By T. Scott Boatright

Finish.

Finish strong after all 48 minutes.

But most importantly, take every opportunity you have to finish.

That’s the message Lincoln Preparatory School head football coach Glen Hall has been asking his Panthers to focus on this week.

Lincoln Prep stands at 2-3 heading into Friday’s game at Richwood. The Panthers could easily be 4-1.

“That’s the thing that kills me— we haven’t been that far away,” Hall said. “Arcadia just plain beat us. Beat us bad. We’ll deal with that. 

“But we should have beaten Jonesboro-Hodge. But we let it get away. We should have won last weekend at Lakeside. But again, we let it get away in the end. That can’t happen. Those games are the difference between being a good team or a bad team. Good teams find ways to win those kinds of games.”

The Panthers tied the game at Jonesboro-Hodge 24-24 with a late touchdown and then he added the two-point conversion to put the Panthers on top 26-24. But Jonesboro took back over with a little more than four minutes and moved on top 30-26 on a three-yard touchdown run by Ed’Tavious Drayton with 49 seconds remaining.

Lincoln Prep was driving for a late potential score on Friday at Lakeside, getting down to the Warrior’s 15-yard line before a touchdown with two seasons left ended the Panthers’ comeback hopes.

For Hall, it’s a matter of helping his team overcome inexperience and learn to live in the moment — especially the big ones.

“We put ourselves in losing positions both times,” Hall said. “We led both of those games at halftime. We get chances to win early but don’t take advantage of them. 

“And it’s not big plays the opposing team is making that are killing us — it’s the little things, the mental things. It’s turning the ball over too many times, especially in the big moments when we need to make plays. It’s committing drive-killing penalties just by not focusing and not executing.”

Individually, the Panthers are learning their roles and doing what’s being asked of them.

Lincoln Prep’s two-quarterback system is producing. Senior Bralyn Mayfield hit on eight-of-24 passes for 180 yards and two scores with one interception against Jonesboro-Hodge while adding three carries for 14 yards. 

Senior Chauncy Harper hit on two of his four pass attempts for 80 yards and a score while leading the Panthers with 105 yards, a touchdown on 16 carries with a two-point conversion run. Harper added a 10-yard reception and a pair of tackles for good measure.

Senior Brandon Heard has become the Panthers’ offensive X-factor and did it through his receiving against Jonesboro-Hodge, hauling in six catches for 160 yards and three touchdowns.

But still the Panthers find themselves below .500 at the season’s midpoint.

“It’s a mental thing,” Hall said. “And the thing is — while we have some newcomers, most of these players were part of last year’s team that won a big home playoff game we played against Delhi at Louisiana Tech. They’ve been part of the big moments. They’ve been part of big wins. They’ve shown that they know how to win.”

Hall hopes that happens Friday when the Panthers play up the Class at 3A Richwood, which stands at 4-2.

“It won’t get any easier this week,” Hall admitted. “Richwood is a talented, well-coached football team. There’s a reason I schedule games against bigger and talented teams like Jonesboro-Hodge, Lakeside and Richwood. Those kinds of games help get you ready for conference season, and hopefully even for what’s beyond that.”

What Hall wants to see from his Panthers at this point is a re-dedication on mental and physical execution and learning to finish a game early if and whenever that opportunity arises.

“The thing we’ve got to stop doing is finding ways to beat ourselves,” Hall said. “If we lead at halftime, we need to make sure we protect that lead in the second half. We can’t drop perfect passes that should have been touchdowns. We can’t fumble the exchange between the center and the quarterback. We can’t do any of those negative things.

“We just need to reset. We need to refocus and get our minds right. We need to make sure we’re executing properly. We just need to focus on the little things that when put together can add up to the difference between a win and loss. We need to stay positive. And we need to focus on finishing and winning games. That’s the way to finish the season strong.”

Personal Column By Wesley Harris  

Traveling the country in your recreational vehicle and tired of overnighting in box store parking lots and loud, crowded campgrounds? 

Harvest Hosts may be the solution for you.

Harvest Hosts is a RV membership program that allows self-contained travelers to overnight at unique locations around the country. 

With a listing of thousands of hosts, including farms, wineries, museums, breweries, and quirky attractions, Harvest Hosts offers a destination for everyone. 

One member said, “Some of our most memorable and unique places we’ve stayed and the nicest people we’ve ever met while camping have been at Harvest Hosts locations. We’ve stayed the night at a coffin factory. We played disc golf at a vineyard while listening to live music. We gathered eggs at a farm in Michigan.” 

The options are endless: cattle and alpaca ranches, flower farms, apple orchards, golf courses.

