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, August 19 Cedar Creek School begins 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street)
Wednesday, August 21 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 22 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Kiwanis Club lunch and program (Trinity Methodist Church fellowship hall)
Friday, August 23 10 a.m.: Ribbon cutting for Path-Maker (2111 N. Trenton St.)
Saturday, August 24 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs wrapped up its two-game road trip with a 0-0 tie against UL-Lafayette on Sunday night at the Home Bank Soccer & Track Complex behind an impressive eight-save night from goalkeeper Sarah Melén.
In a defensive battle, Tech (0-0-2) came away with seven shots, and ULL (1-0-1) produced 20, with 10 shots being on target.
“I think we are looking for our identity as a team, and we just have to find a way to breakthrough upfront and score,” said head coach Steve Voltz.
Defender Dakato Merino and midfielder Taylor Cassidy led Tech in shots with two apiece. Forwards Avery Kyle, Kyra Taylor, and Maeva Costenaro also registered shots against ULL but were unable to find the back of the net for LA Tech.
Freshmen Annie Meador and Mary Helen Burford each played the full 90 minutes for Tech on the back line, while Olivia Ewing saw 28 minutes.
“It was a gutsy performance for our girls tonight, with three freshmen playing on the back line while two played the full 90,” Voltz said.
Melén played lights out in her debut with the Bulldogs, facing eight shots on goal and stopping ULL from point-blank range twice.
Tech will be at Robert Mack Caruthers Field in its home opener against South Alabama on Thursday. The contest will be televised on ESPN+ and will start at 7 p.m.
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Grambling State women’s soccer won again on the road Sunday afternoon, this time against Nicholls in a 2-0 shutout.
With the draw, the Lady Tigers improved to 2-0-1 on the season while Nicholls fell to 0-1-1.
Forward Jayla Gage, a transfer from Troy University, scored one in the 23rd minute assisted by midfielder Morgan Johnson. It was Gage’s team-leading third goal of the season.
Freshman forward Alana Aiken scored her first goal of the season in the 24th minute, with a assist from her fellow freshman, Kennedy Farr.
Head coach Justin Wager commended his team for their defensive performance.
“I’m proud of our team’s defensive effort, three shutouts in a row. The team battled today and finished our chances early,” Wager said. “We still need to learn to hold the ball better and control the tempo of the game.”
With it being early in the season, Coach Wager is sure the team will get it in due time.
Madison Covey-Taylor had three saves on the day in the second half. She and redshirt-freshman Kaia Bace split time in the goal.
“Overall I’m happy with the results this weekend,” Wager said. “Hoping we can grow as a team each week and get better.”
Grambling State returns to action on Thursday with a road contest at the the University of Louisiana Monroe. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
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Beverley Black Fair passed away on August 16,2024, in Shreveport, Louisiana. She was born on April 22, 1943, in Monroe, Louisiana, and lived a life dedicated to her family and the noblest of jobs as a homemaker.
Beverley was the devoted wife of Roy Fair for 63 wonderful years, having married on November 12, 1960. Together, they built a life filled with love, laughter, and unwavering support for one another. She is survived by her sons: Rodney Shane Fair and his wife Sonia, and Shannon Cole Fair, as well as her daughter Shonda Fair Messenger and her husband Casey. Beverley’s legacy continues through her grandchildren: Nicholas Messenger and his wife Mattie, Samantha Oldemeyer, and Maci Lea Messenger.
Affectionately known as “Grams” to her grandchildren, Beverley’s great sense of humor brought joy to all who knew her. She was loving and kind, but also someone who was always ready to speak her mind.
Beverley is preceded in death by her granddaughter Brittany Fair, her sister Barbara Trost, and her parents Hubert Louis Black and Verna Lea Fitzgerald Black.
Visitation services will be held on August 20, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Blanchard St Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches, Louisiana, followed by a funeral service at 10:00 AM with Danny Forsythe officiating. Interment will follow at Memory Lawn Cemetery in Natchitoches. She will be dearly missed but her memory will live on in the hearts of those who loved her.
