Property concerned the chief orders of business Thursday night as the Grambling City Council held its monthly meeting at the Community Room of City Hall.
Grambling’s City Council approved rolling over the previous year’s property tax millage rate while also hearing construction of a new 107-home subdivision to be developed just east of the new Lincoln Preparatory School property during that meeting.
“Every year the millages have to be adopted for the property tax rolls to be prepared. The millages are the same. They haven’t gone up. But they have to be adopted every year,” said City Clerk Pamela Stringfellow.
A millage is the tax rate that applies in the calculation of a specific property tax levy expressed in tenths of a penny as opposed to percentages.
Grambling’s City Council also learned that it won’t be long until new property owners will be included on those property rolls.
Project engineer Donnie Barker of Mohr & Associates in Shreveport told Grambling’s City Council that Rhodes Properties and Development is ready to begin construction on The Traditions, a 46-acre subdivision that will consist of 1,800- to 2,000-square foot single family homes on quarter-acre lots.
Barker said the project is ready to begin after around a year’s worth of consideration and thinking that has ended up with construction now planned to be done in two phases.
“This plan was before the Planning and Zoning Board last year,” Barker said. “It’s the same plan. But at that time we had planned to build the whole thing at one time, but now we’re phasing the project. So the subdivision plats have changed just a little bit, just because of phasing it in with two plats.”
Barker said he’d be at the Planning & Zoning Board’s May 15 meeting to present an update saying the project, which was approved by the P&Z Board last year, is set to begin construction.
“Once we get the approvals and permits back we’ll be ready to get started on Phase I,” Barker said.
Barker said the project will begin with infrastructure work with roads, water and sewer systems and underground utility lines would be done first.
“The plan is to do all of the dirt work in this first phase,” Barker said. “So they’re committed to the whole development – the whole subdivision. It’s just easier selling lots to phase to phase the lots so we’re doing it in two phases.
Barker said that because the project has been planned for so long, the group has worked with Lincoln Preparatory School and others in planning a new force sewer main and lift station to ensure the new subdivision will not overload the sewer system and that fire hydrants will be installed every 500 feet throughout The Traditions.
Plans include two ponds for the covenanted subdivision that Barker said would not be too close to any homes and that would be maintained by a homeowners association.
In other business, Grambling’s City Council heard an update from Juneteenth Committee secretary Deidra Dunbar and also recognized the Grambling State University Cheer Squad for becoming the first historically Black college and university team to win the Co-Ed National Championship on April 8 in Orlando, Florida, presenting longtime coach Terry Lilly with a plaque for his years of service to the Grambling community.
I received a letter from a reader last week concerning my article. In that article, I stated that I coordinated and facilitated a group for convicted batterers. This concerned reader stated that he or she did not believe that this group was a good idea. It was stated that all activities and resources should be directed toward the victim, or survivor of the abuse as it is referred to now. This is a debate that has been stirring in the helping community and governmental funding agencies for some time now.
Even as a diplomat for this type of group, I am completely in support of as much funding as possible going to agencies such as D.A.R.T., The Wellspring (formerly the Y.W.C.A.), and churches that specialize in helping survivors of domestic abuse and the effects of this horrible epidemic. And it is an epidemic! This is an issue that has so many repercussions in the community and definitely in the family. Not only in the current family that it might be happening in, but families for generations. At one time this region of Louisiana (Northeast) had the highest murder rate per capita due to domestic violence in the country. That is not a typo. We out-ranked cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. Doesn’t feel so great to be at the top does it?
It is because of the widespread destruction of this issue that I stand strong that we have to attack it from both sides. We must inform and empower as many people as possible who are surviving abuse, but we also have to change the behaviors of those who have been convicted or admitted to perpetrating these actions. Changing these behaviors is so important because of one simple fact. These men or women, in a small amount of cases, are going to get into another relationship. They are not going to quit dating or refrain from another relationship because they were either caught or are struggling with these issues. This means that society just trades one violent situation for another. Doesn’t make much sense does it?
You would be surprised to know that much of the behaviors that occur during a domestic violence relationship are just that, behaviors. The best way to remedy these is by teaching new behaviors. In the five years of running this group, I could not tell you how many times that I heard one of the participants say, “I didn’t know that it could be done that way. That seems like it will work.” And through that realization and practice, a new behavior is birthed. This behavior is one that does not attempt to control or dampen the emotions of their partner. These behaviors might even repair the relations and emotions of the survivors of the actions in the first place. Isn’t a better quality of life for those survivors and everyone involved the goal anyway?
To the person who might still be stuck on the notion that once someone has been convicted or admitted of these crimes, they should be ostracized or left out of the realm of rehabilitation, I ask that you do some soul searching and ask yourself if just because someone makes a mistake, they should be ostracized without hope. Groups and programs like this should definitely be an option if their new behaviors are to be a benefit to others. A scarlet “DV” is not the answer for anyone.
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One of the new features we are implementing in this article is to take article ideas from the readers. This would be a great way for readers to get questions about general topics answered by a professional. We will do our best to cover every topic throughout the year. You can submit your topic ideas by email , counselorbrandon1@gmail.com, or send them in writing to Faith in the Family, 200 South Trenton Street, Ruston, LA, 71270. For more specific individual topics, please take a risk and call for an appointment.
