A Monroe man was arrested Friday after he allegedly cashed stolen checks at two Ruston banks.

Felton R. Whittley, Jr., 62, reportedly went to two banks with checks apparently stolen from a Ruston business.

Ruston Police were first called to Louisiana National Bank on Farmerville Highway after staff determined a check presented by the suspect was fraudulent. Police found Whittley inside the nearby Century Next Bank where he had cashed another check.

When asked if he had presented a check at Louisiana National Bank, Whittley said he could not remember. His presence at Louisiana National was confirmed by surveillance video.

During the investigation, police learned the checks had been stolen from a business on nearby Haddox Road.

Whittley was booked for two counts of bank fraud and two counts of theft.

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

A Dubach man wanted in three parishes was arrested by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office on numerous warrants Friday night after a tip he was at a McGrew Lane residence.

At about 10:00 p.m., deputies went to McGrew Lane in Dubach where Donald Jumper, 23, was found seated in a red Chevrolet Camaro. As he was arrested, deputies saw a clear plastic bag containing suspected methamphetamine on top of Jumper’s cell phone. Jumper admitted the methamphetamine belonged to him as well as anything else in the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle revealed a glass smoking pipe with suspected methamphetamine residue and a container of suspected methamphetamine and syringe containing the drug in the in a backpack.

Jumper was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, Lincoln Parish warrants for criminal trespassing and criminal mischief, Jackson Parish warrants for two counts of theft, and a Union Parish warrant for felony theft.

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. 

To enter this week’s contest, CLICK HERE!

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Are you ready for some football?!?

Bigger question. Are you ready to win $200 in cash and prizes each week? 

The Lincoln Parish Journal is proud to bring you the Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by Martin Presence and Heard Construction.

Last year it was NFL games. This year it’s what the deep south lives for …. college football.

Anyone is eligible to participate for FREE and each week’s winner will go home with a $200 cash prize.  Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 15 selected college football games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two of our weekly contests).

The Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by Martin Presence and Heard Construction will be conducted over the next13 regular season weeks of the college season starting with Week 1 games (Sept. 2) and running through the end of November.

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

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

Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the Journal, if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. daily e-mail. Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $200 each week!

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The Lincoln Parish Journal wants to thank Karl Malone Toyota, Martin Presence and Heard Construction for their title and presenting sponsorships of this year’s college football pick’em contest.

We also want to thank Super Movers, American Mattress Outlet, the Dugout, the Ensure Agency, National Jewelry, Hart Designs, Tanyard Creek, Ginn’s Autobody, Ruston Eye and Vision and Pearce Lumber for their Pick’em Partnerships within the contest.

On Tuesday, August 29, 2023, shortly before 8:00 a.m., Troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop F began investigating a two-vehicle fatal crash on LA Hwy 877 at LA Hwy 580.  The crash claimed the life of 3-year-old Tavorious Hopkins of Lake Providence.

The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2019 Dodge Caravan, driven by 55-year-old John Vaughn Jr., was traveling south on LA Hwy 877.  At the same time, a 2012 Freightliner towing a grain trailer was traveling east on LA Hwy 580.  For reasons still under investigation, the Dodge failed to yield at the stop sign located on LA Hwy 877 at LA Hwy 580.  As a result of this action, the Dodge traveled into the path of the Freightliner and was struck.

Hopkins, who was improperly restrained, was transported to a local area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.  Both drivers were properly restrained and received minor injuries. A second-row passenger, in the Dodge, was not properly restrained and received moderate injuries.  Vaughn and the additional passenger were transported to a local area hospital for treatment.

Although impairment is not suspected, routine toxicology samples were collected and will be submitted for analysis.  This crash remains under investigation.

Troopers wish to remind motorists to always make good decisions while in a motor vehicle.  Never drive impaired, fatigued, or distracted.  Follow all traffic laws and always ensure that every occupant is properly restrained.  While not all crashes are survivable, taking simple precautions such as these can often mean the difference between life and death.

For all information related to car seat safety and traveling safely with children in the vehicle, please contact your nearest Public Information Officer at LSP.  For additional information related to child passenger safety, visit Buckle Up Louisiana’s Facebook page and/or www.lahighwaysafety.org.

In 2023, Troop F has investigated 24 fatal crashes, resulting in 27 deaths.

This is an advertorial.

