Piney Hills Harmony members pose on stage immediately after their performance at the Sweet Adelines’ regional competition in Houston.
Forte! quartet, a part of Piney Hills Harmony Chorus, won the Novice Quartet Award at this spring’s regional competition.
Members of Ruston’s Piney Hills Harmony Chorus brought home multiple accolades from this spring’s regional Sweet Adelines competition in Houston, including Novice Quartet Award.
Sixteen choruses and 11 quartets gathered for the a cappella event. This is the first time that Piney Hills Harmony has participated since competitions resumed following COVID-19 cancellations.
A quartet made up of Piney Hills Harmony members – Forte! – received medals for being the highest scoring newcomer quartet at the contest. Members are Candice Bassett, baritone; Lynette Murphy, tenor; Sheila Nugent, lead; and Judy Sisson, bass. Bassett, who serves as chorus director, and Murphy, the assistant director for musical expression, both directed on the contest stage for the first time this year. The visual communication judge commented that “both directors are quietly and effectively in control – wonderful!”
Additionally, at the Regional All-Member Meeting that preceded the contest, Bassett officially received her director’s certification from the Sweet Adelines International office. This followed Bassett’s undertaking an extended, in-depth musical study and passing a series of evaluations.
Other chorus commendations included a Certificate of Merit for Membership Growth, with a 31% increase from March 2, 2022, to March 1, 2023. Among the 14 members who attended this year’s competition, six were first-timers.
The chorus also received a Community Harmony Certificate of Merit for the number of non-paid performances presented from Feb. 1, 2022, to Jan. 31, 2023. Region 10 includes choruses from Louisiana, Alabama and a large portion of Texas.
During competition, choruses and quartets are scored in four categories: sound, music, expression and visual communication. The sound judge commented, “You have such fun singing together, and there is an appealing freshness to your sound.”
Murphy, who serves as chorus president, said that singers who might be interested in joining that sound are invited to visit the chorus during its rehearsals at 6:30 Thursdays in the fellowship hall of the Presbyterian Church of Ruston, 212 N. Bonner St. Piney Hills Harmony currently has 20 members from five parishes, ranging in age from 13 to 80.
For more information, visit the Facebook page Piney Hills Harmony / Sweet Adelines International or the webpage pineyhillsharmony.org.
A 21-year-old Grambling man was arrested Tuesday after police responded should I call of gunshots.
Officers responded to Wayside Drive in Grambling Tuesday morning where a man said he had heard gunshots nearby. While officers were investigating, a car was seen at a nearby intersection with its left turn signal on. However, instead of turning left, the vehicle abruptly turned right.
An officer stopped the car nearby and two men exited the car. One of the men jumped a barbed wire fence and ran into the woods. The second man, Tuvorus D. Hatter, was detained. The car sped away before other officers arrived.
A search of the area recovered a loaded Palmetto AR-15 firearm. It was determined Hatter was a convicted felon and had been riding in a vehicle that contained a weapon which was recovered where Hatter and the other man had been. Hatter stated he did not know the other man who ran into the woods.
Hatter was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center. Bail was set at $5,000 but he is also being held for the Louisiana Department of Corrections—Probation & Parole.
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.
I would bet 100% of the people asked would say they want to be happy.The problem is that happiness is conditional.It depends on the conditions being met to generate the feeling of happiness.It doesn’t matter how much we want happiness; life is full of variability and conditions are constantly changing. I recall growing up being caught in the “performance trap”.If I played well, then I would be happy.If I performed at a desired level, then I would feel good about myself.The conditional if/then scenarios dictated how I felt way too often.
Many of us identify a destination or goal and focus everything in our life around achieving those results.We see the process in life only as a means to the end and miss the joy in the journey.We are stuck with “destination disease”.All too often, we finally get to the destination only to immediately move on to the next thing.Our life can easily be known for extreme highs, disappointing lows, and long periods of frustration as we wait.
In contrast, joy is not conditional.Joy is a state of fulfillment experienced when we are operating in a process that pursues our purpose and is consistent with our identity.Joy is contentment within the process even if we are seeking improvement.Joy is satisfaction operating in the process as we seek to drive advancement.When we can find joy in training, studying, working, parenting, relating, serving, teaching, and all those other processes of life, we can look forward to each day.
I was recently working with a client on a project and things were getting a little tense within the client’s organization.I thought I was offering clear guidance and wise counsel, but they were struggling internally to identify a next step for their organization.My initial thoughts were ones of growing frustration as I listened to the conversation. However, as I reminded myself of my purpose (add value to others), I quickly regained my perspective and focus on working within my process.I seek results, but realize they will come and go, but there is always joy working within the process.
The key is to identify a purpose and identity that we desire and then to organize our life around those items as much as we can. Ask yourself the following questions:
When I’m experiencing a good day, what am I spending my time on?Do my habits and lifestyle (process) contribute or detract from more of those days?
Responding to those two questions will help clarify joy for you.When you can start to see joy as a verb (process that we are doing) rather than a noun (destination to reach), you will experience life differently.
You may not be able to make major changes in your life immediately, but you can take the next right step for you.Clarify the identity you want, the purpose you are seeking, and the lifestyle (process) that will align with those items.The more you operate within that process, the more joy you will experience!
Secondly, I have seen results also improve as one follows a process that brings joy.Coach Saban is famous at the University of Alabama for not only winning football championships, but for talking about his process for success.When we have a sound process that we not only trust, but find joy in the midst, we look forward to engaging and doing the foundational things that may just yield those desired results as well.Regardless, there is joy in the journey.
The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman after a Farmerville homeowner alleged she was paid to replace the flooring in a residence, but the work was never performed.
