Lincoln Parish residents will soon have another place to eat as the North Village Food Trucks park will be opening sometime in early September, according to Joey Lopez.
Owner of Lola’s Teriyaki and project manager over the food park, Lopez said he anticipates opening Labor Day Weekend. And he believes the food truck park combined with renovated playground and added entertainment space will provide for a family-friendly atmosphere.
“That’s the biggest thing for us is the kids,” said Lopez. “We want a safe and friendly environment for the kids. Now that I am a father, I want my kids to be safe and have a good time too. If the kids are happy, the parents are happy.”
Another in the long line of Karl Malone Properties, the North Village Food Truck park is located along East Kentucky Avenue adjacent to the North Village Apartments as well as Black Rifle Coffee Company, 5.11 by Karl Malone, Eskimo’s Frozen Custard & More, and North Village Events Venue.
According to Lopez, the food truck park will consist of eight food vendors. Currently, there are three confirmed vendors in Lola’s Teriyaki, Big Boys Bar-B-Que, and Jay’s Wings and Things, and 10 more that have shown interest.
“Mr. Karl (Malone) and I talked about it probably a year and a half ago,” said Lopez. “When I first started working at Teriyaki Grill … it was my first love. Covid put a damper on things. A few years later we brainstormed and talked about a food trailer. We tossed a couple of ideas around.
“We got our first trailer and we also had Jon (Bonner’s) trailer, and it was just going to be the two of us. But Mr. Karl suggested we do an entire food truck park. I was nervous about it at first, but also excited about it. I knew it would be great for families and kids and that it would be an attraction.”
Lopez said once he was given the green light, he designed what he felt would be a perfect fit for the footprint of the land.
A covered pavilion will include tables that Lopez said he believes it will sit approximately 80 to 100 customers.
The North Village Food Truck park will also include entertainment value. On the back side of the food truck park is an existing playground that was built a few years ago and that has recently been renovated and upgraded to better suit the foot traffic.
“We came up with the idea of using rubber mulch because it wasn’t draining correctly. It was flooding,” said Lopez. “So we put new drains in. Put new felt down. Mulched it again. Now after it rains, the kids can still come play.”
On the front side of the food truck park closest to East Kentucky Avenue there will be an area for games and other forms of entertainment.
“We are going to have cornhole, horse shoes, picnic tables, and movie nights and game nights,” said Lopez. “We have a big inflatable screen for movie nights and football nights. Karaoke. We are going to try to do a little bit of everything.”
Another aspect of the area is the North Village Event Venue located adjacent to Eskimo’s Frozen Custard & More. The space can be utilized for birthday parties, baby showers, business meetings, and other such events. For more information on renting the space, individuals can contact Kadee Malone at 318-497-3602.
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The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested two men last Friday, one wanted on warrants and a second who tried to keep him from being captured.
Cody Hunter, 30, and Daniel King, 38, both of Ruston were taken into custody on August 9. Hunter was wanted on numerous warrants and King allegedly tried to keep deputies from finding Hunter.
Deputies went to a towing service on Works Road to arrest Hunter who was supposed to be on the premises. Daniel King met deputies at the office door of the service garage and said Hunter was not in the building. King said they could search but then allegedly tried to steer deputies into the tow yard to look for Hunter.
However, Hunter was found hiding behind a door in the building. He was taken into custody and deputies then attempted to find King to ascertain why he hindered them from apprehending Hunter.
A deputy saw a man he believed was King leave the tow yard in a vehicle driven by another person. The vehicle was stopped on U. S. 80 and King was arrested.
King said he lied about Hunter’s whereabouts, saying he was trying to “diffuse the situation.”
Hunter was booked on three Lincoln Parish warrants for domestic abuse battery by strangulation, domestic abuse battery with child endangerment, and false imprisonment as well as a failure to appear in court warrant for dogs running at large, and a warrant from Fourth Judicial District Court.
King was booked for obstruction of justice. His bail was set at $5,000.
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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The Lincoln Parish Journal presented a framed copy of the limited edition Bearcats state title poster to Ruston High School on Tuesday.
Only 75 copies of the gold gilded limited edition poster were printed and LPJ co-publisher Kyle Roberts presented No. 23 (for the year 2023) to RHS principal Dan Gressett on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Gressett, the poster will hang in the front office of the school.
A small number of limited edition posters are still available and can be purchased for $50 by emailing lpjmerchandise@gmail.com.
Commemorative edition posters are also still available and can be purchased for $20 by emailing the address above. Please specify in the email which edition of the poster and how many you wish to purchase.
A member of the LPJ staff will arrange delivery of the poster.