The 2023 Conference USA Softball Championship bracket has been set as Louisiana Tech will be the No. 7 seed and face sixth-seeded Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, May 10 at Noon at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
The winner of the matchup will advance to the double-elimination pool and face North Texas at 5 p.m. on the same day.
The Lady Techsters will be hosting the event for the first time since joining the league in 2014. Tech lasted hosted a conference tournament in 2013 when they were members of the WAC.
Coverage for all games leading up to the championship game will be available through ESPN+, with the title game set to air on CBS Sports Network.
Tickets Fans wishing to purchase tickets to the tournament can do so by calling the Louisiana Ticket Office at 318-257-3631 or by going to LATechSports.com/tickets. Single-day and tournament passes are available.
Conference USA Tournament Schedule
Wednesday, May 10 12 p.m. No. 7 LA Tech vs. No. 6 Middle Tennessee 2:30 p.m. No. 8 FIU vs. No. 5 WKU 5 p.m. No. 3 North Texas vs. winner of 6/7 7:30 p.m. No. 4 FAU vs. winner of 5/8
Thursday, May 11 12 p.m. No. 2 UAB vs. UNT or 6/7 2:30 p.m. No. 1 Charlotte vs. winner of FAU or 5/8 5 p.m. Game 7 7:30 p.m. Game 8
Friday, May 12 12 p.m. Game 9 2:30 p.m. Game 10 5 p.m. Game 11
Play golf with longtime Ruston resident Mike Walpole, and you can only assume that he’s been a scratch golfer for his entire life.
And after his third place finish in the Super Senior Division at the Louisiana Golf Association Amateur at Tamahka Trails in Marksville, La., where he shot 73 on Thursday, April 27, and 75 on Friday, April 28, his commitment to the game clearly shows.
“I’ve played in this league for the last three years,” Walpole said. “It’s the best golfers basically in your age range across the state; it’s a good way to gauge where you are in relation to other golfers in the state.
“I really enjoyed it. It’s a tight course; you can’t spray the ball off the tee. Thankfully, I drove the ball well, and I was able to turn my drive both ways when I needed to.”
Hearing that and seeing his scores, again you’d assume that he’s had decades to perfect his game. Turns out, the 67-year-old only ten years ago decided to really start taking the game seriously.
“I started golf as a youngster, but I did not get serious about it until I was 57,” Walpole said. “Until then, I had only broken 80 three or four times.”
It was then that he started working on flexibility and more weights in order to improve. A couple of years later, Walpole took some lessons and started to really improve his score at his home course at Squire Creek. He credits the practice facilities and the staff at the course for helping his begin his journey from an 8-handicap to a .5.
Walpole’s trip to Marksville started on Wednesday, April 25, for a qualifying round and then the tournament on Thursday and Friday, April 26-27. Walpole’s age put him in the super-senior category of players 65 years and older.
And no gimmes or improving your lie: standard tournament rules applied, meaning the ball had to be in the cup on every hole.
Walpole certainly had a chance to win the tournament and acknowledged that a few three-putts on the final day of the tournament was what kept from finishing higher.
“You’d like to think you don’t have any three-putts,” Walpole said of the last day of competition.“
Already well-known for his successful architecture business, Mike loves spending time with his family, his grandkids, and when he can, the golf course as well,
And by playing the best golf of his life now, it means there is hope for some us of yet.
Walpole laughed at that in agreement. “Yes. It’s hope for everybody.”
Ruston Community Theatre has announced auditions for the upcoming show “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” directed by Dee Alexander, and sponsored by the Chumley family.
This contemporary take on the classic tale features Rodgers & Hammerstein songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” alongside an up-to-date libretto by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane.
The show dates will be July 20 – 23.
Available roles:
● Ella – otherwise known as Cinderella ● Topher – the prince ● Madame – Ella’s wicked step-mother ● Sebastian – Prince Topher’s Lord Chancellor and guardian ● Marie – a mysterious bag lady with a touch of magic ● Gabrielle – Ella’s step-sister ● Charlotte – Ella’s step-sister ● Jean-Michel – a young revolutionary ● Lord Pinkleton – Prince Topher’s second in command and herald. ● Ensemble: Forest Creatures, Footman, Coachman, Knights, Peasants, Serfs, Townspeople, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court, Giant, Griffin, Servants, etc.
The audition dates are Saturday, May 13 at 10 a.m. and Monday, May 15 at 6 p.m. at the Dixie Center for the Arts in Ruston.
Participants should prepare 24-36 bars of music to sing for the audition and be sure to bring the music or a prerecorded track. A bluetooth speaker with iPhone/iPad adaptor will be available. Also, prepare a 45-60 second comedic monologue to recite for memory.
Choudrant High School’s auditorium was filled with black and white pencil drawings made by students from eighth to twelfth grade.
Since this week was the last week for CHS seniors, they pitched the idea of displaying the artwork they made over the last two school years.
Reggie McLeroy, CHS art teacher, agreed for the seniors to show as many pieces as they wanted to and gathered the drawings.
“As an artist, everyone wants the world to see what they can do,” said McLeroy. “It gives them the opportunity to showcase their artwork for other people to see.” Middle school and high school classes were able to view the art during their lunch periods on Monday, May 1.
