RUSTON, La. — Considering the expected building and opening of the Buc-ee’s in Ruston across the highway, Ruston Junior High is adding new security features to its campus as part of the April 2024 bond proposal, which allocated over $1.8 million for the upgrades.
Clark Construction out of Little Rock, Ark., won the overall contract and Triad Builders of Ruston is the primary construction company onsite currently.
The fencing is being placed by Ken Ogden.
“The construction is coming along great,” Lincoln Parish Superintendent Ricky Durrett said, who added that construction is expected to be completed in mid-July. “We’re expecting all of that to be finished when we start school. Everyone is pleased with how it is looking out there — it makes the campus look good and also secures it will the Buc-ee’s coming and the expected increase in traffic.”
The improvements will include new fencing, a new parking lot and security at the entrances.
“I’m excited for the completion of the new gate and parking lot at Ruston Junior High school this summer,” Ruston Junior High Principal Keshia Douglas said. “These improvements will make a meaningful difference for our students faculty and family, enhancing safety accessibility, and the overall campus experience.”
State Fire Marshal (SFM) deputies arrested a Ruston man on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, for setting fire to an occupied home. Jason Perdue, 40, has been charged with one count each of Attempted Second Degree Murder and Aggravated Arson.
Shortly after 6 p.m., Wednesday, 911 operators received a report of a domestic disturbance at a home in the 100 block of Parks Road in Sterlington. Shortly afterward, 911 operators received another call, this time reporting a fire at the same address. Perdue’s fiancé was inside the home, but got out safely.
Following a request for SFM deputies to investigate the fire, it was determined the fire was intentionally set. Through the investigation, Perdue was identified as the suspect.
The SFM would like to thank the Spencer Fire Department and for their extensive efforts to assist with closing this case.
Any information about this case, or any fire-related crime, can be shared with the SFM by calling our Arson Hotline at 1-844-954-1221 or by submitting an online tip form on lasfm.org. All information can be shared anonymously.
NATCHITOCHES, La. — Members of the Lincoln Parish Journal and the Ruston High School football broadcast crew garnered multiple accolades at the 2024-25 Louisiana Sports Writers Association award ceremony Sunday with a pair of first place finishes in the state-wide competition.
Judge’s Comment: “I loved the lede. Quick, punchy and a pun that hinted at the story. It felt like you were along this scary ride with the family. The writer did a great job of letting the family tell the story of this untimely heart attack, and did so with a variety of viewpoints of how it went down. It’s not always easy to describe details of a life-threatening event and I thought the writer did a great job of that from start to finish. The tone felt appropriate for the subject matter, too. The chronological cadence was necessary to paint the picture, and the writer executed on that. Overall, just a great read.”
LPJ photographer Reggie McLeroy earned honorable mention for a photo of freshman Dalen Powell hurdling into the end zone for a touchdown against Pineville.
Roberts is also a member of the Ruston High School broadcast team alongside Nick Brown, Toby Nations, and Matthew Carswell that was awarded first place for calling the Bearcat playoff win over Destrehan, sending Ruston High to its third consecutive state championship appearance.
Judge’s comment: “This was outstanding quality with great color analyst commentary with the hometown feel (emotion/passion) and great background info especially for someone listening from a different state/market.”
The Ruston High broadcast finished its first season in Q94.1 FM under owner Brandon Forester. Rob Tucker mixed and mastered the winning audio file. The award marks the second time in three years the Ruston High broadcast has placed first in the category.
Roberts also earned third place in College Radio Play-by-Play for his game-winning call of Louisiana Tech’s win over Liberty during the Lady Techsters’ 2024-25 regular season, while Butler earned an honorable mention alongside Chris Mycoskie for their ESPN+ broadcast of Tech baseball’s win over Liberty in the 2024 CUSA Championships in Ruston.
The Ruston native hired Custom Curbing this summer to add a concrete landscape border along her flower beds in both her front and back yards.
And according to Tuten, she is sure happy she did.
“We love it,” said Linda. “We started with the front yard, and we were so pleased with the result that we did our beds in the backyard as well. It’s beautiful.
“It helps my husband when he is weed eating and mowing because it is such an easy edge to do that around. We really like he way it looks and we sure are happy with it.”
Jan Grigsby is another happy customer. Grigsby had her flower beds done by Custom Curbing in 2023.
“I saw it from one of my neighbor’s houses, and I loved it,” said Grigsby. “It has defined my yard. I can’t tell you how many people have come by and said, ‘Your yard looks so good.’ It has really defined my yard. I also got him to do my backyard. It has really made all the difference.”
Custom Curbing is owned by Aaron Cash and is based out of West Monroe. The company has been around for almost three decades and is making a splash in Lincoln Parish.
“Basically, we put really nice borders around flower beds,” said Cash. “The business was established in 1996, so we have been serving northeast Louisiana for almost 30 years. It’s like adding a beautiful frame around your landscape. Our longtime slogan is ‘Frame Your Landscaping.’”
Cash said much of the business comes from neighbors seeing the finished product at other neighbors’ houses. And based on his clientele’s satisfaction, it’s understandable.
“They are so great,” said Tuten in regard to owner Aaron Cash and his Custom Curbing team. “They are some hard-working guys. They came in and really got after it. They are so polite. They clean up after the job is over. They don’t leave a mess. They are so professional and friendly.”
