The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office is offering new parents and current parents a little extra sense of security this winter season.
Starting today, the LPSO will offer child safety seat installation and inspections at the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, located at 161 Road Camp Road in Ruston.
This service will be offered every Monday from 3:30-5 p.m.
Appointments can also be made by calling 318-251-6449.
Two people were arrested Tuesday after police stopped a vehicle to investigate a reported domestic disturbance.
Ruston Police stopped a car on East Georgia Ave. about 9:00 a.m. Tuesday morning after receiving a report that a domestic incident was occurring inside the vehicle.
The driver, Eric Lee Durr, 43, of Boyce, was questioned about the incident. Another officer approached the passenger, Nakebra Armstrong, 32, of Bernice, and saw a bottle on the front seat containing suspected marijuana. A large container of marijuana was found in Armstrong’s purse. When officers attempted to arrest her, she walked away, ignoring numerous commands to stop. When she was taken by the arm, she pulled away and struggled with officers until she was physically restrained and handcuffed.
Durr told officers he had a hypodermic needle in his pocket. When he retrieved the needle, he also took two small baggies of suspected methamphetamine out of his pocket.
Durr was arrested for possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Armstrong was arrested for possession of marijuana and resisting an officer.
Armstrong’s bail was set at $1,000 and Durr’s at $10,000.
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.
A Dubach male was arrested last week on charges of violating a protection order.
A Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched Jan. 5 to a residence on May Road in reference to a violation of a protection order. The LPSO had been contacted by the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office after they were informed that Ladeteric Shelbon was residing at the residence and violating the protective order.
When deputies arrived at the residence, they located Shelbon and the individuals covered by the protective order. Shelbon was arrested and transported to the detention center and booked for violation of a protective order. Deputives noted that Shelbon had lived at the residence since bonding out in Union Parish in reference to the domestic incident that initiated the protective order. Shelbon said he and the other individual were in a verbal argument prior to his arrest last week.
Bail was not set as of press time.
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.
The Special Collections and Archives at Louisiana Tech University has acquired a collection of letters, memorabilia, artwork, and photographs of former Camp Ruston U.S. Army clerk Bernard J. Stinnett, courtesy of his daughter Hester Stinnett.
Louisiana’s Camp Ruston was one of the largest prisoner-of-war (POW) camps established by the U.S. during World War II, located on the western outskirts of the town of Grambling.
The camp was initially designated as an “Enemy Alien Interment Camp” to house Japanese Americans and later became a training ground for the Fifth Women’s Army Corps. In June 1943 the camp became a POW camp for captured German Afrika Korps soldiers and prisoners of other nationalities. The camp closed in 1946.
PFC Bernard J. Stinnett, an educator from Baltimore, arrived at Camp Ruston in 1944 where he served as Clerk of the German Officers Compound until October 1945. Discharged from the Army in 1946, he returned to Baltimore to resume his teaching career and finish his graduate work at Johns Hopkins University. After receiving his master’s degree in education, he became principal of Samuel Gompers Vocational School and later of Woodrow Wilson Vocational School in Baltimore until his retirement.
Throughout his time in the Army, Stinnett wrote to his friend and colleague, G. Kenneth Horvath about his experiences. Special Collections and Archives has received these letters in addition to the other correspondence from former prisoners, photographs, and War Department publications.
The letters contain descriptions of daily activities and interactions of both Army personnel and prisoners including observations on Ruston, the surrounding area, and the Army in general, as well as how his views on his service at the Camp changed when he met a young Ruston woman who later became his wife.
Stinnett’s letters touch on the German prisoners’ interactions with the Austrian prisoners and their fears of the treatment they might receive back home and reveal the Russian prisoners’ fears of returning to Stalinist Russia.
During his time at Camp Ruston, Stinnett cultivated a relationship with Feoktist Kalinin, a young Russian second lieutenant. Kalinin was an artist for whom Stinnett procured drawing materials and from whom he commissioned a drawing of his fiancée, which is in the collection.
“We are honored to receive this wonderful collection from the Stinnett family, particularly because of its focus on Camp Ruston,” said Angela Dunnington, Executive Director of Library Services.
“This collection is exciting material for any WWII-era military researcher as it gives new insight into understanding the lives of camp personnel, its prisoners, and most interestingly, the Russian prisoners who were either conscripted into the German Army or joined of their own accord to escape Stalin’s regime,” said Tanya Arant, of the Special Collections and Archives.
