A Visitation for family and friends of Sandra Bogan “Mimi” Bell, age 83, of El Dorado, Ark., will be held Tuesday, July 11, 2023, from 10:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. at Kilpatrick Funeral Home Chapel, 209 N. Bonner, in Ruston, La.
A Private Family Graveside Service for our precious “Mimi” will follow in Simsboro Cemetery in Simsboro, LA under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home of Ruston, La.
Sandra was born on July 26, 1939, in Castor, LA and passed away suddenly on July 7, 2023, in Hot Springs, AR. She is preceded in death by her parents, Commodore F. Bogan and Hazel Paige Bogan.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Bobby Bell of El Dorado, Ark.; daughters, Sonya Lindsay and husband Rodger; Sherri Rigdon and husband Johnny all of West Monroe, La.; grandchildren, Joshua Walker and wife Brooke of Lafayette, La., Lindsey Coco and husband Cody of Mansura, La., and John Cody Rigdon of West Monroe, La.; great grandchildren, Paisley and Riley Walker of Lafayette, La.; brother, Freddie R. Bogan of Keithville, La.; sister, Dee Dee Coleman and husband Billy of Lucky, La.; and other family members.
Sandra Bogan “Mimi” Bell July 26, 1939 – July 7, 2023 Visitation: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – Ruston, Tuesday, July 11, 2023, 10:00 am – 11:00 am Service: Private Family Service, Tuesday, July 11, 2023
Rusty Wilfong (left) receives his Rotarian of the Year plaque from Ruston Rotary Club President Jerry Pye during last Wednesday’s meeting. (Courtesy Photo)
by Malcolm Butler
Just like clockwork, Rusty Wilfong headed to Rotary Club for the weekly meeting last Wednesday.
However, this one would be far from just any normal Rotary Club meeting for Rusty. No, this meeting would be a little more special.
Rusty, who has been a member of the civic organization for close to seven years, was presented the 2022-23 Rotarian of the Year Award that day by Ruston Rotary Club President Jerry Pye.
“To see the smile on his face was priceless,” said Pye. “He was totally surprised. It makes your day to see someone who deserves it win this type of award and be so appreciative and excited about it.”
Most anyone who has lived in Lincoln Parish for any length of time knows Rusty, or at least knows who he is. You can’t go to a Louisiana Tech football tailgate or to a jambalaya fundraiser for a community organization or to almost any type of goodwill event without seeing the grizzled smile of Rusty Wilfong, especially if cooking food is involved.
He is all about helping people. And he is usually doing it while elbow deep in a pot of something good to eat. The man loves to cook almost as much as he loves to help others.
Rusty said he was surprised but very honored with the award.
“There are a lot of really fine people in the Rotary Club,” said Rusty. “All of the guys in there do so much. To win Rotarian of the Year is a huge honor for me. You could pick any of the guys in there, and they would be deserving of it.”
Although Pye agrees that the Rotary Club is full of great community leaders and servants, he felt that Rusty was the perfect recipient for the award.
“Clearly he deserved it,” said Pye. “He has been deeply involved in the community and he does a lot through Karl Malone and his dealership. We want to thank Karl for allowing Rusty to be so active in the Rotary Club and in the community.”
Rusty, who works at Karl Malone Toyota, said his passion for the local community has always been part of his make-up. However, he acknowledges that working for a man who has the same strong beliefs in community and a servants heart only fuels his own.
“Being in the Rotary Club and working for someone like Karl inspires you to do more,” said Rusty. “Both of them are always there to help people. They have the same strong community beliefs.”
Pye said Rusty was involved in numerous projects throughout the year, highlighted by the jambalaya fundraiser in late March as well as the raffle for the cooking trailer. All of these events raise funds that allow the Rotary Club to provide help to individuals and organizations within the community.
“He was involved in a lot of our projects from the word go,” said Pye. “He was just involved with about everything we did. He was involved with DART, although that’s not a Rotarian thing. But there were a lot of times that we helped cook for other entities, and the Rotarians were a part of it. He was one of the key people that was always involved in those projects. And he obviously was active in the Rotary Club.”
Now Rusty has a new piece of hardward proudly displayed in his office at Karl Malone Toyota.
Friday, June 23, 2023, began as a great morning at my house. I had the day off. The weather was nice and both boys were awake, so we decided to go sit on the back porch and watch a movie. Mae was still asleep. Soon after, Rachel came out with a cup of coffee and relaxed in the rocking chair. Mae (my Princess) wasn’t too far behind her. I consciously remember looking around at my family at one point, and thinking this was perfection; boy was I ever wrong.
Mae enjoyed a few powdered donuts and then walked out of sight around to the front of the house to find Reese, one of our dogs. A couple of minutes later, she rounded the corner with something in her grip. Rachel saw her first and was stunned. Mae was smiling, obviously proud of her accomplishment. I was squinting from the couch trying to identify what creature she had (from a distance, I assumed it was a lizard).
She got to the porch, held up her trophy and said “Well look at what I have! This little cutie just bit me!” We noticed it was a snake and immediately knew this was not a normal one. In a split second, my brain comprehended the colors: black, red, yellow. Red was touching yellow. In unison, Rachel and I both yelled “DROP IT!”
She did, and it slithered under the couch where the boys and I were sitting. We jumped away from the couch and looked at Mae in disbelief at what she just said.
“It bit you?! Are you sure?!?,” we asked, panicked.
“Yep! Right here,” she replied, pointing to her thumb. Sure enough, on the tip of her thumb are two small puncture marks, bleeding slightly.
We started throwing pieces of the couch out of the way to get another look at the snake to confirm what we already knew. It was a coral snake.