Investigators learned the victim paid Lisa Janelle Benson, 50, Marion, two payments in the summer of 2022, one for labor and one for materials totaling over $10,000. The investigation revealed checks written to Benson were deposited, but the homeowner alleges the work was never performed. The homeowner contacted Benson and was given multiple reasons the work wasn’t performed, including untimely delivery of materials.
The homeowner contacted the supplier where Benson was supposed to purchase the materials and learned Benson had only requested a quote and had not placed an order. When the homeowner requested a refund, Benson stopped responding to any form of communication. The homeowner then reported the issue to UPSO.
Investigators obtained a warrant for Benson charging her with one count of felony residential contractor fraud. Benson was arrested and booked into the Union Parish Detention Center this week.
UPSO Sheriff Dusty Gates reminds homeowners to use care in selecting contractors to perform work. Always verify the contractor’s license on the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors website. Additional information and tips about hiring contractors can be found at https://lslbc.louisiana.gov/.
Robert LeRoy Parker was a “medium short, stocky build, with blue eyes and an infectious smile. His sense of humor was highly developed; he made friends easily, was highly dependable when he chose, and was loyal to his friends.” He could “outrope, outride, and outshoot any man on the range. He drank sparingly and never allowed women to interfere with his business.” His business, at this time, was working cattle.
Sometime in the 1870s, the exact date has been lost to history, Robert stole a saddle and several horses near Circleville, Utah. Two deputies tracked Robert for miles through the desert and got a lucky break. They found Robert asleep at camp. Before he was fully awake and aware, the deputies handcuffed Robert. Anyone else in that situation would have admitted defeat, but not Robert. One newspaper reported that Robert’s “mind worked like chain lightning.” As the deputies were transporting Robert from his camp in the desert to the nearest jail, they stopped near a spring to prepare lunch. The deputies built a fire and got enough water from the spring to boil a pot of coffee. One of the deputies went back to the spring to fetch more water while the other deputy stayed to guard their prisoner. Robert sat near the fire directly across from the guarding deputy. The deputy squatted by the fire to check on the coffee. At that instant, Robert kicked the boiling coffee in the face of the deputy. The deputy grabbed his face and screamed. Robert snatched the deputy’s pistol from its holster and trained the pistol on the second deputy. He disarmed the second deputy, retrieved the handcuff keys, and removed the restraints. In less than a minute, Robert jumped into his stolen saddle and rode away with the stolen horses and the deputies’ two horses.
In most other cases, that would have been the end of the story. By most accounts, Robert was a likable, caring guy. After riding a couple of miles from where he made his escape, he realized that the deputies’ water canteens were still tied to the saddle of their horses. He knew the area well enough to know that the next nearest spring to the deputies was about 30 miles away. He knew the deputies would try to walk to some sort of civilization but without their water canteens they would certainly perish. Robert rode back to the stranded deputies and, to their surprise, returned their water canteens and gave them directions to the next nearest watering hole. The shocked deputies thanked Robert as he rode away again.
Robert’s criminal career continued for more than a decade, and he joined forces with other like-minded criminals. The pressure of continually being pursued by law enforcement officers convinced Robert to leave the country for South America. He and his most infamous partner purportedly died in a shootout on November 7, 1908. Robert used many aliases during his criminal career including Santiago Maxwell, Jim Lowe, George Cassidy, and Mike Cassidy. You and I know Robert LeRoy Parker as Butch Cassidy. His partner’s alias was the Sundance Kid.
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune, March 19, 1950, p.63.
NATCHITOCHES, La. — Ruston High School’s boys’ track and field team took first place overall Wednesday in Natchitoches, La., with a combined score of 91 points and multiple first place finishes.
The Ruston girls finished sixth overall with 33 points.
The Bearcat first place finishes included:
4×800 M Relay (Andrew McKaskle, Landon Byrd, Liam Lowe, Cole Maestrini): 8 minutes, 14.84 seconds 1600 M: Thomas Rogers, 4:36.13 800 M: Bryar Madden, 1:55.79 4×400 M Relay (Kendrick Jones, Madden, Jordan McWain, Dylar Richmond): 3:23.96
James Swash captured the 2023 C-USA Individual title after firing a final round 68 Wednesday. (Courtesy Photo)
Louisiana Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech’s James Swash collected some hardware at the end of round three at the 2023 Conference USA Men’s Golf Championship as the fifth-year senior claimed the individual title while also leading the Bulldogs into match play at the Texarkana Country Club.
A year ago, Swash had a two-shot lead going into the final round of the league championship, but he ended up finishing in a tie for seventh.
Fast forward to Wednesday and Swash was three shots back of first going into the last 18 holes. This time it was the Bulldog making the charge from behind, shooting a championship-best 68 (-4) to win by two strokes.
As the individual champion, Swash earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals. However, he is hoping to be joined by his fellow Bulldogs as the team finished the 54 holes in third to advance to match play on Thursday. As the No. 3 seed, LA Tech will take on No. 2 Middle Tennessee in the semifinals starting at 8 a.m. CT.
The ‘Dogs ended up shooting 296-287-293=876 (+12) for the three-day stroke play. Another key Bulldog to help the team shoot +5 for the day was Hunter Battles who also saved his best for last, shooting a 70 (-2) for his best round of the event and finish in a tie for 16th individually.
Will Patrick had the third best round for LA Tech, shooting 75 (+3) to finish in a tie for 18th individually. The fourth score used came from Thomas Henson who shot 80 (+8).
Swash became the first conference individual in program history since 1980 while his 68 tied for the second lowest round of any Bulldog at the C-USA Championship. LA Tech will make its second ever appearance in the Match Play of the C-USA Championship (previous time was 2016).
