RUSTON, La. — It’s a true full-circle moment for new I.A. Lewis Principal Wendall Crowe.
For a man who has dedicated nearly his entire professional career to education, he’s now back where it began in 2006 — just in a new role.
And, before you ask — call it coincidence his last name is the same as the well-known “Crowe” family in Ruston’s rich education history.
“In my first few years here, whenever I would tell somebody my name, they’d look at me sideways, and I’d automatically go “No relation,” Crowe said, smiling. “They’d assume I was David Crowe, because I was serving in the same role as him as an assistant principal. Most families I’ve met do not have the ‘e’ on the end outside of Ruston — you can probably go back far enough and maybe we are, but not to my knowledge.”
Crowe came to Ruston as a star defensive lineman for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs under former head coach Jack Bincknell from Dallas-area Lincoln High School and graduated in 2006 with a degree in education. Both parents Will and Blondell were educators, as well back home, furthering inspiring his choice of career.
Of course, Crowe would have loved to been in the National Football League after his time as a Bulldog — but after attending a showcase in Dallas, staff members from Arena Football where the only ones who showed interest.
“At the time, I would not have been able to make really any money in the arena league,” Crowe said. “It made more sense for me to just go ahead and go into education.”
Crowe spent his first five years at I.A. Lewis teaching P.E. and working on Billy Laird’s staff for Ruston High School Football and was hired at the Firmly Founded fulltime in 2011 – 2012. In 2013 and 2014, Crowe temporarily left the education system to run his own marketing business before returning in 2015 to Ruston High School as an assistant principal, where he has spent the last 10 years before getting the call to lead I.A. Lewis.
“I absolutely loved my time at Ruston High School,” Crowe said after serving under both now Lincoln Parish School Board Superintendent Ricky Durrett and current principal Dan Gressett. “It was one of the hardest things to do in leaving Ruston High. Both times, actually. The reason I was able to come back is because I left on such good terms, initially. I’ve built countless relationships there, and I’ve impacted the lives of a lot of students, most of whom I still talk to today. It built my capacity as a leader over there.”
Durrett said he is pleased with Crowe’s hire and expects great things for the school under his leadership.
“We’re so excited for him to be there,” Durrett said. “He’s a great role model for the kids that will be there, and I think he’s got some good ideas. He’s put together a great administrative staff, so I’m looking forward to the good things that are going to go on at that school.”
Crowe has retained most of the previous teaching staff and has filled all roles for any teachers that left from last. Both Mandy Brown and Brooke Hoefler will be assistant principals. Brown was most recently the principal at Ruston Elementary, while Hoefler was the Instructional Coach for math and ELA while serving as the Special Education Instrucational Facilitator for the district.
Being a sixth-grade only school presents many challenges for I.A. Lewis — all of which Crowe is ready to meet as principal.
“You’re receiving students from three different locations — Cypress Springs, Ruston Elementary and Dubach,” Crowe said. “They’ve all been competing with one another over the past couple of years, and that’s not including anybody else that may be transferring in. I think you just have to meet the students where they are and sympathetic to what they’re going through.
“There are going to be challenges that they are going to go through, but we also have to remember that we all went through that stage. We’ll be loving on those kids from day one — being there for them, supporting them, having conversations and building relationships.”
An 18-wheeler box truck ran off I-20 on Sunday evening, causing traffic delays. (Courtesy Photo)
by Malcolm Butler
A pair of vehicular mishaps on I-20 Sunday evening caused traffic delays for travelers heading eastbound.
According to Ruston Fire Department Director of EMS David Wells, the first incident occurred just after 5 p.m. with a single vehicle wreck.
“We had a single vehicle MVC when a 18-wheeler box truck rolled over off the side of the road way eastbound on I-20,” said Wells.
According to Wells, two patients were transported to Northern Louisiana Medical Center. The status of both individuals was not released.
Wells said a second incident occurred while traffic was backed up from the initial accident.
“Due to the traffic being back up over a mile, there was a second accident which I will assume was due to the cars stopped on I-20 due to the backup from the first accident,” said Wells.
Wells said one of those vehicles had heavy damage to the rear and one had heavy damage to the front. Three individuals were treated on the scene with two of those being transported to Northern Louisiana Medical Center.
A spokesperson with the Louisiana State Police said the incident report wouldn’t be completed until later this week so additional details pertaining to the cause of the initial 18-wheeler box truck wreck are not known at this time.
Wells did confirm that none of the victims of either wreck had to be extricated from their vehicles.
“The rescue truck did not have to cut or pry anyone from their cars,” said Wells.
(This is part of a series on the 11 projects designed and built by classes in the Louisiana Tech School of Design at MedCamps of Louisiana.)
MedCamps Executive Director Caleb Seney: Returning to our master plan, it was determined that development on the western side of camp should continue and that an amphitheater should be constructed to host opening camp ceremonies and closing camp ceremonies. The Arch335 students decided that a hidden cove on the lake was the perfect place for a serene and peaceful setting. Today, Imago is used on Sunday nights for smores in the massive fire pit over the water, and when the weather permits, it is used for talent shows and end-of-camp ceremonies. The placement of Imago required that a new bridge walkway be built across a marsh. The Imago is not visible from either highway that borders the camp and is a great escape from the rest of camp. The campers enjoy their time making smores and getting to know each other and their staff on Sunday evenings before our nighttime pool party kicks off.
Tech Professor Brad Deal: This was our most sculptural project, featuring 15 custom twisting triangular space frame trusses. They were designed in parametric software and fabricated by hand by the student team in our south campus metal shop. It was tedious and complex work, but we pulled it off somehow. This was also the last project led by Robert and the last major step toward realizing his big master plan idea to complete the circuit of activities around the lake. An inspiring legacy to leave behind.
Program Summary: A new amphitheater and path network for a summer camp for children with special needs.
Program Statement: The design task was to create a gathering space for ceremonies, talent shows, and other events that mark the timeless tradition of summer camp. The project maximizes the views across the lake, while nestling into a wooded cove to avoid seeing and hearing the nearby highway. The nature of the users, coupled with the programmatic needs of the project, led to a concept centered around transformation. The bravery required for these campers to leave home for their first time away from parents, or the courage required to share their talents on stage is transformative, and invites them to grow into more capable versions of themselves. To celebrate these moments, we pursued an expressive roof that, as one approaches, seems to transform. Ultimately, it depicts its namesake: Imago, the stage when a butterfly emerges from its cocoon. The asymmetrical plan and radial seating prioritize simplicity and flexibility. A wall of firewood flanks the entry and fuels the firepit at the edge of the stage, and a lowered guardrail creates an ideal fishing spot. The playful steel roof structure is fabricated from reclaimed steel from the oil and gas industry. Nearly a mile of material was used to fabricate the twisting trusses that allow the form of the roof to transition from white to red. At night, the illuminated red roof radiates into camp, reminding campers of their time there, creating a unique beacon across the lake, and adding to the magic and memory of this special place.
