Carolyn A. Davis Monday 10/24/1955 — Tuesday 01/30/2024 Family Gathering: Friday 02/09/2024 2:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Visitation: Friday 02/09/2024 3:00pm to 5:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 02/10/2024 11:00am, Mount Zion Baptist Church, 2586 Highway 150, Grambling Interment: Saturday 02/10/2024 Following Services, Grambling Memorial Gardens, Highway 80 West, Grambling
Olton L. Spivey (Tank) Monday 10/02/1967 — Wednesday 01/31/2024 Family Gathering: Wednesday 02/07/2024 2:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Visitation: Wednesday 02/07/2024 3:00pm to 5:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Thursday 02/08/2024 11:00am, Zion Traveler Baptist Church, 1201 Martin Luther King Drive, Ruston Interment: Thursday 02/08/2024 Following Services, Grambling Memorial Garden, Highway 80 West, Grambling
Shelby Lorraine Roberson December 6, 1991 – February 2, 2024 Visitation: Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home Funeral Service: Thursday, February 8, 2024, 1:00 PM, LifeChurch, 3000 S. Vienna St., Ruston, LA 71270 Cemetery Committal: Thursday, February 8, 2024, 3:30 PM, Oak Grove Cemetery, Hwy 147 & HWY 815, Simsboro
Tony Otwell March 29, 1939 – February 3, 2024 Funeral Service: Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 2:00 PM, Mineral Springs Baptist Church, Highway 822, Dubach Cemetery Committal: Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 3:00 PM, Mineral Springs Cemetery, Highway 822, Dubach
“Tense” would be an apt word to describe the feeling heading into Tuesday’s Lincoln Parish School Board session, particularly regarding a $17.5 million bond measure for Ruston District No. 1 for a capital improvement plan that includes athletic and security upgrades.
And even after robust presentations of both sides of the issue, tension was released after school board members voted 11-0 (Otha Anders was not present at the meeting) to send both bond measures to a public election on April 27, 2024.
LPSB president Gregg Phillips said he was very pleased with the outcome of the bond measure vote.
“I know there’s some concerns and questions that the public has that even some board members have on this issues, but I think the right thing to do what pass it, allow us to continue to have those conversations with board members and the public and inform the public of what this is,” Phillips said. “There is some misinformation out there, as well. So it gives us a chance to continue that conversation so we can bring it to the public in April.”
Phillips added that future public forums will be held in the months leading to the vote, including a yet-to-be determined date at I.A. Lewis.
For LPSB vice president Dr. Danielle Williams, her “yes” vote was an effort to show unity on the school board, while acknowledging her own hesitations with items in the proposal.
“It’s very important because it shows the constituents that we are working together for a common goal, which is making sure that every child receives a quality education,” Williams said in an interview following the meeting. “When we met (Monday), there were some things that were revealed that I wasn’t happy about. And I told them in the meeting that I don’t want to let it out and (that I would) just explain to the public that I’m voting yes.
“But when it comes to students, I mean, I’m the daughter of a football coach. So I’m all for making sure that these kids have the best. But I just want transparency.”
The Ruston District 1 proposal for capital improvement will include:
Ruston Junior High School ($1,820,000 total) – Security Upgrades (Fencing & Gates): $1.3 million – Additional Parking: $320,000 – Body Scan Machines: $200,00
Ruston High School ($14,780,000 total) – New Roof: $1 million – Entrance Upgrades for Security: $950,000 – Body Scan Machines: $300,000 – Parking Lot by Gym: $330,000 – Covered Pavilion: $5 million – Softball Field Upgrades: $3.5 million – Boys & Girls Basketball Renovations: $1.5 million – Baseball Upgrades: $2.2 million
Prior to passing the Ruston bond proposal, the school board voted 11-0 to pass a capital improvement plan for Choudrant School District No. 6, which will include:
Choudrant Elementary School – Additional Classrooms with Boys and Girls Restrooms: $1.5 million
Choudrant High School – New Multi-Purpose Room ($500,000)
The school board also approved declaring nine buses from the fleet as surplus in order to grant permission to dispose through the bid process.
Toward the end, the school board approved of the 2024-25 school calendar, which can be accessed in a document below.
At the beginning of the meeting, the board honored Black History Month by celebrating the legacies of two of the first black men to the Lincoln Parish School Board in Mr. Calvin Wilkerson and Mr. George Mack, Sr.
“Both of these men, shared a similar passion for all people,” Phillips read in a prepared statement. “They played a significant role in shaping the history of this parish through their service on this board and their influence on this community. These men fought for equal rights for everyone, and their commitment to equality was unwavering. These men helped pave the way for minorities in K-12 education here in Lincoln Parish, and they were passionate about making our community a better place for its citizens and its students.”
The Lincoln Parish School Board will meet again on Tuesday, March 5.
This week during the Z107.5 St. Jude Radiothon, 6-year-old Alex Everding, of Ruston, will undergo the 37th week of her current treatment phase with the Memphis-based hospital.
Thirty-seven out of 120 weeks. It marks almost a full year since her official diagnosis of leukemia.
Alex, the daughter of Chelsea and Adam Everding, is one of more than 800 Louisiana patients now actively being treated by the hospital.
The local St. Jude Radiothon serves as a way that area residents can become involved in helping defeat catastrophic diseases that children like Alex suffer. The event’s 43rd broadcast is set for Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Ruston station KXKZ.
Chelsea Everding said Alex’s official diagnosis came on Feb. 13, 2023, after Alex had not bounced back from a bout of flu that had affected the family’s Christmas holidays. Alex had complained about her legs hurting and began limping.
