Choudrant’s TJ Smith accounted for the Aggies’ scoring Thursday night with a two-run homer. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
JONESBORO — Baseball can be a fickle game — it can all change in a hurry.
The Choudrant Aggies were reminded of that Thursday evening at the Jonesboro Recreation Complex with an early lead evaporating in the second inning as CHS fell 12-2 to second-seeded Weston in second-round play of the Division V Nonselect School Boys Baseball Playoffs.
Choudrant jumped out early as shortstop Braden Bagwell led off the game with a double before TJ Smith blasted a two-run homer over the left field fence to stake the Aggies to a 2-0 advantage.
Aggies starting pitcher Eli Callendar worked himself out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom half of the opening stanza while striking out a pair of Wolves.
Calendar and the Aggies weren’t as fortunate in the bottom of the second inning as Weston plated eight runs off of seven hits with multiple errors also costing the Aggies as the Wolves never looked back from there.
“TJ’s home run to start off the game got us really excited and I really thought we were going to have a shot there,” said Aggies coach Joel Antley. “But then they had that big inning and it just took it all out of us.
“Eli walked a couple (of batters) and we made a couple of errors and they got a couple of really good hits and things just spiraled there. But outside of that big inning, we were OK.”
That might have made the sting a little worse for the Aggies.
“If we would have held them to three or four runs there, it would have made it a 4-2 game or something like that and we would have still been in it,” Amtley said. “Those errors were uncharacteristic of us because we strive on playing good defense.
“It just didn’t happen for us tonight.”
Weston added a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to end the game on the 10-run rule.
Those two first inning hits were all the Aggies could manage on the night while Weston finished with 12 hits aided by five Choudrant errors.
Callendar gave up four earned runs off eight hits while striking out four Wolves in three innings on the mound before giving way to Colton Smith, who gave up a pair of earned runs off of three hits.
Choudrant, which finished the season with a record of 13-17, will lose three seniors off of this year’s team — Callendar, Smith and Jackson Pyle.
“”When you have three seniors and they’re all starters, they’re kind of the core of your offense and your defense and that was true of those guys,” Antley said. “Eli on the mound and here lately TJ had become our RBI guy in the last couple of weeks
“It’s always hard to fill the holes left by departing seniors, but hopefully somebody will step up to fill their shoes and we’ll get back after it.”
The 2nd annual City of Lights crawfish cookoff hosted by the Natchitoches Parish Fair Board will be held on May 4th at the fairgrounds. Teams will be boiling their best recipes competing for cash prizes and people’s choice.
This event is open to the public, 11 am to 5 pm for only $30 – all-you-can-eat crawfish!!! There will be live entertainment provided by the Comeback Kids & the Born to Boogie band. A Taste of Heaven Food Truck, Cane River Pizza Co., snow cones, Murphy’s Sweets & eats, a bouncy house play area for the kids, and Antoons will be selling beer to that id as 21 and over.
No ice chests or outside food or drinks will be allowed, bags will be checked, and lawn chairs are recommended. Visit our 2nd annual City of Lights crawfish cookoff Facebook page to find sponsorship and/or registration information to enter a team or to purchase pre-sale tickets.
All proceeds from this event will benefit the NRMC Cancer Center. So come to the fairgrounds on May 4th to support this great cause.
Louisiana Tech is back at the Love Shack for a weekend series against conference opponent Sam Houston as the Bulldogs host the Bearkats starting tonight at 6 p.m.
Saturday’s game is set for 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
All three games can be heard on 97. FM and seen on ESPN+.
Three big home runs carried Louisiana Tech (30-13, 8-4) to a victory over Nicholls on Wednesday night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park. Tech secured a 10-7 win thanks to home runs from Michael Ballard, Kasten Furr, and Dalton Davis.
Cole McConnell leads the team in batting average with .411, in slugging percentage of .742, and on-base percentage of .479. Sam Brodersen leads the team in ERA with 1.96 and in strikeouts with 67. Ethan Bates has 12 saves this season and is tied for number one in the country for saves while he tied the LA Tech single-season program record for saves.
Sam Houston (24-17, 7-8) dropped a game to Baylor on Tuesday by a score of 9-3. Previously, the Bearkats had swept Conference USA opponent Middle Tennessee in a three-game series in Huntsville this past weekend. Sam Houston sits in sixth place in the conference with a record of 7-8, and the Bearkats are four spots behind LA Tech.
LA Tech has a record of 6-5 against Sam Houston, and the last time they played was in 2020 in Huntsville. Tech secured a victory over Sam Houston on March 3, 2020, by defeating the Bearkats 9-3 in extras.
GRAMBLING — There was a time that Grambling State University was an often-heard name in the NFL Draft.
But time and circumstances change, and it’s been since 2017 that a G-Man has been selected in the draft.
That seven-year drought is expected to end this weekend with GSU linebacker Sundiata Anderson expected to go in the fifth to seventh round.
Chad Williams going to the Indianapolis Colts in 2017 was the last time GSU had a player drafted, and the Tigers have only had three other players selected since the start of the 21st century.
Anderson is a rangy edge rusher with a great mix of speed and power. He caught the attention of NFL Scouts at the East-West Shrine Bowl, and followed that up at his Pro Day along with a 38.5-inch vertical jump.
“I think my tenaciousness as a defensive player is what has made my game special and gotten me noticed,” Anderson said. “It’s my pervasiveness in going after the football.
“It’s my speed, instincts and power and a skill set that adds on to it that I think makes me a complete player.”
Anderson, a three-time Southwestern Athletic Conference team selection, recorded 136 total tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and four forced fumbles over his collegiate career.
As a senior Anderson recorded 60 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks.
FanNation’s NFL Draft guide said the following about Anderson.
“His potential lies in his ability to adapt and improve,” said writer Gerald Huggins II. “He could evolve into a formidable defensive force in the NFL with targeted training to enhance his pass-rushing technique and physical strength. His versatility, special teams value, and knack for creating turnovers make him a valuable asset for any team looking for a dynamic and promising talent on the edge.
Anderson said his desire to get drafted as high as possible is just as much for others as for himself.
“It would mean a lot showing my teammates and the community and university that it can be done,” Anderson said. “That’s what drives me every day.”