Mrs. Melba Jean Mason Jones, age 75 of Simsboro, LA was born February 23, 1948 to Willa Bailey and Jesse Mason and gained her wings and went home to her Lord Jesus Christ April 23, 2023 in Ruston, LA with her sisters beside her on the last part of her spiritual journey in this realm. Those who were blessed to have known “Mrs. Melba” will forever know in their hearts that she was the embodiment of “train up your children in the way they should go, even when they are old they will not turn from it.” She was the devoted wife of 54 years to Harry Jones. Melba was a fierce protector of her children. Her adopted children will forever remember her as their shield and sword. The family takes great peace in knowing that she is pain free in Heaven and still loving them and waiting on them to join her.
Melba is survived by her husband Harry Jones of Simsboro; children Jim Jones and wife Laurie of Simsboro and Olivia Jones of Shreveport, LA; grandchildren: Jackson Turner, Briana Farron and Kaiser Lawrence; adopted children Isiah Heard of Bernice, LA and Sara McDaniel of Simsboro; sisters Connie Doyle of Ruston, LA and Linda Dowling of Simsboro; and a host of other family and many friends.
Per Melba’s specific instructions, there will be no memorial service.
Mary Katherine Freeman October 1, 1959 – April 24, 2023 Visitation: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – West Monroe, Friday, April 28, 2023, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Service: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – West Monroe, Friday, April 28, 2023, 3:00 pm Cemetery: Sibley Cemetery Choudrant, Friday, April 28, 2023
John Wesley McKeever, Jr Thursday 02/11/1943 — Saturday 04/15/2023 Age: 80 Viewing: Monday 05/01/2023 9:00am to 12:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Monday 05/01/2023 12:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Interment: Monday 05/01/2023 Following Service, Asberry Cemetery, Chatham
Sheila Anne Stevenson Reed Wednesday 09/07/1960 — Tuesday 04/18/2023 Family Gathering: Friday 04/28/2023 2:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Visitation: Friday 04/28/2023 3:00pm to 7:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Service: Friday 04/28/2023 6:30pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 04/29/2023 11:00am, Mount Zion Baptist Church, 2586 Highway 150, Grambling Interment: Saturday 04/29/2023 Following Service, Grambling Memorial Garden, Highway 80 West, Grambling
Eloise Carver March 5, 1923 – April 25, 2023 Visitation: Friday, April 28, 2023, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home Graveside Service: Saturday, April 29, 2023, 11:00 AM, Forest Lawn Cemetery, 2500 West California Ave, Ruston
Diedra Miller February 2, 1966 – April 24, 2023 Services pending
Lincoln Parish is commemorating the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1873. This is part of the LPJ’s examination of the early days of our parish.
The broken grave marker of the man credited with the creation of Lincoln Parish in 1873, and that of his wife, have been repaired through the generosity of a local monument company.
John Brown of Brown’s Monument and Stone of Dubach saw a request for donations to restore the markers. The Lincoln Parish Museum and the Lincoln Parish Sesquicentennial Committee sought funds to make the repairs because of the Greenes’s significant role in the early days of the parish.
As soon as Brown saw the plea, he visited the Lincoln Parish Museum to offer to repair both markers at no charge.
“We wanted to do this as a public service,” Brown said. “The Greenes were an important part of local history.”
Allen Greene and his wife Mahala and members of their family are buried in Pecan Grove Cemetery on Louisiana Highway 822 just off the White Lightning Road where they ran a large farm, tannery, and shoe factory. Greene created his own short-lived political dynasty, for a time controlling every elected and appointed office in the parish.
The final resting place for the Greenes is marked by the largest monuments in the small community graveyard. Recently, both markers suffered significant damage and the museum and the sesquicentennial committee wanted to do something about it.
It appears the obelisk atop Mahala Greene’s monument fell off, possibly striking Allen’s marker and breaking it into two pieces. Mahala’s marker was cleaned and repaired on site, but Allen’s—wearing over 300 pounds—was taken to Brown’s shop for more extensive repair. A special epoxy was used to reconnect the broken pieces.
“This particular marble is pretty porous and very stained after all the years of fungus growth,” Brown said. “We used a cleaning solution on the stones to remove the stains and growth. Mahala Greene’s monument was not damaged, but the obelisk stone had fallen off the marble base. We used a sealer material between the two pieces to bond them back together.”
“I was thrilled when John came by the museum,” director Rick Godley said. “The Sesquicentennial Committee wanted to see this happen since this is the 150th anniversary of Allen Greene’s bill creating the parish. We expected to have to raise funds to pay a professional to repair and remount the stones, restoring them to their original appearance as much as possible.”
“Before we received the first check, that professional walked in the door and offered to do it for free.”
“I am pleased with how they turned out considering the age of the marble,” Brown said. “I hope everyone is pleased with the results. We appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this project.”
Museum members also worked on cleaning other markers in the Greene plot and improving its appearance.
$2 ice cream scoops with a smile were served to 520 participants in the annual Scoops N’ Smile event hosted by Glen View Elementary second graders.
The students operated their own ice cream shop at the school from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on April 19 raising around $1,200 and serving 460 bowls of donated Blue Bell ice cream.
The event is an enrichment project teaching students the “behind the scenes” of running a business.
Hanna Doss, Glen View Elementary second grade enrichment teacher and project director, spoke about the importance of teaching students about money management at a young age.
“Now, more than ever, families are feeling the burden of rising economic cost, making budgeting a very important skill to incorporate into our business lesson,” said Doss.
Two weeks prior to the event, second graders practiced counting money while learning the difference between selling goods and offering a service.
“Budgeting helps kids grasp that money is limited,” said Doss. “They will have to make choices about when to save and what to spend.”
One week was spent solely on advertising the business including making pamphlets, posters, creating slogans and filming commercials.