An ER visit showed that her bone marrow had shut down, and an emergency transfusion was required. Alex’s regular pediatrician was concerned, of course, so additional tests were performed, and it was discovered that she had a condition that pointed to leukemia.
“From the moment we got the bloodwork done, we were on our way to St. Jude the next day,” Everding said. “It was all kind of a blur.”
In Memphis, a barrage of tests and doctors followed because the hospital had to reconfirm that she did, indeed, have leukemia. Alex’s final diagnosis was B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia – or B-ALL – a type of acute lymphocytic leukemia – or ALL – that affects white blood cells. She currently receives chemo every Thursday at the Shreveport St. Jude affiliate clinic, with once-a-month trips to St. Jude itself for spinal taps to monitor the disease’s status.
Everding reinforced what other St. Jude parents often say about the facility: Whenever it’s time to visit the hospital, “the kids (Alex and her siblings, Jason and Wren) are ready to go.”
“When the kids are there, there’s never a boring moment. They (hospital staff members) try to make it at least enjoyable. The kids already have enough on their plate.”
And there’s never any hesitation when Everding is asked what Alex’s most enjoyable part of her hospital visits are … It’s “Miss Lizzy.”
Elizabeth Digiovanni is Alex’s music therapist, who “comes in when we have to do something hard,” Everding said. The family stumbled upon her by accident, Everding explained. Digiovanni drops by to see patients from time to time, and near the beginning of Alex’s treatment, Alex began to shut down. From Miss Lizzy’s first visit, Everding said, “Alex was smitten.”
During especially hard parts of treatment, Digiovanni strums the guitar, sings, plays Alex’s favorite songs and “is just kind of there for support.” (Alex’s favorite song is “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle, worth looking up if you’ve not heard it.)
Regarding Everding’s sentiments about St. Jude Hospital, she said, “It’s a very odd feeling. We are ultimately grateful … Every need we had has always been met … Everybody who works there stops and asks, ‘How are you today?’ – from the janitor to the doctor. But there are days I hate having to go because my kid has cancer.”
If anyone is sitting on the fence concerning donating to the radiothon, Everding recommends doing a bit of research about St. Jude: “Take 10 minutes to go through the website. There is so much that they do for the families besides never getting a medical bill. They literally take care of every single thing … St. Jude definitely has an attitude of ‘This is not enough. What more can we do?'”
She cited such things as the construction of two new two-story buildings with additional floors of in-patient rooms and the new, expansive Domino Village so that families can live on campus instead of off.
Gina Holstead, a member of radiothon co-sponsor Zeta Rho-Epsilon Sigma Alpha, shared her experience of working with the Everding family as director of Temple Baptist Church Mother’s Day Out and Pre-K program. “Being present with Alex’s sickness, initial diagnosis and following her treatment has given me a front-row seat to families that experience childhood cancer and even more of a reason to be involved in raising money to support St Jude,” she said.
Donations can be made by calling 1-800-787-5288, by texting “Ruston” to 626262, or by donating online via the station’s Facebook (Z107.5) or Instagram (Z1075fm) pages. In-person donations will be taken in related side events at the Ruston Walmart Supercenter and Super 1 Foods.
Ruston Police arrested a local woman Saturday afternoon after returning to a property she was banned from a week ago.
Yolanda Torbor, 40, of Ruston, returned to the property for the third time Saturday after being barred from the property the previous week. Torbor had been told that if she returned, she would be arrested for trespassing.
On an earlier call Saturday, Torbor was told by officers not to return to the property but allegedly returned after officers left, knocking on the windows and standing on the porch.
Torbor was placed under arrest but tried to flee before being restrained by officers. She was taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and booked for entry and remaining on premises when forbidden (trespassing).
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Ruston High quarterbacks coach Steven Ensminger, Jr., has accepted a job with Zachary High School’s coaching staff and will be heading south after his January 27, 2024, resignation was listed as part of the LPSB personnel report at the Tuesday session.
Ensminger will coach quarterbacks for Zachary as he has for Ruston High, where he has been on staff at Ruston since 2021, a little over a year after the terrible tragedy of losing his wife Carley in a small plane crash on the way to cover the 2019 Peach Bowl.
“After I lost my wife, (Ruston offensive coordinator) Earl Griffin called me and asked me to come coach here, and I said yes right away,” Ensminger said. “It was the best decision I could have ever made, because I didn’t leave my house for six to seven months. My mom literally hugged Earl and told him “thank you” for getting me out, because they were worried about me.
“This school, these kids, (head coach Jerrod) Baugh, and all of the coaches who were with me this whole time I’ve been here in Ruston, along with all the counselors, principal Dan Gressett, the assistant principals and the entire school, both athletes and non-athletes: they were all the best thing that could have ever happened for me after what I went through. I started life over, and when I did, Ruston and those kids and that school; that’s all I’ve known in this life after tragedy. And they were a blessing.”
Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh offered his thanks to Ensminger for his time on the staff.
“I personally appreciate everything Coach Ensminger did for our kids and our football program here through the years,” Baugh said. “He will definitely be missed but we all support him, his decision, and his future. We wish him the best.”
Ensminger briefly left for the Cedar Creek head coaching position during the offseason in 2022. After a mutual parting of ways, Ensminger returned to Ruston’s coaching staff for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
During Ensminger’s time on the Bearcat sideline, he helped guide a pair of quarterbacks to the back-to-back state title game appearances in Jaden Osborn and junior quarterback Josh Brantley, who was named the most outstanding player after leading Ruston to its first state title in over three decades back in December.
