We mixed in a little magic on our trip to Scotland.
A little preface – I grew up reading the Harry Potter books. My mom was a fourth grade teacher, and I often previewed the books for her to make sure they were appropriate for her classroom. I was shocked to find that I, as a seventh grader, enjoyed the book so much, and I encouraged her to read them as well. And that was all it took. By the time the seventh and final book came out, she and I were having to purchase two copies because we didn’t like to share reading time.
Now, as a mother of two, I have encouraged my own kids to read Harry Potter – trying my hardest to do so at an appropriate age for them and skirt any spoilers of a nearly 30-year-old series. Yes, it’s basically impossible. Penny is currently on the fifth book, and Alice finished the series this summer – just in time to have a Harry Potter-themed day in Scotland, where, of course, I assume Hogwarts is.
Our day started at Tron Kirk, which is part of the hub of the Old Town in Edinburgh, where we met our tour guide, Kirsty. She immediately asked who was a Muggle and who was a witch or wizard, and, if so, what house we were in. Penny held her raincoat tight around her Hufflepuff shirt so she could do a big reveal at her turn.
We went around a few places, getting shown the Balmoral, where J.K. Rowling finished the last book (and the room is still available for a hefty $2,000 per night), the original spot of The Elephant Room, where she also wrote at, and a few Harry Potter-themed places. None of the movies were shot in Edinburgh, which is a true shame, because with a real-life castle and the history and architecture, it should have been. But thankfully, imaginations are free to all.
Next, we took the girls to the Department of Magic to mix some potions. And, yes, it 100 percent felt like we were sneaking into a magical world. It’s a basement restaurant with no sign on the door, and the door is locked until the time of your reservation.
You pick your potion of choice, and then you are given a cute tray filled with various colored bottles, dry ice, and your glass. The girls both picked a Divination Brew, which included lemonade, apple juice, and jellybeans – and while the dry ice gave it a smoky magical feeling, their favorite surprise was that their drinks both turned different colors, which indicated something different. Penny’s turned red, which meant that she had forgotten something, and Alice’s turned orange, which meant someone was going to play a mischievous trick on her. I will let you guess who she assumed that could be.
It was such a lovely experience to share with my girls. A book series that my mom and I shared together when I was growing up turned into a once-in-a-lifetime experience shared by her daughter and grandchildren.
A Lincoln Parish deputy arrested a motorist Saturday night after he was found to be wanted. Drugs were found in the man’s car as well.
Michael Keith Horton, 32, of Quitman, was stopped about 9:30 p.m. Saturday night for an equipment violation. A check showed Horton was wanted on three warrants for failure to appear in Ruston City Court and a fourth warrant for failure to appear in Third District Court.
During a search of Horton’s vehicle, the deputy found a set of scales commonly used for measuring narcotics and bags of suspected methamphetamine. Horton told the deputy he had Subutex in the vehicle as well, but he did not have a prescription bottle with him.
Horton was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for driving under suspension, possession of methamphetamine, possession of Subutex, possession of drug paraphernalia, no license plate light, the three warrants from Ruston City Court for traffic violations, and the District Court warrant for failure to appear on a protective order violation.
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.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) is now accepting Everyday Hero Award nominations for individuals, non-profits, and businesses working to keep Louisiana litter-free and beautiful. Selected recipients will be honored at the Everyday Hero Awards luncheon on Thursday, October 24, at the Crowne Plaza Executive Center in Baton Rouge, held in conjunction with the annual KLB State Conference.
“There are many people and organizations doing exceptional work in their communities, making strides toward a cleaner Louisiana for all of us,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “The Everyday Hero Award is a great way to recognize these people for their dedication to clean up our Sportsman’s Paradise and for going that extra mile to keep our communities litter free and beautiful.”
Those eligible for nomination include non-profits, KLB Affiliate organizations, businesses, professional groups, governmental agencies, civic and community organizations, schools, churches, and individual citizens.
Anyone may submit a nomination and multiple nominations may be submitted by the same individual. An online nomination form — available at KeepLouisianaBeautiful.org — is required for each entry submitted. The deadline to submit a nomination is August 29, 2024.
Award Categories:
Community Improvement Award – The Community Improvement Award recognizes a project, program, campaign, or initiative in alignment with the mission and work of Keep Louisiana Beautiful. The effort should demonstrate innovation, collaboration, and measurable community improvement. Eligible are for-profit and non-profit organizations, Keep Louisiana Beautiful Affiliates, schools, and civic groups. Associated with this award is a cash prize.
Let Louisiana Shine Volunteer Award – The Let Louisiana Shine Award, named in celebration of Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s statewide litter prevention campaign, is presented to a passionate volunteer who has dedicated their time and energy to community enhancement efforts. They may contribute by collaborating with community organizations and stakeholders to clean up litter, beautify spaces, and contribute to an improved quality of life for their fellow residents. Associated with this award is a cash prize.
Leaders Against Litter Award – The Leaders Against Litter Award recognizes individuals in public service who go above and beyond the call of duty to support Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission to clean up and beautify our Sportsman’s Paradise. The recipient of this award inspires and empowers others to follow their lead and work towards achieving a cleaner, greener Louisiana. To be eligible, an individual must work in public service: police officer, firefighter, educator, librarian, government employee, elected official, etc.
Rocksey’s Young Leadership Award (Grades K-12) – Named for Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s beloved mascot, Rocksey the Raccoon, this award is presented to a student or student group in grades K-12 exemplifying environmental stewardship. They are passionate about keeping their community clean and beautiful and they recognize it is every citizen’s responsibility to protect the environment. Their leadership in and outside of the classroom encourages their peers to reduce waste, recycle, and pick up litter when they see it. Associated with this award is a cash prize.
Collegiate Environmental Steward Award – The Collegiate Environmental Steward Award is presented to a college student or student group going above and beyond to make their campus community clean, sustainable, and beautiful. Their campus involvement and leadership have led to measurable change and inspired others to volunteer. The recipient embodies vision, leadership, determination, and collaboration. Associated with this award is a cash prize.
Outstanding Community Affiliate Award – The Outstanding Community Affiliate Award is presented to a Keep Louisiana Beautiful Community Affiliate that has made significant strides in the past year in making their community a cleaner, greener place to live. The recipient organization demonstrates strength in leadership by engaging key stakeholders and volunteers in collaborative initiatives with a measurable impact. The community served by the Affiliate is a better place to live thanks to the ongoing efforts of the organization. Associated with this award is a cash prize.
Outstanding University Affiliate Award – The Outstanding University Affiliate Award is presented to a Keep Louisiana Beautiful University Affiliate demonstrating strong leadership and a growing presence in their campus community. Not only have the efforts of the Affiliate resulted in visible and measurable changes, but they’ve also led to a cultural shift, with more students, faculty, and staff committed to reducing waste, preventing litter, and improving the appearance of their campus. Associated with this award is a cash prize.