Cancel your Thursday meal plans: starting tomorrow, Bojangles will now offer bone-in chicken in addition to its delicious menu of chicken tenders and freshly made biscuits.

“I could not be more excited,” owner Michael Quarles said. “It’s an awesome product. People are going to love it.”

Originally opening in Ruston back in April, Bojangles had traditionally offered what is known as a “Frontier” menu, meaning the location had previously only offer hand-battered and breaded chicken tenders.

With the change, Ruston residents will now be able to enjoy bone-in options with the same stellar flavor.

“This is going from the Frontier menu to the National Lexington and Louisville menu,” Quarles said. “We’re going to lose a few items, such as milkshakes, iced coffee, and salads. But we’re gaining bone-in chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy.

“There will be plenty of options for families with bone-in options and sides. There’s an eight piece with biscuits option, and you can also do a mix-and-match with chicken tenders and the bone-in chicken together.” 

And if breakfast is what you’re looking for, don’t worry: the same freshly made biscuits will still be a delicious morning choice.

Bojangles is located at 2202 Farmerville Hwy in Ruston and is open nearly everyday of the week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Some things are plain stupid. No gray area.

3-D Dumb.

Some people I know where robbed recently, but in his haste the robber dropped a piece of paper that was, unfortunately for him, a personal reminder of his upcoming court appearance. It included his name and address.

Oops.

And then there was the story out of Opelousas this week of the gentleman who stuck a handgun in his waistband. The gun was loaded, a live round in the chamber. It went off. Now, the man from Opelousas —and I use the term “man” loosely here — is not as loaded as he once was – although the story did contain the phrase “underwent reattachment surgery” and “Police had not determined why (stupid man’s name) was walking around with a pistol in his pants.”

Easy. No brain in his head.

Stupid move.

There are lots of ways to say that a guy’s parents don’t have to worry about the Yale Admissions Department clogging up the family doorway to offer their kid a scholarship. For no other reason than they make me laugh, I’ll offer my Top 10.

He’s a few crumbs short of a biscuit.
Somewhere, a village is missing its idiot.
It’s almost like he has a small piece of brain lodged in his head.
Dumb as a bag of hammers/sharp as a bowling ball.
He has a room temperature (or shoe-sized) IQ.
He’s a regular “Elbert” Einstein.
He’s lost all contact with the mothership.
He doesn’t have both oars in the water.
He fell out of the Stupid Tree and hit every branch on the way down.
My favorite: The wheel is turning but the hamster’s dead.

We all swallow a Stupid Pill from time to time.

But then there are things more along the lines of bad ideas. We call them mental muscle spasms. Brain cramps.

A boss buddy of mine found out the hard way this week that the letters T and G are very close to each other on the keyboard. For this reason, he will never be ending a work email with the phrase “Regards” again.

Muscle spasm.

I was told of a funeral in which the preacher, who kept candy in his desk, said that each Sunday morning the deceased would come into his office and, with a “Good morning!” and a smile, “go through my drawers.”

Brain cramp.

Finally, the worst idea I’ve heard of in a long time happened last week in Detroit, where Hall of Fame voice of the Detroit Tigers Ernie Harwell passed away at 92. A public viewing was held at Comerica Park, where the Tigers play. I am not a big “lying in state” guy to start with, but a casket on the warning track is off base on several levels. I didn’t like the picture of Ernie lying there, flowers all around, his statue by him, velvet ropes marking “foul ground,” for lack of a better term.

“Hey dad, remember when you took me to the ballpark and we saw Mr. Ernie dead?”

“Those were great times son!”

At least there was no danger of him being hit by a foul ball. At least the ballclub didn’t lay their humble, summer-sweet play-by-play guy out during a game. Thankfully, the Tigers were on the road.

As was, I guess, Ernie.

(Originally published May, 2010)

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Grambling State University Endowed Chair of Mathematics Dr. Anjan Biswas sees himself as a connector searching to forge strong relationships with his students while also focusing on research and publishing. 

Dr. Biswas, who has published thousands of papers and articles joined the GSU Department of Mathematics last year after previously serving on the faculties of Alabama A&M. Biswas earned his MA and Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of New Mexico and completed his postdoctoral studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder.  

His current research interest is in Mathematical Photonics in which he concentrates on soliton perturbation theory, quasi-stationary solitons, quasi-particle theory, variational principle as well as semi-inverse variational principle that are all applicable to the study of optical solitons. And earlier this summer Dr. Biswas, who mentors junior faculty at GSU, was invited to give a seminar presentation at Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa. 