“Get her to the hospital NOW!” I yelled to Rachel, which prompted Mae to start crying.
“What’s going to happen to me,” she cried.
Uh oh, we knew she didn’t need to get upset. She needed to be as calm as possible.
I made a phone call as they loaded up to my cousin Jeff. His son suffered a cottonmouth/water moccasin bite a couple of years ago, so I figured he knew the drill. In a panicked voice I asked “Where did Jack go to get antivenom. Mae just got bit by a coral snake!?”
He responded “St. Francis.” I didn’t even say bye… at this point I knew seconds were crucial. I relayed the information to Rachel and they raced to St. Francis. While they were on the way, I tried to find the snake to kill it and get a better picture as I knew the hospital would want to confirm. But I couldn’t find it. I knew it was hiding somewhere in the patio couch. I gave up, thinking my neighbor would be able to come over and kill it while we were gone.
I called St. Francis to let them know what happened and that Mae was on her way. One last check outside before I headed to the hospital, and I spotted the snake. Success. It would never strike again.
Mae was rushed back to the ER as soon as she arrived at St. Francis. The staff was shocked to see that it was a coral snake that bit her. It’s rare to see a coral snake, much less be bitten by one. In all my years of being outdoors, I had never seen one until that day. I asked about the antivenom, and they told us they didn’t have the proper antivenom for a coral snake. They informed us we were being transferred to Children’s of Mississippi Hospital because they had a great toxicologist that was better equipped for the type of snake bite and an amazing PiCU, as the likelihood of her being intubated was high. Yes, a breathing tube.
Our minds were racing. “Wait…What??” Rachel and I were both thinking. We could tell the swelling in her hand wasn’t getting any worse so why were we now talking about a breathing tube?? Well, coral snake venom is not like pit viper (copperhead, cottonmouth, rattlesnake) venom where your concern is bite site tissue swelling & necrosis.
It’s a neurotoxin. It affects the person neurologically: muscle weakness, difficulty speaking, swallowing, breathing, etc. It got real, real fast.
I headed back home to pack bags as Rachel and Mae were waiting on the helicopter. As I crossed over the Ouachita River, I saw the helicopter taking off from St. Francis and my heart sank. The feeling of seeing my baby girl flying away from me was almost indescribable, and something I never want to experience again.
They landed in Jackson a short time later and were whisked down to the ER. Mae was given more pain meds and some anti-anxiety meds in the helicopter, so she was sort of out of it when they arrived. The staff was concerned as this inhibited their ability to assess her neurological state. The doctor decided to give her a few more minutes to come out of it so they wouldn’t intubate her unnecessarily. Thank the Lord they waited.
Mae began to wake up and was able to answer questions clearly and correctly. It’s at this point she informed everyone that the snake bit her not just once, but three times: thumb, middle finger, and ring finger. During this short time, it was like a parade through her triage room.
Children’s of Mississippi Hospital is a teaching hospital so there were many future doctors coming to see the patient. The staff informed us that we would be admitted to the PiCU and would be there at least 24 hours, but most likely longer. They also told us the antivenom was on its way from the Memphis Zoo. Yep, the zoo. Before we headed upstairs, the ER doctor and I asked Mae if she planned on picking up snakes any time soon. Her response surprised us both. “Just the green ones,” she said groggily.
Once in the PiCU, she had hourly neuro checks. The staff told us if she had any neuro issues or difficulty breathing within 13 hours of the bite, she would be given the antivenom and possibly intubated. The antivenom would not prevent any of the neurological or breathing issues but would (hopefully) stop them from worsening once they began. We found out she could not have any pain medicine, food, or water. Excruciating. This was excruciating for us all. She was in major pain, and it was painful for us to not be able to help.
After a very long day and night, the pain subsided, slightly. She showed no signs of any neuro/respiratory issues and was cleared by three different doctors. We were cleared to head west back home. Thank God! Mae was a little disappointed we had to take the car home and not the helicopter.
I know this story is long, but I hope there are some key lessons here:
Children picking up/playing with snakes is not a good idea. Sounds obvious, but they have seen me catch a few in the past. Mae thought it was ok. This was not the first snake she had brought to me. Every time I told her that was not the correct thing to do, and to wait for me to identify it before anyone got closer. Obviously, the example I set was not the best, so watch what you do.
St. Francis appears to be the hospital to go to for your normal snake bites from our common venomous snakes. Knowing where to go could be the difference between life and death.
Teach your kids snake identification and to respect them. The saying “red on yellow kill a fellow, red on black friend of jack” that I was taught as a child sure helped with this incident. Luckily the saying didn’t mention a Princess.
A few days later, Cousin Jeff had us over for dinner to celebrate Mae’s victory over the coral snake. As we discussed the theories on why Mae was able to overcome this, Jeff spoke up and said, “You know why it turned out this way?” I tried to guess using my biology and herpetology background on what I knew about snake bites, but he butted in before I could finish. “Prayers is what healed your baby girl.”
I couldn’t argue. The prayers from our friends, family, and our entire community were overwhelming. Every one of you is amazing, and we are forever grateful. Thank you. I hope to never write a story like this again!
The culprit! Only 15 to 25 people a year in the United States are bitten by coral snakes … and Mae McGehee was one of those in 2023.
A Simsboro woman allegedly resisted arrest when a Lincoln Parish deputy took her into custody Sunday.
A deputy went to a Eubanks Road residence early Sunday morning to investigate an assault complaint. A record check showed Kristin D. Swain, 30, of that address was wanted on two warrants from Third District Court.