“While doing what I do best which is coach football, I was able to help those kids when they needed me,” Ensminger said. “And Josh Brantley is the main one. I really have sat here for 10 minutes and tried to come up with words to tell you what that kid means to me. I can’t do it. That relationship will always be there, and he knows that. And it’s gonna be hard for the next year but I told them, once a Bearcat, always a Bearcat.
“I will forever be grateful for Ruston High. I just want to tell everyone one that I love them and they will always be my family and my home away from home. I’m always here when anyone needs me. And I’ll see them in December.”
Baugh added that there is not currently a replacement for Ensminger’s position.
“As always, I will work to find the best coach available to join our team here at Ruston,” Baugh said.
A man was arrested early Friday morning after it was discovered he was wanted in California for a probation violation on a second degree robbery charge.
The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a Campbell Road residence regarding a trespassing complaint. When a deputy arrived, he saw a man walking away from the residence. The man was identified as Nathan Gonzalez, 32, of Tustin, California.
A records check showed Gonzalez was wanted in Orange County, California.
Once the warrant was confirmed with California authorities, Gonzalez was arrested and booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center.
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.
On Sunday, January 12, 1969, the editorial cartoon in The State, the daily newspaper from Columbia, S.C., was of a young colt smiling and stomping on a jet that was grounded and broken in two.
Both the colt and the airliner had on little helmets with the logos of the teams they were representing.
That’s how most people figured that day’s Super Bowl III would end, with Baltimore’s Colts of the NFL beating New York’s Jets of the AFL by five or six touchdowns — although the official betting line was 18.
Of course, cocky 25-year-old Joe Namath and the Jets beat Baltimore, 16-7, in Miami. Baltimore’s quarterbacks played a bigger role than Namath: Earl Morrall and Johnny U. combined for four interceptions, two in the end zone and one at the goal line.
The great defensive lineman Fred Miller of Homer, LSU and the Colts, passed away at 82 last February and said until the end that it was that loss to the Jets that troubled him the most, made him angry whenever he thought about it.
I remember it because it was Super Bowl I to me, the first Super Bowl that activates any memory. My pre-10-year-old brain had not been able to register Green Bay’s sweep of Super Bowls I and II.
It was a big year for a kid in a Carolina farming town of 750 to begin realizing that the world expanded beyond Myrtle Beach and Columbia. New York was, I figured, the only team that got to win titles: the Jets won, the Mets beat Baltimore, and the Knicks beat the Los Angeles Lakers that year.
Two more things about 1969. That Super Bowl III lit some sort of sports fire in me, expanded everything. The Baltimore Orioles and their Arkansas third baseman, Brooks Robinson, became my baseball team, and the Birds being upset by the Miracle Mets that October taught me at an early age a bit about love and loss.
The other thing: Willis Reed from Lincoln Parish, who passed away in March of last year at 80, was a bad, bad man (in a good, good way). The former Grambling star limped onto the court before what many call the Greatest Game 7 Ever Played in NBA history, and his inspiring return from injury was the shot the Knicks needed to demolish the visiting Lakers that day to win the title in Madison Square Garden, back when the Garden was Eden. That scene was probably a lot more dynamic in person than on our little black-and-while Sylvania. Or was it a Philco …?
Sports matter.
If you are a sports fan and, like me, nearing the time when Medicare and Social Security are things your friends are reminding you to familiarize yourself with, you can remember when you could recite every Super Bowl matchup, along with the score and where it was played.
I can’t do that anymore. (New Orleans 31, Indianapolis 17 in Miami, 2010, is an exception.)
Used to, the game was the thing. It was actually a really big deal. Halftime shows for Super Bowls I and II were Grambling’s “World Famed Tiger Marching Band,” a bad, bad band (in a good, good way). Today, halftime is an “extravaganza,” the commercials are more anticipated than the contest, and the pregame show is longer than the game. Today it’s Super Bowl parties and prop bets.
Which is fine. Things change. And they needed to. Fred Miller and Willis Reed were the best at what they did, and they had off-season jobs.
Still fun to remember, though.
Last year, Kansas City beat Philadelphia, 38-35. Great game (I think; had to look it up to remember. Insert confused-face emoji here.) Sunday in Las Vegas, San Francisco is a two-point favorite over Kansas City, an organization playing it its fourth Super Bowl in five seasons.
This bureau will pull for KC because L’Jarius Sneed of Minden and Louisiana Tech plays cornerback for them. If he plays as he has all season, maybe he’ll give us something fun to remember. No matter what, it’s a better bet we’ll be talking about either halftime or a commercial.
Louisiana Tech puts its six-game winning streak on the line tonight when the Bulldogs play host to WKU inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m and the game can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network on 107.5 FM.
The Bulldogs (16-6, 6-1) are coming off their most dominant performance of the season, defeating FIU, 93-53, in Miami this past Thursday to stay atop the league standings. The 40-point victory was the second largest road win in program history and tied for the second largest road win in a CUSA game in the league’s history.
It was an offensive onslaught as well against FIU, shooting a season-best 62.4 percent from the field as well as 52.4 percent from deep and 100 percent from the foul line. Tahlik Chavez poured in a game-high 27 points, burying a season-high seven three-pointers. In league play, the sharpshooter is averaging 16.1 points while shooting a CUSA-best 48.9 percent from beyond the arc (22-of-45).