The show featured chosen artwork with pencil shading and detail that students made throughout the school year.
“I feel like their pencil work really shows creative ability and technique,” said McLeroy.
The talented art class was started by Christopher Jones, new CHS principal.
“One of my goals as the principal of Choudrant High School is to expand our arts programs,” said Jones. “My vision is to find an area of all students to excel and share their talent with the world.”
Parents were able to view the artwork from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a question and answer at the end.
“The work that the students did this year has generated a lot of excitement and interest in those areas,” said Jones.
Students were given the option to provide a brief statement about their chosen piece(s) and McLeroy hopes to continue to showcase student’s art.
Cedar Creek’s girls finished 6th and the boys 11th at the Class A state outdoor track and field meet at LSU. (Courtesy Photo)
By Malcolm Butler
Cedar Creek wrapped up its 2022-23 athletic season Thursday when the Lady Cougars finished 6th and the Cougars 11th in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class A State Outdoor Track and Field meet held at LSU.
The Lady Cougars were led by three podium finishes as Caroline James was the state runner-up in the 1,600m with a personal record time of 5:26.93, narrowly missing the state title by less than one second (Bradie Eppinette, St. Fred, 5:26.03).
Madison Morris also finished second in the 800m with a personal record best time of 2:26.81. The Creek 4x400m relay team comprised of James, Annie Jones, Taylor Ramsey, and Cara Beth Hill set a new school record and finished second with a time of 4:14.07. The Lady Cougars missed winning the state title in the event by the narrowest of margins (.01 seconds), finishing behind Louis S. McGehee High School (4:14.06).
Another pair of Lady Cougars just missed podium finishes as Louisiana Tech signee Annie Jones was 4th in the javelin throw with a personal record mark of 115 feet, 7 inches and Ashlyn Bourn finished 5th in the discus with a personal record mark of 96-feet, 2-inches.
On the boys side, Myles Carpenter totaled 14 points for the Cougars, finishing second in the 3200m with a time of 10:26.75 and third in the 1600m with a time of 4:49.48. Cole Morganthall just missed the podium in the pole vault, finishing fourth with a mark of 9 feet, 11.75 inches.
John Abram Earle finished eighth in the 800m with a personal record time of 2:16.55.
A pair of Lincoln Prep athletes represented the Panthers as Shedreana Green finished 7th in the girls shot put with a mark of 30-11.75 while Cenario Wilson finished 8th in the boys high jump with a mark of 5-10.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Ruston High School’s outdoor track and field season drew to a close over the weekend with the Lady Bearcats finishing 14th and the boys finishing 19th overall, with both teams scoring 11 points overall in a meet that saw multiple delays due to weather on the campus of Louisiana State University.
“I was very proud of the way our kids handled adversity and the many lightning delays at the State championship meet Saturday,” Ruston head coach Trey Smith said. “We had some spectacular performances to start off the day after the four hour delay with our Boys and Girls 4×800 meter relay squads finishing second in both races, respectively. After such a long morning and afternoon it was so exciting to see the sunshine back in the sky and great racing on the track at Bernie Moore Track Stadium.
“Throughout the day our kids competed hard and gained a lot of experience in many of their first outdoor championship races. Each race was such a joy to watch as it provided a culmination of all the work these great student-athletes had put in throughout the year.”
On the girls’ side, the 4×800 meter team of Lily Garrett, Parker Nations, Zoie Holstead and Sara Naff took second place overall with a time of 9 minutes, 42.63 seconds. Nations was also just two places shy of a podium finish in the 3200m at fifth place with a time of 11:40.46.
Garrett also finished sixth in the 800m at 2:26.63.
For the boys, the 4×800 meter team of Landon Byrd, Bryar Madden, Andrew McKaskle and Taylor Roller finished second at 7:58.80, Dylar Richmond took sixth in the 300m hurdles at 40.05.
Thomas Rogers also posted a pair of sixth place finishes in the 1600m and 3200m with times of 4:26.20 and 9:41.77, respectively.
Madden took a seventh place finish in the 800m at 1:58.88, while Aidan Anding took eighth in the long jump at 20 feet, 8.5 inches.
The 4×200 meter team of Richmond, Darius James, Jordan McWain and Kendrick Jones finished eighth at 1:28.61, while the 4×100 meter team of James, McWain, Jones and Dylone Brooks took ninth at 42.85.
Finally, the 4×400 team of Richmond, Madden, Roller and Jones finished ninth at 3:33.16.
For Smith and the team, it was also an emotional weekend with many Bearcats running for the last time in the Red and White.
“For our seniors there were a lot of smiles and tears knowing it was their last time to suit up for the Bearcats,” Smith said. “I’m so proud of the leadership and competitive spirit that our seniors Dylar Richmond, Jordan McWain, Kendrick Jones, Bryar Madden, Andrew McKaskle, and Lily Garrett displayed Saturday. I’m so excited to see them continue onto the next level in college. Our returning underclassmen are looking forward to many more trips to LSU to continue to make memories that will last a lifetime and exceed expectations in the future.”
Ruston Police arrested a local woman for her second DWI and other traffic charges Thursday morning.