“I am so pleased,” said Grigsby. “When I go outside, I look at it and just smile. They did such a super job. So many people have said, ‘Oh, Jan. Your yard looks so much better.’ And Aaron and his guys were so pleasant to work with during the process.”
Cash said that at the end of the day, it’s all about the client being happy with the finished product.
“We typically stick with earth tones; tans, and browns, and greys and charcoals,” said Cash. “We want to use colors that will be in style for years to come. Typically, that is earth tones. I see what their needs are and give them my advice on what would look better and how to alleviate some problems such as beds washing out or the grass encroaching in the beds.
“We also remove lots of dangerous metal edging that has become rusty and jagged and replace it with our concrete border system. We figure out the best designs and go from there.”
According to Cash, a “typical” job costs between $1,200 and $1,500, but the price can vary depending on style/color of curb, amount of ground prep, drainage work, root work, travel distance, number of areas, etc.
An average job can be completed within a day.
“We have had multiple people comment on our yard, saying how great it looks,” said Tuten. “We highly recommend them anytime anyone asks.”
For more information, individuals can call 318-598-YARD or click on the CONTACT link on the website.
Louisiana Tech students, faculty, and staff participle in the Big Event on April 5, 2025. Organized by the Student Government Association (SGA), the Big Event is an annual volunteer project that benefits the Louisiana Tech campus and greater Ruston community. (Photograph by Emerald McIntyre/Louisiana Tech University)
Courtesy of Keep Louisiana Beautiful
Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser welcome Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, as the newest member of the KLB University Affiliate Network.
The program, the largest and most successful program of its kind in the U.S. with 13 affiliates, engages college students in environmental stewardship and sustainability practices.
Louisiana Tech University joins Dillard University, Grambling State University, Loyola University New Orleans, Louisiana State University, Nicholls State University, Northwestern State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Tulane University, University of Louisiana Monroe, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana.
“These 13 Louisiana universities are leading the way in sustainability and waste reduction in higher education,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “The future of our state is looking bright with these young changemakers at the helm. I can’t wait to see the positive change they’ll bring to Louisiana and the world.”
“We’re incredibly proud to see our network of University Affiliates continue to grow,” said Cabell Mouton, KLB Community Engagement and Affiliate Services Director. “This program is truly one-of-a-kind in the nation, and it’s an honor to support these dedicated students and campuses as they lead the way in environmental stewardship and sustainability practices.”
“We are dedicated to fostering a culture of sustainability and environmental responsibility at Louisiana Tech,” said Wes Cavin, Louisiana Tech’s Student Activities and Student Programs Director. “Joining the Keep Louisiana Beautiful University Affiliate program marks a significant step in our commitment to reducing waste, promoting recycling, and engaging our campus community in meaningful environmental initiatives. We look forward to collaborating with fellow institutions across the state to create a cleaner, greener Louisiana for future generations.”
To become an Affiliate, Louisiana Tech University was required to conduct a waste audit, litter survey and assessment, participate in Love the Boot Week, form an Affiliate leadership committee, design an Affiliate logo, and create a work plan.
A new University Affiliate class will begin in the fall of 2025. Invited to apply are two- and four-year colleges committed to continual improvement in sustainability and environmental issues, the promotion of student environmental stewardship and engagement, and strategic outcome measurement. More information about the Affiliate application process can be found at KeepLouisianaBeautiful.org.
KLB’s University Affiliate program was developed in 2021 in response to a growing interest in sustainability, waste reduction, and litter prevention at the university level. University of Louisiana at Lafayette, with KLB as a sub-recipient, secured a $500,000 five-year EPA Gulf of Mexico Trash-Free Waters Grant to create and launch the program, develop a litter assessment app, develop educational training videos for campus communities, and fund grant opportunities for University Affiliates.
As Affiliates, universities benefit from KLB staff support, access to KLB tools and resources, use of data collection processes, educational training, and membership in the KLB University Sustainability Coalition. University Affiliates also have the option to apply for grants to support sustainability practices, the reduction of single-use disposables, and litter prevention initiatives. In two years, the University Affiliate grant program has distributed $112,972.
“The University Affiliate program engages college students to think critically about non-point sources of pollution while gaining skills in ArcGIS, policy analysis, strategic planning, and community service,” says Susan Russell, Executive Director of KLB. “It’s important that we empower our future leaders and help equip them with the resources they need to take action.”
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Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) is a state program under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Department of Culture, Recreation, & Tourism promoting personal, corporate, and community responsibility for a clean and beautiful Louisiana. KLB supports local communities through programs and resources for litter education, prevention, removal, enforcement, beautification, recycling, waste reduction, and sustainability initiatives. KLB is affiliated with the national organization, Keep America Beautiful, and is supported by a robust statewide network of Community Affiliates and University Affiliates. Learn more at KeepLouisianaBeautiful.org.
Law enforcement agencies continue to work in close coordination to locate and arrest the fugitives who escaped from the Orleans Parish Correctional Facility on May 16, 2025.
This evening, Detectives from the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations – New Orleans Field Office, the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the New Orleans Police Department located and arrested 33-year-old Antoine Massey at a residence in New Orleans.
Massey will be transported to a secure state correctional facility outside of the area. Additional charges may be forthcoming.
At the time of the escape, Massey was incarcerated for Domestic Abuse Battery Involving Strangulation, Theft of a Motor Vehicle and a Parole Violation.