Jereme Johnson opened his location in Ruston in 2017. Seven years later, he is about to open his third location in Monroe.
Jereme Johnson had a vision.
And these days that vision has become a reality, and a huge benefit for his patients at Johnson Physical Therapy.
Jereme and his team of therapists, student assistants, and office support staff create not only an environment that is conducive to healing, but an atmosphere where going to physical therapy is actually enjoyable.
He opened his Ruston location in 2017, and he hasn’t looked back.
His model and his high success rates have created such a demand for JPT that Jereme opened a second location in West Monroe in 2020 and is about to open a third location in Monroe in September.
“When I started JPT I had this vision of a more efficient way of doing things,” said Jereme, husband of Carmen and dad to Jaylee, Kade and Knox. “When a person comes in here and spends their hard-earned money and say 60 minutes of their valuable time, we are going to move them during that entire 60 minutes. We aren’t going to put them on some passive modalities.
“I think for us it was appreciating the individual and what they want out of their body and how do we get them there in an efficient way in an environment that makes them enthusiastic about the process.”
Jereme is the first to give credit to his team that comprises JPT.
“You start a business with the mindset of providing a good product and work hard and everything will be what it should be,” said Jereme. “Now I look back and I know it’s really about finding the right people that help make this thing special. What we have done is comprise a great team that go above and beyond for their patients. It’s really cool to see.”
One of those team members is Bryan Moore, clinical director at the Ruston location. A Cedar Creek School (2002) and Louisiana Tech (2006) graduate, Bryan — husband to Meg and dad to Anderson and Austin — has worked at JPT since 2019. He knows the importance of creating the right atmosphere for patients.
“We try to offer an environment that is positive and encouraging, while also laid back where people feel comfortable,” said Bryan. “We want to offer people every ability to get better. We want them to look forward to coming here; not dreading it.
“We want them to feel it’s as fun as it can be although it may be a difficult process. Many times, they are dealing with a lot of stuff. It’s uncertainty. We are trying to give them reassurance. Whether that’s the music selections, the comradery with our staff … That’s big to me. For us to be able to provide that atmosphere that is conducive to healing.”
Anyone who enters JPT in need of therapy will quickly see that regardless of whether Jereme, Bryan, Cameron Cupp, Brett Jones or one of the other PT assistants who is helping them that day, the process is individualized but consistent.
“I think another thing that separates us is our systems,” said Jereme. “We have broken down what benefits patients and grabbed from what most people would say is a strength and conditioning background to a speed and agility background to some chiropractic backgrounds and we have really married all of these techniques into how we operate.”
It’s an approach that permeates the JPT team’s mindset.
“We have a systematic approach to how we do things,” said Byran. “We have a program that has been shown to work. We vary it on that person’s individual needs. It’s still the same systematic approach to evaluating and treating that condition.
“Everybody that comes in doesn’t have the same needs even if they have similar issues. We will evaluate and based on that evaluation; we go with the movements that help. You may see some patients doing certain exercises and others doing totally different exercises although they both have lower back pain. It’s a systematic way of doing it based on our evaluation.”
And the proof is in the results. And JPT has plenty of happy customers who sing their praises, from college athletes to the middle-aged Sunday golfer to the elderly gardener.
According to Jereme, JPT specializes in orthopedic spine and extremity pain.
“That is our MO,” said Jereme. “And that’s for all ages. I appreciate the young athlete and what they want to achieve in life as well as Mr. Smith who has orthopedic issues that are causing issues with balance. It’s cool to see different people from different walks of life and what their goals are. I want to get a lady walking and down in her flower bed as much as I do an ACL patient return to college ball.”
Former Cedar Creek prep star and current Tech softball student athlete Allie Furr experienced the benefits of using JPT this past year following an ACL injury her senior year in high school.
“I am very thankful I chose to go to JPT to rehab my knee,” said Furr. “From day one, the therapists and staff were very supportive and pushed me to get better each day. They have helped me and so many other athletes return to our sport stronger and better.”
Legendary Hall of Fame hoops coach Leon Barmore is also a fan.
“When I injured my shoulder and needed to rehab, I looked for someone that had great knowledge to get me on the road to recovery,” said Barmore. “I found the right person in Jereme Johnson. He is really good. I can assure you if I am ever hurt again, Jereme Johnson is my man.”
The people. The system. The environment. It all adds up to healthy and happy results for the patients of Johnson Physical Therapy.
“For far too long people have gone to clinics that are very stale,” said Jereme. “I wanted a vibe and a life to this place that spoke to patients and got them in a more positive mindset about what they are participating in … and not so negative and not so woe is me. I think people get better when people start thinking they can get better.”