Those honored to serve as pallbearers include Jack Fair, Bill Fair, Scott Fair, Scott Guidry, Randy Hendricks, and Moises Soto. Honorary pallbearer will be Jewel McBroom.
Robert Morgan Brown, Jr. (Starchy ) Wednesday 12/30/1987 — Monday 08/12/2024 Visitation: Saturday 08/24/2024 9:00am to 11:00am, Little Zion Baptist Church, 307 S. Bayou Des Glaise, Cottonport Celebration of Life: Saturday 08/24/2024 11:00am, Little Zion Baptist Church, 307 S. Bayou Des Glaise, Cottonport Interment: Private
Willie Earl Patrick Sunday 08/14/1960 — Wednesday 08/07/2024 Family Gathering: Friday 08/23/2024 2:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Visitation: Friday 08/23/2024 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Life Celebration: Saturday 08/24/2024 1:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Interment: Saturday 08/24/2024 Following Service, China Grove Cemetery, 699 Mondy Road, Grambling
One order of business was passed while two others were tabled as the Lincoln Parish Library (LPL) Board of Control held its August meeting Thursday in the Jack Beard Community Room of the LPL.
Last month the LPL Board of Control approved three newly established policies regarding social media; displays and exhibits; and photography and media recording.
During Thursday’s meeting, the Board granted permission for LPL Director Jeremy Bolom to edit the library’s social media policy put into place last month.
Bolom said he realized the edit was needed after talking to LPL workers during a recent staff meeting.
“Instead of just saying that the library should never be tagged, after hearing some questions about what it means, I realized it needed to be spelled out,” Bolom said.
The original version of what was changed read, “A Library’s post should never “tag” any employee’s personal or commercial social media account(s).”
Bolom’s edit approved by the Board of Control has that part of the library’s social media policy now read, “A Library’s post should never “tag,” “like,” “share,” or comment on any employee’s personal or commercial social media account(s) or content.”
The Board of Control then agreed to table the next order of business — discuss and take action to create and appoint a committee for discussion of improvements/repairs to the library.
Only six Board members were present during Thursday’s meeting, and those five — Chairperson Jan Canterbury, Vice Chair Sandra Dupree, Richard Pyles, Milton Melton, Debra Gilliam and Amanda Norris — decided to table that discussion until a later meeting when more members would be present.
Absent from Thursday’s meeting was Bill Jones, Eric McCullough and Mary Jo Cooper.
Also tabled was an agenda order of business to discuss and take action to invite elected officials for personal library tours.
That decision was made because Jones was the board member spearheading that idea and the others felt he needed to be present for it to be discussed.
While discussing statistics, Bolom said July was another big month for patronage, especially because of adult and children’s summer reading programs.
Bolom also told the Board that upgrading of the library’s printing system had been completed and that patrons can now use credit or debit cards to pay for printing services.
“They can send documents or pictures to the new printer and they can be printed there,” Bolom said. “We used to have a coin-operated system that didn’t take credit cards, but nobody carries change anymore. So I finally got one that takes a credit card. Now they can charge 10 cents to their credit card if they only need one page printed.”
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The Williams family has long, strong ties to Ruston.
Five generations have attended Louisiana Tech — the fifth currently enrolled as Bulldogs — and Chris, Trey and Greg Williams’ great-great grandparents were residents of the 318 at the turn of the 19th century.
Their father Butch played football for Tech under legendary coaches Joe Aillet and Maxie Lambright in the late 1960s.
They bleed red and blue.
Residents of Minden and owners of Minden Athletic Supply for more than five decades, the Williams are now coming back to Lincoln Parish to open Ruston Athletic Supply.
“It’s always been a family dream — it’s been my dream — ever since The Sportsman was (in Ruston),” said Chris. “We were family friends with Mr. Charlie Fuller. Our plan was once Mr. Fuller (at The Sportsman) had enough of it, then we would move in.
“When that happened 15 or 20 years ago or whenever it was, the timing just wasn’t right for us. It’s been something we’ve always looked in to. Finally, I was like, you know what, it’s kind of like having a baby or buying a house, the timing is never going to be perfect. You just have to do it. What better time than the present. Let’s just do it and see what happens.”