Law Enforcement personnel from various local, state, and federal agencies will continue to work around the clock to locate the one remaining fugitive.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the fugitives or pertinent information regarding the investigation is encouraged to anonymously report it by the following methods:
· LSP.org – Report Suspicious Activity Link
· Call the LSP Fusion Center
· Crime Stoppers GNO
· FBI Hotline
The following rewards are being offered per fugitive for information leading to their arrest:
A man and a woman traveling together were arrested in Ruston on numerous drug charges, outstanding warrants, and traffic offenses.
Gregory Williams, 28, Farmerville, and Keisha Cornett, 48, of Marion, were arrested by Ruston Police on June 20 during a traffic stop.
An RPD officer saw Williams driving a vehicle with illegally tinted windows and an illegal license plate covering on South Farmerville Street. When the vehicle was stopped, the officer smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and saw an open bottle of beer.
Williams admitted to having marijuana in the vehicle. During a search, three cigars containing marijuana were found under Williams‘s seat. A records check showed Williams‘s driver’s license was suspended and he was wanted on two warrants from Third District Court in Union Parish and three warrants for failure to appear in Ruston City Court.
Cornett was a front seat passenger in the vehicle. She admitted having an open container of alcoholic beverage inside the vehicle. A records check revealed she was wanted for failing to appear in Ruston City Court on a theft charge. She was placed under arrest and admitted to having a small amount of marijuana inside her pants. Once at the detention center, the staff retrieved the marijuana.
Several hours later, the officer was reviewing in-car video that showed Cornett in the backseat of the patrol car retrieving items from her pants. She attempted to pass the items to Williams, but he refused to take it and motioned at the video camera.
The video showed Cornett managing to bring her head to her handcuffed hands, and apparently place an item in her mouth. Cornet later admitted she had taken an MDMA (ecstasy) tablet and chewed it up to avoid being charged. A firearm had also been found under her seat during the stop.
Williams was booked for possession of marijuana, open container, improper display of a license plate, improper window tint, driving under suspension, and the Union Parish and Ruston City Court warrants.
Initially, Cornett was booked for possession of marijuana, open container, and the failure to appear warrant. After the video was reviewed, additional charges of obstruction of justice, resisting an officer, possession of MDMA, and possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled substance were added.
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.
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:55 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
The City of Ruston announces, weather permitting, that Bearcat Drive at Tech Drive will be closed to through traffic beginning 6:00am, Monday, June 30, 2025, until further notice.
This closure is necessary to allow the continuation of the 2025 Street Overlay Project. For clarification, please see attached a detour map of this closure.
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.
Each Monday through 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, June 30 10 a.m.: Senior Health (Lincoln Parish Library Jack Beard Community Room) 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 4 p.m.: Story hour at Lincoln Parish Library (Events Center) 6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street) 6-9 p.m.: Creative Meetups (Creatives at Work, 301 N. Trenton)
Tuesday, July 1 10 a.m.: Harvey Rabbit and Friends (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center) 10:30 a.m.: Summer Movie Series: “The War with Grandpa” (Dixie Theatre) 2 p.m.: Crafternoon at Lincoln Parish Library Community Room (Ages 5 and up) 4 p.m.: Color wheel wreath for teens (Lincoln Parish Library Community Room) 6 p.m.: Fitness class (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center) 6-8 p.m.: Cupcake decorating for kids (Ruston Farmers Market; pre-registration required)
Wednesday, July 2 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, July 3 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Kiwanis Club lunch and program (Trinity Methodist Church fellowship hall) 6 p.m.: Southern A’Chord Chorus rehearsal (Presbyterian Church fellowship hall, 212 N. Bonner St.; open to all women singers) 6 p.m.: Yoga at Lincoln Parish Library Events Center 8:30 p.m.: Temple Baptist Church fireworks
Friday, July 4 Independence Day
Saturday, July 5 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market 9 a.m.: Fighting Gaming Community (Lincoln Parish Library Jack Beard Community Room)
Monday, July 7 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 4 p.m.: Story hour at Lincoln Parish Library (Events Center) 5:30 p.m.: Ruston City Council meeting (City Hall) 6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street) 6-9 p.m.: Creative Meetups (Creatives at Work, 301 N. Trenton)
Tuesday, July 8 10 a.m.: Family storytime at Lincoln Parish Library (Events Center) 10:30 a.m.: Summer movie series: “Cars” (Dixie Theatre) 2 p.m.: Crafternoon at Lincoln Parish Library Community Room (Ages 5 and up) 4 p.m.: Whimsy animal portraits for teens (Lincoln Parish Library Community Room) 6 p.m.: Fitness class (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center) 6 p.m.: Lincoln Parish School Board meeting (410 S. Farmerville St.) 6-8 p.m.: Classic Italian Tiramisu Class (Ruston Farmers Market; pre-registration required) 7 p.m.: Lincoln Parish Police Jury meeting (Lincoln Parish Courthouse)
Wednesday, July 9 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, July 10 9:30 a.m.: Piney Hills Quilt Guild meeting (Grace Methodist Church) 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Kiwanis Club lunch and program (Trinity Methodist Church fellowship hall) 2 p.m.: Tween Time at Lincoln Parish Library Community Room (Ages 9 and up) 4 p.m.: Color your way to calm for teens (Lincoln Parish Library Community Room) 6 p.m.: Southern A’Chord Chorus rehearsal (Presbyterian Church fellowship hall, 212 N. Bonner St.; open to all women singers) 6 p.m.: Yoga at Lincoln Parish Library Events Center
Friday, July 11 4 p.m.: Family Fun Bingo (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center)
Saturday, July 12 8:30-11:30 a.m.: Hazardous Waste Material Collection and Recycling (2609 Farmerville St.) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:55 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
Graveside services for Patricia “Pat” Thomas are scheduled for 10:00 AM, Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at Unionville Cemetery near Dubach, LA with Rev. Kelli Stephenson officiating. Services are under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston.