Most of the sites do not have typical campgrounds or even standard hookups and amenities like restrooms and showers. “Boondocking” may be necessary, and a self-contained RV with its own water and indoor facilities is required. Pop-ups and tents, therefore, are not permitted. 

After paying the annual $99 fee, members have no further required expense to camp at any of the 4,000+ locations. Instead of paying per night, such as one might do at a regular campsite or an Airbnb, the yearly membership fee is all that is required. 

One Facebook poster wrote, “Our membership paid for itself on our first one week trip, and the wineries we stayed at were delightful. Highly recommend!” And another wrote, “We stayed at a ghost town with a museum of the town. It was really awesome.”

But the sites do not get a cut of the membership fee. The hosts only make money when travelers spend money onsite. 

So campers are encouraged to help out the host by making a purchase—buying produce when camping at a farm, a bottle of wine at a winery, paying admission to tour a museum, or whatever is appropriate at that site. 

Some hosts offer an opportunity for kids to feed chickens, see how a horse is shoed, work in a garden, pick berries, and enjoy other learning opportunities.

Generally, the sites listed on Harvest Hosts are used for one night and then the camper moves on, but some will extend an invitation to stay multiple nights.

An Arizona couple started Harvest Hosts in 2010 by building an initial network of 600 places to visit. With over 4,000 hosts today, campers can find their own unique experience.

For more information, visit harvesthosts.com.

The Louisiana Department of Health’s (LDH) Office of Public Health (OPH) for Region 8 (Northeast) will host drive-thru flu vaccination clinics at four of its parish health units (PHUs) to kick off the fall and to prepare Louisianans to fight the flu. Region 8 serves the parishes of Lincoln, Union, Morehouse, East Carroll, West Carroll, Madison, Tensas, Franklin, Richland, Caldwell, Jackson and Ouachita.

COVID-19 vaccines, including the COVID-19 bivalent boosters, will also be available.

The flu vaccines are available at no cost to individuals who are insured, have Medicaid or Medicare coverage, or are uninsured. There are no out-of-pocket costs; however, if you have insurance it will be billed. If you have insurance or coverage, bring along a valid insurance card. Any existing COVID-19 vaccine cards will be updated.

Onsite flu and COVID-19 vaccines will be available at:

• Jackson Parish Health Unit: Thursday, October 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 228 Bond St., Jonesboro
• Morehouse Parish Health Unit: Friday, October 7 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; 650 School Road, Bastrop
• Ouachita Parish Health Unit: Thursday, October 13 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.; 1650 DeSiard St., Monroe

Additional flu vaccination clinics will be offered around the region later this fall.

Flu vaccine guidance 

CDC and LDH recommend that all individuals ages 6 months and older receive a flu shot by the end of October. The flu shot is particularly encouraged among high-risk populations such as pregnant women, children below the age of 5, adults age 65 and up, and immunocompromised children and adults with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma.

COVID-19 vaccine guidance

CDC and LDH also recommend that everyone ages 6 months and up get vaccinated against COVID-19 and that everyone ages 5 and up get a booster as soon as they are eligible.

For more information on CDC guidelines and recommendations for flu vaccinations, visit www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccinations.htm

For more information on where to find flu and COVID-19 vaccines in Louisiana, visit vaccines.gov

For more information on CDC guidelines and recommendations for COVID-19 vaccinations, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html

Participation is very simple. Just click on this link below. No entry fee. It’s FREE to play. One entry per contestant.

CLICK HERE: WEEK 5

Linda Fowler. Joe Peel. Zoe Collum. Barry Morales.

All winners of $150 of cash and prizes through the first four weeks of the Karl Malone Toyota NFL Pickem presented by 511 and Black Rifle Coffee.

How would you like to join Joe in the winners circle?

It’s easy. Each week pick the 10 NFL games that we list and have a chance to win cash and gift cards.

One lucky (or smart) pick’em guru will walk away with $150 worth of cash and prizes. The weekly deadline is Saturday at 10 a.m. (prior to Sunday’s NFL games). 

Anyone is eligible to participate (only one entry per contestant). Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 10 selected NFL games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two of our weekly contests).

There is no entry fee, just like there is no cost to subscribe to the Lincoln Parish Journal. 

It takes 20-30 seconds to sign up and not much longer than that to make your picks.

All contest decisions by LPJ management are final. Weekly winners will be notified Monday and are will be requested to take a photo that will run in the following week’s LPJ.

Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the Journal, if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. daily e-mail.

Weekly Winners

Week 1: Barry Morales

Week 2: Zoe Collum

Week 3: Joe Peel

Week 4: Linda Fowler

Today’s forecast can be found here.