“Even though these students are only 7 or 8 years, they can aspire and dream of starting or running a business one day,” said Doss. “Running and owning a business sounds fun and exciting, and it definitely can be, but behind all that fun and money making will be lots of hard work.”
Next up, students will head to Walmart to see which team can purchase the most nonperishable goods for Christian Community Action.
Brandi Whitlock, a parent of one of the students, commented on the necessity of teaching kids to reinvest the money.
“Not only are they getting to learn about what it takes to run a business and budget money, but they are also giving back to the community by using the funds they earn to buy items for Christian Community Action,” said Whitlock.
Special thanks were requested to be given to Meredith Whitaker, Glen View Elementary assistant principal, and Lauren Hull, Glen View Elementary ELA coach, who were both former enrichment teachers who helped guide Doss through her first Scoops N’ Smile enrichment project.
William Parkerson served as an assistant coach at Cedar Creek from 2011 through 2018. (Photo by Darrell James)
by Malcolm Butler
If the early feedback is any indication, Cedar Creek may have just landed their man.
With Monday’s announcement of the hiring of William Parkerson as the Cougars head football coach, the reaction on social media from former players and current parents has been overwhelmingly positive.
Parkerson’s seven-year connection to Cedar Creek affordable him the ability to make an impression on the school, its students and plenty of parents and alums. That impression must have been pretty impactful.
“When the young alumni who played football or ran track under Coach Parkerson speak so strongly in support of him then I think it shows his past success and ability,” said Scott Hill, who is the father of four Cedar Creek students or former students, including daughter Caroline who was coached by Parkerson in track and field. “Not only has he shown the ability to lead offenses and defenses, but he has shown the ability to build young men. I think that is what every coach wants, even beyond the W’s. With the outpouring of support from young Cougar alumni he coached before, I think it clearly illustrates he has the skills to lead the Cougar program.”
Stephen Taylor, who coached alongside Parkerson on Ben Haddox’s staff from 2011 through 2013, agrees.
“Not only as an alumni but as a parent that has a son at Cedar Creek, it’s encouraging to see Coach Parkerson back at the school,” said Taylor. “I’ve coached with him and he’s as good as it comes, not only in X’s and O’s, but in developing young men to be successful in life.”
To impress parents and colleagues is one thing. And it’s important.
However, sometimes the biggest critics of coaches are the players themselves. Parkerson must have made a strong and lasting impression with the young men he coached during his time at Cedar Creek from 2011 through 2018.
Many of those Cougar alums feel strongly the school made the right hire.
“He gives any team he’s coaching the competitive edge,” said former Cougar Jace Moss. “His players buy into his plan. There’s no coach I trusted more than Coach Parkerson. I can’t wait for this group to get the same level leadership he gave me.”
During his time on Haddox’s staff, the Cougars posted an impressive mark of 57-26 with six playoff appearances, including four quarterfinal appearances and semifinal runs in 2013 and 2016.
Based on much of the feedback from his former players, his ability to build relationships is one of Parkerson’s strengths.
“Coach P will be successful because his care for athletics and the kids is genuine, and you feel that as his athlete,” said former Cougar Tripp Marcus. “To this day I’ve never been around a coach that works as relentlessly as he does. I credit the competitor I am as a college athlete to all the time I spent under him.”
“If Coach P can get the players on board with the backyard dog mentality, then they will be successful,” said former Cougar Aaron Clark. “Coach P taught us players to play with no fear and at 100 mph. Anyone that has played for Coach P knows that he despises losing more than he enjoys winning. The bond that coach P had with my senior class (2016) was incredible.”
Only time will tell what kind of impact Parkerson will make the second time around. However, many Cougar alums have little doubt it will be a positive and lasting one.
“This is the best decision Cedar Creek has made in football since hiring Ben Haddox as head coach (in 2010),” said Clark.
A Grambling man was arrested Saturday after Ruston Police responded to a “rolling domestic call.”
Officers responded to the area of McDonald Avenue and South Farmerville Street regarding Emorris K. Brantley driving a stolen Volkswagen Jetta. Brantley was located on McDonald Avenue and attempted to flee on foot before he was stopped by use of a TASER.
After he was taken into custody, the victim said Brantley had taken her Honda Accord without her permission. She said she entered the vehicle and argued with Brantley after he returned to her residence.
The victim said Brantley put his hands around her throat and squeezed, restricting her breathing. She said he then left the Accord and entered her grandmother’s Volkswagen Jetta. The victim said she followed Brantley and remained on the phone with police until he was apprehended.
A records check showed that Brantley was wanted on four warrants–one for failure to appear in Ruston City Court for no driver’s license, one from Third District Court for failure to appear on a simple battery charged, and two held by Ruston Police for domestic abuse battery with child endangerment and no driver’s license.
Brantley, 20, was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for battery of a dating partner, unauthorized use of a vehicle, theft of a motor vehicle, resisting an officer, disturbing the peace, driving under suspension, and the four warrants. Bail was set at $38,000.
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.
Local independent Christian artists in Lincoln Parish may find themselves very busy this weekend.
First coming to Lincoln Parish Friday, April 28, will be the Inaugural Juneteenth Contest for indie gospel artists at Mt. Harmony Baptist Church from 7 pm to 9 p.m., while on Saturday, April 29, the Indie Christian Hip Hop Showcase will be hosted inside the Favrot Student Union Black and Gold Room on the campus of Grambling State University with doors opening at 5 p.m.
For the Inaugural Juneteenth Contest, local gospel soloists, groups, duets, instrumentalists are invited to try out. The contestant that has the highest score will advance to the finals on Friday, June 16, at Zion Traveler Baptist Church. The winner will get to open for the Juneteenth concert on Saturday, June 17, which will feature 11 time Stellar Award Winner and Dove Award Nominated Pastor Mike Jr, Stellar and Dove Award Nominated Kelontae Gavin and Grammy and Image Award Nominated James Fortune.