Pat was born December 3, 1955 in Homer, LA and passed away June 28, 2025 at her home in Dubach, LA with her loving husband of 18 years by her side. Pat was a dump truck driver by trade.
Pat is survived by her husband, John Snipe of Dubach, LA; sisters: Billie Tinsley of Ruston, LA and Barbara Hodson of Tulsa, OK, and sister-in-law, Denise Thomas of Dubach, LA. She is preceded in death by her parents, Ardie Esther Ward and Irown Thomas; brothers: George Thomas and David Thomas; brother-in-law, Billy Tinsley; sister-in-law, Bobbie Sue Thomas, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Special thanks to Sherrie Stewart for all the travels to doctors and being by her side all these years and to Elara Hospice for their tender care of Pat.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to 4 PAWS Rescue Animal Shelter, 290 Rodeo Road, Ruston, LA 71270.
Gary Van Grafton August 9, 1946 – June 25, 2025 Funeral Service: Monday, June 30, 2025, 10:00 AM, Ruston Church of Christ, 2300 Woodward Ave, Ruston Cemetery Committal: Monday, June 30, 2025, 11:00 AM, Greenwood Cemetery, 515 Everett St, Ruston
Stephanie Griffin, former coordinating teacher at Choudrant Elementary, has been named the principal at RES and said she is already preparing for the upcoming school year.
“The first thing that I wanted to do was to fill our staff,” Griffin said. “Once you have all of those pieces in place, then you can work on utilizing those pieces in the most strategic manner. My first job was to fill the school with qualified teachers who are going to help our students the best. Now that I have an almost complete staff, I get to work on using those staff in strategic manners for our students.”
Griffin said her goal was to raise up leaders, not only with her staff but with the students attending RES as well.
“My goal has always been to create leaders, either within the classroom or outside of the classroom, and you start with students,” she said. “Making an impact on the whole school is something that I’ve been looking forward to. I have been doing that at Choudrant in a way, but now being able to create leadership within a school, that’s something I’ve have aspired to do.”
Griffin started her educational career at Simsboro, where she taught science and then ELA for 14 years. She then moved to become the coordinating teacher at Choudrant, where she served for eight years. Ricky Durrett, Lincoln Parish School Board superintendent, said she’s done a great job in all of her positions.
“I think she will be a great principal for us,” Durrett said. “Ruston Elementary has kind of been on an upswing with Mandy (Brown) being there (as principal), but with her stepping away, Stephanie taking that role will continue to keep that trajectory going up. I look forward to some good things there.”
Former principal Mandy Brown, who served at RES since 2019, is moving into an assistant principal role at I.A. Lewis.
Griffin said she’s most looking forward to getting to know the teachers and students at RES more.
“I recognize that Ruston Elementary is already a great school, and I want to continue to enhance that greatness because they’re already on that path,” Griffin said. “I recognize that they are an established great school already, and I get to be part of it now.”
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:55 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker and others got down to the business of, well, talking about new businesses Thursday night as they held an entrepreneurial Q&A session at the old Historic Fire Station.
Billed as “Dream it! Do it! Ruston!,” the program included Planning and Zoning Director Jim Hays, Public Works Director John Freeman and Main Street Director Lauren Dowden discussing the potential of realizing the dream of opening a business in the city.
“The whole purpose of this is for us just to have a conversation,” Walker said as he started the discussion. “I was literally getting my hair cut one day and two or three of the barbers in there were saying we want to do this or we want to do that, just asking questions, and I realized we just need to have a meeting where people could come and talk, ask questions and see what we could do. That’s what this is all about.”
There was no meeting agenda. Walker said the purpose of the event was simply a chance to talk.
“From the city’s standpoint, we would love to have more businesses start in our city,” Walker said. “I go to other cities all the time — I try to go to cities about our size — and there’s a couple of things different about Ruston and those other cities. One, our downtown is full. We have three empty spaces, I think, and two of those are already rented but haven’t opened yet. So we don’t have much available downtown, but we would still love to have some businesses start and locate downtown. Now most of the other cities I go to have lots of vacant spots and therefore their rent is super cheap because there’s not as much demand.”
“But the other thing is because of all the work on our infrastructure the past 11 years, we’re ready for more businesses. Whether you’re big or small, we’re ready for you. But also, what most people forget about, is that in 2024, the Sports Complex brought more than half a million visitors to Ruston, and 400,000 of those were on weekends early. Those are people coming from out of town, which plays right into small businesses in our city.”
Kathy Wyatt, executive director of Louisiana Tech’s Enterprise Center, was also on hand to explain what the university might have to offer in bringing new businesses to Ruston.
“Louisiana Tech has a tremendous amount of resources that are supporting and helpful in starting up new businesses,” Wyatt said. “Our division of the university focuses on higher growth businesses, the kind of businesses that can become more powerful when they get aligned with the university. We try to help businesses engage in ways that produce bottom lines for lots of people.
