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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. 

Friday, June 20
10:30 a.m.: Mic drop on culture Juneteenth performance (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center)

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Saturday, June 21
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
9 a.m.: Fighting Gaming Community (Lincoln Parish Library Jack Beard Community Room)

Monday, June 23
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, 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)
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
2 p.m.: Russ-Town Band Concert (Howard Auditorium, Louisiana Tech)
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)

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.

To answer the question of where the big bass craze started, all we need to do is look at our neighbor to the west — Texas! No state has done more for bass fishing than Texas, and the people largely responsible work at the Texas Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (TDWF).

Texas has led the way showing how all other states should manage their fisheries, especially when it comes to producing huge largemouth bass. 

In the 1970s, tournament bass fishing was starting to take root and anglers wanted to catch more and bigger bass. The first lake that started producing huge bass was a power plant lake, Lake Monticello, near my hometown of Mt. Pleasant, Texas.

By the mid 1970s, this is where the big bass fever infected Texas and the bass fishing world. Monticello was a hot waterpower plant lake which gave bass a long and productive growing season. Here bass started spawning in December and as word spread about the size of bass being caught, Monticello became a destination for all bass fishermen.

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Then in 1980, one of the greatest bass fisheries in America was impounded … Lake Fork. This lake was a game changer and lit the fuse for an explosion of huge largemouth bass. Every bass angler that has ever wet a hook has dreamed of catching either a new world or state record bass and most felt Lake Fork was the place that would give anglers the best opportunity.

It presently holds 12 of the top 20 bass ever caught in the state of Texas!  It recently showed out this past May when the Bassmaster Elite Series showed up. It took a four-day total of over 128 pounds to win this event. The winner, with his best five, had a daily average just over 6 pounds per fish! 

Today, there are other lakes in Texas that are starting to produce record-size bass with the most recent being Lake O.H. Ivie, located just south of Abilene. There, double-digit bass are becoming the norm with 8-10 pound bass not even turning heads. 

In the last three years, O.H. Ivie has produced 39 bass weighing 13 pounds or more, all caught between the months of January and March. In Texas, all fish caught over 13 pounds become a part of what is called the Legacy Class Program. 

This is all part of the Texas ShareLunker Program. Biologists retrieve these huge bass from around the state and take them back to the hatchery in Athens. There they will breed these lunker fish with other lunker bass over 10 pounds, which in turn will be used as a part of their stocking program for other lakes.

In 2023, bass caught in O.H. Ivie made up 83 percent of the Legacy Class Bass caught in the state of Texas. Today, this lake continues to produce lunker bass like no other. This calendar year the lake has produced eight Legacy Class Bass over 13 pounds and 14 bass over 10 pounds as part of the ShareLunker program.

To visit lakes in Louisiana where an angler might catch a double-digit bass, you may want to check out Toledo Bend, Caddo Lake, Caney Lake or Bussey Break.

‘Til next time remember, the only way to catch big fish is if your lake has big fish! 

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.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.

Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications

A program-record three Bulldogs from the Louisiana Tech Golf team earned Academic All-District honors, as announced by College Sports Communicators on Tuesday.

Niilo Maki-Petaja, Oskari Schuvalow, and Gray Kingrea met the athletic and academic qualifications to be named to the 2025 CSC Academic All-District Team.

Kingrea, a sophomore from West Monroe, Louisiana, boasts a perfect 4.00 grade point average while majoring in Biology. He competed in five events this past season, including the 2025 Conference USA Championship.

The two-time CUSA Academic Medalist and CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient recorded a 75.54 stroke average over 13 rounds, posting three rounds at or under par.

Schuvalow, a sophomore from Helsinki, Finland, holds a 3.75 grade point average while majoring in Finance. He appeared in 12 events in his first season with the Bulldogs, registering a stroke average of 74.94 over 35 rounds.

The 2025 CUSA Academic Medalist and CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient posted 12 rounds at or under par, with a season-best finish of 12th at the Linger Longer Invitational.

Maki-Petaja, a sophomore from Helsinki, Finland, carries a 3.78 grade point average while majoring in Finance. He competed in 13 events this past season including the NCAA Tallahassee Regional. The Second Team All-CUSA selection led the team with a 71.62 stroke average over 39 rounds while registering eight top 20 finishes.

The two-time CUSA Academic Medalist and CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient set the single-season program record with 23 rounds at or under par.

CSC recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the course and in the classroom.

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Funeral services honoring the life of Elizabeth “Ann” Sufka, age 74, of Ruston, LA, will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, June 20, 2025 at Owens Memorial Chapel in Ruston with Pastor Clayton Owen officiating. Burial will follow in Kilpatrick Memorial Gardens in Ruston under direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home. 

Ann was born on August 1, 1950 in Oak Grove, LA and passed away at Northern Louisiana Medical Center in Ruston, surrounded by her family on June 17, 2025. 

Ann was a 1969 graduate of Ruston High School and attended beauty school at Pat Goins Beauty School.  Ann was employed at Zona’s as a beautician. Ann was a caring and loving person.  She was a friend to many and never met a stranger.  She was always willing to help where needed. She loved her church. 

Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Wilson and Virgie Boyte; two brothers, Dennis Boyte and Donnis Boyte; and nephew, Robert Pye. She is survived by her sister, Ruby Pye and husband Jerry of Ruston; two brothers, Harold Boyte and wife Renee, and Mickey Boyte of Choudrant; daughter, Dottie Sufka (Chad Deters) of Hineston, LA; grandchildren, Cody Hutson and wife Casey of Choudrant, Meagan Hutson of Bastrop, John Hutson of Choudrant, Maddie Carroll (Dillan) of Bradley, AR, and Blane Carroll (Grace) of Bradley, AR; three great-grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews. 

“And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”  John 16: 22 (KJV)

Visitation will be from 10:00 AM until service time Friday at Owens Memorial Chapel.

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William L Ellis 
Saturday 10/01/1966 — Monday 06/09/2025 
Viewing: Friday 06/20/2025 10:00am at King’s Funeral Home 
Celebration of Life: Friday 06/20/2025 11:00am at King’s Funeral Home 
Interment: Friday 06/20/2025, Greater St. Luke Baptist Church Cemetery, 163 St. Luke Church Road, Arcadia 

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By Kyle Roberts

RUSTON, La. — Ruston Lions Club President Terrel Deville rang the bell at 12:20 p.m. Tuesday and called to order the historic service organization in the Audubon Room at North Louisiana Medical Center.