About 9:30 a.m. Thursday, a Ruston store clerk reported a woman came into the store who appeared too impaired to drive. The clerk provided a description of the vehicle and direction of travel.
An officer spotted the vehicle on South Farmerville Street turning onto Cinnamon Lane. It was stopped and the officer detected the odor of alcoholic beverages on the driver. Janeicia Adams, 24, admitted to drinking prior to driving. She performed poorly on field sobriety tests.
A one-year-old child was found unrestrained in the back seat.
Adams was arrested and taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center where a breath test was administered. Her blood alcohol content was reportedly 0.217g%, over three times the legal limit for drivers in Louisiana.
A records check showed Adams had a previous DWI in 2017 and had never been issued a driver’s license. She was booked for second offense DWI, no driver’s license, excessive window tint, and no child restraint. Lincoln Parish Probation placed a hold on Adams for probation violation on a prior domestic abuse battery charge.
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.
Ruston High’s softball squad received some individual 2023 District 2-5A accolades over the weekend- four in total, with one first team, two second team and one honorable mention.
“I think we are in a tough district so that alone speaks volumes, but I also think show just what we’ve been talking about all year long,” Ruston head coach Lauren Garvie said. “Growth, growth as a program and growth as individual players. I’m incredibly proud of how these girls represent our program.”
Leading the way on the first team was first-team all-district utility player junior Cala Wilson, who pitched 94 and a third innings for the Lady Bearcats while tabulating 26 hits at 62 at bats, five of which were home runs.
On second team, both junior Murphy DeMoss and sophomore Morgan Foster were named for outfield and utility, respectively.
Rounding out for Ruston was sophomore Rilee Atwood named to honorable mention.
And while Garvie is appreciative of the girls who were honored by the district, she is also looking forward to the team awards, which are just a few more weeks away.
“I get to announce our personal team awards too and what teammates voted on for each other and several of these girls were represented again; however, a couple of more girls will be represented then,” Garvie added. “I’m excited to see just how much more these girls will do in the years to come as a program and team.”
Alumni, students, and friends of Grambling State University helped GSU shatter its fundraising goal during GSU’s recent second annual 1901 Day of Giving.
Organizers had targeted a goal of 1,000 gifts to be invested across six impact areas at the University — Academic Excellence, Access and Opportunity, Annual Fund, Presidential Priorities, Student Experience and Engagement, and Tiger Athletics.
What they received was 165% of that goal and $415,099 was raised overall.
Those numbers represented 1,648 total gifts — 93% of those giving were new donors.
“The global reach of the Grambling State University brand was evident and on full display during this year’s 1901 Day of Giving campaign,” said GSU Interim Vice President for University Advancement and Innovation. “Generous investments from GRAMFAM and friends of the University originated from nearly every state in North America as well as from regions of Africa and Europe. I am so grateful to every individual that played a role in securing critical resources for Grambling — thank you for answering the call to give.”
The average gift amount made to the university was $251.88, funding 32 student-centered projects.
A large donation from Urban Edge Network, LLC helped make this year’s 1901 Day of Giving the success it was.
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, May 8 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street) 7 p.m.: Spring choral concert (Howard Auditorium, Tech)
Tuesday, May 9 6 p.m.: Tech baseball v. ULL 7 p.m.: Lincoln Parish Police Jury meeting (Parish Courthouse) 7 p.m.: Spring Choral Concert (Louisiana Tech, Howard Auditorium)
Wednesday, May 10 C-USA Softball Championships 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
Thursday, May 11 C-USA Softball Championships 9:30 a.m.: Piney Hills Quilt Guild (Grace United Methodist Church) 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Lincoln Parish Job Fair (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center) 10 a.m.-closing: Blizzard Blitz (Ruston Dairy Queen) for Zeta Rho/Epsilon Sigma Alpha. Proceeds help a child attend Camp Able, sponsored by Easterseals and held at Camp Hardtner in Pollock 4 p.m.: Percussion ensemble concert (Howard Auditorium) 6 p.m.: Floral Design Class (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center) 7 p.m.: String area recital (Howard Auditorium, Tech)
Friday, May 12 C-USA Softball Championships 2 p.m.: School of Music Honors recital (Howard Auditorium, Tech) 6-8:30 p.m.: Dino Day at the Dixie 6 p.m.: Grambling baseball v. Arkansas – Pine Bluff 7 p.m.: Jazz ensemble concert (Howard Auditorium, Tech)
Saturday, May 13 C-USA Softball Championships 8:30-10 a.m.: Run Like a Girl 5k (418 Dan Reneau Dr.) 8:30-11:30 a.m.: Hazardous Waste Material Collection and Recycling (2609 Farmerville St.) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market 3 p.m.: Grambling baseball v. Arkansas – Pine Bluff
Sunday, May 14 Mother’s Day 1 p.m.: Grambling baseball v. Arkansas – Pine Bluff
Learning the top 10 timber tips helped local farmers and area residents to learn about best management practices, technical or financial assistance and sustainable forestry practices for trees.
The workshop was part of Trailblazer Tuesday, when the company, Trailblazer RC & D, travels to different parishes to present information and educate others.
Brittney Wells from the National Resources Conservation Service in Monroe office opened the recent event o offer some cost share services for landowners.