“Obviously the business owners, and the customers that are involved, but if we’re involving you with the university, we’re also finding a way to either make a meaningful experience for a student that might get engaged with your business some way like an internship or employment opportunity, but also we can connect you with a faculty member that might have expertise in the area you’re working in, that faculty member might could serve as an advisor or a consultant that could collaborate on a research project to help a business grow into something that wasn’t even imagined before.
Wyatt said the Enterprise Center can also try to help businesses think broader than just the local market — to find ways to go get dollars outside of Ruston and bring them back to Lincoln Parish and grow the local economy even more.
Hays and Freeman discussed the importance of knowing the basics and the importance of making sure to consider and research all things necessary to successfully start a new business, from zoning considerations all the way down to making sure all utilities are available down to fiber optic internet services.
Dionna Mitchell Leblanc, who has started an LLC called Learning Loft she is opening off of Highway 80 on the west side of the city to provide tutoring for area schoolchildren, was one of those on hand to find out more about the ins and outs of starting a new business in Ruston.
“We’re getting the building ready now, but because I’m in education, it will start as an afterschool thing until it can be a fulltime situation,” Mitchell said. “Currently, I’m seeing so many people who need a place to go to do their tutoring. And not only that, I’ll have a parent lounge where a parent can sit there in a very spacious area and if they have other children, they can bring them without the worry of them being too loud
“On the weekends we’ll do Mommy and Me classes. The socialization of not only kids, but also parents, is a big deal and I know that in Ruston, as a mom and as a teacher, I would love to see more things for younger kids and toddlers. To have a space where we can all get together and bond not only with our children, but with each other, it’s going to be a community-based educational kind of space that will have a big outdoor space and can expand to birthday parties on the weekend and that kind of thing.”
Walker stressed the importance of making sure a business plan is in place before getting underway and that the city will try to make it as easy as possible for any new entrepreneur to get started.
“You’ve never too young or old to start,” Walker said. “Yes, you’ll have ups and downs, but you just have to do your research, talk to others about the financial considerations and those kinds of things.
“So I would encourage you first if you have a product or something you want to do, map it out, write it out. It’s important to know the direction you want to go. But from a city standpoint, we will try to make it as easy as possible for any new business that wants to get started.”
This past week, I had the opportunity to serve with Commissioned International alongside 48 short-term missionaries from local churches in the small village of San Matias, Honduras. Being my first time in a third-world country, I did not really know what to expect. Many people told me about their experiences, but reality does not hit until you find yourself in the middle of it all.
This experience was life changing. It is hard to understand just how blessed we are to live in America until we experience life outside of our comfort zone. Houses were made of scrap metal, windows were simply a hole in the metal, and the bathroom was a hole in the backyard. But one thing stood out: they were joyful, content with their living conditions, and grateful for what they had. Often, we find ourselves wanting the newest iPhone or the latest trending item whereas the Hondurans were grateful to wake up and live another day.
While walking the dirt roads of Honduras, we found more than poverty, we found a people group, lost, confused, and in need of a Savior. While they liked to tell us they were believers, after more conversation we learned Jesus was an idea but not necessarily a living savior who wanted to establish a personal relationship with every one of them. But the Lord works in mighty ways. He goes before us preparing the hearts of others to hear the gospel. I found joy, hope, faith, and the Spirit moving in power.
We partnered with the local pastor who allowed us to hold 16 church services throughout our 3 days in the village. In just three days, we ministered and supported 1,383 people by providing medical treatment, filling 6,896 prescriptions, and distributing 7,613 pieces of clothing, 1,289 pairs of shoes, and 146 pounds of beans and rice.
Most importantly, 69 people made the life-changing decision to follow Jesus and were welcomed into His family.
Also, I want to clear up the misconception I had coming into the trip. Just because I was not a medical professional or a pastor, there was still plenty of work to be done. Whether that was putting a new roof on the church or roping and vaccinating cows, everyone played an important role in sharing the gospel with the community.
For me, this trip was more than just the work in the village. It was about what I learned. Gratitude. Thankfulness for what we have, which we often take for granted. It has taught me not to complain because life could be much more difficult. Next time you find yourself complaining, reflect on your entire life as a whole. Vision your life from a different perspective.
I challenge each of you to experience short-term mission work at least once. I guarantee it will be forever life changing.
At lunch last week, three men I know well sat nearby discussing a new book about the death of outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker—a book I had just read. Although about a dozen previous books address the ambush that relieved mid-America of these killers, “The Trap” aims to tell the true story of their demise.
Two of the three men had personal connections to the story, being related to Prentiss Oakley, a Bienville Parish deputy sheriff who was part of the ambush party. While their interest in the new book comes in part from the familial connection, there’s thousands of other Americans who research and study the Barrow gang and even worship them.
Imagine, adoring two people linked to the murders of 13 men, 12 of them law enforcement officers.
My own interest comes from the couple’s connection to Ruston history and my law enforcement background. About a year before the ambush, Barrow and Parker and Clyde’s brother Buck and Buck’s wife Blanche kidnapped two Ruston residents.
In American crime lore, few duos evoke the same blend of romanticism, rebellion, and tragedy as Barrow and Parker. Ambushed and killed on a rural Bienville Parish road in 1934, they were just 25 and 23 years old. Nearly a century later, their names remain etched in American memory—not merely as criminals, but as cultural icons. What is it about these Great Depression Era outlaws that continues to captivate the public imagination?