And less than an hour later, the gavel hit for the final time, and the Ruston group turned its charter in after serving the community since February 22, 1946.

“This was not an easy decision to make, but the reality is that our group has aged to the point where within the next year, we don’t really have enough active members to fill the whole list of officers,” Ruston Lions Club President Terrel Deville said. “People would have to repeat, and beacause of our age, we’re not really able to continue to raise funds for projects.”

Deville, a member for 52 years, noted that during COVID, the Ruston Lions Club was unable to meet for two-and-a-half years and did not help the membership situation for the group.

“The reality is that young people don’t serve the same way that we did way back when,” Deville said. “They’re still serving the community, but it’s in other ways (rather than joining formal organizations).”

Dennis Coleman served as the Lions Tail Twister, and always segued from lunch to the formal meeting with jokes and funny anecdotes.

“Ruston has really benefited so much from this group,” Coleman said after serving for 23 years. “Mainly, I think the recognition that we sought for other areas of the community other than ourselves. We did whatever we did for others. It is the mantra that we live by, and every person in here believes that.”

To open the final meeting, the club sang “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” recited the pledge and prayed before calling into official order. After a review of the final minutes and reports, certificates were given out to members to honor their time served in the club, ranging from 18 to 58 years.

The club then presented the four members with the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award to Lions Coleman, Stephanie Matthews, Robert Daulton and Dorothy Jenkins.

Finally, Lions in attendance recounted their memories and what made the club so special to the Ruston community in the nine decades of service, ranging from the chicken barbecues to the eye-screenings for young children in Lincoln Parish.

But the theme most commonly referenced memory was the community built over time and the friendships that will live on.

“I was 28-years-old when I joined the Lions Club,” Lion Jim Lowther said after 58 years with the organization. At the time, the Lions Club had a broad range of age memberships. I did not grow up in Ruston, so when I joined, it was a fantastic way to get to know about Ruston through the many, many good programs. One thing that always struck me about our LIons Club is that with all the things we’ve done, no one ever did it to get some recognition or win an award. It was entirely unselfish, and that was one of the most attractive things about the Lions Club.”

93-year-old Lion Rosie Hodge echoed Lowther after she served for 22 years.

“I enjoyed my time with the Lions Club,” Hodge said during the share portion. “It was a pleasure meeting the wives of some of these other Lions. We’ve all been friends through the years, and I have certainly enjoyed all of it. And we hope that in the future, we’ll meet somewhere to say hello, or have a little breakfast or lunch and not forgetting each other.

Multiple Ruston Lions moved their membership to Simsboro’s Lions Club and will continue to serve Lincoln Parish, including Lion Stephanie Matthews, who currently serves as the executive director of Christ Community Action of Ruston. Matthews said she was very proud of the work the club has done over the decades to help preserve eyesight for children through the screenings.

“Today is a mixed bag of emotions,” Matthews said. “I’m happy and sad, but you have to know when it’s time to move forward and move on. I’ll still be a Lion and I’m looking forward to serving in a club and making a positive impact on Lincoln Parish.”

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By T. Scott Boatright

 

The Lincoln Parish Library (LPL) Board of Control decided Thursday that it’s time for a little talk about alcohol.

During its June meeting inside the Jack Beard room of the LPL, the Board approved a motion   to open discussions with the Lincoln Parish Police Jury to ask the LPPJ to possibly amend one of its ordinances to allow the use of alcoholic beverages at the Library’s Event Center.

Currently, a Police Jury ordinance prohibits the use of alcoholic beverages on LPPJ property. 

LPL Board Events Center Committee Chair Bill Jones was not at Wednesday’s meeting, but during a committee meeting last Thursday recommended that the Board proceed in asking the Police Jury to begin discussions over the matter.

“I would recommend that the Board also instruct this committee to prepare the proposed Events Center policy regulating the use of alcoholic beverages in the Events Center and that we have it available to the Jury when we make our request,” Jones said during that committee meeting.

The LPL Board motion approved Wednesday stipulated that the Events Center Committee is instructed to handle those discussions with the Police Jury and to report back to the Board the result of those discussions with the Police Jury; and that before it meets with the appropriate representatives of the Police Jury, the Events Center Committee should develop proposed regulations governing the use of alcoholic beverages at the Events Center and ask the Police Jury and its legal counsel for input and approval of such proposed regulations.

During the committee meeting, Jones said there is no city of Ruston’s ordinance that would  prohibit the use of alcoholic beverages in the Events Center and that because the Library Events Center is Jury property, the city should respect the Jury’s right to control whether, and under what circumstances, use of alcoholic beverages can be allowed on Jury property.

“Interestingly enough, the city’s ordinance does not prohibit the use of alcoholic beverages at the Events Center,” Jones said. “Their ordinance only applies to a library building that’s exclusively to be used as a library. So, (the Events Center) is exempt from their ordinance.

“I’ve had good conversations with the city’s attorney, Bill Carter, who has been very helpful, and he says the library and the Events Center are Jury property and the city won’t oppose its general permitting process over Jury property and that the Jury can regulate as it chooses.”

He added that the city of Ruston  has not experienced problems with allowing the use of alcoholic beverages in the Civics Center or the Old Fire Station. 

“They have developed a good policy that has prevented such problems,” Jones said. 

Jones pointed out some key elements of the city’s policy to the LPL Board:

• City police or Sheriff’s Deputies provide security at any event where alcohol is served or sold, with one deputy per 100 people at the current charge of $50 an hour.

• Alcoholic beverages must be served by a licensed Alcoholic Beverage Caterer

• The will be no use of alcoholic beverages outside the facility (in the Event Center’s case a specific room — the actual space rented) and not in the parking lot

Jones said the LPL Board needs to enter into negotiations about an ordinance change because the facility is losing significant potential Events Center revenue because the serving of alcoholic beverages by groups renting out space there is currently not allowed.

“We’ve been through this a lot before with the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) — we know we’re losing significant revenue,” Jones said during last week’s committee meeting. “If we can do this where it doesn’t present a problem to the library, and I think we can, I think we ought to try to do it.”

The LPL Board and the CVB have in the past had talks to consider the two entities teaming to manage the Events Center with a goal of increasing usage to bring in more revenue from rentals.

But the current inability to serve alcohol at such rental events has been a sticking point so far.

“This just opens the door,” Police Juror Milton Melton, who serves on the LPL Board as the LPPJ representative, said of the motion passed Wednesday. “There will be much more discussion about the particulars.”