The winner will also receive $1000, national interviews and an opportunity to get their project promoted on The New Artist Profile with Tony, which is an award winning international independent artist gospel radio show. Those interested can register by going to ziontravelercdc.com.
“This year we wanted to do something new to involve folks in our area who have aspirations to break into the industry,” Pastor Maurice White said of the Inaugural Juneteenth Contest. “Lincoln Parish has some great talent and this contest gives the people of our community the opportunity to showcase what they can do. We have exceptional talent coming from all over the south to try out. It will really be exciting watching everyone compete. The tryout this weekend is centered around the people of Lincoln Parish and then the next two weeks artists from all over will come to tryout.”
Santoria Black, who will be hosting the Indie Christian Hip Hop Showcase, is also excited about the opportunities available to local artists to showcase their respective musical talents.
“This is a great opportunity for the citizens of our community and for all those who aspire to go to the next level in Gospel Music,” Black said. “We want to give independent gospel artists a chance to experience being on the big stage and sharing the stage with some of the biggest names in the Gospel industry.
“And for Saturday, this is the first time that north Louisiana has seen a tour like this come through the area. It’s a great opportunity to expose our Lincoln Parish community to a showcase like this. It’s ground breaking for our area.”
For Saturday’s Indie Christian Hip Hop Showcase, it will be one of two opportunities for fans in North Louisiana to see the showcase, with a few of the artists hailing from right here at home.
“This is big for us to bring our showcase to such an historic place like Grambling State University,” general manager Vincent Ellis said. “We will be traveling over the south and to be able to have Grambling on the tour schedule is special. Some of our artists are from Louisiana so this is a coming home opportunity for them.”
Fans of the event will be able to enter free of charge after registering for a ticket here.
Authors and illustrators are invited to participate in the first Lincoln Literarium at the Library Events Center on May 6.
The event will include book signings, authors explaining and reading their work, and moderated discussion panels with authors describing their books, inspiration, and answering questions.
Writers can sign and sell their books and selected authors will give short summaries of one of their books.
Forty minute discussion panels will allow a group of authors to discuss their work, what inspires them to write, and the process they use. The audience will be able to ask questions of the panels.
This event is free to participants and attendees. Authors who wish to participate can fill out a form found at https://www.facebook.com/MyLPL/ or picked up at the library. The completed form can be emailed to jbolom@mylpl.org or dropped off at the library.
For more information, contact Library Director Jeremy Bolom at 318-513-5508 or jbolom@mylpl.org.
We called it the “lie-ba-rare-ry” or “lie-berry” but of course it’s properly The Library, and on this National Library Week we honor the place where each of us, in our hometowns and school houses, spent a large part of our formative years in this glorious building that held more fact and fiction than you could digest in a dozen lifetimes.
The Writer’s Almanac reminds me that the Library of Congress, or “Gramps” as all the other libraries call it, was founded this week in 1800. Had 964 books and nine maps.
Today, it’s a bit of a different ballgame, and if you work there, you best buckle your chinstrap. The Library of Congress has more than 17 million books now, plus recordings and art and lots of maps (like, way more than the original nine) and gets 15,000 new items each workday. They’ve got books like Hamlet had the crazies.
Speaking of, maybe the Library of Congress’s birth is why we celebrate this final week of April as National Library Week, but maybe it’s because the Bard of Avon and pretty good hand, William Shakespeare, is thought to have been born April 23, 1564, and for certain died on the same date, 52 years later, I forswear. He’s considered our greatest English dramatist and was also clever in the sonnet game:
Haply I think on thee, and then my state, Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate; For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Except for that one time you were mean to me
And I thought, “What the heck; I’ll go ahead and scorn.”
He was a handful, ol’ William was.
So when you go by your local library branch this week, maybe tip your cap to this magical place, a joint that has plenty for kids of all ages, a place that connects the community and shares internet for job seekers and self-educators, a rest stop for movie night and craft night and poetry readings, if such is your thing.
And books. If you haven’t read or listened to one lately, here are a few I’ve finished so far this year, and brief reviews, just to rattle your cage and get you to thinking.
Amor Towles was an investments pro in Manhattan for 20 years, writing on the side, and is now a fulltime novelist and thank goodness. He is a wizard of time and place, a handy vocabulary but not high-falutin’, and tremendous with characters. My favorite of his three books is A Gentleman in Moscow, about an aristocrat sentenced to life in a luxury hotel across from the Kremlin in 1920, soon to be a Showtime/Paramount series starring Ewan McGregor as Count Alexander Rostov, now one of my favorite fictional people.
The Lincoln Highway is about four boys in 1954 who mean to go to San Francisco and end up in New York, and Rules of Civility stars a wonderful female character, Katey Kontent, a normal girl thrown into high society in post-depression New York City. Doesn’t sound like much, but I wish I could read each of them again for the first time.
Did not enjoy Ghost Storyby Peter Straub, although it was a hit when released in 1979 and the movie (Fred Astaire and some other biggies were in it) was good, which is why I wanted to read it. Mistake.
Did not like The Haunting of Hill House, 1959, from Shirley Jackson (she wrote the short story The Lotterythat we all read in high school). I wish Hill House had been only a short story.
And didn’t enjoy Fahrenheit 451, the 1953 classic by Ray Bradbury. It’s about banning books and so in the current climate, I thought I’d catch up. Instead, I wish I’d have banned myself from reading it. No doubt it was timely, though, 70 years ago.
More fiction I did like was Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, speaking of catching up, as this is the Stephen King short story, more of a novella, that the movie is based on. The movie is better but the story, of justice and hope and friendship and humanity, is just so good.
