BATON ROUGE, La. – Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) launched the Get Down & Clean Up program in collaboration with the State Library of Louisiana and the Louisiana Public Library System, making litter clean-up supplies readily available at public libraries across the state in spring 2023. Today, the program has grown to 127 participating libraries in 41 parishes, and more than 1,000 litter kits have been checked out by library patrons to care for their local communities.
“Louisianans are tired of living in a dirty state,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “The Get Down & Clean Up program makes it possible for people to easily do their part and demonstrate community pride.”
“The Get Down & Clean Up program is a great hands-on way for families, homeschool groups, youth groups, and scouts to care for their neighborhood,” said Susan Russell, KLB Executive Director. “If we all pitch in and keep our communities clean and beautiful, we’ll experience an improved environment and quality of life.”
Included in the Get Down & Clean Up litter kits are safety vests, litter grabbers, trash bags, and instructions. Anyone with a library card can check-out a litter kit and return it after use. Participants are encouraged to scan the QR code available on the kit instructions and fill out a quick report sharing information about their cleanup.
“Libraries these days are books and so much more. They’ve become true community hubs, and this is just another example of that,” said State Librarian Meg Placke. “We’re proud so many libraries are taking part in this important program, and we’re even happier so many people are working so hard to help keep our state looking its best. It’s a great win-win.”
The libraries with the greatest number of litter kit checkouts are Shreve Memorial Library, Jackson Parish Library, and Ouachita Parish Library. This program is free to all public libraries and there is no cost to check out a litter kit. Adult supervision is required when the kit is in use.
The public can access the list of participating libraries and the Get Down music playlist on the Get Down & Clean Up webpage. KLB encourages people to share photos of their cleanups on social media and tag @KeepLouisianaBeautiful.
We bid farewell to William Bernard Lueg, Jr., who went to be with the Lord on July 16, 2024 at the age of 88. He was the beloved husband of 63 years to Almedia Lee Babb Lueg who survives him, and father to three loving children, William A Lueg, Jeffrey A Lueg, and Andrea Katherine Lueg Rovny (George Rovny).
He was also “Granhat” to six grandchildren, Jordan, Ben, Jared, Jeremy, Rachel and Rebecca. Raised in Louisiana, Bill and Almedia moved back from Texas in 2022 to spend his last years near their brothers and sisters. Bill was an active member of Sharon Baptist Church in Dubach, who have embraced him and Almedia as one of their own. We will all miss him.
Bill had a German engineering mind, but also a love of classical music, watching nature, teaching air conditioning to new technicians, talking about almost anything, and being with our mom.
Graveside services was held Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at Sharon Cemetery, near Dubach, with Brother Jeff Roberts officiating. Burial followed at direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in Ruston, La.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Samaritan’s Purse.
Funeral services for Gary Lee Dunlop, 74, of Ruston LA, will be held Saturday July 27, 2024, at 2:00 pm at the Kilpatrick Funeral Home Chapel in Ruston, La. Officiating the service will be Bro. Don Walden. Interment will follow at Sibley Cemetery in Choudrant, LA. Visitation will be from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, prior to the service at Kilpatrick Funeral Home Chapel in Ruston.
Gary was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was a machinist with Haynes International for many years. He also was with the Ruston Police Department for several years.
He was preceded in death by his parents Milford and Lorraine Dunlop, and one brother David Dunlop.
Left to cherish his memories are his wife, Donna Dunlop of Ruston, Son Tommy Dunlop and wife Bethany of Alexandria, La, son Tony Dunlop and wife Carly of Alberta, Canada; Grandchildren Cason Dunlop, Jonah Perkins, Lily Dunlop, T.J. Dunlop, Jaxon Dunlop, Stella Dunlop, Grayson Dunlop; one sister Sharon Roscher, and brothers Kelvin Dunlop, Jeff Dunlop, Bret Dunlop, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and family and friends.
Xayden Christopher Snow February 6, 2020 – June 26, 2024 Services pending
Gary L. Dunlop November 16, 1949 – July 21, 2024 Visitation: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – Ruston, Saturday, July 27, 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Service: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – Ruston, Saturday, July 27, 2024, 2:00 pm Cemetery: Sibley Cemetery Choudrant, Saturday, July 27, 2024
Jazmin Boyd Visitation: Logos Missionary Baptist Church – Hattiesburg, Miss., Monday, July 29, 2024, 12:00 – 2:00 pm Service: Logos Missionary Baptist Church – Hattiesburg, Miss., Monday, July 29, 2024, 2:00 pm
The city of Ruston is set to suspend its household recycling program Aug. 1.
But there is a potential full-circle kicker to that news — service will be immediately restored should the city be able to complete negotiations with a recycling company Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker said that he had held talks with a company on Tuesday morning and was waiting to hear back from.
The move to potentially suspend the city’s recycling program came because after a month of searching, the city officials have found no other no company willing to step in and accept Ruston recyclables in the wake of a recent fire that destroyed the processing center in Kilgore, Texas, that the city had been using.