“We cover all genres from pasture to forest to wildlife,” said Wells. “We create a habitat for the future for wildlife and believe in improving the health of your timber overall.”
Ricky Kilpatrick, renowned timber expert, retired area forestry agent and LSU AgCenter extension service, spoke about his top tips to growing good timber.
“Timber basis can save you a tremendous amount of money and give value to your timbers,” said Kilpatrick.
Kilpatrick’s parents own 100 acres of land in Ouachita Parish where he practices keeping the land and timber to the highest quality.
One piece of advice especially helpful was in forming good relationships with neighbors and boundaries of land.
“Don’t assume your neighbor knows the old fence isn’t the real boundary line,” said Kilpatrick. “You can line t-posts every 20 feet, so a tree falling into the line won’t be a problem without wire there.”
Kilpatrick touched on ways to get rid of pesky hogs and create easy access, but most importantly he stressed for local landowners to hire a forestry consultant.
“The American Tree Farm’s website can show you how to find a consultant or become one,” said Kilpatrick. “When times are tough, they can make it good.”
The end of the event wrapped up with three door prizes given to those that attended through raffle tickets.
Up next, Kilpatrick plans to visit Bossier City to speak about tree troubles for yards and forests on May 9 at 6 p.m.
The LA Tech Bulldog Fishing Team was on the hunt for big Bbass.
The Red River was the scene of some intense fishing action on Friday, May 5 as collegiate anglers representing 19 states and 135 institutions competed in the 2023 Bassmaster College Series held in Natchitoches’ Red River Waterway Commission RV Park. The anglers enjoyed a day of perfect weather as they hunted for the best spot to reel in some big bass and climb the leaderboard at the first collegiate Bassmasters Tournament to be held in Natchitoches’ Grand Ecore RV Park.
Louisiana Tech was represented at the tournament by six anglers on three teams. The team of John Karisny and Brodie Paige garnered a two-day total of eight bass and a total weight of 10lbs 4 oz, finishing 85th on the leaderboard. Cooper Arthur and Luke Frankowicz landed 7 bass with a total weight of 8 lbs., 13 oz for 95th place. Stephen Bovia and Preston Madere earned a 99th place finish with 6 Bass and a total weight of 7 lbs. 15 Oz.
Patrice Tanner Lewis, born Patrice Jeannine Williams on January 31, 1938, was the daughter of the late Patrick Harold and Thelma Ione Vernon Williams and was the beloved sister of the late Albert Vernon and Richard Lee Williams. She departed this earthly life on Friday, May 5, 2023, at the age of 85.
She is survived by her daughter, Melodye Tanner of Dubach, Louisiana; a grandson, Justin Grant Barnes (wife Emily Wood Barnes) and 3 great grandchildren, Tanner, Grant, and “Emma” Barnes, of West Monroe, Louisiana. In addition to her immediate family, she is survived by several nieces, a nephew, and cousins. Patrice loved and adored her family second only to her love of God and counted numerous extended family members through her marriages and those of her grand-daughter-in-law as her own.
Upon graduation from Downsville High School, she married E. Wayne Tanner and made Choudrant her home for many years. She later married John C. Lewis and resided in West Monroe Louisiana where she was a member of First Baptist Church. She enjoyed a 34-year career in TV broadcasting at KNOE and made many life-long friendships. Patrice, “Pat,” went on in later life to earn a degree from ULM (formerly Northeast Louisiana University).
During her lifetime she was a freelance Political Campaign Consultant; served as a Charter member of the Young Republicans Club; State Director Public Relations, Louisiana AARP; 2 time President of the NLU Women’s Club; Board Member Our House/Safe Place; United Giver’s Fund; Quota Club, and participated as a member and officer of numerous other civic and charitable organizations.
She loved studying her Stovall family genealogy and was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Cooking was one of her favorite pastimes along with gardening and preserving her bounty for family and friends. Everyone was always welcome in her home for a short visit or an extended stay. She never met a stranger and was loved and appreciated by those who knew her for her quick wit, humor, and generous spirit.
As a woman of faith, “Pat” wished to have a celebration of the immortality promised to all by Christ. In lieu of flowers, the family would encourage you to make a contribution to the church of your choice. She would love to be remembered with recollections and stories that celebrate what was good and blessed in her life.
The family wishes to express a heartfelt thank you to the Savannah Grand Assisted Living employees, who took care of her, for their special friendship and dedication to her well-being; and a special thank you to the dedicated doctors, St. Francis medical staff, and Louisiana Hospice and Palliative Care for their abundant passion and loving care of Patrice Lewis during the last weeks of her life.
Funeral arrangements are under the care and direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home of Ruston, Louisiana. Visitation will be Tuesday, May 9, 2023, from 1:00-2:00 pm at Kilpatrick Funeral Home in Ruston with the service being held in their chapel at 2:00 pm. Interment will follow at Sibley Cemetery next to Alabama Presbyterian Church.
Funeral services for Ms. Terri Melinda “T” Haughton Fedrick were held Sunday, May 7 at New Prospect Church in Clay, La. with Rev. Danny McIlveene officiating. Burial followed in the New Prospect Cemetery in Clay under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston.
