The Louisiana Tech Softball team was unable to open the 2024 season this weekend as thunderstorms washed out the Bulldogs’ three-game series with the Saint Louis Billikens at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
The rain-outs were the first lost competition dates in the facilities history since its inception in 2021.
The Bulldogs will look to open their season on tonight at 6 p.m. when they host the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders. The first 500 fans that walk through the gates of The Billy will receive a free rally towel. Tech will also be in action on Wednesday when Southeastern Louisiana visits Ruston for a non-conference showdown at 6 p.m.
Funeral services for Mary Pike, age 62 of Simsboro, LA are scheduled for 1:00 PM, Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at LifeChurch in Ruston with Rev. Dallas Witt officiating. Burial will follow in Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Ringgold, LA under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston.
Mary Monette Corley Vascocu Pike was born on January 22, 1962, in Coushatta, LA to Edna Earl and Twain Corley. She was the youngest of five siblings: Glenda, Suzanne, Cynthia and Mark. Mary left this world suddenly and unexpectedly on February 9, 2024. She leaves behind her loving husband, Roger Pike; her precious little dog, Lenny; her beautiful and loving daughter, Jennifer Blacksher of Elm Grove, LA and her special granddaughter, Cali, both of whom she loved with all her heart; two sisters: Glenda and husband Larry Taylor of Bossier City, LA and Suzanne and husband Bob Honeycutt of Texarkana, TX; and two very special nieces, Michelle Williams and Hailee Chandler, who also loved her dearly. Mary was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Cindy Todd Elliott and brother, Mark Twain Corley, as well as a lady that she loved dearly, Easter Mae Stafford. Mary had many fond memories of her time with Easter Mae.
Mary graduated from Riverdale Academy in Red River Parish. She later graduated from Bossier Parish Community College as an outstanding student with a degree in Culinary Arts. She literally travelled around the country using her exquisite ‘cooking skills’ in a variety of venues including a golf tournament featuring Tiger Woods. Mary’s life included many struggles, however; when God put Roger Pike in her life, her whole world changed for the better. Their lives have been focused on serving the Lord in their church. Mary had many friends that she also loved dearly. Her delightful ‘goodies & desserts’ were always a big hit wherever she went and they will certainly be missed.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM until 7:00 pm, Monday, February 12, 2024 at Owens Memorial Chapel. To leave an online memorial message for the family, please visit www.owensmemorialfuneralhome.com
Samuel L. Morrison, Jr. Saturday 11/16/1935 — Thursday 02/08/2024 Notes: No Public Viewing (Private Family Viewing) Graveside: Monday 02/12/2024 12:00pm, Asberry Cemetery, Chatham
Mary Monette Pike January 22, 1962 – February 9, 2024 Visitation: Monday, February 12, 2024, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home Funeral Service: Tuesday, February 13, 2024, 1:00 PM, LifeChurch, 3000 S. Vienna St Cemetery Committal: Tuesday, February 13, 2024, 3:00 PM, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, 1957 Pleasant Road, Ringgold
It’s Super Bowl week, as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers prepare to face off for professional football’s world championship on Sunday in Las Vegas.
So what better time could there be to learn about being a champion in any or all phases of life?
Grambling State University first-year students as well as student-athletes received just that opportunity earlier this week as GSU graduate and former NFL defensive back Greg Fassitt, who was a member of the 2009 New Orleans Saints Super Bowl championship team, spoke to them about his success in academics, athletics and in the corporate world.
The New Orleans native has made the most of his journey through Grambling State, the NFL and the business world, starting off as a business manager for Target and climbing the corporate ladder to become a senior operations executive with the company.
“For me, wanting to reestablish my roots back into a place like GSU and finding a way that I can serve the institution that’s given so much to me was very important,” said Fassitt, who managed to earn his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from GSU in two years and 11 months and then begin graduate school while playing football for the G-Men. “I went knowing that as a scholarship athlete that it was my duty first and foremost to graduate, and graduate on time.
“But more specifically, I wanted to set a precedent of what could be done when you are totally focused and forward-thinking about maximizing the opportunity to be on a scholarship and receive an education. I wanted to receive as much education as I could while still being a scholarship athlete, so I put together a plan with my academic advisor at that time to expedite my trajectory through Grambling.”
Fassitt took the maximum number of 18 hours per semester before his senior year, when requested and received head coach and college dean approval to take 21 hours.
“As an athlete, that was unheard of at that time, but I was ultimately able to make that happen,” Fassitt said.
GSU Interim Director of University College Milton Jackson said Fassitt’s appearance at GSU came at the recommendation of former President Rick Gallot and Vice President for University Advancement and Innovation Brandon Logan.
“They asked Greg to get in contact with me and he did and gave me his story to see if it’s something that might connect with our first-year students and our student-athletes,” Jackson said. “I thought it would be a great fit for him to share his story with our students.”
Fassitt’s meetings with GSU students came in two sessions — one with student athletes and one with First Year Experience students.
“He came in and met with the student athletes in the Media Room on Wednesday night and had a great, engaging session with them and then on Thursday he met with some of our FYE students,” Jackson said.
Jackson called both sessions “nothing short of transformative” for the students in attendance.
“His compelling narrative of perseverance and success as a student athlete resonated deeply with our students,” Jackson said. “When he talked about completing his undergraduate degree in under three years and how to execute and maximize their studies was just phenomenal.
“You could tell it was really engaging because the students stayed afterwards just asking for tips on how he did that, and he took them through some powerful but simple examples of what a student should do and position themselves for success.”
Fassitt was a GSU student-athlete when Hurricane Katrina hit and ravaged his hometown of New Orleans, and while being extremely concerned about family and friends in the Crescent City, he persevered and remained focused on the big prize — earning a college degree.
That’s something he talked about with GSU student-athletes.
“I talked with them intently about how to ‘champion you’ — and what that means is choosing to be great,” Fassitt said. “We talked a lot about knowing their why — why did they come to Grambling and why does it matter to the legacy that came before them. Because understanding those questions will ultimately help them stay on the path that will lead them to becoming the greatest versions of themselves and become that champion within.
“And so we talked a lot about decision-making and being disciplined and doing the right things. even when that’s not easy. To form those habits that are required to be successful starts in the classroom, because that translates to the same habits that are required to be successful in competing in their sport, whichever that might be.”
Fassitt’s discussions with the student-athletes included talking about handling adversity.
“We talked about how at some point they will all have to face adversity, and how they handle that adversity will help ultimately determine who they will become, because there’s not a single champion who hasn’t had to overcome some sense of adversity,” Fassitt said.