Dr. Biswas earned his Bachelor’s and Master of Science degrees in Calcutta, India, where his love for mathematics was first developed. 

“I was always interested in Mathematics since I was a kid growing up in India,” Biswas said. “When I came to this country from India to work on my PhD in Mathematics from the University of New Mexico and then did postdoctoral work at the University of Colorado, that sparked my love of math and being able to use it to help create a better world really sparked up. 

“My postdoctoral professor at Colorado State gave me all kinds of insightful thoughts and kind of enlightened me. He always encouraged me and that’s where I picked up all of these modern ‘mathematical marvels’ as some may call it. And I’ve been exploring those on a daily basis ever since.” 

Biswas said a chance to concentrate more on research was a big reason why he jumped on the opportunity when offered the endowed professor at Grambling State. 

“Teaching was a big part of my earlier positions, so much so to the degree that it made it hard to delve into research as much as I do here,” Biswas said. “I teach two classes here at Grambling State and the rest is all research, which has helped me to produce more publications.

“And I’m looking for students who want to be excited about being involved. I supervised senior projects for four different students while I was at Alabama A&M and all their papers were published in doctoral journals. So, I’m looking for those kinds of students at Grambling State, where I can supervise them and help them publish their research, too.” 

Dr. Biswas said his prolific publishing isn’t about presenting his research to students and fellow educators, but also to help Grambling State University become recognized as a leading university in the field of mathematics. 

“I see my role as trying to help put Grambling State University on the mathematical map through my publishing, and hopefully through future publications from some of our students,” Biswas said. “We want people to know all this kind of research is being done at Grambling State University, and it’s the published papers that make that happen. 

“So hopefully a couple of years down the road, when I have so many papers published through research done here, and hopefully some papers published by some of our students, also, you will see Grambling State’s name grow not only in the job market, but also the research market and the teaching situation.” 

Dr. Biswas’ most recent paper was published Aug. 16. 

“It’s about optical bullets,” Biswas said. “But it’s nothing to fear. An optical bullet is a floating ball of light and can be used to send or receive information from remote places through optic fibers. 

“I’m only involved in the mathematical processes used to try and make that happen. So the paper I just published is about how it is mathematically possible to make that happen. And there are more papers in the pipeline being worked on. I publish lots and lots of papers because I have a lot of ideas that I talk about and work on with collaborators from all over the world.” 

By Kyle Roberts

With the 2023 season opener just days away, Ruston High School principal Dan Gressett is reminding fans of important policies regarding game days at The Hoss.

“Nearly all of these policies are things we’ve had in place for years,” Gressett said. “We just like to remind fans before the season starts. Our number one priority is to provide a safe environment for everyone involved. We looked at what some other schools are doing and made a few changes. I don’t think anything we’re asking is unreasonable.

“Friday nights in Hoss Garrett Stadium are special and we want to keep it that way and build on it. We are asking that our fans help us with this. We are excited to get the season started.”

The policies are listed below:

• Per LHSAA rules, no one other than RHS or Lincoln Parish School District personnel, media, or individuals directly related to the game are allowed on the field before, during, or after the game. This includes the track, endzones, and sidelines.
• No backpacks, duffle bags, or large totes are allowed into Hoss Garrett Stadium. Please exhibit the highest level of sportsmanship to all spectators, coaches, players, and officials. Everyone should review Board Policy KGA relative to conduct at sporting events. It may be accessed at
  http://caps.lincolnschools.org:8080/lincolncaps.htm.
• There is no re-entry into the stadium. Once you leave the stadium you must purchase a new ticket to re-enter.
• RHS officials and/or law enforcement officials reserve the right to search any personal belongings/bags or vehicles parked on our campus. We also reserve the right to use. metal detectors/wands to search individuals. Our goal is to make our campus and Friday nights as safe as possible for everyone.
• Loitering underneath the bleachers or near the restroom areas will not be tolerated. Everyone should be in a seat. People who violate this policy will be removed from the stadium. No refunds will be given.
• In the event that we have a weather or lightning delay the stadium must be cleared. After the delay is lifted we will allow re-entry into the stadium.
• New Policy: No one under the age of 17, unless a current student of Ruston High School, will be allowed to enter the stadium without an adult (21+). We do not allow drop-offs.