When Swain was informed of the warrants, she retreated from the deputy and got behind her husband in an attempt to avoid arrest. The deputy tried to move around the husband who attempted to stall him.
After mediating for a few moments, the deputy was able to grab Swain’s wrist and handcuff it. Swain pulled away but she was eventually restrained and taken into custody.
Swain was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center on warrants for failure to appear in court for sale of alcohol to persons under 21 and possession of a Schedule IV controlled substance. She was also charged with resisting an officer.
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’s newest chain clothier is moving forward with construction as the opening for Old Navy on the north side of the interstate is coming closer to completion.
“Old Navy will give the city of Ruston another great retailer that will bring people to our city,” Ruston mayor Ronny Walker said. “This is just another piece of the retail space that has made Ruston the shopping hub of North Louisiana.”
Located at the west end of the Woodward shopping center, the Old Navy clothing store is currently on pace to open sometime in the first half of 2024.
Currently, Bob Snelling out of Augusta, Ga., is the builder providing the shell site for Old Navy to set up shop in Ruston.
Old Navy will then come in and turn the site into its own clothing store, preferring to lease the property rather than buy it outright.
According to past trends, the company also does not prefer to open stores in the calendar months of November or December, thus the first quarter of 2024 is considered the most recent timeline for a possible opening.
Originally founded in 1994, Old Navy is an affordable clothing company owned by multinational corporation Gap Inc.
Ruston Police arrested a Grambling man on numerous charges Sunday after responding to a disturbance call.
Officers responded to a South Sparta Street residence when the suspect was found leaving in a vehicle. Ladarious Maxwell, 32, was detained while a woman in his car and others at the residence were interviewed.
The woman in Maxwell’s car allegedly went to the home where she confronted Maxwell and another woman. During the ensuing altercation, Maxwell struck the woman at the home in the face, knocking her to the ground.
Officers found the woman was bleeding from a head wound.
Maxwell was arrested and during a search, a large bottle containing suspected narcotics was found on him.
Maxwell was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for possession of marijuana and ecstasy with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cocaine, domestic abuse battery, driving under suspension, and expired license plate.
Bail was set at $40,000.
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.
The Kiwanis Club of Ruston is holding an After Hours Social on Tuesday, July 11 for individuals who are interested in learning more about the civic organization.
The event will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Trinity Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.
Anyone interested is encouraged to attend and will have the opportunity to visit with Kiwanis members while enjoying some fun summer refreshments.
First Vice President Janie Humphries said it is an opportunity to learn more about the club and who its members are and what they do.
For questions, please contact Humphries at humphries@latech.edu or by calling 318-548-2404.
Americans love to celebrate Independence Day, to flaunt our freedom before the whole world. Thomas Jefferson’s bold assertion that each individual has an “inalienable right” to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” still sounds sweet to our freedom-loving ears. Despite the imperfections and foibles of our political system, we still enjoy tremendous economic freedom, political freedom, religious freedom, personal freedom and communal freedom. But we must be careful that we don’t define the freedoms we enjoy so much solely as “freedom from” — forgetting that the real test of freedom’s value is how we use our “freedom to.”
There is our freedom to gather together for the benefit of others, our freedom to love and serve each other and our freedom to express our feelings, concerns, hopes and aspirations for our community, neighbors and friends. Remember that the same philosophers and statesmen who boldly announced this country’s “Declaration of Independence” were also the ones who worked long and hard to craft our Constitution — a document that sculpts our freedom along the prescribed guidelines and responsibilities necessary to make freedom work — our freedom to govern, to serve, to defend, to protect, to honor and to be loyal.
The Fourth of July is a good time to celebrate the paradox at the center of the Christian faith: We are most free when we are most bound. Through Jesus Christ’s supreme example of freedom in service, we all become the most free when we bind ourselves to Christ. That is why Jesus has been called “omnipotence in bonds.” He freely divested himself of his divinity so that he could make the ultimate sacrifice for our sake and for our freedom.
We must take care not to confuse this freely offered liberty for license. The long list of what Paul calls in Galatians “fleshly works” is what results when we let our freedom to … become freedom from. Freedom to love becomes … fornication. Freedom to worship becomes … idolatry. Freedom to serve becomes … factions. Freedom to inquire becomes … enmity. Freedom to discuss becomes … quarrels. Freedom to disagree becomes … dissension. Freedom to thrive becomes … envy.
The political and personal freedoms we celebrate every Independence Day always remind us that with freedom comes responsibility. For our freedom to “work” we must be good citizens — we must vote, pay taxes, obey the laws, respect property, be loyal and keep the peace. The freedom we enjoy every day of our lives as Christians demands of us only two things — faithfulness and love. In short from we are to love our neighbors as Christ has loved us.
A Lincoln Parish deputy arrested a Ruston man last Friday after seeing him run a red light.
According to the deputy’s report, he and other drivers on La. Highway 33 stopped at the red light at the I-20 North Service Road. A vehicle in the other southbound lane proceeded through the red light without slowing down.
James A. Jones, 60, was stopped and the deputy recognized him as wanted for failing to appear in Third District Court on a domestic abuse battery charge.
One the warrant was verified, Jones was arrested and taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center. He was booked for running the red light and the warrant.
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.
Summer road trips always include one of my favorite things: finding signature restaurants in different cities.
Trips to Hot Springs, Ark., are no different. Back in college, I would sometimes take the three-hour drive day trips to see the beautiful Lake Hamilton or the Ouachita mountains. There is so much to do in historic downtown, but a trip would always conclude with dinner at one particularly outstanding Italian eatery.
Today, we have a copy-cat recipe from J & S’s Italian Villa. While I highly recommend that you make your way to the restaurant yourself, allow me to explain why I made this copycat in the first place.