Project Team:
Professors: Robert Brooks, Brad Deal
Students: Alfredo Avendano, Ashanti Bell, Jude Bell, Noah Berryhill, Anna Boothe, Zack Dicharry, Logan Jacobs, Alex Klocek, Asher Little, Amber McMillan, Kaylyn Murphy, Ashley Putman, Wanda Ryba, Christian Salazar, Joanna Vittitow, Emma Wyatt
Recognition: 2023 AIA Louisiana Honor Award & Member’s Choice Award
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MedCamps programs are completely free of charge to all campers with special needs. If you would like to support future projects at MedCamps, events, sponsor a campers attendance financially or volunteer please visit www.medcamps.org or email info@medcamps.org for more information.
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.
On Sunday, June 22, 2025, shortly after 9:00 p.m., Troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop F began investigating a two-vehicle fatal crash on Louisiana Highway 151 just south of Louisiana Highway 144. The crash claimed the life of 36-year-old Rachel Rushing of West Monroe.
The preliminary investigation revealed that a 2015 GMC Sierra, driven by 27-year-old Noah Short, was traveling south on Louisiana Highway 151. At the same time, a 2016 Nissan Sentra, driven by Rushing, was traveling north on Louisiana Highway 151. For reasons still under investigation, Short crossed over the centerline and struck the Nissan head-on in the northbound lane of Louisiana Highway 151.
Rushing, who was properly restrained, suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene. A front seat passenger in the Nissan, who was properly restrained, was transported to an area hospital with critical injuries. Short was unrestrained and uninjured. Although impairment is not suspected, routine toxicology samples were collected and will be submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.
While the cause of this crash remains under investigation, we urge all motorists to prioritize safety on the roads. Avoid driving while distracted or impaired at all costs, as these choices can pose serious threats to yourself and others sharing the road. Stay focused, alert, and responsible whenever you get behind the wheel. Your commitment to roadway safety is a crucial step toward ensuring the well-being of everyone in our community.
An Arcadia woman was arrested June 12 after she led police on a 16-mile chase on Interstate 20 from Ruston to Arcadia.
Amy Lynn Lykins, 43, was first spotted in the Ruston Police Department parking lot about 3:30 a.m. RPD surveillance video showed a woman exiting a pickup truck, walking to the door of the police station. She then returned to the truck’s passenger side and attempted to open the door as if yelling at someone inside.
Lykins then got in the truck from the passenger side and the truck sped away.
A RPD officer saw the truck traveling on North Trenton Street and attempted to stop it, suspecting a domestic incident was occurring. The truck refused to stop for the officer’s lights and siren, running the red light at the intersection of the North Service Road and North Trenton Street.
The vehicle entered I-20 westbound on I-20, reaching speeds of 103 miles per hours with the officer in pursuit.
The driver forced a vehicle off the roadway in a construction zone and passed numerous vehicles on the shoulder. When the vehicle exited Interstate 20 at Arcadia, deputies of the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office blocked her in with their vehicles.
Lykins then got out of her vehicle but almost immediately got back in, rolled up the windows, and locked the doors. Officers made entry though a window, but Lykins continued to refuse to get out of the truck.
She was physically removed her from the truck and took her to the ground where she continued to resist. No one else was found in the vehicle but a dog, and officers presume Lykins was talking to the dog or herself in the police station parking lot.
Lykins was charged with aggravated flight from an officer, reckless operation, driving under suspension, resisting an officer, running a red light, and speeding 103 in a 70 mph zone.
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.
(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 BILL BUMGARNER
Written for the LSWA
Enshrinement in an athletic Hall of Fame most times requires a high level of success over a lengthy period of time.
During a basketball career which began at Grace King High School in Metairie and ended with a standout 10-year NBA career, Danny Granger certainly checked all the boxes for his path to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025.
He’s headed to Natchitoches for the June 26-28 Induction Celebration. For event information, visit LaSportsHall.com.
Granger brings with him an impressive resume that illustrates how he excelled on all three levels of basketball competition: high school, college and the professional ranks.
But even though he loved the game, it wasn’t his top preference.
“My favorite sport was really football,” he admitted. “But I look back and I feel lucky just to have been playing basketball the majority of my youth. I felt one of my strengths was passing the ball to other players — which helped me stay on the floor. The game always drove me to get better. For me, playing basketball was surreal.”
“He was so coachable,” said former Grace King head coach Jeryl Fischtziur. “Sometimes he would pass the ball to teammates too often. He just wanted to get others involved in the game.
“He worked the hardest at practice,’ he added. “He would arrive early and stay late.”
In high school, the 6-foot-8 Granger was tall enough to play center and skilled enough to shoot from outside from the forward position.
A preseason nomination to the prestigious McDonald’s All-American team going into his senior year, he averaged 24.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.5 blocks before heading to the next level.
His initial college choice was Yale, but the Ivy League school did not offer civil engineering – which was to be his major.
So, he and teammate Michael Suggs chose Bradley University where they stayed for two years before deciding — long before the transfer portal – to head to the University of New Mexico.
Granger’s sturdy 230-pound frame provided a strong presence inside and he made the most of it, averaging more than 7.0 rebounds a game in all four of his collegiate seasons.
But he also was able to step out and impact games with his scoring ability.
He racked up 19.2 points a game as a sophomore at Bradley, then averaged 19.5 and 18.8 points in his two seasons at New Mexico.
Granger averaged in double figures in all four of his collegiate seasons and finished his 95-game career with a 16.7 average while shooting 49.6% from the field – including 36.6% from beyond the 3-point arc. He averaged 21.6 points a game in the postseason.
In the 2005 NBA Draft, Granger was a first-round pick (17th overall) of the Indiana Pacers.
He played a total of 10 NBA seasons, starring for the Pacers for 8½ seasons (2006-14) – making the All-Star game in 2009 — before finishing his career with the Los Angeles Clippers (2014) and Miami Heat (2015).
Granger’s pro career got off to a bit of a slow start, but it didn’t take long for him to become a staple in the Pacers’ lineup as a small forward.
After averaging a pedestrian 7.5 points as a rookie in the 2005-06 season while playing with established high-scoring veterans like Ron Artest, Peja Stojakovic, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal, Granger set a course that would see him become one of the team’s rising stars over the next few seasons.
His star rose quickly when Granger worked hard and accepted the role he was asked to play. That meant doing things the right way on and off the court and being an unselfish teammate.
Those were some of the things that impressed Mike Wells, a former Indianapolis Star sportswriter who was the Pacers beat writer during Granger’s tenure with the club.
Wells said the biggest thing was Granger’s decision to follow the older players on the court, not off the court, at a time when some Pacers were in the papers and newscasts for the wrong reasons.
“Danny was always there before practice working on his shooting with the other perimeter players,” Wells said, “and he was always out there doing more work after practice.”
It certainly showed up when Granger improved his scoring average by more than five points in each of the next three seasons.