“So it was a really thoughtful talk and an opportunity of time spent to usher in the realization of what it truly means to be a scholar athlete at an HBCU that has so much legacy, and that they need to do their part in helping being a champion for themselves, and a champion for others.”
As hard as she tried, Cedar Creek girls basketball coach Katie Hall couldn’t get her team pointed in the right direction Saturday afternoon as the Lady Cougars fell to OCS in a showdown with the District 2-1A regular-season title at stake. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
It’s not how you start but how you finish.
That was a hard lesson learned for the Cedar Creek Lady Cougars Saturday afternoon after falling 39-28 to Ouachita Christian in a neutral site contest for the District 2-1A girls regular season championship at West Monroe High School.
After OCS nailed its first basket 18 seconds into the game to open scoring, the Lady Cougars quickly rallied, tying things up on a Leah Sutherland layup before taking a 5-2 lead on a Sutherland 3-pointer at the 5:43 mark of the opening stanza.
The two teams kept things tight the remainder of the first quarter, with OCS taking a 11-8 lead heading into the second quarter of play.
Cedar Creek got within two points at 11-9 on a Sutherland free throw at the 6:29 mark of the second quarter, but then the proverbial wheels seemingly came off for the Lady Cougars as they just couldn’t seem to find the basket the remainder of the first half.
The Lady Cougars didn’t score again until the 3:13 mark of the second quarter when a Caroline James free throw cut the OCS advantage 19-10, and Cedar Creek could only manage two more free throws for the rest of the stanza as the Lady Eagles moved out to a double-digit lead at 23-12 by halftime.
“We missed shots we needed to hit and we got the looks we needed to get and we just weren’t making,” Creek head coach Katie Hall said. “Missing wide-open layups hurts. Defensively, I thought we were pretty good. Offensively, we just could not figure out a way to score. We kept trying to get it inside, but kept turning the ball over, missing easy shots trying to get a foul and not putting the ball in the bucket.”
Cedar Creek maintained pace with OCS in the third quarter, holding the Lady Aggies to a 29-19 lead heading into the final eight minutes of play.
And it was the same story in the final stanza as the Lady Cougars got no closer than eight points back as OCS took the 2-1A title.
While it was nothing new facing a district foe for the third time this season, the OCS press seemed to get to the Lady Cougars after their strong first quarter.
“I don’t know why it bothered us that much because we’ve seen it all year,” Hall said. “We knew it was coming. We prepared for it. Yeah, it’s disappointing.”
Hall admitted that after the first quarter, her team seemed to run out of energy the rest of the way.
“I think they were ready,” Hall said. “I think we ran out of gas at the end. This is four games in six days and that’s a lot. It is what it is.”
Sutherland led Creek with 12 points, while James and Alivia Lee added five points each for the Lady Cougars, who stand at 21-8 on the season and await the girls playoffs brackets to be announced on Monday.
The Simsboro boys basketball team celebrates Saturday after defeating Simsboro in a neutral-site showdown that gave the Tigers the regular season District 2-B title. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
CADEVILLE — The intensity was flaming hot Saturday evening as Choudrant and Simsboro faced off for the District 2-B boys basketball regular season title at the West Ouachita High School gym.
And by the time the smoke cleared, Simsboro had held on for 75-63 in a game of see-saw surges that saw both teams get hot and then cool off at various points in the tiebreaking showdown played after both closed out their district schedules at 5-1 after splitting the regular-season games in which they had met.
“It was another amazing basketball game,” said Tigers coach Adam Wodach. “We played three times in less than three weeks and it feels like every game has been an absolute barnburner. I’m speechless. I honestly think that if we played (Choudrant) 10 times, we still might end up in a split.
“I’m just proud of our guys — proud of the way we responded. We were up six (57-51) going into the fourth quarter and they cut it to three. I looked at the team during a timeout and told them we’re either going to figure it out or we’re not. I think we killed about three minutes there at the end of the clock and we had struggled with that this year.”
It was Choudrant which had to find its composure early on. Simsboro opened with a 6-0 run over the opening 2:06 of the contest before the Aggies scored on a Lawson Stevens jump shot in the key.
Lawson added a second short jumper before Braden Soto’s 3-point at the 4:13 mark of the opening stanza put the Aggies on top 7-6.
Choudrant built five-point leads three different times before the first quarter ended, but the Tigers kept fighting back, with Ahamd Smith’s 3-pointer with 9.5 seconds left in the stanza sending the teams into the second period tied at 17-17.
“They were composed,” Wodach said of his team. “We had a couple of moments there where we lost composure but I think we found it quicker than we had (in any other game) this year.”
Wodach said building that composure was a year-long process
“That was a year, including the summer, of work trying to get them to understand how basketball is a game of runs,” the first-year head coach of the Tigers said. “You want to control momentum. You can’t stop a team from scoring, but if you can control momentum you’re probably going to win the game. I thought we did a better job of that tonight.”
In the second quarter, Simsboro built as much as a five-point advantage at 24-19 before the Aggies quickly battled back, taking a 28-26 lead with 2:56 left in the first half on a pair of free throws made by senior center Michael Jones.
Two more Jones free throws tied the game at 34-34 with 3.2 seconds remaining before halftime, but the Tigers responded with Jakaleb Modest taking the inbounds pass, moving just pass the halfcourt line and arcing a shot right through the net to send the teams into the locker rooms at halftime with Simsboro on top 37-34.
And again, Wodach credited composure playing a key role in that ending to the first 16 minutes of play.
“What I’m proud of about that shot was (Modest’s) composure,” Wodach said. “He dribbled it all the way to half court to shoot the ball. He wasn’t rushed. He didn’t go off of one foot. He just stayed cool.
“I knew if he hit that one he was going to stay hot (in the second half).”
Modest said he knew as soon as he shot the ball that it was going to find its mark.
“I knew when it came off my hands, it was like ‘Oh yeah,’ it’s going in,” Modest said.
Simsboro built as much as a seven-point lead in the third quarter to give the Tigers that six-point lead heading into the final stanza.
A Jones putback pulled the Aggies within three points at 57-54 with 6:33 left on the clock, but that’s as close as Choudrant would get as the Tigers milked the clock for the win.
Modest played a big role in helping Choudrant do just that, scoring 11 of his points in the fourth quarter.
“They went out and made plays,” said Aggies coach Ryan. “We hung in there. The big thing was they kept scoring. They consistently were really good at putting the ball in the basket. They kept hitting those mid-range jumpers and pulled down some rebounds on us. That was the message at halftime, that I thought if we cleaned up the boards and got more aggressive at going to the basketball.