Judith and I, before kids, took one of our trips to Hot Springs with the sole intent to eat at the restaurant, which not only has amazing Italian cuisine but also overlooked the beautiful water at sunset.
Imagine our horror when we arrived only to find that the restaurant had been completely burned and razed to the ground. I think we ended up at a Chicken Express that night, eating our feelings in tenders and rolls.
Thinking we’d never see our favorite Hot Springs locale again, I tried to recreate their signature dish at home: Chicken Verona, and the recipe is included below.
This story has a happy ending, thankfully. A few years later while driving around Hot Springs, we happened to pull over in a shopping center and by sheer serendipity, we saw the marquee sign for J & S.
Nothing changed expect for the view of the lake. The food is still amazing.
And If you don’t want to make the drive, here is a good effort at recreating this feast.
To make this dish, you’ll need to follow a Tasty.co recipe for chicken cordon bleu and swap out a couple of ingredients.
Recipe and ingredients:
Find it here. Swap out the stuffing and replace with a mixture of a half cup of sautéed spinach, and one-fourth cups of shredded mozzarella per stuffed breast.
Make sure after you have fried the stuffed chicken to put into an oven to reach an internal temp of 165 degrees.
I chose to garnish with a simple wilted asparagus, sautéed in olive until tender enough to bend and not break.
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.
Saturday, July 8 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
Tuesday, July 11 5:30-6:30 p.m.: Kiwanis Club of Ruston After Hours Social (Trinity Methodist Church)
Milton Teagle was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Milton was an overweight child. As a toddler, people stared just a little too long at Milton, but he paid them no attention. When he started school, he was subjected to cruel, merciless teasing by some of his classmates. Milton acted as if their teasing had no effect on him, but inside, Milton was crumbling. The only comfort he found was from eating the wonderful foods of his hometown. It was a vicious, seemingly unending cycle in which the teasing led to eating and the eating led to more teasing.
To help his struggling family— his father worked in a thrift store and his mother sold cosmetics— eight-year-old Milton began selling sweet treats at Leah’s Pralines, a candy shop located in the heart of the French Quarter and just four blocks from his home. Working in a candy shop did not help with his weight problem.
The relentless teasing continued throughout Milton’s high school years. By the time he graduated from high school, he stood 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed nearly 270 pounds.
Friends from his youth remembered him as being likable and hilarious. He was always teasing and joking around. Antoiniette Di Piazza, a childhood friend of Milton’s, said “You could always tell sometimes at school when he was younger, he would try to hold back tears. I felt for him. The boys would just pick on him because of his weight,” but he was “one of the nicest, sweetest, most humane people. I just can’t begin to tell you how big his heart was.” Milton once told a reporter, “You know how they teach you early on that ‘Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you?’ Well, that’s a lie.”
After his high school graduation, Milton attended the Dominican Seminary in Iowa where he planned to become a priest. Two years into the program, Milton decided that he was not suited for the priesthood. Milton was searching for direction in his life, and that direction appeared in a simple handwritten note. One day, Milton was walking to his car when he noticed a handwritten note under the windshield wipers. Written on the note was, “Fat people die young. Please don’t die. Anonymous.” Milton tried to brush off the note, but the words kept replaying in his mind.
Milton did not want to die. He realized that being overweight was hazardous to his health and he wanted to do something about it. For over two months, Milton lived off a diet of just lettuce and water. His weight began to plummet from nearly 270 to about 110 pounds. Because of his crash diet, Milton suffered from bulimia and anorexia. He began to lose his hair and, by losing more than half of his body weight, his skin hung from his body. Milton realized he needed help and checked himself into a hospital.
During his recovery, Milton got a crash course in nutrition and health from his doctors and nurses. Milton wanted to know more. He began to read everything he could find on the subject. At first, he sought out the information for his own wellbeing. As his health improved, he decided to find a way to help others who were like him to find a healthier way to live. Milton considered a career in medicine so he could learn more about the human body, but he changed his mind because he hated the idea of “dead bodies and blood.”
Milton worked at a number of jobs and considered different career paths, but sharing his experience and knowledge of health and nutrition were always on his mind. He developed a philosophy of “love yourself, move your body, and watch your portions.” In the 1970s, Milton moved to Los Angles and began working as a maître d’hôtel for an upscale Beverly Hills restaurant called Derek’s. Milton wanted to join a fitness center to improve his health even more, but he felt uncomfortable because all of the fitness centers seemed to be geared towards customers who were already physically fit.
With minimal experience in the restaurant field and the knowledge he gained about health and nutrition, Milton opened a salad bar and adjoining fitness center called “Ruffage.” His clients included some Hollywood stars, but unlike the other fitness centers, Milton made an effort to make clients of all sizes feel welcome. He began a program called the “Anatomy Asylum” which provided training on healthy eating, portion control, and fun exercises in a supportive environment. Because of his supportive nature, his wonderful personality, and his fitness classes, Milton guest starred on the daytime soap opera General Hospital. From there, Milton was often a guest star on numerous talk shows hosted by Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, Phil Donahue, David Letterman, and Howard Stern. In 1980, Milton got his own television show which featured exercise routines, discussions about health topics, and comedy. At its peak, the show was broadcast in over 200 countries.
It all started with a handwritten note which said, “Fat people die. Please don’t die.” As a child, Milton went by the nickname Dickie. In his twenties, Milton adopted his uncle’s name, Richard. If you have never participated in one of his many programs, you certainly know the phrase “Sweating to the Oldies.” You also know Milton Teagle “Richard” Simmons.