That stretch culminated in what would be a career-high 25.8 points in the 2008-09 season. That year, he earned a starting spot on the Eastern Conference all-star team.
Wells said he recalled the night Granger pretty much stamped his ticket for the all-star contest, at least in the eyes of then-Pacers coach Jim O’Brien.
After Granger buried a 3-pointer from 27 feet out with 0.2 seconds left to give his team a 113-110 road win over the Phoenix Suns on Jan. 7, 2009, Wells said he hurriedly filed his story and made his way to O’Brien’s news conference.
“I don’t remember if these were his exact words,” Wells said, “but Jim said, ‘Danny is officially an all-star. A lot of people have been questioning if he was, but he is an all-star.’”
All Granger did that night was score 37 points, going 13 of 27 from the field with a 5 of 11 showing from beyond the arc, and added five rebounds, six assists and four steals. He also tied the game at 110-all with a 20-foot jumper with 34.9 seconds remaining.
The rest of that season was just as productive.
In becoming the first Pacers player to average more than 25 points a game since the 1976-77 season, Granger was recognized as the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
His stock continued to rise and he proved his worth as a volume scorer in averaging 24.1, 20.5 and 18.7 points a game over the next three seasons.
In a five-year stretch from 2008-12, Granger was recognized as one of the league’s elite players when he averaged 21.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 350 games. In doing so, he became one of the Pacers’ more reliable players and a fan favorite in Indianapolis.
The rest of the league started to take notice as well, especially when he turned into an elite two-way player with his defensive tenacity matching his offensive abilities.
When the Pacers traded Artest to the Sacramento Kings midway through Granger’s rookie season and injuries started to take a toll on O’Neal, there was little help for Granger when his career began taking off.
He was ready, but after a productive six-year stretch, injuries hit.
Foot, knee and calf issues limited Granger to 76 games with just eight starts over the next three seasons, essentially leading to the end of his career.
When a calf injury forced him to miss the first 25 games of what turned out to be his final season with the Pacers, Granger finally made his season debut on Dec. 20, 2013.
He entered the game in the first quarter to a standing ovation and the crowd chanted his name after his first basket of the night – a 3-pointer – early in the fourth quarter of a rout of the Houston Rockets.
Pacers fans again showed their love for Granger, who was seated at courtside for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals with the New York Knicks in Gainbridge Fieldhouse last month, got a huge ovation when he was shown on the arena’s video boards.
As of this season, Granger, who played in 544 games with 425 starts for the Pacers, was still sixth in franchise history in scoring with 9,571 points and was second in both made 3-pointers (964) and 3-point attempts (2,526).
In 2020, perennial NBA All-Star Paul George was asked how good Granger could have been had his career not been cut short by injuries at the age of 31. He and Granger were teammates during George’s first four seasons in the league.
“Grange was a bucket, man,” George said. “Grange was a bucket … he could do it with the best of them. He just knew how to score.
“It was no skill work, but he knew how to play. He knew how to get a bucket. I learned a lot from Danny just sitting back and observing. He was just a good, all-around dude.”
Though he was a highly-decorated player in the college and pro ranks, Granger said his latest honor really resonates.
“When I got the call about the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, it was great news,” he said. “This induction is a privilege.”
Granger, 42, currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife Dianna and their three children. He and his father Danny Sr. own a construction business with his high school teammate Suggs as an employee.
“Danny Sr. is like a brother to me,” said Danny Jr. “We are very close. He’s self-taught in the construction business. I have been blessed to have had a job in which I received millions of dollars and was able to do something I loved.
“My life has been a wild ride.”
And he’s excelled at all of it.
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New Orleans native Bill Bumgarner is still regarded as one of Louisiana’s premiere high school sports historians 16 years after his retirement from the New Orleans Times-Picayune in 2009. A former LSWA president, he attended every top-classification high school state football championship as well as every boys basketball and baseball tournament between 1975 and 2009.
Doug McGuire was the Senior Minister of Trinity Methodist Church through the 1960’s. He was a great guy. In his retirement he acquired his private pilot’s license. Years ago, I was known to spend hours in the air with Doug. Doug has gone on to his reward. He was filled with preacher aphorisms. His advice was wise. He encouraged, “Always enter the pulpit with a full heart and an empty bladder. And don’t get them reversed!” He also said, “If a sermon is worth preaching once it is worth preaching again.” I wonder if that holds true for these articles.
To wit.
A dog was on a safari with this master, but he got lost chasing butterflies. He then noticed out of his peripheral vision that a lion was slowly sneaking up to attack him. He saw a pile of bones nearby. Pretending not to see the lion, the dog started chomping on a bone. He hollered, “Boy, the lion sure tasted good!” The lion decided that this must be a very ferocious dog, so he left.
But a monkey watched all of this. He chased down the lion and told him the truth. Furious, the lion turned around to go eat the dog. The monkey jumped on the lion’s back intending to watch the whole thing unfold before him. Realizing what had happened, the quick-thinking dog grabbed another bone and hollered, “Where is that stupid monkey? He should have brought me another lion by now!”
It is a great story. Don’t you wish you could be like that dog and be that quick witted? Sure you do! When someone zings you at work, you stew about it all that night and you finally figure out what you could have said to that person. Or after an argument you stew until you finally think of what you should have said.
In my line of work, I want to be comforting and Godly when someone seeks my wisdom or advice. Often, I am neither and I toss and turn until I come up with a better answer to a person’s question or concern.
Most of us wish we could think faster and say the right word at the right time.
I wonder how many of us read this story and thought, “maybe it is best not to get lost in the first place.” I think that was the ultimate point.
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There’s never a moment when God isn’t with us. Not one season, one situation, one corner of life where he isn’t already present – sometimes quietly, sometimes unmistakably, but always faithfully.
That truth has stayed with me lately. And it got me thinking: What if we could see his presence even in something as ordinary as a word? A single word – or even a handful – chosen at random. Nothing pre-selected or polished. Just a little experiment in paying attention and watching for God’s fingerprints.
So I pulled out the dictionary, flipped through its pages, closed my eyes, and let my finger land. I did this several times, curious to see what might rise to the surface.
Now, I’ll share the results with you and see what you think. First, I’ll give you the words. But before you read what they stirred in me, I invite you to pause with each one – just for a moment – and see what they might stir in you ….
– Wow. I can’t believe it. The first word I “pulled” from the dictionary was “relativistic.” At first glance, it sounds like a heavy scientific term, tied to Einstein’s theory of relativity – the idea that time, space and even light itself can change depending on the observer’s point of view. But as I thought about it, this word opened a window to a deeper spiritual truth.
God’s presence in the universe is, in a way, “relativistic.” He is not bound by the limits of human perspective, time or place. While our experiences may change and shift – one moment feeling close to God, another moment distant – he remains constant, transcending all frames of reference. Just as light, which moves at a constant speed no matter the observer, reflects God’s eternal presence, so does His love – steady and present everywhere.