“Simsboro did a great job of trying to isolate Mike and were doing some different things in the first half where they had some bodies on him. But I told the team after the game that two weeks from now (once the playoffs begin), we’re going to be fine. We’ve been fortunate to play them three times because what we’re going to see in the first couple of rounds is basically nothing compared to today.”
Jones led Choudrant with 24 points while Stevens added 11 and Tucker Batterton chipped in with nine.
Modest finished with a game-best 25 points while Ahmad Smith added 14 for the Tigers, who also received 11 points each from Justin Prudhomme and Tristan Deloney.
The diminutive Prudhomme did much of his damage taking it to the basket, wading through the Aggie’s much taller interior, even sinking a pair of baskets off of reverse layups running along the baseline.
“I just try to play fearless going to the rim,” Prudhomme said. “I don’t see my height as a disadvantage, I just see it as an advantage to create.”
The Aggies, now 22-13, will play at Beekman-Charter on Wednesday in a tune-up game heading into the announcement of boys playoff brackets next weekend.
Smith said the barnburners his team has played against Simsboro so far this season will help his Aggies once postseason play begins.
“We go for so much of the season where everybody just plays zone (defense),” Smith said. “All we see is 2-3 or 1-2-2. But (the Tigers) come out and are always in your face. They’re aggressive and they pressure you. I think it’s great for us because it helps steer our focus toward that.
“And that’s what teams in the playoffs do. They stay up and man you, so a lot of things (the Tigers) do is just going to prepare us for the future, and I think we’re way better off for getting to play them, that’s for sure.”
Simsboro, now 23-12, will next play at Castor on Monday before playing host to Castor on Friday.
Tucker Batterton (with ball) and the Choudrant Aggies will take on Simsboro at West Ouachita High School on Saturday with the District 2-B championship on the line. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
FOREST — Michael Jones totaled 18 points in only three quarters of play Friday night to lead the Choudrant Aggies to a 62-38 victory at Forest to close out the District 2-B season at 5-1.
That leaves the Aggies tied with Simsboro at the end of district-season play. Now the Aggies and Tigers will square off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at West Ouachita High School to determine the district champion.
The Aggies started strong against Forest, leading 11-4 at the end of the first quarter before pushing that lead to 24-14 at the half.
Choudrant ignited in the third stanza, outscoring the Bulldogs 29-12, giving coach Ryan Smith to rest his starters in the fourth quarter as they’ll be playing their third game in three days after earning a road win at Claiborne Christian on Thursday night.
“That was big to get those guys some rest after beating a good Claiborne Christian team on Thursday night,” Smith said. “Our starters went all four quarters in that game so it was good to give them a break late in the game tonight.
“But our guys are resilient. I think that sometimes, while us coaches might be tired ourselves, that’s not a;ways the case for these young, teenage guys. I have no doubt they’ll be fired up and ready to go tomorrow against Simsboro, because they’re always fired up for that cross-parish rivalry.”
Braden Soto scored 13 in the win at Forest on Friday with Carson Carrico added 12 and Lawson Stevens chipping in with eight.
In the 61-39 win at Claiborne Christian on Thursday, it was Stevens who led the Aggies with 19 points while Jones totaled 17 while Brayden Pye and Tucker Batterton hit for six points each and Benton Case added five.
Abby Frazier (2) led Choudrant with 14 points Friday night in the Lady Aggies’ win at Forest. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
FOREST — The Choudrant High Lady Aggies capped off regular-season play while making it a season sweep of District 2-B Friday as they went on the road and came home with a 54-27 win over Forest.
It was a full-team effort as nine Lady Aggies scored in the contest, led by a 14-point effort from Abby Frazier..
Making the big win even more impressive is that the Lady Aggies did it without the leadership of head coach Brandy Roberson, who missed the game due to illness.
The Lady Aggies started slow, leading 9-8 at the end of the opening stanza before outscoring the Lady Bulldogs 19-10 in the second quarter to take a 28-18 advantage at halftime.
Choudrant began pulling away in the third quarter, outscoring Forest 7-2 for a 45-20 lead heading into the fourth period, in which the Lady Aggies added 19 points while holding the Lady Bulldogs to seven.
Reese Brown scored 14 for Choudrant while Sadie Jones added eight points for Choudrant while Brelyn Pyled chipped in with seven.
Addison Swift and Ivy Collinsworth both totaled four points for the Lady Aggies while Piper Jackson, Cadence Nugent, and Alyssa Bell had two points each.
Now Choudrant, 14-20 overall, awaits Monday’s announcement of the Division V Nonselect School playoff brackets.
MONROE — Trey Spann led the way with 21 points, with 15 of those coming off of five 3-pointers while Stephen Burks III added a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds to help the Panthers win a third straight district championship Thursday night at the Eagle’s Nest.
The Panthers started slow, leading 6-2 at end of the opening stanza before taking a 24-17 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
But the Panthers roared out of the gates in the second half, outscoring the Eagles 37-9 in the final 16 minutes of play.
Lincoln Prep poured in 17 points while holding OCS to three in the third quarter to build a 41-20 lead heading into the final period, and then went on a 20-6 run to end its District 2-1A season at 6-0.
Amraje Young added 13 points for the Panthers while Trumarion Smith chipped in with 12.
The Panthers followed that up Friday night with a 61-47 loss at Union Parish, avenging an earlier season home loss to the Farmers.
Union Parish led 11-10 at the end of the first quarter in that one before Lincoln Prep battled back, outscoring the Farmers 23-15 to take a 33-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Farmers cut the Panthers’ advantage to 44-38 by the end of the third stanza but Lincoln Prep outscored Union Parish 17-9 in the final eight minutes to secure the win.
Burks double-doubled against Union Parish, totaled 18 points and 18 rebounds while adding three assists and three steals.
Young scored 15 against the Farmers while adding six steals and Burton chipped in with 12 points for the Panthers, who also received eight points from Trey Spann.
Next up for Lincoln Prep, now 16-7 overall, will be a home game against Dunham on Wednesday.
RUSTON — Despite furious runs by the West Monroe Rebels, Ruston High (15-9, 3-2 District 2-5A) came away victorious Friday night in Memorial Gym 61-54 in front of a packed house with Bearcat seniors Trey Dimmer, Kaleb Dobbins, Jay Lillard and Zhy Scott were all honored prior to the tip.
Ruston was able to fend off West Monroe (13-11, 2-3 District 2-5A) in large part due to the scoring performances of both junior Aidan Anding and Scott, who finished with 14 and 13 points, respectively.