Fredric Lee Hoogland February 18, 1936 – April 22, 2024 Visitation: Temple Baptist Church Chapel, Friday, April 26, 2024, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Service: Temple Baptist Church Chapel, Friday, April 26, 2024, 3:00 pm
Joy Carol Rowe October 8, 1949 – April 17, 2024 Visitation: Temple Baptist Church Sanctuary, Friday, April 26, 2024, 9:30 am – 11:00 am Service: Temple Baptist Church Sanctuary, Friday, April 26, 2024, 11:00 am Cemetery: Kilpatrick’s Memorial Gardens, Friday, April 26, 2024
Shirley Mae Gipson Saturday 01/04/1947 — Saturday 04/06/2024 Visitation: Friday 04/26/2024 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 04/27/2024 11:00am, Life Church, 3000 South Vienna, Ruston Interment: Saturday 04/27/2024 Following Service, George Washington Carver Memorial Park, Martin Luther King Drive, Ruston
No stranger to Grambling State University, Louisiana State Senator Cleo Fields will serve as keynote speaker for GSU’s Spring 2024Commencement Exercises to be held at10 a.m. May 10 inside the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
GSU officials expect to confer diplomas to graduates from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Professional Studies, and Graduate Studies.
A 1980 graduate of McKinley High School and a 1984 graduate of Southern University in the field of Mass Communications, Fields in 1987 was presented his law degree from Southern University School Law Center.
Upon completion of law school, Fields was elected to the Louisiana State Senate at the age of 24, becoming the youngest person ever elected to the State Senate in Louisiana’s history and at that time, the youngest in the nation.
In 1992, Fields was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as Congressman of Louisiana’s 4th Congressional district. At the age of 30, Fields held the position of being the youngest member to serve in the 103rd congress. In 1993, he created a Congressional Classroom for elementary through secondary school-age students.
Noted for being the first of its kind in the country, the Congressional Classroom helped students develop leadership and self-esteem while understanding the governmental process. It is known today as the Louisiana Leadership Institute.
Fields ran for Governor of Louisiana in 1995, leaving a historical mark by becoming the first African American democratic nominee. He then went on to complete two terms as Congressman.
On December 13, 1997, Fields was elected to the 14th Senatorial District of Louisiana and completed his term as State Senator in 2007.
Fields was re-elected to serve the 14th Senatorial District of Louisiana on Oct. 12, 2019, returning him to the Senate for the third time. He currently serves as the chairman of the Senate Committee on Education.
Fields is a longtime member of Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church in Baton Rouge. He is married to his wife, Debra and they have two adult sons, Brandon and Christopher.
Educators from Louisiana Tech University’s College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS) recently shared their innovative approaches with Arkansas teacher preparation programs at the Forward Arkansas Educator Preparation Program Design Collaborative. This initiative brings Arkansas educators together to champion high-quality teacher training.
Dr. Amy Vessel, Clinical Director of the Clinical Residency & Recruitment Center (CRRC), and Dr. Don Schillinger, Chair of the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership (CIL), shared insights into the department’s decade-long journey in developing and sustaining teacher residencies, the power of establishing a co-teaching approach, and the proven value of utilizing a TEAM (Teacher Educators and Mentors) model.
“When we established the TEAM Model in 2015, we had a substantive vision for what we believed to be a plan for year-long co-teaching,” Vessel said. “As we added any new piece to the model, including redesigning program plans of study, it has typically taken three years to shift from the learning phase to solid implementation.”
“Our partnership with policymakers, particularly with former Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White and his staff, was crucial,” Schillinger added. “Their support, both financial and regulatory, helped us navigate challenges and celebrate victories, contributing significantly to our success.”
Reflecting on the process of starting the model, both educators offered advice for programs embarking on similar endeavors. They emphasized the importance of finding passionate individuals, establishing regular check-ins, seeking research-based practices, valuing team members, and maintaining open reflection.
“All of this works because of the commitment of dedicated and talented teacher preparation faculty,” Schillinger said. “Their efforts to revise our programs to accommodate the year-long clinical residency cannot be understated.”
The Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership remains at the forefront of high-quality teacher preparation, driven by a steadfast commitment to excellence through education.
Visit here for more information on the Clinical Residency & Recruitment Center and the TEAM Model.
A North Carolina man was arrested after he allegedly pointed a pistol at the occupants of another vehicle on Interstate 20 last week.
Gregory Allen Nixon, 64, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was arrested for two counts of aggravated assault after two women said he pointed a pistol at them while traveling eastbound on I-20 in Lincoln Parish about 5 p.m. last Tuesday.
A woman and her mother said they were traveling behind a red GMC pickup that was moving slowly so they passed it. The pickup driver then flipped them off and they returned the gesture. The women said they tried to move away from the pickup truck, but the driver pulled up beside them and pointed a gun at them.
The woman said they took exit 77 and turned north on La. Highway 507. As they were returning to the Interstate, the pickup truck passed them again. Both women appeared visibly upset to the deputies and said they feared for their safety once they saw the gun.
Nixon also called the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office regarding the incident and said he was pulling over at exit 84. When questioned by deputies, Nixon said he pulled out his gun but said he did not point it at the other vehicle. He claimed the other vehicle had cut him off and was “brake checking” him and that was why he pulled out his pistol.
Nixon said he exited the Interstate to get away from the other vehicle, and when he was a mile north of I-20, he turned around because he thought enough time had passed for the other vehicle to be gone. A Ruger pistol was found inside Nixon’s truck. He admitted it was the pistol pulled out during the incident.
Nixon 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.
American Ambassador Clint Williamson will be returning to his alma mater the morning of Friday, April 26 in honor of his class reunion. Williamson will speak in the Ruston High auditorium that morning at 10:00 am to Ruston students, alumni and community members.
Williamson serves as the Lead Coordinator of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) for Ukraine. He is the Senior Director for International Justice at Georgetown University and serves on appointment by the International Court of Justice, as the Presiding Arbiter of the Brcko Arbitration Tribunal in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In previous years, Williamson served as the Lead Prosecutor of the Brussels-cased European Union Special Investigative Task Force from 2011-2014 and as Special Expert to the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 2010-2011. In the years 2006-2009, Williamson served as the US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues during the Bush and Obama Administrations.
During his time at the White House, he took the position of Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Relief for the National Security Council from 2003-2006. He spent time serving in Baghdad as Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Justice in Iraq in 2003 and time in UN-administered Kosovo during his tenure as Director of Justice in the UN Mission in Kosovo.
Born and raised in Ruston, La., Williamson attended school here for many years. After his time at Ruston High School, Williamson attended Louisiana Tech University for his bachelor’s degree and then attended Tulane University for his J.D. degree. He has returned to Ruston before to speak at Louisiana Tech University in 2017 on foreign policy. Having established roots in Ruston, many Lincoln Parish residents are anxious to hear from the Ambassador upon his return.