It’s always been a part of human DNA to be a little selfish. While we try not to be, it’s human nature to want more than the next person. All of us are trying to keep up with the Jones’s and I don’t mean the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. The Lord tells us in James 3:16, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” As humans, we try to obey God’s command, but the sinful side seems to prevail more often than we would like to admit.  

 Today’s professional anglers have a tough time trying to avoid being selfish with so many anglers seeking sponsorship from specific companies. There’s only so much money companies are willing to part with to sponsor an angler, and the pool is shrinking. 

Twenty years ago, anglers could go out on tournament day, catch a good five fish limit and cash a big check in order to draw the attention of sponsors. But times have changed. Fast forward to 2023 and that’s no longer good enough. Anglers now must have a personality and the ability to talk to people. They need good communication skills and must have a big social media presence. 

 Sponsors today want anglers who can sell a product and can represent their sponsors in a good way. Catching fish on tournament day is secondary. When anglers approach sponsors today, it’s not about how good an angler you are or how many tournaments you’ve won. Sponsors want to know what you as an angler can do for them and how much product you can sell. It’s all about what the business world calls ROI (return on investment). 

 These companies can be very demanding of an angler’s time by using them for promotional events like boat shows and speaking engagements. Catching fish today is not high on a sponsors list of what’s important to the sponsorship agreement. These anglers today are paid and, in some cases, paid extremely well to represent certain companies. But these demands can put a strain on an angler’s ability to compete consistently and can hinder his or her ability to prepare for an event. So, there must be a happy balance for both the angler and the sponsor. 

 During my time going around and speaking to high school fishing teams, the first question asked almost every single time is, “How do I get sponsors?” My response is always the same. First, don’t worry about sponsors. Learn how to find fish and develop your fishing skills so you can be competitive. Next, take speech in high school and college. Anglers today must have the ability to talk to people, make a good impression and sell a product. Then make sure you have a strong social media presence with a lot of followers. If you can do these things really well, sponsors will come to you. 

Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget your sunscreen! Melanoma does not discriminate! 

Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie met with local media members Tuesday during his weekly press conference.

Opening Statement…

“I am excited to come off the practice field today and being 1-0. Our football team had a tough gutsy win on Saturday night and showed a lot of resiliency. I was excited with how we finished with a third and two stop on defense and a fourth down conversion on offense, allowing us to go down and win the football game in the fashion that we did. It says a lot about the character of our football team and the character of our kids and the way that our coaching staff and players continued to battle. We have relished that but we have quickly moved past that and we have a tough opponent this weekend at SMU with an 11 a.m. game in Dallas. Coach (Reed) Lashlee has done a really good job since he has been there. They have done a phenomenal job recruiting and have a lot of talent on both defense and offense in particular in the skill positions. Their defensive line is very deep. It is a huge challenge for our football team and I am really looking forward to seeing how we improve on defense offense and special teams this week while taking that next step as a football program.”

On having played already…

“It goes both ways. Our guys got some of those first-game nerves out of the way and I think they will be a little calmer when it comes to settling in and playing a football game. We are in the rhythm and routine of playing in terms of our game week. This is our first game week in terms of playing on a short week. Our guys love to play and love to compete. From that standpoint, our kids still have not started school being on a quarter system so we want to use that to our advantage in terms of preparation and our players having more time to study their opponent. They are a good team that will be ready to play with first-game excitement. Once you settle in, the execution for both teams is going to be the difference in what allows one to win or lose.”

On SMU quarterback Preston Stone…

“I was familiar with Preston (Stone), In terms of I know who he is and I was transitioning from TCU to Texas Tech in the recruitment of him. He is a really talented player that throws the ball really well. He has a lot of grit to him. He is a competitive kid. Watching him in high school, I know he is highly successful and knows how to win. It is going to be a big challenge for us.”

On LA Tech wide receiver Smoke Harris…

“The way he played Saturday night was just amazing. He was in the zone. He went beast mode on the whole thing. We threw him the ball and he made everybody miss and broke tackles. It is amazing for his ability to break tackles and make people miss. On offense, I think people fed off of his energy and Hank’s energy. His competitive spirit. Both of those guys and our offensive line. Credit to FIU, they did a nice job on punt as far as keeping him out of the game that way. Getting him the football the way we did was big. He had 129 yards after the catch. It was a lot of him making people miss. I am excited to see his improvement continue. He has come back for a reason. We are only one game into it but it is a great story of somebody staying the course at a place where they have had a lot of success and a legacy that they built and wanted to continue and finish out that legacy in the right way. We have 11 more games to do that but I was really proud of the way he performed.”