“They’re good,” Ruston High head coach Ryan Bond said of the Rebel squad. “They do a lot of things, and there are similarities to our team. They’re scrappy, they execute and play hard and rebound well.
“This was a game with two rival teams going at it. And our guys made some plays down the stretch.”
The Bearcats would appear to pull away multiple times in the second half, including going up 49-39 early in the fourth. West Monroe would answer with a 10-0 run to tie the game, but Ruston would continue to outfight the Rebels down the stretch to win.
“It was mental toughness tonight,” Bond said. “I’m so proud of the guys, from the bench to the guys that were playing.”
Bond added that Ruston had recently been in a funk over the last couple of weeks, dropping two games to Ouachita on the road and then Alexandria Senior High at home, eliminating them from a chance at a district title.
“Last week, we weren’t in a good spot,” Bond said. “We had a little bit of finger pointing, but tonight, it wasn’t that way. We faced a little bit of adversity, and that’s the sign of a great team.
“I’ve said since day one that we’ve had a complete team and good players. Last week, we weren’t our normal selves. But I thought we bounced back this week and played hard.”
The Bearcats took a 29-23 lead into the halftime locker room, with freshman Ahmad Hudson getting six of his nine points in the first quarter.
Ruston currently sits at 10 in the power rankings with a couple of regular season games left. The Bearcats will host Dunham Thursday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m. and then will head to play Lakeview on Saturday, Feb. 17.
Bond concluded by talking about how excited he is for this team to start the playoff soons.
“I’ve learned some things about myself, and I’ve learned some things about this team,” Bond said. “And we’re going to fix those things and continue to work. It’s a coach’s cliche, which I’m great at, but we want to be playing our basketball two weeks from now. Of course, we’d like to have all home games and a first round by like last year. But I’ll go on the road and play anybody with these kids. They’re warriors, and I want to fight with them, and they want to fight for each other. I’m excited about next week and excited about the playoffs coming up.”
Jaliyah McWain scores in transition during the Lady Bearcats district clinching 39-29 win over West Monroe Friday night. (Photo by Josh McDaniel)
By Malcolm Butler
Forgive Ruston High coach Meredith Graf if she gets a little emotional when talking about this year’s senior class and their impact on the Lady Bearcats program.
It comes from the heart.
Graf watched her senior-laden team overcome a sluggish first half en route to a 39-29 win over West Monroe Friday night at Scotty Robertson Memorial Gym to clinch the District 2-5A title.
The Ruston seniors combined to score 34 of the 39 points in the win as the Lady Bearcats clinched their second district title in the past three seasons.
“This senior class as a whole has done so much for this program,” said Graf. “They are the foundation that have really helped shift us into the next gear as far as this program goes. That’s invaluable.
“To have the high quality of people that they are along with their great work ethic and great hearts … they want to be there for each other. They want to do the right thing on and off the floor. That really does carry over onto your team as far as the basketball aspect goes.”
This year’s Ruston senior class was recognized postgame as Jaliyah McWain, A’Niya Moore, Zaccheya Jackson, Aakeyliah Jones, Jordan Tate and Skylaar Spencer were honored.
Jackson led Ruston with 12 points and McWain added 10 points as the Lady Bearcats improved to 21-7, 5-0 in district action.
However, the win didn’t come easy.
“Tonight was tough,” said Graf. “There were so many distractions. I felt like our team was focused but we just didn’t shoot that well. I thought we got good opportunities. I thought we executed the way we wanted to. We weren’t finishing the way we wanted to and I didn’t feel like we were knocking down some of our shots that really could have separated us from the score.”
West Monroe (16-10, 3-2), who entered the game on a six-game winning streak including a 50-40 victory over Cedar Creek in its last outing Monday, battled from the opening tip. The Rebels led 8-6 after the first quarter and pushed it to 17-14 with 1:20 to play in the second quarter.
However, Ruston got a layup from Spencer and a conventional three-point play by Jackson in the closing minute to enter the lockerroom with a 19-17 advantage.
“Give West Monroe credit,” said Graf. “They have some size and they played really tough. They mixed up their defenses and that kept us off our offensive rhythm a little bit.”
After West Monroe tied the score 19-19 early in the third quarter, the Lady Bearcats began to turn up their defensive pressure. McWain stole a pass and took it coast-to-coast for a 21-19 lead and then Jackson followed with back-to-back-to-back buckets, including the final one after a steal.
Two minutes later McWain recorded another steal and fastbreak bucket and Jones followed with a jumper to complete a 12-2 run and a 31-21 Ruston lead.
“That was our best quarter,” said Graf. “Getting those transition baskets gets our motor running. When we can do that, it works to our strength. I was really pleased with that.”
Leading by eight entering the final quarter, Ruston scored the first six points of the stanza to open up a 37-23 lead with 5 minutes to play as McWain netted four points during the mini-run.
West Monroe would pull to within 37-29 with two minutes to play but the Rebels would get no closer.
“Overall, I think it was a wonderful night,” said Graf. “A win is a win. And to be able to recognize our kids the way we did, it was special.”
Ruston will find out its playoff seeding and pairings on Monday.
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association has released its initial decision involving last night’s on-court altercation in the Cedar Creek and St. Frederick boys basketball game.
According to Cedar Creek AD Gene Vandenlangenberg, the school received word this morning from the LHSAA stating that the Cedar Creek High School boys basketball team has been suspended indefinitely from interscholastic competition due to an incident.
According to Vandenlangenberg, St. Frederick has received the same correspondence. The communication directed the schools to notify any upcoming opponents about the suspension.
Vandenlangenberg said the school has 48 hours to provide video and other evidence as they work with the LHSAA to further clarify the association’s decision.
“Our administration is still gathering up information,” said Vandenlangenberg. “We have been asked to gather up videos and any other information that we can to help the LHSAA in its review of the situation. Once we send it to the LHSAA, we will have to wait and see what their final decision is. We are doing our due diligence to gather up as much information as we can.”
The news comes on the heels of last night’s altercation midway through the fourth quarter of the District 2-1A regular season finale.
With the Warriors leading 72-49 with 4:46 to play, St. Frederick’s Miller Day stumbled to the floor battling for an offensive rebound. Cedar Creek junior Luke Waldron stumbled over Day as he attempted to head up the floor. Day jumped up and threw at least one punch at Waldron, starting the altercation.
Players from both benches entered the scene although it appears based on video evidence that no additional punches were thrown by either side.
Officials quickly de-escalated the situation which occurred in front of the St. Frederick’s bench, separating the players. The game was called with the Warriors receiving the win.