Audrey Hudson Moss 
Friday 11/29/1957 — Sunday 10/02/2022     
Family Gathering: Friday 10/07/2022 2:00pm to 3:00pm 
Visitation: Friday 10/07/2022 3:00pm to 7:00pm at King’s Funeral Home 
Celebration of Life: Saturday 10/08/2022 2:00pm, St. Peter Baptist Church, 899 St. Peter Road, Ruston 
Interment: Saturday 10/08/2022 Following Service, Ebenezer Cemetery, Parish Road 214, Ruston 

Huey Lee Simmons 
02/19/1958 — Tuesday 09/27/2022 
Funeral Service: Thursday 10/06/2022 1:00pm, Lane Chapel Baptist Church, LA-151, Downsville 
Burial: Thursday 10/06/2022, Lanes Chapel Cemetery, Downsville 

Harold E. Goree 
07/09/1932 — Wednesday 09/28/2022 
Family Gathering: Friday 10/07/2022 2:00pm to 3:00pm at King’s Funeral Home 
Visitation: Friday 10/07/2022 3:00pm to 5:00pm at King’s Funeral Home 
Celebration of Life: Saturday 10/08/2022 11:00am Following Service, Springhill Baptist Church, 727 Dicks Store Road, Grambling 
Interment: Springhill Church Cemetery, Dicks Store Road, Grambling/Simsboro 

Bertha Jackson Jones 
05/04/1947 — Wednesday 09/28/2022 
Visitation: Friday 10/07/2022 3:00pm to 5:00pm at King’s Funeral Home 
Celebration of Life: Saturday 10/08/2022 10:00am at King’s Funeral Home 
Interment: Saturday 10/08/2022 Following Service at China Grove Cemetery, 699 Mondy Road, Grambling 

Dariea Gibson Wokomah 
Friday 11/11/1960 — Monday 09/26/2022     
Wake: Friday 10/07/2022 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home 
Funeral Service:  Saturday 10/08/2022 2:00pm at King’s Funeral Home 
Interment: Saturday 10/08/2022, George Washington Carver Memorial Park, Martin Luther King Drive, Ruston 

By Malcolm Butler

The Lincoln Parish School Board unanimously approved the November supplement checks for all parish teachers and support staff during Tuesday night’s monthly meeting at the school board office.

All certified employees of Lincoln Parish School Board will receive a $3,200 supplemental check while support employees will receive a $1,600 supplemental check. The checks will be a part of the Nov. 17th paycheck.

Lincoln Parish School Board Superintendent Ricky Durrett also stated that stimulus checks for retention and recruitment will be paid this month to teachers and support staff who met all criteria in the sum of $1,200 for teachers, $600 for non-certified employees and $480 for part-time support.

“Hopefully that will be a little something extra to encourage our teachers and support staff this month,” said Durrett.

Lincoln Parish School Board Early Childhood Coordinator Amy Brister and K-2 ELA Facilitator Michelle Thrower both provided positive reports on literacy performance profiles.

Brister reported on the progress on the Pre-K level and the most recent grade of excellent, the highest possible for the district.

“Pre-K classes are observed using the class rubric while our other grades use the compass rubric,” said Brister. “Three of the components of the class rubric are emotional support, classroom organization and instructional support.”

Brister said other things that go into the performance profile include teacher certification, ratios, best practices and other measurables.

“Our Tier 1 curriculum we use in pre-K we implemented it brand new this year,” said Brister. “Our teachers are really liking it. We have received the highest grade possible for early childhood sites and that is a rating of excellent.”

Thrower followed with a report on the most recent success on the K-2 literacy levels.

“We are using a curriculum called the American Reading Company that is a Tier 1 rated curriculum by the Department of Education,” said Thrower. “One of the best pieces of this curriculum is a digital component called school pace where our teachers do a independent reaching level assessment of students. It helps us track where our students are as readers. “

Thrower showed a graph where in the fall of 2021-22 the data showed 39 percent of K-2 at Proficient, 34 percent at At-Risk, and 27 percent at Emergency.

“We looked at those numbers and said ‘this isn’t good,'” said Thrower. “We have to get kids reading at proficient levels by the end of the year. We set some pretty high goals. We wanted our Proficiency rate to increase to 80 percent by the end of the school year, and we wanted to decrease Emergency rate to 10 percent. Our teachers and leaders worked really hard to meet that goal.”

Thrower shared that although they came up short of the goals, they made impressive progress with Proficient rates increasing to 73.9 percent and Emergency rates falling to 12.2 percent by the spring of 2022.

“We have made an emphasis on our Pre-K and K-2 literacy, and I think we are seeing some of the results of that,” said Durrett.