Ethan Bates (left) and Jorge Corona (right) were both selected to the LSWA All-State team.
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech’s Ethan Bates and Jorge Corona received more postseason honors Thursday as the duo were named to the 2023 Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) All-Louisiana Baseball team.
Bates, who has also been named Third Team All-America, First Team All-Region, and a two-time All-Conference USA selection, was voted First Team All-Louisiana as a utility player. The newcomer proved to be one of the best two-way players in the country, starting 56 of 57 games as a position player while also making 25 appearances as the primary closer for LA Tech.
The junior from Hot Springs, Arkansas batted .270 with a .540 slugging percentage and .377 on-base percentage. He cranked out 16 home runs, second most in the team and seventh most in CUSA. He ended up registering 14 multi-hit games while ending the season with a 23-game on-base streak.
On the mound, Bates posted a team-best 3.02 ERA, recording a 4-3 record with 44.2 innings pitched and 57 strikeouts. He totaled 10 saves, third most in CUSA and tied for the second most in a single season in program history.
Corona, who was a First Team All-Conference USA honoree, was voted Second Team All-Louisiana as a catcher. He played in 52 games, making 47 starts behind the plate, slashing .282/.513/.387 (batting average/slugging/on-base).
The junior from Miami, Florida hit a team-high 18 doubles, which tied for the third most in CUSA. He recorded 16 multi-hit games as well as 10 multi-RBI games. Defensively, he had 358 putouts while throwing out a league-leading 20 runners.
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2023 Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) All-Louisiana Baseball Team FIRST TEAM Paul Skenes, LSU (Pitcher) Jacob Mayers, Nicholls State (P) Grant Rogers, McNeese State (P) Brandon Mitchell, New Orleans (P) Julian Brock, UL-Lafayette (C) Keylon Mack, Grambling State (1B) Brandon Mooney, Loyola (N.O.) (2B) Tommy White, LSU (3B) Kyle DeBarge, UL-Lafayette (SS) Dylan Crews, LSU (OF) Ryan Major, LSU-Shreveport (OF) Xane Washington, Nicholls State (OF) Cade Beloso, LSU (DH) Ethan Bates, Louisiana Tech (UTL)
SECOND TEAM Cooper Rawls, UL-Lafayette (P) Connor Benge, LSU-Eunice (P) Ty Floyd, LSU (P) Bobby Vath, LSU-Shreveport (P) Jorge Corona, Louisiana Tech (C) Jared Jones, LSU (1B) Tyler Bischke, New Orleans (2B) Michael Dattalo, Northwestern State (3B) Josh Leslie, McNeese State (SS) Tristan Moore, New Orleans (OF) Tre’ Morgan, LSU (OF) Teo Banks, Tulane (OF) Heath Hood, UL-Lafayette (OF) Tre’ Obregon III, McNeese State (DH) Logan O’Neill, Delgado (UTL)
HONORABLE MENTION Beau Hebert (Louisiana Christian), Parker Primeaux (Centenary), Hayden Travinski (LSU), Edgar Alvarez (Nicholls State), Gavin Dugas (LSU), Jordan Ardoin (LSU-Alexandria), Miguel Useche (New Orleans), Gerado Villarreal (Nicholls State), Trevor Burkhart (LSU-Shreveport), Cameron Daigle (LSU-Alexandria)
HITTER OF THE YEAR: Dylan Crews, LSU PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Paul Skenes, LSU NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Tommy White, LSU FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Jacob Mayers, Nicholls State COACH OF THE YEAR: Jay Johnson, LSU
The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of a from Rock Corner Road near Dubach.
The Kubota 90hp tractor with a front end loader was last seen on July 3. At the time of the theft, the tractor was equipped with hay spears on the front and the rear. The photograph is of the same model with no major differences.
If you have any information regarding the stolen tractor, please contact the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-251-5111.
Information can also be submitted to CrimeStoppers of Lincoln Parish. CrimeStopper information can be given in several ways—(1) by calling 318-255-1111, (2) texting a tip to “TIP515 plus your message” to CRIMES (274637), or (3) submitting a tip online atwww.rustonlincolncrimestoppers.com.
Callers remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward if the information given leads to an arrest or grand jury indictment.
Whether it was being there to lend a helping hand in the game of life, or suddenly flying in to slap down an attempted pass or make a bone-crunching tackle, Roy Johnson, Jr. made an impact on pretty much anyone and everyone he was around.
And Lincoln Parish as a whole is in mourning learning of the loss of Johnson, who died suddenly over the holiday weekend.
Whether it was playing as part of a state championship team at Ruston High School or serving as a coach and mentor at Lincoln Preparatory School, memories of the quiet man who made a big impact throughout his life remain strong.
Lincoln Prep assistant football coach Shannon Aultman played with Johnson as juniors on the 1986 Ruston High state championship team.
“Roy and I were part of a pretty tight little group,” Aultman said. “Roy was a helluva safety in high school and we were good friends. He was a great teammate. But then I went to college and he went to Southern Arkansas for a little bit and I didn’t see him for years.”
Then came 2017 when Aultman joined the staff at Lincoln Prep
“It was like we had never missed a beat and had stayed around each other all of those years of not seeing each other,” Aultman said. “He was just a really good guy. He didn’t always say a lot unless he really got to know you. But he was special. It’s a big loss. Terrible loss.”
Lincoln Prep head football coach Glen Hall said Johnson made an immediate impact as soon as Hall met him.
“Roy was one of those guys who would do anything you asked him to do,” Hall said. “He just quietly went to work and did whatever you needed right then.”
Hall said that while Johnson could be quiet, he also knew how to get through to young people.