The Bernard J. Stinnett Collection is currently on display and will be digitized and uploaded to Louisiana Tech University’s Digital Commons institutional repository and the Louisiana Digital Library by February 2023.
For more information about the collection, contact Arant at 318.257.4098 or tarant@latech.edu.
Yes, yes, I know – 2023 is already well into its second week, but January – all of January – is such a good month to reset, to restart and to realign.
Many people choose certain words to represent what they want their year to reflect: Reset, for example, was popular in 2021 and 2022 (and, honestly, after dealing with 2020, who can blame people? We should all have had that as our 2021 or 2022 word). Some of the words I’ve heard for this year have included Discovery, Focus, and Intention.
I didn’t pick a word for 2022. I was just glad to be a year further away from 2020. This year, though, after dealing with a heavy December, I’ve picked two words to reflect, not necessarily what I want my entire 2023 to look like, but at least what I want January to look like, and the first is Consistent.
Consistency is hard for everyone. Life is full of changing seasons – babies come, then we have toddlers, and then we have babies again, and, oh wait, now our kids are in school, and hold up, was that a change in careers?, and don’t forget that we still need to exercise, be active in the community, eat healthy, etc., etc., etc.
In other words, yes, consistency is hard. And I have a terrible habit of wanting to do more – exercise more, do all the macros, read all the books, memorize all the Scripture – and so the cycle of inconsistency continues. Because I can’t do all of that consistently.
But I can make little changes.
So right now, for this month, I’m focusing on consistency. Running a little – not a lot – on a regular basis. Walk the dog 40 miles a month (that seems doable, right? I’m already almost at 13 miles!). Do yoga 10 minutes a night. Stay off of social media unless there is a specific reason (in other words, not mindlessly scrolling).
And it’s gone really well. REALLY well. Already, I’ve read two books in a week. I started Duolingo and am trying to learn a new language. I’ve been reading all the astronomy news I can get my hands on. And it’s good. It’s really good.
The other word is Quiet. There is so much noise everywhere – and I don’t mean just externally but internally too. And when we as a family were watching the “Matilda” musical on Netflix (which I highly recommend, just fyi), there’s this song that Matilda sings called “Quiet.” One of the lyrics goes like this: “Like silence, but not really silent; just that still sort of quiet. Like the sound of a page being turned in a book, or a pause in a walk in the woods.”
I’ve been reintroducing myself to quiet. To allowing myself to be quiet on social media. To allow myself to breathe quietly in a car ride. Or a walk. Or at work. Or anywhere. I can accept and enjoy the quiet. And breathe.
Words are powerful; words carry such meaning. And I hope, whether you chose a word or not this 2023, that you recognize the ability to make small changes for big results. For this year to not necessarily be the best year – but a year full of it all: of focus and discovery and the ability to reset and welcome this new year with anticipation and joy.
Each Monday and Friday, the Lincoln Parish Journal will post a list of non-for-profit upcoming events happening in the parish. If you would like to add your event to this list or advertise your for-profit events, please email us at lpjnewsla@gmail.com.
Monday, Jan. 9
Grambling State spring semester classes begin
11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome
5:30 p.m.: Ruston City Council meeting (Ruston City Hall)
6 p.m.: “The Play that Goes Wrong” (Dixie Center for the Arts)
7 p.m.: GSU v. Florida A&M men’s basketball
Tuesday, Jan. 10
10 a.m.: Storytime at Lincoln Parish Library
6 p.m.: Lincoln Parish School Board meeting
7 p.m.: Lincoln Parish Police Jury meeting
7 p.m.: Miss Louisiana Tech pageant
Wednesday, Jan. 11
7-8 a.m.: Veterans Coffee Club (PJ’s Coffee)
11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome
6 p.m.: Lady Techsters v North Texas basketball
Thursday, Jan. 12
6 p.m.: Grambling City Council meeting
Friday, Jan. 13
4:30 and 6:30 p.m.: Circus on Ice (Ruston Sports Complex)
Saturday, Jan. 14
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
3 p.m.: La Tech men’s basketball v. UAB
7 p.m.: Dixie Center presents Louisiana’s LeRoux
Sunday, Jan. 15
7 p.m.: Tommy Emmanuel performs (Dixie Center)
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletics Communications
Bulldogs 60, UTEP 58 (Ruston)
Louisiana Tech picked up its 10th win of the season on Saturday afternoon, getting one last defensive stop in the closing seconds to pull out a 60-58 victory over UTEP inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court.