Durrett also mentioned that one of the parish school buses was involved in a crash Friday on Tarbutton Road headed to Ruston Junior High School, but that all eight students and the driver were okay — “just a few bumps and bruises” — and were back at school by the following day. He said the police report said the bus driver was not at fault.

Ruston Police arrested a Dubach man after he was found passed out behind the wheel of his car in a convenience store parking lot.

About 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning, officers responded to the Circle K at 1408 North Trenton regarding a welfare concern. The store clerk reported a man was passed out in a Ford Fusion and could not be awakened. 

Officers attempted to wake Khaleb J. Williams, 20, for about 20 minutes before he opened the car door. Williams had a strong odor of alcoholic beverages, and an open beer can, suspected marijuana “joints,” and a baggie of marijuana were seen on the center console. 

After Williams for cleared by Ruston Ambulance Service, several field sobriety tests were administered. Williams allegedly performed poorly and was taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for a breath test. A breath sample from Williams showed a blood alcohol content of .165g%, over eight times the limit for underage drivers. Drivers under 21 are prohibited from having a BAC over .02g%.

Williams was booked for underage DWI, possession of marijuana, and open container. Bail was set at $1,500.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

By Malcolm Butler

Cedar Creek’s third and fourth grade football team captured the North Louisiana Youth Sports Association championship title Monday night with a 6-0 win over Glenbrook in a game hosted by OCS.

The victory capped a perfect 6-0 season for the young Cougars, which outscored its opponents by an eye-popping 183-0 combined score.

Cedar Creek won its six games, defeating Glenbrook (12-0), Glenbrook (6-0), OCS (44-0), Beekman (66-0), OCS (49-0) and then Glenbrook (6-0) in the championship game.

The Cougars totaled nine interceptions, including five returned for TDs during the season, while its defense rarely gave up a first down. Tucker Underwood led the Cougars with eight TDs, including three pick sixes, while Jake Hood, Holt Haddox, Duncan Wade, Bear Brasher, Dayton Green, Brantley Doolittle and Henry Pullin also scored TDs during the year.

The team was comprised of Dixon Allen, Garrett Blachford, Liam Black, Pearce Boyett, Bear Brasher, Brody Bullock, Ayres Crawford, Brantlee Doolittle, Joseph Gallot, Grant Garmon, Dayton Green, Owen Guerrero, Holt Haddox, Jake Hood, Hayden Johnson, Patton Prince, Henry Pullin, Jaxson Ramsey, Abram Riser, Lucas Shaw, Andy Slocum, Tucker Underwood, Duncan Wade, and Charlie Williams.  

The coaches included Jody Adams, Matt Black, Turner Brasher, Ray Creasy and Matt Pullin.

Participation is very simple. Just click on this link below. No entry fee. It’s FREE to play. One entry per contestant.

CLICK HERE: WEEK 4

Linda Fowler was this week’s winner of the Karl Malone Toyota NFL Pickem Contest presented by 511 and Black Rifle Coffee

Linda won $150 in cash and prizes. How would you like to join Linda in the winners circle?

It’s easy. Each week pick the 10 NFL games that we list and have a chance to win cash and gift cards.

One lucky (or smart) pick’em guru will walk away with $150 worth of cash and prizes. The weekly deadline is Saturday at 10 a.m. (prior to Sunday’s NFL games). 

Anyone is eligible to participate (only one entry per contestant). Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 10 selected NFL games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two of our weekly contests).

There is no entry fee, just like there is no cost to subscribe to the Lincoln Parish Journal. 

It takes 20-30 seconds to sign up and not much longer than that to make your picks.

All contest decisions by LPJ management are final. Weekly winners will be notified Monday and are will be requested to take a photo that will run in the following week’s LPJ.

Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the Journal, if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. daily e-mail.

Weekly Winners

Week 1: Barry Morales

Week 2: Zoe Collum

Week 3: Joe Peel

Week 4: Linda Fowler

Louisiana Tech Police arrested a Monroe man early Monday morning after he allegedly burglarized several vehicles on campus.

Campus police received a report from a witness about 3:00 a.m. Monday who said he saw a man entering his friend’s truck in the Mississippi Avenue parking lot and then attempting to enter other vehicles. Patrol officers responded and the witness pointed out Eddie J. Gray, 30.

Gray was detained while the owner of the truck was contacted. The owner said $18 in cash was missing from the center console. Gray was found with numerous small bills of currency and numerous coins in his pockets.

Under questioning, Gray admitted entering vehicles because he wanted money to buy a drink from a gas station.

Tech Police records showed Gray had been encountered previously by officers and barred from the campus. 