Clean Biz Leadership Award (less than 50 employees) – The Clean Biz Leadership Award is granted to an organization demonstrating dedication to Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission and adopting operational practices to support a cleaner, greener community. The organization may have implemented policies and procedures for recycling, waste reduction, and litter prevention. The business may also support community improvement through sponsorship, volunteerism, programming, and other relevant initiatives. Eligible are for-profit and non-profit organizations with less than 50 employees. Clean Biz Partnership participation is encouraged but not required for consideration.
Clean Biz Leadership Award (more than 50 employees) – The Clean Biz Leadership Award is granted to an organization demonstrating dedication to Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission and adopting operational practices to support a cleaner, greener community. The organization may have implemented policies and procedures for recycling, waste reduction, and litter prevention. The organization may also support community improvement through sponsorship, volunteerism, programming, and other relevant initiatives. Eligible are for-profit and non-profit organizations with more than 50 employees. Clean Biz Partnership participation is encouraged but not required for consideration.
Litter Enforcement Award – The Litter Enforcement Award recognizes law enforcement officers actively working to stop littering in their community. They go above and beyond to educate the public about the negative impacts of litter, and work to bring justice to those who break the law by littering or dumping illegally. Eligible for this award are police officers, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents, justices of the peace, constables, judges, and code enforcement officers.
Louisiana Tech Athletics announced Monday that season ticket renewals for Bulldog and Lady Techster Basketball are now available for the 2024-25 seasons.
Renewal deadline to guarantee seat locations for existing season ticket holders is Aug. 19. In order to renew season tickets, fans can visit LATechSports.com/Tickets or call the LA Tech Ticket Office at (318) 257-3631.
Season ticket prices start at $215 for Bulldog Basketball and $120 for Lady Techster Basketball as well as $275 for the combo package.
Third-year head coach Talvin Hester will lead the Bulldogs who are coming off a 22-win season and a second-place finish in Conference USA. The team returns six players, including First Team All-CUSA selection Daniel Batcho as well as All-CUSA Honorable Mention honoree Sean Newman Jr., to go along with eight newcomers.
The Lady Techsters, guided by ninth-year head coach Brooke Stoehr, will lead a revamped roster that welcomes nine newcomers into the fold with key returners like Robyn Lee and CUSA All-Freshman selection Jianna Morris.
The CUSA league schedule has already been announced, a slate that includes 18 league matchups (nine at home). Stay tuned for the release of the Bulldogs and Lady Techsters full 2024-25 schedule.
Funeral services for Marijon Hinton Echols, 79, of Choudrant, LA, will be held at Alabama Presbyterian Church in Choudrant, LA, on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at 10:00 am. Officiating will be Rev. Allison Moody. Interment will follow at Sibley Cemetery in Choudrant, LA. Visitation will be held at Alabama Presbyterian Church Family Life Center on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.
Marijon was an administrator at Rosemont in West Monroe and Arbor and Terrace of Ruston. In more recent years, she was a caregiver to many of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was a lifetime member at Alabama Presbyterian Church. She loved her dogs like no other.
She is preceded in death by her parents John Malcolm Hinton, Jr, and Mary Omega Ballinger Hinton.
Left to cherish her memories is her husband of 52 years Roy Echols of Choudrant, Malcolm Echols and wife Melissa of Choudrant, Meredith Smalling and husband Cory, of Downsville, honorary son, Sam Hughes. Grandchildren are Chelsey Garner and husband Anthony, Chase Echols, Codey Smalling and wife Kelsey, and Cooper Smalling; great grandchildren Abigail, Ashtyn, Crew, and Caroline; Sister, Hilda Bishop and husband Phil of Woodstock, GA: niece Kimberly Klock and husband Christopher, and their children Charlie and Trinity; sister in law Carole Aston and husband Brian and their children Haley, Taylor and Josh: Nephew, Shane Echols and Wife Carmen, and their children Jack and Katie, and niece Amy Allen and husband Shannon and their children Austin and Ethan, as well as numerous other family members and friends.
Serving as pallbearers are Danny Chisholm, Curtis Johnson, Jr., Ted Dubose, Sam Hughes, Shane Echols, and Keith McClelland. Honorary Pallbearers are her grandsons.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Alabama Presbyterian Church at 2091 LA Highway 145, Choudrant, LA 71227.
Funeral services for Randall Fuller are scheduled for Thursday, August 1, 2024 at New Hope Baptist Church near Choudrant, LA. at 10:00 AM. with Rev. Michael Baldwin officiating. Visitation is at the church on the same day from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
Alvin Randall Fuller was born 5-8-38 and went be with the Lord on 7-28-24. Randall was known to many as Randy. He grew up in Hico, LA and was living In Choudrant at the time of his passing.
He is preceded in death by his parents Alvin Early Fuller and Ada Jones Fuller of Hico and a host of close family and friends. He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Betty Jo Fuller and his two sons, James and wife Tina Fuller of Linville LA and Chris and wife April Fuller of Farmerville, LA. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren and 1 great great grand daughter. Randall is also survived by a host of other relatives.
He was an active member of New Hope Baptist Church and was a deacon for many years. He retired after working for the City of Ruston for over 30 years. He was a member of the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Reserve since 1980 and one of the original members sworn in under Sheriff Wayne Houck.
He loved to fish, squirrel hunt, and spend time with his family. Some of his happiest moments were spent with his grandchildren. He would light up so big when his great grandchildren said Paw. Most of all he taught his two sons to work hard, family is important , and God comes first.
Randall loved and adored Betty Jo very much. We will all miss him but she will miss him the most.
Denise “Dede” Diane Wall March 5, 1970 – July 26, 2024 Visitation: Thursday, August 01, 2024, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Living Water Full Gospel Church, 131 Oak St, Dubach Celebration of Life: Thursday, August 01, 2024, 3:00 PM, Living Water Full Gospel Church, 131 Oak St, Dubach
Marijon Hinton Echols May 27, 1945 – July 28, 2024 Visitation: Alabama Presbyterian Church, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm Service: Alabama Presbyterian Church, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, 10:00 am Cemetery: Sibley Cemetery Choudrant, Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Randall Fuller May 8, 1938 – July 28, 2024 Visitation: 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Thursday, August 1, 2024 at New Hope Baptist Church, Choudrant Services: 10 a.m., Thursday, August 1, 2024 at New Hope Baptist Church, Choudrant
Much has been written nationally over the past months about the federal courts deciding the direction of the future of college athletics.
The decision could totally reshape what is already a form of college athletics that we would not have recognized a decade ago.
The NCAA, P5 conferences and lawyers representing a class of Division I athletes filed detailed terms of an antitrust lawsuit on Friday. It has provided a sneak peak as to what may be coming as soon as next academic year.