On the Bulldogs 39-37 loss to SMU in 2021…

“I was talking to Smoke about that and it was a wound that you do not want to pull the band-aid off of. That was the year before I came but it was a season for that team where they were very close in a lot of games and that being one of them. I am sure that the guys that were on that team remember it. There has been a lot of turnover on each roster so I know both teams are very different than what it looked like two years ago. Anytime you are able to win or lose a game like that it sticks with you.”

Charles Dumas 
August 23, 1943 – August 28, 2023 
Services pending 

Allen Elledge 
December 26, 1951 – August 28, 2023 
Services pending 

Charlotte Ann (Williams) King          
August 5, 1947 – August 10, 2023          
Service: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – Ruston, Saturday, September 2, 2023, 10:00 am        

Annie Jo Davis     
Tuesday 08/24/1954 — Saturday 08/19/2023      
Visitation: Friday 09/01/2023 3:00pm to 5:00pm at King’s Funeral Home     
Celebration of Life: Saturday 09/02/2023 1:00pm at King’s Funeral Home     
Interment: Saturday 09/02/2023, St. Peter Baptist Church Cemetery, Longstraw Road, Ruston   

(This is one of 20 profiles on the recipients selected by an anonymous committee out of an extensive list of nominees for the 2023 Rising Lincoln Leader Award. The Lincoln Parish Journal thanks Mayor Ronny Walker and the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce for their support of this award. We would like to thank Kevin Hawkins at HawkinsPhoto.com for the headshots).

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Name: Jeff Miller

Age: 38

Employer: Boys & Girls Clubs of North Louisiana/Lincoln Parish School Board

Title: Teen Director/ Behavioral Interventionist

Hometown: BIG RUSTON

How long have you lived in Lincoln Parish: Life Long Resident

Civic-volunteer organizations: Ruston Parks & Recreation, William Brothers Basketball Program

Professional Highlights: The best highlight of my career is watching youth lives that I have had any impact on growing to be positive productive citizens in our community; The 2021 Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Young Business Leader of the Year Award; The Boys & Girls Clubs of North Louisiana State Youth of the Year Winner in 2023 Jeralyn Black; The multiple championships the kids have won as I severed as the volunteer basketball coach for Ruston Parks and Recreation; The recognition by my peers and family members for the years of service I’ve provided our illustrious
organization.

Eldontá Osborne on Jeff Miller

“Jeff represents a hope and a reminder that people still care about the community and the youth.  He is a God-gifted individual who embraces his role in impacting the lives of those with whom he interacts while maintaining a humbleness that allows him to quietly make a difference. He has grown professionally to understand his impact and many times go outside his comfort zone to ensure the success of not only his efforts but those of the people in which he serves, especially the youth.”

Q&A with Jeff Miller

What makes Lincoln Parish special?

I consider Lincoln Parish the melting pot of North Louisiana. Between Grambling State University and
Louisiana Tech University we get exposure from all walks of life. Growing up in Lincoln Parish lifelong
friends turn into family members. Where the Tigers roam in Simsboro to the Aggies in Choudrant, from
the Hills of Grambling where the Panthers play and the Hornet stings in Dubach, and you can’t forget
about those Bearcats in Ruston; Lincoln parish produces some of the world’s most amazing people and
I’m proud to say I’m from Lincoln Parish.

How do you see your role in improving Lincoln Parish?  

The role I play is pivotal in the advancement of Lincoln Parish. My spirited passion, winning personality,
and leadership skills naturally draws young people, thus providing the opportunity to nurture and
develop those individual’s character traits that allow them to develop into solid and productive citizens.
My heart for the youth of this community impacts the future of these young lives, their families, and our
community overall.

Who has played a pivotal role in your professional development and why?

My parents Jeff Miller, Sr. and Gloria Miller have to top the list. Growing up in a household were the
mentality is put you head down and work was prevalent that was easily the behavior that I was drawn
too. My grandmothers Lenora D. Miller and Sue Willie Cosby, they instilled the core values that I live by
today. My pastor Jerry Baldwin for giving me the uncut, uncompromised word of God to help guide my steps. Eldontá Osborne and Sabrina Love for allowing me to develop professionally in the field of youth
development.