During the six-game winning streak, the trio of Isaiah Crawford, Daniel Batcho, and Chavez have combined to average 50.3 points per game. Meanwhile, LA Tech is holding its opponents to 57.5 points and 37.0 percent shooting from the field.
Another winning streak on the line is the Bulldogs home winning streak. They are a perfect 11-0 at home this season, an 11-game winning streak that is tied for the 21st longest active streak in the nation.
WKU (15-7, 4-4), who are led by first-year head coach Steve Lutz, sits alone in fourth place in the CUSA standings, this coming off an 88-65 victory over rival Middle Tennessee at home this past Saturday. WKU plays at the fastest tempo in the country, ranking No. 1 with an average of 75.5 possessions per game. As a result, they rank 40th in the country in scoring offense at 80.7 points per game. In league action, they have upped that to 81.4 points per contest, helped by a 105-point effort against FIU.
The Hilltoppers have a trio of scoring guards – Don McHenry (15.4), Brandon Newman (10.1), and Khristian Lander (10.1). The Hilltoppers also have forward Rodney Howard who is averaging 10.0 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting 57.8 percent.
LA Tech and WKU have met 42 times on the hardwood with each winning 21 meetings. The two programs spent 10 seasons as league foes in the Sun Belt Conference (1991-2001). Now they are entering their 10th season together as league foes in CUSA (2014-present).
Since becoming league opponents again, it has been a very competitive series with LA Tech owning an 8-6 edge (home team is 11-1). The Bulldogs had won five straight, but the Hilltoppers snapped that streak in last season’s matchup in Bowling Green by a score of 76-66.
Age, I’ve always been told, is just a number. But the older I get to whatever number is next, my feelings change on certain topics. Now headed into my mid 60s, one thing that has suddenly changed in me is my level of patience. All of the sudden the man who had little to no patience, has the patience of Job (whatever that means). Father time, as some call it, has a way of adjusting your attitude. You begin to look at life a little differently and appreciate whatever amount of time you have left.
As an athlete growing up, you think you’ll always be able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. You’ll always be as fast as anyone on the field. But then the day comes when someone tells you that you’re no longer good enough to play the game. All that time and energy you spent developing skills that made you the player you were is now a distant memory.
Bass tournament fishing is the one sport that allows you to compete at a high level even into your late 70’s as Jimmy Houston, Tommy Martin, and Rick Clunn have all proven. It’s a sport where, in many cases, age can make you better as you continue to gain more knowledge. Or does it?
Like most sports, age is usually the determining factor that sends us home to relax in our Lazy-Boy or dust off our old trophies. For a bass tournament angler, I’ve learned over the years that tournament fishing really is a young man’s sport. It’s so draining with all the travel, practice and speaking engagements. During my 30’s and 40’s, there was a time when I would pre-fish from daylight till dark.
Rain, shine, sleet or snow, my boat was in the water looking for bass as I prepared for my next event. Then around the age of 55, my competitive fire and perspective began to change. No longer was it as important as it was when I was 35 to go out and try to win a tournament. My priorities changed as other areas of my life became more important and I was happy just to get a check. If I finished in the money, I was perfectly happy.
Simply put, I still wanted to win, but my desire has waned over the years when it came to braving the elements and fishing on those days when it was hotter than Hades or colder than the Arctic Circle. I just wasn’t as mad at them (bass) as I used to be!
At the same time, other things in my life began to interfere with my desire to be on the water. My priorities changed and it became more about the friendships and camaraderie with the guys I traveled with. It’s sitting on the water before takeoff watching a beautiful sun rise and visiting with other anglers, some who were friends and others who were competitors. I love fishing when the conditions are good, and temperatures are mild. Yes, that’s right…. I am now one of those fair-weather anglers that I used to make fun of.
Back in the day, I didn’t care how hot or cold it was because I wanted to beat every angler that backed a boat in the water. My competitive fire was very high during my early years. After a tough tournament, I was an emotional wreck on some of those long drives home asking and critiquing myself on what went wrong and how could I learn from it. This is how anglers get better! You have to be able to be honest with yourself and recognize your mistakes whether they’re physical or mental.
One great thing about the sport of tournament bass fishing is you never stop learning from your first day on the water till the day you load the boat on the trailer for the last time. It’s a constantly evolving sport no matter how good you are. But if you ever stop learning and gaining knowledge, that’s when you’re no longer relevant in the bass tournament world.
Till next time, good luck, good fishing and when in doubt, set the hook!!!
Louisiana Tech dropped a heartbreaker to FIU 73-71 on Feb. 1 inside the Thomas Assembly Center. The Bulldogs held a six-point lead with a minute remaining, but the Panthers knocked down three-point shots and forced the Lady Techsters into turnovers late to take the game.
The Lady Techsters had a balanced attack with eight players with five or more points. Anna Larr Roberson and Anja Bukvic were the only two in double figures as Tech shot 50 percent from the field but were only 17-29 from the free-throw line.
Roberson had 15 points on 5-9 shooting and added three rebounds. The Ruston native is third in Conference USA and 57th nationally with a 52.3 shooting clip on the season. During league play, Roberson averages 14.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
Bukvic got her first start of her career against FIU and has been the hottest Lady Techster as of late. The Serbian native had scored in double figures in four of the last five games, including setting a career-high three times. She is averaging 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists during that span.
Tech has been balanced on the offensive side of the court all season. The Lady Techsters are averaging 24.3 points in the paint, 20.7 from mid-range, and 18.3 from long-range. The 130 three-pointers are the most through the first 21 games in Lady Techster history.