In late May, all parties agreed to settle a trifecta of lawsuits that include House vs. NCAA, Hubbard vs. NCAA, and Carter vs. NCAA – all pertaining to the way universities and colleges compensate student-athletes.
The filing on Friday included how student athletes that competed from 2016 through 2021 will share $2.78 billion in damages that the NCAA has agreed to pay. Why that five-year span?
“Because July of 2021 is when we started to have the ability to compensate (student athletes) from an (Name, Image, Likeness) standpoint,” said Louisiana Tech AD Ryan Ivey. “So, the statute of limitations for back-pay runs through those dates.”
Student athletes who competed during those years must join the lawsuit in order to possibly receive compensation.
“There is a process where any student athlete who played during that time can submit their information to the plaintiff’s attorney,” said Ivey. “And there is a formula that would tell how much they would get out of this settlement.”
Those who are in the know on this subject believe upwards of 90 percent of that $2.78 billion total will go to former P5 student athletes that played football and men’s basketball. The other 10 percent will go to everyone else.
“People aren’t going to make as much money as they may think off of this,” said Ivey.
Forty percent of the $2.78 billion will come from the NCAA reserve fund and 60 percent will come from the conferences and their schools.
That will have a direct impact on university athletic departments around the country as each school will pay a portion of the $2.78 billion through a decrease in their yearly conference revenue share over the next 10 years.
According to Ivey, the portion that the conferences and their member institutions must pay is determined by the average distribution over the last 10 years.
What does that mean for a school like Louisiana Tech?
“Our portion is going to be approximately $3 to $3.25 million over the next 10 years,” said Ivey. “So, that will be $300,000 to $325,000 per year. We are paying that through revenue distribution reduction.”
Although Ivey admitted the decrease in revenue distribution over the next decade is a concern, he does believe the settlement provides a path for moving forward.
“Ultimately, the biggest concern in my opinion is how do we move forward,” said Ivey. “We must find a clear pathway to get some stability within college athletics. I think the settlement is the only way to get some stability at least for the next 10 years.
“Now what happens beyond that I don’t know. But at least for the next 10 years there should be some safe harbors within the NCAA. You should see reduced litigation. When you look at the biggest issues we have faced over the last two to three years, it has stemmed from litigation because of transfers or NIL or whatever it may be.”
That money that Louisiana Tech must surrender doesn’t go directly to former Tech student athletes, according to Ivey. Instead it goes to the total pot that will then be dispersed across the country to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
What about the future impact of the settlement?
The settlement also sets up new roster limits for a number of college sports, something that will have an economic impact as well.
In the current system, many sports are considered head count sports, equating to full scholarships for their participants (football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball to name a few). Other sports are classified as equivalency sports where coaches have X number of scholarships to spread across their roster (baseball, softball, track and field to name a few).
Under the new proposal in the settlement, roster caps will be placed on teams and the universities can elect to fully fund every one of those scholarships if they choose. Conferences around the country will have the ability to put further limitations on roster caps if they choose, according to Ivey.
Conference USA presidents will be meeting in the future to discuss those possibilities.
A head count sport like football will have a roster cap of 105 in the new proposed model. In the current model, FBS programs had 85 full scholarships but could roster an unlimited number of students athletes (with the addition of walk-ons).
Many programs would roster around 125 to 135 players. With this new legislation, football programs can only roster up to 105, but they can now fully fund each one of those scholarships if they choose. However, they can also choose to fund less than 105 and would have the ability to hand out partial scholarships to certain student-athletes.
“So, you would be able to give half a scholarship to a student athlete with the roster cap being 105 for football, which is very similar to the FCS model,” said Ivey. “Basically, everything within the roster cap limits is going to be up to institutional discretion. Each institution is going to have to determine what they have the financial resources to be able to manage that piece.”
Ivey said the roster caps would start on July 1, 2025.
“My assumption is it will have to be finalized before (this) January because they will have to go through the process of changing the manual and putting all this in the manual,” said Ivey. “You have NCAA convention in January. You have NCAA Council it will have to go through. And then the government’s process of what we have. I would think this fall we will start to see these things trickle out.”
In an equivalency sport like baseball, the current model allowed for just 11.7 scholarships that coaches were able to spread across their roster. The new model will put a cap on the roster at the proposed number of 34, but schools will have the ability to fully-fund all 34 scholarships if they choose.
The proposed numbers for cap limits that have been publicized so far for sports that Louisiana Tech has include football (105), men’s and women’s basketball (15), baseball (34), softball (25), volleyball (18), tennis (10), golf (9), men’s and women’s cross country (17 for each), soccer (28), bowling (11), men’s and women’s track and field (45 for each) to name a few.
According to a story in Yahoo Sports, there are about 500 scholarships available in all 40-plus sports in the current NCAA model. Under the new roster limits, that number is now at more than 1,200.
So how will universities across the country handle funding, especially at the mid-major level? There is some talk of the NCAA doing away with the minimum of 16 sports to play at the FBS level, which would open up the door for schools to cut teams.
“I do know there are some conversations surrounding what that sports sponsorship minimum should be or should we even have a sports sponsorship minimum,” said Ivey. “I wouldn’t even want to speculate on whether that would or would not occur. I do know NCAA President (Charlie) Baker has come out and said the goal of this is not to eliminate sports or reduce opportunities.
“Title IX still very much a real thing. So, when will need to make sure we follow those guidelines which goes to opportunities and proportionality and all kinds of aspects that govern that. I don’t know if you will see a ton of reductions in sports.”
Ivey pointed to the role that college athletics plays in aiding campus with diversity and enrollment.
“We focus on helping with enrollment,” said Ivey. “We have other opportunities. There are there that we utilize athletics to help with campus at large. If you are reducing those opportunities and you are eliminating sports, then you are really going against the fundamental mission of the institution.”
Ivey talked about college athletic departments understanding who they are in the scope of resources and expectations on winning.
“If we are trying to win national championships in every sport, then we are either going to have to really increase our financial investment in what we are doing or we are going to have to eliminate sports in order to increase financial investment in certain sports that we want to try to do that. I don’t think any of us want to get into that situation.”
One of the biggest challenges may be defining what success looks like for non-Power 5 programs across the country, according to Ivey.
“How do we define success,” said Ivey. “What is that definition of success for Louisiana Tech. That is going to mean different things to different people. That is the first thing that we have to do. I do think there are opportunities with this.
“I think there will be opportunities even with roster caps. I think you will see some parity across some sports. If the roster cap for football is 105, then these high-resourced programs won’t have 125 or 135 players anymore. So where do those 25 players go? Now there is opportunity there for us.”
With the Ohio State’s of the college world boasting athletic budgets of $275 million and even the Liberty’s within Conference USA sitting at $75 million, Ivey said Louisiana Tech has to find its niche to succeed.