In other business during Wednesday’s meeting, LPL Director Jeremy Bolom said the library is off to a strong start for summer programming.

“The Summer Reading kickoff was the biggest we’ve had in a long, long time,” Bolom told the Board. “We had 641 people, so it was a really big day. Everyone was super excited.”

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The Hero’s Launch (2016)

Photos Courtesy of Henry McCoy

(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:  With the design and construction of The Hero’s Launch, Arch335 took on the task of making canoeing a safe, accessible activity for our campers.  Much like Chiasmus, the students were inspired to take a standard camp activity and make it accessible, safe and fun.  The students designed and built a structure that provided a way for MedCamps staff to transfer campers in wheelchairs from stable surface to stable surface. 

The functionality of the project changed canoeing from a camp-wide, all-hands-on-deck activity to one where one or two cabin groups could go and enjoy the activity.  The project provided a level of independence to our campers that provided a sense of normalcy by making the activity less of a spectacle and more of a personal experience.

Tech Professor Brad Deal: This was our first project on the water and it gave us a new level of confidence in taking on challenges outside of Robert’s and my professional experience. It also happens to offer one of the most striking silhouettes on the property, especially when framed by a Camp Alabama sunset.

Program Summary: An ADA Accessible Canoe And Paddleboat launch designed specifically for a summer camp for children with various special needs and disabilities.

Program Statement: This project was designed to replace an existing floating dock structure at a summer camp for children with special needs. The existing facility was not suited for the loading and unloading of campers from their wheelchairs and lacked any storage space or protection from the sun and rain. The design draws inspiration from the epic novel structure of the hero’s journey. The camper’s journey begins on the “known” side of the camp where all other activities occur. But the act of crossing the bright red threshold, leaving the land and exploring the lake brings them into the “unknown” or wilderness side of the camp where they can explore the unfamiliar and begin to understand it. After their adventure, they return to the “known” side having gained new knowledge and confidence, a central goal of the camp experience for this population that is often withdrawn and isolated.  This facility features a CNC fabricated louver wall that reveals the gateway to the “unknown” through concentric ripples like those made by a drop in the waters surface.  It also includes a custom paddleboat lift and swiveling transfer bench for simple and safe loading of the boats by the camp staff.  It also accommodates the storage of four canoes, two paddleboats as well as life jackets, paddles and other safety gear. With its prominent position of the water, this project is the beacon that calls the campers to begin their adventure, and the threshold they cross as they return as fearless heroes.

Project Team:

Professors: Robert Brooks, Brad Deal

Students: Delaney Baker, Hunter Bradshaw, Daniel Campbell, Sam Crossland, Michael Davis, Daniel Dumas, Emily Greene, David Hoover, Chase Johnson, Tim Mathews, Ethan Robison, Ashton Russel, Rosa Schellinger, Keirilyn Smith, Jed Walpole, Lane Walters, Sulaiman Yousef

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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.

 

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Pisces Bridge (2017)

Photos Courtesy of Henry McCoy

(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 Pisces Bridge is probably the most functional and useful project completed by Arch335 at Camp Alabama.  Before it was built campers staying on the eastern side of the lake would have to navigate long distances on hilly terrain to get to activities on the western side of the lake.  Although this project significantly improved every camper’s experience, it especially improved the experience for campers confined to wheelchairs.  The bridge, which is nearly as long as a football field and floating on the water, has allowed campers ease of access to activities all over camp, not to mention it is a destination for campers who enjoy fishing. Two fish feeders mounted on opposite sides of the bridge allow our campers to now enjoy catching fish daily.  To see their faces light up when that cork dives underwater and they reel in their catch is an experience no one should miss.

Tech Professor Brad Deal: Much like the zip line, this bridge seemed impossible at first: seventeen novice students designing and building a bridge the length of a football field in just ten weeks. It felt absurd at the outset, but with enough will and dedication, we pulled it off. Using nearly 2 miles of reclaimed sucker rod and over 200 plastic drums donated by local car washes, we created one of the camp’s most essential pieces of infrastructure. It transformed how the property functions, all for about seven dollars per square foot. Looking back, it still feels unbelievable.

Program Summary:

A floating bridge and shade structure centered around the activity of fishing at a summer camp for children with special needs.  

Program Statement:

This 340’ bridge across the center of the lake at a summer camp for children with special needs was the centerpiece of a 2015 Masterplan that focused on future growth for the camp creating a continuous circuit of activities around and across the lake. The project’s focus was to improve circulation around the camp and better accommodate the activity of fishing for the campers. The design and research process led the team towards a conceptual framework centered around Pisces, the mythological symbol of two fish connected by a chord. The fish use their chord to solve problems, help others and to ensure they don’t lose one another. Similarly, this bridge serves to connect the two sides of the camp as well as forever link the designers to the campers the project serves. The floating structure incorporates hundreds of reclaimed 55-gallon barrels and discarded steel rod from local oil and gas operations. It shortens the journey between camp activities, creates opportunities for fishing and even allows canoes to pass via a pivoting segment of the bridge. The camper’s fishing experience is significantly improved by several detail elements including rod holders, lowered guard rail sections, gated fishing jetties, and two large shade structures that mimic the form of two fish leaping out of the water over the bridge.

Project Team:

Professors: Robert Brooks, Brad Deal

Students: Ian Bardwell, Mac Blades, Sydney Cathey, Iana Dingle, Lacey Hanemann, Mackenzie Keller, Josh Maxfield, John Moosa, Johnathan Nasser, Karlie Neilson, Edward Nieto, Madeline O’Rear, Cody Pate, Ernesto Pena, Terry Scott, Andrew Swain, Briana Trapp

Recognition: 2017 AIA Louisiana Honor Award & Member’s Choice Award; 2017 AIA I look up Film Challenge 1^st Runner Up

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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.

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By T. Scott Boatright

It’s been long known as one of the jewels of Lincoln Parish.

But even the brightest of jewels needs a little polishing up every now and then.

And just that  is in store for Lincoln Parish thanks to a $1 million Louisiana Community Development Block Grant announced last month that  will fund major improvements at the park..

Park Director James Ramsaur said  the upgrades will include installing a new rubber surface for the park’s original playground, constructing a new foundation and surface for Legacy Park and repairing and replacing outdated equipment.

Ramsaur said the upgrades will include adding electricity to picnic sites and resurfacing the park’s walking path that was originally installed nearly 20 years ago.