Rivers Recycling in Kilgore, Texas, had been handling Ruston’s recyclables until Walker and other city officials were informed on June 20 that Rivers Recycling has suspended operations with a timespan of at least six months predicted to be needed in order to rebuild the facility.
The city of Ruston has continued to pick up recycling since the Rivers Recycling fire, but the paper, plastic, and other refuse have gone to Union Parish just as the rest of Ruston’s household garbage has been doing.
“We have searched far and wide for an alternative and have not found one within a reasonable driving distance,” Walker said Tuesday afternoon. “And reasonable in this case is within three hours. So, we are going to suspend recycling at the end of this week. And the reason we are going to do it this week is because we pick up recycling on Thursday and Friday, and next Thursday is Aug. 1, so we are trying to end it at the end of the month.
“We have no choice at this point. Everything we pick up this Thursday and Friday will be part of our regular garbage pickup and will go to the Union Parish Landfill. So those who have recycling will not be charged until we start picking it up again for that purpose. We are not going to pick up the blue cans because we are committed to recycling and we are going to find someone that can take that over for us for now.”
Now for the kicker that could change plans all over again.
“I just got off the phone,” Walker said. “And the person I was talking to said that by the end of the week, they’re going to send me a proposal. If this guy emails me Friday with a proposal, then we will turn around and say we are not going to suspend it. We are active every day seeking some other kind of way.”
Walker said there are some things about Ruston’s recycling process many people don’t understand.
“We collect 150 tons of recyclables every year,” Walker said. “So that’s 150 loads of trash that the Police Jury doesn’t have to pay for the trip up there and the trip back. I do not know Union Parish’s tipping fees, but in Kilgore (Texas), it is $75 a ton.
“So, I think it’s a pretty good savings to go from Farmerville and back with the tipping fee. That is one reason it is good for us to do it. I wish the entire parish would do it. We do not make money from recycling. We lose money on trash. We just did a survey of towns along I-20 along with Natchitoches. The cheapest one time a week pickup on household garbage was $23. And we are at $6.”
Walker also pointed out that several of those surveyed cities charge to pick up and dispose of limbs and other yard debris.
“And oh, by the way, we charge $0 for that,” Walker said. “And we hear complaints about $6 for four times a month pickup.”
Recycling customers in Ruston will not be charged the $10 monthly fee for as long as the pickup is on hold and that those who have been paying recycling fees will be rolled back over to being charged whenever the city finds a way to return recycling pickup services.
While the blue recycling bins will be emptied on schedule this week and next week until Aug. 1, after that city recycling enthusiasts are requested to put all household refuse — everything — inside their household garbage cans to be picked up.
Ruston has about 800 recycling customers, most of whom are within the city limits.
Walker said he is holding out hope a solution will be found soon.
“Something will work out within the next six months,” he said.
A Farmerville woman stopped by a Lincoln Parish deputy near Ruston last Thursday was arrested on numerous warrants for missing court appearances.
Jasmine J. Stringfellow, 21, was stopped for a traffic violation by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office about 1 a.m. on July 11. A records check showed Stringfellow was wanted on four warrants for failure to appear in Ruston City Court and Third District Court.
Stringfellow was arrested and asked if she had any contraband. She admitted she had an ounce of marijuana in the car. The deputy located a bag of suspected marijuana on the passenger seat and another in a pocket on the back of the passenger seat.
Stringfellow was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for possession of marijuana, improper lights, warrants from Third District Court for possession of marijuana and a traffic charge and two warrants from Ruston City Court for traffic charges. Bail was set at $4,500.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced a $77.8 million investment in 14 projects through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
Among the projects is $6 million awarded to Dr. Shengnian Wang, a professor in chemical engineering, the Institute for Micromanufacturing (IfM), and the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Sciences (CBERS) of Louisiana Tech. Wang collaborated with professors from Jackson State University and the University of Nevada-Reno on a four-year, $6M project called Empowering Community Resilience with Sustainable Energy and Water Reuse Systems.
This research aims to advance nanomaterials and electrochemistry to develop a mobile energy-water reuse system to provide safe and reliable water and energy supplies to communities affected by climate change.
“This project will help increase the resilience of communities with safe and reliable water and energy supply that is disrupted by extreme weather events linked to climate change,” Wang said. “Besides increasing the energy and water resilience in these communities, this project will also produce the related technologies in these underserved communities to help improve their economy and environment.”
The research will also provide recruitment and training for the current and future workforce in renewable energy, water treatment, waste recycling, and artificial intelligence skills. Not only is the goal of the project to create a safe water and energy supply, but it also aims to inspire students’ passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and sharpen their knowledge and skills.
“This project will focus on increasing society and public awareness and knowledge of clean energy and water technologies through workforce development tasks varying from four-year university, two-year community college, to K-12 students with immersive research experiences workshops in the summer,” Wang said.
The research led by Wang’s team paves the way for future energy and water supply directions, showcasing the necessity for sustainable development and community resilience.
The NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement-Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program aims to support research teams advancing climate change research and building resilience in disadvantaged communities nationwide.
“Every part of our nation has been impacted by the changing climate. We build a sustainable future for all by investing in climate resilience research and solutions across our country,” NSF director, Sethuraman Panchanathan, said. “By empowering researchers from different EPSCoR jurisdictions and enabling collaborations across diverse institutions from the Mountain West to the Gulf Coast, from the Southwest to the mid-Atlantic and New England and beyond, we are driving innovation that fosters STEM opportunities, economic growth and climate resilient communities.”
These teams, which include various academic institutions and partners from government, industry, and nonprofits, will collaborate to develop climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, expand STEM opportunities, and drive economic growth.
One of the local Boys of Summer teams — the Ruston 11u Dixie Youth Boys All-Stars — ended their impressive run at the Regional World Series this past weekend in Laurel, Mississippi.
After capturing the district and state titles to earn a berth in the World Series, the Ruston 11u boys posted a 1-3 record, including a thrilling 4-3 win over Dothan (Ala) Ozone Rookie All-Stars.
“I couldn’t be prouder of all the hard work these young men put in this summer,” said Coach John Robert Smith. “They pushed themselves and each other to get better with every rep. The World Series didn’t end with the results in our favor, but the boys competed and left it all on the field.”
The weekend started with a 7-3 loss to the Prattville (Ala.) Ozone All-Stars. Ruston fell behind 7-1 after two innings and never could catch up despite a two-run home run by Blaze O’Brien in the top of the third inning.
After falling 8-0 to George County (Miss.) All-Stars in the second game of the tournament, Ruston responded with a walk-off 4-3 win over Dothan. With the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the final inning, Jayceon Holmes singled home the game-winning run to give the Ruston boys the victory.
Bear Brasher, Blake Waits, Tripp McBride, Jayceon Holmes, and Levi Newsom each collected one hit for Ruston in the win.
Ruston’s tournament then came to a close with a 12-2 loss to Troy (Ala.) Ozone All-Stars.
“I’m very thankful for our other two coaches, Turner Brasher and Ryan McCormick, as well as all our families and fans that came along for the ride,” said Smith. “BIG RUSTON definitely showed up in Laurel, Mississippi.”
Ruston won both the District 4 title and the Louisiana State title this summer.
They were coached by John Robert Smith, Turner Brasher and Ryan McCormick. The Ruston All-Stars included #00 Jack Ketchum, #1 Blake Waits, #3 Bear Brasher, #5 Huxton Morris, #8 Levi Newsom, #10 Roe Smith, #12 Keller McCormick, #16 Tripp McBride, #18 Landin Stringfellow, #21 Jayceon Holmes, #23 Blaze O’Brien, and #42 Carter May.
A 17-year-old Farmerville man and a juvenile were taken into custody on July 13 after a short pursuit near Ruston.
Deangelo Holly, 17, and a juvenile were arrested by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office about 11 p.m. after the vehicle came to a stop on Cedar Creek Road near Frazier Road.
When the chase ended, Holly and the juvenile were arrested after deputies ordered them out of the vehicle at gunpoint.
During a search of the vehicle, deputies found items determined to be stolen, including Social Security cards, IDs, and access cards. The car had reportedly been taken without permission from a relative.
Holly was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for three counts of illegal possession of stolen things. The juvenile was charged with aggravated flight from an officer, no driver’s license, juvenile in possession of a firearm, illegal possession of stolen things, and no license plate light.
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.
When Judith and I wedded nearly two decades ago, the plan was, and still is, that we would have two children.
And when our darling Charlotte Penelope came to us just over eight years ago, she joined her older sister and completed our family of four. As a very proud “Girl Dad,” I tell people all the time that God always knows what he’s doing because He blessed with two amazing daughters (and it certainly helps that they have an even-more-amazing mother). They’re both sweet, smart and absolutely hilarious.
But I saw something on the lake this past week that truly took my breath away with my second child.
For context, we took a quick trip to Kentucky to visit some friends. We stayed in a beautiful lake house on Lake Barkley, near Paducah and about eight hours away from our home in Ruston. It was a relaxing few days of food, fun and site-seeing.
And naturally, if you’re on a lake, you have to rent a boat, right?
We hopped on a 24-foot pontoon in some of the nicest weather for mid-July I’ve ever seen and enjoyed an entire day of swimming, tubing and the spray of the lake when we were en route to a different cove.
After an hour of getting acclimated, we decided it was time for the kids to start tubing. As everyone was wearing life jackets, it was about as low risk of an activity that day we could have asked for. Not a lot of boats were out, somewhat surprisingly, so we thankfully enjoyed mostly open waters.
It was finally time for my girls to hop on the tube. I had zero hesitations, given my buddy’s ability to captain the boat. We had a system where the adults would communicate on what was going on behind the boat, so I had no anxiety.
After about 15 minutes, we took a turn and my girls both ended up on the outside of the wake. Still laughing behind us, we saw Alice’s legs take a flip, and she ended up off the tube — completely unharmed and from what we saw, still laughing.