Just do it.
For a sporting goods store that has plenty of brand names, that’s a pretty good way to look at it.
According to Chris, the 9,600 square foot store will open “sometime in September” as they await final sign offs from the Fire Marshall.
Having owned Minden Athletic Supply since 1973, Chris and Co. are more than prepared for what is in store with running a new store.
“Our team that we have now is seasoned and they know the business,” said Chris. “We can have them spread out without worrying about customer service or the day-to-day operations. We know there is a need for it. We get people from Ruston all the time telling us they wish we had a store in Ruston.”
Chris also knows the timing is right from the growth and momentum in Ruston.
“In all honesty, Buc-ee’s heard we were coming and decided to jump on our coat tails and ride the wave,” quipped Chris. “But in all seriousness, if you think about it, Ruston is one of the only growing cities in Louisiana. It’s definitely the fastest growing city north of Alexandria. And the (Ruston Sports Complex) doesn’t hurt.
“You have several moments when costs start coming in where you may second guess yourself. But there was some random fall Sunday last year where I drove through that complex and you couldn’t fit another vehicle in there. And I was like, ‘We will be okay.'”
According to Chris, Ruston Athletic Supply will offer everything from “the little kids first tee ball glove to the high school, college girl needing an expensive softball bat. Low end. High end. We have it. Dad’s spirit T-shirt for the high school. Team sports. Football. Baseball. Basketball. Track. A little bit of everything.”
Ruston Athletic Supply will also have school uniforms and local high school and college fan gear.
Chris also said that the new location would offer screen printing and embroidery, but that they would handle those orders from the Minden location for the time being.
“We do a ton of uniforms for rec leagues and travel ball,” said Chris. “We are your full-service sporting goods store similar to what we grew up with but that are now few and far between.”
Ruston Athletic Supply will be located at 1223 Commerce, just off the service road on the north side of I-20.
“We are super excited about the location being right off of I-20,” said Chris.
For more information on what Ruston Athletic Supply will entail, go to RustonAthletic.com.
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Art doesn’t just have to be painting OR sculpting. Something that seems to be common with many of our local artists is their ability to learn, grow and excel in so many different disciplines while using a wide variety of materials, skills and talents all at once.
Meet Matthew Knopps. He’s one such local artist whose passions have led him to explore and experiment with so many forms of art while working tirelessly to inspire the next generation of local artists here in our region.
A native of Scottsboro, Alabama, Matthew first received his Associates in Art at Northeast Alabama Community College, followed by a Bachelors in Fine Arts at University of Alabama in Huntsville. He came to Ruston in 2011 when he began Graduate school at Louisiana Tech, receiving his Masters in Fine Arts. He has since obtained an Ancillary Certification to teach Talented Art in Louisiana.
After 14 years in Lincoln Parish, Matthew’s consistent ambition to grow his own skills supporting other young creators is still very strong. He was named the 2023-24 NELA Region 8 Art Educator of the Year and was a Junior League Grant recipient in 2022 and 2024. Most recently Knopps was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2024 NCLAC Peach Art Exhibit Adult Painting category.
When asked what his art form of choice was, Matthew had this to say, “A little of everything to be honest. My process of choice in graduate school was sculpture, including creating pieces with a focus on repurposing and recycling objects. Currently I make paintings and drawings with any materials that pique my interest or seem best for the job. I tend to choose anything from classic materials like acrylic and pastel to experimental options such as coffee.”
Matthew explains that he loves repurposing pop-culture objects such as movies, videogames, and magazines when he sculpts. When he paints, he says he enjoys creating layered effects with varying mediums and surfaces. Sculpting meets painting when he can build thick textures on a canvas. Matthew lists Robert Rauschenburg, Jerry Uelsmann, and Bob Ross as a few famous artists who have inspired him throughout the years. However, Matthew also says he sees art constantly in his everyday experiences. Concepts come to him at a moment’s notice, from just commuting back home from work or taking a vacation with his family.