“Embracing who we are,” said Ivey. “We cannot be all things to all people. Ruston is this small rural community that has this great feel for supporting and taking care of our student athletes. Creating that environment. Creating the culture within the programs and within the department that make student athletes want to be here. That want to play here. That want to be a part of it. That have pride in what we do.
“And have coaches that want to come coach here and staff that want to come work here. If we can set that culture and that environment, then I do believe we can thrive in the current situation.”
With the landscape of college athletics constantly evolving, the future will be tremendously impacted by the final ruling in NCAA antitrust lawsuit in the coming months.
Affectionately known as “Mimi,” my maternal grandmother was a dedicated historian and educator in her life. And she loved that her maiden name Kyle had Scottish roots, derived from Caol in Gaelic, meaning the small channel of water connecting two lochs. She’d sing the Scottish folk song “The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond” to us, proudly displayed her “coat of arms,” and she admirably tried to research how far back the Kyle clan would have gone.
Thankfully, she went herself in the early 2000’s, and her memory has walked with me this past week as our family has embarked on our greatest trek yet: to Edinburgh, the proud capitol city nestled in the Lowlands of Scotland.
Following what we called “Day Zero,” where we slayed the jet lag dragon, our first real day was a Rabbie’s 12-hour bus tour that would cover 350 miles of Scotland, with stops in a couple of towns in the Highlands and Loch Ness. We boarded a very spacious 16-passenger van with Nik and Nathan, our guides for the day and a very nice family from Montana, among a few others.
We traveled for nearly an hour in the lowlands, dreaming of the different sleepy towns where one day we could possibly retire, or at worst, own a summer home (emphasis on the dreaming).
At one point, Nik told us to prepare ourselves as we neared the border from the lowlands to the highlands. “It’s resplendent,” he said in his thick accent. The countryside driving out of Edinburgh was already stunning, so what more could one possibly expect to see just through the border?
Mercy.
Erupting from almost nowhere were the steepest mountains, deepest glens, and beautiful blue water I’ve laid eyes on. Awestruck once again by God’s creation, my heart leapt into my throat taking everything in. For hours at seemingly every turn, we’d see more and more breathtaking views through mist, fog, and spots of rain.
Golden fields of wheat. Purpling blooms of heather– early this year given the heat. Sheep dotting the rolling hills for miles. Norwegian pines, with their majestic trunks and darkened needles.
At the midway point, we boarded a ferry on Loch Ness for an hour. A simple ride on the lake, we watched a sonar and hoped beyond hope we’d get a look at the monster.
Sadly, the only one we found was some leftover jet lag.
After rounding through Pitlochry, we made a stop to see some highland coos, legendary bovine with hair that makes me jealous.
Near the end of the tour, I asked Nik if he ever gets tired of taking the tours.
“Never, mate,” Nik said. “Every day, I see something new.”
It was an amazing first real day of our trip. And soon, we’ll see the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
Mimi’s memory, thankfully, will join us.
O ye’ll tak’ the high road, and I’ll tak’ the low road, And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye, But me and my true love will never meet again, On the bonnie, bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond.
Bearcat Robotics has had a busy summer. Between improving our competition robot, training new team members to build and code, teaching elementary kids all about STEM, and traveling and competing, we have been hard at work all summer.
Bearcat Robotics participated in Kids Alley at the Louisiana Peach Festival to show off our robot and interact with the community and promote STEM to the next generation.
On Saturday, July 20, Bearcat Robotics traveled to Mandeville, La., for the off-season robotics competition Northshore Knockout. Our competition robot, which has gone through numerous improvements since earlier competitions this year, performed spectacularly. With no major robot breakdowns, our drive team was at its best every match.
Ranking in the top 5 teams for most of the competition, our rank qualified us to be an alliance captain for the first time in our short history. This allowed us to choose the members of our alliance in the playoffs. We led a motley crew of basic robots to beat several teams of competitively engineered robots and finish in 3rd place.
Bearcat Robotics also chose to bring a second drive team and our backup robot that we use for training bot for our new team members. “Kitbot” was assembled and programmed in only six weeks and proven to be a defensive genius and therefore chosen to be on the 1st place alliance and after stiff competition, ended up in second place overall. Both teams have spent the FRC off-season learning and improving and are making progress towards another great year.
As a NASA ASTRO CAMP® Community Partner, Bearcat Robotics is hosting STEM camps for children ages 5-11 over the summer. From building and coding LEGO robots to constructing water rockets and pool noodle airplanes, the kids leave every day excited by their newfound knowledge and experiences. Profits from the camps will go towards supporting competition and travel expenses for Bearcat Robotics.
We hope to inspire a love of and fascination for STEM in all of the kids and in our community as a whole while inspiring life-long learners for the future of science and technology in North Louisiana.
With the start of fall practice just over a week away, Cedar Creek head coach William Parkerson sat down with me to talk about the upcoming season for the Cougars. Below are some of the nuggets that came from our one-on-one conversation.
Report Date: The Cougars will report on August 4 and will start practice on August 5, according to head coach William Parkerson.
“We are going to go just helmets the first week,” said Parkerson. “I think technically we could pad up on that Thursday if we wanted to, but we aren’t planning on it.”
The Cougars start fall practice a week earlier than most schools since they didn’t utilize spring practice.
“Small school,” said Parkerson. “The majority of our kids are either in track or baseball. Most of our coaches are coaching either track or baseball. We want to ease into it as opposed to (in the spring) the state track meet is on Friday, and then let’s start spring football the next day.”
New Addition: Although there is plenty of time for the number to fluctuate one way or the other, Parkerson believes his report numbers will be in the low thirties. Last year the Cougars were at 27. One newcomer will be senior Mason Wooden out of Riverfield Academy.
“He will play linebacker and slot for us,” said Parkerson. “He will be a good addition.”
Wooden will help fill a hole at linebacker left by the departure of Alex Simpson, who will be at North Desoto High School this year.
Year No. 2 Mentality: As Parkerson enters his second season at the helm of the program, he said he hopes to see the culture he is trying to create continue to grow within his players. Cedar Creek won six games last season before falling in the first round of the Select School Division IV playoffs 42-0 to Catholic Pointe Coupee.
“I want to see if the that mentality and culture that we are trying to instill in them … are we going to see that on Friday nights,” said Parkerson. “You can see it in the weight room. You can see it on the practice field. They are starting to develop the traits we want them to have, but now are we going to get that to carry over and play like that on Friday nights.
“Are we going to play with reckless abandon. We are going to be the wild man out there. Some of the things that we are trying to instill in them for us to be successful. We have to play to extreme. We want people to say, ‘I haven’t seen a bunch of kids play this hard before.'”
“They are starting to walk around with more self confidence. We want to be the aggressors. We want to turn the game into a fist fight. There is nothing finesse about what we do. It seems like they are starting to buy into that and embrace it.”