Jereme said individuals can have direct access to JPT without a referral from their physician. They provide discounted cash-based services while some patients can receive treatment covered by insurance carriers without a referral.
“If we have seen progress and we need more time, we generally reach out to practitioners who may or may not want you to come in to see them,” said Jereme. “If there is no progress, we work with the practitioner to try to triage patients. If it’s not working out for a direct access patient from a conservative standpoint, we are going to reach out to their orthopedic surgeons.
“Those surgeons will usually take our referrals, so we have direct contact with their nurses and support staff as well as them individually. They love to see it because we are now giving them a patient that we vetted with conservative management alone. We realize what we can and cannot treat, so at that point we have tried and it’s time to pass them to the orthopedic specialist.”
To learn more about Johnson Physical Therapy, go to Johnsonptla.com or call 318-224-9148 to schedule an evaluation.
This is an advertorial
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Bryan Moore (left) is the Clinic Director of the Ruston location of Johnson Physical Therapy.
Bigger question. Are you ready to win $200 in cash … with the potential to make it $400 if you are perfect on the week (including predicting the No. 1 tiebreaker exactly right).
Starting in late August, the Lincoln Parish Journal will hold the Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by Northern Louisiana Medical Center and Johnson Physical Therapy.
If you live in the deep south, you know College Football is King!
Anyone is eligible to participate and each week one lucky winner will go home with a $200 cash prize (maybe $400). Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 15 selected college football games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two of our weekly contests).
The Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by Northern Louisiana Medical Center and Johnson Physical Therapy will be conducted for 14 regular season weeks of the college season starting with Week 1 games (August 31).
There is no entry fee, just like there is no cost to SUBSCRIBE to the Lincoln Parish Journal where it will come to your inbox every weekday morning at 6:55 a.m. It takes 20-30 seconds to sign up and not much longer than that to make your picks.
All contest decisions by LPJ management are final. Weekly winners will be notified Monday and will be requested to take a photo that will run in the following week’s LPJ.
Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the Journal, if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. daily e-mail. Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $200 each week!
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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 Friday 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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A Ruston man was arrested early Sunday morning after he allegedly beat a former girlfriend at her Lincoln Parish residence.
Jeffery A. Rickman, 61, was arrested for battery of a dating partner about 3:40 a.m. Sunday morning after Lincoln Parish deputies investigated an incident on Oak Alley Drive.
The victim told deputies that Rickman showed up at her residence intoxicated, screaming and beating on the back door. She opened the door to confront him and Rickman allegedly walked in and shoved her into the bedroom and onto the bed. An argument ensued and Rickman struck her on the face with an open palm. The victim said Rickman then put his hands around her throat impeding her breathing and said he should kill her.
The victim was able to get to her phone and call 911 and Rickman left the scene. Deputies found the victim to be physically and emotionally distraught, according to their report.
Rickman was located at his Timberline Court residence at North Village Apartments. He admitted being at the victim’s house but that nothing physical occurred.
Rickman was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center. Bail had not been set at publication time.
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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The City of Ruston announces, weather permitting, that Clay St. between MLK Dr. and Avon Ave. will be closed to through traffic beginning today at 7 a.m. until further notice. This closure is necessary for utility replacement.
The City of Ruston regrets any inconvenience this necessary work may cause residents and motorists. We appreciate your patience, and any questions can be received by the Public Works Department at (318) 242-7703.
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After being back in Ruston now for three years, I am very impressed with what Mayor Walker and the other City leaders are doing in moving Ruston forward. Communities the size of Ruston are either moving forward or declining. With no large manufacturing operation in the city or parish serving as an economic anchor for the community, Ruston has still found a way to grow and expand.
The key to economic growth for any community is to develop revenue streams to bring “outside” money into the area. While it’s important to maintain shopping, dining, and other service provided options to keep money within the community, it’s not enough to just keep “swapping” money internally. Attracting revenue streams from outside the community generates growth, stability, and provides funding for improvements.
The Ruston Sports Complex is a great example of an investment that not only provides a first-class sports facility for residents of the community, but it is also being utilized to attract significant outside revenue generating events that bring people from outside the community to Ruston. While the revenue generated from hotel stays, dining out, gas stations, and other local spending is hard to quantify, there is a significant impact of fully utilizing the complex!
Ruston’s strong financial institutional presence goes well beyond providing services to residents in that several of these local banks have expanded their presence well beyond Ruston and Lincoln Parish. Their scope of operations not only provides additional support service jobs in Ruston, but also further strengthens the local economy through their success outside the area. Argent Financial is another example of a Ruston-based firm having significant success well beyond this area!