Barrow and Parker came of age in a country ravaged by economic collapse, creating widespread hardship. For some, like young Barrow, crime offered a twisted kind of opportunity. Barrow’s descent into criminal life began with petty theft and escalated into robbery and murder, forming the core of what came to be known as the Barrow Gang.
Parker, a petite waitress and aspiring poet, joined him in what many have viewed as an unlikely love story forged in blood and desperation. Their romantic partnership has become a cornerstone of the legend, often overshadowing the stark violence of their crimes.
The press played a significant role in mythologizing the couple. Sensational headlines painted them as modern-day Robin Hoods, romantic renegades robbing rich bankers to survive the privations of the day. Newspapers ran glamorized photos of Bonnie with a cigar in her mouth and a pistol in hand—imagery that added to the mythos.
“Bonnie and Clyde were media darlings of their time,” says historian Jeff Guinn, author of Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde,” one of the better books on the couple. That image was carefully cultivated, not just by the press, but in some cases, by Bonnie and Clyde themselves.”
America has long held a fascination with outlaws—from Jesse James to John Dillinger—and Bonnie and Clyde fit the mold of the antihero perfectly. They were young, good-looking, and seemingly bound to one another. Their defiance of authority during a time of widespread economic hardship tapped into a deep undercurrent of public frustration.
The blurred line between lawlessness and justice is a recurring theme in storytelling. Popular films like Bonnie and Clyde (1967), starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, amplified the legend. The film’s sympathetic portrayal became a cultural milestone and earned two Academy Awards. It was a product of its era, released amid Vietnam protests and civil unrest.
But Bonnie and Clyde and those who ran with them on occasion were not the Robin Hood-like heroes as some movies portray them. They robbed few banks but focused on mom and pop stores that couldn’t afford to lose even a day’s receipts. Any money they gave away went to family members back in Dallas.
There is no denying the emotional pull of a doomed romance, and Bonnie and Clyde’s relationship remains a key element in their appeal. From handwritten poetry Bonnie composed while on the run to the couple’s dramatic death, their story carries a Shakespearean quality. “Some day they’ll go down together / they’ll bury them side by side,” she wrote.
They did go down together but are buried in separate Texas cemeteries..
This blending of crime and love has given their story a staying power few criminals ever achieve. Their legacy is not just that of bloodshed and robbery, but of intimacy forged in chaos. In a time dominated by disconnection and digital relationships, theirs offers a paradoxically raw and tangible intensity.
Today, remnants of their journey draw thousands of tourists and enthusiasts. The ambush site near Gibsland, marked by a modest marker that endures constant vandalism and theft, remains a pilgrimage for devotees and the curious. A Nevada casino houses the bullet-riddled Ford V8 in which they died. Memorabilia, biographies, and podcasts continue to unpack their crimes and mythologies. Even decades later, artists and writers mine their legacy for new interpretations.
Incredibly, the two have their defenders. Society drove them to do what they did, some say. Forget that most Americans survived the Great Depression without committing crimes. True sycophants will fight you if you accuse Bonnie Parker of ever killing anyone. She just rode along with the man she loved.
Despite—or perhaps because of—the violence they inflicted, Bonnie and Clyde endure as cultural figures that evoke undeserved empathy and awe. They were neither heroes nor martyrs, but something more complex—human beings caught in a fierce storm of love, lawlessness, and legend.
Madison Barton (second from left) was the recipient of the NLMC Auxiliary scholarship. Pictured (L to R): Brandi Johnson, Barton, Tanya Sims, and Bill Tatum.
by Malcolm Butler
The Northern Louisiana Medical Center Auxiliary awarded Madison Barton with its annual scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year.
Each year, the NLMC Auxiliary provides a $1,500 scholarship to one deserving student selected by the Louisiana Tech Division of Nursing Scholarship Committee.
Barton earned the scholarship based on the caliber of her academic excellence and initiative in the clinical setting. She is a member of Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society for Nursing, and has an interest in caring for patients in the maternal-newborn setting.
The Winnfield native graduated with her Associate of Science in Nursing Degree in May 2025 and successfully passed her Registered Nurse licensure examination.
“The Division of Nursing is grateful for the support of the NLHA toward nursing education at Louisiana Tech University,” said Tanya Sims, professor and scholarship chairman for the nursing program.
A Ruston man was arrested after police investigated a recent domestic incident.
Kedric Robinson, 34, was arrested June 20 after Ruston officers responded to a Kavanaugh Road residence regarding a domestic disturbance called in by an uninvolved party. The caller said the suspect was beating the victim at that time.
Responding officers found Robinson outside screaming at two other people. Robinson’s shirt was ripped and stained with blood. He was taken into custody while officers talked with an obviously distraught woman. The woman said Robinson was drunk and became extremely combative. She said he became so angry that he damaged her TV and broke other items in the residence. He then hit her in the head multiple times, she said. The woman said she was able to get away, but Robinson grabbed her by the hair and dragged her around the residence.
The woman said her little brother was able to stop Robinson, but then they began to fight. The brother and his wife were interviewed as witnesses. Police learned two 4-year-old children were in the house at the time of the incident.
Ruston Ambulance Service came to the scene and rendered aid to the woman. EMTs told police the woman had a large bump on her head. Officers also saw dirt marks on the back of her shirt from being dragged on the ground.
Robinson would not tell officers what happened other than he was outnumbered. He was taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and booked for domestic abuse battery with child endangerment and disturbing the peace.