Terri was born February 2, 1953 at Lincoln General Hospital in Ruston to John B. and Margaret Haughton and passed away May 3, 2023 in Ruston after a brief illness in Ruston. She lived in the Ruston area for most of her life. Terri graduated from Ruston High School and then went on to graduate as Magna Cun Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Louisiana Tech University. She worked at several places after graduating from LA Tech and ended her career as the business office manager at Claiborne Parish School Board before retiring December 31, 2022. Terri loved spending time with her family and being “Meme” to her grandchildren. She also loved working in her flower pots at her tiny house and watching “The Chosen.” Terri was preceded in death by her parents; step-father Henry Worsham; maternal grandparents Grady and Emma Lee Leachman; paternal grandparents John Henry and Mary Elizabeth Haughton; and brother-in-law Billy Colvin.
Terri is survived by her son Benjamin Fredrick of Ruston; daughter Michelle and husband Phillip Walker of Quitman, LA; grandchildren: Rebecca Walker, Megan Walker, Lukas Bandy, Rachel Bandy and John Phillip Walker; brother John “Butch” Haughton and wife Chris of Ruston; sister Jann Colvin of Chattanooga, TN; brother Michael “Mike” Haughton and wife Louise of Choudrant, LA; sister Cathy and husband David Dewey of Baton Rouge, LA; nephews: Joe Colvin of Red Bank, TN, Johnny Haughton and wife Kim of Ruston and Matt Frechette and wife Stephanie; and numerous cousins, great-nephews and great-nieces.
Serving as pallbearers will be Benjamin Fedrick, Joe Colvin, Johnny Haughton, Matt Frechette, John Christopher Haughton and Cameron Haughton. Honorary pallbearers are Lukas Bandy and John Phillip Walker.
In lieu of flowers and gifts, donations may be made to New Prospect Church in Terri’s name: 2650 Riser Rd, Ruston, LA 71270.
While the talk of the town last weekend was the potential consolidation and closure of elementary schools in the Ruston school district of Lincoln Parish, a not-insignificant allotment of the bond that was proposed would have led to new construction and needed repairs to various athletic facilities for Ruston High School.
As previously by the Lincoln Parish Journal, Lincoln Parish Superintendent Ricky Durrett outlined on April 17 how Ruston High would have been able to repair damage to its baseball press box and stands, while also allowing for the construction of a multi-purpose covered facility where the grass “parking lot’ is located right next to Chick Childress Field House adjacent to Hoss Garrett Stadium.
For now, though, all plans have been put on hold as the question of funding these projects must now be answered before anything can move forward.
“We don’t have any plans right now,” Ruston High principal Dan Gressett said. “I’d like to revisit it, because this would be a great benefit for all of our kids. But this is going to have to be on the back burner for now.”
Ruston residents, of course, will remember the EF-3 tornado that tore through town on April 25, 2019 and the damage it wrought throughout areas of downtown as well as Louisiana Tech’s campus. A smaller tornado, however, came a couple of weeks later and damaged Ruston’s baseball field by knocking the outfield fence down and damaging the backstop.
Priority-wise, Ruston head football coach and athletics director Jerrod Baugh acknowledged that finding a way to repair the damage at the baseball field needs to be addressed sooner, rather than later, as fan safety could eventually become an issue.
“That’s something that needs immediate attention,” Baugh said. “There will need to be another plan for that, and it will need to be done soon. And at the end of the day, it’s going to take some money to do it.”
Having had time to process the results, Durrett echoed the importance of prioritizing repairs to the baseball field.
“We’ve got to figure out a way, maybe by doing some small things here and there, to fix the backstop at the baseball field,” Durrett said. “We’ve got a great facility there. We are trying to figure out our best option, and I think that’s going to be (using) some private and public funds together to try to get that done.”
And while the prospect of a multi-purpose covered facility was not quite as pressing as the repairs to the baseball stands, Baugh believes that should Ruston High be able to build one, it will get plenty of mileage from all of the outdoor sports on campus as well as from the spirit squads and band.
“I believe the multi-purpose facility would have been the most used one in the entire district,” Baugh said. “We have multiple coaches that are trying to practice on the field at the same time on any given day, and in the spring, it can rain and mess the field up.”
Still, though, spirits are high for Baugh and Gressett as the two recognize that even with facility construction plans halted for now, school and sports will still move forward as usual.
“Ruston has been an ‘A’ School, and we’ve been a really good school district for a long period of time without those additions,” Baugh said. “And we’ve had a lot of football seasons without these facilities. None of that will change.”
The Louisiana Peach Festival committee announced yesterday that the annual parade will not be able to take place due to the current downtown Ruston construction.
Main Street Director Amy Stegall said the issue was regarding safety for residents and parade goers.
“We had a conversation with the committee, emergency personnel and The Quota Club, who are the parade hosts, and with the amount of construction happening downtown, it just wasn’t feasible to keep everyone safe. That’s the bottom line,” she said. “But we have every expectation that we will have the parade next year.”
Stegall said new and ongoing events would take place at the June 3 event, including activities such as The Children Shoppe’s baby photo contest, the Green Clinic Pediatrics Diaper Derby, the North Central Louisiana Art Council Peach Art Exhibit and more.