Western Kentucky enters the contest on a three-game losing streak of their own. After opening conference place with wins against Liberty, Sam Houston, and Jacksonville State, the Hilltoppers have dropped four of the last five.
WKU has been dominant at home with a 7-2 record and outscoring opponents by an average score of 68-57.
The Hilltoppers have a pesky defense that forces opponents into 19.57 turnovers per game, 42ndf in the country. They lead the league with 10.4 steals and a 4.43 turnover margin, 35th and 32nd nationally.
Western Kentucky has only three forwards on the roster and plays a perimeter game. They take an average of 23.5 three-pointers a game and knock down 7.1 of them.
Wednesday’s matchup will be the 55th meeting between the two programs. Tech holds a two-game advantage, 28-26. The two schools were members of the Sun Belt Conference for 10 years (1991-2001) and maintained their annual matchup before becoming conference foes again in 2014.
Jaliyah McWain (2) led Ruston with 24 points in Tuesday’s night hom win over Ouachita Parish. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatirght
A good lesson learned at a good time.
That was the overall assessment by Ruston High School girls basketball coach Meredith Graf after directing her team to a 61-53 win over Ouachita Parish Tuesday night inside Scott Robertson Memorial Gym on the Louisiana Tech University campus.
Graf was simply glad to see her team earn the win on a night she admitted they didn’t shoot very well.
“If we’re not shooting well, we have to be able to do other things like get second chances and not have silly mistakes on box-outs,” Graf said. “Those things are what help you overcome a poor shooting night.”
The Lady Bearcats led 15-7 at the end of the opening stanza before taking their biggest lead of the first half at 14 points on a Jaliyah McWain layup with nine seconds remaining in the second quarter that sent Ruston into the locker room on top 33-19 at halftime.
Ruston pushed its lead to 16 points at 35-19 only 20 seconds into into the third quarter on a long jumper by McWain but then the inevitable happened as the Lady Lions slowly chipped away at the RHS lead, cutting it down to two points at 45-43 on a McKenna Cooley free throw with 6.4 seconds left in the period.
And the Lady Lions tied things up at 49-49 with 5:16 left on the clock on a Cooley 3-pointer before Ruston went on an 8-0 run to move back out in front by eight at 57-49 on a pair of free throws by A’Nyia Moore with 1:50 remaining.
“That team (Ouachita) is always dangerous,” Graf said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re up by 20 or up by six, they’re always within striking distance. Our girls were aware of that. They knew. So they held on and overcame it even though we weren’t shooting that well. Certainly not as well as we did the first time when we won big at Ouachita.”
Ruston’s pressure defense helped the Lady Bearcats win the first half. It was an adjustment they made that helped win the second.
“Ouachita started bleeding somebody back and putting two back,” Graf said. “We thought about shortening it up but chose not to because of some foul and position stuff that we were looking at.
“Sometimes once a team has gotten a good look at your press, and we had already played them, they kind of get a rhythm and figure it out, so we decided to get out of it.”
But while the Lady Bearcats adjusted in that case, they stuck with their game plan for the most part.
“However things are going, we really just stick to our principles, and that;s go until you’re stopped,” Graf said. “And that’s our big principle. We preach a lot of kick-ups — pass the ball and look to attack and Jaliyah is usually the one kicking it up.”
McWain led the Lady Bearcats with 24 points while Moore and Zacchea Jackson added eight each for RHS.
“We didn’t play our best but still got the win,” Graf said. “This was a good time for that to happen — to remember heading into the playoffs that you’ve got to overcome adversity to accomplish your goals. It was a good time to be reminded of that.”
Cooley led the Lady Lions with 21 points on the night.
Next up for the Lady Bearcats (21-7, 5-0 in District 2-5A) will be the regular season finale against West Monroe at home on Friday.
Cedar Creek’s Connor Johnson is guarded closely by Lincoln Prep’s Amarje Young during Tuesday night’s Panther win. (Photo by Darrell James)
By Malcolm Butler
Lincoln Prep coach Antonio Hudson knows he has a group that can play up-tempo.
And on Tuesday night, Hudson unleashed his Panthers in the second and fourth quarters as Lincoln Prep scored 47 points in those two periods en route to a 73-41 win over Cedar Creek.
With the victory, Lincoln Prep (15-7, 5-0) captured the District 2-1A title.
However, the win and the district championship didn’t come without some teaching moments for Hudson and his young Panthers.
Leading 43-16 at the half, Lincoln Prep came out slow in the third quarter, committing turnovers that led to easy buckets by Creek as the Cougars (12-11, 1-4) closed to within 43-30 after scoring the first 14 points of the third quarter.
Hudson called a timeout and ultimately bench his starters for a period of minutes.
“It’s been a consistent thing all year,” said Hudson. “We have to execute when we get to a certain point. We were up by 25 at half and we come out and we force them to guard us man-to-man and then we do things out of character. What I expressed to them at halftime is that when you are trying to win on the road in the playoffs, you have to be able to do those things.
“It does us not good to try to run the score up and do all of that when we have to get better at executing (in the halfcourt). Who knows in the playoffs we may need the second string. We have some work we have to do with them to because they came in and turned the ball over five straight times.”
After inserting his starters back into the game, the Panthers began to pull away again. Despite scoring just seven points in the third quarter and leading 50-35 entering the fourth, Lincoln Prep used it speed and athleticism to get paint point after paint point in the fourth quarter with Stephen Burks leading the way.