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 15 RTJ competitors post Sunday’s final round on The River Course in Hampton Cove.
by Malcolm Butler
Cart path only.
The three most dreaded words for any Sunday afternoon golfer.
Perhaps the only thing that is more alarming is combining that with “water on 16 holes”.
Those were just some of the obstacles that faced our motley crew during the 24th annual Robert Trent Jones Shootout held at Hampton Cove in Huntsville, Alabama.
Our group — most hailing from north Louisiana — has been traveling to Alabama every summer since 1999 in an attempt to tame the game of golf. So far we have failed miserably at that, but won in so many other ways.
We have created an annual pilgrimage that we all look forward to and that has become more than just 72 holes of average golf. It’s become a bonding experience for a group of friends that have a lot more grey on their heads (those who still have hair) and in their beards than we did when this tradition first began.
Although this was the 27th straight year of our trip, it took us until year No. 4 to began the RTJ Shootout, a competition where we play for a little bit of money and a whole lot of bragging rights … oh, and our traveling trophy nicknamed Clinchy).
One streak continued this year: our defending champion failed to repeat.
Brandon “The Falcon” Norris had to hand over Clinchy following the end of Sunday’s fourth and final round. Almost a quarter of a century without a repeat champion thanks to the brilliance of the Charter Membership Committee (CMC) punishing the defending champion by slicing their handicap significantly the following year. It’s worked.
Yours truly played bad golf for four days. Two years removed from winning my second title in 2023, the pas two RTJ Shootouts have seen me hit more balls in the water and miss more three-foot putts than one person should have to endure.
Fore!
However, there was some pretty good golf from some others this year.
Sunday’s final day saw a showdown in the championship flight as Ben Haddox, Scott Walker and Chris Weego dueled it out down the stretch. And as any good tournament should, it came down to the final hole on The River Course: a 365-yard par 4 that boasts water running down the entire left side of the fairway.
While the other three groups were already done and sitting in the clubhouse cooling off from what was the hottest day of the trip, the trio of Scott, Ben, and Chris were separated by just mere strokes as they stood on the tee box on No. 18.
Ben’s chance to claim his second title — the other came in 2018 at the same location — was dampened when his tee shot found the water. Now it was down to two.
Scott was up a stroke with his ball on the green. Weego’s approach shot had found the fringe, but he promptly rolled in about a 30-foot putt for birdie — his fourth of the day and eighth of the week — to put all the pressure squarely on Scott’s shoulders.
Keep in mind we have never had a tie. And our tiebreaker isn’t the best format (in fact, after this year we may need to see about changing it). Sunday’s best round would win a tiebreaker, if it came down to that.
So that meant Scott needed to ultimately sink his final putt. Scott would joke later that if he had known the putt was to win or lose him his fourth title, he may not have sank it quite as calmly. But he did.
The final standings saw Scott earn the 2025 RTJ Shootouot by one stroke over Chris with a total of just three strokes separating the top three golfers in the 2025 RTJ Shootout.
It may not be PGA quality golf and we may never be mistaken for professional golfers, but each year we head towards Bama with one thing on our minds: win Clinchy.
And for everyone besides Scott, there is always next year.
(This is part of a series on the 2025 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Class that will be inducted in Natchitoches on June 28th.)
By C. KENT LOWE
Written for the LSWA
You know, when Louisiana Sports and College Sports Communicators Hall of Famer Dan McDonald wrote the feature piece on Herb Vincent when our friend joined Dan in the CSC Hall of Fame in 2021, he opened with three simple words:
“Where to start?”
Now, four years later, Vincent joins us in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as this year’s Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award as part of the class of 2025. The Induction Celebration is June 26-28 in Natchitoches, with details at LaSportsHall.com.
By definition of the award, we have found the perfect recipient.
“The Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award has been presented annually by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s 40-member Hall of Fame selection committee to an individual who has played a decisive role as a sports leader or administrator benefiting Louisiana and/or bringing credit to Louisiana on the national and international level.”
It is named in honor of the 1999 LSHOF inductee, an entrepreneur and innovator who is credited as the key figure in bringing an NFL franchise to New Orleans, and the development of the Caesars Superdome, highlighting an array of sports-related endeavors.
So. with that said, I again must ask the question:
“Where to start?”
Or better yet, who to start with? Who couldn’t tell you something about Herb Vincent? People like media members, longtime athletics staffers, legendary coaches and just plain friends. It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t met Herb, or known of Herb, since many here this weekend have worked alongside or in some form of media that Herb has helped oversee for decades.
The legendary Paul Manasseh hired him when he was an unpaid writer for The Daily Reveille, LSU’s student newspaper. Soon, he became one of Manasseh’s guys, a large group of sports information personnel that has gone on to distinguished heights in the media profession in their careers.
“Herb has been one of my best friends ever since I got to know him back, early in college,” said Jimmy Manasseh, Paul’s youngest son, who is now a successful trial attorney in Baton Rouge who has argued multiple times before the U.S. Supreme Court. “I was still in high school. He was the one of the first people, and really the only person, that my dad ever let work in the sports information department as a freshman. So there was something that my dad spotted that was special about Herb.”
Paul Manasseh was very fond of Herb from the very beginning. He knew that he was someone that could go a long way in this business. He took this youngster from Little Rock under his wing and taught him. Everything. When you have someone like him who will do that, it’s easy for this business to get into your blood.