Preseason Action: The Cougars will scrimmage Lakeside this year on either August 22 or 23, a game that will be played in Ruston unless it rains. Parkerson said Lakeside has turf so if Mother Nature happens to intervene in the terms of rain, the scrimmage would be moved to Lakeside.
“If we see that weather is coming in, we may flip it,” said Parkerson. “But it should be at Cedar Creek.”
The Cougars will then face OCS at Bayou Jamb on August 30, before opening the regular season at Delhi Charter on September 6.
Adding a Game: The Cougars are currently have a bye in week two of the season due to a contractual mistake, but Parkerson said he is trying to fill the open date. The Cougars were supposed to play Bolton in week No. 2.
“The coach in charge of signing (game) contracts stepped down around Christmas,” said Parkerson. “He had signed a contract for them to play Overland. But no one told the new coach. So the new coach and I agreed to a contract to play that week. Then two weeks later he calls and says we have an issue.”
Parkerson said the LHSAA ruled that the initial game contract between Bolton and Overland took precedent due to it being signed first. However, Parkerson is trying to sign a contract with Delhi.
“We have sent a contract to Delhi to play in week two,” said Parkerson. “If not, we will be open.”
If Creek is able to add the game against Delhi, then it would take the Cougars up to a 10-game schedule with four non-district and six district contests. The district games are against Lincoln Prep, Jonesboro-Hodge, Arcadia, Glenbrook, Haynesville and Plain Dealing. The non-district games currently on the schedule are Loyola, Delhi Charter and Delta Charter.
Stepping Up as Leaders: With the graduation of a senior class that included some experienced leaders, Parkerson is looking for a new group to fill that role in 2024.
“James Myers and Landon Hall are our two seniors that return with the most playing experience,” said Parkerson. “They have done a good job of leading.”
Parkerson also said he has had conversations with certain juniors to help in the leadership role this season as well.
“I have told the juniors they need to step up,” said Parkerson. “So in addition to James and Landon, I have been talking to Blake Robinson, Logan Canales and Bryce Martin. That’s three juniors that all started from week No. 1 last year. Even though they aren’t seniors, I told them I need them to step and take on leadership roles this year.
“You don’t have to play all the time to be a leader, but that’s who the guys … especially the young ones … they are going to look to the guys who they see on the field. Those five are the returning guys who have the most equity in a Cedar Creek football uniform.”
Meche heads to West Monroe: Former Cedar Creek coach Bryce Meche has departed the school to take a coaching and teaching position at West Monroe High School. Meche was penciled in to help Jacob Angevine coach the Cougars defensive line as well as the junior high team this upcoming season.
“We probably won’t fill it teaching wise, but if we can find a coach to fill it as a CCP we will do it,” said Parkerson. “It’s kind of late in the game to fill it.”
Biggest Concerns: Quarterback and cornerback are the two biggest question marks entering this season for the Cougars, according to Parkerson. With the graduation of Ladd Thompson and the decision by Kade Lukar to not play football this year (due to focusing on baseball), it means the Cougars are extremely inexperienced under center.
“We don’t have one kid on our roster that has ever taken a varsity snap at quarterback,” said Parkerson. “We will see who steps up.”
Defensively, cornerback is the biggest question marking entering the fall.
“We have no varsity experience at cornerback,” said Parkerson. “If we played today, it would be Nolan Martin and Micah Taylor. Nolan is a senior that has played basketball, but it’s his first year of playing football. He would be at one corner. And then a freshman in Micah Taylor would be at the other. If we played today, those would be our two starters.”
Remembering Robinson: Cedar Creek will honor Owen Robinson, the Cougar alum who tragically passed away in a one-vehicle car crash on July 7. The team will wear helmet stickers this year with the initials O.R. on it as a way to remember Robinson, whose younger brother Blake will be a one of the top players for the Cougars this coming year.
“Owen would have been a sixth or seventh grader when I was coaching varsity on my previous time at Cedar Creek,” said Parkerson. “He was a young man who was in the football program from the seventh grade through the 12th grade. His family has strong ties in our football program. His dad (Jeff) still helps us with stats and obviously Blake is a big part of our team now. We just want to do something to honor him this season.”
Reserved seating season ticket holders for the returning state champion Ruston High School will be receiving an email today with information on renewing their seats for an exciting year.
Current season ticket holders have until Sunday, Aug. 4, to renew.
Bearcat fans will be treated to four regular-season home games of high quality football at The Hoss, and the Bearcats will be serving as the home team in late September in the Lone Star state in a neutral site matchup.
The Bearcats will host 2024 Division I, Select state-runner up Acadiana on Friday, Sept. 6, and then Cabot High out of Arkansas on Friday, Sept. 13, in a continuation of a home-and-home series.
Ruston will also be the home team on Saturday, Sept. 28, in a neutral site contest in Longview, Texas, against Stephenville High.
After a four-week stretch away from home, Ruston will finally return to The Hoss on Friday, Oct. 18, as the Neville Tigers return to 5A and continue a rivalry series that is approaching 100 years in a row of the two sharing the gridiron.
Finally, the Bearcats will host Pineville for Homecoming on Friday, Nov. 1.
All five games listed will be covered in this year’s season ticket package, which will be priced at $65 — the same price as last season.
“We are looking forward to the preparation to be ready to play all of the great teams we have lined up on our schedule,” Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said in February when the 2024 schedule was officially released. “It will be one big challenge after the next. We will need our fans to be ready to support our guys at home and on the road again this year.”
For fans that are looking to renew their season tickets, they’ll need to mark their calendars for Monday, July 22, to lock in their current reserved seat selections.
This season will also mark the first year that Ruston High will fully utilize its partnership with GoFan where fans will now purchase their tickets digitally.
“We’re super excited to have this digital program,” Ruston High principal Dan Gressett said. “It makes things so much easier, and it’s already taken some of the burden off of sporting events. We’ve been trying to go to some type of digital platform for a few years now, and we’ve finally made it happen.”
Current season ticket holders in reserved seating will have first access to renew from July 22 through Sunday, Aug. 4. At that point, any seats that have not been renewed will be put back into a pool to be purchased by the general public starting Monday, Aug. 5.
Season tickets will be sold from that point forward until either Friday, Aug. 30, or all have been sold.
For more information on GoFan, see the document below.
The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested an Arcadia woman last Thursday after an ambulance crew saw her erratic driving.
Denise L. Reynolds, 52, was charged with second offense DWI and careless operation of a vehicle after she allegedly ran in a ditch while a Pafford EMS ambulance was following her.
The Pafford crew reported a car headed south on La. Highway 33 was all over the road and eventually crashed into a ditch. Responding deputies found Reynolds in the driver’s seat.