“This is all something that’s needed, and has been for a while now,” Ramsaur said. “We tried to get a Block Grant to do all of this last year, but we didn’t get it. But about a month ago we were told we had been awarded the grant this year, so we look forward to seeing an improved park in the future.

“The playground is the primary focus. The company that built the (original) subsurface didn’t do it right, so that created problems and the rubber surface was coming up and the surface has dips in it. It’s been like that for a few years but when I priced it out, it was out of our budget. We don’t have that kind of money.”

Ramsaur said both playgrounds — the original one that has existed since Lincoln Parish Park opened in 1995 and one another added later that is known as Legacy Park.

“The original playground has sand and dirt as its base,” Ramsaur said. “We’re going to put that good rubber surface on top of a concrete slab there. Sometimes they come in 4X4 (foot) squares. And those squares hold up better. 

“And any equipment that needs to be replaced, we’ll replace it, too.”

Legacy Park was the brainchild of area resident Jana Beck.

“She has a special needs child and came and asked that if she could raise the money for it, if we would be interested in receiving a special needs playground,” Ramsaur said. “I was like, sure! What are we talking about? And she said it would be like $300,000-$400,000.

“I asked if she thought she could raise that much, and she said yes. I really didn’t think she could raise that much. But she held fundraisers, including a big one at Squire Creek, and the Lincoln Health Hub made a huge donation — a majority of the cost.”

Ramsaur said that while newer, Legacy Park will also be part of the upgrade process.

“Kids use that probably 75% to 25% compared to the original park,” he said.

Resurfacing the walking paths throughout the park will also be part of the upgrade process.

“This will resurface the walking paths and get rid of some (tree) roots that are coming up along the path,” Ramsaur said. “Then on the far south side of our fence line, there’s a property on the other side, on Frazier Road, with a pond that’s above us. That property and pond predate the park.

“When that pond fills up with rain, the water flows over part of the walking path. We’ve made various attempts at trying to get that water rerouted, but this time we’re going to do it right. We’re going to get (engineering consultants) the Riley Company to figure out how to catch that water. What happens is, it just runs at first before dwindling to a trickle for a week or two. Taking care of that with some kind of drain is included as part of the walking path resurfacing.”

Ramsaur said that there will be some “hoops” that will need to be “jumped through” as part of the process for actually receiving the funding.

“With these grants, it takes a while,” Ramsaur said. “You have to get a bunch of different approvals and that kind of thing. They’re telling me it’s probably going to be next spring before we turn dirt.”

But despite that delay, Ramsaur said there are hopes the project can be completed by the end of 2026.

“If things go like we hope and construction starts in late spring or early summer, then it could hopefully be completed within six months,” Ramsaur said.

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By T. Scott Boatright

 

By day he is a hard-working Third District Assistant D.A. serving Lincoln and Union Parishes.

But sometimes by night, he is a hard-hitting member of the local rock band Hidden Tracks, marching to the beat of his own drum no matter what he takes on in life.

Less than two weeks ago, James Buckley got to live out a near lifelong dream as he and Hidden Tracks were featured as one of the Louisiana Peach Festival performing at Railroad Park.

“It was exceptionally hot, but we really didn’t even notice that because of the excellent reaction by the crowd,” Buckley said. “It’s such a great setting and we truly loved every second of it.”

A graduate of Bernice High School, Louisiana Tech University and the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, the Peach Fest was nothing new for Buckley.

But performing as a part of the celebration was certainly something entirely different.

“Growing up in Bernice, the Peach Fest was an annual event for all of us,” Buckley said. “When I was a kid, my dad played on a bunch of travel softball teams and back then there was almost always a tournament involved as part of the Peach Fest. So, I’ve been coming to Peach Fest since I was a kid, and getting to perform our music as part of it was thrilling.”

Playing at an outdoors site like Railroad Park was nothing new, but Buckley said getting to finally play a Peach Fest show was quite an experience.

“We’ve played outdoor gigs, but nothing quite as professional as this setting was,” Buckley said. “I’d always go to the Peach Fest shows and watch the performances. But once I started playing music myself … I remember thinking how cool it would be to perform as part of this one day.

“And it took a few decades, but I finally realized that dream. And it was an incredible experience.”

Buckley said his love for percussion began as a member of his middle school band.

“It was at Lillie Middle School back then,” Buckley said. “And I kept playing through high school in the marching band. But on the side, I always had a little drum kit set up at the house and I was always practicing trying and become the next Stewart Copeland (drummer of the rock band The Police) or Tommy Lee (of Mötley Crüe).

“And in college I started playing with these guys in the band and it’s just kind of organically developed over the years.”

Joining Buckley as members of Hidden Tracks, which bills itself as northeast Louisiana’s premiere 90s alternative rock cover band are Preston Fulco on guitar, Tracy Rainwater on bass and Heath Work handling lead vocals.

“Stewart Copeland was the first big influence I had,” Buckley said. “And I loved a lot of ’80s metal drummers, too — Tommy Aldredge, Tommy Lee, and guys like that. And then I gradually started getting into kind of punk rock college bands.

“The first I heard (Nirvana drummer) Dave Grohl, it just resonated with me on such a personal level, I was like, ‘Yeah, this is the way I’ve always wanted to play drums.’” 

Leading a triple life as an attorney/Assistant DA while being a devoted husband and father and providing the backbeat for a successful rock band can make life somewhat of a balancing act for Buckley.

 “The band practices once a week and I probably spend at least 15 or 20 minutes every day working on some drumming at the house,” Buckley said. “But as far as the job — it’s a stressful job in a lot of ways. I love my job and what I do, but there’s a lot of stress associated with it, so getting to pound some of that out on the drums is helpful. 

“Three hours of beating on a drum head relieves a lot of tension. It’s something I’ve been doing for a very long time. I stopped playing when I was in law school. Down in Baton Rouge, I knew if I started playing with some of the guys down there, I could write off my education.”

But there was, and still is, a secret behind Buckley’s success in the courtroom as well as sitting on a drum throne — his wife Leanna, with whom he shares daughter Hannah, a student at Louisiana Tech, rekindled his love of drumming when the time was right.

“I knew I had married the right woman when I graduated (from law school),’ Buckley said. “A lot of people are getting cars, computers, or briefcases — my wife got me a Tama drum kit. That got the fire going again and I’ve been drumming steadily ever since.

“And I also have a wife and daughter who are both pretty understanding about my weekend warrior music playing. I am blessed on both sides of the coin. I have a great group of people I work with, from (D.A. John Belton) on down, and I also have a wife and daughter who support me in my music. I couldn’t ask for anymore.”