Relativity shows us a universe far more vast and interconnected than we often realize. And God, the creator of it all, is intimately woven through every moment and molecule. Even when life feels uncertain or relative, his grace remains absolute, steady and always near.
– OK, it’s two for two in the I-can’t-believe-it category. Second word: cocobolo. Definition: a tropical, American tree having hard dark wood banded with light streaks; the wood of this tree, often used in cabinetwork. Never in my life have I heard this word.
Yet as I thought “cocobolo,” it struck me as a perfect metaphor for how God builds us. Like cocobolo wood, we’re crafted with strength and beauty, shaped over time, with light and dark streaks woven together. God is the Master Carpenter, working patiently to form us into what he intends – strong, unique, and purposeful.
– Ah … Finally! A word from my daily vocabulary: object.
On the surface, it’s simple – something you can see, touch or point to. But spiritually, I see it as a reminder that we are not just random objects in the universe. We were created with purpose, designed to reflect God’s image and love.
Sometimes, life can make us feel like mere objects – overlooked, moved around or taken for granted. But God doesn’t see us as things to be used or discarded. He sees us as beloved children, cherished beyond measure, each with a unique role in his grand design.
So whether you feel like an “object” caught up in the daily grind or someone searching for meaning, remember: In God’s eyes, you are an irreplaceable creation, crafted with intention and held close in his heart.
That’s where today’s little word journey ends.. Even though I already knew it, I’m freshly convinced that God is always present – even in our “random” moments. Maybe we’ll do this again sometime in the future when we want to marvel again at this thought.
Meanwhile, I invite you to contemplate the all-embracing nature of God’s presence in our lives, even in “random” moments. And if you’re curious, try opening your own dictionary – or better yet, your Bible – and see what God wants to show you.
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Sallie Rose Hollis lives in Ruston and retired from Louisiana Tech as an associate professor of journalism and the assistant director of the News Bureau. She can be contacted at sallierose@mail.com.
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 24 10 a.m.: Family storytime at Lincoln Parish Library (Events Center) 2 p.m.: Crafternoon at Lincoln Parish Library Community Room (Ages 5 and up) 4 p.m.: Watercolor art class for teens (Lincoln Parish Library Community Room) 6 p.m.: Adult Craft Night (Lincoln Parish Library; must register by calling 318-513-5510) 6 p.m.: Fitness class (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center) 7 p.m. Temple Patriotic Program (Howard Auditorium, Louisiana Tech)
Wednesday, June 25 7-8 a.m.: Veterans Coffee Club (PJ’s Coffee) 11 a.m.: Technology Help Hour (Lincoln Parish Library George Byrnside Conference Room) 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome
Thursday, June 26 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.: 4-H Nutrition Class for teens (Lincoln Parish Library Community Room) 5-6 p.m.: 5 Loaves 2 Fish Ministry will host a free meal in Dubach at the Community Center on the corner of Smith Street and 167 North 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 7 p.m.: Ruston Community Theatre presents “Singing in the Rain Jr.” (Dixie Theatre)
Friday, June 27 10 a.m.: Therapy Dog storytime special (Lincoln Parish Library Community Room) 7 p.m.: Ruston Community Theatre presents “Singing in the Rain Jr.” (Dixie Theatre)
Saturday, June 28 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market 3-5 p.m.: Puzzle swap (Lincoln Parish Library Community Room) 7 p.m.: Ruston Community Theatre presents “Singing in the Rain Jr.” (Dixie Theatre)
Sunday, June 29 2 p.m.: Ruston Community Theatre presents “Singing in the Rain Jr.” (Dixie Theatre)
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) 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.: Lincoln Parish School Board meeting (410 S. Farmerville St.) 6 p.m.: Fitness class (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center)
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)
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Grambling State University head men’s basketball coach Patrick Crarey introduced Chris Dorsey as the Associate Head Coach of the program on Monday morning.
“Coach Dorsey is one of the best basketball minds in all of college basketball,” said Crarey. “His ability to teach players and coaches, is unmatched. For the last 8 years he has been a championship winning collegiate head coach in the state of Louisiana, he will help us with recruiting and relationships in our home state. We are very excited to welcome Coach Dorsey and his family to Grambling.”
Dorsey enters his first season at GSU with over a decade of collegiate head coaching experience. Across 11 seasons, Dorsey has consistently built winning cultures and delivered championship-level results at every stop.
Most recently, Dorsey spent eight seasons as the head coach at Centenary College, where he became the winningest coach in the school’s NCAA Division III era. He surpassed 100 career wins and led the Gents to their first conference championship in over 40 years in 2020, then captured a second SCAC title in 2024—making him the only coach in program history with multiple championships. His teams earned NCAA Tournament bids in both title seasons and reached five consecutive SCAC Final Fours.
Under his leadership, Centenary produced at least one All-Conference player every season—25 total—along with one SCAC Player of the Year and two SCAC Rookies of the Year. His teams posted a dominant 76% home winning percentage from 2020–2024 (51–16), and he engineered two of the longest winning streaks in school history (10 games each). Dorsey was named SCAC Coach of the Year in 2020.
Before Centenary, Dorsey was the Head Coach at his alma mater, Lyndon State College, from 2014 to 2017. He guided the program to two North Atlantic Conference (NAC) semifinal appearances (2015 and 2017), while producing one NAC Player of the Year, two Rookies of the Year, and five All-Conference selections.
From 2008 to 2012, Dorsey served as Associate Head Coach at Daniel Webster College. He helped lead the team to a single-season record 21 wins while directing an offense that led the conference in field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and overall offensive efficiency.
Dorsey currently resides in Shreveport, Louisiana, with his wife, Morgan, and their three children. Morgan serves as the head women’s soccer coach at Centenary College.
Funeral services for Leigh Ann Griffith will be held at 10:00 AM, Thursday, June 26, 2025 at Living Water Full Gospel Church in Dubach, LA with Reverend Dewayne Ramsey and Reverend Scott Jennings officiating. Burial will follow in Fellowship Cemetery under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston, LA. Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM- 7:00PM, Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at Owen’ Memorial Chapel.
Leighann Griffith was born on June 30, 1971 in Copperhill, TN to the union of Gerald E. Wall Sr. and Wanda Sue Brown Wall and passed on June 21, 2025 in Dubach, La surrounded by family at home. She was a one of a kind person who enjoyed reading, garage selling, and riding motorcycles. Leighann enjoyed spending time with her friends and family, especially her grandchildren and great nephews and great niece. Leighann married the love of her life, Shawn R Griffith Sr., on April 16, 1995. Leighann is proceeded in death by her mother, Wanda Sue Hickman, her father, Gerald E Wall Sr., her brother, Gerald E Wall Jr., her sister Denise Wall, and her son, Morgan Lee Wall.