Reynolds refused treatment by Pafford and denied drinking alcohol. He admitted taking an Ambien sleeping pill before driving. Field sobriety tests were administered and Reynolds was arrested. She was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center. Bail was set at $2,500.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Last year, I hit a milestone in birthdays: the big 4-0.
Truth be told, I wasn’t too upset. This has been a great year, personally and professionally. But with turning 40 came with one request from my doctor that I wasn’t super stoked about.
It was time for my first mammogram.
I had heard the horror stories, the ones about saying that mammograms were super painful, which was bad enough, but then there’s also the unknown – it’s not like you can prevent breast cancer from not knowing. Not knowing is really worse, but it’s like Pandora’s Box – if you don’t know, you can ignore it for a little bit longer.
I have no direct links to any cancer – no siblings with a history of cancer (I’m an only child) and my parents never had cancer, and so I’ve kind of been of the mindset of if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
But at my last doctor appointment, she suggested I go get a mammogram. So I did the big girl thing and spent a summer morning taking care of it at the Northern Louisiana Medical Center.
Again, I know there are horror tales – that’s why no one likes having this done. But I’m here to share my story, to ease fears, because, thank God, I had a good experience.
I went early last month for my mammogram, and it was probably the easiest, speediest appointments I’ve ever experienced. My appointment was at 8:30 a.m., and I was out by 9 a.m. The only downfall was that I couldn’t wear deodorant before the appointment, and y’all know how these Louisiana summers are. But if that’s the biggest negative, I’d say I’m doing okay.
And it wasn’t painful – I’m not bluffing. I experienced no pain, maybe a little discomfort, but I joked with the nurse the entire time. In all, it was super easy.
Then a week later, I received a call saying I needed a follow-up appointment.
Um….say what?
I was assured that this was very normal, and Google (you know, everyone’s favorite doctor) confirmed the real doctors. And I wasn’t super worried by any means – but I had a little trepidation for the next week while I waited for my ultrasound mammogram.
I went in a week or so later, and that also was an easy experience, and of course, I had to joke around the whole time. The nurse conducted the ultrasound, and then she informed me she was going to share them with the radiologist then and come back to see me.
I experienced a bit of apprehension then, which she definitely sought to ease. Those NLMC nurses that saw me have the best bedside manner. Again, I wasn’t really anxious…but I was a little.
The nurse came back in and said the radiologist wanted to redo the ultrasound and check again, and at this point, yes, I’m spiraling. Total spiral. I’m starting to think about the trips we’re going to have to cancel this summer and what work is going to look like and everything in between.
Again, I can’t overstate how calming and reassuring the nurses were. But this is the reason why women don’t want to go get a mammogram.
We don’t want to hear the bad news.
It’s not going to stop it, of course. It will make the situation worse. But then again, there’s Pandora’s Box. And I had opened and was now waiting for all of the creatures to pop out.
The radiologist came back, and he and the nurse did a second ultrasound. I noticed how my heart was beating so much more frantically this time around than the first time. I tried not to show it – I didn’t want to be a panicky patient – but I’ve never been a good patient anyway, so why start now?
Thankfully, the second ultrasound was over quickly, and the radiologist said everything looked good, adding a reminder that I – along with all women – need to come back yearly to check again to make sure everything still was A-OK.
Everything was good.
Now that I’ve had my first mammogram and understand how they likely will go, I don’t think I’ll be as anxious for it next year.
I share this story to encourage women who are in high-risk categories and/or over 40, like me, to go get checked. You may have a terrible, painful experience; I get it. But you may not. Mine was really easy. I had a friend tell me hers was really easy. They’re super quick, too. Both of mine took less than 30 minutes. They aren’t all terrible. Don’t keep postponing the mammogram because of fear of pain and fear of the unknown.
We aren’t Pandora, and just because we don’t know what’s in the box doesn’t mean that the box isn’t already open. It’s just time to find out what’s inside.
And the actual story of Pandora? What was left in the box?
A man arrested earlier this year in Lincoln Parish is in custody in Vicksburg after leading authorities on a manhunt that lasted the better part of two days.
Cecil Steele, 43, has been charged with violation of a protective order from Lincoln Parish and felony eluding a law enforcement officer.
Steele was arrested by Lincoln Parish deputies on February 10 after he drove from Mississippi and approached a woman he had allegedly attacked just days before. The Sheriff’s Office arrested Steele for battery of a dating partner that occurred January 31.
Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said a Tuesday, July 16 call to Vicksburg 911 reported a man trespassing on property on Hankinson Road. The caller reported Steele, who was subject to a protective order she held from Lincoln Parish, had shown up at the residence where she was housesitting for an acquaintance.
The victim said Steele broke a window, entered the house, and an argument ensured. Steele left but returned and the victim called 911.
A responding deputy spotted Steele leaving the area in a green Mustang. Steele fled, leading deputies on a chase reaching speeds of more than 90 miles per hour before running off the road and fleeing the area on foot.
The thick woods hampered efforts to apprehend Steele despite searches with drones and K-9 units. Steele was located just before 7:00 p.m. last Wednesday in a vacant deer camp.
Pace said Steele was taken into custody without further incident and booked into the Warren County Jail for violation of the protective order and felony eluding. Pace said, “Even though the pursuit was a relatively short distance, it was in a residential area, homes close to the road and speeds over 90 miles per hour.”
Pace added Steele has an outstanding warrant in Bude, Miss. for contractor fraud. Following an initial appearance in Warren County Justice Court, Steele’s bail was set at $5,000.
Lt. Matt Henderson of the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office said after Steele’s February arrest, a protective order was issued by Third District Court to stay away from the victim. Henderson said Steele was scheduled to appear in court in Ruston in June for simple assault, possession of drug paraphernalia, and battery of a dating partner on the same victim from the Vicksburg incident. However, Steele failed to appear in court and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
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.
Only a handful of limited edition Ruston Bearcat posters remain for sale. Anyone wishing to order one of these gold gilded editions should follow the directions below. Commemorative posters also remain for sale.
The Lincoln Parish Journal thanks those who have purchased their Limited and Commemorative edition posters highlighting the Bearcats state title last December.
With the start of the 2024 season just around the corner, fans who may have missed out on the chance to purchase either a Limited Edition or Commemorative Edition poster still have a chance.
The Lincoln Parish Journal will be on site August 9 for Bearcat Madness and will be selling both posters (unframed) while supplies last.
And the best news … both editions are on sale. While supplies last, both the Limited Edition and Commemorative Edition posters are 20 percent off and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis.
Head coach Jerrod Baugh and the Ruston Bearcats captured the school’s ninth state title, its first since 1990 and they did so in a first-class fashion.
In recognition of the state title run, the Lincoln Parish Journal commissioned local graphic designer Courtney Pugh of Donnie Bell Design back in December of 2023 to create a commemorative edition and limited poster featuring photos from official GeauxPrep’s state title game photographer Josh McDaniel (FourSix3).