St. Frederick head coach Jarvis Brown was reached for comment late Thursday night.
“It was unfortunate the game ended the way it did,” said Brown. “It is not a representation of who we are as a school. We just have to let the referees do their evaluation, whatever they decide. I actually didn’t see what happened. We just have to put it in the hands of the officials and go from there.”
Both teams were scheduled to play regular season games next week and are both in position for the Select School Division IV playoffs. St. Frederick is currently 13-10 and ranked No. 6 in the Geauxpreps.com power ratings while Cedar Creek is 12-12 and ranked No. 16.
The brackets for the 2024 LHSAA boys basketball playoffs will be released one week from Sunday.
In recent years the LHSAA has had instances where it suspended teams for the entirety of the playoffs for late season altercations, including last year when Zachary and Liberty were disqualified for an on-court altercation.
However, hopes are that due to the limited involvement of players from the two teams and the quick de-escalation of the incident, the LHSAA will not disqualify them from postseason play.
An original painting by Ruston artist Hooshang Khorasani is part of the 2024 Minden St. Jude Auction, which is set for Thursday through Sunday.
Tickets for a chance to win are $10 and can be purchased online at mindenstjude.com. More than 200 other items are also available through this portion of the event, which is already up and running. The auction itself will begin at 9 a.m. Thursday and run at various times through Sunday night. The live event will be held in the Minden Civic Center.
Hooshang’s artwork is a 36×36-inch original acrylic painting, “Thunderstorm,” valued at $3,000.
He is well-known for his equine work, which has been shown in exhibits across the country. One such painting is a part of the American Saddlebred Museum’s permanent collection, with another in the permanent collection of the International Museum of the Horse. Both facilities are in Lexington, Kentucky.
This 48th year for the auction has the theme “To a Cure and Beyond.” Proceeds from the event, which now top $2 million a year, benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Other activities at the televised event include a Chili Cook-Off, Run for St. Jude (including Kids Fun Run), blood drive and more.
The Lincoln Parish Journal had an opportunity to catch up with new Louisiana Tech President Jim Henderson to talk about his first month on the job. Here is Part 1 of that Q&A.
LPJ: What’s been the most rewarding part of the first month at Louisiana Tech as the president?
JH: Well unquestionably, it’s reconnecting with students; having a student body that is for a lack of a better word, yours, that you get to watch, grow, develop and and lead even as students. Tonya and I have both just immersed ourselves in student activities and, as always, were so impressed with this generation of students, particularly here at Louisiana Tech, where it has, you know, the strongest undergraduate cohort of students anywhere in the state. Connor Smith is the president. He’s the perfect embodiment of all that you expect to see in a Tech student. Getting reacquainted with that work is, is what we love most.
LPJ: What has been the most challenging part of the first month?
JH: The challenging part is there’s only 24 hours in a day. And if you look at my calendar, it’s filled from the early morning hours until most people are going to bed. I don’t say that as a complaint. I say that as I wish there were 36 hours in a day, because the energy that you get from going from place to place at a very rapid pace, seeing some really good things and more importantly, seeing some really good things that could be really great things given the proper attention, the proper vision, the proper resources. So the challenge is there’s so much potential and finding ways to be very strategic of how you invest your time.
LPJ: What were the top priorities you wanted to accomplish in the first month and have you been able to do it?
JH: So when I approach organizations, the first thing I want to do is get to know the organization. In a university that organization is defined by its people. So it’s been a great deal of time having conversations with faculty and staff at the university in multiple forums. We’re having departmental meetings. The first departmental meeting we had was with the custodial crew. It was probably the first time this group had ever been in the same room together. And they’re probably wondering why the president and his wife are there to talk to them. And when they realize it’s really about introducing ourselves and them introducing themselves to me. We went around the room were 437 years of combined service to Louisiana Tech, and we talked about our vision around growth and how incredibly important they are to realizing that growth and vision. With the exception of maybe the landscape crew, the grounds crew, the custodial crew has the first impression on a would be student that comes here, and how vital they are to ensuring that that student has a great first impression. So getting to know folks and getting them to buy into this vision, an audacious vision, that’s really worthy of the university has been the goal. You don’t do that overnight, and certainly you don’t change culture in 30 days or even 36 months. It takes a long time for it to take root. But you can start that process and have conversations with people and they realize they’ve got a role to play. Convincing people that their role is important has been the key. So we’ve had a lot of communication with folks. We’ve uncovered some opportunities to do things maybe a little bit differently. And we’ll continue to do that at scale. I don’t set artificial timelines. I do use about six month time increments. And if we establish some goals that on day one seem like they’d be impossible to reach in six months with our current structure, current resources, and then we get that six month milestone and we’ve exceeded them … that’s when we know we’re doing the right job.
LPJ: You send out a weekly email on Sunday evenings to all Tech faculty and staff. What is your thought process on communication and transparency when it comes to that population?
JH: So the Sunday night email takes about two hours to put together. I do it from memory. And so it forces me to take a moment to sit down, reflect on the week that was, reflect on some of those conversations. If you’ve read them, you see that there’s a little bit of lightheartedness, a little bit of informal language, and it’s to show a true, authentic version of myself, to those that choose to read. It it also an opportunity for me to acknowledge individuals that I’ve worked with during the week that have done something that is worthy of acknowledgment, that is worthy of celebration, that is probably indicative of work that’s going on across the university that people can connect with. And the response I get — and I ask for response — is always positive. I’ll get some suggestions. (Someone) suggested that I paste the message into the body of the email so they could read it on their iPhone. Easy to do. And then there’s even more substantive, comments that, ‘hey, you forgot to mention x, y, z.’ It’s not a diary. It’s not an exhaustive list of everything I’ve done in the week, but it’s these things that stand out that over time give those within the organization a flavor of what the president is doing. And, it’s helpful for me. I believe it’s helpful for most of the organization.
Louisiana Tech University Assistant Police Chief Bill Davis has been named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year by the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce. Davis’ award was presented by the Kiwanis Club of Ruston at the 104th Annual Chamber Awards Banquet on Feb 1.
Davis, who has been part of the Louisiana Tech Police Department since 2008, was nominated by members of the Ruston Kiwanis Club, several of whom are University employees who have seen firsthand the impact of his leadership on campus.
The award came as a surprise to Davis, and its indication of the community’s confidence in and appreciation of his service is not lost on him.
“At this point in my career, I wasn’t expecting it. I’m grateful that Kiwanis felt I deserved this recognition,” Davis said. “It’s special to me for two reasons: one, I was chosen to represent Lincoln Parish law enforcement; and two, it was the Louisiana Tech community who selected me for this. It couldn’t mean more.”