This strong financial base, along with some great work by Mayor Walker and his team, were no doubt instrumental in bringing the proposed Chase operations center to Ruston. This addition is another example of accentuating the strengths of a community and further clarifying its identity in a proven segment.
Ruston and Louisiana Tech continue to partner together in a very effective manner. Mayor Walker does an outstanding job of being involved with Tech orientation and partnering with school administrators on several levels. The Tech Pointe concept continues to grow and expand technological service expansion with both new companies moving to Ruston and existing operations continuing to grow. Here again, the City and University are accentuating the strength of the University in a manner that provides job growth, local economic expansion, and opportunities for Tech students.
Mayor Walker’s work to attract Buc-ee’s will be another revenue stream from outside the community by utilizing proximity to a major interstate system. We will also see additional growth along the interstate as restaurants and other service-related organizations will take advantage of the Buc-ee’s attraction for those passing through the Ruston area.
With all this encouraging news, we don’t need to lose sight of the solid foundation provided by the Experience Ruston Organization and Mainstreet Ruston. These two provide stability and support to ensure the community maintains the historical small-town charm while still providing progressive ideas on new events. The Chamber of Commerce does a wonderful job of connecting local businesses with each other and to the larger economic environment beyond the local area.
With so much negative news and events going on in the world, let’s not miss some local good news to feel good about. There’s a great team working together in Ruston to advance the community! Don’t take it for granted!
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Following World War II, a large number of Idaho farmers began complaining that beavers were ruining their land. They argued that overeager beavers were building dams in their much-needed irrigation canals. Once beavers built dams in their irrigation canals, water could not get to their crops. Farmers wanted to exterminate the beavers. This led to a years-long dispute because fur trappers liked the beavers for their monetary value. They made a considerable amount of money by selling beaver pelts. Also, conservationists wanted to protect the beavers because, as The Idaho Statesman reported, “Idaho is one of the few places where [beavers] still can be found outside a zoo.” For years, farmers, fur trappers, and conservationists argued as to whether beavers “are worth a dam—their own dams, specifically.”
To quell the dispute, Idaho’s fish and game department decided to transport the beavers into the Chamberlain Basin in the Sawtooth Mountain Range in central Idaho where they could build dams and not hurt productive fields. The beavers would also help with erosion in the mountainous region. The task was daunting for the agents of the fish and game department as well as the beavers themselves. Agents, farmers, and fur trappers set out live traps to capture beavers without harming them. They put each beaver in its own cage, loaded the cages onto trucks, and carried them in this manner until they ran out of roads. Then, agents used horses to deliver the beavers deep into the woods. The trip took several days and was taxing on the agents and the beavers. Many beavers died before they could be released. Several of the beavers which survived the trip overheated and were in such poor condition that they refused to eat and died soon after being released. Conservationists needed a better way.
Ivol Sies, district conservation supervisor at Boise, Vernon Rich, federal aid coordinator for Idaho, and Elmo Meyer, conservation officer at McCall, came up with a two-part plan. They devised a new cage for delivering the beavers. Their cage was a simple spring-loaded box which was hinged at the bottom. Each box held a single beaver. The weight of the beaver kept the box closed. To be sure the cages remained closed until it was time to release the beavers, two inner tubes were pulled around the box and tied together at the top with a string. As soon as the box carrying the beaver touched the ground, the tension on the string released, the spring-loaded box opened, and the beaver crawled out. That was just the first part of their plan. They needed a way to reduce the transportation time.
Conservationists wanted to capture and release beavers back into the primitive areas of central Idaho in a timelier manner. Trucks and horses just took too long. Building roads into the Chamberlain Basin was too expensive. They had considered transporting the beavers by airplane and having agents release the beavers once they arrived, but there was no suitable place to land amongst the dense foliage. The answer came with World War II military surplus items.
On August 14, 1948, the second part of their plan to transport the beavers into the primitive areas of Idaho began. Conservationists loaded their vehicle with eight of the new hinged cases each of which contained a single beaver. Whereas all previous trips had taken several conservation agents, the new plan only required two people, one agent and a pilot. The vehicle they used was a twin-engine Beechcraft airplane. Remember, there was no place to land in the dense foliage. The pilot flew the airplane at an altitude of between 500 and 800 feet above Chamberlain Basin and the conservation agent simply pushed the cages out. Of the first 76 beavers they released into Chamberlain Basin during that operation, only one beaver died when he fought his way out of the new cage and fell to his death. The other beavers landed safely because their fall was slowed… by parachutes left over from World War II. Hundreds of beavers were safely relocated in what has become known as the beaver drop.