Leighann is survived by husband Shawn R Griffith Sr. and four sons: Bo and wife Angie Griffith of Dubach, LA, James Griffith of Dubach, LA, Tony Griffith of Dubach, LA, and Kevin Bond and wife Leticia Bond of Ewa Beach, HA; two daughters: Summer Wilson and husband Joe Wilson of Sharon, LA and Becky Griffith of Dubach, LA; two brothers: David Wall and wife Shannon Wall of San Antonio, TX and Albert Wall and wife Moriah Wall of Norfolk, VA; Aunt Brenda Brown of Dubach, La and Uncle Mike Brown of Quitman, LA; nine grandchildren; seven great grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews that she loved as her own.
Serving as pallbearers will be: Savannah Bolton, Christina Deese, Aisha Finley, Tamika Palmo, Sharica Conner, and Nefertiti Wright. Honorary pallbearer is Katina Byrnside.
Ronald Lora Foster (“Ron” or “Ronnie” to those who knew him) was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on April 28, 1948. He passed away on June 12, 2025, in Lafayette, Louisiana. Ronald graduated from Bolton High School in 1966. Upon graduation, he attended Louisiana Tech University and graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1970.
In 1969, Ronald married Barbara Higdon, with whom he was married for 25 years and continued a special relationship. Shortly after graduating from Tech, he began work with Cities Service in Lake Charles and eventually settled in Sulphur where he and Barbara raised four children: Russell, Wayne, Tracy, and Brett. He was a loyal employee of Citgo Petroleum (formerly Cities Service) for over thirty years, all of which were spent at the Lake Charles refinery except for five years at corporate headquarters in Tulsa. After retirement from Citgo, Ronald continued to provide consulting services to Citgo and served on the Louisiana River Pilot Fee Commission. Ronald was among the first to establish the Citgo Partners in Education program with Sulphur High and E.K. Key Elementary.
When not working, Ronald loved to fish. He grew up fishing Black Lake in Creston, Louisiana and later in life, Lake Henderson in the Atchafalaya Basin. He loved attending LSU football games and passed his fandom to his four children. Some years after retirement, he moved from Sulphur and settled in Cecelia, LA, where he made many friends and loved to attend the local festivals and dance at Pat’s Atchafalaya Club in Henderson. Ronald relished attending his grandchildren’s activities and sporting events, and he cherished the time spent with family, especially around the holidays. He cared little for accumulating possessions and was generous, even to a fault. He was endearingly quirky and will always be remembered for his impressive knowledge, wit, and strong faith in Christ.
Ronald was preceded in death by his parents, Lora H. and LaJuana “Jeanne” Butler Foster, and by his brothers, Danny J. Foster and Robert E. Foster. Left to cherish his memory are his children, Russell Foster and wife Helen, Wayne Foster and wife Lisa, Tracy Burgess and husband Mark, and Brett Foster and wife Ceci; brother, Jason D. Foster and wife Ashley; and 10 grandchildren: Taylor, Emily, Steven, Claire, Mary Grace, Madelynn, Luke, John, Alice, and Elizabeth, as well as many nieces and nephews. Close friends include Rick Louviere and Ken Rodericks, who were a consistent source of fellowship to Ronald and a comfort to his family.
Per Ronald’s request, a simple graveside service will be held at 3:00 PM, Saturday, June 28, 2025 at New Ebeneezer Cemetery in Castor, LA under direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston, LA. An informal reception will follow at Lakewood Inn in Creston. To leave an online memorial message for the family please visit: http://www.owens memorialfuneralhome.com
Finally, the family thanks the staff at Morrow Nursing Home in Arnaudville. Ronald was very appreciative of their skill and caring attitude, both of which he often complimented in these recent months. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association.
Sharon Sue Moore February 20, 1954 – June 18, 2025 Visitation: Temple Baptist Church Chapel, Monday, June 23, 2025, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Service: Temple Baptist Church Chapel, Monday, June 23, 2025, 1:00 pm Cemetery: New Chapel Hill Cemetery, Monday, June 23, 2025
Billy Jack Talton March 16, 1940 – June 18, 2025 Visitation: Temple Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, Friday, June 27, 2025, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Service: Temple Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, Saturday, June 28, 2025, 2:00 pm Cemetery: New Chapel Hill Cemetery, Saturday, June 28, 2025
Trucy Mae Hudson Tuesday 03/06/1928 — Saturday 06/14/2025 Visitation: Friday 06/27/2025 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 06/28/2025 1:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Interment: Saturday 06/28/2025 Following Service, Ebenezer Cemetery, Parish Road 214, Ruston
Ronald Lora Foster April 28, 1948 – June 12, 2025 Graveside service: Saturday, June 28, 2025, 3:00 PM, New Ebenezer Cemetery, Castor
Ruston High School students, Melissa Le, Elena Baines, and Preston Parker all received their 4th Gold Cup in the 2025 National Federation of Music Club event. The students performed individual piano pieces, earning superior ratings while representing their community and their school.
A performance event for students, the Federation serves as a way for students to achieve awards for their musical performances. Up to 5 points can be earned each year in any category with a superior rating, and a gold cup can be earned every 3 years after achieving 15, 30, 45 or 60 points. In the senior concerto division, students are allowed to earn 8 points per year for a superior rating due to the increased difficulty level.
Present Parker has performed 2 concerto performances alongside Dee Alexander as accompaniment. They performed the first movement of List’s Concerto No 1 in E Flat Major in 2024 and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in 2025. Both Parker and Alexander dedicated time and effort to practicing the intricate pieces. Parker achieved the highest score for his performances in both years. This enabled him to earn the 4th gold cup faster than any Ruston Area Music Teachers Association student who has ever achieved that award.
With 2 more years ahead to continue his solo and concerto piano performances, Parker is on track to earn his Grand Cup in 2026 and the President’s Cup in 2027, his senior year. Parker’s music teacher, Denise Cox, praised his hard work and dedication toward earning this esteemed award.
“Preston Parker has been in my piano studio since kindergarten and it has truly been a joy to watch him develop his God-given talent,” Cox said. “All 3 of these students have accomplished so much through their consecutive superior ratings. Earning the 4th Gold Cup in Federation is a tribute to their talent and dedication to perfection in their piano studies.”
Elena Baines, an incoming Junior at Ruston, received her 4th Gold Cup in the solo piano performance division. Incoming Senior at Ruston High School, Melissa Le, also received her 4th Gold Cup for solo piano performance. Their music teacher, Jeanne Patterson commented on their unwavering resilience in years past toward growing and learning in their skill.
“Elena and Melissa are top notch students who always put in the work required to excel in anything they do,” Patterson said. “I am blessed to have each of them as my students and their families as piano parents. It’s that combination that makes the magic.”
All 3 students will continue to pursue their musical passions, working toward receiving higher achievements within the Federation in coming years.
(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 RON HIGGINS
Written for the LSWA
When Nick Saban arrived by private plane in Tuscaloosa in early January 2007 after agreeing to become Alabama’s head football coach, he was mobbed by adoring fans.