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This is an advertorial

Please join us for our 28th annual patriotic celebration. The presentation called “LoveLincoln Freedom Fest” will feature songs that celebrate our nation’s birth, honor our servicemen and women, and recognize the true freedom God has given through Jesus Christ.

The event is free, so please bring your entire family and lots of friends to enjoy it with you. This year’s program is somewhat different as it will be held at Howard Auditorium on Louisiana Tech’s Campus, because our Sanctuary is being renovated. The program is on Tuesday, June 24, at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

“I am always excited to gather with our community to celebrate the freedom that we enjoy in our nation while also declaring the liberty we can experience in Christ,” Temple Baptist Pastor Dr. Reggie Bridges said. “To me, it is emotionally moving to “honor those whom honor is due” as we recognize our veterans, and as we recommit ourselves to live responsibly in our freedom.

“While we had to relocate the program due to our Sanctuary renovation, we believe Howard Auditorium will be a great setting for the celebration. We have actually had such a service there before—years ago! We felt it very important to continue our patriotic program tradition, and that is why we worked on the necessary logistics/changes to make it happen.”

Our community fireworks show will still be held as usual on Thursday, July 3, at dark on Temple’s Campus and is sponsored by generous donors in our community.

 

 (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 HARRISON VALENTINE

Written for the LSWA

 

Before there was Haleigh Bryant, Sarah Finnegan or Ashleigh Gnat, there was a 14-time All-American at LSU. An NCAA beam champion, and an SEC Gymnast of the Year, who was setting the foundation and helping vault LSU gymnastics into a perennial power.

That was April Burkholder, a native of Houston, but an LSU Tiger through and through. Just ask her legendary coach D-D Breaux, who experienced it all in her 43 years as leader of the LSU program.

Breaux coached 250 All-Americans and 89 All-SEC selections during her illustrious tenure that in 2017 landed her in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Burkholder was as driven as any of them, she said, high praise coming from one of the sport’s greatest pioneers.

“She was intense,” Breaux said. “She had that Eye of the Tiger. Nothing was going to stop her. Nothing was going to stand in her way. She wanted to win championships. She wanted to do anything she could possibly do to put an exclamation point on her gymnastics.”

Now Burkholder will join her coach in the state’s sports shrine during the 2025 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration June 26-28 in Natchitoches. Check LaSportsHall.com for event information.

Not only did Burkholder’s greatness pay dividends for LSU on the mat, but it also translated into fan interest never previously seen in an LSU program that once competed in the Carl Maddox Field House or before sparse crowds in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

In 2025, the Tigers finished with four consecutive sellouts for the first time in school history. A total of 13,476 people attended the final meet against Georgia. Those numbers, historic in nature, were sparked by gymnasts like Burkholder and coaches like Breaux, who generated excitement that Tiger fans feel today.

“She was the beginning of us being able to market and promote and really put people in the seats,” Breaux said. “The fact that, when she left, we were selling season tickets and putting 6,000 people in the stands, that was the beginning of what we see now.”

When you boast a resume like Burkholder’s – whose list of accolades spill off the page – it’s almost impossible to pick one moment that stands out. For Breaux, it was the final event of her senior year, capturing the 2006 NCAA championship on balance beam. All that hard work culminating in the ultimate prize on the ultimate stage. How fitting.

“Everything she did was just awesome,” Breaux said. “She never won a national championship until her senior year. Numerous All-American honors and numerous SEC honors. But that coveted national title had evaded her. In my career, I’ve had three or four beam national championships, and every one are special people because the event requires so much focus and repetition of training.”

Burkholder got an early start in the sport, inspired by her big sister and encouraged by her parents.

“My sister was four years older than me and had been in gymnastics a year before I started,” she said. “I was 3 and I was jumping all over the place. I broke five bones before I was 5 years old, I cracked my skull open when I was 2, so I think part of my introduction to gymnastics was my parents wanting me to learn how to fall.”

She was a quick study, and gymnastics had a magnetic pull that became the dominant influence as she grew up. Although she thrived competitively, it came at a cost.

“I loved performing. Floor was always my favorite event because of that. Dance was a big part also for me,” said Burkholder. “It was all I knew, really. I was training 10 hours a day by the time I was 10 years old. I honestly didn’t even really have time for school. My education took a back seat and suffered a little bit, so I had to overcome a lot of obstacles.

“I bounced around so much … alternative schools, Christian schools that were only four hours a day, definitely not where I should have been.

“I had a scholarship waiting for me that I couldn’t take because I wasn’t academically eligible. I had to wait a year after I graduated high school to fix some things before I could come to LSU.  D-D was very helpful in helping me get eligible, and she was pretty adamant about getting me to LSU.”

By then, she was a highly-coveted recruit.

“I pretty much had any choice I wanted, and LSU was my first trip. It wasn’t that far away from home, one state over, and it was my first choice, especially after I took my visit. It felt like home, all the way around,” said Burkholder, who gave good-faith visits to Utah and Oklahoma and called off another to Georgia – where current Tigers’ coach Jay Clark was an assistant, and realized her heart was calling Baton Rouge.

Burkholder took her academics more seriously although she didn’t have the laser focus on her post-competitive career. She changed her major several times ad ultimately graduated in general studies with minors in sociology, communication studies and dance.

“That allowed me to take classes that I felt would be very useful in life, not knowing yet what I wanted to do for a career,” she said, noting that it proved to be an ideal foundation for what has become a career in alcoholic beverage sales for world-renowned Disaronno, which notably produces the world’s favorite Italian liqueur. She oversees the company’s accounts in south Texas and all of Louisiana.

That vocation introduced her to a Houston-area restaurant manager, Andrew Coulter, who has since entered the construction business. They married July 13, 2020 and last year April gave birth to 13-month-old daughter Adelyn Dawn, who shares her mom’s middle name and already, a love for dancing.

One of Burkholder’s best friends during their days as Tigers was Ashleigh Clare-Kearney, who was a freshman when Burkholder was a junior. She was Clare-Kearney’s host on her recruiting visit, a roommate on away trips, and neighbors in LSU’s West Campus Apartments. The two became inseparable.

“We hung out with the same group of people, we enjoyed the same type of music and we were very much homebodies,” Clare-Kearney said. “Over time, we just naturally grew closer because we had similar interests, we lived together and had the same type of mentality about things outside of the gym and inside the gym and wanting to do something different that LSU gymnastics had never done before.”