“We got out-toughed when we went to UTEP,” said Tech head coach Talvin Hester who saw his team fall 60-55 in El Paso on Dec. 17. “I thought we did a really good job of being touch and physical today. Our defensive plan was good enough. Offensively, we were good in the first half. I thought the ball stopped moving in the second half, we stopped sharing the basketball. That is a well-coached team we played.”
LA Tech (10-6, 3-2 C-USA) had the lead for almost 35 minutes, but was never able to stretch it out. On three different occasions, the Bulldogs made it a 10-point advantage with the last time coming at 51-41 with 8:20 remaining.
Their previous 10-point edge, 37-27 at halftime, quickly dwindled in the early parts of the second stanza. It was a stretch that saw UTEP (8-7, 1-3 C-USA) go on a 9-0 run as the ‘Dogs missed their first five shot attempts and committed four turnovers.
The Miners ultimately tied things up at 40-40 after a made layup by Ze’rik Onyema. However, the home team found some offensive magic in Isaiah Crawford who made seven points during LA Tech’s 11-1 run to push the lead back out to double-digits.
UTEP chipped away again though, cutting the deficit down to one on three occasions in the final minutes. The first time getting to within one point, Keaston Willis lost his defender and drained a three-pointer from the wing (the only one of the second half for LA Tech) to make it a 57-53 score.
Those three points were matched by three made free throws from the Miners to make it a one-point game again. The two squads then traded layups, Quandre Bullock scoring for the Bulldogs and Calvin Solomon scoring for the Miners.
Being forced the foul with eight seconds left, Terran Williams stepped to the free throw line missing the first, but making the second to take it to a 60-58 lead. UTEP went for the win as Tae Hardy took a contested three-point shot that was off the mark.
“We have been in this situation quite a bit [with these close games],” said Hester, who has seen his team play four C-USA games that have come down to the final 10 seconds “We have done a lot of film more and have needed to be better in late-game situations. We had to be better down the stretch. Our looked at our guys in the eyes with eight seconds left and I said, ‘No lazy basketball right now. You have give all you got for eight seconds.’ That is what we did.”
Four Bulldogs reached double-digit points, led by Cobe Williams who had a game-high 17 points. Bullocks 12 points tied his career high while Keaston Willis and Dravon Mangum each netted 10.
It was a tale of two halves offensively for both teams as each shot over 50 percent in the first half, but less than 40 percent in the second half.
Three Miners finished in double figures with Shamar Givance leading the way with 11.
__________________________
UTEP 72, Lady Techsters 66 (El Paso)
Louisiana Tech women’s basketball team battled back from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit in El Paso Saturday afternoon, but fell to UTEP 72-66 in a game that featured alternating runs from both squads.
Three Techsters reached double figures, led by Keiunna Walker, who had 24 points, three assists, and two steals, followed by Salma Bates and Amaya Brannon, who had 14 and 13, respectively. Brannon chipped in five rebounds, while Bates added four assists, three rebounds, and two steals.
“I think our team showed up ready to play and competed hard, but our execution in the third quarter was not good. It eventually cost us, allowing them to string together stops that led to them scoring,” said Tech head coach Brooke Stoehr. “You have to give UTEP credit. They shot it very well today. We shot it well enough to win today and did enough scoring, but the lack of communication in some spots defensively gave them too many chances.”
LA Tech (9-6, 2-3 C-USA) took the early initiative in the first stanza after a 7-7 start with an 8-0 run to pull ahead 15-7, but UTEP (10-3, 3-1 C-USA) responded with a 9-2 run of their own, courtesy of three Tech turnovers. Walker finished the quarter with four straight free throws to give Tech a 21-16 to end the quarter.
Walker continued with a three to start the second quarter and extended Tech’s lead to eight, but the Miners strung runs together of 9-1 and 9-2 over the next six minutes to grab a 32-28 lead with 3:18 left in the half. UTEP ended the half up three, 36-33.
It was the Techsters’ turn to start the third as they regained the lead with a 6-0 start (39-36) over the first two minutes, but Tech would struggle to score the remainder of the period, with Walker spending most of the quarter on the bench with three fouls. UTEP would finish the period 17-5 for a nine-point cushion after three (53-44).
After finding themselves down 12 early in the fourth quarter, Tech was able to battle back off runs of 9-3 and 8-0 to cut the Miner’s lead to three with two minutes remaining.