In fact, Knopps says his family is his biggest inspiration. He points out that many of his works have aspects of portraiture, often in an abstract way, with imagery that represents the personalities of his subjects.
Knopps describes himself as process driven. He finds satisfaction from using his hands and giving materials a new purpose, creating something new, and solving a problem. “I’m Inspired by the mundane and exciting,” says Matthew.
Matthew says he wishes more people would take time and watch the world around them. He wants to inspire others to be open to any moment being the one that could have a significant impact on their lives. For creatives he says, “Be willing to make spontaneously. Be in the moment, react, then take a step back and reflect. There is inherent meaning in the deliberate choices we make.”
A Ruston man was arrested for stalking on August 9 after a complaint from a local woman.
Ruston Police responded to the woman’s residence where she reported Adrian Jackson, 57, had been sending her text messages nonstop for over 12 hours. The messages demanded she open the door for him and used a number of profanities. The victim said she never responded to any of the text messages.
When the victim heard a knock at her door and could hear Jackson telling her to open the door, she called police because he had been banned from the apartment complex. She stated she felt threatened by Jackson because she had asked him several times to leave her alone.
Jackson was found walking nearby and was detained. He said he had not been at the victim’s residence.
Police were able to examine the text messages allegedly sent by Jackson. He was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for stalking and criminal trespass.
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.
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Early in my law enforcement career, I investigated numerous scams. People fell victim to “pigeon drops,” “bank examiner schemes,” home improvement fraud, and a host of other “film-flams.” The risk to the con artist came with the requirement of face-to-face contact with the victim. Unfortunately, these scammers were long gone before the crime was reported to the police.
Technology provides new ways to victimize Americans. Many current scams do not require in-person contact with an intended victim. Phones, emails, credit cards and computers provide all kinds of techniques for stealing from the innocent.
The simplest and most effective tool for the thief who steals through a scam is the telephone. With specialized equipment, scammers can make thousands of calls in a short amount of time and even “spoof” the number of the local police department on the victim’s caller ID.
Scores of scams exist but here are some law enforcement is dealing with today:
Pay up or go to jail—One of the common ploys going around involves scammers posing as law enforcement and calling residents to demand money for fines or to get a warrant quashed. It’s important to know that law enforcement agencies do not ask for payments over the phone. If you receive a call like this, hang up.
These scammers may even use devices that allow the name or number of your local police or sheriff’s department to pop up on your caller ID.
If you believe you may have a warrant for your arrest, call your local law enforcement agency.
Fake charities—Some scammers pose as fake charities to steal money. One of the most common fundraiser telephone scams involve people pretending to collect money for local police and fire departments.
Before you give out any personal information or even think about making a donation, ask for the caller’s information and the details of the charity, then hang up. Then check with your local police or fire department to see if they really are using callers to raise money.
It’s not just fake police and fire department fundrasiers who will call. Recently, the FTC filed a civil complaint against four supposed cancer charities.
Phony debt collectors—If you get a call from a debt collector, ask for a name, number and company information, then end the call. Then you can check with your creditor about the call to verify if the debt collector is real.
It’s free but costly—The phone call begins, “Congratulations! You’ve won a free cruise to the Bahamas! To claim your reward…” A simple rule here: if it’s too good to be true, it likely isn’t. The free prize, Disney trip, Caribbean cruise, or whatever is a common scam. It isn’t you who will get something free; it will be the scammers if you provide your personal information or money.
A major red flag with these free prize scams is a request you pay a fee or give credit card information to collect your prize. They will be very convincing with an explanation why you need to do this. If you have really won something, then you shouldn’t have to pay for it.
Phony IRS agents—Americans lose millions of dollars each year to scammers posing as IRS agents. The IRS warns taxpayers not to fall for scams targeting older adults. Scammers pretending to be government officials, aim to steal sensitive personal information and money. By posing as representatives from agencies such as the IRS, Social Security, or other government agencies, these fraudsters use fear and deceit to exploit their victims.
The call will demand immediate payment using a specific payment method such as a prepaid debit card, gift card or wire transfer. The IRS will first mail a bill to any taxpayer who owes taxes.