“He knew how to build relationships with kids,” Hall said. “We get a lot of kids from (Ruston’s) east side and he knew most of those parents and he could relate to them and their kids. I’ve heard stories about that state championship team he was on at Ruston and how big a hitter he was.
“Roy meant a lot to the (Lincoln Prep football) team. He meant a lot to the spirit of the team. That’s something I don’t know if we’ll regain – that spirit he had for this team and this school.”
Lincoln Prep Executive Director Gordan Ford said he met Johnson after taking over for that “new school’s first year.
“I met Roy when I moved back home as a guy who hung around Grambling Lab and helped out coaching baseball,” Ford said. “And when we transitioned to Lincoln Prep, he was one of the first guys we hired because we needed someone to help out with handyman/custodial type work.
“So I asked people, he’s here all the time, does he want a job? Roy got a job with us full-time because he was out there working and helping us when nobody was paying him. That’s just the kind of guy he was.
Ford also called Johnson “one of a kind.”
“Now that we have a new building, I get calls every day from people wanting jobs,” Ford said. “But Roy was that guy who was there when there was no money, there was no flashy building, and nobody was even asking him to do it or even thank him at times. He just did it. He was committed to the kids, he was committed to the school, he was just a loyal guy. You can’t replace a guy like that. We’ll eventually have to bring in some people to do some of the work he was doing, you can never really replace somebody like that.”
Panthers basketball coach Antonio Hudson said Johnson also helped out with the hoops program after Hudson was first hired at Grambling Lab.
“My first two seasons he helped us with basketball,” Hudson said. “He didn’t sit on the bench with us. But he did sit behind us and traveled with us. He was a guy who didn’t get much credit from the outside, but those on the inside knew he was there. He did things that would go unseen all the time.”
Simsboro Assistant Principal Jerald Kennedy’s relationship with Johnson went back to their youth.
“He earned everything he got,” Kennedy said. “I remember playing junior high ball with him and he backed up a lot of big-time players at receiver. Then his senior year they put him at free safety and that’s when he really broke out. Roy was a good receiver, too. But he was playing behind guys like Bobby Slaughter and Robert Smith, Jr. He was a year or two younger than them but he earned everything he got.”
“I was at Grambling Lab from 2012 to 2014, and he was there before I got there. I know he helped me when I was there. I never heard him talk much, but when he’d come at you to make that tackle, you’d know he was in the game. He could definitely rock your world.”
Kennedy laughingly remembers one play in particular the two combined for while playing as Bearcats.
“Our junior varsity was playing Bernice’s varsity team,” Kennedy said. “I was running for a touchdown, and a guy hit me and I fumbled the ball into the end zone. And Roy fell on it and got my touchdown. Roy took my points. I’ll never forget that because I was mad at myself for fumbling the ball, but I was glad one of our guys got it.
“And that was Roy. He was always around the football. In the history of Ruston football, I can’t tell you of any free safety that was better. They’re aren’t many you could call better. He wore a neck roll and sat back there like a linebacker. He loved to tackle.”
Origin Bank Vice President Bobby Williams was also a teammate of Johnson’s at Ruston High, but that pair’s relationship went even farther than both being former Bearcats.
“I played with a couple of great safeties, one a high school All-American and the other signed with Nebraska,” Williams said. “Pound for pound, Roy Johnson might have been the best safety that I saw play at RHS.
“Now I may be biased because he was my cousin, but he was a really good guy and will be missed.”
This time last year Lincoln Preparatory School Executive Director Gordan Ford found himself being pulled every which way but loose as he scrambled to keep his school moving forward as construction continued on a new building to house the students he oversees.
Today the new Lincoln Preparatory School is open after seeing students move in and end the 2022-23 school year there, celebrating with a grand-opening ribbon cutting ceremony in May and Ford is working to prepare for the first full academic year in the new $30 million facility.
That’s after nearly three years of vagabond-like teaching and learning, the faculty, staff and students of Lincoln Preparatory School began moving into the new school two weeks ago as Lincoln Prep’s elementary school students – somewhere around 200 first- through fourth-graders, attended class for the first time ever in the new $30 million, 100,000-square foot school building, located on a 400-acre site located off of La. Hwy, 150 (Old Grambling Road).
Ford is also counting the days until June 22, when the Louisiana Department of Education announces its 2022-23 Louisiana Principal of the Year, which will be done that day as part of the 17th annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards in New Orleans.
Ford found out in late May that he is one of nine finalists contending for that honor.
“It’s still busy, but still significantly different in that we’re not dealing with facilities,” Ford said of the difference for him between this summer and last. This summer has been about working with kids and helping them with some deficiencies they need to make up.
“This summer, as opposed to the previous few summers, we’ve really been focused on the kids.”
Ford said just being considered for the Principal of the Year honor is overwhelming.
“It’s amazing,” Ford said. “It’s really all a testament to the staff and faculty we have at Lincoln Prep. You don’t win awards like that for individual work. You win awards like that because of the work of your team, and we’ve put together an amazing team at Lincoln Prep and we just continue getting better every year.”
That includes the work being done this summer
“We’ve still got the athletics complex going up,” Ford said. “We’re preparing to add a few Pre-K classes for next year. We’re working on some things for our high school kids to further customize their high school experience. When our kids march across the stage in May to receive their diploma, we want to know where they’re going to be in September.
“Whether that’s college, or that’s going to work, we want to make sure they’re 100% prepared. So we’re customizing the high school experience for kids who are going to college and give them the opportunity to take college courses while still in high school.”
And likewise for future Lincoln Prep graduates who might feel college is not the direction they want to take.