A college student was arrested last week on firearm and drug charges after allegedly assaulting another student with a pistol and resisting arrest.
Ashton Jamal Reece, 18, of Fort Worth, Texas, was arrested about 9:30 p.m. last Tuesday on the Grambling State University campus.
A GSU police officer heard two men arguing at the rear entrance of Pinchback Hall. The officer’s report noted one man yelled, “Stop playing with me. I’ll kill you.” Reece was seen pointing a pistol pointed at another man.
The officer pulled his firearm and ordered Reece to drop his gun, but he refused. Reece ran away but police were able to corner him. An officer saw Reece’s pistol on the ground and ordered him to the ground. When Reece refused, a Taser was used to subdue him.
About seven grams of suspected marijuana were found in Reece’s underwear. A search of his dorm room found a bag of marijuana and a digital scale.
Reece reportedly told GSU Police he was supposed to meet a friend to sell him seven grams of marijuana. Instead, the friend showed up with another man, and according to Reece, they jumped him and stole his iPhone. He had chased the friend and pulled his pistol to retrieve his phone when the officer came upon them.
Video from a social media app viewed by police show Reece pointed a pistol with an extended magazine and laser at the “friend” and then struck him in the face with the pistol. Police saw a bruise and cut on the victim’s face.
Reece was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for aggravated battery, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, illegal use of a weapon (possession in school zone), violation of Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law–drug-free zone, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting an officer.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
It was a night (or early morning) to remember. A nightmare many won’t ever forget.
My story isn’t harrowing like so many who were in the direct path of the EF3 tornado that ripped through the midnight black skies of Lincoln Parish five years ago to this day.
I was one of the luckier ones for sure. But in many ways, I was right in the middle of it in my own personal way.
My phone woke me that night around 1:30 a.m. with a weather alert. I had only been asleep for a few hours after getting home from the very last softball game that would ever be played at the old Lady Techster Softball Complex. The Ragin’ Cajuns had defeated Tech 7-2 in a game that ended about five hours before the twister hit.
As I drove away from the complex that night, little did I know that it would be the last game ever played there. Little did any of us know much about what was about to happen.
After waking to the alert on my phone and subsequently hearing the Ruston storm sirens, I still thought it was just another spring thunderstorm and false alarm. I’ve lived in Ruston almost my entire life. Tornadoes don’t hit our area … at least not bad ones … or so I thought.
I jumped on Facebook. I saw one post that a few trees were down around Tech. Nothing about a tornado. I was awake. I was thirsty. So I put Jeter – my one-year-old Border Collie – in my Jeep and headed toward the Chevron on Tech Drive. As I crossed the I-20 bridge on the Tech Exit, it was dark. Lights were out everywhere.
Understandably so.
But, I didn’t stop at the Chevron. I kept heading south on Tech Drive. I still wasn’t sure it was more than a power line or two down, thus causing the blackout. As I came over the hill just to the west of the Marbury Alumni House, my first road block — almost literally — was a huge chunk of concrete in the middle of Tech Drive.
What the heck I thought as I slowly drove around it. I would discover later it was part of the concrete roof of JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park … about 100 yards from its normal location. Talk about strong winds. That chunk of concrete had to weight a couple of hundred pounds at least. Maybe much much more.
Still things were almost pitch black. It wasn’t until I got to the intersection of Tech Drive and West Alabama Avenue that I was finally able to make out some of the carnage of the tornado. It was like I was seeing this in third person in many ways.
I saw the softball scoreboard ripped into shreds. I saw the pine trees that once lined the railroad laying on top of the press box and bleachers of the softball field. It was at that point, I obviously knew it was bad. Really bad. As I pulled into the parking lot by the softball complex, I was the only person around. I was literally the first person on this particular scene.
Little did I know that the tornado had probably only beaten me to the spot by about 10 to 15 minutes. Max. As I was exiting my Jeep, it was still ripping across the northeast side of Ruston and Lincoln Parish.
My eyes continued to adjust to the darkness, and I made more and more out. Huge steel light poles snapped in half. The turf field shredded like old carpet. And across the street, the dark shadows of the baseball stadium and scoreboard in similar condition.
My first call was to Adam McGuirt, who at the time was in charge of our athletic facilities. He answered. I tried to explain what I was seeing. I obviously failed initially. I remember Adam saying he would call our AD Tommy McClelland in a few hours.
“Adam, I don’t think I’m doing a very good job of describing what I’m seeing here,” I remember saying to him. “Let me try to take a few photos and send them to you.”
Although it was dark, the flash on my camera phone worked. Three or four photos sent. Adam immediately called back to tell me he had just called Tommy. “He is on his way. I’m on my way,” said Adam.
My next call was to Mark Montgomery, the Tech head softball coach at the time. After a two-minute conversation, he said he was heading that way as well.
About 5 to 10 minutes after I arrived on the eerily quiet scene, college students began walking down Tech Drive. They were coming out of apartments around the area. Within 45 minutes, I bet there were 500 people milling around in just that little area by JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park and the softball complex.
It’s funny the things I remember. One thing I vividly recall was thinking about an hour after I arrived that I still hadn’t seen any emergency vehicles in this vicinity. There were some some road blocks put up at the corner of Tech Drive and West Alabama and at the light under the bridge with the railroad tracks, but that was the only sign that emergency vehicles had been there at any point.
“If they aren’t here, how bad are other areas of Ruston,” I remember asking someone. We didn’t know at that point. It was dark and we were just seeing a small microcosm of the extent of the damage.
By 3 a.m. plenty of Tech officials — campus and athletics — had arrived. And one of the longest days of my life — of so many Ruston residents lives — began.
It still seems somewhat surreal even five years later. Part of me would like to have an out-of-body experience and go back and relive it in slow motion. It was sensory overload in many ways. It was such a whirlwind.
As the sun slowly began to rise and the totality of the impact of the tornado was seen clearer, it felt like it was a third world country in some ways. The damage. The emotions. The shock. The sadness.
My day was filled with assisting media members in my job as athletics communication director to trying to help our softball team decide if and where we would play senior weekend against WKU in my role as softball sport supervisor. In some ways it was the longest yet shortest day of my career.
Again, in many ways such a blur all these years later.