Sources:
1. The Idaho Statesman, August 24, 1948, p.11.
2. San Angelo Standard-Times, August 25, 1948, p.6.
3. The Spokesman-Review, September 13, 1948, p.5.
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The Grambling State University soccer team returns to the field for another season this Thursday when the women’s team takes on LSU-Alexandria. The Lady Tigers are coming off a historic season that saw the team punch their ticket to the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament for the first time since 2006.
“For Thursday’s game we’re looking to play everyone that is healthy and use it as a learning experience for our players to see where we are at and what we need to work on,” Head coach Justin Wager said. “I think early on this season we’ll have a big learning curve and see how quickly we can mesh together and adapt.”
LSU Alexandria went 16-6 overall this past season and 10-3 in their conference. They were led by senior forward Remmie Ferlie who had 18 goals and 5 assists on the season.
The Generals achieved several significant milestones the past season. They set records for the most wins in a single season, the longest win streak, and the longest unbeaten streak in program history. Additionally, they won their first Conference Tournament Championship and qualified for the NAIA National Championship for the first time.
Grambling secured their SWAC title last year defeating JSU 2-0. Sophomore forward Sophia Lezizidis won SWAC Women’s Soccer Tournament MVP, scoring four goals in tournament play.
Senior Midfielder Aria Whitney, one of the leaders of the GSU soccer team, won SWAC postseason Midfielder of the year. Alongside Whitney, Defender Adrianna Pratt, Forward Karlyn Judge, and Midfielder Samantha Diaz were all named to the All- SWAC first team.
Defender Kaylen Jankans, Forward Beatriz Kretteis, and Goalkeeper Madison Covey-Taylor were selected as All- SWAC second team.
The Lady Tigers will kick off the 2024 season with seven straight road games. This season’s schedule includes matches against Big 12 member Arizona State and an Athletic Coast Conference opponent, Boston College.
Last season, Grambling completed the season with an impressive 15-5-4 overall record and an unbeaten 8-0-1 record in conference play. The Tigers also set a program record with an unbeaten streak of 14 games this past season.
Across the season the squad scored 44 goals and allowed 30. Junior forward Karlyn Judge led the tigers in goals with 9 on the season and had 7 assists to go along with her scoring.
According to the SWAC preseason poll, the team is favored to win the conference. Jackson State, the SWAC Tournament runner-up, is a close second.
Several Lady Tigers were also honored with SWAC preseason all-conference accolades.
Senior Aria Whitney, named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Soccer Preseason Midfielder of the Year, also earned a spot on the first team. She was joined by teammates Adrianna Pratt, a senior, and sophomore Kaylen Jankans, who are both defenders.
Sophomore Forward Sophia Lezizdis, junior Forward Kayla Reed, and junior goalkeeper Madison Covey-Taylor were named on the second team.
There have been some changes to the roster in the offseason, with four transfers and twelve incoming freshman to bolster the already formidable team.
Coach Wager wants to see his newcomers implement their team defense and pressure concept. He emphasized the importance of working hard as a team consistently, to win the ball and then to attack as a unit.
Under the leadership of Coach Wagar, the team looks to continue the past year’s success and go even further.
“Last season showed that we are capable of greatness,” Wagar said. “Now we want to see if we can replicate and expand that foundation for success.”
Louisiana Tech baseball Coach Cooper Fouts has been promoted to Associate Head Coach, the school announced on Wednesday.
During his three seasons working with the pitchers, Fouts has coached two All-Americans (Ethan Bates and Ryan Harland), three All-Region selections, six All-Conference USA selections, and seven arms that moved on to minor league baseball (Ryan Jennings, Jarret Whorff, Jackson Lancaster, Kyle Crigger, Cade Gibson, Landon Tomkins, and Sam Brodersen).
Tech Head Coach Lane Burroughs said Fouts has earned the promotion.
“Cooper brings an energy and passion to his unprecedented work,” said Burroughs. “He’s one of the hardest-working coaches I’ve ever been around. He has been loyal to Louisiana Tech Baseball and brings it every day.
“Coop never has a bad day and his enthusiasm for his craft whether it’s recruiting, coaching, or building relationships is unmatched. He absolutely deserves this promotion and I’m excited to get to work with our staff and continue moving this program forward.”
Following the 2024 season, Louisiana Tech’s pitching ranked 29th in strikes-to-walk ratio, 32nd in strikeouts per game, 38th in WHIP, and broke the single-season record in strikeouts with 619.