Gray was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for six counts of simple burglary of a vehicle and criminal trespass by entering and remaining after being forbidden.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

This is a PAID Advertorial

Do you need a good night’s sleep? Are you sleeping good at night? Do you or your partner snore? Do you wake up feeling sleepy or sluggish? Do you need to have a sleep study? Have you been diagnosed with sleep apnea and don’t like the CPAP?

Well Paige Volentine and her expert team at Trenton Sleep Solutions can help you with these questions.

Facts:

• Obstructive sleep apnea affects roughly 20% of the US population and of that 80 to 90% are undiagnosed.
• Obstructive sleep apnea can cause daytime sleepiness and fatigue but can also increase the risk of coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes.
• An estimated 50% of sleep apnea patients cannot tolerate their CPAP.

Here’s how Paige Volentine and her expert team at Trenton Sleep Solutions can help.

If you feel like you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, give us a call at 318-265-4972 and set up a consultation. One of our experienced staff members will ask you a few simple questions and do an exam to determine if you need a sleep study. We send off for a home sleep study that arrives at your house in the mail.

It’s simple. It’s easy. It’s fast. 

The results are read by a sleep physician and they determine if you have mild, moderate, or severe sleep apnea. For mild to moderate cases,  Trenton Sleep Solutions can fabricate a custom sleep appliance designed for you to keep the airway open at night. A simple impression is all it takes. For severe cases, a CPAP is recommended for treatment. Not a fan of a CPAP? You can still be a candidate for an oral appliance.

Best of all – we don’t deliver the appliance and then forget about you. We want to know how it is working for you. We do follow-up appointments and sleep studies after delivery to make sure the appliance is doing its job and you are happy with it. We file all major medical insurances, including Medicare.

Benefits of a sleep apnea oral appliance include:

• Custom fit
• Small, lightweight, comfortable, easy to travel with
• Much less bulky and cumbersome than a CPAP
• Can reduce and eliminate snoring
• Multiple designs to choose from
• Can help with teeth grinding at night

Give Trenton Sleep Solution to call today at 318-265-4972 to set up your consultation or visit us on the web at www.trentonsleepsolutions.com

We have two locations to serve you:

1605 North Trenton Street

Ruston, Louisiana 71270

1100 North 18th Street Suite 100

Monroe, Louisiana 71201

Zoology tells us that non-human mammals, number around 500 billion, and almost all of them are four-legged. No one is counting, but 10 trillion reptiles and amphibians, give or take, are also lurking around.  

Beautiful. The more the merrier. 

But why do most of them want to live at my house? Or under my house? (We’re looking at you, Mr. Armadillo.) 

Sometimes living in the Broadmoor area of Shreveport is like living in a tame but teeming suburban Serengeti. Instead of wildebeest, we have possums. Instead of buffalos, raccoons. Instead of zebras, the aforementioned armadillos. 

There is also the friendly squirrel and the harmless rabbit. That’s fine. Squirrels are fascinating athletes in my opinion, and a rabbit who kept showing up in my yard in December of 2001 got so friendly that the big-earned fuzzy cuddler actually sat in my lap and watched most of Super Bowl XXXVI with me, Patriots vs. Rams (vs. Rabbits). After a couple more weeks and low on carrots, I gave him (or her, I never looked) away to a rabbit-keeping-equipped friend with rabbit-loving children.  

I’m told he or she thrived. 

The record shows this clearly: I love animals. And pets. I know it. You know it. The American people know it. 

But … there is a line. And if you as an animal have appeared in advertising that concerns pest control, if you are on that side of the line, we can’t be friends. Only acquaintances.  

That dog just won’t hunt.  

I once had a rat problem that was cured with small plastic devices that looked like tyrannosaurus rex jaws. In bed I’d hear the tell-tale CLAP! from the attic and sleep a winner’s sleep. Night after night until every one of them, the size of kittens, were sleeping with the fishes.  

Once raccoons got into my chimney, where a little ledge inside allowed them to sleep all day in air conditioning, right above the fireplace and a few feet from the TV. Thought they were in the Waldorf-Astoria. The only way I knew they were there? The smell, and the fleas.  

Had to hire “a guy” to “take care” of them. 

Once in the garage, I felt someone looking at me and there was a coon, a baby, hanging by one arm, like he was doing show-off chin-ups, cute as a bug, his baby eyes piercing me with a question: “Mind if I hang around?” 

Not two nights later I was rounding the corner of the garage and Daddy Coon was standing on his hind legs, chill as if he’d gone out for a smoke. Neither of us expected the other and we both ran, like cartoon characters, in opposite directions.  

So, while I have gotten better at keeping them outside, they are still invading the “boundaries” my marsupial counselor told me to set. It’s not working out well. 