Some of the other things I remember from that first day were:
TV crews and media members arriving before daybreak starting to get the news out about what had happened to our campus
Make-shift press conferences with Dr. Guice, Tommy McClelland and Governor John Bel Edwards talking about what we knew
Driving from the Tech campus to the radio station around 8 a.m. to go on live with Aaron Dietrich who was doing his show on 97.7 FM (it took me quite a while to find a route to get to the radio station due to so many blocked roads)
Meeting with Coach Montgomery and our Tech softball team to talk through whether they wanted to play that weekend; ultimately traveling to Monroe for a team practice
As the day began to come to an end, I remember making my way down Barnett Springs to Pinewood Lane where I grew up as a child through my high school and college days. My grandparents old house was on that dead end street.
The sight of that street and so many other in the University Hills and Cypress Springs areas was hard to swallow. Hundred plus year old pine trees snapped like twigs, destroying houses … destroying people’s homes.
But my the silver lining of that day and so many to follow was the way the city of Ruston and Lincoln Parish and so many outlying areas came together to help begin the clean up. It was uplifting in so many different ways.
For those of us who grew up in this area and who have called it home for so many decades, we know what a special place Ruston is. We understand what it means to be a good neighbor.
On April 25, 2019, we saw that in action.
A tragedy birthed the wonderful sight of people helping people as our community and our neighbors from surrounding areas came together to begin to build back our beloved parish.
It was a harbinger of things to follow — times of tribulation and of change
But through it all, Ruston stayed strong. In fact, in my mind, since that fateful early morning of April 25, 2019, Lincoln Parish as a whole has only become stronger.
Back when I was growing up and in my younger years, while Louisiana and Lincoln Parish always had the chance to see a smaller-scale twister roar across the area, there had not been a truly devastating event.
Before the tornado that hopped across Ruston on April 25, 2019, the largest twister in Lincoln Parish area had been an F3 in 1952 that caused no injuries and no deaths.
Things changed in 2019 as the tornado that raged across Ruston as the clock neared 2 a.m.
As the winds diminished, the city landscape had been changed forever, as had the lives of city residents.
That tornado caused around $20 million in damage to Louisiana Tech University, another $11 million worth within Ruston city limits and a total of approximately $14 million throughout Lincoln Parish.
But nothing was more costly than realizing two Ruston residents — 35-year-old Kendra Butler and her 14-year-old Remington — had lost their lives when the winds toppled through the roof of their Evans Street home, crushing both.
As dawn broke that morning, showing just how bad the damage was, the phrase “Ruston Strong” was born.
Yet somehow, in the face of that devastation, Ruston has only gotten stronger ever since.
In my childhood and younger, tornadoes most often hit in what was known as “Tornado Alley,” an oval area centered on northeastern Texas and south-central Oklahoma.
But “Climate Change” has shown to be real. I’m not going to argue “Global Warming” with anyone as I am not sure how big a role mankind has played in the changing moods of Mother Nature. But for me, it’s been proven that “Climate Change” has proven to be real.
And a big part of that change has been what had been Tornado Alley drifting eastward, since the 1990s morphing into Dixie Tornado Alley that has brought a much higher chance of severe weather events to parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
Changes didn’t end there. Instead they kept coming.
I grew up in New Orleans and have studied and know much about hurricanes. I used to promise people around here that a tropical storm, let alone a true, full-blooded hurricane, could ever hit Ruston. Anything that would hit here would be a tropical depression at worst.
Yet I remember watching the eye of Hurricane Laura hit north Louisiana in 2020. In the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, I watched and saw the clear eye pass directly over downtown Ruston.
All real. Still, through it all, “Ruston Strong” remained.
Adversity can make you stronger. April 25, 2019 will always be tragic.
But we’ve learned the world is changing and have grown and become better through it all.
The estimated cost for the covered facility with full electrical power over a turfed field will be $5 million and is planned to be used for more than just a football field, offering other sports and clubs opportunities to either use the facility or have expanded access to the field at the stadium.
“I think what everybody needs to understand is that, while it will have a football field in it, it will have lines for a full-sized soccer field in it, as well,” LPSB superintendent Ricky Durrett said. “In talking with soccer coaches (after the January ice storm), they made the comment that they could have practiced on a field under a covered facility.”
“Another one of the big things for me is when we have band camp going on in the summer, football two-a-days in the heat of the summer,” Durrett said. “Other schools have told us that underneath the covered facility is about 15 degrees cooler. So from a safety standpoint of kids being able to use it and practicing when it’s 100 to 105 degrees outside, that’s one of the biggest advantages to me.”
El Dorado High School provided a guided tour for staff of the Lincoln Parish Journal to get a first-hand look at what a covered practice facility may look like. Durrett had previously identified that El Dorado High School in Arkansas and Marshall High School in Texas were two schools that had comparable covered facilities to what Ruston would be looking to build.
Nestled atop a hill right by the high school campus, the purple Wildcat logo emblazoned at the top, the covered facility is even larger than imagined when seen in person.
Beneath the gabled roof that measures nearly 50 feet at its peak, an entire soccer field (120 x 65 yards) is painted along with the entire football field including goalposts. The sides are purposefully not covered all the way to the ground, allowing for air flow to keep the temperature cooler.
From dirt first being moved, construction took over 18-months to complete for El Dorado High, which included a period where the project had to be restarted due to wind damage from a severe thunderstorm. The facility was officially opened for use in 2022.
“The facility has been a game-changer for our school,” EDHS vice principal John Jameson said. “It makes it where we have extra space, not only for athletics, but for school over all. Our clubs use it. Our band uses it. We use it for P.E. classes. And it gives kids a chance to be outside without all the elements, because with the way it’s constructed, you get good wind flow. In the summer, even on days that we would normally have to shut down practice, we can still go since we’re covered.”
For Ruston High girls’ soccer coach Jacquelyn Bean, it will give her program chances to keep consistency with practices and drills, regardless of inclement weather.
“When practice is cancelled because of rain or a muddy field, the opportunities to improve for that day are gone,” Bean said. “Soccer in the south is a sport known for having to work around bad winter weather. So many of our preseason practices are canceled because of the rain and poor drainage. Because we share the stadium turf with American football and our pre-season begins as their season is wrapping up, we have to hold after school practice on the grass. We also have to share the grass field with Boys Soccer, we both have to work around the football team for our after school practice time on the turf.
“Using the grass field below the stadium, we are at the mercy of Mother Nature– it rains a lot in the winter in the south; when it does we have no place to practice. Having a designated covered space with turf to practice means more opportunities for quality practice and that means more opportunities for success. We practice at 6:00 am in the summer to avoid the heat from the sun. A covered space for our sport to practice is nothing short of a positive solution for our team.”