“For the kids going to work, we are working to get them some work credentials while in high school – to intern and test out jobs to make sure that’s what they want to do,” Ford said. “We want them ready to go as soon as they get their diploma.”
Ford says his main focus now is to keep growing and moving forward.
“We finally have a foundation in place,” Ford said. “It’s been a struggle, but it’s been about this school’s dedication to our kids. Now that groundwork is laid and we’re established. We have a home – our own home nobody is going to take away from us. “We survived and continued growing despite all the obstacles we had to face to keep going. Now we want to keep growing, and the foundation that’s now in place with this new school complex sets us up to continue that growth in incredible ways
“The thing is, we’re not finished yet. We’re really only getting started. It’s a great summer to be a Lincoln Prep Panther.”
But before finding out about the Principal of the Year results, Ford admits that a little break is in store.
“We’re out this week (at Lincoln Prep) and then we plan on taking a little family vacation next week,” Ford said. “And then I’ll be back at it on the 17th. But I am finally going to take a little down time and we’re going to take a little family vacation and travel together, which is something we haven’t been able to do a lot of.
“My family can’t wait. And we can’t wait for the 22nd. My wife and kid are excited. My brother lives in New Orleans and he’s going to be there. Some of our executive board and staff are going to be down there with us. But again, it’s all a testament to what they’ve done and what a lot of others all the way down to the students have done to help give someone like me even the chance to win an award like that.”
Ruston native and physical therapist, Chase Patterson, uses his servant heart to serve the town that once watched him grow up.
Patterson graduated from Ruston High School in 2009 and later attended Louisiana Tech University in the fall majoring in engineering.
Knowing his desire to serve others, Patterson planned to do just that with his profession. However, never anticipated the change of direction coming his way.
“I knew I wanted to help people but didn’t know exactly how I wanted to do that,” Patterson said. “I started in engineering at Tech because that’s what my aptitude tests told me I should do but quickly realized that wasn’t for me.”
After contemplating and discussing other alternatives and majors, Patterson discovered a passion for a field in healthcare.
“I switched to kinesiology and I guess you could say the rest is history,” Patterson said. In 2013, Patterson graduated in kinesiology from Louisiana Tech University and later received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. He also holds certification in Dry Needling and Titleist Performance Institute.
Patterson has been practicing at Legacy Rehabilitation (LOTS) in Ruston for the last five years and now serves as Lead Physical Therapist. During Patterson’s time in healthcare, he has valued his privilege to get to aid patients back to recovery and health.
“I remember helping out a gentleman who had both of his femoral nerves damaged in a crush injury which caused him not to have any control of his quadriceps muscles,” Patterson said.
This made the patient have difficulty standing and even more difficulty walking without assistance.
“After a few weeks of trying a neuromuscular reeducation technique with dry needling, he regained near full control of his quads and could walk with no assistance,” Patterson said.
Patients showing strength like this is where Patterson finds continuous motivation in his profession.
“The motivation of others that I see when they’re putting in all this hard work to return to their sport, hobbies and just everyday life after an injury or surgery motivates me,” Patterson said.
Patterson appreciates the bittersweet time he has had to come back to the place where he grew up and serve daily.
“I just want to thank my hometown for trusting me and the therapists at LOTS for providing their rehabilitation needs,” Patterson said. “I never thought I’d be back in Ruston by the age of 30, working with such wonderful people and helping my alma mater (Louisiana Tech) in their Sports Medicine Department.”
Patterson also works alongside Cedar Creek football team to provide sideline coverage and an athletic trainer presence at home games. He is also currently working to increase his golfer clientele.
“Anyone that considers themselves to be a golfer, we’d love to tell you more about the TPI screen and what it can do to improve your golf game,” Patterson said.
These opportunities in and out of the office fuels Patterson’s servant heart and love for therapy.
The Ruston High School Bearcat football team is continuing to make strides through the summer as the regular season looms with less than two months to go before the opening kickoff against Warren Easton on Friday, Sept. 1.
Ruston’s primary focus following spring practice was 7-on-7 for most of the month of June, giving the offensive and defensive skill position players time to run formations and learn new sets heading into the fall.
“It had been a long offseason and lots of spring football, and we had a chance to catch our breath,” Ruston High head football coach Jerrod Baugh said. “We came back for June and were pretty steady for three days a week with weights, conditioning, and 7-on-7 drills.
“That was very productive for us. It was an opportunity for our kids to get out and compete against other schools in the area.”
For the last few years, Ruston had hosted the 7-on-7 events; however, this year the Bearcats traveled to West Monroe for three consecutive Tuesdays in June for competition. Baugh mentioned that the original plan for a new turf at James Field at Hoss Garrett Stadium was the main reason for the moving of 7-on-7’s.
The turf installation, however, will be moved to at least next season.
As previously reported, junior Aiden Anding crossed over from basketball shoes to football cleats and has been seeing time at the cornerback position where he has been excelling in his spot .
“Aiden had a really good spring,” Baugh said. “He had not been out on a football field for a really long time. He transitioned as well as I’ve ever seen having been removed from that for so long.”
A bright spot for the offense has been incoming freshman Ahmad Hudson, unofficially listed at 6-foot, 6-inches at the wide receiver position.
“We’re replacing quite a few guys offensively,” Baugh said. “Josh (Brantley) is now getting the majority of snaps at the quarterback position, and we don’t have Aaron Jackson. So we’re trying to find some receivers to step up in that spot.
“Of course, Logan Malone and Jamar Woods have the most experience in that spot. But Hudson has had an opportunity to get out and play some receiver for us this summer. He played quarterback all through junior high, but with his size and skill ability, I felt really comfortable that he was going to be able to get out there and catch the football.”