After two buckets from the Miner’s, Gabbie Green’s three and a layup from Walker got Tech within two with 10 seconds remaining, but UTEP’s Elina Arike hit two free throws to stop Tech short of completing the fourth quarter comeback.
Tech shot it well again, hitting 53 percent of their looks, going 22-41 from the field including tying a season-high with nine threes. Tech also hit 13-16 (.813) from the line.
UTEP would not be out-done, hitting 10 three-pointers (10-21) and connecting 16-18 free throws (.889) while shooting 41.8 percent for the contest (23-55).
By Kyle Roberts
Ruston High School’s basketball programs both won their final games before the start of District 2-5A play with the boys beating Jonesboro-Hodge 53-40 and the girls winning 54-16 over West Ouachita.
After trailing for most of the first half after a sluggish start, the Bearcats got what they needed in the third and fourth quarters thanks in part to junior Zhy Scott scoring nine second-half points.
“The guys picked up their intensity in the second half,” Bearcat head coach Ryan Bond said. “We need to be more focused for district play next week.”
Senior Braylan McNeal finished the night with 17 points and 14 rebounds, while junior Lontravious Dimmer scored 11 points.
On the girls’ side, the lopsided victory came after both junior Jaliyah McWain and sophomore Kiersynce McNeal scored 16 points apiece.
“I am proud of how we worked on aspects of our game that we needed to and everyone was ready when their number was called against West Ouachita,” Lady Bearcat head coach Meredith Graf said. “Our goal is to get better every game no matter the score. The start of district play is always exciting to me. It brings a different level of focus and competition. Every night will bring different challenges. “
District play begins for both teams at home Tuesday, Jan. 10, against West Monroe. The girls will tip off at 5:00 p.m., while the boys are scheduled to tip at 6:30 p.m.
By Malcolm Butler
Brian Osborne scored 17 points and Carter Hill added 16 more to lead Cedar Creek to a 49-33 win over Saline Friday night at the Brickhouse.
Creek (6-8) avenged an earlier season 48-47 loss to Saline at the Neil Killgore Memorial Tournament in early December.
For a while Friday night, it appeared as if the first team to reach 10 points would win as both squads struggled to score.
The Cougars trailed 5-3 after the first quarter as a Hill three-pointer were the only points of the opening eight minutes of action for Cedar Creek. The second quarter didn’t get much better although the Cougars were able to outscore Saline 8-1 to take an 11-6 lead into the halftime locker room.
“It just happens sometimes in basketball,” said head coach Lance Waldron. “They were struggling too. I thought both teams had some good looks and they were just rim out. Sometimes it just takes you a while to get going. We want to finish strong which is what we did tonight.I think it just takes you a while to get into a groove.
“The first time we played (Saline) we turned it over a lot and that’s what cost us that game. Tonight we didn’t make as many errors. I felt like we controlled the tempo of the game because we were taking care of the ball.”
Creek came out for the start of the third quarter with a full-court press. And it worked.
The Cougars forced turnover after turnover which led to some easier transition buckets as Hill and Osborne combined for 13 of the 19 points in the stanza. Parks McConnell also added a couple of big buckets in the frame to help Creek take a 30-19 lead into the final quarter of action.
“We created some turnovers and got some momentum going,” said Creek head coach Lance Waldron. “Things started to happen for us. We had some guys step up that we needed to step up. I feel like we won the rebounding battle. We created a lot of steals.”
Osborne scored seven points while Davis Walsworth and Hill each scored four points in the fourth quarter to lift the Cougars to the 16-point victory.
“Brian did outstanding,” said Waldron. “We have been needing that. Davis and Carter have been producing for us, but we need some guys to step up. Brian is one of those guys. He made some tough shots and got some tough rebounds for us tonight. We were more physical inside. We have been lacking that at times.
“Parks McConnell hit some big shots. Some of those short little jumpers. Those were huge. You miss a couple of those and you don’t know what could happen.”
Creek will face Lincoln Prep (11-4) tonight at the Ruston Sports Complex in the District 2-1A opener. Tipoff for the varsity girls is at 6 p.m. and the varsity boys will follow.
Lincoln Prep had its eight-game winning streak snapped by Gibsland Coleman Saturday.
“They are a really good team,” said Waldron. “They are well coached. Antonio Hudson does a really good job with them. They are man, full-court pressure. We have been working on that all year but its hard for us to replicate that in practice. We look forward to the challenge.”
By Malcolm Butler
A few minutes into Friday night’s non-district contest against Saline, Cedar Creek found itself trailing 5-0.