Ruston High School band director Walter Moss sees only positives should Ruston High School be able to construct the covered facility.
“I know we can use use it as a tool to better our performances,” Moss said. “The other huge benefit I see is for the entire community. For instances, we could have pep rallies in the venue that could accommodate more people and be out of possibly inclement weather.”
Moss said the covered facility could also solve the logistical problem off multiple sports or clubs needing access to the field at the same times.
“A lot of times, I have to be able to see from up high to see the pictures our marching band is creating on the field,” Moss added. “This would open up the stadium at times and give us access when we have not had access to times we may not have had before.”
Residents of Ruston School District No. 1 will be able to vote on the bond measure for the election to be held Saturday, April 27, 2024.
I am writing in rebuttal of editorials I have recently read in support of the Lincoln Parish School bond proposal for the Ruston School District. I am not a retired teacher nor am I a former coach, but I am a concerned citizen and the grandmother of students in the Ruston School District, I am also the president of Ruston Voters’ League and an advocate for the rights of all people. I am not in support of this bond proposal.
Lincoln Parish School Board tax renewal is on the ballot, and the question is “Will the renewal result in complete victory for all students, or will it continue the school district’s lack of transparency?” During the forum held at I A Lewis, I questioned the Superintendent about the “two-phase” plan for the $17.5 Million bond. He and others discussed Phase One but could not tell me what phase two of the plan entailed. Is this transparency? No, I think this is a roundabout way to return to the consolidation efforts that failed a year ago. Let us not be deceived by scare tactics and “half-truths”.
Several school district leaders have claimed that athletics have a direct correlation with student achievement. Are we really focused on student success when we are disproportionately preparing students for life beyond high school? Since 1990, Ruston High School has been chasing the state championship in football, however, when we analyze the student athletics then and compare them to today, do we actually provide a high-quality education to our students or are we simply trying to maintain an “A” rating at Ruston High School by playing the numbers game through Jump Start. Currently, Ruston High School informs parents, students, and members of the community that students who complete the Jump Start program will be eligible to attend one of the universities in our parish when they graduate. There is no truth to this statement, since both universities in Lincoln Parish are part of the University of Louisiana System.
Students deserve to learn in an inclusive, supportive, and equitable environment. Every student should receive an education of the highest quality. Dollars must be at the start of every conversation around equity. A direct correlation exists between students’ success when they have access to early childhood programs, teachers are adequately compensated, and the expectations are high for each child, as well as rigorous curriculums accessible to all students regardless of race, color, or economic status.
When the dust settles on Saturday (April 27, 2024) and all votes have been counted, will this result in a new community-based initiative to improve the achievement of every student within this community, or will school district leaders continue to lack transparency?
Is the School Board committed to delivering a high-quality education to every student in our school system and ensuring that they have every opportunity to succeed after graduation? Please give some thought to the big picture before casting your vote. Remember YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE!!!
Veda B. Emerson, President Ruston Voters League
Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial and publishing staff of the Lincoln Parish Journal.
My wife, Amanda, and I graduated from Ruston High School in 1996. We loved our time within that special place. She played softball and I played football. We received an amazing education within the walls and halls of Ruston High School and our public school system. However, in addition to the classroom we both learned countless lessons from the locker rooms and playing fields of RHS. Those athletic facilities were classrooms for the coaches that we so dearly loved. They instilled life lessons through athletics: hard work, teamwork, leadership, confidence, social skills, time management, resilience and countless others. I think the same holds true for any extracurricular activity or sport whether it’s Debate, Band, Soccer, Bearcat Motorsports, FFA, Cheer, Student Council, Bearcat Belles, and the list goes on. These activities coupled with classroom education produce a well-rounded young person prepared for life past high school.
For the past for years, my daughter has had the honor and privilege to play softball for Ruston High School. She will be graduating on May 21st and then on to college. During her tenure at Ruston High, the softball program has been housed within the City of Ruston Softball complex on Farmerville Street. However, in order to fully understand the history of this topic, I feel we need to briefly back up in Ruston High School softball history. In the early 90’s, a softball facility was constructed on Bittersweet Avenue next door to Glen View elementary. It was basic, the girls had a field, dugouts, concession stand and bathrooms. They operated out of a locker room at the high school two miles away. This property is owned by the Lincoln Parish School Board and was operated by the school and softball program. This facility was a work in progress that players, coaches, parents and volunteers poured into and built from the ground up with fundraisers and assistance from the School Board. Amanda remembers the work she and her teammates had to put in at the field alongside Coach Butch Powers. The hours that they spent prepping the grounds and maintaining the facilities produced team bonds and gave them a sense of ownership and Bearcat pride that that this was their home. A pride that carried over into game time and had meaning when an opposing team pulled into their parking lot.
From the early 90’s through 2019 many additions and upgrades were added. These included a locker room with coaches offices, upgraded concession stand, batting cages, elevated press box and upgrades to the fields and lighting. It’s a great facility that housed our softball program for 30 years. This facility was their home and they had total access to put in extra work whenever possible. I invite you to drive by and take a look. During these years, the softball program produced some competitive teams culminating with a Ruston High School softball state title in 2007.
In 2019, a decision was made to move the program from their facility on Bittersweet Street Avenue to the new City of Ruston softball complex. This move was made with intentions to better the program and facilities. However, after observing the situation for four years, it’s not the best option for the softball program and school.
This Saturday, April 27th, the voters from District 1 will have the opportunity to help with the issues I describe below. This letter is meant to provide useful information so the District 1 voters can make an informed decision. I feel I can provide that since I have been very involved with RHS softball for the past four years.
While at the city complex these young ladies, coaches and staff have been faced with a very challenging situation. They have been housed within a facility that they temporarily reside in during softball season from December through May. During these dates the field house is “theirs”; however, there have been instances where outside players, umpires and coaches have gained access to the building. This presents a significant security issue since the locker room contains expensive softball equipment, personal belongings, computers, etc. Also, since the complex is a public facility, at times the girls have had to compete for access to the practice field and batting cages. It’s also a logistical challenge for the girls to put in extra work during times when the complex is closed at night or on weekends. The complex is locked and the girls simply do not have access to their own field or locker room.