She didn’t realize it at the time, but Burkholder was an incredible mentor to Clare-Kearney. Their visions aligned. Their mentality was the same. Their goals were simple: make LSU’s gymnastics program the best in the country.

Mission accomplished.

“She was extremely coachable,” Breaux said. “Her leadership style was more do what I do, work how I work, train how I work – it was more of a follow by example. Ashleigh Clare-Kearney was probably her best friend in college and a fabulous mentor and role model for April.”

“It was awesome to have an upperclassman, and someone that had the success that she’d had, as a mentor,” Clare-Kearney said. “At the time, I didn’t necessarily view it as mentorship because we were 18 and 20, but that’s exactly what it was.”

While national championships, record-breaking crowds, and billions of social media engagements have become the “new norm” for the Tiger program, it wasn’t always like that. Far from it, actually. Burkholder, along with Breaux, were key to building LSU gymnastics into what it is today – one of the hottest tickets in town.

“She was very instrumental in building and laying the foundation for the team and allowing the team to propel in the way it has,” Clare-Kearney said. “It was the April Burkholder years where attendance started to grow, there started to be more excitement around LSU gymnastics.

Burkholder stepped onto LSU’s campus in 2002 as a rising star and left as the most decorated gymnast in school history four years later. Today, even after the program’s first NCAA championship in 2024 and numerous great teams and great gymnasts, Burkholder’s accomplishments still rank among the very best in LSU history.

When she left LSU, Burkholder had won a total of 108 individual event titles, the program record until she was eclipsed a few years later by Clare-Kearney’s 114. Her eight perfect 10s (four on floor exercise, two on vault and two on beam) are still tied for the fourth-most in LSU history. And her 39.875 all-around score in 2003 in a meet with Centenary and Texas Woman’s University stood as the program’s best mark for 21 years until a 39.925 by Bryant in 2024.

During her time as a Tiger, Burkholder compiled 14 All-American honors (seventh-most ever at LSU), and was two-time SEC and NCAA Central Region Gymnast of the Year in addition to being a four-time All-SEC selection. As the program continued to grow, so did she.

“She’s an example of what it means to work hard and achieve more,” Breaux said. “Every year she got better, achieved more – and she was great when she arrived.”

An inductee in 2015 into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame, Burkholder is deeply appreciative of her impending enshrinement in the state sports shrine – as only the fourth gymnast, following 1984 Olympic gold medalist Kathy Johnson, Breaux and another Tiger great, 2019 inductee Susan Jackson.

“After dedicating my life to this sport, and having to overcome a lot of obstacles, a lot of challenges, this puts it all together and makes it that much more meaningful,” said Burkholder, who turns 42 on July 2. “Hearing about the process and seeing everyone who’s been inducted and those who are in this class, it’s really special to reach this point. It solidifies things and makes it all worth it.”

Burkholder’s place in history is most deserving to those that know her best.

“Incredibly deserving,” Clare-Kearny said. “A girl from Houston that brought so much energy and excitement to the PMAC on Friday nights. I think it’s amazing that she’s being honored and recognized, especially all these years later. She was a pivotal part of laying the foundation for LSU gymnastics.”

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Harrison Valentine, a 2022 LSU graduate, is already an award-winning writer and content creator wrapping up his sixth year with the Tigers’ athletic department, his first as assistant director of strategic initiatives. Among his prize-winning subjects are 2024 LSHOF inductee Seimone Augustus and former LSU baseball ace Paul Skenes.

 

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 (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 LENNY VANGILDER

Written for the LSWA

Joe Scheuermann was a 27-year-old assistant baseball coach at Tulane when he came to Natchitoches in June 1990 to present his father, “Rags,” for induction in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Curveballs are a part of baseball, and “Rags” delivered a dandy one that night. During his acceptance speech, he announced his retirement as Delgado Community College’s baseball coach.

Thirty-five years after following in his dad’s footsteps on City Park Avenue and with 1,207 victories on his record, Joe Scheuermann will join his dad to become the fourth father-son combination to be inducted into the LSHOF.

That culminates the Class of 2025 Induction Celebration in Natchitoches June 26-28. Information about the seven events over three days is available at LaSportsHall.com.

While most assume it was a done deal that Joe would replace “Rags” at Delgado, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The younger Scheuermann came back to New Orleans and soon met with then-Delgado president Dr. James Caillier. “I don’t want to have this job because I’m Rags Scheuermann’s son,” Joe Scheuermann told his future boss.

Later that summer, he became the second head coach of what is now the oldest junior college program in any sport in Louisiana.

In Joe Scheuermann’s first game as head coach in February 1991, the Dolphins faced Bishop State College from Alabama.

“The (Bishop State) head coach was Cleon Jones,” Scheuermann remembered. He asked the World Series champion from the 1969 “Miracle Mets” to autograph his lineup card.

Though the reins had been handed down, it was still hard for the new head coach not to look over his shoulder and in the grandstand. “The first 4-5 years I was more worried about making my dad happy than I was about being a coach,” he said. “I coached too much with exterior emotion. The last two years of his life I started to relax a little bit.”

“Rags” passed away in April 1997, a week shy of his 74th birthday.

Joe Scheuermann was preparing for his 16th season at Delgado when his program – and the entire city of New Orleans – was dealt a body blow named Hurricane Katrina.

The Scheuermanns, with their house and campus under water, evacuated to New Roads. A few days later, in Baton Rouge, he met with Delgado’s chancellor, Alex Johnson.

With the college in financial straits after a lost semester and significant rebuilding costs, the message about the spring 2006 season was simple – “We can’t fund it.” The only way to have a season, and save the program started three decades earlier by his father, was to raise the money himself.

Scheuermann got that program-saving donation from a longtime supporter and friend, and the task of resuscitating a season – and a ballpark, since Kirsch-Rooney Stadium had also been inundated with several feet of flood waters – began.

“I was looking at whether I should transfer,” said Kyle Beerbohm, a sophomore on the 2006 team. “We came back late in the fall and helped with cleanup and putting the field together. Pitchers were putting up a fence during (batting practice). It was definitely a wild fall and early spring.”

Added Scheuermann: “The fact we played the year after Katrina is probably my proudest moment. It would have been easy for Delgado not to have athletics, but it made them realize how important athletics is for the college.”

One year later, the Katrina freshman class would lead Scheuermann to his first-ever trip to the Junior College World Series, 22 years after “Rags” made his only trip.