These fiendish scammers threaten to immediately bring in local police or send an agent to the home to arrest the taxpayer arrested for refusal to pay.
The IRS and other government agencies do not accept gift cards as payment. If you receive a phone call or email claiming your tax payment is due in the form of a gift card, cayou know this is a scam.
These scams don’t require any personal contact with the victim. A victim answers the phone and the stratagem may include efforts to intimidate, threaten, or cajole. The scammers could be in Texas, Canada, or a faraway Asian country, making it impossible for law enforcement to apprehend them.
Scammers tend to prey on senior citizens but everyone is vulnerable. I recommend letting all calls you do not recognize go to voice mail. Callers you really don’t want to talk to, including the scammers, won’t leave a message.
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Ruston High School fans are invited to join the Friday Night Lights Community Kickoff Tailgate tonight at the Ruston Civic Center at 6 p.m.
Tickets will be $20 and available to anyone 21 years and older. They can be purchased digitally only by clicking this link.
Limited tickets will be available for purchase at the door, and the ticket price includes all food along with water and soft drinks.
A cash bar will also be available.
From the Bearcat Football Club: “Friday Night Lights will be a great community opportunity for all Bearcat Fans to come together to celebrate the beginning of the best time of the year! We will have great local food vendors serving tailgate style food and lots of great auction/fundraising opportunities for all levels of giving. Please encourage your friends, grandparents, etc., to join us as we kick off another great season of Ruston Bearcat football!”
The event will raise funds for the Ruston High Bearcat football program and will feature silent auctions, live auctions and “Raise your Paddle” events through the night all through the Bearcat Football Club, Inc.
Auction items will include but not limited to:
Hunting and Fishing Trips
Cruise and Disney vacations
Airfare Packages
Beach Condo Package
Sporting events packages (Saints, PGA, NCAA Football, and more)
Sports Memorabilia
Ruston All Sport Passes and Premium Parking Passes
Gameday Experiences for Future Bearcats (Junior Captains, Coach for a Day, Cheerleader for the Day, etc)
Original Artwork
Party Bus to Midland Lee game in Arlington
And much, much more!
Friday Night Lights Community Kickoff Tailgate would like to thank the following sponsors:
Gibsland Bank & Trust (Title Sponsor)
Tommy’s Express Car Wash (Live auction sponsor)
Lincoln Builders, Inc. (Raise the Paddle sponsor)
Southern States Equipment (Refreshments sponsor)
Ruston Maintenance Services (Food sponsor)
Squire Creek (Silent Auction)
Bojangles, Grown and Grazed, Hot Rod’s BBQ, State Representative Chris Turner, Log Cabin (Food vendors)
Keg Package (Refreshment Vendor)
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Workers were on site at East Georgia Avenue Thursday after power and telecommunication lines were pulled down around Southern Classic Chicken.
by Malcolm Butler
A stretch of East Georgia Avenue was blocked off Thursday morning following an incident that took down both fiber and power lines.
“It appears that a delivery truck leaving Southern Classic Chicken got hung up on an Optimum telecommunications line,” said City of Ruston Public Works Manager Andrew Halbrook. “It broke the pole it was attached to and that subsequently brought down that and the City of Ruston fiber as well as the power service to the central fire station.”
According to Halbrook, the internet never went down despite the lines coming down to the ground and the only power that was lost was to the Central Fire Station. By 2 p.m. all the lines were re-attached to the poles.
Earlier this week, an incident involving a bush hog cutting a fiber line laying on the ground on the southeast side of town caused an internet disruption for over 10 hours on Tuesday.
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Coco and her litter mates were found abandoned at a dumpster right outside the Ruston city limits in a cardboard box. They were literally left to die. A Good Samaritan found them and fostered them until 4 Paws could take them in.
Coco is 11 weeks old and a sweet, beautiful girl. She has the prettiest brown coat and amazing eyes.
She is up to date on age appropriate vaccines and will be spayed when she is old enough. If you are looking for a sweet puppy to join your family, come meet Coco!!!