As every athlete knows, the times in which you make the largest improvements in your game isn’t during the season. These strides are made during the off-season in May – November. Those off-season months are the most crucial to be on the field, in the batting cages and bonding together as a team in the locker room. Unfortunately, these are the months in which the girls have very limited access to the city complex facilities. These circumstances do not lend themselves to the excellent standard these girls expect from themselves and deserve.
I fully support our city and school board officials that we have elected. I believe that the original intent for this move was to offer our girls an upgraded complex and unrestricted access. However, that goal is impossible due to the unforeseen demand on our public city softball complex. On one hand, the city complex needs to be occupied as much as possible for events: local Dixie league practices and games, travel ball practices and games and intramural use. On the other hand, it needs to be available to the Ruston High School softball program. Despite efforts from the city; with this much competition for a facility, it is virtually impossible to offer the RHS softball program year-round unrestricted access. It’s great that the complex is busy and booked. However, it has created a situation that produces frustration within a program trying to produce excellence.
I think it is also necessary to mention that there isn’t a written agreement between the city and school board specifying the softball complex monetary details such as the annual lease cost and length of term. The two entities have been unable to find common ground for several years. The lack of a long-term agreement has produced concern within the softball program and school to truly put down roots at the complex and “move in”, install RHS signage, and make it home.
A program’s facilities are extremely important in recruiting and retaining the best coaches and staff. They spend a tremendous amount of time with our young ladies and have a great influence upon them. Their primary job should be coaching and pouring into these young people. Let’s not burden them with infrastructure challenges that they have no control over.
Funding received from the bond renewal would be a huge step towards moving these young ladies home to the Bittersweet facility. Top notch facilities aid tremendously in well-rounded kids. When we invest in our schools and produce excellent kids it’s a win for everyone in the community. Whether you have children that attend those schools or not. A strong, well-funded public school system educates and creates leaders that give back and elevate Ruston and Lincoln Parish to new heights for generations to come. Let’s continue the tradition of excellence within our schools. Passing this bond renewal is a vital step in that process. District 1, I humbly ask for a vote of “YES” in this Saturdays election.
Signed,
Todd DeMoss
Letters to the Editor do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial and publishing staff of the Lincoln Parish Journal.
We all face change at some point in life. Change is difficult for most of us. We were fearful of changing schools as children. We may have been apprehensive about moving to a new community. Job changes are always hard. Changes in family dynamics can be tough. Getting a new boss can be nerve-racking.
Change can come in many forms other than the obvious ones previously noted. If you have ever had to find a new doctor, dentist, or hairdresser, you have probably had a few anxious moments regarding the change. Have you ever traded in an older model reliable vehicle for a new car and had second thoughts? Change can be hard even if it holds some excitement.
Change can be hard on many levels. Whether it’s the disruption of routine, the fear of the unknown, or loss of the known, change can cause a great deal of anxiety for many people. I heard some version of the following statement years ago and have used it routinely in my coaching sessions for years now:
Many people will prefer a predictable bad versus a possible good.
Yes, many will stay in an unpleasant work situation, unfulfilling relationship, or undesirable living arrangement because it’s known. They know what to expect. They may not like it, but it’s predictable. While the change may be better, it also may be worse. So many err to the side of the worst and just stay with the known no matter how unpleasant it may be. Predictable wins over the possible. They fear change.
Change is an issue in the workplace as well. I have seen many managers fail to effectively execute a major change within an organization. People generally don’t embrace change very well in their work environments. Companies spend significant amounts of money on change management consultants to help them when a few simple steps performed well would have enabled them to succeed.
So, what are these steps? Whether you are working through a change crisis on your own or leading others through one within an organization, here a few thoughts on how to navigate change more effectively:
Information – The more one knows about the new endeavor, new opportunity, or new challenge, the more likely they are to embrace it. Knowledge is not only power, but it also alleviates stress of the unknown. While you may not have a clear vision of everything the change may bring, seek out information for yourself and provide it to others if you are in a leadership role.
Communication – As a leader, you need to communicate more than ever in periods of change. Go beyond what’s changing to why it’s changing. The more people understand why, the more likely they can embrace it. For individuals, ask questions and resolve as many issues as possible.
Connection – Talk to others going through similar experiences. Leaders get key influencers on board. Connecting with others is a key element in navigating changing environments.
Personalization – Understand and seek out personal benefit. For leaders, make sure everyone knows why it should matter to them personally. The more everyone understands the personal benefit, reason, or gain, the more likely they are to embrace the change.
Change can be tough, but it is inevitable with life. The better equipped we are to handle change, the better equipped we are to handle life. Change can be good. Growth is a change, and we all need to keep growing!
For more than 60 years, people have accused Eddy of at least five murders, but the evidence against him is only circumstantial. When confronted with evidence which proves Eddy’s innocence, people who believe in Eddy’s guilt cry conspiracy, of which there is no evidence. Let us take a brief look at Eddy’s supposed crime spree.
The first murder happened at about 3:40 on the morning of August 31. A man named Charles Allen Cross was walking to work when he discovered what he initially thought was a tarpaulin on the ground at the entrance to a horse stable. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the body of a woman later identified as 43-year-old Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols. Polly was lying on her back with her eyes open. Her legs were straight, and her skirt was raised above her knees. Another man on his way to work, Robert Paul, approached and spoke briefly about the deceased woman. They pulled her skirt down to preserve her dignity, then ran to fetch policeman Jonas Mizen who was only a short distance away. When the policeman arrived, Polly’s legs were still warm. Surgeon Dr. Llewellyn determined that Polly had been dead for approximately 30 minutes. Eddy was over 200 miles away at the time of the murder.
At about 5:15 on the morning of September 8, Albert Cadosch, a resident of 27 Hanbury Street went into his yard to urinate. He heard a woman say “No, no!” Then he heard something hit the fence dividing his property with 29 Hanbury street. He thought little of it at the time and went back inside. The mutilated body of 47-year-old Annie Chapman was discovered less than 45 minutes later by John Davis, an elderly resident of 29 Hanbury Street. Again, Eddy was over 200 miles away at the time of the murder.
At about 12:35 on the morning of September 30, policeman William Smith saw Elizabeth “Liz” Stride with a man at number 40 Berner Street. The man was carrying a package that officer Smith later said was about 18 inches long. With no reason to suspect anything, officer Smith continued on his patrol. Approximately 25 minutes later, Louis Diemschutz drove his horse and two-wheeled cart into the poorly lit Dutfield’s Yard. His horse abruptly shied to the left to avoid a dark object lying on the ground. Louis struck a match and saw a dead body lying on the ground. She was still bleeding from a single knife wound on her neck. Louis ran for help. When police arrived, parts of Liz’s body were still warm. They suspected that the killer had been interrupted by Louis.