By Kyle Roberts

Lincoln Parish schools have been back in session for over a week now, and students that are bussed to schools within the city limits of Ruston have now utilized the new bus stops for transport as opposed to house-to-house pickup across the board. 

“We’ve done really well in the first week,” Lincoln Parish School Board transportation supervisor Doc Hoefler said. “It has all run smoother than I thought. Of course, we’ve had a few hiccups, but we’ve been able to address nearly every issue that has come up to this point.”

Hoefler said that most of the snags to the new routes at this point is the simple logistics of making sure that all families know about the new bus stops as opposed to house-by-house pickups.

Safety remains a priority, said Hoefler, with the school board addressing legitimate concerns by parents as quickly as possible.

“In one instance, there was a student who was the only person assigned to a particular bus stop,” Hoefler said. “And the parents were not comfortable with their student being the only one there. They would not have minded if there were multiple kids at the same bus, so we worked together to offer a solution to that particular route.”

One of the top reasons for creating the new bus stops was to cut down on time that kids were riding on the bus on any given day. Hoefler said that from conversations with his drivers that this is already happening.

“The routes have allowed our drivers to not have to sit for long periods of time during switches at the schools,” Hoefler said. “That’s where the kids used to get restless waiting, because the drivers did not want to be late so that aired on the side of being early.

“That’s where I’ve seen the biggest difference, in our ability to control most of that time.”

Police arrested a Homer man early Friday morning after he was found on the Grambling State University campus with a pistol.

About 1:00 a.m. Friday morning, Grambling Police and GSU Police were investigating a motorcyclist at the intersection of Main Street and Reed Street on the GSU campus. During the investigation, Dayvion R. Webb, 21, was asked if he was carrying anything in the backpack he was wearing. Webb said the backpack contained some jumper cables and a gun he said was “legal and registered.” 

An officer asked for the bag since Webb had admitted he was in possession of a firearm on a school campus in violation of state law. A search of the backpack revealed a Glock 17 9mm pistol loaded with 17 rounds. Webb was arrested for possession of a firearm in a school zone and booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center.

Webb said he was not a student at the university. His bail amount was not available at publication time.

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

by Emma Stone

Last year, a Facebook post was made by Hope Underwood, a Ruston citizen, looking for members to join an all-women’s fantasy football league.

Underwood was so inundated with replies from women that she had to create a waiting list.

But the Leading Ladies’ League was born.

“It started out with 12 teams,” said Underwood. “I had people asking me that if anybody dropped, they wanted to be the first to know. So, I ended up having a kind of waiting list.”

Underwood had previous experience playing in fantasy football leagues but was faced with plenty of doubt because of her gender.

“I’ve played fantasy football for a while now with my husband and with other mutual friends,” said Underwood. “Very rarely there would be a couple of females. I found that it wasn’t as welcoming especially if the females were winning. I often got comments saying my husband must had been helping me.”

Now, Underwood has women from north Louisiana to south Louisiana to Texas that compete with 10 teams lined up for 2023.

Kelli Black, a member and Lincoln Parish native, has now spent six years playing in fantasy football leagues.

“It’s changed the way I’ve watched football which is strange,” said Black. “I’ve always watched my favorite teams, but in fantasy, I may not pick anyone from my (favorite) team for my draft.”

The Leading Ladies League draft is done entirely through the Sleeper App, where the women can pick their players each week. They can also participate in group chat where they plan draft times.

“Usually I kind of start to look on the app and can pick people and put them on my board,” said Black. “When it comes up to my turn to pick, I can see who is available.”

The top five teams for last year were separated by only about fifty points, and the winner earned bragging rights along with first pick for this year’s draft.

Lauren Sparks, member and Ruston native, won first place during the inaugural season of the league.

“Growing up, my dad always played in fantasy football leagues. I would always hear him talk about it with his buddies,” said Sparks. “I’ve always been into sports with him so when Hope posted, I decided to join.”

Sparks had joined her first league at one of her previous jobs. After the season finished, Sparks was the champion.

“It is fun to do an all-ladies league, because you don’t have a bunch of men who are super hardcore about it,” said Sparks.

Underwood hopes to keep low maintenance and low pressure for women in the league to participate, because many of them are mothers or have full-time jobs.