Penny, on the other hand, did not see her sister. And even though we had given her a lecture before she got on the tube to not let go if she did not have to, she let go anyway.
Naturally, the adults were frustrated that we now had two water “rescues” instead of just one. Alice was easily treading water in her life jacket, with little sister trying to swim her way. Very easily and uneventfully, we pulled both girls onto the boat within three minutes.
As I was pulling Penny back up onto the boat, my frustration was still up and I reiterated how she was told not to let go of the tube.
“Why didn’t you listen, baby?” I remember asking.
“Because I couldn’t see Alice,” Penny said. “And I thought she was going to die.”
And in that brief moment, my frustration gave way to total admiration: Penny gave up her spot on the tube, in an unfamiliar place on the water, and sacrificed her own safety to save her sister.
Once she saw Alice on the boat, Penny crumbled and sobbed uncontrollably. What was a normal part of tubing was literal life and death for her, and the sight of her sister completely safe was a tidal wave of emotion.
Penny then ran to me, and after a few minutes being in the loving arms of her daddy, she shook off her fears once she realized everybody was okay.
And guess what? She was tubing again 10 minutes later.
Part of the beauty of being a parent is seeing things in your children as they develop and grow. Judith and I have always known that Penny has a very protective piece in her soul for others, whether its her family, friends or the kid who isn’t playing with anyone else on the playground. But seeing that in realtime in a complete non-crisis? It was humbling.
Everyday, Judith and I pray that we’re doing this thing right by how we’re raising these kids. We are always processing what we can do to be better and bring into the world productive citizens and hopefully, good people into the next generation.
For now, I’ll celebrate that something has to be going right for an eight-year-old to stare into the face of death in her mind and go save a sister who was in literally zero danger.
And I can’t wait to see what other amazing things there are about her that I’ll get to learn, too.
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Carol and Daroll are 10-month-old siblings who were found abandoned at a dumpster. They love playing with each other and keep each other entertained.
Carol has been spayed, and Daroll has been neutered. They are both up to date on vaccines and heart-worm negative. They both do great with other dogs and love chasing each other as well as tennis balls and frisbees.
Since they do so well together, we are wanting to adopt them together. They have a sponsor who is willing to pay half of their adoption fee!! The adoption fee for both Carol and Daroll is $95!!
There was a danger that our world-class American athletes competing in the 2024 Summer Games from Paris might not have air-conditioning.
No one loves the “good ol’ days” more than me. AM radio and Tammy Wynette. Screen doors. Front porches. Movies with dialogue. The only travel ball was in the major leagues.
Old days were the best — EXCEPT for automatic banking, streaming channels, and air-conditioning. And the leadoff hitter of those three is AC.
Has to be. Game-changer.
So why no AC in Paris at the Olympics?
If you are an American who enjoys, even celebrates, seeing our country win at anything, and if you are an American who is spoiled rotten when it comes to air-conditioning, this less-than-thrilling and less-than-chilling news that our athletes might have to sleep in a France toaster is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat.
Or a hot sweat. (Sometimes I get my sweats confused.)
The Games open today with football (we call it soccer), rugby sevens (no idea), handball (some idea but not really), archery (some idea: cowboy movies when I was little), shooting (pretty good idea, unfortunately, since I can read a newspaper), and Friday, FINALLY, the Opening Ceremony and badminton (some idea: church camp) and rowing (some idea: fishing).
If you miss the start, not an issue. We still have two wonderful weeks of swimming, diving, fencing, gymnasticsing, boxing, taekwondoing, cycling, weightlifting, pentathloning, “modern” pentathloning, basketballing, canoe sprinting (what the …?), sport climbing, running, jumping, and watching Coca-Cola and Visa commercials.
And, if the Americans are lucky, sleeping between winning golds.
Sleeping during a period of competition is no side chick or fling. Sleeping is part of who brought you to the party. Sleeping is your Main Thang. Gotta sleep.
This notion escaped the French.
They’d decided years ago that these Games would be the most eco-friendly and “greenest” ever, which is fine. Their plan to cut in half the carbon footprint of a “normal” Olympics was admirable — right up until the architects insisted that their non-AC, “energy-efficient geothermal cooling system” of water and pipes and wishes would keep the athletes’ rooms no warmer than 26 Celsius — which is a sultry 79 Fahrenheit in Indoor America.
To which the American coaches and athletes said, “NEG!”
The high temp in Paris during July and August averages 78. Child’s play for the American southerner, for sure. BUT …
We are a habit-driven people. I grew up in a two-story that had a window unit downstairs and a window that opened upstairs. Slept great. But once the world introduced us to central air, nighttime became a different ballgame.
In rural America, we got used to AC. Really fast.
Expand that rationale for the world-class athlete who has slept at a certain temperature nearly their whole lives in preparation for the Olympics, the most important “athletic days” of their lives. The “optimal bedroom sleep micro-environment” for the Team USA competitor, one of our team physiologists told yahoo!/sports, is 61-65 degrees.