Stoner by John Williams didn’t get a lot of raves in 1965 when released but it is beautifully written “academic” or “campus” novel about a farm boy who becomes an English professor and comes to terms with a life that didn’t go as he’d planned. And why I’ve felt recently like reading novels 60 years old is a mystery even to my own personal self.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (2022) starring a talking octopus named Marcellus (or at least he shares his thoughts) is about how we are better together, whether we have two arms or whether we have eight.
Out of room, so, suggested non-fiction I’ve read this year, and would recommend each, depending on your interests.
The Storyteller’s Nashville by Tom T. Hall, if you like Tom T. Hall.
Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story, by Rick Bragg, if you like Jerry Lee Lewis or are just interested in a fellow Louisianan.
Killer Triggers and I Will Find You, by Joe Kenda, the Colorado detective who became famous through TV’s Homicide Hunters. If you’re a fan, you might prefer the audio versions; he narrates them.
Something Wonderful: Rogers and Hammerstein by Todd Purdum; this bureau has a fascination with musical theatre.
On Writing by Stephen King. His wife pulled the draft of Carrie out of the trash and suggested he keep trying so …
And finally, enjoyed To Wake the Giant, Pearl Harbor historical fiction by Jeff Shaara, a longtime pro in the war arena, and Unsinkable, which is not fiction but is the real thing about five men aboard the World War II destroyer USS Plunkett, and especially their “problem” that day at Anzio. Studs.
Happy reading or listening, and happy National Library Week. Got anything to share?
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu or Twitter@MamaLuvsManning
Louisiana Tech faculty, staff, and students celebrated with incoming students and their parents as 122 of the region’s high schoolers pledged to join the University’s College of Engineering and Science (COES) Class of 2027 at Commitment Day 2023.
COES applicants who earned qualifying scores on the ACT attended the seventh annual Commitment Day event this spring at the Integrated Engineering and Science Building (IESB) on Tech’s Ruston campus. There, they took placement exams and met with Tech faculty and leaders from around campus, including officers from student organizations and other students from their chosen majors.
Each of the attendees signed a pledge to pursue a degree in one of 14 majors at Tech: biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, construction engineering technology, cyber engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, instrumentation and control systems engineering technology, mathematics and statistics, mechanical engineering, nanosystems engineering, and physics.
They received COES and Tech gear, took photos with COES faculty, and celebrated their academic accomplishments at a reception with their families.
The 2023 COES Commits:
Biomedical Engineering
Olivia Broussard – Alexandria
Mason Bruns – Baton Rouge
Paige Corn – Warren, Texas
Mason Eslick – Austin, Texas
Garett Garner – Bossier City
Emerson LeDoux – Eunice
Theresa Schmidt – McKinney, Texas
Dathan Trant – Monterey
Jaden Underwood – Gonzales
Chemical Engineering
Reupena Albert – Baton Rouge
Spencer Authement – Denham Springs
Carter Cornelius – Zachary
Nicole Guidry – Lockport
Ty Himel – Sulphur
Molly Kern – Raceland
Cohen Lakey – Prairieville
Emily Norcross – Geismar
James Poole – Lafayette
Reese Shaw – Benton
Sydney Skinner – Lafayette
Kameron Williams – Deridder
Chemistry
Hayden Bishop – French Settlement
Beau Dupuy – Prairieville
Alyssa Ewing – Lafayette
Quincy Franklin – Alexandria
Cody Lyons – Lake Charles
Natalie Remedies – Starks
Civil Engineering
Brennan Armstrong – Shreveport
Barrett Burget – Ferriday
Isabella Cockerham – Baton Rouge
Gavin Davis – Aimwell
Jackson Dial – Ida
Grant Felton – Prairieville
Raymond Godail – Houma
Lillian Land – Lockport
Lauren Poole – Winnfield
Dru Thatcher – Shreveport
Gavin Thomas – West Monroe
Computer Science
Ashton Alston – Dequincy
Maygoal Behbahani – Ruston
Amanda Berg – Ruston
Lane Boughton – Haughton
James Burson – Zachary
Johannah Butter – Hessmer
Elijah Catlin – Gonzales
Samuel Cook – Broussard
Alan Dreher – Bossier City
Trent Dufour – Ruston
Robert Duncan – Pearland, Texas
Tess Gardner – Birmingham
Liam Hargrove – Sulphur
Isaac Ingalls – Woodworth
Cullen Johnson – Shreveport
Kylie Kleam – Alba, Texas
Thomas Meguess – Slidell
Hayden Miller – Bossier City
Eliot Norris – Slaughter
Euan Powell – Benton
Jacob Still – Shreveport
Aiden Sweet – Stonewall
Andrew Worsham – Cypress, Texas
Construction Engineering Technology
Mitchell Gore – Benton
Cyber Engineering
Jeffrey Barker – Baton Rouge
Colin Bass – Luling, Texas
Colin Campbell – Minden
John Ewing – El Dorado, Arkansas
William Ford – Bossier City
Caden Gardner – Baton Rouge
Ned Hammatt – St. Francisville
Jacob James – Deridder
Brandon Jones – Denham Springs
Penny Maldonado – Baton Rouge
Electrical Engineering
Wesley Bynog – Haughton
David Erny – Lafayette
Michael Frazier – Shreveport
Margaret Gilmore – Ruston
William Kessler – Baton Rouge
Rush Phipps – Bossier City
Carter Theriot – Cut Off
Industrial Engineering
Roy Bennett – Dubach
Amelia McDaniel – Rockwall, Texas
Cody McLendon – Shreveport
Mathematics
Billy Deroche – Zachary
Mechanical Engineering
Ferdinand Bezue – Hammond
Abigail Brunet – Houma
Conner Burley – Magnolia
Ashton Cockerham – Winnfield
Liam Connell – Madisonville, Texas
Jordan Crum – White Oak, Texas
Joshua Crum – White Oak, Texas
Sahej Dhillon – Prairieville
Cameron Dupre – Geismar
Hailey Egnew – Livingston
Zachary Evans – Slidell
Andrew Faulkner – Prairieville
Porter Furniss – Baton Rouge
Matthew Guilbault – Mandeville
Jimmy Hall – Beebe, Arkansas
Noah Haney – El Dorado, Arkansas
Nicholas Hollis – Bossier City
Jacob Holy – Houston
Ethan Isaksen – Bossier City
Matthew Lemoine – New Orleans
Andrew Maestrini – Dubach
Andrew Miletello – Baton Rouge
Donaven Mooney – Bossier City
Christian Orozco – Bossier City
Eric Plauche – Zachary
Andrew Riemann – Katy, Texas
Caleb Self – Westlake
Mason Skipper – Ruston
Michael Spurlock – Ruston
Taylor Terrell – LaPlace
Joshua Thorson – Dubach
Kaden Victor – Winnfield
Luke Vining – Shongaloo
Gavin Wilcox – Paulina
Nathan Wilson – Stonewall
Seth Woods – Lake Charles
Coleman Zeringue – Lake Charles
Nanosystems Engineering
Parker Burckel – Lacombe
Sameer Chawki – Slidell
Invited students who didn’t have the opportunity to travel to campus but would like to officially commit to a program within the College of Engineering and Science will be able to participate in a virtual commitment ceremony. For more information, contact Brandy McKnight at McKnight@LATech.edu.