“It just gives a place where there’s no judgement,” said Underwood. “You know everybody has their own method and ways for approaching their draft and beginning of season rosters. It is, also, an opportunity for some of these women who didn’t watch football to learn more about it.”

The Leading Ladies’ League draft was Sunday.

For more information on Andy Halbrook at Edward Jones, CLICK HERE.

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It’s probably not on your calendar, but September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. And that means it’s a good time to become more aware of the benefits of having life insurance — and the dangers of not having it.

Unfortunately, confusion about some of the basic elements of owning life insurance may be keeping people from getting the protection they need. More than half of uninsured Americans say they have put off purchasing coverage because they don’t know what to buy or how much they need, according to Life Happens and LIMRA, two nonprofit organizations that provide research and education about life insurance.

Yet, while this confusion may be understandable, a delay in acquiring appropriate insurance can be costly in more ways than one. From a strict dollars-and-cents perspective, it’s generally much more affordable to buy life insurance when you’re younger. But there are potentially much greater costs involved in not having insurance when it’s needed — and these costs are personal.

To be specific, what is it worth …

            … to know your family could stay in your home if something happened to you?

            … to know your children could continue their education plans?

            … to know your debts could be paid without burdening your family?

            Clearly, if you were to assign these benefits a “price tag,” it would be pretty high.

And that’s the value of owning sufficient life insurance.

So, let’s return to the issue of people putting off buying insurance because they don’t know how much they need, or what type they should have:

• How much is enough? You might hear that you need life insurance equal to about seven to 10 times your pretax annual salary. That’s not a bad “ballpark” figure, but not everyone is playing in the same ballpark. To get a true sense of how much of a death benefit you require from your life insurance, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors, possibly including your current income, spouse’s income, the size of your mortgage (in addition to other liabilities), number of children, educational expenses and final expenses for funeral arrangements.
• What type? You can essentially choose between two basic types of life insurance: term and permanent. As its name suggests, term insurance is designed to provide coverage for a designated period, such as 10 or 20 years. Generally speaking, term insurance is quite affordable for most people, especially when they buy policies as young adults. On the other hand, permanent insurance, such as whole life or universal life, is usually considerably more expensive than term insurance. This is because permanent insurance premiums, in addition to providing a death benefit, help build cash value, which you can typically access through loans or withdrawals, giving you additional flexibility should your financial needs change over time. In choosing between term and permanent insurance, you’ll want to evaluate several issues, such as how long you think you’ll need coverage and how much you can afford to pay in premiums.

Finding out about the benefits, costs and types of life insurance can help you make informed choices to help protect your family for years to come — so don’t delay learning what you need to know.

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This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., and in California, New Mexico and Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency of California, L.L.C.; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of New Mexico, L.L.C.; and Edward Jones Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, L.L.C. California Insurance License OC24309

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This is a paid advertorial

A West Monroe man was booked into the Lincoln Parish Detention Center last Tuesday after the deputy who stopped him learned the man was wanted on numerous warrants.

Joseph Craft, 35, was stopped for a traffic violation by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office about 7:00 p.m. Tuesday night. A records check revealed Craft was wanted on three warrants for failure to appear in Third Judicial District Court for possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension, and operating a vehicle without proper equipment.

Craft was also wanted by the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office on warrants for felony theft and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

No bail was indicated due to the charges being for failure to appear in court.

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. 

To enter this week’s contest, CLICK HERE!

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Are you ready for some football?!?

Bigger question. Are you ready to win $200 in cash and prizes each week? 

The Lincoln Parish Journal is proud to bring you the Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by Martin Presence and Heard Construction.

Last year it was NFL games. This year it’s what the deep south lives for …. college football.

Anyone is eligible to participate for FREE and each week’s winner will go home with a $200 cash prize.  Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 15 selected college football games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two of our weekly contests).

The Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by Martin Presence and Heard Construction will be conducted over the next13 regular season weeks of the college season starting with Week 1 games (Sept. 2) and running through the end of November.

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

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

Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the Journal, if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. daily e-mail. Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $200 each week!

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The Lincoln Parish Journal wants to thank Karl Malone Toyota, Martin Presence and Heard Construction for their title and presenting sponsorships of this year’s college football pick’em contest.