But when he appeared in Baton Rouge in late November 1999 at his introductory press conference announcing him as LSU’s coach, the reception was “Who’s Nick Saban and why is LSU paying him $1.2 million a year?”
“I couldn’t believe the response and the attitude people had toward me,” Saban said. “I felt like there were a lot of questions, a lot of doubts. You have to understand. I was coming from a place (Michigan State) where the people were pretty happy over what had been done.
“I was shocked. I was thinking, `Maybe I ought to go back where I came from.’”
Thankfully for LSU, he didn’t, and now he’ll be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame – at last. The Class of 2025 Induction Celebration in Natchitoches is June 26-28, with information available at LaSportsHall.com.
Saban was initially elected to the LSHOF’s Class of 2020, but that spring’s global pandemic postponed ceremonies. It also altered the NCAA football recruiting calendar, which prevented then-Alabama head coach Saban from being inducted until after his retirement in January 2024.
“It’s an honor I’m really excited about,” Saban said of his upcoming induction. “I never thought I’d be considered. I know there’s a lot of great sports folks in Louisiana.”
All Saban did in five seasons from 2000-04 was save the Tigers’ program with a national championship, two SEC titles, and a 48-16 record (.750) before chasing an NFL dream as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
He came to Baton Rouge at a time when LSU was thirsting for success, stability, and a coach with a vision, including the elements required to build and sustain a national power.
After LSU had just two head football coaches (Paul Dietzel and Charles McClendon) in 25 years from 1955-1979, the Tigers had six coaches in 20 seasons from 1980-1999.
In that period, LSU won SEC championships in 1986 and 1988, but after the ’88 title, the Tigers had eight losing seasons in 11 years.
When LSU fired Gerry DiNardo with one game left in 1999, it already had a list of coaching candidates it wanted to pursue.
But Saban wasn’t originally on it.
He was a Bill Belichick disciple who worked as Belichick’s defensive coordinator for four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Then, he was a college head coach for six seasons, including five at Michigan State, where he was basically a .500 coach in his first four seasons with the Spartans before posting a 9-2 record in 1999.
When DiNardo was let go at LSU, Saban didn’t know about the situation until he did some research.
“One of the other things that piqued my interest was that when I was in the NFL, somebody did a study, probably Belichick because he was notorious for this kind of detail,” Saban said. “The study revealed per capita which state had the most players from its colleges playing in the NFL. Louisiana was always ranked third or fourth. I always remembered that.”
Saban’s contact with LSU came through his Memphis-based agent Jimmy Sexton. Sexton gauged Saban’s interest, and then had his business partner Sean Tuohy contact then-LSU athletic director Joe Dean because of Tuohy’s long-standing friendship with Dean.
From that point, steps toward the Saban-LSU marriage were over-the-top clandestine. He agreed to meet with LSU officials at Sexton’s house in Memphis.
“I was getting beat up so bad at Michigan State (by the media) because word was out I might leave,” Saban said. “I felt if I went to Baton Rouge for an interview, I’d have to take the job, and I didn’t know enough about it to know if that was what I really wanted to do.”
So, Saban dispatched his wife Terry “on a secret mission” to get a personal look at his potential next coaching stop. It’s something he hadn’t done before and hasn’t done since.
She knew she had successfully stayed under a cloak of secrecy when she ate lunch with Emmert’s wife at TJ Ribs. The popular Baton Rouge restaurant had a blackboard on which patrons could vote for who they thought the next LSU coach would be.
Nick Saban’s name wasn’t on the board, so Terry Saban asked the waiter to add the name of “Nick Saban.”
The waiter had no clue who Nick Saban was.
Meanwhile, Terry’s husband was dazzling Emmert and the other LSU officials.
“We liked his attitude toward the student-athlete and his analytical approach to building a program,” Emmert said. “We all came away feeling this was somebody who could do what we wanted.”
Terry Saban did her due diligence, returned home, and gave her husband an honest review of the strengths and weaknesses of the LSU situation.
“She went in the weight room and there were a bunch of players working out,” Saban said. “She said they had some `damned good-looking players.’”
Sold!
For $1.2 million annually, the most ever paid to an LSU coach in any sport at the time, Saban agreed to become the 31st head football coach in LSU history.
It wasn’t long in Baton Rouge and especially at LSU that Saban became a force of nature.
For instance, LSU had one of the worst graduation rates in the SEC when he arrived, so his priority was obtaining a new academic center for athletes. He was told it would take two to three years for LSU to procure the money from the state legislature for such a project.”
“I told (then-new LSU athletic director) Skip (Bertman) `Let’s go raise the money,”’ Saban recalled. “Then, we were told `You’ve only got to raise $8 million for the academic center, but we want to redo this other thing here and make a big auditorium because we don’t have a big auditorium at the university, and that’s going to cost another $7 million.’
“I told Skip, `Let’s just raise $15 million and build the damn thing.’ And we raised it about three months. I kind of tricked them, though. I gave about $50,000 to start it off, so everybody I asked almost had to do that.”
Saban also noticed there wasn’t much revenue available for capital improvements. He suggested LSU finally start seat licensing, but met stern resistance.
“I was told we had loyal fans that had the same seats for years and years,” Saban said. I said, `Look, a lot of schools have done this.’ They said, `If you don’t win, we’ll get crucified for doing that.’ I said, `Put it on me then because if we don’t do it, we’re never going to have the kind of program we’re going to need to compete with all these other people.’”
Saban immediately upheld his end of the bargain.
He changed the program’s culture through “The Process,” his revamped coaching philosophy born Nov. 7, 1998, when Saban’s 30-point underdog Spartans scored 19 straight second-half points for a 28-24 win at No. 1-ranked and unbeaten Ohio State.
“That’s when I started,” Saban said, “the whole process-oriented `one play at a time, play the next play, don’t worry about what happened on the last play.’ I felt that was the only way we would have a chance in that game. The players actually did it. They played loose, free, they weren’t worried about winning. They just focused on what was in front of them.
“That told me `This is a much better way to do it than talking about winning.’ Play the next play, dominate your box every play, just focus on that and not the outcome.”
Saban educated the Tigers, but also learned a few things exclusive to college football in the South.
For instance, he didn’t understand why Louisiana state police troopers escorted him to midfield for a postgame handshake with the opposing coach and then flanked him as he left the field.
“I’d never had cops before,” Saban said.
Of course, he didn’t.
Saban had never coached below the Mason-Dixon line, where Alabama legend Bear Bryant began the time-honored Southern tradition of state trooper escorts in the late 1950s.
“I said, `Why do I need you guys?’” Saban said.
Then in the fifth game of his first LSU season, with the Tigers off to a 2-2 start and reeling from two straight losses, including a home stunner to UAB, LSU faced No. 11 Tennessee.
As it played out, the Tigers won a 38-31 overtime thriller in Tiger Stadium. When LSU’s Damien James knocked down one last Tennessee fourth-down pass, most of the stadium emptied onto the field to tear down the goalposts. Saban found Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer for a handshake and looked for an escape route through an ocean of fans back to the Tigers’ dressing room in the north end zone.