At precisely 1:44 on the same morning, just 44 minutes after Liz’s body was discovered, policeman Edward Watkins discovered the mutilated body of Catherine Eddowes lying on her back in the southwest corner of Miter square. Officer Watkins had passed through Miter Square 14 minutes earlier, but the body was not there at that time. (According to google maps, the average person can walk the distance between the location of Liz’s and Catherine’s murders in just 17 minutes.) At the time Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were killed, Eddy was over 500 miles away.
Sometime between 3:30 and 4 o’clock on the morning of November 9, Elizabeth Prater, who lived directly above Mary Jane Kelly’s apartment, along with a guest, Sarah Lewis, heard a scream. This being the roughest part of the city at the time, screams during the night were nothing new. They thought little about it at the time. At about 5:30 that morning, Elizabeth walked past Mary’s door but saw nothing out of the ordinary. At about 10:45 that morning, Thomas Bowyer went to Mary’s room to collect the rent which was six weeks overdue. He knocked on the door but got no response. He went to the window, but the curtains were drawn. He removed a piece of cloth which had been used to plug a broken windowpane and pulled back the curtain. Thomas was shocked to see the extensively mutilated body of Mary Jane Kelly.
Investigators believed Mary had died sometime between 1:45 and 8:00 a.m. that morning. They determined that her body was so badly mutilated because the killer struck in a private room which enabled the murderer to take his time. The murder of Mary Jane Kelly is considered by most to be the last of the murders some claim Eddy committed. Eddy was over 100 miles from the scene of the murder.
Eddy was never questioned by police, nor was he a suspect during his lifetime. Three years after the last murder, Eddy was engaged to be married. By all substantiated accounts, Eddy was in perfect health until a couple of weeks before his wedding date. Eddy became ill with influenza which turned into pneumonia. He never recovered and died at the young age of 28. Could Eddy have been the murderer?
For any investigation, police try to determine whether a suspect has an alibi and must judge the strength of the alibi. Eddy had many alibis. In fact, his movements were being tracked by newspapers all over the country, not because he had done anything wrong, but because of who he was. Based on newspaper accounts alone, Eddy could not have been the murderer. Even the Queen of England could have vouched for Eddy. In her journal, she recorded that on September 30, 1888, the date that the killer murdered two women in less than an hour, she had lunch with Eddy over 500 miles away. You see, Eddy was the family’s nickname for Prince Albert Victor. He was the grandson of Queen Victoria and second in line to the English throne. Despite the numerous books and films on the subject, Eddy, Prince Albert Victor could not have been the murderer known as Jack the Ripper.
Sources:
1. Western Daily Press (Bristol, England), August 28, 1888, p.3.
2. The North Star (Darlington, England), September 8, 1888, p.4.
3. The Yorkshire Herald and the York Herald, September 29, 1888, p.16.
4. The Gloucestershire Echo, November 5, 1888, p.3.
Louisiana Tech men’s basketball head coach Talvin Hester announced Wednesday the addition of Sean Elkinton, a transfer from St. Edward’s University.
Elkinton, a 6-foot-8 forward and native of Crosby, Texas, averaged 15.4 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in his two seasons with the Hilltoppers.
“We are really excited to add Sean to our program,” said Hester. “He is a winner, a great competitor, and an elite shooter with size with excellent rebounding skills. He grants us the ability to stretch the defense, which is really going to impact our team. I look forward to him being another addition to our locker room.”
This past season as a sophomore, Elkinton averaged 17.5 points and 7.5 boards per contest in leading St. Edward’s to a 21-win season. He scored in double figures in 30 of his 31 games, including nine 20+ scoring performances and eight double-doubles.
The First Team All-Lone Star Conference and Second Team NABC All-District selection shot 54.6 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from three, and 76.8 percent from the foul line.
As a freshman Hilltopper, Elkinton averaged 13.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game with five games of 20+ points and 12 double-doubles in route to being named First Team All-Lone Star Conference.
He prepped at Crosby High School where he was a three-time First Team All-District and Two-time All-Region selection.
Louisiana Tech led from start to finish in the stroke play portion of the 2024 Conference USA Men’s Golf Championship, shooting 286 (-2) in round three on Wednesday at the Texarkana Country Club to lock up the No. 1 seed for match play.
LA Tech makes match play for a second straight year, shooting 280-294-286=860 (-4) to finish three strokes better than second-place Sam Houston after 54 holes. Liberty earned the No. 3 seed while UTEP jumped a spot on the team leaderboard to snag the No. 4 seed.
“The consistency that we showed leading from start to finish, I feel like this is something that has been building with this team,” said Tech head coach Matt Terry. “We played solid for the most part today other than a couple of holes. We did what we needed to do today to get ourselves into match play. All five of these guys helped us in some way during stroke play. Now, I am excited about having the opportunity to another shot at winning a championship.”
Once again, the Bulldogs played smart golf. The team combined for just one double bogey, which came on the Par 3 No. 13 that was only hole that gave the squad fits.
With the Bearkats making a charge at the top spot on the team leaderboard, LA Tech shot a combined three-under on the final four holes to clinch the top seed.
Niilo Maki-Petaja was two-over for the day through 11, but the freshman made three birdies in his last seven holes to shoot 71 (-1) and finish in third place as an individual (69-72-71=212) at -4.
Meanwhile, for a second straight day Hunter Battles had the top scoreboard for LA Tech shooting 70 (-2). Aside from back-to-back bogeys on No. 13 and No. 14, the fifth-year senior who tied for fifth was steady including on the Par 5 No. 16 where he tapped in for birdie after making it on the green in two.
Will Patrick bounced back after a 78 in round two to post a 72 (E), matching his round from day one. Back-to-back birdies on No. 15 and No. 16 helped the senior record his second round at par for the event. He tied for 19th in the player leaderboard along with Thomas Henson who shot 75 (+3) in round three.
Lake Juban was the third Bulldog to finish in the top 10, claiming a 9th-place finish as an individual after completing his 54 holes with a 73 (+1). The fifth-year senior shot a 35 on the front, but only one blunder on No. 13 set him back with a 38.
LA Tech will take on No. 4 seed UTEP in the semifinals of match play today. The first tee time will be at 8 a.m. CT on hole one.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Fredric Lee Hoogland, 88, of Ruston, at 3 PM on Friday, April 26, 2024, in the Chapel at Temple Baptist Church under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home with the Rev. Dale Oden officiating. Visitation will be prior to the service from 2 PM to the time of service.