“We’ll have the peach antique car show coming back, the Dixie Gem Peach Pageant, and a5k that the Ruston High cross country group is doing, and there is the rodeo,” Stegall said. “There is the Beard contest, which is a new event. The farmer’s market will be happening. We’ll have over artists and vendors — still a great day to get out enjoy the festival. Just the parade wasn’t in the cards for this year.”
Stegall said all the other downtown activities are still on.
“We’re looking forward to the kids’ activities, which are actually moving to Mississippi Avenue, and we are having we have an expanded arts market that will be in the Sexton Lot,” she said. “It’s just going to be a great day.”
A Grambling man was arrested Monday night after he gave a false name attempting to avoid arrest on an outstanding warrant.
A Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office patrol supervisor stopped a Jeep Cherokee in Grambling for no license plate about 11:00 p.m. Monday. When the deputy approached the vehicle, a temporary license was seen taped to inside under heavy window tint.
The driver was told the reason for the stop and asked for his driver’s license. Christopher D. Millage, 29, said he did not have it nor any other form of identification. He first gave him name as Joshua Coleman, age 27. When no one with that name and birthdate were found in the state database, the driver said his name was Zebadiah Lovell with a birthdate that would make him 39. Millage eventually admitted his true name.
Millage said he lied about his name because he had an active warrant for child support. A check confirmed an active bench warrant from Third District Court for child support. He was placed under arrest and a plastic bag containing suspected marijuana was found in his front pants pocket. Additional marijuana was found on the passenger seat of the Jeep.
Millage was taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center where he was booked for resisting an officer by providing false identification, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and the child support warrant. Bail was set at $20,500.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Bryce McGuire celebrates as he crosses home plate with the walk-off game-winning run Thursday night. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
There’s something about walk-off wins for the Choudrant Aggies in low-scoring baseball games.
And the Aggies were back at it Thursday night as a strong start and fantastic finish by Bryce McGuire sparked the top-seeded Aggies to a 2-1 walk-off win over Hicks in the quarterfinals of the Class B Nonselect School baseball championships at Tony Antley Field.
That win sends the two-time defending state champs back to Sulphur for a third-straight year.
Choudrant will next face fifth-seeded Anacoco at 11 a.m. Tuesday in semifinals action at McMurray Park in Sulphur.
“Expectation was set here way before I got here – the goal every year is to win a state championship,” said first-year Aggies head coach Joel Antley. “Now I know we can’t do it every year, but that’s the goal. But don’t set our goal for anything less.
“But with these guys, we wouldn’t have to set the goal anyway. That’s their goal. Their goal is to go back and put another ring on their finger.”
The game’s low-scoring tone was set from the get-go as Choudrant senior pitcher Bryce McGuire fired up his team and the standing-room only crowd by opening the game in perfect fashion with three strikeouts on nine pitches.
“You can’t get a better start than that – an immaculate inning,” Antley said. “Nine pitches. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that.
“He was fantastic in that first inning, but after that he struggled a little with his pitches. He’s usually not out of the zone. He pounds the strike zone. But that plan was to pitch him and then bring up Landon (Hennen).”
It was an inning that fueled McGuire’s fire until he crossed the plate with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh and final inning.
“That was insane starting off the game like that,” McGuire said. “I’ve never done that before in 10 years of pitching. From what I hear, it’s rarer than a perfect game, so it was an outstanding way to start the game and got everybody hyped up.”
Choudrant had a chance to grab an early lead after Gavin Murphy and Kaden Bradshaw both singled with two outs in the bottom half of the opening stanza, but Hicks pitcher Hayden Doyle worked himself out of the jam without giving up a run.
“I’d have felt a lot better if we would have scored seven or eight runs in those first few innings, but I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there was no quit in these guys,” Antley said. “And with our guys on the mound, I have complete confidence that very few runs are going to get scored.
“We struggled a little tonight. That (Hicks) pitcher is good – his curveball is about 20 miles per hour different than his fastball, so it’s really hard to combat that. He mixes his pitches up really well and pitched a fantastic ballgame.”
Doyle and McGuire kept the pitchers’ duel going until the top of the fourth inning, when Hicks took advantage of a throwing error that pulled CHS first baseman TJ Smith off the bag and before plating that run with a single that put the Pirates on top 1-0.
The Aggies had a chance to tie things up in the bottom of the fourth by putting two runners on base with only one out before the Pirates pulled off a pitcher to shortstop to catcher double play that allowed Doyle to again work himself out of a jam.
“We had chances to score,” Antley said. “One base hit would have gotten us two here and another base hit would have gotten us two there. They made some good plays defensively. All-in-all, that was a fantastic ballgame.”
After Hennen and McGuire switched positions with Hennen taking the mound to open the top half of the stanza, the Aggies tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning when McGuire walked with one out, advanced to second base on a Murphy single and then scored on a hard-hit single by Aggies’ outfielder Mike Jones.
Hennen shut down the Pirates in the top of the sixth and seventh innings, sending the Aggies to bat with one last chance to try and keep the game from going into extra innings.
McGuire led off with a walk before a sacrifice bunt by Murphy advanced him to scoring position at second base.