Before passing away in 2000, Paul got to see some of Vincent’s success, including Herb’s return to LSU as Sports Information Director, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.
But before returning to his alma mater he joined Manasseh in the days of the United States Football League’s inaugural incarnation with the 1984 New Orleans Breakers, and later the Los Angeles Express. Both good training ground locations, but teams that were never going to be called the most stable of a soon unstable league.
And that led to the first of several great partnerships of Vincent’s career.
McDonald was the sports information director at Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana Lafayette) and ran a small office, but there was an opening for the only full-time assistant position. When the USFL folded, he offered a chance to get back in the game.
“I was really lucky, the one year that I was around him on really a day-to-day basis,” said McDonald. “He basically was looking for someplace to land after the USFL went away and we happened to have a job opening. And I said, ‘this is great. This is going to be spectacular’. Now, I knew all along that this was very much a short-term thing, that there was going to be somebody in the SEC or somebody from a larger school or something that was going to come calling, or maybe even a conference office, which is where he eventually wound up.
“I knew that was going to happen, but every day that I was around him, I learned something. I picked up something from him. I hope he picked up a little bit, something from me too. But we had such a great relationship during the time he was here. It was just amazing. I really enjoyed coming to work every day, and a lot of it was because he was there and we were going to do some pretty impressive things for a school the size of USL that didn’t have the resources a lot of these other places had.”
The SEC communications department came calling in 1985-86, and in 1988 he joined the staff at LSU and advanced from an assistant all the way to associate vice chancellor for university relations for the entire LSU campus before rejoining the SEC staff in 2013.
And as Jimmy Manasseh points out, “There’s nobody that has more respect in the circles that he lives in than Herb Vincent.”
“Herb Vincent was one of the best guys I’ve ever hired,” said former LSU baseball coach and athletics director Skip Bertman, who brought Vincent back to LSU again after a couple years away from the school working for a regional sports network. “What a guy. He was so good at everything that he worked. He did things for the university, and he did things for the athletic department … He’s excellent. Well deserving of the Hall of Fame. I love him, and I am so happy for him. He’s a great one.”
“Well, Herb’s experience on campus is invaluable in the SEC office right now,” said Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey. “And the relationships he’s built, I think, are the foundation for that Hall of Fame contribution and the ability to know people, to talk to people, to slow them down when they need to be slowed down. That includes myself. And when we hired him, the number of messages that came into our office, recognizing his credibility with the media, I think, underscores why he deserves that Hall of Fame recognition.”
But have we really told you what makes Herb Vincent a leader that everyone respects and is able to work with so well?
Let me get one of this year’s Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism winners to speak on this subject, Glenn Guilbeau. In his own way I might add.
“He’d go out with the writers after the game and we’d always have fun,” said the long-time LSU and SEC beat writer. “But even when we did that, he was always professional. He was very communicative with writers. He’d tell you what he could tell you on the record but also give you background. He was the best at that.
“He studied damage control from other SID’s and he was really smart with that. The 30-year anniversary of Billy Cannon’s run (an iconic moment in Tiger football history) was during 1989 when LSU was horrible. To divert people, Herb brought Billy to the weekly press conference that week, and instead of everyone talking about the football losses, everyone was suddenly doing all these Billy Cannon stories. He was so smart about that.”
One of those Herb worked with and got to know over the years was another Hall of Fame Class of 2025 member, Joe Scheuermann, the baseball coach and athletics director at Delgado in New Orleans.
“Herb and I first met each other as students,” Scheuermann recalled. “He was a student in the sports information office at LSU and I was a student in the sports information office at Tulane. I think the first time we might have met was at a women’s basketball game. Believe it or not. But, I mean, I think that’s like 1982, ‘83. That’s how far we go back. So, you know, we’re talking, what, 42 years ago, which is quite a relationship. I mean, he’s been a friend for a long time.
“We had a situation where I was in charge of the PR of the Sugar Bowl and we used to bring in visiting SIDs to help us work the week of the Sugar Bowl. Herb was always there, and we really got to be great friends. That’s really where our relationship really bonded. He’d come in and work and we’d spend a week together and really got to be really close.”
So now the personal truth. I was a grad student at LSU in journalism when Herb was an undergraduate and like everyone else became good colleagues and great friends. I was covering LSU for the Shreveport Times and Paul Manasseh had me work on a few special projects for the office, so I was there a lot. I would eventually return to Shreveport and Herb would graduate and start his journey.
But in the summer of 1988, I got a call from the LSU Sports Information Director. A guy named Vincent called offering me a job as the men’s basketball media contact. I interviewed and was offered the position. It didn’t really take long to say yes. So if you media types want to blame anyone for the 37 years I’ve at times made your life miserable with basketball or football credentials or a myriad of other things, this guy is the man to blame.
But along the way, we’ve shared good times and bad. Athletic achievements of the highest form and some lowlights as well. I’ve watched him marry a lovely woman in his wife, Jamey, and all of us got to watch a smart, personable kid named Kennedy turn into a kind and beautiful lady.
To have him in our Hall of Fame is a must. To receive the Dixon Award is perfect. I’m still not sure what to write, but hopefully this does justice.
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Shreveport native Kent Lowe, a 2020 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee as a recipient of the LSWA’s Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism, was the first-ever person awarded the Marty Mule’ Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Hero Award recognizing remarkable impact on the LSHOF.