“When that happened,” Saban recalled, “I said `Now I know why I have these cops.’ I could have gotten killed without them.”
There would be many more times that Saban’s troopers, led by Mike Edmundson, would clear a path after big wins.
Saban never won fewer than eight games in all of his LSU seasons. He had three bowl wins, including the BCS national title game victory in the Sugar Bowl over Oklahoma. His SEC championship game victories came against Tennessee and Georgia.
The win against the Vols in the 2001 league title lit the fuse for LSU’s national championship run two years later.
LSU had lost at Tennessee 26-18 earlier in the ’01 regular season. When the teams met again in December in the Georgia Dome, the No. 2-ranked Vols were a win away from advancing to the Rose Bowl and playing for the national championship.
Yet despite the Tigers losing starting quarterback Rohan Davey and leading rusher LaBrandon Toefield with first-half injuries, LSU roared back from a 17-7 deficit to score a 31-20 upset.
After a pair of superb recruiting classes two seasons later, Saban’s 13-1 Tigers delivered the school’s first national championship since 1958 by beating Oklahoma 21-14.
“When we played Oklahoma in the championship game, they had some incredible stats,” Saban recalled. “They were scoring like 50 points per game, it was unbelievable. I’m saying, `How in the hell are we ever going to beat these guys?’
“We just got the players ready to play. I remember I told the players, `Let’s not think about winning the national championship. Let’s go to work and prepare for this game as if you’re going to play against the best player you’ve ever played against and try to play the best we can play to give us an opportunity to win the game.’
“The 2003 team had so much character that it didn’t need a leader. They thought they would win the championship long before I did.”
As a result of winning the national title, Saban landed the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class. It was a group that would help Les Miles, the next LSU coach, win a national championship in 2007.
At the end of the 2004 season, a $5 million per year contract and assured he’d have control of player personnel decisions, Saban became head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
“I had in the back of my mind that the ultimate success was to be a head coach in college and win a national championship, go to the NFL and have a successful program there,” Saban said. “But I hadn’t planned to leave LSU. I told (Dolphins owner) Wayne Huizenga `no’ five times. He came to my house on Christmas Eve and talked me into it.”
When Saban returned to the NFL for the first time in 10 years, it was vastly different than when he last coached in the pros as the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator in 1994.
Back then, the NFL had just introduced free agency in 1993, so Saban, a man who likes control of his roster, hadn’t fully experienced the rapidly growing roster instability and volatility of players having the freedom to jump ship.
“It was a completely different dynamic,” Saban said. “I’m not saying it in a bad way, but it was different. I knew when I took that job and was there for a while that my legacy really should be as a college coach.”
So Saban, who had a 15-17 record in two seasons with the Dolphins, began looking at college vacancies.
“The best job that was available was Alabama, which happened to be a rival to the place (LSU) in which I had a tremendous amount of pride in terms of what we were able to accomplish, what we were able to do and a lot of the relationships we made,” Saban said.
Because of that, Saban became public enemy No. 1 to a segment of LSU fans who forgot how he rescued the Tigers’ program from the garbage heap.
It didn’t help Saban’s relationship with the Tigers’ faithful that he won six national titles with the Crimson Tide in 17 seasons and had a 13-5 record vs. LSU. That included an eight-game win streak that started with the Tide blanking the Tigers 21-0 for the 2011 national title in the BCS championship game in New Orleans and ending with a 46-41 loss in Tuscaloosa to LSU’s eventual 2019 national champions.
Upon his retirement, he joined ESPN’s College GameDay before the start of the 2024 season. He’s also had time to reflect on his career move from LSU with a tinge of regret.
“You live and learn, do things, and you find out about yourself,” Saban said. “LSU has a great atmosphere, the people are so supportive, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for that program. It’s one of the greatest places athletically in the country right now.
“Terry and I still have as many good relationships in Louisiana as any place in the world, great friends and good people. We cherish those relationships.”
It’s why Saban is genuinely touched to become the fourth LSU head football coach in the LSHOF, joining Dietzel, McClendon, Miles and Bernie Moore. Jerry Stovall, LSU’s coach from 1980 to 1984, was elected in 1981 for his standout Tigers’ playing career.
“I’m very grateful to many people who contributed to the success we had when we were at LSU,” Saban said. “We had a lot of really good players and people.”
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Ron Higgins, the first Louisiana native to serve as president of the Football Writers Association of America, was enshrined last year in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He writes for ShreveportBossierJournal.com.
(This is part of a series on the 11 projects designed and built by classes in the Louisiana Tech School of Design at MedCamps of Louisiana.)
MedCamps Executive Director Caleb Seney: In 2021 in the aftermath of Covid, Arch335 returned to Camp Alabama and it was determined that with the addition of all the new property at camp, we needed a new grand entrance into camp on Hwy 821, an entrance that will eventually be the primary entry in to Camp Alabama. This marked the second project on the recently added property to Camp Alabama. As our master plan for Camp Alabama continues to be realized this project will be every campers first impression of camp, and it is a grand one. The gate and pilons on the highway are lighted at night shining the Camp Alabama logo to passers by and the portal gates set further in give camp a “Jurrasic Park” type of entry. If that was not enough, at the same entrance stands a 60-foot tall spiraling tower with the Camp Alabama logo at the top. This tower can be spotted a half mile away from camp creating excitement in our campers on check-in days.
Tech Professor Brad Deal: This project marked our first two quarter schedule and a cautious return after the COVID shutdown. It came with big successes and major setbacks. After two months designing a barn renovation, a severe ice storm hit in February, collapsing the barn and adding weeks of redesign, demolition, and material recovery to our timeline. In the end, the project and the class were stronger because of it. This year included the tallest of the three towers built at camp at 75 feet high, but it almost didn’t happen. About a week before completion, the tower was severely damaged in transport. We debated letting it go, but the team rallied and rebuilt the top third in only a few days, making the final crane installation a moment to remember.
Program Summary:A new entry court, including a tower, gate and portal, constructed with reclaimed materials at a summer camp for children with special needs.
Program Statement:From first impressions, to deep experiences, memories of the timeless American tradition of sleep-away summer camp are powerful. Our design task was to spark those experiences of anticipation, arrival, and transition into the carefree world of summer fun for children with chronic Illnesses and disabilities. As the first step in a new master plan, this new entrance relocates camper check-in from a heavily trafficked highway to a quiet country road, allowing for a safer, more deliberate approach. Upon arrival, three separate entry elements were designed, based loosely on moments in Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey: The Call To Adventure; The Threshold and finally, Revelation. As one crests the rolling hills, a monumental tower peeks out of the landscape, serving as the call to adventure, building anticipation. Upon arrival, stoic pylons flanked by mature pecan trees create a threshold, signifying one’s formal arrival to camp. Passing through the threshold, excitement grows as heavy gabion walls visually anchor a striking red frame surrounding towering wood doors. At check-in time, the massive doors open ceremoniously, revealing the pathway to summer camp fun. For the children that attend this facility, many with severe health issues, their experience here is exceptionally transformative, often creating rare moments of independence, freedom and belonging. We celebrate those important moments through this humble yet mighty gateway to adventure: The Hero’s Origin.