So when the Paris mayor insisted Olympic Village athletes would be “very comfortable” at “no warmer than 79,” athletes from the USA, Canada, Italy, Brazil, Greece, Japan, Australia and the like said, “Comfortable compared to WHAT?”
So those countries have either brought their own portable air-conditioners or are renting ones the French organizers have made available. No one wanted to come off as a spoiled or ungrateful visitor: they just didn’t want to be sweating in their PJs on the eve of running the 100.
Many countries — Germany, Tonga, Samoa, plus the Swiss and French come to mind — don’t need or aren’t used to AC. They’re chill without it.
To each his own.
And that’s the point. We really are creatures of habit. Hey, the French gave us chocolate and perfume and the beret and fries. They meant no harm with the AC thing. But if the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre were in Kansas or Richmond or Shreveport, you can bet your last shred of Brie or Roquefort that they’d be air-conditioned. Set around 68, at the highest.
Have a great (and cool) Olympics!
(PS — the diff between the “pentathlon” and the “modern pentathlon”?; the modern one is air-conditioned.)
Sonny Cumbie at CUSA Football Media Days in Frisco. (Photo courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications)
By T. Scott Boatright
Louisiana Tech’s football program has a revamped mindset heading into the 2024 season.
The Bulldogs finished 3-9 overall last year — its third straight three-win campaign — and have been predicted by Conference USA and league media to finish seventh in CUSA rankings. However, Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie believes a new way of thinking for his Bulldogs can help his team pull off some positive surprises this season.
And as they appeared at the Conference USA Football Media Day Tuesday in Dallas, Cumbie, new full-time starting quarterback Jack Turner and senior defensive end Jessie Evans all talked about how important the mental aspects of the game being a key part of their philosophy has been.
Turner, a redshirt sophomore, played in eight games last season backing up Hank Bachmeier, receiving key snaps while completing 84-of-148 passes for 1,017 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions,
“After two-and-half or three years, Jack Turner is ready to be the starting quarterback for our football team,” Cumbie said. “Jessie Evans is going to graduate at the end of this fall quarter, and he is really getting ready to impact our football team at defensive end.
“Their impact goes so much more than just what they do on the field and in our program and community. They’re heavily involved in our community and they’re heavily involved in our campus life, and they also just happen to both excel on the football field, so I think these two young men that represent our program and represent our players, and the city of Ruston and Louisiana Tech, I could not pick two guys who would better exude what we stand for in our program.”
Turner said the biggest thing he feels he needs to upgrade in his play is consistency.
“When you need to go a whole season playing at a high level, and ultimately winning, is big for us,” Turner said. “That’s a standard that we just have not met for ourselves over the past two years and is something that’s incredibly important for us.
“So that’s the big focus this year, just making sure that we win a little bit more.”
Cumbie believes Tech’s schedule has helped make his team’s mindset stronger.
“We’ve got a great schedule,” Cumbie said. “I am excited about our midweek contests that we kick off on a Thursday night. This year we have a Thursday, Tuesday, Tuesday game schedule that sets up really well from the standpoint of timing between our games, and then also our opponent’s (schedules). I think that in our league, if you are a fan of watching close games and watching some great players, then I think the midweek games have been great for our league in terms of the close games you’ve been able to see and the talent out there on the field.
“This will be our third year as a staff and I’m very optimistic about the team we have on and off the field so I’m really looking forward to getting this thing started Aug. 31 with a home game against Nicholls State.”
Cumbie also believes new Defensive Coordinator Jeremiah Johnson is playing a role in his team’s upgraded mindset. The Bulldogs ranked towards the bottom in numerous defensive stats the past two years and it’s an area where Tech could take giant strides.
“As we went through the process to make a change on defense, I thought it was really important that we listen to our players and what were they looking for from a new defensive staff and defensive coordinator,” Cumbie said. “I think that from a schematic’s standpoint, I am really excited about the multiplicity of our schemes and what we’ll be able to do with Coach JJ and our staff.
“But the No. 1 thing itself, I think the No. 1 thing our staff has done is connect with our players and I think that’s one of the cornerstones of our program — that connection piece. Schemes are very important on offense and defense, but the ability to connect with these young men and engage their heart and mind I think is the No. 1 thing and I think the players are looking for, so that’s what we try to go out and accomplish.
“When you recruit players, you’ve got to have a certain level of talent to be able to recruit, and you also have to a certain level of knowing how we can stop the run, how do we read better in the red zone, how do we defend the pass well? And how we change up the looks for the quarterback. But ultimately, I think Coach Jeremiah Johnson and his staff have done a particularly good job of dealing with our kids. I think he’s been in a situation at Kent State where he went in and in one year dramatically changed that team statistically and having guys able to play really good defense and I think we have the pieces in place in terms of the personnel that we have and I think the defensive staff we have will get the most out of those kids from a relationship standpoint and also on the field.”
Cumbie was asked what being a part of late coach Mike Leach’s Texas Tech teams has meant for him.