But a pair of three-pointers by Lizzie McAdams and eight points by Allie Furr ignited the Lady Cougars who steam rolled Saline 61-21 at the Brickhouse.
Furr scored 25 points, including hitting 13-of-15 free throws, while McAdams added 17 points which included a trio of three-pointers as the Lady Cougars improved to 11-4 on the season.
“I see a group that is trending in a positive way,” said Creek head coach Gene Vandenlangenberg. “When a little adversity would hit us early in the season, we would show it. Tonight, we didn’t get off to a very good start, but we would keep playing. We played through it. We showed a little bit of toughness. We didn’t let it get to us.”
Creek led 14-9 at the end of the first quarter and then almost put a goose egg on the scoreboard defensively in the second before a three-pointer by Saline with less than a minute to play closed the Lady Cougars lead to 25-12 at the break.
“I think we played Lady Cougar basketball,” said Vandenlangenberg “We want to get after people and run up and down the court. Allie did a really good job pushing the ball. We got some run outs. We made them try to defend us full court for four quarters.”
The Lady Cougars poured in 20 points in the third quarter behind Furr’s 11 points and four more by McAdams. Creek used a full-court press and a dominating performance on the glass to pull away from Saline.
“They won the rebounding battle in the first quarter, but after that Lillian Soto really stepped up for us on the boards,” said Vandenlangenberg. “She had 11 or 12 rebounds. They were strong rebounds. She helped us secure the boards. When she does that we can get some kick outs and start the fast break. It’s a team effort. We had a lot of great effort.”
Despite emptying his bench midway through the fourth quarter, Creek kept Saline off the scoreboard over the final eight minutes of play, outscoring the opponent 16-0. Ainsley Riley scored five points and Caroline James added a mid-range jumper to highlight some of the play by the Lady Cougars reserves.
However, it was Furr and McAdams that were the offensive forces for Creek.
“Lizzie is playing well for us,” said Vandenlangenberg. “The last few games she is scoring in double figures. We need that. We need a complimentary scorer to go along with Allie.”
Creek will face Lincoln Prep tonight at 6 p.m. at the Ruston Sports Complex in the District 2-1A opener for both teams. The Lady Cougars already defeated Lincoln Prep 56-16 in a non-district game in December as part of the Neil Killgore Memorial Tournament.
“It was a good momentum builder as we start district,” said Vandenlangenberg. “I hope this rolls over to Monday. They are a new team in our district. We have played them. They have a team that plays hard. They play hard for four quarters. They have some athletes, and they can run the floor. On the road in district you take nothing for granted.”
The Ruston High School Lady Bearcats dropped a home match on Saturday to West Monroe by a final score of 2-0 after giving up two first half goals to the Lady Rebels.
“Today wasn’t our day,” Ruston head coach Jacquelyn Bean said. “They’re a good, talented team, and we were tested really well today. We came back after half-time and held them to 0-0 in the second half, we had chances but had no luck. My girls fought to the end but they were also fighting fatigue from playing Pineville only a day and a half ago and the Saturday am game time was tough to overcome. We found a new depth of our energy tank. My girls never backed down and kept pushing until the final whistle to create chances.”
Ruston soccer begins the 2023 district slate on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at home for a 5:30 p.m. match start.
Leroy Ray Minnifield, Jr.
Sunday 01/12/1941 — Friday 01/06/2023
Family Gathering: Tuesday 01/10/2023 2:00pm to 3:00pm at King’s Funeral Home
Visitation: Tuesday 01/10/2023 3:00pm to 5:00pm at King’s Funeral Home
Celebration of Life: Wednesday 01/11/2023 11:00am at King’s Funeral Home
Interment: Wednesday 01/11/2023 Following Service at St. Rest Cemetery, 209 Walker Road, Choudrant
By T. Scott Boatright
GRAMBLING — It was a mix of old and new as Grambling’s City Council held its first monthly meeting of the new year Thursday night at City Hall.
The City Council voted in a new mayor pro tempore in new alderman Delores Wilkerson Smith and adopted a new budget for 2023 while also maintaining a status quo by approving to return its four non-elected city officials to their positions under new Mayor Alvin Bradley.
Smith garnered three of the five votes for mayor pro tem as she was joined by returning Council member Kathy Holmes Jiles and fellow new members John Brown Jr., Jerry Lewis, and Davaria Ponton for the new Council’s first official meeting with Bradley officiating.