Born in New Orleans, Davis moved to Ruston in 1979 to further his education at Louisiana Tech and joined the Ruston Police Department straight out of college in 1983 where he served until 2008. During his tenure, he served as a patrol officer, field training officer, training and public information officer, narcotics investigator, patrol supervisor and shift commander, all while rising in rank from sergeant to lieutenant to captain.
As a LTPD officer, Davis’ job duties include management, administration, training supervision, hiring and evaluation oversight, and investigation supervision. In addition, he is a part of several University committees focused on campus safety and the coordination of special events.
Davis is also second-in-command to Louisiana Tech Police Chief Randal Hermes, and the two have served alongside each other for many years.
“I am very appreciative of the Ruston Kiwanis Club for their support and recognition of our local law enforcement officers, and Bill is very deserving of this honor,” said Hermes. “He has passed on his knowledge and expertise through supporting, training and mentoring our officers. His contribution to the Tech community is immeasurable.”
While acknowledging the award’s significance, the humble Davis still holds the community as his—and the department’s—first and foremost priority.
“The law enforcement we practice on this campus is geared toward serving our students, faculty and staff,” Davis said. “You have to have a heart for these people and this place, and I am confident that our police team here certainly does.”
Louisiana Tech University Police is a fully functional police department charged with promoting a safe and secure education environment by enforcing the laws, rules, and regulations that govern the University.
Don’t blame former Ruston High Bearcat Isaiah Buggs if he’s still trying to catch his breath —- it’s been a whirlwind two months for the big man from the east end of town.
Buggs has seen much change over the past two months — as if the magical tornado from the “Wizard of Oz” unexpectedly and shockingly lifted the 6-3, 335-pound nose tackle from the defensive line of the Detroit Lions and dropped him smack dab of the Super Bowl as one of the newest the Kansas City Chief.
Not even two months ago — on Dec. 16 — Buggs was garnering national attention after scooping up a fumble and rumbling 37 yards to set the Lions up at the Denver Broncos’ 37-yard line that led to a first-quarter TD and 42-17 victory for Detroit.
This week Buggs is in Las Vegas, practicing with the Chiefs as they prepare for Sunday’s Super Bowl showdown against the San Francisco 49ers.
That fumble return was the one of many surprises Buggs has celebrated over the past two months.
“The first thing I said (was), ‘Oh (shoot, or something other word like that), it’s a fumble, I’ve gotta get it,'” Buggs told reporters after that Lions game against Denver. “So, when I got it, man, I just (saw) green grass, and I took it and ran with it. I was trying to score, I couldn’t score. It was just a blessing, man, overall feeling, man. And being able to give my mom that ball, right there, that means a lot. That means a lot, man.”
Now Buggs must be thinking, “Oh (shoot)! I’m in the Super Bowl.”
And you know that means a lot, too.
It meant a lot for Buggs, who was a sixth-round NFL draft pick out of the University of Alabama in 2019 and played three seasons in Pittsburgh before joining the Lions in 2022, to see his alma mater Ruston High School capture its first state championship in 33 years on Dec. 8 as the Bearcats defeated Zachary in the New Orleans Superdome.
“Congratulations BIG RUSTON On Winning State Championship ,” Buggs said in a Facebook post made on Dec. 9.
A few days later, Buggs made a Facebook saying “God’s Plan Will Continue On God’s Schedule .
And we all know God often works in mysterious and wonderful ways.
The day after making that post about the Bearcats, Buggs celebrated getting to watch online as his mother walked across the stage at the Frederick C. Hobdy Assembly Center to pick up her college diploma from Grambling State University.
But the whirlwind was only getting revved up.
On Jan. 2, days before the last NFL games of the regular season, the Lions released Buggs, who had recorded 12 tackles, the fumble recovery and a pass defensed in 10 appearances during the 2023 season.
Two days later, the Kansas City Chiefs signed Buggs to their practice squad.
The rest is part of ongoing history.
On Saturday, before traveling with the Chiefs to Las Vegas, Buggs made the following Facebook post:
“I Really Appreciate The Ones That Are Truly Happy For Me And I Appreciate Them. The Ones That’s Not Happy For Me, My Whole Football Career Has Been A Grind . Playing In The League Is Not Easy Meeting, Practice, Being Away From Friends And Family For Months, Missing Holidays, Etc. So Yes, This Moment Is Special And It’s Adding More Chapters To My Story That I’m Writing. I Appreciate All The Love I Have Been Getting. Keep Going .”
Only time and fate will tell if Buggs gets a chance to get called up to the Chiefs’ roster and play in Sunday’s Super Bowl. He’s simply happy to be along for the ride.
“It’s definitely a process,” Buggs said of his late-season team change during an interview in Las Vegas earlier this week with a reporter from the Newhouse Sports Media Center. “It’s definitely not easy. I was with the Lions for two years. (It’s a) great program. Things just didn’t work out. It’s just a blessing for me to join a Super Bowl team and be here at the Super Bowl and get and be able to enjoy this experience. It’s awesome.”
It’s obvious from his comments during that interview that Buggs is hoping he has a future in Kansas City.
“It’s been amazing seeing how this team prepares, from upstairs in the front office all the way to the field, it’s just amazing,” Buggs said. “It’s really a family here and that’s the thing I like.
“Joe Cullen is a helluva defensive line coach,” Buggs said. “He’s always forward and up front with you. And (Chiefs head coach Andy Reid) Reid is a great coach.
“It’s just how they run their business. It’s amazing.”
Buggs said the Chiefs have offered something new to him that he hadn’t yet seen in his NFL career.
“It’s different — very different,” Buggs said. “You can see how everyone here wants to be in this position. You’ve got to do things right to get to this position. The Chiefs have been dominant for a very long time and I really appreciate them for allowing me to be part of this great experience.”
Asked during that interview on Tuesday in Las Vegas about what it was like playing at Alabama under now-retired Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, Buggs credited his mentor who he earned an NCAA national championship playing for.
“Coach Saban is business-oriented,” Buggs said. “He’s been around for a long time and has coached in the (NFL), so he knows how that goes. Him retiring kind of put a dent in the college football world because for everybody, when you think about Alabama, you think about Nick Saban.
“The coaching he brings and everything else he brings, I’m just happy that I got the chance to play for a legendary coach like that. I learned from Coach Saban, and that’s a great thing I have — playing for the University of Alabama.”
“Cerebral” is a good word for Lady Bearcat EK Jones.