“As we look at the landscape of college football, Coach Mike Leach’s (finger)prints are all over college football,” Cumbie said. “Offensively it’s obvious, but I think defensively he will played a role, too, in how the game has evolved on defense from the standpoint of how to defend the Air Raid offense, how the defenses change their personnel and how they recruit differently. How they play different players positionally on defense because of the evolution of Mike Leach’s Air Offense, so I think his fingerprints are all over this game.
“His personality was unbelievable. It was a great educational course that I was able to have as a player and as a graduate assistant sitting in those meetings. And most of that talk, as you can imagine, was mostly non-football related. We talked about under the sun, like pirates and swinging your sword. We talked about the weather — the patterns of different weather and what to expect from that standpoint of the next windstorm that was about to blow in. You listened to Coach Leach a lot more than you talked to him, because he was full of wisdom and knew a lot. “
Cumbie said one of the things he learned from Leach was “clear minds and fast legs.”
“I think that we want to try and emulate that from the standpoint of having our players have clear minds, allowing them to play really fast,” Cumbie said. “He had an unbelievable ability to keep the game simple. I think you try to take all of those things that you learn from other coaches, whether it’s Mike Leach, Gary Patterson, Matt Wells — guys that you’re been around — and implement them into your program, and fortunately for me, I was able to be around Mike Leach and Gary Patterson.
“I think it’s interesting because they’re both brilliant on defense, brilliant on offense and you try to take things that worked well in those programs and implement them to fit these guys here in our program. I think Mike Leach has touched me in a lot of different ways. He is impacted me. I’m sitting here right now based on the influence and really the opportunity that Mike Leach gave me.”
Evans believes that a new clear-minded, fast-legs philosophy will help make for a stronger defense for the Bulldogs this season.
“On a day-to-day basis, I think it’s important that we don’t have to think about how we play, we just have to do, because our defense has a lot of great athletes out there,” said Evans. “So, now that we can just go out there and play free and make plays, I think that will make our defense way much better than it was last year.”
Louisiana Supreme Court Justice James T. “Jimmy” Genovese was introduced Tuesday in Natchitoches as the 21st president of Northwestern State University. The event is archived on the university website, nsula.edu, and the Facebook/NorthwesternStateUniversity page.
Since the retirement of longtime President Dr. Randall J. Webb in 2014, in each of the following presidential searches, the NSU Alumni Association has endorsed a candidate. After the recent semifinalist interviews, the Association’s board of directors called a special meeting to discuss and voted to endorse the finalist.
Traditionally, the Alumni Association president participates on the search committee which provides a line of sight into the entire search process. Current Alumni Association President Leah Sherman Middlebrook of Bossier City served in that role in this search.
“The following resolution shows our strong support for the new president. We are excited about his vision and leadership,” she said.
A Resolution of Endorsement by the Northwestern State University Alumni Association of The Honorable James Genovese, J.D., for the Position of President of Northwestern State University;
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Association has reviewed and evaluated the finalists selected by the ULS NSU Presidential Search Committee for the position of President of Northwestern State University in connection with the search for this position which is being conducted by the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System;
WHEREAS, the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Association believe that the qualifications and credentials possessed by the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., place him in a position to be the best choice to serve as the next President of Northwestern State University, for reasons to include:
1.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a distinguished record of accomplishment and demonstrated leadership skills at all of his levels of public service for over four decades, including his current tenure as Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court;
2.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a leadership style that is collaborative, consultative, open, and transparent, balanced by a record of strong leadership and a willingness to make tough decisions;
3.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has an appreciation and understanding that the interests of the students are paramount;
4.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., possesses impeccable integrity;
5.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has an appreciation of the values and objectives of our alma mater which includes a dedication to quality teaching and scholarship, as well as a commitment to enhance the academic profile and reputation of the university;
6.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., recognizes the importance of attracting, recruiting, and developing excellent administrators, and a commitment to building a strong, collaborative leadership team;
7.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a commitment to recruit and retain a highly qualified faculty;
8.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has an appreciation and understanding of the unique quality of life issues for a Northwestern student, including an appreciation for the arts, history, and unique culture of the area;
9.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a commitment to supporting and embracing the unique characteristics of our university and university community;
10.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., will work effectively with the Board of Supervisors and implement the board’s policies;
11.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a proven ability to communicate effectively at all levels, to include faculty, staff, students, families, alumni, legislators, community leaders and other external constituents, as well as to maintain strong professional relations with elected officials and higher educational leadership;
12.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., has a strong commitment to athletics, and it is specifically noted that he was a Demon athlete and letter winner as a member and leader of the Northwestern tennis team;
13.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., will take a prominent and sustained role in fund raising to expand the university’s resource base, additions to endowments, gifts for facilities, scholarships and financial support for our faculty and staff; and
14.That the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., will foster an environment of optimism, creativity, and innovation.