Ruston’s stable of running backs took a hit with Dyson Fields graduating after a stellar career as a Bearcat last year; now Jordan Hayes and Dylone Brooks will be the dynamic duo taking the majority of the rushing load.
“I think those two guys are having a good summer so far,” Baugh said. “You want to see those guys get some experience working together and with each other. They had not been used to getting all of the reps in the past that the starters get, and now they’re able to get that.”
And so despite the nearly unbearable summer heat, the Bearcats will continue forward with their eyes on the ultimate high school prize– a state championship.
“Up to this point, I think the summer has been really productive,” Baugh said. “The kids have been diligent about making sure that if they’re in town, they’re up here working and taking every opportunity they have to improve and be as good as they can be.”
Law enforcement officers are still sorting out an apparent gun battle between the occupants of two cars on Beacon Light Road last week.
The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a two-vehicle crash just outside the Ruston city limits last Tuesday night. Before deputies reached the scene, additional information was received of a “drive-by” shooting near Mayfield Park (formerly Woodland Park) just inside the city.
Deputies found a black Honda Accord and a gray Ford Focus, both with heavy damage and abandoned, the occupants having fled the area. The Honda bore bullet holes in its side and windshield. Shell casings were found on the roadway.
In an inventory of the vehicles, deputies found a Springfield XD-9 pistol on the rear floorboard of the Ford. The handgun was determined to have been stolen in Lincoln Parish.
While investigating the scene, authorities learned one of the involved parties was at the North Louisiana Medical Center. Jonathan M. Waggoner, 19, of Ruston, was interviewed at the hospital.
Waggoner said he was driving the Ford Focus at the time of the crash. He said two males were in the car with him, but he did not know their names. He said he turned onto Beacon Light Road when he heard gunshots and then the Honda crashed into him. Waggoner said he ran from the car and was picked up by an ambulance at the park.
Waggoner denied knowledge of the pistol in his car; he said it had to belong to one of the two unidentified men.
A records check indicated Waggoner is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing a firearm. He was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for illegal possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is also being held for the Louisiana Department of Corrections—Probation and Parole.
Bail was set at $30,000.
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.
I went to the principal’s office last week and for the first time in my life, I wasn’t in trouble.
Nope.
I met with Principal Jenny Blalock at A.E. Phillips Laboratory School last week to talk about a number of matters, some LPJ related and some just Malcolm-had-what-he-thought-was-a-brilliant-idea related.
The latter may not be entirely true, but Jenny at least was kind enough to listen.
However, as I sat and talked for almost an hour about my memories of A.E. Phillips and some of the icons of the school, it took me back to some great times at a special place.
When you are 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-years old, you don’t necessarily appreciate things.
Like teachers. Like principals. Like a school.
I know I didn’t at that time. All I looked forward to was the end of the school day. The end of the school year. And then the end of elementary school and junior high …and the chance to move on to Ruston High (ironically, another place that was special but that I didn’t truly appreciate until years later).
I spoke in detail to Jenny about Alex Laney, my junior high English, history and social studies teacher. A man who in a lot of ways I was terrified of as I moved up from grade to grade, knowing that my two years with Mr. Laney were coming. He had his bluff in on me before I ever stepped in his classroom.
I’ve been blessed to have had a lot of great teachers throughout my education, from elementary school to junior high to high school and through college at Louisiana Tech. A lot of very impactful people in my life.
If I started to try to mention them all, I would fail. But I’ve been lucky in that area of my life for sure.
And, Alex Laney is No. 1 on my list.
The man found a way to make learning somewhat … maybe fun at that age would be an exaggeration but at least … enjoyable.
Hell, I still can recite a number of lines from poems due to Mr. Laney. He would give us bonus points for each line of poetry that we could memorize and recite to him.
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost is still my favorite poem of all time, and it’s due to Mr. Laney. I remember during the pandemic lockdown, walking along the Huckleberry Trails paths with my border collie Jeter over behind Cypress Springs Elementary. I found myself reciting lines and thinking of Mr. Laney almost 35 years after I finished at A.E.P.
Mr. Laney was also known for his love of Saint Patrick’s Day. We always had a party, and he made the best-tasting green punch that anyone has ever had … it was legendary. In fact, Jenny Blalock asked me during our conversation if I had the recipe. I don’t.
I think only a red-headed Irish man in Heaven knows the recipe for that concoction.
So many Alex Laney stories came back to me during my talk with Jenny. Heck, at one point, I actually choked up talking about the man. The same man who tore both Mike Hinton and me up with his wooden paddle (yes, those were the days where teachers could paddle you) after we were caught in a game of arm wrestling when we were supposed to be doing something else. I don’t recall what, but it wasn’t arm wrestling in class.
I had plenty of run ins with Mr. Laney, all of them my own doing of course. But despite all of those, he is still the lead-off batter in my lineup of great teachers.
It’s funny. My week started talking about A.E. Phillips with Jenny and culminated talking about former principal Dr. Robert Hearn during a conversation with his son, Bob.
Dr. Hearn was always friendly and fair. And he cared about the school and its students. He and Alex Laney and Randy Moore and …. I could go on and on with other names … made A.E. Phillips a special place during those years.
A lot has changed at the school when it comes to enrollment and additional classroom and a new-and-improved playground and so many other things. But as I talked to Jenny Blalock, one thing I could tell from our conversation: A.E. Phillips is still a special place.
They just have their generation of Alex Laneys and Robert Hearns and Randy Moores making an impact on their students … even if those students don’t quite realize it now.