Fouts has been an instrumental part in Tech’s two Conference USA titles (2022 tournament, 2024 regular season) and a pair of NCAA Regional appearances.
“My family and I are very thankful for the opportunity to continue to be a part of the Ruston and Louisiana Tech community,” said Fouts. “I am excited to continue to work with Coach Burroughs, the staff, and most importantly the players.”
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The Louisiana Bulldogs soccer team opens up the 2024 athletic season with an in-state matchup on the road against the Nicholls Colonels.
DATE/TIME: Thursday, August 15, 7 p.m. CT LOCATION: Thibodaux, LA (Thibodaux Regional Sports Complex ) STATS: LATechSports.com/Stats SERIES RECORD: LA Tech leads 8-0 LAST MEETING: Won, 8-1 | Sept. 7, 2023 | Ruston, LA.
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (0-0-0) Kyra Taylor, 2023 CUSA Freshman of the Year, wrapped her first season for Tech with nine goals, tied the single-season record for goals scored by a freshman, and had three games where she scored multiple goals.
The Texas native Taylor earned a spot on CUSA First-Team All-Conference and CUSA All-Freshman Team in 2023. The sophomore forward led LA Tech in goals and points while being second on the team in shots and shots on goal.
Avery Kyle and Emma Jones will be the 2024 team captains, replacing former Bulldogs Josie Studer and Sophie Fijneman. Kyle and Jones have a combined 78 games under their belt at Tech.
Kalli Matlock and Tomoyo Kuroyanagi return to LA Tech for their fifth year. Matlock and Kuroyanagi have a combined total of 132 games played, with 109 games started.
ABOUT NICHOLLS (0-0-0) The Colonels wrapped up their 2023 season going 1-17-1 while having a record of 0-9-1 in the Southland Conference. Nicholls’s lone win last came against Texas Southern in Thibodaux, where they defeated the Tigers 4-1.
The Colonels have only scored three goals against Tech in the eight matchups between the two programs.
THE SERIES LA Tech is 8-0 in the all-time series against Nicholls dating back to the first meeting on October 10, 2005, in which Tech won 7-0 at home.
Tech has outscored Nicholls 41-3 in the all-time series, and the Bulldogs are averaging five goals per game against the Colonels.
Tech won last year’s home matchup between Nicholls by a score of 8-1. The Bulldogs totaled 21 shots compared to the Colonels 11, and Tech also had 12 shots on goal in last year’s matchup with Nicholls. Kalli Matlock and Kyra Taylor scored two goals on the day against Nicholls in 2023.
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Funeral services for Lorraine Dawsey Fischer, age 84, of Ruston, LA will be 2:00 P.M. Friday, August 16, 2024, at Kilpatrick Funeral Home Chapel in Ruston, LA. Officiating the service will be Rusty Neff. Interment will follow in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Ruston under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home.
A visitation will begin at 1:00 P.M. until service time at Kilpatrick Funeral Home Chapel.
Lorraine was born January 11, 1940, in Picayune, MS and died August 13, 2024, in Ruston, LA. She was a member of University Baptist Church in Ruston. She is preceded in death by her father, James C. Dawsey; mother, Nancy K. Smith; husband, Adam Fischer; sisters, Hazel Johnson, Helen Spiers, Alice Smith; brothers, Herman Dawsey and Harold Dawsey.
She is survived by daughter, Sissy King and husband Ronnie; daughters, Lisa Fischer and Becky Fischer; son, Mike Fischer; brother. David Tifton; seven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Taking two steps forward along with a step back was the best way the Lincoln Parish Police Jury felt it could look out for property taxpayers while also doing right for its budgetary future in moves made during Tuesday night’s monthly meeting at the Lincoln Parish Courthouse.
The unusual moves to manage overall property tax rates came after a recent parish-wide property reassessment reportedly left many owners concerned, with some expressing open frustration, after many parish properties were assessed at significantly higher rates than in recent years.
Property tax rates come from the property’s assessed value times all the millage rates levied by local taxing bodies, minus a homestead exemption if one exists as it does in Louisiana.
After reassessments, millage rates are adjusted so that a revenue taxing body can collect the same revenue as before. If property values increase, tax rates decrease to keep collections in the same range and similarly, if property values decrease, tax rates increase.
Governing boards that levy property taxes have the option to immediately raise those rates back to the maximum level that was last passed by the public at the polls — meaning if property values go up, owners would pay more, known as rolling taxes forward.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the LPPJ individually considered taxes involving general alimony (both in and out), road construction, road maintenance and library operation.