Fred was born on February 18, 1936, and passed away peacefully on April 22, 2024, following a lengthy illness. He lived most of his life in Ruston and said he never wanted to live anywhere else. He was a graduate of Ruston High School and graduated in Horticulture at Louisiana Tech University.
Fred was a dynamic force in our community. His entrepreneurial spirit, vision, and leadership profoundly impacted those around him. As a business owner in the nursery and landscaping trade, Fred’s innovative ideas and dedication propelled his ventures to great success. His tireless efforts and time spent training others in the nursery and landscape field enriched the lives of countless individuals through employment and career opportunities.
Fred was a true leader in every sense of the word. He owned and operated Hoogland’s Nursery and Landscape, Inc. and was very active in the Louisiana Association of Nurserymen, earning his way to being president of that association. He served in the Ruston Jaycees as president and was later named Outstanding Young Man of the Year in Ruston. Fred was on the Lincoln Parish Police Jury for sixteen years, serving as president of the jury for his last eight years. He was active in many other civic organizations including the Ruston Kiwanis, the Farm Bureau, and served on the Lincoln General Hospital Board (currently Northeast Louisiana Medical Center).
Beyond his many professional accomplishments, Fred was deeply committed to the betterment of our community. He generously contributed his time, resources, and expertise to various charitable causes, leaving a legacy of compassion and service. Fred’s lifelong passion, dating back to his junior high school days, was his vision for Lincoln Parish Park. As Ruston’s Glen Harris appropriately wrote in June of 2018, “If there ever was a visionary, a person who could look at something and imagine what it could become, it was Ruston’s Fredric Hoogland.” Fredric was one of those men that if he could dream it, he could build it. Whether inventing a means to streamline an operation at his nursery and landscape business or using his backhoe to build a ten-acre pond, dam, and spillway, or the thousands of yards he landscaped, Fred’s talents and unwavering work ethic were unmatched.
As for our community, Fred’s lifelong quest for the land acquisition and development for the Lincoln Parish Park was his crowning achievement. Over several years Fred spent countless hours and days walking the woods of Lincoln Parish in an effort to find the perfect location for the Parish Park. He succeeded.
Fred oversaw the construction of our Lincoln Parish Park and turned a patch of woods on the Farmerville highway into the jewel it is today. Upon the opening of the park, Fred served as the first Lincoln Parish Park administrator overseeing and building pavilions, beaches, campgrounds, roads, playgrounds and much more. Fred’s attention to detail ranging from the flower beds, to the park entrance, to the location of the BBQ pits in the campground was amazing.
Fred was most active in the lives of his two boys Mike and David. He built camps in the woods with catwalks running between the trees, rope swings for entertainment, and took the boys and their friends on many hunting and camping trips. His home on Highway 80 East was the place to be. The Hoogland’s hosted huge July 4th cookouts with the famous washer-pitching tournament. From the camps he built in the woods to the involvement in Mike’s and David’s sports careers, Fred was involved in everything. He was a very caring man.
Later in life, Fred married the love of his life, Margaret Sims Dunn Hoogland. At their home on Ashland Street in Ruston, he turned a swampy cypress tree-bottom into a showplace with beautiful ponds, woods, and grounds.
Fred’s magnetic personality and charisma drew people to him. His presence lit up any room he entered. While exuding confidence and strength, he also had a genuine warmth and generosity that endeared him to many.
Fred was preceded in death by his parents, John and Winifred Hoogland, his brother Richard Hoogland, his daughter Cynthia Lee Hoogland, his son, Michael John Hoogland, and great granddaughter, Holly Diane Hoogland.
Fred was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend. His survivors include his wife of 22 years, Margaret; his son David and wife Kellye and their children Jay and Will (Madison); his daughter-in-law Valerie and children John (Carlyle), Caroline (fiancé Brendan Lind), and Hunter (Olivia); Margaret’s children Sonia Beatty, Susan Hermes and husband Randal, Tucson Dunn and wife Natalie, and their children and grandchildren. He is survived by great-grandchildren Wrenly Blaise Hoogland, Hays Holt Hoogland, and Marshall John Hoogland, two brothers Donald and Jimmy (wife Dorothy Etta) and one sister Jane McDermott (husband Tom).
Special recognition and gratitude to Fred’s groundskeeper/friend D’Wesley Mardis for his three decades of hard work and loyalty and for making the grounds on Ashland Street look so beautiful. Also, a huge thank you to Rachelle Lathan of Rachelle Lathan and Friends Caregiving Service for taking such personal and loving care of Fred over the last 6 years.
Memorials may be made to Lincoln Parish Park – 211 Parish Road – Ruston, LA 71270
Beverly Thurow Doucet January 10, 1938 – April 20, 2024 Private service
Joy Carol Rowe October 8, 1949 – April 17, 2024 Visitation: Temple Baptist Church Sanctuary, Friday, April 26, 2024, 9:30 am – 11:00 am Service: Temple Baptist Church Sanctuary, Friday, April 26, 2024, 11:00 am Cemetery: Kilpatrick’s Memorial Gardens, Friday, April 26, 2024
Shirley Mae Gipson Saturday 01/04/1947 — Saturday 04/06/2024 Visitation: Friday 04/26/2024 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 04/27/2024 11:00am, Life Church, 3000 South Vienna, Ruston Interment: Saturday 04/27/2024 Following Service, George Washington Carver Memorial Park, Martin Luther King Drive, Ruston
RHS student Bethany Colvin is the recipient of the 2024 Meriwether Scholarship.
Ruston High School senior Bethany Colvin is one of two recipients of the 2024 Meriwether Scholarship as announced by the Meriwether Wealth & Planning
Colvin was selected from a pool of 42 scholarship applications received from high school seniors across North Louisiana.
Colvin plans to attend Louisiana Tech University and major in human development and family science. She was joined by Ouachita Parish High School senior Heather Stroup, who plans to attend USF and major in biolog.
A selection committee composed of Meriwether clients reviewed the applications, essays, and accompanying recommendation letters to determine the top two applicants. These students will each receive $1,000 scholarships to their college or university of choice:
Meriwether is proud to give back to our local communities. Over the past three years, we have infused more than $160,000 into our communities in the form of sponsorships, donations, and scholarships to schools and non-profit organizations.
Meriwether plans to make this scholarship available to area high school seniors each year.