The new Council’s first order of business was adopting a new budget for 2023 after Grambling’s former Council failed to adopt one during their final meeting together in December.
Bradley said there were some adjustments made before the new budget was voted on and adopted.
“There were parts of the budget that had been put in wrong line-item columns that had to be corrected,” Bradley said. “It was that and making the final adjustments that had to be made after the end of December.”
Bradley said those adjustments didn’t majorly affect the city’s near $4,000,000 budget.
“It didn’t change a whole lot, but it did change,” Bradley said. “And it did change because of the adjustments that had been made that had not been recorded yet (in early December during the old Council’s final meeting).
“But the main changes were moving things to different columns so that they could be recorded in the right categories.”
Bradley said Smith, an accountant by trade, played a role in catching some of those needed adjustments.
“We were told by the (Louisiana Municipal Association) that we could meet before we got sworn in, so that’s what we did,” Bradley said. “We met with the accountant to go over those figures in the budget. We all pitched in on it.”
Bradley added that the budget will continue to be reviewed on at least a quarterly basis.
“It was recommended by the accountant that the budget be reviewed quarterly just to see where we are and if we need to make any adjustments or amendments,” he said.
Grambling’s new City Council also approved reappointing Pamela Stringfellow as city clerk, Tommy Clark Jr. as police chief, Pamela Breedlove as city attorney and Ivan Daigs as city magistrate, allowing that quartet to maintain the positions they’ve held for years.
Bradley said he anticipated a search to be conducted for a new, full-time fire chief for Grambling.
“We’re going to do a search and we’re going to go beyond just the local area just to see what’s out there to see if we can get a new fire chief — someone interested in becoming a fire chief in a small town.”
Bradley said that a search could begin as soon as a couple of weeks from now.
“We’ve got to work up job descriptions and advertise — put it out there, and see what we get,” Bradley said.
In other business before the meeting adjourned, Ponton announced that receptacles will be placed in City Hall and around town and asked city residents to being discarded cardboard paper towel and toilet tissue rolls as well as cardboard biodegradable egg cartons to be used to plant seedlings for a city garden she hopes will be used to help the city fight any food shortages that should occur.
Natchitoches – Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) senior Rosie Shultz (’23) of Ruston has been selected as the school’s Student of the Year and will represent LSMSA in the state’s regional competition this spring.
Having served as president of both her sophomore and junior classes, Shultz is currently executive president of LSMSA’s Student Government Organization. She is a member of LSMSA’s Artist-in-Training program for Vocal Performance, the Associate of General Studies program at both LSMSA and NSU, LSMSA’s theatre department, and the school’s choir. Shultz has been selected multiple times for All State Choir, is heavily involved in Ruston Community Theatre, and serves as chairwoman of the Louisiana High School Democrats.
“Rosie excels both academically and in extracurricular activities and has shown tremendous leadership during her time at the Louisiana School,” said Executive Director Dr. Steve Horton. “We are proud to have her represent the spirit of excellence we strive for here at LSMSA.”
Students of the Year are selected based on academic achievement, leadership skills, character, and service to their schools and communities. Shultz and the other finalists from the area will submit portfolios of accomplishments, write samples, and participate in interviews, allowing a panel to assess each candidate’s communication and critical thinking skills.
Ruston Police arrested a local man Monday for allegedly stalking his victim.
Monday evening officers responded to a residence on West Alabama Avenue regarding a man who is barred from the premises returning to the property.
The victim said Greshun M. Saulsberry, 28, had been following her and harassing her. She stated she used to date Saulsberry, but they had broken up weeks ago, and she had told him several times to leave her alone. Salisbury was arrested for criminal trespass for returning to the premises after being forbidden to do so and stalking.
Saulsberry’s bail amount was not immediately available.
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.
The suspect accused of murdering a man in Farmerville last April has been captured in Texas, according to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Bruce Causey, 49, who was a work release inmate working at Foster Farms in Farmerville, is accused of stabbing and killing co-worker Ketrick Calhoun on April 21, 2022.
Causey was arrested in Pearland, Texas, on New Year’s Eve after police responded to a domestic disturbance where he was in possession of a firearm.
Union Parish Sheriff Dusty Gates said Causey gave officers in Texas a false name before his true identity was learned through his fingerprints.
Sheriff Gates said Causey will have to face his firearm offense in Texas before extradition to Louisiana on second degree murder and aggravated escape charges.
Work release prisoners are allowed to go to their jobs during the day but must report back to the detention center each evening after completing their shifts.