And in the end, after roll call voting was done, the moves made during the meeting resulted in the LPPJ expecting to bring in an estimated $4,000 less in revenue than it did last year, meaning property taxpayers will be taking less of a financial hit than it could have if things would have been handled different.
The first vote was the LPPJ voting unanimously, 10-0 (Council members Joe Henderson and Annette Straughter were absent), to levy millages at the following rates (back to the previous adjusted maximum level) with 2023 millages on the left and 2024 millages on the right:
2023 Mils Total Tax 2024 Adjusted Mils Total Tax
Gen. Alimony In 1.58 $375.960.46 Gen. Alimony Out 1.64 $15.560.66
Gen. Alimony Out 3.37 $1,018,095.96 Gen. Alimony Out 3.28 $977,638.54
Then the LPPJ discussed and voted on each millage rate separately to consider whether they wanted to roll some of those millages back.
And the jurors voted 9-1 each time to roll forward the 2024 general alimony rate to the max of 1.68, the road construction and maintenance rates to 4.41. They then voted unanimously to roll back the library rate to 3.80.
So, the jurors 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.
Library Board of Control President Jan Canterbury was at the meeting and said she had no problem with the LPPJ’s decisions.
“I’m not here with any complaints and I’m not here asking for any money for our budget,” Canterbury said. “We appreciate what the Police Jury is doing to help us. Our library director (Jeremy Bolom) has done an excellent job of keeping the library under budget. We are doing well with that.
“The people of the community should be happy about this. We are not taking away any services from the library. We still want to serve and continue with all our programs.”
During the meeting Juror Logan Hunt tried to best explain the process of what was being done.
“We’ve offset (millages that were rolled forward) with a decrease from the library millage,” Hunt said. “So, we’re offsetting the increases from the (combined) road (millages) and general alimony with a decrease from the library so that there will be a zero net increase to taxpayers as far as the Police Jury is concerned.”
District 4 Juror T.J. Cranford was the lone dissenting voter in rolling forward the combined road and general alimony millages and said that was simply because he disagrees with the way the process is set up to be handled.
“My thinking was that the people voted for a dollar amount when they vote on a property tax,” Cranford said. “Now I know that technically you vote for a millage rate, but look at it like this. Earlier this spring the School Board had its tax vote, and I don’t have a clue what the millage rate for that was even though I could get close to the dollar amount.
“So, when we go to vote yes, or it is looked at like a dollar amount. When the tax assessor rolls this back down, that is to match the dollar amount that people voted on. So, we should not be able to roll that up (forward). We need more money, I agree. Our road funds were running under budget. But if we need more money we should go to the people and request the money and not take it because we can.”
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Louisiana Tech University announces the appointment of Dr. Heath Tims as the new chief executive officer of the Louisiana Tech University Alumni Association and associate vice president of the Division of University Engagement.
Tims will leverage his extensive experience and leadership skills in this dual role to enhance and expand alumni relations and engagement.
Tims, who previously served as the associate dean of undergraduate studies in the College of Engineering and Science, will oversee collaborative efforts across multiple organizational units to strengthen and build upon the relationships established through alumni engagement.
“Over the past several months, broadening and scaling our alumni engagement efforts has emerged as an obvious and compelling opportunity,” Tech President Jim Henderson said. “The more than 88,000 living Louisiana Tech alumni are a testament to the importance of our work and the relevance of our mission. I am confident that Heath’s leadership will bring exciting possibilities for the future.”
Tims’ new role will involve a strategic focus on fostering deeper connections with alumni and enhancing the impact of the University’s outreach efforts. His extensive background in engineering and science education and his commitment to advancing the University’s mission will be instrumental in driving this initiative forward.
“As a proud alumnus of Louisiana Tech, I am looking forward to ensuring broad engagement among our vast network of alumni,” Tims said. “Whether you’re in Ruston, in the region, or somewhere across the globe, we want to remind Bulldogs what it means to ever loyal be.”
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City of Ruston Public Works Manager Andrew Halbrook confirmed Tuesday evening that internet services that were disrupted earlier in the day had been restored.
City fiber that is utilized by roughly 300 customers was cut by a bush hog Tuesday morning around 9 a.m., leaving part of downtown Ruston and areas to the southeast without service.
Halbrook said he did not know exactly why the fiber was on the ground, but that this particular line served approximately 120 customers and the incident left those customers without internet for about 10 hours.
He said all services were restored by 7:30 p.m. last night.
“It’s took some time to get our crew to the line where it was cut,” said Halbrook. “We had to push some vegetation and dirt out of the way in order to get a truck to the site.”
The location of the fiber issue was between Bernard Street and Santiam Road, according to Halbrook.