WHEREAS, after considering the applicants for the position of President of Northwestern State University, the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Association has elected to endorse the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., as the next President of Northwestern State University
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Board hereby endorse the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., as the next President of Northwestern State University, and respectfully request the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System to select the Honorable James Genovese, J.D., as the next President of Northwestern State University. After consideration of this Resolution at a special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Board of Directors held on the 17th day of July, 2024, on the motion by Joseph B. Stamey, and seconded by Dr. Hayward Hargrove, Jr., and John R. Evans, to adopt the Resolution, a record vote was taken and the following result was had:
The Board of Directors voted unanimously in favor of the Resolution to endorse The Honorable James Genovese, J.D. as President of Northwestern State University.
THUS, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED at a special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Northwestern State University Alumni Board of Directors held on the 17th day of July, 2024.
ATTEST: Leah Sherman Middlebrook NSU Alumni President.
(This article is a paid message on behalf of the NSU Alumni Association)
Now in the latter years of my life, I’ve developed a hatred for summers and the high temperatures that come with it. No longer do I look forward those hot summer days the same way I did as a youth.
But today we’re going to turn back the clock on what was one of the best time periods of my life.
Growing up in my house, there was no such thing as “sleeping in.” Pretty much every day of my life the light switch was turned on in my room no later than 6:30 in the morning. Growing up on a ranch in East Texas was a great privilege of mine and it taught me so much about hard work and responsibility.
But it was also my playground for hunting and fishing and is where my passion for the outdoors started. I literally spent hours and days transversing the woods and stock ponds of our ranch. This is where I learned to hunt squirrels and deer while our stock ponds were loaded with bass and catfish and was my training ground for fishing.
But directly across the street from our house a few miles out of town, was the property of Mr. Rayford Jones who was a cattle rancher with a couple of really good catfish ponds. This is where a good friend of mine (Malcolm Jones, Rayford’s grandson) and I spent the majority of those hot summer days fishing for catfish.
Since we did not have cell phones back in those days, we would make arrangements the night before to meet at the one of those catfish ponds just after daylight. We tried to beat the heat by getting out there early but most often we were there until around noon or until we got tired of catching fish.
Now the worst part about catching catfish was that someone had to clean them, and it didn’t take long for us to make the decision to just enjoy catching and releasing the catfish back into the pond so we could catch them again on another day or you could say, we were just lazy.
One thing about fishing for catfish, it requires much patience but is a fun way to fish. In order to catch catfish, you need bait. Now bait can be in the form of several different things as catfish will eat just about anything including the kitchen sink…. but that’s hard to get on a hook. Some people use what is known as blood bait, which is not only nasty, but stinks to high heaven as well. Frozen shrimp also make great catfish bait along with hotdogs and earthworms.
But we liked to double our fun by using what is known as cut bait. This is where you first catch a few small bream with crickets or earthworms and then cut the tails off and use that for bait. Every now and then, we had so much fun catching the bream, we would just forget about the catfish.
I’ve often wondered is it hotter today than when were kids? Probably not but we were just acclimated to the heat better since we spent every waking hour outdoors and not inside an airconditioned house. Our parents insisted you stay outside even if you were thirsty. Thank the Lord for whoever invented the garden hose because this was a survival tool for kids of my generation.
Shade trees were not just a part of our front yard, they were a gathering spot to get some relief from the summer sun. The only thing better than a shade tree, was a fruit tree. There were several pear and apple trees in the area along with a couple of fig trees that were all used for survival. A lot of people back during the 60’s and 70’s planted fruit trees; something you don’t see much anymore.
I miss these days and really enjoyed growing up the way I did. If we weren’t fishing, we were playing baseball on a sandlot or any backyard we could find. Yes, there were a few broken windows, but our sandlot games were fun and a great training ground for developing our baseball skills. If was too hot to play baseball, we went to the local swimming pool in order to beat the heat.
I know it was a different time, but back then we had freedom and the ability to go wherever our bikes could takes us. We did not need or have much favor towards babysitters. We also never complained about it being too hot, we beat it with a Wham-O Water Wiggle or a Slip-N-Slide.
Till next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to wear your sunscreen. Melanoma is the number one killer of all cancers so take the time to protect yourself.
Louisiana Tech’s Tiffani Nash was named a Division I Women’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete as announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Nash, who already received her undergraduate degree at LA Tech in Management, carries a 4.00 grade point average while pursuing her master’s degree in Business Administration.
The senior recently was named CSC Academic All-District and became the first Bulldog in program history to be selected to the Conference USA All-Academic Team. She is now a three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete while also being a two-time CUSA Academic Medalist and two-time CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient.
To earn ITA Scholar-Athlete accolades, student-athletes must have a grade point average of at least 3.5 for the academic year.
On the court, Nash finished her Bulldog career with a 47-23 overall record in singles, including a 34-14 mark in duals. She was named Second Team All-Conference USA in singles this past season after registering a record of 15-5 in singles.
Ruston High School announced last week that 38 students garnered Advance Placement Awards for their scores on AP exams.