“If you ask that ’07 team, they expected to win,” Scheuermann said. “If you expect to win, you win. You can’t hope for anything.”

In the district championship game in Missouri, Scheuermann recalled, “We won it on a guy that missed first base on a double that scored the go-ahead run. When that happened, we realized we were going to win this thing.”

Omaha, Nebraska, is the goal each year for LSU and other NCAA Division I programs. On the NJCAA Division I level, it is Grand Junction, Colorado.

“Once we got to the World Series, people bought into our program,” Scheuermann said. “Your kids remember the experience and they pass it down the line … Our expectations became Grand Junction.”

Delgado rattled off three straight trips to Grand Junction from 2014-16 and then returned for a fifth time under Scheuermann in 2023, finishing fifth.

In May 2024, Scheuermann won his 1,178th game to pass the late Tony Robichaux, a 2022 LSHOF inductee, and become the winningest college coach in Louisiana history. But that’s not how he sees it.

“I broke the junior college record for wins in Louisiana,” said Scheuermann, who played at Tulane the same time as Robichaux played at then-USL. “Every game I’ve won was at the junior college level. Tony Robichaux did it at the Division I level. That’s not the same.”

But, he added, “It’s something I will always share with him.”

On April 13 of this year – coincidentally, what would have been “Rags” Scheuermann’s 102nd birthday – Scheuermann registered his latest milestone, career win No. 1,200.

Another milestone happened in January – his 50th Sugar Bowl, for whom he has worked part-time leading up to the annual game since serving as a mail courier as a teenager.

It was there he first met longtime Tulane sports information director and future LSHOF member M.L. Lagarde, who served as a media liaison.

Lagarde “sat me down and said ‘what do you want to do?’ ” Scheuermann recalled. Those conversations led to an opportunity to work Tulane events, beginning in high school.

“I really thought I would work in (athletic) administration,” he said.

After stepping away from baseball for a couple of years in middle school, Scheuermann began attending now-defunct Redemptorist High School, where baseball coach Wilfred “Skeeter” Theard convinced him to return to the game.

“Coach Theard said, ‘You need to play.’ Skeeter took a liking to me and kind of taught me the game a little bit.

“He kind of got me back on path. I started to enjoy myself with baseball a little bit.”

In 1980 – the school’s last year on its Uptown campus and known as Redemptorist – the Rams won the Class 2A state baseball title.

“Joe was more like the player/coach,” said Tommy Mathews, his teammate at Redemptorist, Delgado and Tulane. “He knew more about the game than we did. He was more focused, talking to Skeeter about situations of the game. We were just teenagers playing the game.”

Scheuermann went on to play for his dad at Delgado for two years, and his performance in American Legion ball following his freshman year and then as a sophomore with the Dolphins led Tulane assistant Mickey Retif to take notice.

“Delgado gave me the avenue and the desire to play,” said Scheuermann. “Academically, I got my feet on the ground and was able to get into Tulane.”

After playing for the Green Wave in 1983 and 1984, Lagarde, baseball coach Joe Brockhoff and athletic director Hindman Wall gave Scheuermann a unique opportunity to stay at Tulane, splitting time between the sports information office and baseball staff.

Scheuermann would spend six years as an assistant under Brockhoff at Tulane, helping the Green Wave reach the NCAA Tournament three consecutive times from 1986-88, before heading to Delgado.

How has he gotten to this point? By being himself and convincing other families to do exactly what he did – starting your path on the two-year college level.

“Nobody understands how beneficial it is to go to junior college as an athlete,” Scheuermann said. “We’ve been able to convince Mom and Dad that Delgado isn’t a trade school.

“I’ve placed over 400 kids in four-year programs and continue to get their baseball skills developed and get their education.”

One of them was Sean McMullen, who played at Delgado in 2011 and 2012 before becoming a two-year starter at LSU.

“You never looked there,” McMullen said of Delgado. “(Scheuermann) sat me down and said, ‘How about you give us a shot … If you come here and perform, I will put you in touch with where you want to go.’ I trusted him.”

McMullen became a Pied Piper of sorts for the Dolphins, helping to recruit many of the key local pieces in the program’s three consecutive trips to Grand Junction.

“I told them, if you want to play (Division I) baseball, come here,” McMullen said. “If you hate it, you can leave and just go to college. But nobody does that. This is family. This is different.”

Not one of Scheuermann’s former players has played a day in the major leagues, which may be even a bigger credit to the coaching job he has done in 35 years.

“We’ve been able to do this with blue collar guys,” he said. “We don’t … recruit nationally.”

That itch for administration never left. Scheuermann added the title of athletic director at Delgado in 2013, has been a part of the staff at NCAA baseball regionals at LSU for decades, and this year served as an NCAA liaison for the Hattiesburg Regional.

As Delgado’s AD, he led the fundraising efforts to build the Gayle and Tom Benson Athletic Complex, which opened last fall, steps from the left field foul line at Kirsch-Rooney.

Scheuermann already is a member of the NJCAA Baseball Coaches and the All American Amateur Baseball Association halls of fame. Tulane’s athletic hall of fame will honor him in September with its career achievement award.

Joe and “Rags” join the trio of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning; “Dub” and Bert Jones, and Glenn and Billy Hardin as the only fathers and sons enshrined in Natchitoches.

“Archie texted me and said ‘welcome to the fraternity,’ ” Joe Scheuermann said. “When Archie Manning sends you that, it kind of hits home.”

As much as Joe Scheuermann has followed in his father’s footsteps, there’s one thing he won’t do – go on stage at the Natchitoches Events Center and announce his retirement.

“I get asked all the time, when are you going to get out?” Scheuermann said. “I’m 62, I feel great, I enjoy coaching.

“I remember my dad saying, ‘You’ll know when it’s time.’ I really don’t feel it’s time yet. It’s an occupation but I do it more for the kids and the school.”

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New Orleans native Lenny Vangilder has been a part of the team behind Crescent City Sports since it originated in 2008 as NewOrleans.com, and before that spent 20 years leading publicity teams for Tulane athletics and Fair Grounds Race Course. An LSWA past president, he has received more than 35 national and state awards for writing, publications and broadcasting.

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A Ruston man wanted on warrants was arrested by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office after a traffic stop.

Chadarrious L. Spencer was stopped after he failed to signal a turn from Farmerville Street onto Spice Avenue at about 7:30 p.m. June 10.