Only in her sophomore season and just her second year overall living in Ruston, Jones (full name Ella Kate, but she prefers “EK) has proven to be a driving factor for this Ruston High squad, who is one district win away from claiming the 2024 2-5A crown.
How doe she do it so well?
It’s her math-loving brain that she can’t turn off.
“I’ll be constantly running numbers in my mind,” Jones said. “I’ll look at all the ways if we’re down that we can come back, or I’ll know defensively what we need to do to keep a lead. It keeps me hyper-focused.”
Lady Bearcat head coach Meredith Graf sees it, too, in her young forward who, while not necessarily lighting up the box score, makes major contributions in so many other ways.
“I can appreciate it because I think I’m a math mind too,” Graf said. “And so I think of it more from just pure angles, which basketball is all angles, all the time, whether you’re on defense and you’re trying to cut somebody off or pass to somebody– you have to adapt and and change. We talk about angles all the time, so I feel like it makes total sense.
“She’s a visual learner, too. It makes everything come together in the sense of her math brain and how she knows where her locations are. She’s somebody who does a good job of seeing the big picture of what we’re trying to do.”
A multi-sport athlete who came from Athens, La., Jones was first a softball player before she fell in love with hoops in the sixth grade. Being told before she was too small, Jones took the challenge to become a better basketball player when she came to Ruston High.
“It was a really big change coming from a small school,” Jones said. “I was at small schools my whole life– usually less than 300 kids, Pre-K through 12th grade. So, here, you have to push yourself harder to make it on the team; you have to make sure you’re good enough to do stuff here.”
Superstar senior guard Jaliyah McWain has seen Jones’ hard work in her time as a Lady Bearcat pay off for the squad, which makes her a great teammate. Even off the court, Jones and McWain are best friends, who have a good relationship as the veteran McWain seeks to impart her knowledge into her friend and protégé.
“I’m like her older sister,” McWain said. “She’s always ready to learn, especially from me,” McWain said. “She takes it well, depending on who is talking to her, and then she takes accountability for some of her mistakes– you tell her something, and she’ll fix it.”
Graf has seen the strides Jones has made in her time coming to Ruston, particularly with her buy-in to the program.
“She just wanted to help in anyway that she could,” Graf said. “Unfortunately, last year, we had those injuries take place, so she got kind of thrown in, honestly because we just had to. But she handled it very well.
“It doesn’t sound like an important statement, but she’s somebody who can play multiple positions for us, because she knows where she’s supposed to be. It’s one of her greatest strengths.”
As the Lady Bearcats move toward playing for the district title Friday at home, Jones was asked what has been her favorite part of the season so far.
Unsurprisingly, Jones’ answer was a play that won’t be on a stat sheet anywhere: a critical charge she took in a game against Arcadia, where the Lady Hornets were creeping back into the game after trailing at halftime. Jones’ charge was a factor in Ruston extending their second half lead, ultimately winning 56-38.
“It stopped their momentum they had going,” Jones said. “And it felt great.”
Now 21-7 overall this year and undefeated in district, the season is rapidly coming to a close for a Lady Bearcat squad that is currently ninth overall in the power rankings. The team will be graduating six seniors that have been critical to the surge of success for Ruston High’s girls hoops, McWain included. And next year, it will be Jones’ turn to be the veteran taking a younger player under her wing.
McWain has advice for Jones moving into an upperclassman role.
“Stay focused,” McWain said. “You’ll have people who need to learn and grow. She will need to take on a leadership role and set an example for the ones that will be getting on varsity. And keep working hard.”
It’s a formula for success that Jones, no doubt, we be able to solve as she continues her Ruston career.
Ruston and West Monroe will tip off at 5:30 p.m. tonight in Memorial Gym on the campus of Louisiana Tech. The game will decide the 2023-24 District 2-5A title.
Police arrested a Dubach man on drug charges Tuesday after he reported that he believed he had been given a date rape drug.
Dubach responded to a Hamilton Road residence and spoke with Justin Paul Thompson, 38. Thompson said earlier in the evening, he arrived home with a companion. During the evening, they intended to use the suspected methamphetamine Thompson’s companion had purchased earlier in the day in Ruston.
Thompson handed over a plastic baggie containing a white powdery substance with the consistency of methamphetamine. Thompson stated he had administered the substance intravenously. Shortly thereafter, he started to feel ill and became very lethargic and was unable to move his body.
Thompson said he went into a rage and jumped up and ordered the companion to leave the house. He drove his companion back to Bernice where he stopped and called 911 and made a report to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office. UPSO explained the incident had to be investigated through Dubach Police or the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Thompson told Dubach Police he did not require medical assistance at that time. He was placed under arrest and booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Bail was set at $7,500.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Ruston High School chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) will be hosting Walk a Mile in Their Shoes, a fundraiser to promote March of Dimes, at Ruston High’s Hoss Garrett Stadium on Saturday February 10.
Check in begins at 9:30 a.m., with the walk kicking off at 10 a.m. The entrance fee is a package of receiving blankets or $5 per walker, and donations can be dropped off until 12 p.m. for those unable to participate in the walk.
The chapter goal is to raise awareness of the March of Dimes by collecting 1,000 infant receiving blankets for project Blanket Blessings, an initiative created by Anna-Katherine Thompson, Miss Belle of the D’Arbonne 2023. Each blanket collected is packaged with a special postcard to educate and encourage families with babies in neonatal intensive care units in Louisiana.
To support the project, the community is invited to join us for the walk by donating infant receiving blankets purchased locally or by ordering from the Amazon wish list, P3 Baby Blanket Drive 2023-2024. Cash donations will also be accepted and used to purchase additional blankets. All donations go directly to the Blanket Blessing project.
March of Dimes is an organization set on ending preventable maternal health risk and decreasing the infant mortality rate while also trying to close the health equity gap. This is especially important in Louisiana, where the prematurity rate is among the highest in the nation at 13.3%, creating the need for the 1000 NICU beds in the state.
During the march, walkers can expect energetic music to encourage progress, informative slides about March of Dimes presented on the jumbotron, and concessions to be available.
Matthew Daulton, Ruston High FBLA President encourages everyone to attend. “I’m really hoping the community shows up to the walk. It’ll be an amazing way for our community, school, and RHS FBLA to band together to support both the babies in the NICUs and their families in their time of need.”
“This project is close to my heart as I have had a family member that benefited from the support received through the March of Dimes,” said advisor Dori Lewis. “This organization strives to end premature birth and so much more. This is an opportunity for us all to gather as a community and support a good cause.”
Following the event, RHS FBLA will be assisting with packaging and delivering the final product to NICUs.