Adoption fees are $95 for the rest of August.
Please email 4pawsruston@gmail.com if interested in adopting.
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Louisiana Tech police arrested a 20-year-old woman on August 9 after she allegedly entered a student’s room without permission and then cut the tires on his vehicle.
Taniya K. Jackson of Ruston was arrested for unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling and simple criminal damage the property after a complaint from a male student.
The victim said Jackson had cut two tires on his car in his presence. The victim provided video of the incident.
The victim also stated Jackson had entered his apartment without authorization. Campus surveillance video confirmed Jackson climbed in through a window.
Officers went to a West Alabama Avenue apartment and located Jackson. She admitted entering the apartment through a window without the victim’s consent and to damaging his tires. She was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center.
Bail was set at $12,500.
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.
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Ruston High Head Coach Jerrod Baugh was raw and honest when asked to summarize how this past week of practice had gone for the returning state champions.
“It was erratic and inconsistent,” Baugh said in response. “You know, we’ll see some flashes of some good things. And it’s not even practice to practice: it’s parts of practice that are really good either offensively or defensively, and then you move on to the next segment and it’s flip-flopped. We’re just not as consistent as we need to be.”
Baugh was quick to point out that it was the first week in full pads for the team and that his expectations may be set too high. Still, he harkened back to what he had been saying all summer about staying focused and consistent.
“It’s probably a lack of focus for us right now,” Baugh added. “We do a lot of things during the summer leading up to our practice, and I know it’s hard — but I just think we need to make sure that we’re focused on what it is we need to take care of on a daily basis. We can’t get satisfied with only have a good segment of practice. We’ve just got to learn to be more consistent.
“This senior group has been to the state championship in both seasons, so there’s some human nature to grow accustomed to that. But none of that’s guaranteed. So we just have to keep on continuing to work in a way that got us to that point.”
Baugh then shared some of the highlights from the last week of practice.
“I’ve been really pleased with our skill kids on offense,” Baugh said. “I think (senior quarterback) Josh Brantley has had a very good camp to this point. The receiver group is coming along, and the running backs have been really steady in Dylone Brooks, Jordan Hayes and Lander Smith. And we need them to be.
“Defensively, seniors (cornerback) Aidan Anding and (linebacker) Zheric Hill have been solid. And that’s to be expected. But I’ve really been pleased with the safety group that we’ve been rotating in there. You know, they’ll brand new, and they’ve shown some promise. They get out and come to work everyday. It hasn’t always been perfect, but they keep getting better.”
Next week, Ruston High will finally line up against a different team: C. E. Byrd in Shreveport, La., for the annual summer scrimmage between the Yellowjackets and the Bearcats.
“Nearly everything we do over the summer is us-versus-us,” Baugh said in conclusion. “Coming out to practice, our guys are seeing the same one or two guys then entire time, so that likely gets old. So I think playing a new team will freshen things up next week when we have a change to go against Byrd.”
The scrimmage will be Friday, Aug. 23, on Byrd’s campus. The freshmen will start at 6 p.m. and varsity will begin at 7 p.m.
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Task number one was to trim the hedges in the front yard. They all look like planted versions of a Chia-pet. The task would not take long. I have purchased power tools that make this task a breeze. I was breezing along through the task, about to turn the corner from the east side to the north side of the house, when a complication arrived. The battery powered hedge trimmer suddenly died. I looked for obstructions, there were none.I changed the battery. That didn’t work either. I sought out advice from the experts at You Tube. I found a video with a guy describing how to fix the same problem. He had my very model suffering from the same symptoms. After five minutes of watching that video, I decided I was not taking the thing apart. I developed a new strategy. On Sunday after church, I went to Lowes and bought a new one. As soon as I send this article to the nice people who publish it, I’m back at hedge trimming.
Task number two was to cook the steaks. That is always fun. No one bothers me when I’m cooking steaks. It is alone time that produces sumptuous results. I cheat! I have one of those wood pellet grills. The grill is so smart it is attached to my phone. I can be in the car miles away and instruct the grill to light and heat up to a certain temperature. If I use a meat probe, the probe reports the temperature to my phone. It is all technological.