The back fence is some sort of possum magnet; that’s the only explanation. I don’t hear of possums on other people’s fences. But they love this one, and Gracie Lou, a Maltese and domesticated and plenty of trouble by her herself, will bark and roar at lion magnitude until the neighbor dogs, Molly and Gus and Jezebel, sometimes Dixie, join in and soon it’s like a barking garage band that’s not very good.  

The possums have only one rule: they never get on the fence until you’re in bed for the night.  

And so … 

One remarkably loud and recent evening, me and Frank, The World’s Greatest Neighbor, had to dispatch an exceptionally hard-headed one, the Dog Crescendo having reached wake-the-dead levels. He or she (again, I didn’t look) was properly buried the next morning on land outside of town. 

My part of “the cleanup” was to place the checked-out marsupial in a coffin — found an empty Tito’s Vodka box in the garage — and leave the box by the dogwood tree by the porch. Frank, “The Eraser,” did the rest.  

And that’s the world I am living in these days.  

When I sat the box by the porch, I noticed something that hadn’t been there the day before. Ridges in the side yard. Holes.  

Mole holes.  

Me against another wave of those 500 billion mammals. 

The beat (down) goes on … 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu 

By Kyle Roberts

Ruston volleyball resumed its winning ways on its home court Tuesday night against district opponent Pineville in straight sets by final scores of 25-3, 25-9, and 25-14.

Ruston improves to 17-8 overall as the postseason is only a few weeks away.

While Ruston was in control for the entire match, Ruston head coach Lucie Hunt commented that her Lady Bearcats are still working on things as the season goes along.

“I’m proud of the way we showed up,” Hunt said. “We had a little lull toward the end, but overall, we executed some things we had been working on recently. We have to maintain our energy through all of the sets. We are trying to implement some new things, and so those have to be clean across the board and not commit errors or miss serves.”

Ruston will return to action Thursday, Oct. 6, at Parkway to continue district play.

Quick stats

Harper Cauley: 7 kills, 6 digs

Hannah Johnson: 3 kills, 3 digs

Jade Smith: 4 kills

Allie Richardson: 8 assists, 5 aces

Lorelei Freling: 12 digs

Maggie Ambrose: 3 kills, 9 assists

Dr. Tamar Goulet, a biology professor at the University of Mississippi, will give a seminar on her research designed to increase understanding coral reefs amidst climate change issues on Oct. 10 at Louisiana Tech University. She will also lead a series of conversations focusing on engagement, recruitment, and retention of women in STEM on college campuses.

Goulet is a strong advocate for women in STEM, having been selected as one of 120 ambassadors for the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS) IF/THEN Initiative. In response to the limited number of statues of women, the IF/THEN Initiative created a wax statue of each of these ambassadors and displayed them outside of the Smithsonian during the month of March. These statues are now traveling across the country to highlight the significant achievements of women in STEM.

By Kyle Roberts

Innovation is key to any business that hopes to not only survive, but thrive in any economic condition.

At the Lincoln Parish Journal, we are always looking for new and unique ways to conduct our mission: to bring Lincoln Parish residents non-biased and fact-based news nearly everyday of the week completely free of charge.

That’s why this summer, we elected to start a weekly podcast series with our local high school coaches during football season. Our heart was to try something new by offering an eight to fifteen minute audio update straight from each head coach. Through the learning process, we now know that coordinating schedules, recording, mastering, and producing all take valuable time and energy.

And part of innovating is assessing results and figuring out if something new is worth continuing. We’ve recently learned that’s not always the case.

So, in full transparency, we recognize that these podcasts did not yield the results that we had hoped, and so, we will no longer have our weekly “This Week In” high school football podcasts. This will give all of us more time to seek out and write stories about Lincoln Parish from here. It’s a way for us to make sure we are giving our very best to you.

We want to say a special thanks to Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh, Lincoln Prep head coach Glen Hall, and Cedar Creek head coach Matt Middleton. Each week, they were prompt, gracious, and willing to work with us, despite the demands during the week to run their respective programs.

And to you, the reader: thank you again for your support by reading and sharing our content. Without you, there is no Lincoln Parish Journal.

Grambling State University’s (GSU) Office of Continuing Education and Service-Learning along with GSU’s Earl Lester Cole Honors College held a Constitution Day Discussion Tuesday at T.H. Harris Auditorium.

The theme of the program was “I Am An American: A Conversation About The U.S. Constitution.” Dr. Quentin Holmes, Dr.  Penya Moses, and Dr. Kevin Washington served as panelists answering questions presented by GSU Mass Communication major Gene Wilson, III, Criminal Justice major Bria Johnson, and Sociology major Taye Abraham.