Questions concerning the event or donations can be directed to Ms. Lewis at dori.lewis@lincolnschools.org.
Chris Compton of Turner Construction (at far left) and Grambling State Interim President Connie Walton (at far right) is pictured with scholarship recipients Jontae Clark, Corey LaCour, Marion Coleman, Kamile Conner, Ayanna Smith, and Tianaye White. Photo by Carlton Hamlin
Receiving a well-rounded education paid off big for six Grambling State University (GSU) students recently.
Those six GSU Engineering Technology students were presented scholarships from Texas-based Turner Construction during a program conducted by the company inside T. L, James Hall on the GSU campus.
The awards were determined by essays written by students applying for the scholarships as well as their grades.
Turner is a North America-based, international construction services company with a staff of more than 10,000 employees. The company completes $15 billion of construction on 1,500 projects each year. It plans, designs, and delivers building projects of all types and sizes — schools and hospitals, stadiums and museums, airports, data centers, offices, and more — throughout North America and in 30 countries around the world.
Thursday’s announcement of the scholarship recipients began with a $73,000 donation Turner Construction made last fall to GSU’s Department of Engineering Technology.
Each of the six students was awarded $11,000, with the remaining $7,000 going to the department’s National Society of Black Engineers and Society of Women Engineers programs to cover items such as lodging when attending programs and engineering conventions.
The students were presented with $5,500 each for the 2024 spring semester with all six also set to receive another $5,500 for the 2025 spring semester.
The students announced as scholarship recipients on Thursday were Jontae Clark of Lake Charles, Louisiana; Marion Coleman of Chicago; Kamile Corner of Houston; Corey LaCour of Alexandria, Louisiana; Ayanna Smith of Anchorage, Alaska and Tianaye White of Broussard, Louisiana.
Chris Compton, a 2005 engineering graduate from Grambling State who is now Procurement Director for Turner Construction, headed up the program that included two other Turner representatives talking about the company and what it can offer to GSU engineering graduates.
Compton also announced that Turner representatives will be on campus on Feb. 22 to have GSU engineering students participate in mock job interviews and resume reviews, attend a panel discussion and have professional headshots taken.
“Mr. Compton, through his company, has been a blessing to the Department of Engineering Technology and the scholarship recipients,” said Dr. Edwin Thomas, Interim Head of GSU’s College of Engineering Technology. “On Feb. 22, they will host “Turner Construction Day on the Yard” with activities to prepare our students for a start in the professional world of work.”
Compton told the GSU students in attendance at the program that until today he had been the only Grambling State alumnus working at Turner until recent graduate Torrence Banks began at the company’s Dallas office.
“We want some more GSU graduates,” Compton said. “We have a lot of employees that graduated from HBCUs, but until today I was the only one from Grambling. So, get us your resumes and take advantage of the programs we’ll have on the 22nd.”
Compton said returning to his alma mater in such a way couldn’t have been better.
“It felt great to be here with the whole atmosphere and all of that — it felt great to give back to GSU,” Compton said. “As a proud alumnus, giving back to the university has been a dream, especially doing it in such an impactful way. It just warms my heart to give back and do something positive for GSU.”
Some members of the family of God can answer that one quickly. They are members of a body of Christ known as a “High Church” or a “Liturgical Church.” The other congregations that don’t follow the liturgical calendar are known as “Low Church.” I’m not sure where that designation came from, but it is slightly nonsensical.
This might help you. Lent is “is the solemn Christian religious observance in the liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, before beginning his public ministry. In its modern manifestation, we talk about preparing our hearts to meet the resurrected Jesus on Easter Sunday. We use Lent to make room for Jesus.
One of the ways people prepare during Lent is to “give up” something or “add” some spiritual discipline to their daily schedules. I have seen these projects run the gamut. Some of the Lenten disciplines are heart transforming. Sometimes Lenten practices become lifelong habits. There is another side to this Lenten discipline thing.
Some people use Lent as a do-over for New Year’s Resolutions which didn’t work out. Some people have discovered they can give up making New Year’s resolutions for Lent. Others I have known, give up candy, chocolate, or other pleasures. I usually give up King Cake for Lent!
The way we talk about Lent points to a flaw in our Christian thinking. We talk about Lent with project language. The season has a starting date, an ending date, and clear, quantifiable goals “to accomplish” in between. After Easter we evaluate Lent with project language. We “did okay” or “only made it two weeks” or “kept our commitment” or “totally failed.”
I want to suggest that our faith is following Jesus. That we need to practice the idea of sojourn. A “sojourn” is a “temporary place to stay.” Faith as a sojourn is about being in the presence of Jesus. It is not about being productive or finishing a project. It is about being with Him.
I hope you have a spiritual discipline that you are practicing during Lent. If so, the sojourn idea would remind you that spiritual disciplines do not transform, they are opportunities to open our lives to the Holy Spirt, who transforms.
Following Jesus is about starting, stopping, and staying as He leads us. We are so goal oriented in following Jesus, that I sometimes wonder if we are not wearing spiritual pedometers and are keeping up with the steps we have taken while following Him. I know that somewhere a budding philanthropist has designed a Spiritual Growth Chart. You get it in the App store!
Maybe you need the words of Jesus on this matter.“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
What if Lent is all about resting in Jesus while being with Him?
A traffic stop by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office Monday night led to the arrest of a Crowley man for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and numerous traffic charges.
Austin Chase Duplantis, 21, was stopped after he entered Interstate 20 from Tarbutton Road. Duplantis was told of several violations he had committed and asked for registration and insurance information which he could not produce. Duplantis said there were no narcotics or firearms in the vehicle.
A subsequent search found a semi-automatic pistol. Duplantis admitted the pistol was his and that he was a convicted felon not authorized to possess a firearm. A criminal history check showed Duplantis was arrested in 2022 for aggravated second degree battery in one incident and on another occasion for possession of Schedule I controlled substances., possession of a firearm by convicted felon, obstruction of justice, and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles.
Duplantis said the license plate on his truck was taken off a random vehicle in a motel parking lot. He was arrested and booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, no liability insurance, no vehicle registration, switched license plate, no turn signal, and improper tail lamps. Bail was set at $21,750.
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.
,” Buggs said in a Facebook post made on Dec. 9.
. Playing In The League Is Not Easy Meeting, Practice, Being Away From Friends And Family For Months, Missing Holidays, Etc. So Yes, This Moment Is Special And It’s Adding More Chapters To My Story That I’m Writing. I Appreciate All The Love I Have Been Getting.
Keep Going 
.”