There are two unique versions of the 18 x 24 inch poster, each printed on 100-pound glossy:
a) a LIMITED edition ($60) with ONLY 75 printed that features a gold gilded tint and a numbering system to differentiate each poster
b) a COMMEMORATIVE edition ($20)
To order either poster, email lpjmerchandise@gmail.com and include your name, email address, cell phone number, version of the poster (LIMITED or COMMEMORATIVE), and total number wanting to purchase.
The LPJ will take payment via credit card (an email invoice will be sent which can be processed by the buyer with a credit card) or cash. No checks will be accepted.
Don’t miss your chance to purchase this beautiful keepsake depicting the Bearcats title run in 2023. Email lpjmerchandise@gmail.com and include your name, email address, cell phone number, version of the poster (LIMITED or COMMEMORATIVE), and total number wanting to purchase.
Special thanks to Origin Bank and Forth Insurance for their support of this project.
Each Monday and Friday, the Lincoln Parish Journal will post a list of non-for-profit upcoming events happening in the parish. If you would like to add your event to this list or advertise your for-profit events, please email us at lpjnewsla@gmail.com.
Monday, July 29 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 4 p.m.: Family storytime at Lincoln Parish Library 6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street)
Tuesday, July 30 10 a.m.: Family storytime at Lincoln Parish Library 10:30 a.m.: Summer movie series “PAW Patrol” (Dixie Theatre) 2 p.m.: Crafternoon at Lincoln Parish Library 6 p.m.: Fiber art meet up (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center)
Wednesday, July 31 7-8 a.m.: Veterans Coffee Club (PJ’s Coffee) 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome
Thursday, August 1 10 a.m.: Ribbon cutting for The Beehive (724 Celebrity Dr.) 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Kiwanis Club lunch and program (Trinity Methodist Church fellowship hall)
Saturday, August 3 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
Four Louisiana Tech golfers earned academic honors Thursday as the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced their list of NCAA Division I Cobalt All-America scholars for the 2023-24 season.
The four Bulldogs – Hunter Battles, Lake Juban, Thomas Henson, and Will Patrick – were among the 531 NCAA Division I student-athletes from 180 schools earning GCAA All-America scholar honors.
This marked the fourth straight season Battles has earned this academic achievement, having graduated this past winter quarter with a master’s degree in business administration. He participated in nine events while registering three top-20 finishes, including a tie for fifth at the CUSA Championship.
Juban, now a three-time All-American scholar, also received his master’s degree in business administration this past academic year. He participated in 10 events with a stroke average of 73.80 and two top-20 finishes to end the season at the Aggie Invitational and CUSA Championship.
Patrick earned his bachelor’s degree at the same time, majoring in business management. He was also recently recognized as a CSC Academic All-District selection as well as being a member of the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll this past season. On the course, he competed in 10 events with a stroke average of 75.00 over 30 rounds. His best finish of the season was a tie for 19th at the CUSA Championship.
Henson, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in management in the fall, was named an All-America scholar for the second straight season. He saw action in six events, all coming in the spring after missing the fall due to injury. His best finish came at the CUSA Championship, tying for 19th.
To be eligible for Cobalt Golf All-America scholar nomination, an individual must be a sophomore, junior, or senior both academically and athletically in NCAA Division I. In addition, they must participate in 50 percent of their team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0, and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their university.
A Celebration of Life for Denise Diane “Dede” Wall will be held at 3:00 PM, Thursday, August 1, 2024 at Living Water Full Gospel Church in Dubach, LA with Reverend Scott Jennings officiating. Visitation will begin at 2:00 PM at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston, LA.
Dede was born on March 5, 1970 in Ruston, LA to the union of Gerald Ellis Wall and Wanda Sue Brown Wall and passed away July 26, 2024 in Ruston. She was a loving person who enjoyed crafting, reading, and baking cakes, cookies, pies and making Christmas candy. Dede loved to sing and was an active member of Living Water Gospel Church. She also loved spending time with her two daughters, grandchildren, and family. Dede is preceded in death by her mother, Wanda Sue Hickman and her brother, Gerald E. Wall, Jr.
Dede is survived by two daughters: Paula and husband Christopher Johnson of Farmerville, LA and Sue Anne Howell of Ruston, LA; three grandchildren: Aidan Johnson, Adalynn Johnson, and Abel Johnson; father: Gerald E. Wall, Sr. and wife Karen of Ruston, LA; sister: Leigh Anne and husband Shawn Griffith of Dubach, LA; two brothers: David E. Wall and wife Shannon of San Antonio, TX and Albert Wall of Dallas, TX; Aunt Brenda Kay Brown of Dubach, LA and Uncle Mike Brown of Quitman, LA and a host of other family and friends.
Denise “Dede” Diane Wall March 5, 1970 – July 26, 2024 Visitation: Thursday, August 01, 2024, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Living Water Full Gospel Church, 131 Oak St, Dubach Celebration of Life: Thursday, August 01, 2024, 3:00 PM, Living Water Full Gospel Church, 131 Oak St, Dubach
The Ruston High School Alumni Association has a new president — retired United State Air Force veteran Glen Trammell — who plans to lead the organization to greater heights than ever before.
And he has already gotten off to a soaring start.
Trammell graduated from Ruston High School in 1968 and attended Louisiana Tech University for two years before joining the United States Air Force in July of 1970.
His first assignment after his technical training was at the USAF Hospital at Barksdale AFB in Bossier City.
Trammell left the Air Force in 1974 at the rank of Staff Sergeant, but a couple of years later and missing the military life, Trammell reenlisted in 1976 and finished his military career in 1972 after 22 years of service, retiring from his final post as the Squadron Superintendent of the 3545 USAF Recruiting Squadron, St. Louis.
His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, Air Force Good Conduct Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal with 1 Bronze star, Air Force Overseas Ribbon – Short Tour, Air Force Longevity Service Award with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Military Education Ribbon with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, and the Air Force Training Ribbon.
After leaving the military Trammell returned to Louisiana Tech and completed his degree in Management Information Systems and then worked for 17 years for ExxonMobil in Houston before retiring as a Senior Systems Analyst in 2012.
In 2020, Trammell and his wife Kathy returned to Ruston.
“In 2018 I came back to my 50th year high school reunion and reconnected with a lot of my friends,” Trammell said. “Ruston had changed tremendously since I left in 1970. It was a completely different town.
“So, my wife and I talked about it and decided we wanted to move back to Ruston. It took us about two years to find the right house, so we moved back during the COVID outbreak. We both love it here, and my wife is from Boise, Idaho.”
He was soon approached about the possibility of taking over the RHSAA.
“When I first moved back to Ruston, Jack Thigpen, who had been my Dixie League coach way back when, and Patricia Flournoy, who I graduated with and had served on another organization with, approached me asking if I would like to be president of the alumni association.