Hicks then intentionally walked Bradshaw to give the Aggies runners at first and second base while also increasing the odds of the Pirates potentially pulling off a double play to end the inning.
“After Bryce walked, it should have been obvious Gavin was going bunt. We were going to bunt Bryce into scoring position. Now I did have a feeling they might walk Bradshaw at that point to put the force out back everywhere and to not have to pitch to him.”
That brought Jones to the plate, and the junior slapped a grounder to third that looked like it would be the Aggies’ second out of the inning.
But the Pirates’ third baseman threw wide to first base and the ball rolled back toward the fence as McGuire began his sprint to home plate and the walk-off win.
Murphy said he was proud of his role in the win, even if it wasn’t as heroic as McGuire’s efforts on the night.
“To do whatever I can do to help the team is what I’m about,” Murphy said. “And I knew that would help us win. Because I knew Bradshaw was coming up behind me. And they walked him and I knew that bunt was going to help us make it to state.”
Antley credited experience and maturity from all four of his seniors – Hennen, McGuire, Murphy and Bradshaw – for helping the Aggies hold on for the win, alluding to a play in the bottom of the sixth when Hennen blasted a two-out shot to right field that could have given Choudrant a chance at a run save for a brilliant catch by the Hicks rightfielder.
“These guys are almost professionals in the way they approach things mentally,” Antley said. “He knows it might not always go the way it should for him.
“He blasted that shot to right field and the guy just caught it, he just looked at us and said, it happens. Because he knew he had to go out there and pitch. And he went out there and took control and kept those guys from scoring. It’s tough when you’re in a 1-1 ballgame and they get a runner on base. That could be the end of the season right there. But those guys know how to do it. They know how to keep their composure.”
Antley admitted he had a good feeling going into the bottom half of the seventh inning despite the stressful finish.
“It’s fantastic as a spectator,” Antley said. “That was a great ballgame to sit in the stands and watch, but so much to coach. I told them being in a tie ballgame with the 2-3-4 hitters coming up, all seniors, that’s a good spot.”
And he felt that way because of that maturity and experience of his seniors.
“We’ve been in this situation before,” McGuire said. “We live for it. When that time comes, we don’t feel pressure right there. We just get the job done.”
The Simsboro High baseball field will get new lighting as part of the $10 million in renovations and new construction that will occur at the school over the next few years.
By Malcolm Butler
When Lacey Holcomb walked into Simsboro High School on Monday morning, she did so with a smile on her face.
And she was greeted with plenty of other smiles from faculty and staff after the millage proposal was passed Saturday which will fund $10 million in new construction and facility upgrades for the school.
“Everyone is very excited,” said Holcomb, who is completing her first year as the principal at the Lincoln Parish school. “We have done presentations with the faculty and the community (leading up to the vote) and shown off the plans. Everybody was very hopeful it would pass so we could follow through with everything. There is definitely a sense of excitement about it.”
As there should be.
The millage passed by 16 votes Saturday (155-139) with just 12 percent of the eligible voters (294 out of 2,531 according to the Secretary of State website) casting a ballot. The proposal was to renew an existing 5.95 millage (set to expire on December 31) with an additional increase of 5.55 percent for a total of 11.5 percent over the next 20 years.
The $10 million includes funds for new classrooms and Ag-Science shop ($5.7 million), gymnasium and gym lobby renovations/expansion ($2.9M), new lighting on baseball and softball fields ($685,000), new pre-K playground ($100,000), new auditorium seating ($100,000) and additional work on parking lots, drainage, dirt work and landscaping around the school ($490,000).
“For us it means we can really provide our kids with some more opportunities, especially with our Ag Department,” said Holcomb. “We will be able to expand our offerings there. Outside of the bond, we are getting a greenhouse to go along with our new Ag (Department) addition so our kids will be able to do a lot more things within the Ag Department.”
New classes such as welding and wood-working could be offered once the new wing is built.
“With the new chemistry lab we are getting, we will be able to do a lot more things in the STEM field. We will be able to have a science lab for high school and for junior high. It’s some much needed space. We are adding a Spanish teacher this next year and we are running short on classrooms. We really just need some additional space so we can have some more course offerings and have the room to offer those courses.”
Holcomb said the lighting for the baseball and softball fields would be the first item and should be completed by the start of next springs seasons.
Lincoln Parish School Board Superintendent Ricky Durrett, who served as the girls basketball coach (1990-97) and principal (2010-14) at Simsboro High School during his career, said determining a timeline for the rest of the projects would be challenging, almost like putting a puzzle together when it comes to how construction would impact operations.
“We are going to have to see how it affects day to day operation of what is going on at the school,” said Durrett. “Adding a new wing and new Ag (Department) should be fairly easy. Auditorium seating could be done in a relatively easy manner. The gym … we will see when it can be done where it doesn’t impact basketball season. We will have to see if the pre-K playground can be done (and not interfere) in car-line or should we do it during the summer. The biggest thing is how (construction) impacts the day-to-day with as few interruptions as possible.”
Durrett and Holcomb said the hope is to have the entire list completed by the start of the 2025-26 school year.
“It’s going to be great for our students and will give them some facilities that they are proud of,” said Holcomb. “It will better allow us to welcome the community in for events and show off what we have done and let them be a part of us growing.”