By Kyle Roberts
Ruston High boys’ soccer team (3-3-1) took a 4-2 win over Sterlington Thursday night thanks in large part to a hat trick effort by Jaiden Langiulli.
“It was a slow start, but our second half was one of the best halves of the season,” Ruston head coach Erich Hankamer said. “This is a great team, and we’re making the correct moves going forward.”
Ruston and Sterlington went into the break tied 2-2 before the Bearcats scored two unanswered goals in the second half. In addition to Langiulli’s three goals, Carter Tims added a fourth. Austin Guillory totaled two assists, while both Carlos Sanchez and Carmeron Harps registered an assist, as well.
On the girls’ side, the Lady Bearcats took Pineville to a draw at 1-1 after getting down early in the first five minutes of the match.
Pineville took a 1-0 lead into halftime before senior Reagan McCulloch off the left side in the last 10 minutes of the match.
“She’s so good on the left,” Ruston head coach Jacquelyn Bean said of McCulloch. “She can dribble and create chances; it’s fun to watch.”
Senior keeper Emily Stutzman tallied five saves on the night for Ruston.
The Lady Bearcats return to action for a morning match Saturday, Jan. 7, at 11 a.m. against West Monroe, while the boys will take on Natchitoches Central Monday, Jan. 9, at 5 p.m.
The girls’ match may be moved to 10 a.m. due to weather.
| Week 16 | Overall | % |
|---|---|---|
| 8-2 | 100/160 | 62.50 |
| Week 16 | Overall | % |
|---|---|---|
| 9-1 | 97/160 | 60.62 |
| Week 16 | Overall | % |
|---|---|---|
| 8-2 | 96/160 | 60.00 |
| Week 16 | Overall | % |
|---|---|---|
| 8-2 | 95/160 | 59.37 |
| Week 16 | Overall | % |
|---|---|---|
| 7-3 | 90/160 | 56.25 |
| Week 16 | Overall | % |
|---|---|---|
| 7-3 | 90/160 | 56.25 |
I have told you of my fear of Starbucks?
I drink coffee, black. That is it. No bells or whistles, a simple cup of black coffee is all I need. The other day I was in Starbucks observing things. I want to tell you about three guys in Starbucks that day.
Guy number one had ordered hot coffee with a couple of pieces of ice in it to cool it off. Dude, blow on it or don’t try to drink it so quickly. Ordering ice in your coffee is not manly at all. Before guy number two could order, guy number one was back demanding a new cup of coffee because the barista over iced his hot coffee. I made a note of him, and I won’t say what is on my heart, because that boy is some momma’s son, bless her heart.
The next guy moved to the counter and ordered a “tall half-skinny half-1 percent extra hot split quad shot latte with whip.” I was amazed! To me it sounded like he was speaking in tongues and I was looking for interpretation, as the Bible directs. The barista understood him and made the drink. Preachers don’t like preaching after the children’s choir sings, and I don’t like ordering in Starbucks after a high-brow Starbuckian.
I was next. I did not want to order black coffee after that. So I boldly stepped out on faith and ordered….. “Hot chocolate.” I was proud that I ordered something that was out of my comfort zone. The barista looked at me with disdain for my pedestrian order. I was embarrassed and relieved at the same time.
As I was waiting for my order, another guy got up from the back wall and without closing his laptop walked out of Starbucks. He was holding a coffee and a laptop at the same time while talking on his phone. That was an amazing balancing act. But it was what he said that caught my attention.
As he walked past he said to the person on the other end, “I know that God is on my side.“ He was not saying it as an affirmation of faith, his tone was belligerent.
I wondered what his side was. If he was talking about sides, that means he was in the middle of some kind of conflict. There were at least two sides, and there could be more. Was he talking about an argument with his boss? Perhaps it was some other important person in his life. This might have been his position in a fight or a discussion with his wife. I certainly hope he was not teaming up against another Christian. We do love our little intramural spats!
It doesn’t matter what his side was or what the other side was. Saying, “I know God is on my side” is wrong. It is a selfish arrogant position to take. God does not take sides. God is not on your side. He does not care about your political position, your argument points, your philosophy, or even your theology. In those arenas, God is never on your side! Don’t say it, don’t think it, and your life will be much better.
The life changing position is, “are you on God’s side?”
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech accomplished something no other team had this season and that was win inside Tudor Fieldhouse.