“I am not the type of person to jump out and say yes until I do a little investigation. So, I asked them to give me the paperwork they had on the organization and after looking at it, I decided not to do it.”
But as those who know him know, Thigpen can be persistent when he feels something is right.
“I went to a Kiwanis meeting, only my second one, and Jack walked in — I did not know at that point he was a member — and I asked him if they had ever found anyone to take over the alumni association. He gave me a sad look and said no, and I felt bad.”
This time Trammell agreed to give it a try, but only doing more investigating.
“I’m the kind of person that when I move into a position, like that especially where it’s a corporation, I did a deep dive on everything,” Trammell said. “And it was not a secret that it was in pretty bad shape. It fell apart around 2016.
“There were two people — Bobby Williams, who was the president and kept submitting the paperwork that kept us a corporation, and Allen Tuten, who was head of the scholarship program, which kept the scholarship awards going. They kept our head above water, but everything else had just fallen apart.”
So last spring, Trammell began the process of what he called backing the car up out of the ditch.
Since then, he has directed an effort to upgrade the scholarship program.
“Allen had done a good job, and they were sitting on about 33 years’ worth of $1,500 scholarships,” Trammell said. “So, I proposed to the board, and they bought it, that we needed to increase the scholarship amount to $3,000 because college costs a lot more today than it used to back in 2005.
“The operations fund used to pay for everything except the scholarship was down to around a couple of thousand dollars. That was not near enough, so one of the things I proposed, and they agreed, was to take some money out of the scholarship fund and move it to the operations fund and then use some more of it to start a grants fund.”
Trammell said that new grants fund will be used by RHS teachers and student organizations in need of money.
“We set up a program where they can submit an application to receive a grant if it’s decided that should be done for whatever program it is,” Trammell said.
Trammell has also led an initiative that has turned the RHSAA’s three committees and increased that number to nine committees.
Another of the things Trammell has focused on early on in his tenure as RHSAA president is improving its website.
So, Trammell had his daughter, who he said is good at that kind of thing, start the design of a new website before he came in to finish it off.
“It cost $25 to join, and there’s all kinds of information there on the alumni association and what we’re doing, what we’re about, what kind of committees we have and all that kind of stuff,” Trammell said. “There’s a button at the right top of the page people can click on to sign up and join.
“I think it is designed perfectly for alumni of all ages because that is what we want — members of all ages. We have thought about older alumni because after analyzing the members we realized that we do not have that many older alumni. There is a lot of historical pictures on there.”
Trammell said growth in the number of members means growth of the association, all designed to make for a better Ruston High School overall.
“That’s our goal, to use our love for Ruston High School and make things better for everyone and show our support for the school,” Trammell said. “We are off to a good start. But it is only a start. We are going to keep growing and make the Ruston High School Alumni Association a great thing for all Bearcats from young to old.”
Campbell Woodard earned All-American honors at the USATF Junior Olympics in College Station.
by Malcolm Butler
Campbell Woodard has a flare for the dramatic.
The Cedar Creek eighth grader to be has done it all year, since first picking up a javelin back in the fall.
Time after time, according to both Campbell and his coach Tripp Marcus, he has saved his best throw for the most pressured-packed situations.
And Wednesday night at the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics at E.B. Cushing Stadium in College Station, Texas, Campbell once again came through in the clutch.
After earning a spot among the final eight out of 60 competitors in the 13- and 14-year-old division, Campbell unleashed a throw of 153-feet-4-inches with his final attempt to finish sixth and earn All-American honors.
Pretty impressive for a young man who first picked up a javelin less than a year ago.
“I think it’s his fourth or fifth meet where his best throw was (the last one),” said Marcus. “And I think most of those have been PRs (personal records). This one wasn’t a PR, but it was his second best throw ever. He likes the competition. That’s one reason he is fun to coach.
“It’s not normal. Track (and field) is one of those things where you are on that runway by yourself. You don’t have a teammate there with you. For some people that makes them really uncomfortable. But some people feel a little more empowered by that and those are the ones you see do things in the sixth round like Campbell does. He just feels very comfortable in that role.”
Heading into the final throw, Campbell sat in eighth place out of the eight competitors with his best throw being 141-feet. However, he never flinched while bettering that mark by over 12 feet in his final heave, passing two other competitors.
“The competitiveness and the atmosphere there, and throwing at night was a big part of it,” said Campbell. “It helped my (competitive) mindset.”
Campbell’s road the College Station was an impressive one, but didn’t come without some challenges. After winning the Association Meet which included throwers from Louisiana and Mississippi, he then competed at the USATF Regional Meet against young men from a four-state area, including Tennessee and Alabama.
There he overcame Mother Nature, delays, and a little bit of “chaos” to finish second place despite each competitor only getting one throw. That performance vaulted him to the Junior Olympics in College Station — the biggest stage that Campbell has competed at in his young career.
On Wednesday, E.B. Cushing Stadium was filled to its capacity of 2,200 people, to the point they turned spectators away. However, the crowd and the stage didn’t seem to phase him.
“It was definitely different,” said Campbell. “It was a really good atmosphere. It was a nice track to throw on. Good competition. Good javelins for us to us. It was a good experience. I kind of zoned (all the people) out.”
The 60 competitors in the competition each had three attempts with the top eight moving on to the finals. Campbell recorded tosses of 141, 136 and 131-feet with the 141-feet qualifying him for the final heat and automatically earning him all-American honors.
“When i first started, I just figured it would be a thing I could do during the school year,” said Campbell. “Maybe I be good at it. I never thought it would end in me even making it to this type of competition. I thought it would just be a little something I would do on the side. It turned out to be kind of a full time thing.”
Campbell’s parents, Matt and Garson Woodard, had front row seats to watching their youngest sons journey this year.
“He and Trigger both had some natural tendencies with how their bodies allow them to throw (the javelin) so he had some initial success,” said Matt. “But once he started to succeed and the competition level rose, he really stepped up.
“Campbell met guys from Oregon, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Wisconsin, Montana and all of these different places. When his flight began and it had most of the top throwers, Garson and I immediately had our stomachs knot up. This was a real high level of competition.
“We just wanted him to do his best and to rise to meet the competition. We wanted him to get into the top eight so he had a chance to throw against the best, and he did that. I think that is what we are most proud of … just seeing him compete. That’s what it is about.”
Hudson Henley out of Arizona won the event with a mark of 178-feet, 6-inches while Millen Dhiman was second at 171-feet, 3-inches. The rest of the final eight competitors were in the 140- and 150-feet range.
Campbell said he would give himself a little bit of a reprieve as he heads into the fall.
“I will keep throwing, just not as much,” said Campbell. “I am going to be really busy with football and baseball so I don’t know how much time I will have.”
E.B. Cushing Stadium was filled to capacity for the USATF Junior Olympics.