Project Team:
Professors: Robert Brooks, Brad Deal
Students: Ana Barrera, Anna Cavaretta, Ashleigh Ogden, Ashley White, Ben Hall, Brad Gregg, Curtis Gremillion, Emery Johnson, Hanna Sims, Jacob Forst, Kevin Kirkland, Jenna Roblee Jonathan Ferguson, Keenan Parker, Kyle Sieberth, Madison Waldron, Megan Povirk, Michael Mitchell, Molly Spencer, Nahille Vargas, Nia Carlton, Skyla Rae Lewis, Stephanie Jimenez, Tanner Talmadge, William Higginbotham, Yuan Zhou
Recognition: 2021 AIA Louisiana Honorable Mention
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MedCamps programs are completely free of charge to all campers with special needs. If you would like to support future projects at MedCamps, events, sponsor a campers attendance financially or volunteer please visit www.medcamps.org or email info@medcamps.org for more information.
(This is part of a series on the 11 projects designed and built by classes in the Louisiana Tech School of Design at MedCamps of Louisiana.)
MedCamps Executive Director Caleb Seney: The Mosaic Art Cabin is a camp favorite. A large air conditioned space where campers can create art and messes are encouraged. This project is utilized daily by almost every camper. Under the guidance of our art director, campers are encouraged to be creative and color outside the lines. The kids love it and a little secret is the STAFF does too! Prior to its renovation, The Mosaic Art Cabin had served for years as Parnell Cottage (Cabin 1). Over the years it was converted into a laundry facility and ultimately ended up as storage space and unused by the campers. Prior to its new home, our arts program was in a screened-in pavilion with no power or water. It was not pleasant on hot summer days. Mosaic is a creative piece of art in itself that inspires creativity and art to come from our campers. At night the facility is lighted up in an array of colors and gives a dark corner of camp a playful splash of light.
Tech Professor Brad Deal: This was our most complete project, with full mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems in a renovated block building topped with a 2,400 square foot roof. It was nearly more than we could handle, but the students pushed through every challenge to complete it. Three years later, a large tree collapsed the roof’s peak. It was heartbreaking, but several students from the 2024 Studio volunteered their first week of summer to restore it. That kind of lasting commitment says a lot about the impact of these projects.
Program Summary:Adaptive reuse of an existing structure at a summer camp for children with special needs into an arts and crafts “maker” space.
Program Statement:The design task was to create immersive experiences, foster creative expression and amplify the joy of making within the timeless traditions of summer camp. Drawing inspiration from the camp’s 25 year master plan, the project transformed an abandoned cabin, purposefully reintegrating its presence within existing camp roads and walkways. The nature of the users and creative program led the team to an accessible, inclusive, and direct “mosaic” concept. Directly associated with the creative work, mosaics begin with humble and sometimes unrelated pieces that, when assembled, celebrate their diversity and collaboration. Individuality becomes an asset, reminding us that the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. The floor plan, furniture, and storage solutions prioritize flexibility and utility, while a continuous mosaic spectrum of color links the string of interior and exterior spaces. A breezeway and detached bathroom provide privacy, while substantial fenestration allows for beautiful north light, clear circulation and functional program. The custom trusses and playful columns are fabricated from reclaimed steel from the oil and gas industry. Nearly 1,000 sf of reclaimed lumber, including formwork used in the project, create a complimentary mosaic of natural texture and color on the ceiling and in the restroom. At night the color spectrum radiates into camp, reminding campers of their time there, and creating a unique beacon in the wooded landscape, adding to the magic and memory of this special place and community.
Project Team:
Professors: Robert Brooks, Brad Deal
Students: Seth Bartholomew, Devin Boyd, Alex Bradke, Emily Brinkerhoff, Cole Chivers, Riley Felicetty, Stacey Garner, Christ Jacob Goure, Foster Gunter, Haley Hamel, Bailey Hayes, Gavin Jones, Gracie Kimbrell, Cody Marino, Jordan Merritt, Josh Mwatibo, Jack North, Ty O’Neal, Whitley Procell, Morgan Provost, Preston Remy, Olivia Roger, Brandon Shows, Laila Stewart, Katelyn Watts, Will Whatley, Katie Young
MedCamps programs are completely free of charge to all campers with special needs. If you would like to support future projects at MedCamps, events, sponsor a campers attendance financially or volunteer please visit www.medcamps.org or email info@medcamps.org for more information.
Boys & Girls Clubs of North Louisiana will host its ninth annual Holiday Basketball Camp on FRIDAY, June 27th at the LA Tech Intramural Center. All sponsorships may be designated for locations where we now have Boys & Girls Clubs in our north central region: Arcadia, Dubach, Farmerville, Jonesboro and Ruston.
A total of 200 campers from all over north LA have already registered for this free basketball camp that includes not only meeting NBA Champion Justin Holiday but also receiving a camp shirt, lunch provided by The Springs Church and served by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff Department and of course an opportunity to hone their basketball skills. Justin shares his experience as a Club kid at the Boys & Girls Club of North Louisiana in Ruston, his life journey, his great love for family and his faith.
Justin Holiday resided in Ruston, Louisiana from 1995 – 1999. During that time, Justin and his family moved back to California in 1999 where he and his brother Jrue attended the Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena. Justin and his family maintained many close friendships with families in Ruston and Justin even married former Rustonite and Ruston BGC kid Shekinah Seigmund.
After playing basketball for the University of Washington, Justin took his career overseas, playing for a professional team in Belgium. Holiday started his NBA career playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, later winning the 2015 NBA Championship with the Golden State Warriors.
From 2015 to 2024, Holiday played for many teams within the NBA, including the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets.
Justin received the Louisiana Area Council CARE (Children Are the Reason for Excellence) Award during the annual Boys & Girls Clubs of America Area Council Leadership Conference in 2020. He continues to provide outstanding support to our local Clubs in North Louisiana.
A woman who entered an occupied Grambling apartment and went to sleep on a couch has been arrested for unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling.
Ashlei Nicole Barnes, 29, of Ruston, was arrested by Grambling Police June 11 after a man woke to find her asleep on his couch.
The man called 911 to report a noise woke him up and he walked into the hallway to find Barnes lying on his couch. He told police he did not know Barnes and ran outside and called 911.
When questioned, Barnes said she entered the apartment through a front window. She said she did not know whose apartment she was in, but she was tired and was trying to get some sleep.
Barnes was arrested just two weeks earlier after Ruston Police received multiple calls of a woman with a firearm causing a disturbance on Clinton Circle.
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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