The Bulldogs needed an extra five minutes to do it, but never trailed in overtime as they pulled out a thrilling 88-82 overtime victory over Rice on Thursday night.
“I thought we were exception on the offensive end in overtime,” said Tech head coach Talvin Hester. “I did not think we were terrible on the defensive end [in overtime]. Rice is a juggernaut offensively. I thought our fouls kept them in the game. I was frustrated at the end of regulation. We wanted to foul on the catch. At the end of the day, we battled, fought back, and pulled out a great road win.”
There was a grand total of 11 ties in the game, the 11th one coming at the end of regulation as the Owls’ Travis Evee drained a three from 45 feet away at the buzzer to make it 69-69. The game-tying, desperation shot erased what could have been a game-winning three-pointer by Quandre Bullock who swished one in from the wing with 2.9 seconds left.
LA Tech (9-6, 2-2 C-USA) was not fazed. The Bulldogs regrouped, never trailing in the extra frame.
There were a plethora of great offensive plays in overtime, starting with Cobe Williams getting the squad off on the right foot with five straight points on a jumper in the paint and a nothing-but-net triple for a 74-69 advantage.
After missing so much of regulation due to foul trouble, Isaiah Crawford started to make play after play. He banked in a floater, then dished out back-to-back assists for a Keaston Willis three-pointer and a thundering two-hand dunk by Kenny Hunter to make it 81-75 with 1:29 to go.
“Isaiah [Crawford] was big,” said Hester. “Despite being in foul trouble, he stayed locked in and focused. In the second half, he was the Isaiah Crawford we know. He made some unbelievable shots and passes.”
However, Evee continued his heroics in OT, drilling his fifth three-pointer to slice the deficit down to one with 40 seconds remaining. Crawford countered with an old-fashioned three-point play to push it back to an 83-80 advantage.
Even though Rice (11-4, 2-2 C-USA) used free throws all night for its offensive production (went 22-of-30 from the foul line), the Owls missed two crucial ones in the final 21 seconds.
While the ‘Dogs only got the charity stripe 15 times, Dravon Mangum stepped up and made four big ones in the closing seconds to secure the road win.
The first half was a frenetic 20 minutes as both teams were nearly unstoppable on offense. A driving layup by Williams gave the Bulldogs the 41-40 edge at halftime.
LA Tech trailed by as much as nine, down 45-54 with 14:54 to play in regulation after back-to-back threes by Quincy Olivari. The Bulldogs held the Owls to just 15 points the remaining 15 minutes, grabbing their only lead of the stanza after Bullock hit the three-pointer to make it, 69-66.
Williams, Willis, and Hunter each netted 18 points. In OT when it mattered the most, the ‘Dogs went 6-of-8 from the field, 2-of-2 from deep, and 5-of-7 from the foul line. For the game, they shot 51.5 percent from the field.
Rice was anchored by Evee who scored a game-high 28 points.
The Bulldogs host UTEP Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Office of Tourism, under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, won the 2023 Showmanship Award during the 134th Rose Parade® in Pasadena, California, for the “Celebration Riverboat” float. The award recognizes the float for most outstanding display of showmanship and entertainment, which featured a live performance by Country Music Association Award winner, 2022 Academy of Country Music New Female of the Year winner, and Louisiana music ambassador Lainey Wilson from Baskin, Louisiana. She performed mid-parade for millions of viewers nationally and internationally as an invitation to visit the state.
The 134th Rose Parade® was Louisiana’s second year participating, fresh off last year’s float winning the Wrigley Legacy Award and encouraging millions around the world to visit the state.
“I am extremely proud of our Office of Tourism team, six convention and visitors bureaus and 22 Louisiana Ambassadors that partnered with us in this endeavor representing a pivotal time for our state in ‘Turning The Corner,’ an appropriate theme for the New Year,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “This is our invitation to visitors worldwide to come see us, and I hope everyone in Louisiana is as proud of our state’s showing and of winning this award as I am.”
Co-sponsors of the award-winning float and riders were Visit Baton Rouge, Visit Lafayette, Tangipahoa Convention and Visitors Bureau, Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Visitors Bureau, Plaquemines Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau. Additionally, 22 Rose Parade® riders included Ruston natives Mary Laura Hunt, Miss Louisiana’s Outstanding Teen; and Emma Carter, Queen Dixie Gem Peach.
A time lapse video shows the progress to this point, from metal skeleton to riverboat. The complete folder of videos and images can be downloaded from a DropBox folder titled 134th Tournament of Roses Parade.