Chreene doubled down and won both of his individual events: Computer Applications and Introduction to Information Technology.

In addition to competition, CHS FBLA members were able to attend the many presentations and booths in the Student Center.  Tanya Mini said, “I was able to talk with many of my friends that I know from other schools. All of this was new to me, and I had fun and it was worth studying to hear my name called at the awards ceremony.” 

As testing took take in advance under proctors at each school, only those with interviews, speeches and presentations had the stresses of time and testing. Interacting with other schools and visiting the campus seemed to be a common theme for many. Haylie Hattaway summed up many of the members feelings by saying, “I enjoyed the amount of free time we had because it gave us time to explore the campus and spend time with our friends.”

Adviser Beth Rinehart said, “After CHS was unable to participate in FBLA events for the last two years due to COVID, it was awesome to be back around FBLA advisers and FBLA members from north LA.  The members were able to network with peers and enjoy being on the campus of Louisiana Tech University for the day. Seeing the smiles on their faces when they received their awards was awesome.”

Rinehart and Lowery said they look forward to attending the first state conference held in person since the pandemic with a fired-up group of FBLA members looking to proudly represent Choudrant High School, Lincoln Parish and District II. 

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