Annie Jones (center) recorded a personal record throw of 125 feet, 5 inches to win the javelin at the regional track meet Monday. (Courtesy Photo)
By Malcolm Butler
Cedar Creek saw seven individuals and one relay team qualify for the state track and field meet with their performances Monday at the North Louisiana Regional 1A meet held at Ouachita Christian School in Monroe.
Head coach Craig Moss said he was pleased with the overall results of the Cougars and Lady Cougars.
“I am extremely excited,” said Moss. “Honestly for the numbers we have out there, we had a great showing. I was elated for those who qualified for state and I was heart-broken for those who just came up short. But they all competed and represented our school with class.”
On the boys side, Myles Carpenter Head won the title in both the 1600-meters and 3200-meters with times of 4:53.40 and 10:53.34, respectively. Cole Morganthall won the pole vault event with a jump of 10-feet, 6-inches, while John Abram Earle set a PR and finished third in the 800-meters with a time of 2:14.73. All three young men will advance to the state meet.
On the girls side, Louisiana Tech signee Annie Jones won the javelin with a personal record best of 125-feet, 5-inches. Madison Morris (800-meters — 2:29.78 PR) and Caroline James (1600-meters — 5:44.80) both finished second in their respective events while the duo joined Taylor Ramsey and Jones to lead the Creek 4×400-meter relay team to a runner-up finish with a time of 4:21.16.
Ashlyn Bourn also qualified for state by finishing third in the discus with a throw PR mark of 101-feet.
The state meet will be held on LSU’s campus on Thursday, May 4.
A number of other Cedar Creek athletes competed Monday, including:
TheGrambling State University baseball team erased an early 2-0 deficit on Tuesday afternoon, motoring past Alcorn State 16-7 en route to it’s 14th Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) win of the season to remain perched atop the Western Division.
The Tigers improved to 19-20 overall and 14-4 in the SWAC. Alcorn State fell to 6-30 and 3-15 in conference.
Tiger Borom had a three-hit outing , going 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored. Keanu Jacobs-Guishard and Jose Vargas also put together multi-hit games, with Jacobs-Guishard going 2-for-4 and Vargas going 3-for-4 with three RBI and a double.
Grambling State racked up 12 hits as a team and took advantage of five errors by the Braves.
Alcorn State put pressure on the Tigers early, loading the bases on three walks with one out. Back-to-back RBI singles gave the Braves a 2-0 lead. Michael Mims replaced Jacorery Boudreaux on the mound and retired the next two batters to end the inning.
GSU got a run back in the the top of the second on a sacrifice fly by Vargas. In the the third inning, a two-RBi triple by Cameron Bufford put the Tigers in front 3-2. Bufford scored on a wild pitch, making it a 4-2 game.
After the Braves added a run in the bottom of the frame, Grambling State began to distance themselves in the fourth. After Keylon Mack drew a leadoff walk, and a single from Jacobs-Guishard, Vargas ripped a two-RBI double to right field, putting the Tigers in front 5-3. A sacrifice bunt Kyle Walker and a sac fly from Trevor Hatton, stretched GSU’s advantage to 7-3.
The Tigers tacked on five more runs in the fifth inning, extending its lead to 12-3.
Alcorn State State cut the gap 12-6 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.
GSU grew the lead to 13-6 in the seventh on a solo homer from Trey Ware, his second long ball of the year. Aries Gardener drove a run home on a grounder in the eighth inning. A bunt single by Borom made it 15-6 Tigers.
Leading 15-7 in the top of the ninth, Lamarcus Jones stroked a triple down the right field line. Nasir Frederick brought him home on a grounder to to second base, for the final score of the afternoon.
Mims (1-0) earned the win in a relief role for the Tigers. Mims surrendered one run on two hits with a strikeout and four walks.
Lauren Menzina tossed 4.0 scoreless innings to pick up her fifth win of the year as Tech defeated Grambling State 3-0. (photo by Kelsey Chanler)
By Malcolm Butler
It had been three weeks since junior Lauren Menzina had seen action for Louisiana Tech.
Tuesday night she got a chance and she made the most of it.