The Panthers outscored Creek 23-6 in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win.
Hudson admitted that he demanded half court execution and discipline from his team, knowing it will take that to make a deep run in the playoffs.
“It’s a tale of our season,” said Hudson. “We started out the season trying to run, trying to press, trying to get up and down the floor, but we struggled. Once we started to slow it down and pull the reins back and try to execute more we started to play better. I guess it’s a good thing we can do both, but there comes a point in every game where you have to execute. And that’s where we struggle at times.”
Amarje Young led Lincoln Prep with 21 points while Burks added 20 points. Trey Spann netted 14, including three three-pointers.
The Panthers end district play Thursday night at OCS while Cedar Creek wraps up district action Thursday at home against St. Frederick.
Mary Grace Hawkins hit 8-of-10 free throws in the fourth quarter to help the Lady Cougars pull away. (Photo by Darrell James)
By Malcolm Butler
Mary Grace Hawkins had a nightmare performance at the free throw line in Cedar Creek’s 56-51 road win over Lincoln Prep a few weeks ago.
Hawkins missed 10 of her 13 attempts that night although the Lady Cougars were able to escape with the win.
On Tuesday night with the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Hawkins more than made up for it.
The freshman point guard connected on 8-of-10 in the final stanza and 12-of-19 for the game to help lead the Lady Cougars (15-11, 4-1) to a 66-54 victory at the Brickhouse.
Hawkins and fellow point guard Caroline James combined to hit 15-of-19 in the fourth quarter as the Lady Cougars scored their final 16 points of the game at the charity stripe. It was a game that included 49 fouls and 65 total free throw attempts between the two teams with Creek hitting 25-of-43 and Lincoln Prep making 8-of-22.
“Since Christmas I feel like we have been struggling at the free throw line,” said Cedar Creek head coach Katie Hall. “We missed 16 against OCS the other night. We missed 21 at Lincoln Prep. We missed 14 last night against West Monroe. We have put an emphasis on free throws.
“I don’t want to overemphasize it where it’s in their head, but they just have to know they need to knock them down and relax. They were very big tonight. Caroline has always been a good free throw shooter for us. If we could just have those two shoot all of them.”
Hawkins scored a career-high 21 points in the win, including nine in a third quarter that saw the Lady Cougars extend their eight point halftime lead out to 47-34.
James opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer at the 7:01 mark to push the lead to 50-34, a field goal that would be the last of the game for the Lady Cougars.
With Creek leading 50-38 with 6:54 to play, James was fouled shooting a three-pointer. She stepped to the line and calmly sank all three of the attempts, including her first after which a technical foul was called against #4 for Lincoln Prep.
By the time James hit 4-of-5 during the one sequence, the Lady Cougars lead was 16.
Lincoln Prep (9-16, 2-3) battled all night long, not only against the Lady Cougars but also foul trouble. Asijah Wright, Cali Cotton and Jayleen Spann all fouled out for the Lady Panthers during the game-deciding fourth quarter as Lincoln Prep was whistled for 30 fouls in the game.
Creek built a 60-38 lead when Hall pulled all of her starters with just over three minutes to play in the game. Lincoln Prep was able to cut into the deficit, closing it as close as 61-48 after back-to-back three-pointers by Synniah Spann with just under two minutes to play.
“I am proud of our girls for keeping their cool,” said Hall. “It was a physical game. It did get sloppy at the end, but it was good for them to go through the muck. I wanted to rest some of our starters. With a game Thursday and potentially another one after that, I wanted to give some others a chance to play. I wish we could have finished a little stronger, but I’m proud of how we competed.”
Synniah Spann led the Lady Panthers with 17 points while Jayleen Spann added 11 points and Wright chipped in with 9 points.
In addition to Hawkins 21-point effort, James added 14 points, Mallory Smith scored 13 points and Zoey Venters netted 10 points.
The Lady Cougars win kept them in a two-way tie with OCS, a 50-14 win over St. Frederick, in the District 2-1A race. Creek hosts St. Fred’s Thursday night while OCS hosts Lincoln Prep.
If the two teams both win, there could be a district tie-breaker game with a power point on the line.
“It’s depends on Thursday night,” said Hall. “(Stan Humphries) and I did discuss it, but also tabled it until this week plays out. But we had to start get the ball rolling but nothing has been finalized.”
This dunk by freshman Ahmad Hudson gave Ruston its first 20-point lead over Ouachita Parish Tuesday night. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatirght
After seeing his Bearcats drop two of their last three contests, Ruston Bearcats basketball coach Ryan Bond simply wanted to see one thing from his team — to play hard.
And that the Bearcats did Tuesday night as Ruston raced to a 66-36 win over Ouachita Parish in District 2-5A play inside the Scotty Robertson Memorial Gym on the campus of Louisiana Tech University.
“We had lost two out of three, but the sky wasn’t falling,” Bond said about Ruston’s last three games. “I didn’t get dumber. The guys didn’t get worse. We just had some bad moments. We’re just going to keep fighting and keep working and that’s all we can do — play hard.”
Ruston did so against Ouachita as the Bearcats came out strong out of the gates, opening the game on a 9-0 run capped off by a Lontravious Dimmer 3-pointer at the 5:23 mark of the opening stanza.
The Bearcats led 17-7 by the end of the opening stanza before pushing that advantage to doubles digits at 30-19 at halftime.
“I was really pleased with the guys’ effort,” Bond said. “We still turned it over too many times. But we got some really good shots and guys were hitting them when they were open.”