We also want to thank Super Movers, American Mattress Outlet, the Dugout, the Ensure Agency, National Jewelry, Hart Designs, Tanyard Creek, Ginn’s Autobody, Ruston Eye and Vision and Pearce Lumber for their Pick’em Partnerships within the contest.

Dr. Bharat Rawal has taken over as head of Grambling State University’s Department of Computer Science and Digital Technologies, bringing experience in teaching, administration, and the corporate world to his new role. 

Previously, Dr. Rawal served as cybersecurity professor at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, and previously as head of the Computer Science Department at Capitol Technology University in Laurel, Maryland, where he received an outstanding research award from the university and submitted two National Science Foundation grants for $800,000.  

“I am thrilled to join Grambling State University as the new Department Head for the Computer Science and Digital Technologies Department,” Dr. Rawal said. “My goal is to build on the department’s existing strengths and foster a culture of collaboration and innovation.”

“Together with our talented team, we will work toward developing innovative programs in quantum computing post-quantum cryptography,” Rawal continued. “We will work on fostering groundbreaking research and toolsets for our students to excel in their personal and professional careers. And we will work toward a state of art curriculum that will attract talented national and international students in programs at Grambling State University.” 

At Benedict College, Dr. Rawal’s research focused on network security, cloud computing and security, blockchain, artificial intelligence/machine learning, quantum computing, and the development of next-generation cyber defense and operation technologies. 

Dr. Rawal has also served as Associate Professor and Program Director for the School of Science and Engineering at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania; an Assistant Professor at Penn State University; and as an Assistant Professor at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as holding visiting assistant professorships at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and Loyola University in Baltimore. 

In addition to hundreds of peer-reviewed conference proceedings and journal publications, Dr. Ruwal has co-authored four books — “Artificial Intelligence in IoT and cyborgization” (Springer, 2023); “Intelligent Multimedia Technologies for Financial Risk Management: Trends, Tools” (IET, 2023); “Implementing and Leveraging Blockchain Programming” (2022); and “Cybersecurity and Identity Access Management” (2022) — and has also been granted two patents. His recent publications and projects have been focused on cybersecurity, blockchain, quantum Computing, AI, and 5G and beyond. 

Dr. Ruwal also spent years in the corporate world, serving as CEO of Coracias Advanced Technology LLC from 2017-2021 and Chairman of Bashundhara Pharmaceuticals PVT.LTD from 2000-2010. 

The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested a Grambling man last Tuesday on several warrants after he was stopped for a traffic violation.

Haywood L. Harris, 22, was stopped about 12:30 a.m. on Louisiana Highway 33 for a traffic violation. The deputies smelled burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle and when he inquired about it, Harris pulled a bag of suspected marijuana from his pocket.

A records check showed Harris was wanted on three failure to appear warrants from Ruston City Court. He was arrested and booked for possession of marijuana, improper lane usage, and the three warrants. Bail was set at $6,000.

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. 

By Kyle Roberts

Saturday morning offered at the Ruston Sports Complex offer Ruston High volleyball a glimpse of what home matches will look like this season as the Lady Bearcats hosted the 2023 Jamboree which saw over a dozen matches taking place on three separate courts.

“From a facilities and operations standpoint, I thought everything went well,” Ruston interim head coach Mandy Cauley said. “We’re still getting acclimated to playing everything here. And the Sports Complex was great and there were plenty of seats and accommodations. Everything was great; no complaints from any school, which is always a plus.

“And we had a great showing of fans; you just love to see people that are going to give up their time on a Saturday morning to come support the girls in the sports.”

The Lady Bearcats varsity squad saw action in two different one-set matchups; the first in a win against Neville by a final score of 25-15, before falling to Natchitoches Central 26-24 later in the morning.

“I thought we did really well against Neville,” Cauley said. “We executed everything pretty nicely. Our passing was on point, and so we were able to do some things offensively because of the good passing.

“Against Natchitoches Central, our girls showed a lot of resilience in the middle. We got down early and made some silly errors. Then we battled back and it was tied at 24. We’re still fine tuning some things, and that’s part of preseason.”

Cauley said the biggest takeaway from the preseason for her is seeing how the team has come together.

“I think we have a solid lineup,” Cauley said. “I think we have the people in the right positions to get the job done, and now, it’s just about execution.

Ruston opens its 2023 regular season at home Thursday, Aug. 31, at 6 p.m. against Parkway. The freshman team will start at 4 p.m. and junior varsity is set for 5 p.m.