The former Cedar Creek star tossed 4.0 scoreless innings in relief, allowing just two hits (both coming with two outs in the top of the 7th) while striking out a career-high six batters to help lead the Lady Techsters (30-18) to a 3-0 win over Grambling State (27-17) Tuesday night at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
It was the seventh straight win for the Lady Techsters (30-18) and the 12th shutout of the year by the Tech pitching staff.
Menzina’s effort impressed her coach.
“Lauren was really, really good tonight,” said head coach Josh Taylor. “Really good. Her stuff was hard and down in the zone. She really controlled the game in her four innings. That really excites me. We are going to need everyone down the stretch if we want to accomplish our goals. And it was exciting to see Lauren throw so well tonight.”
Emma Hutchinson got the start in the circle. Hutchinson threw 3.0 shutout innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four batters.
Hutchinson and Menzina (5-0) kept the Lady Tigers at bay and allowed the Tech offense to finally wake up in the bottom of the fourth inning.
“We were bad offensively tonight,” said Taylor. “We weren’t aggressive at all early. Very passive. I think sometimes our hitters aren’t as aggressive early as they need to be. We’ve talked about it for weeks. I just wasn’t very happy with our approach at the plate most of the night.”
Sierra Sacco led the bottom of the fourth off with a walk and moved to second on a line drive single by Amanda Gonzalez to left field. Kylie Neel then followed with a double down the left field line that was just out of the reach of the GSU leftfielder, scoring Sacco with the first run of the game.
“Kylie has really been swinging well,” said Taylor of the reigning C-USA Hitter of the Week. “I thought her approach was good tonight. She continues to really lead us at the plate. She is attacking pitches in the zone and looking to do damage with every swing.”
After KB Briley laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners, Katelin Cooper hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to plate Gonzalez with the second run of the inning.
Hutchinson and Menziina combined to retire 12 straight batters at one point of the game before an infield error allowed the GSU leadoff batter aboard in the sixth.
Tech added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning as Neel doubled with two outs and then scored on an RBI double by pinch hitter Aleya Hill to left field.
Grambling State tried to rally in the seventh, recording back-to-back single with two outs but Menzina induced a ground ball to Gonzalez at shortstop to end the game.
Janecia King allowed just three runs on six hits while striking out two in the complete-game performance for the Lady Tigers.
Tech will host C-USA leader Charlotte Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
A day after struggling on the finishing holes, the Louisiana Tech golf team had a strong ending to its round two on Tuesday, catapulting the Bulldogs into a tie for second through 36 holes at the 2023 Conference USA Men’s Golf Championship.
LA Tech shot +6 as a team on the final three holes in round one. That was definitely not the case in round two as the Bulldogs shot -4 to finish the day shooting 287 (-1), jumping one spot up on the leaderboard to be in a tie with Charlotte at +7 going into the third and final round of stroke play.
The top four teams will move on to match play which starts Thursday
The ‘Dogs, who are three strokes back of the leader Middle Tennessee, needs to finish in the top four at the end of round three to qualify for Match Play on Thursday. UAB, who LA Tech is paired with tomorrow, is in fourth at +12 while North Texas is in fifth at +13.
After not having his round count on day one, Thomas Henson was the lead Bulldog on day two. The junior went from shooting a 79 (+2) with zero birdies in round one to carding a 70 (-2), which tied for the fourth lowest score of the day at the Texarkana Country Club.
Another bounce-back performance came from fifth-year senior James Swash who shot 71 (-1), a round that saw him finish with three straight birdies on holes 16, 17, and 18. He is currently tied for fourth individually at 146 (+2), just three strokes back of first.
Both Hunter Battles and Will Patrick improved in round two as well, shooting 73 (+1) apiece. Patrick is right Swash for the team lead at 147 (+3), which puts him in a tie for 11th individually. Battles shaved five strokes off his round one score, sinking five birdies in round two including three in the final five holes.
Despite shooting a 78 (+6), Lake Juban is tied with teammate Patrick and four others for 11th individually at 147 (+3).
LA Tech will be paired up with UAB for the third and final round of stroke play today. The first Bulldog tees off at 8:40 a.m. CT.
The LINKS Players Fellowship of Squire Creek held its inaugural Louisiana Links Open at Squire Creek in Choudrant, La., on Monday.
The goal of the event was to raise awareness for the many ministries in North Louisiana that are dedicated to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout this community.
Every Wednesday, the LINKS Fellowship of Squire Creek gathers to pray together, share a devotional, and find ways to affect change, not just on the course, but throughout our homes, communities and to the ends of the earth.
A LINKS Player’s Mission
Love God and others
Integrate Christ’s reign and integrity into all of life
Network friends together in Christ
Kindle compassion for the poor and needy
Share Christ through the game of golf
To learn more about the mission of a LINKS Players Fellowship, visit linksplayers.com
We strongly encourage your support of these ministries that are changing the conversation in the community:
Backpack Program – Boys and Girls Club – Boys Scouts of America – Girl Scouts of America – Baptist Collegiate Ministry – Buddy Ball – Cedar Creek Key Club – Christian Community Action – DART – Kiwanis of Ruston – Gospel Inc. – LA Tech & Grambling – Circle K Clubs – Life Choices – Life House – Lunch on Us – Med Camps of Louisiana – Sheriff’s Community Services – Temple Baptist WinShape Camps – Piney Hills Advocacy Center – Rolling Hills Disaster Unit – Rotary of Ruston – Ruston Civic Guild – Pilots for Patients– Ruston HS Key Club- Ruston-Lincoln Community Foundation – Louisiana Adult & Teen Challenge – Terrific Kids Program – Weekend of the Cross – Wesley Foundation – YoungLife – Temple Men’s Retreat – Temple’s Women’s Retreat
To see the LINKS Fellowship “Thank You” post, please click here.