Saturday, I went to light the grill.
The grill informed me that it needed to do a software update. How much software could a grill need? Has Microsoft discovered my grill and wants to install one of those infernal updates? The grill would not let me bypass the update.
While the grill was updating, I piddled with the plants in the yard. I looked at my phone to see how the grill was working. The update also applied to my phone. Suddenly, the grill app wanted the log in stuff. Do you remember the password you set two years ago for your grill app? Me neither.
I took care of the grill. While I cooked the steaks, I managed the password for the phone app. The relaxing Saturday had fallen apart by now.
I cleaned the grill and seasoned the griddle I had also used for the steaks. I went into the peace of my study to finish working on the sermon. There it was, the end of a perfect day, Microsoft wanted to update the software on my computer.
I started wondering if Jesus ever had “one of those days.” After reading the gospels, I can answer, “Yes, He did.” The Bible tells us what he did. He went off by himself and prayed.
You might give that a try the next time you have “one of those days.
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And in the deep south that mean’s plenty of excitement.
Cedar Creek School will host its annual Meet the Cougars Night tonight at 7 p.m. at Cougar Field at Origin Bank Stadium.
The free event is open to the public as the school’s football teams (Pee Wee to varsity), spirit squads and drumline will be recognized while the spirit squads and drumline will perform.
Following the introductions, the varsity Cougars will hold an intra-squad scrimmage.
Kona Ice will also be available courtesy of the Cougar Football Club.
And the newest component to Friday Night’s at Cougar Field is the brand new video board that will make its debut on Meet the Cougars Night.
“Obviously (the video board) will make for a great game day experience,” said head coach William Parkerson. “The kids are excited about looking up and seeing the replay after making a big play. It’s going to be great for our corporate sponsors to do ads throughout the game.
“I’m sure our spirit groups will be able to utilize it. All around it will be a good thing for everyone.”
Creek will hold a scrimmage against Lakeside at home on August 23 before facing OCS at the Bayou Jamb on August 30. The Cougars will open the regular season Sept. 6 at Delhi Charter.
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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.
Saturday, August 17 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
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Former Lady Techster great LaQuan Stallworth is set to be inducted into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame on May 10, 2025, announced by the association on Wednesday afternoon.
Stallworth played for the Lady Techsters from 1995-99 and was integral in two Final Four and an Elite Eight runs for LA Tech. She would finish out her collegiate career with a 123-13 record and eclipsed the 30-win mark in all four seasons.
A four-time Sun Belt regular season and Tournament champion, Stallworth was named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year during her sophomore campaign. She followed that up with an All-SBC selection during her junior season on the way to a national runner-up finish for the Lady Techsters.
She would finish her career with 1,062 points, 799 rebounds, and 581 assists. She ranks No. 5 on the all-time assists list and No. 43 on the all-time scoring list for LA Tech. Her 225 assists during her junior season still stand as the seventh most in a single season.
Stallworth played at Silsbee High School from 1991 to 1995. She was the district Newcomer of the Year in 1991 and named All-District and the district MVP all four years. She made two State Tournament appearances in 1994 and 1995. She was an All-State Player for all four years and an All-Tournament player for two. Stallworth was named the Texas Female Player of the Year in 1995. She scored over 3,000 points and is on Silsbee’s Wall of Fame. Her Silsbee jersey was retired in 1995.
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Grambling State won 7-0 on the road against LSU-Alexandria on Thursday afternoon at Generals Soccer Field. The Lady Tigers victory was their first away match of the season.
In her black & gold debut, Junior forward Jayla Gage scored in the 31st minute with an assist on a set-piece from Graduate Defender Adrianna Pratt.
Sophomore forward Sophia Lezizidis was next to score in the 40th minute with an unassisted set-piece kick to make the score 2-0 before halftime.
Gage went on to score a brace in the 51st minute. Lezizidis also scored a brace in the 67th minute to extend the lead to 4-0.
