The Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) announced Experience Ruston as the recipient of the prestigious Tourism Campaign of the Year Award at its Annual Meeting in Lafayette, La on Thursday, January 22.
This year, the LTA celebrated excellence in the Louisiana tourism industry by presenting 21 “Louey Awards” to outstanding individuals and organizations. These awards honor those who have made significant contributions to promoting and enhancing Louisiana’s vibrant tourism landscape.
Experience Ruston received the Tourism Campaign of the Year (budget up to $29,999) for its “Small Markets Can Pull Big Strings” campaign. This campaign targeted meeting and event planners, showcasing Ruston’s appeal as a premier destination for small meetings and conferences. By leaning into what makes Ruston distinct—authentic hospitality, creative problem-solving, and strong local partnerships—Experience Ruston effectively reframed the perception of a small market into a compelling advantage.
“We’re truly honored to receive this recognition from the Louisiana Travel Association,” said Tori Davis, Director of Marketing and Communications at Experience Ruston. “At its core, this campaign celebrated the thing that makes Ruston so special – our warm community that always shows up when called on and pulls out all the stops to make Ruston shine.”
In addition to receiving the Louey Award, Experience Ruston also celebrated the graduation of Tori Davis, Director of Marketing and Communications, and Anna Graney, Destination Services Coordinator, from the Louisiana Tourism Leadership Academy (LTLA) at the Association’s 2026 Annual Meeting.
The twenty-six members of the LTLA class spent all of 2025 developing their leadership skills while learning from seasoned professionals across the tourism industry. The goal of the program is to equip each class with knowledge and skills that will enrich their tourism-related organizations, thereby strengthening the state-wide tourism industry.
Another notable moment during the LTA Annual Meeting was the installation of Experience Ruston’s President & CEO Amanda Carrier as a new board member of the Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) Board of Directors.
“Our executive committee and board of directors play a crucial role in meeting the needs of our members and ensuring we achieve our goals of providing top-notch educational and marketing opportunities while advocating on behalf of the industry,” said Chris Landry, LTA president and CEO. “We are thrilled to begin another year with this exceptional group of industry leaders representing the entire state.”
For over two decades, Chief Meteorologist Jarod Floyd has become an institution for weather forecasting in the Arklamiss — first beamed into our homes primarily through television and earning the trust of our community for facts-based weather forecasting and reporting with zero sensationalism. Now, Floyd is operating his own online forecasting business at DigitalWeatherDesk.com and on social media, which is entirely free to access and subscribe. The links are included at the end of this article.
The Lincoln Parish Journal’s Kyle Roberts was able to sit down with him for a Zoom Q&A. The following transcript has been edited for clarity.
And, please, continue to pray for our friends and neighbors in areas to the east and south of Lincoln Parish as they recover from this storm system.
Kyle Roberts: “Thanks so much for hopping on. What has this week been like for you from a forecast perspective and given your new venture now that you’re doing this on your own?”
Chief Meteorologist Jarod Floyd: “The last week has been a lot of learning — what works, what doesn’t work, what the consumers, what the viewers need, what they don’t need, um, and being able to supply, what they need. But from the forecast standpoint, I kind of have to give the kudos to the computer model data and the forecast data ahead of time. It never really wavered from last Sunday when it pointed at this for the next Sunday, so about a week out.
“It was already saying this was gonna be a problem. We were able to sound the alarm bells pretty early that this was going to be an issue. The last week has been a lot for a new business and a new platform. It has been a learning experience, but I also think, for lack of a better term, we’ve been discovered by the community. And that means the information gets to more people, and that’s the positive side of it all.”
KR: “With this being the first major storm system that’s come through and now going outside of the TV studio and into your own business now, what has that transition been like for you, from the time that you decided to start this, to where you are and where you expect to be in the future?”