At the start of their discussion, the panelists were asked to give their perspectives on the Constitution and what it means to them.

“The Constitution sets forward the foundation for our rules of law,” Holmes, a former police chief for Monroe, Louisiana, and former assistant professor in GSU’s Public Administration Department where he currently teaches both criminal justice and public administration courses, said as he opened the discussion. “While it’s not a perfect document, the Constitution has been a very good document and the longest-lasting Constitution of any country in the world. So when I think about the Constitution and how it dictates what we do, it helps maintain law and order within our country. It’s not always perfect — that law and order — but it does give us a foundation.”

Washington, currently an associate professor in the Sociology and Psychology Department at GSU, challenged the Constitution in his opening.

“From its beginning, who are considered its people, who are the ‘We’ being talked about?,” Washington asked. “You can clearly see in the Declaration of Independence that those who owned land were the ones who were human and that they had rights and the ones who did not own land didn’t.”

Holmes got more to that point when asked what he felt was the purpose of the U.S. Constitution.

“The purpose of the Constitution is to make sure everyone is treated on a level field,” Holmes said. “But we do know that when the Constitution was crafted and written, it didn’t consider minorities, and in specific, Blacks, on that same level playing field.  When it was written it wasn’t written for us,  it wasn’t written for African Americans. It was written for the whites of the day and then of course later amended and that’s what brought us into the fold of being treated equally.   

“So for me, the foundation of the Constitution, the root of it, is to make sure we’re all afforded the same equal rights. It’s fairly interpretive as far as what the Supreme Court down to local courts have to interpret it with the Supreme Court being the final artibitor of it. That’s the foundation of it. Amendments try to make it better, but equality is what I believe the foundation of the Constitution works toward.”

Moses, chief operating officer at GSU, said she believes the purpose of the Constitution has evolved over time.

“When you look to the Constitution as to what its purpose is now as opposed to the basis behind how it was drafted, today it’s about due process, it’s about equality, it’s about having a foundation where we all have the rights and privileges that we can truly today benefit from – not being discriminated against.

“There are so many privileges and rights that we have now that 200 years ago, we as a people did not have. So when you look to the Constitution now, and its purpose, it’s evolved over time and I believe that as a panel today we’re going to discuss some issues that will help explain the constitution in a deeper way so that will you take the rights you have now more seriously, because your ancestors lived, fought, and died in some instances for you to have the rights you have now.”

Moses then told the GSU students in attendance that while they have the right to vote, 200 years ago their ancestors didn’t. She pointed out that freedom of speech has improved in their favor as opposed to what their ancestors faced, adding that now they have the right to remain silent because what they say may be used against them in a court of law, just as they have the right to the assistance of legal counsel.

“As you learn about the Constitution you will learn the benefits your ancestors basically provided to you that you can’t take for granted,” Moses said.

During his concluding remarks, Holmes urged GSU students to take advantage of the rights the Constitution and its Amendments provide to them.

“If you don’t vote, you shouldn’t complain,” Holmes said. “”And when I’m talking about voting, I’m not talking about voting in only presidential elections. The most important laws get done at the local level or even university level.

“A lot of students will complain about what happens here on campus. Yet they didn’t take time to vote to be represented the way they wanted to be. They just complain about everything.  … I encourage you to exercise your power to vote because people died for us to get that right. It doesn’t matter how big or small an election is, you should vote, because then you can complain if your representative isn’t doing what’s right or what’s fair. Then you have a solid moral reason to complain with good conscience.”

Moses concluded by reminding the onlooking students that they have a purpose.

“Don’t miss the opportunity to fulfill your purpose and destiny as you move forward,” Moses said. “What you heard today — what is the Constitution and why is it important?

“When you learn about the Constitution and African Americans — only five African American United States senators in all of history, that’s important. Don’t miss your moment to fulfill your purpose.”

Washington ended the program by telling the students that the Constitution reminded him that everyone in the auditorium has the capacity to establish for themselves what they stand for, how they will stand and to recognize the shoulders of those before them they stand upon.

“We must recognize that when we talk about the Constitution, we talk about a proclamation of humanity,” Washington said. “We must recognize that there is clearly a continuation from the legacy of greatness. When we talk about voting, we have to be clear we’re talking not only about the right to vote, but for what?”

“In our community, we have to stop being a cheap date to politicians who show up to our churches and come out and bait us,” Washington continued. “They treat us well and as soon as they get what they want from us, we don’t see them again until the next election. We have to stop that behavior and determine for ourselves what is our true agenda?”