A deputy detected the slight odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A record check on the Spence indicated he was wanted on warrants from Bienville Parish for dating for battery of a dating partner, criminal trespass, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, and criminal damage the property.

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While the deputy was waiting for back up, a passenger bolted from the vehicle and ran away and has not been apprehended as of publication time.

When additional deputies arrived, Spencer was removed from the vehicle and arrested. He was asked if he had any contraband on him and he stated no. A search of the vehicle located a small amount of loose marijuana in the center console of the vehicle.

Spencer was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of obstruction of justice, improper turn, and the four Bienville Parish warrants.

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.

Two Ruston women were arrested last week after a domestic incident in which one person was slashed with a knife.

La’Garyka Patresse Bates, 25, and Ma’kayla Breanne Ferguson, 23, were arrested after investigation of a violent encounter at the Cinnamon Square Apartments off South Farmerville Street about 11:15 p.m.

Ruston Police responded to the scene and found Ferguson and her sister with injuries. Bates was located hiding behind a nearby apartment building. She was taken to RPD headquarters for questioning.

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The investigation determined the incident stemmed from a domestic dispute between Bates and Ferguson. The altercation escalated when Ferguson allegedly choked Bates as they were fighting. As the argument continued, Bates grabbed a knife and swung it at Ferguson, causing a laceration to her face and shoulder.

Ferguson’s sister received superficial wounds when she attempted to break up the fight. Police said three small children were present during the incident.

Both Bates and Ferguson were arrested and transported to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center.

Bates was booked for aggravated domestic abuse battery with child endangerment and a warrant for failure to appear in court. Ferguson was booked in on domestic abuse battery with strangulation.

The Ruston Police Department reminds the public that resources are available for those experiencing domestic violence. The Domestic Abuse Resistance Team (DART) can be reached at 318-251-2255.

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.

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Click the three bars in the bottom corner and select “With Radar” to see current precipitation and storms in your area.

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. 

Thursday, June 19
Juneteenth
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)

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Friday, June 20
10:30 a.m.: Mic drop on culture Juneteenth performance (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center)

Saturday, June 21
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market
9 a.m.: Fighting Gaming Community (Lincoln Parish Library Jack Beard Community Room)

Monday, June 23
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, 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)
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
2 p.m.: Russ-Town Band Concert (Howard Auditorium, Louisiana Tech)
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)

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.

Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications

Louisiana Tech bowling had four players named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, announced by the organization on Tuesday.

Jenna Stretch, Rachel Ong, Kylee Trexler and Allyson Sand all recorded a 3.5 GPA or better while making significant contributions on the lanes.

The 2025 Academic All-District® At-Large Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in their sport and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions – NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

To be nominated, a student-athlete must be in the lineup for 70 percent of an institution’s team scoring events for bowlers, be at least a sophomore in both academic and athletic standing, and carry a cumulative GPA of at least 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale).

Stretch is majoring in English and boasts a 3.97 GPA. The rising senior is a two-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and a 2025 CUSA Academic Medalist. On the lanes, Stretch saw action in all 15 events for the Bulldogs and finished third on the team with a 19.84 average per frame. She ranked 35th in the country in the Player Composite Performance Index. She would finish second on the team with a 72.4 strike percentage and averaged over 200 in six tournaments.

Ong has made a significant impact on and off the lanes for the Bulldogs in her first season. The Singapore native has a 3.952 GPA in Aviation Management and was named to the 2024-25 CUSA All-Academic team. She was a member of the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Academic Medalist during her inaugural campaign in Ruston. Ong found her mark in the back half of the season, earning All-Tournament honors at the Bulldog Classic and Music City Classic. She would finish the season ranked 34th in the PCPI, 10th in frame fill percentage (87.5), 7th in spare conversion percentage (76.4) and 3rd in split leave percentage (6.0).

There was no sophomore slump for Trexler. The Arcadia, Indiana, native has a 3.79 GPA in Exercise and Health Promotion. Trexler is a 2025 CUSA Academic Medalist and a two-time member of the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll. She followed up her NTCA Rookie of the Year campaign with a runner-up finish at the United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Singles Championship. She finished the season ranked 44th in the PCPI and ranked 7th in leadoff bowler strike percentage at 49.8.

The lone senior, Sand, graduated with a degree in Exercise and Health Promotion with a 3.56 GPA. Sand was a member of the CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll all four seasons and was part of the Southland Bowling Leagues Academic Honor Roll during her freshman and sophomore seasons. On the lanes, the Chesterfield, Michigan, native saw action in all 15 events and helped lead Tech to a fifth straight NCAA Regional and USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships. She finished the season with a 19.32 average per frame and had over a 200 average in three events.

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By T. Scott Boatright

GRAMBLING — Being teammates on a high school athletics team can create strong bonds.

Grambling State University is hoping such a bond will benefit its women’s basketball program starting as Quianna Chaney has accepted an assistant coaching position under Lady Tigers head coach Courtney Simmons, who was a teammate of Chaney’s during their high school days at Southern Lab High School in Baton Rouge.

Chaney announced earlier this week that she is leaving her role as head coach at Southern Lab to join her former high school teammate at GSU.

It’s been a championship partnership in the past. Chaney and Simmons, who went on to play collegiately at Tulane, Trinity Valley Community College and Louisville, to win two Louisiana High School Athletics Association titles before Chaney moved on to her college career at LSU, being named Louisiana Miss Basketball following her senior season.

At LSU, Chaney played on four Final Four teams at LSU, totaling 1,345 career points in the process. 

Chaney earned SEC All-Freshman recognition and was a second-team All-SEC selection during collegiate career.

The WNBA’s Chicago Sky drafted Chaney No. 19 overall in the 2008 league draft. 

Chaney played professionally overseas for 10 years before returning to Louisiana to take over the girls hoops program at Southern Lab.

When you surround yourself with the winners the conversations are just different. Coach Quianna brings experience, a wealth of knowledge, and an edge I’ve been missing,” Simmons said about the hire. “GSU Women’s basketball has definitely got better today.”

Having turned down college coaching opportunities previously, Chaney said the timing just felt right to join her high school teammate at Grambling.

“I am truly excited and blessed to join the Grambling State University women’s basketball coaching staff,” Chaney said. “I am incredibly grateful for the journey that has led me to this opportunity and for all of the players, coaches, and communities who have supported me along the way. 

“When God opens new doors, I walk through them with faith and purpose. I look forward to contributing to the continued success of this historic program — it’s all about the SWAC now.”

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