“When you look through the list of students there are no surprises,” Ruston High Principal Dan Gressett said. “These students are some of our highest achievers and many of them are/were involved in multiple extracurricular activities, as well. We are very proud of their accomplishments.”
Anhaar Wasi was named AP Scholar with Distinction for averaging a score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scoring a 3.0 or higher on five or more of the exams.
Ten students earned AP Scholars with Honor for averaging 3.25 on all AP exams and scoring 3.0 or higher on four or more. These students are Chaz Backus, Jodi Dunbar, Austin Guillory, Siriana Kilpatrick, Grisham Locke, Thomas Rogers, Cedric Serio, Lyla Turner, Lydia Watts and Jacob Wobisch.
The remaining students were awarded AP Scholars for receive score of 3.0 or higher on three of more AP exams. These students are Garner Allen, Donovan Breeding, Kyle Caston, Biak Chin, Grantham Cline, Matthew Daulton, Marissa Davenport, Jack Elliott, Jackson Frederick, Raymond Granger, Myles Hull, Daniel Johnson, Nate Johnson, Liam Lowe, Cole Magee, Gavin McCown, Claire Nolan, Rylie Nutt, McKenzie Oakley, Laina Parkman, James Peterson, Michael Reeves, Amelia Roger, Paige Taunton, Alexis Thompson, Ashton Wick, and Brennan Youngblood.
Ruston High School was the only school in the Lincoln Parish School System to have students earn the AP accolades this year.
Ruston once had a bus service that made the rounds to Ruston neighborhoods during the 1940 and 50s.
The privately-operated buses ran a varying number of routes, mainly to provide transportation to the downtown district and Louisiana Tech.
Owners W. E. Simmons and J. H. Kilgore started the service in January 1946 with six routes that circled from City Hall on West Mississippi Avenue to Woodland Park, Cooktown Road, U.S. 80 West, and the Washington Heights area off Vaughn Avenue.
While most municipal transit systems today rely on taxpayer dollars, Ruston Bus Lines was a private entity—chartered by the Ruston Town Council—that relied on its profits to maintain operations.
Initially, one bus would run a route and then move to the next route. For example, for Route 1, the bus left City Hall at 6:00 a.m. and arrived at Woodland Park at 6:10. It then returned to City Hall, picking up passengers along the way. At 6:20 a.m., it returned to City Hall and started Route 2 to Wilder’s Store on Cooktown Road and then to Louisiana Tech at 6:34 before returning to City Hall.
Route 3 left for U.S. 80 West at 6:35, then to Tech before returning to City Hall by 7:00 a.m. About 7:15, the bus left for Washington Heights, Wright’s Service Station on U. S. 167 South, and then back to City Hall by 7:39.
Routes 5 and 6 covered U.S. 167 north to Toma Lodge and the Farmerville Highway-East Mississippi Avenue area.
At first, the buses made their routes every two hours. Later, they repeated their loops once an hour.
Those route times wouldn’t work today with increased traffic and considerable more traffic lights.
Fare for a bus ride was 10 cents for a one-way trip, but the rate had to be raised to 12 cents in 1948 due to increased operational costs.
In 1948, a noon route was added from Ruston High School through Louisiana Tech and over to Eastland Avenue so students could go home for lunch and be back to the school by 1:00 p.m. Another route started in 1948 took workers to the California natural gas plant in the Nobles community.
By 1950, a bus route to and from Choudrant had been added.
The line appears to have shut down in late 1951. No advertisements appear after that.
Another short-lived bus line made round trips between Farmerville and Ruston, primarily to permit Union Parish residents to shop in downtown Ruston.
Ruston Police have arrested a local man for burglary after asking the community for help in identifying him.
Leroy Wimberly, 57, of Chesboro Street, Ruston, was arrested on warrants charging him with simple burglary and simple criminal damage to property last Tuesday.
Police had provided a video capture of the suspect inside In-and-Out Donuts about 11:50 p.m. July 12 and asked for help in identifying him.
RPD Deputy Chief Chad Hamlin said Monday that a citizen tip was instrumental in Wimberly’s arrest.
Wimberly is being held at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center with bail set at $25,000. He is also being help for Louisiana Probation & Parole.
If you have any information regarding any crime suspect, call Crime Stoppers at 318-255-1111. Callers remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward if the information given leads to an arrest or grand jury indictment.
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 few limited edition Ruston Bearcat posters remain for sale. Anyone wishing to order one of these gold gilded editions should follow the directions below to do so as only 15 of these remain available.
What a ride it was in 2023.
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.
And the best news … they are on sale. Starting today and while supplies last, both the remaining Limited Edition and Commemorative Edition posters are 20 percent off. Only a limited number of each remain so they will be sold on a first come, first serve basis.
Head coach Jerrod Baugh and the Ruston Bearcats took our community on a memorable journey this year, capturing the 2023 Nonselect School Division I title with a 31-17 win over Zachary in the Caesar’s Superdome.
Baugh and the 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 (only 15 remain for sale)
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 orders on a first come, first serve basis and will continue to sell while supplies last.
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.