Whether we are talking about marriage, friendships, business, or just encounters with those in proximity to us, relationships can be tested at times.  Disagreements can occur from any number of things.  We have always heard to be careful when talking about religion or politics, but now you can see heated debates on any number of issues from sports teams to educational approaches in the classroom.  We don’t have to turn on the news to witness these encounters.  We can experience them in our own lives on a regular basis if we aren’t careful.

We all have opinions and biases to a degree based on our backgrounds, affiliations, and experiences.  The problem is not in the opinion or even the bias.  The problem is often found in our response to someone with a different view on a matter.  These responses can be prompted from any number of things.

Anger: The response can be one of anger in outrage toward someone with an opposing view.  After all, if someone has an opposing view, they must be against me.  They are saying I’m wrong, and that makes me angry.

Defensive:  If someone has an opposing view, I feel like it’s a personal attack on me and my thoughts and values.  I need to defend myself.  I will do whatever is necessary to protect myself and those that believe what I believe.

Win at all costs:  It really doesn’t matter what the issue is about, I just want to win the debate.  I like to win and despise losing.  I will outlast anyone to get that victory and be proclaimed the winner.  I take great pride in my opinions and think others should pay attention.

One issue passion:  I’m all in on this one issue and nothing matters more to me than this issue.  My life resides around this issue and my position on this issue.  I will defend this one issue with my life.  Nothing or no one else matters compared to this issue.

Partisanship:  I’m just against anything they support.  It doesn’t matter what they say or do, I’m going to be on the opposite side of things just because of their affiliation.  I have prejudged them and have no need for what they are selling.  

Those are just five of many reasons that prompt us to respond negatively toward someone with a different view on a matter.  Now, some issues in life are so important that we need to take a firm position and put forth great effort to explain and defend what we see as right.  However, most arguments and debates aren’t worth the price of winning.  While we tend to focus on the “major” issues that we see on television, the ones that oftentimes do the most damage in our lives are seemingly minor issues that aren’t worth damaging the relationship.

Regardless of the magnitude of the issue, here are a few thoughts to help you navigate through disagreements and build relationships rather than win arguments.

• Value people above the issue:  We can value the person regardless of their position on an issue.  When we value people, we don’t attack, belittle, or demean.  We listen, show respect, and maintain composure in the discussion.  Don’t worry about their response.  You value them in your approach.
• Ask questions:  Rather than attacking with comments, ask questions to better understand why they believe they way they do.  Asking questions can diffuse tension, calm the situation, and allow us to probe for common ground on an issue.  Just ask open ended questions to better understand.
• Common ground:  Seek out that one thing that we can agree on with the other person.  Too often we focus on differences when we should be focusing on things that we have in common.  You can often build on common ground.
• It’s ok:  Differences of opinions should not automatically end relationships.  You can hold fast to your convictions and not have to win the debate.  It is good for us to engage with people that have different views to help us grow and strengthen our convictions.  It’s ok to be challenged from time to time.  

The next time you find yourself in a potentially uncomfortable discussion, don’t avoid the individual to avoid the encounter.  Don’t get angry, defensive, competitive, or issue focused.  Remember to value the person, ask some questions, find some common ground, and build a relationship.  Our world might just be a better place if more people took that approach.  Our relationships would surely be better!

 EL DORADO—South Arkansas Community College has released its President’s Honor Roll and Dean’s List for the summer 2022 terms. 

To be eligible for the President’s Honor Roll, a student must have at least a 3.75 grade-point average for the summer terms and be classified as full-time. The students are:

From Bernice, Louisiana, Jessica Ramsey.

From Choudrant, Louisiana, Terry Denise Frazier.

From Farmerville, Louisiana, Morgan Johnson.

From Jonesboro, Louisiana, Megan Amanda Moffett.

From Minden, Louisiana, Triveya Shanell Hawkins.

From Ruston, Louisiana, Amanda Island.

From Spearsville, Louisiana, Kelly Nichole Charles.

To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must have a grade-point average of between 3.0 and 3.75 for the summer terms and be classified as full-time. The students are:

From Bernice, Louisiana, Sabrina Hope Henry, Michael Charles Lonon.

From Farmerville, Louisiana, Bailee Rebecca Hurst, Ashley Marie Rodgers, Ashley Morris Salard, Brianna Christelle Tillman.

From Homer, Louisiana, Felisa Daniels Frazier, Tameshia Renee Williams.

From Minden, Louisiana, Alisha Monique Jones, Richard Lee McKissack, Onekia Ha’zel Mixon, Kiaechelan Raneisha Robinson. 

From Ruston, Louisiana, Sylvia Davidson, Shonta Lanay Hartwell, Candace Simone McLaughlin, Lashondra Burks Minnifield, Jasmine Ross, Logan Smith.

From Spearsville, Louisiana, Micah David Hughes.