Freshman midfielder Charlotte Cuthberson, who hails from Canada, scored in her debut, finding the back of the net in the 82nd minute.
Another freshman, forward Adalie Hernandez from Northern California, also scored in her debut in the 83rd minute.
Cuthbertson scored a brace in her debut, getting the final goal in the 85th minute.
Junior goalkeeper Madison Covey-Taylor played the first half, recording one save. Redshirt freshman Kaia Bace took over in the second half and preserved the clean sheet.
Freshman defenders Cindy Norfles, Aaniyah Frye, and Anaya Thomas saw their first game action for the Tigers. Freshman midfielder Olivia Kowall and freshman forward Alana Aiken also made their debut. Sophomore forward Naiya Singleton from Sam Houston State and freshman midfielder Aubrey Salazar played in their first game for the team as well.
Grambling State returns to action on Friday with a road contest at Southeastern Louisiana University. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
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The big news around Lincoln Parish in recent weeks has concerned the fact that around 9,000 residential and commercial property owners have received notice from the parish tax assessor’s office that the assessed value of their holdings has increased by more than 15%.
Property owners disagreeing with their increased assessments can contest those findings by calling the assessor’s office at 251-5140 or go to the assessor’s office located at 307 North Homer Street by Aug. 29.
And after trying that, anyone still dissatisfied with the assessed value of their property still has one last resort to try to reduce that figure, and the Lincoln Parish Police Jury set up that process during Tuesday night’s monthly LPPJ meeting by setting a public hearing date at 7 pm. Sept. 10 for a Board of Review meeting.
Property owners still dissatisfied with their assessments can appeal to the Board of Review, which is composed of all 12 members of the LPPJ, by Sept. 3.
“The assessment list will be open to the public for inspection for 15 days, from Aug. 15 to Aug. 29,” Parish Administrator Courtney Hall said. “During this period taxpayers can check the value on their property.
“If there’s a disagreement and the taxpayer wish to protest the value, the taxpayer must fill out a form to file an appeal request with the Board of Review and schedule a request to appear before the Board of Review during hearings that will be held for this purpose.”
Hall said the Board of Review will determine if any changes to the assessment value should be made and that if the assessor or the taxpayer is not satisfied with the determination of the Board of Review, either can appeal to the Louisiana Tax Commission.
“The Louisiana Tax Commission will consider any and all appeals that are timely filed in hearings that are open to the public,” Hall said.
During Tuesday’s meeting Juror Logan Hunt did clarify that in the appeal process, the first step should be the property talking to the tax assessor’s office first.
“So, they can go to the assessor first, and if they’re unsatisfied, then they come to the Board of Review,” Hunt said. “And then if they are unsatisfied with that, they can go to the state (tax commission).
Hall said that a request to the Board of Review must be filed by 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 3. Request forms will be available at the Lincoln Parish Tax Assessor’s website as well as the LPPJ website.
Lincoln Parish property (also known as ad valorem) taxes generate revenue that is divided between the police jury, school board, sheriff’s office, library, municipalities and the assessor’s office based on the individual millage rates set for each entity.
More than half of that revenue goes to the school board, which has the most voter-approved millages on the books.
State law mandates the tax collected in the year following a reassessment is adjusted so that it is equal to the tax collected the previous year on the same property tax base, meaning that in reassessment years like this one, taxing entities must review their millages, and lower (also known as rolling back) those rates to offset increases in revenue caused by increase assessed values.
But the taxing entities can then immediately raise — called “rolling forward” — the millage back to a legally approved maximum.
Both the Lincoln Parish School Board and the LPPJ this month have already creatively worked their millage rates in an attempt to reduce any negative impacts on taxpayers.
The school board rolled back most of its millages to counter the increases in revenue caused by increased assessed values during its monthly meeting held last week while the LPPJ rolled back the library operations millage from 4.49 to 3.80 to offset rolling forward the 2024 general alimony rate to the max of 1.68 and the road construction and maintenance rates to 4.41.
In other words, the LPPJ moved to collect less property tax revenue for library operations to balance out what they felt was a needed increased revenue for general alimony, road construction and road maintenance.
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