A lot of those shots came with the ’Cats taking it to the basket and attacking the Lions with multiple dunks and inside shots.
“We wanted to do that tonight,” Bond said. “They play only one big man on the floor at one time so we knew that was something we could try to exploit. I keep saying it, but we’ve got really good players and really good kids and they want to win;
Freshman Ahmad Hudson made a handful of those dunks while even long range specialist Aiden Anding got in on the act with a pair of rim rockers of his own.
“Hudson played well and took it to the basket, but the other guys did, too,” Bond said. “It was a solid, all-around team win on both sides of the ball and that’s something we needed.”
Ruston also connected on six 3-pointers against the Lions, with Joran Parker leading the way with three — all coming in a second half in which the Bearcats outscored Ouachita 34-17.
“We made a lot of turnovers, especially in the first half, that led to easy baskets for them,” Bond said. “We let them stay within striking distance in the first half. But when we locked in good on the half-court situation, we did a good job.”
Hudson led the Bearcats with 19 points while Anding added 13.
Next up for the Bearcats (14-9, 4-2 in District 2-5A) will be a home game against West Monroe (13-10, 4-2 in 2-5A) on Friday.
“We’ve just got to maintain our focus, block out the noise and stay together as a team, especially getting near the end of the season,” Bond said. “The thing is, we’ve got to be ready for West Monroe.
“That means we’ve got to be ready for practice tomorrow. It’s about consistency. Somebody asked me what the game plan was — that’s to play hard. It’s really simple — play harder than the opponents.”
Choudrant’s Lawson Stevens totaled 11 points on Senior Night Tuesday in Choudrant’s District 2-B win over Downsville Charter High School. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright
By T. Scott Boatright
The Aggies dug deep with the defense as Choudrant harvested a 54-18 home win over Downsville Charter Tuesday night.
Choudrant led 20-9 at the end of the first quarter before giving up only one point in the second stanza for a 38-10 halftime advantage.
From there the Aggies slowed down the game and used ball movement to outscore the Demons 16-8 to secure the win that featured a running clock for a significant part of the second half.
Michael Jones led the way for Choudrant with 26 points while Lawson Stevens chipped in with 11 for the Aggies, who also got six from Carson Carrico and five from Jackson Case along with three points each from Tucker Batterton and Jacob Cowling.
Nathan Wolfe was the leading scorer for Downsville with five points.
Next up for Choudrant (20-12 overall, 3-1 in District 2-B) will be the District finale at Forest on Friday.
Mrs. Jean Eaves King, 93, of Boone, NC died Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at The Foley Center in Blowing Rock. Jean was born on November 21, 1930, in Ruston, LA and was a daughter of the late Otto Jack and Cecil Joy Courtney Eaves and the wife of the late Harold Lyndon King, Sr., with whom they shared 72 years of marriage.
A Graveside Service for Mrs. Jean Eaves King will be held 2:00 P.M. Saturday, February 10, 2024, at Simsboro City Cemetery in Simsboro, LA under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home in Ruston, LA. Rev. Ron Lowe will officiate the service.
Jean was an active member of Perkinsville Baptist Church where she had taught Sunday School. She had attended nursing school but met Harold and married and she spent her life supporting him in the military and his calling as a funeral director, which brought them to Boone, where he worked for many years at Hampton Funeral Service.
Other than her husband and parents, she is preceded in death by a Daughter-in-law, Janell King; a Brother, Jackie Eaves; Brother and Sister-in-law, James Derwin and Katherine King; Sister-in-law, Dorothy Eaves; Sister-in-law and Husband, Carol Sue and Lennie Dupree and her Parents-in Law, James Daniel and Belle Bazar King.
Jean is survived by her Son, Lynn King of Pine Bluff, AR; Son, Randy King and Wife Clare of Pittsboro; Daughter, Sherrie King of Boone; Brother, John Eaves of Pensacola, FL; Grandson, Daniel King of Galveston, TX; Grandson, Brandon Stephens of Boone; Grandson, Ryan King of NYC, NY; Granddaughter, Allison King Na and husband Tae Na of Nashville, TN; Granddaughter, Erin King of Denver, CO; and her first born Great-Grandson, John Raymond Na of Nashville, TN.
A service to celebrate Jean’s life was held at 3:00 PM Saturday, February 3, 2024, in the Chapel of Hampton Funeral Service of Boone, North Carolina.
Flowers are appreciated or memorials may be made to one’s favorite charity.
Dr. Yawsoon Sim passed away peacefully on February 6, 2024, in Vienna, VA, after an extended illness. Dr. Sim was a long-time faculty member at Grambling State University from 1968 to 2009, having served as director of graduate studies in public policy and criminal justice, and head of the political science department, and a resident of Ruston and Grambling.
Dr. Sim was born on July 17, 1937, in Kuching, Malaysia. He was awarded a scholarship to attend New Asia College (now part of Hong Kong University) where he met his wife Kitty and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 1962. Dr. Sim received his Master’s degree in Southeast Asian studies from Yale University in 1965 and a PhD in political science from Fordham University in 1970. His doctoral thesis was one of the first academic studies of China’s foreign policy in Africa.
While at Grambling, Dr. Sim taught American government and international relations classes. He also contributed scholarly articles to academic journals and analysis articles to Chinese language newspapers in Malaysia and New York. He volunteered his spare time to improving international links between North Central Louisiana and the global community.