Halbrook said the line was also re-attached to its pole by crews.
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A Ruston man and his girlfriend were arrested Tuesday after they allegedly assaulted each other over the course of the afternoon.
Antonio Williams, 52, was charged with domestic abuse aggravated assault and Schebrenia W. Haynes, 48, was booked for domestic abuse battery on August 6.
Haynes told Ruston Police that Williams pulled a gun on her twice and threatened to kill her. Haynes said when Williams fell asleep, she took the gun and hid it. She said when Williams woke up, he was “talking crazy” and she grabbed a pan to defend herself.
Haynes said Williams barricaded himself in the bedroom. She said she did not strike Williams with the pan nor follow him back into the bedroom.
Williams denied pointing a gun at Haynes or threatening her. He said Haynes came into the bedroom “messing” with him. He provided a video of Haynes chasing him into the bedroom with the pan. Officers saw Haynes strike Williams on the hand with the pan.
Bail amounts for Williams was set at $5,000, but Haynes’ was not available at publication time.
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 School fans are invited to join the Friday Night Lights Community Kickoff Tailgate Friday, Aug. 16, 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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Cason Floyd (center throwing ball) will start under center for the Cougars this fall. (photo by Malcolm Butler)
by Malcolm Butler
Cason Floyd doesn’t even have his drivers license yet.
But the Cedar Creek freshman-to-be is being handed the keys to the car by Cougar head coach William Parkerson.
Floyd, who is just 15 years old and only has a driver’s permit, has won the starting QB role for the Cougars less than two weeks into fall workouts.
This comes on the heels of the decision by sophomre Kade Luker not to play football this year, a decision that left Parkerson and Co. without a player on the varsity roster who has ever taken a varsity snap under center.
However, Parkerson said he has been pleasantly surprised by Floyd’s demeanor and composure.
“I knew from junior high football and from watching him play baseball, running around on the track … I knew he was a good athlete,” said Parkerson. “What has shocked me is his presence in the huddle and his command of the huddle.
“We have never announced to the team that he was the starting quarterback, but he organically became the starter. I think the kids knew it. I think the coaches knew it. He has stepped up and his leadership is beyond what I expected.”
Last year’s Cedar Creek starting quarterback Ladd Thompson graduated. Luker opted to focus on baseball. So now it’s Floyd’s turn. He started at QB on the junior high level the past two years, but said there is a difference in varsity practice.
“It’s a lot more serious,” said Floyd. “A lot more energetic. The guys really want to fight.”
The Cougars will conduct an intrasquad scrimmage Friday evening as part of Meet the Cougars Night and then will host Lakeside in a scrimmage on Friday, August 24. Cedar Creek will then face OCS at the Bayou Jamb on August 30 before opening the season the following week.
Thus, Floyd still has plenty of practice reps in front of him and some opportunities to get the butterflies out before the regular season opener.
So what does he have to improve on?
“Work on my footwork,” said Floyd.
His coach agrees.
“Training his eyes pre-snap,” said Parkerson. “Who the dive key is. Who the pitch key is regardless of the front the defense is in. Just mastering his footwork. The quarterback … especially in the option … it starts with the feet up. Getting those feet to the right places every snap.”
With a true freshman in such a leadership role on the field, Floyd will need to get comfortable with reacting instead of over-thinking things. It will be a process that won’t happen overnight. So how does he feel right now?
“Depends on what play we are running,” said Floyd. “Usually I can just go off my line, and I know what I’m doing.”
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Bigger question. Are you ready to win $200 in cash … with the potential to make it $400 if you are perfect on the week (including predicting the No. 1 tiebreaker exactly right).
Starting in late August, the Lincoln Parish Journal will hold the Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by Northern Louisiana Medical Center and Johnson Physical Therapy.
If you live in the deep south, you know College Football is King!
Anyone is eligible to participate and each week one lucky winner will go home with a $200 cash prize (maybe $400). Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 15 selected college football games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two of our weekly contests).
The Karl Malone Toyota College Football Pick’em Contest presented by Northern Louisiana Medical Center and Johnson Physical Therapy will be conducted for 14 regular season weeks of the college season starting with Week 1 games (August 31).
There is no entry fee, just like there is no cost to SUBSCRIBE to the Lincoln Parish Journal where it will come to your inbox every weekday morning at 6:55 a.m. It takes 20-30 seconds to sign up and not much longer than that to make your picks.
All contest decisions by LPJ management are final. Weekly winners will be notified Monday and will be requested to take a photo that will run in the following week’s LPJ.
Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the Journal, if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. daily e-mail. Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $200 each week!
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