Dr. Sim is survived by his wife Kitty, his son Edmund Sim of McLean, VA, his daughter Yvonne Sim of Vienna, VA, and his grandsons Ryan, Jordan and Everett. He was preceded in death by his son William Sim. Besides his family, Dr. Sim considered his many former students and colleagues at Grambling as his greatest legacy.
The family has asked that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org in lieu of flowers or other memorials.
Tony Otwell March 29, 1939 – February 3, 2024 Visitation: Tuesday, February 6, 2024, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM, Mineral Springs Baptist Church, Highway 822, Dubach Funeral Service: Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 2:00 PM, Mineral Springs Baptist Church, Highway 822, Dubach Cemetery Committal: Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 3:00 PM, Mineral Springs Cemetery, Highway 822, Dubach
Mae Nell Whitney September 26, 1940 – February 2, 2024 Visitation: Tuesday, February 6, 2024, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM, Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home Funeral Service: Tuesday, February 6, 2024, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM, Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home Cemetery Committal: Tuesday, February 6, 2024, 11:30 AM, Choudrant Cemetery, Jones St, Choudrant
Shelby Lorraine Roberson December 6, 1991 – February 2, 2024 Visitation: Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home Funeral Service: Thursday, February 8, 2024, 1:00 PM, LifeChurch, 3000 S. Vienna St., Ruston, LA 71270 Cemetery Committal: Thursday, February 8, 2024, 3:30 PM, Oak Grove Cemetery, Hwy 147 & HWY 815, Simsboro
Pictured is Mayor Ronny Walker and the Ruston City Council during Monday night’s meeting. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
It took the Ruston City Council all of 13 minutes to conduct its February meeting Monday night at City Hall with only five orders of business on the agenda — approving leasing of three vehicles for the Public Works Department and introducing a pair of ordinances.
The first approved equipment leasing was for a frontloader garbage truck for use of pickups at commercial business at a price of $6,453.56 for 36 months.
“This will replace an undependable, owned piece of equipment,” said Ruston Public Works Director John Freeman. “It will go in rotation with the other two that we have leased and will be able to do maintenance on. This will give us two frontline trucks and one dependable backup.”
Mayor Ronny Walker said leasing has become the better way to go when dealing with such equipment.
“The great thing about leasing is we can swap them out every 36 months,” Walker said.
Freeman then expanded on Walker’s comment.
“We have determined that over time, the moving parts on these pieces of equipment take about three years until we start seeing things wear out and they are high-ticket (cost) items as far as maintenance,” Freeman said.
The second approved equipment leasing was for a gravel truck that can pick up leaves and limbs on the side of the road $3,689.21 per month for 36 months.
“That will replace a leased vehicle that is rolling off,” Freeman said.
The third approved equipment leasing was for another gravel truck at the same cost to replace one owned by the city.
Ruston’s City Council also introduced a pair of ordinances to be discussed and potentially voted on during its meeting in March.
The first ordinance, if passed next month, would authorize the issuance of sales tax increment revenue bonds not to exceed a $15M aggregate principal amount for development of the Interstate 20 Economic Development Area while the second would, if passed, approve adoption of amendments for the period of Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2023, to the annual budget of revenues and expenditures for the fiscal year Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2023.
Russell Woodard of RAW LAW and Ruston High School alum submitted a letter for the Lincoln Parish School Board to review in advance of today’s vote on the bond renewal for District No. 1.
The Lincoln Parish Journal was granted permission to run the letter for the public.
As part of Google’s growing efforts to support innovation in academia, the Grambling University Foundation has been awarded an unrestricted gift of $50,000 to help fund research efforts being conducted by Grambling State University Computer Science and Digital Technologies Department Head Dr. Bharat Rawal.
Specifically, the funding is to be used toward Dr. Rawal’s efforts to conduct research on post quantum cryptographic systems.
“Large quantum computers have the potential to break many cryptographic systems, e.g., Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA), Diffie-Hellman key exchange, and the Elliptical Curve Cryptosystem,” Dr. Rawal said. “Researchers from academia, industries and government agencies are aware of this threat and National Institutes of Standard (NIST) is preparing a set of approved encryption and signature schemes that are not susceptible to these attacks by quantum computers, the so-called Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC). The task of substituting older encryption and signature schemes raises a number of questions, to which there are not yet clear answers.”
“The major challenge with new cryptosystems is that they involve very complex mathematics with the majority of them being lattice-based algebra. In this research project, we are interested in investigating the transition to PQC and effect on existing networks, the approved PQC schemes by (NIST), and understanding the likely path to an adaptation of PQC.”
Dr. Rawal said the benefit for GSU Computer Science and Digital Technologies students comes in the fact that the study of post quantum cryptography impact on cloud security research can have a significant impact on improving the security of cloud computing environments, which are critical for businesses and individuals alike.
“Our students and faculty will have an opportunity for hands-on experience in next-generation cryptography,” Dr. Rawal said. “This research will strengthen data privacy, reduce risks of data breaches, and increase user confidence in cloud services. This research will help GSU in developing new advanced cybersecurity courses and curriculum.”
He also said funding is very important for GSU’s Department of Computer Science and Digital Technologies and could help open new doors in the research process being conducted at the university.
“Because teaching remains a main focus and we have little support and resources for research, today’s definition of teaching at higher education institutions is not only the delivery of knowledge but also creating the knowledge,” Dr. Rawal said. “This funding will support groundbreaking research in uncovering new knowledge in the Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and issue of digital certificates to safeguard confidential information, give people, devices, and applications distinct digital identities, and enable secure end-to-end interactions that are governed by public key infrastructure.”