JF: “It’s been about a year and a half — before we even launched — of kicking tires, asking questions and trying to figure out how this would work, how it would look and all that stuff. There’s been a lot of anxiety, a lot of, “I don’t know what I don’t know” kind of things, and so it’s just been a learning process and asking a lot of questions to a lot of important folks, and I always give the credit to Nick Mikulas, who’s with Cenla Weather down in Alexandria. He was mentor of mine to kind of walk me through how this process would look. And then another gentleman, Ben Luna, who’s with Tennessee Valley Weather. The digital weather platform in these rural areas continues to expand and for our smaller communities in our relatively rural community. This is a business model that catches on it, and it makes sense for us.
“But back to the original question. It’s been a change to move from broadcast to digital, but also, it has been less stressful in the last week to be able to still be around your family during the middle of the winter storm. We had roof crises going on here where we had ice accumulating. We had ice dam issues and if I were to deal with that from 20 miles away (in the studio), that’s a lot more stressful for me. I was able to help my family while still informing the Arklamiss. Again, the stress levels in terms of being a father and being a husband and being away are just so much lower, and that makes me a more efficient person to get the information out, which is also helped as well.”
KR: “This ice event was something that’s every 5 to 10 years, maybe even less frequent. Now we move into something that’s a little more standard with our annual severe weather season coming up in the spring. We’ll still be expecting tornado watches, tornado warnings. How different, if at all, are you expecting your sever weather forecast to be with your new platform as opposed to being in the studio?”
“Yeah, and that’s going to be the cool thing about it. We’ve had a couple of severe weather events already where we’ve done almost essentially test runs — almost like a dress rehearsal, if you will — for a more active season ahead. It will be a different for folks that are expecting a television-style presentation. They’re going to be disappointed. But for those that are looking for a little bit more casual, not necessarily informal, but just a little bit more long-form extended, detailed coverage for their severe weather, that’s what they’re going to be expecting to see.
“The ice storm was a marathon, severe weather is more of a sprint. And so instead of seeing updates every two or three or four hours, we’re just going to provide live coverage until it’s gone. Case in point: we had a tornado warning back in Bienville Parish a couple of weeks ago, around 11 or midnight. We did the tornado warning coverage, but then as that storm remained severe, but not tornadic, it started to approach Ruston, Monroe, West Monroe — all these more highly populated areas along the interstate. And I knew a lot of folks would wake up at 1:00 in the morning to the thunder and the wind and the rain and they wanted to know what’s going on. Well, normally, severe thunderstorm warnings you wouldn’t provide severe weather cover or live continuous coverage on broadcast television. We just kept our live stream going. That way that if folks woke up and they found the live stream, then we told them, “It’s just some some thunder and some lightning — you can go back to bed,” and they went on their merry way.
“We’re trying to to build a community. And that’s the most important thing, and that’s the word I keep coming back to: Somewhere that folks who are whether anxious, and they don’t know where to turn — they know where they can go, and not only get information from somebody that’s responsible, reliable, and local, but they can also be around other folks that can help provide them information or give them a heads up of what’s going on in their area.
“And that way, for the weather anxious community that we have, and there’s a lot of folks like that in Lincoln Parish and Ruston when you go back to the tornadoes back in 2019, it gives us all a place that we can be, so that we can all be informed and be on the same page together.”
KR: “I‘m glad you mentioned 2019 because that was going to be my my next question for you. One of the things that living in Ruston my entire life, we always felt like we were impervious to tornadoes — it was always a lot of close calls and not any actual real_touchdown. And of course, this was an EF3 tornado came through. And then you tack on 13, 14 months later, Hurricane Laura comes through the area, as well, which also is a very foreign. Are we beginning to see more severe weather shifting into the Arklamiss than maybe 10 or 15 years ago? And if so, what do you think are the reasons behind that?”
JR: “I really, genuinely think that our perception is our reality, right? So if we perceive that things have gotten worse over the last 10 to 15 years, then we can, in theory, probably paint a scenario that’s accurate in that regard. But I would also echo that really in the last 24 months, our severe weather seasons have been rather tame. I go back to the last 24 months and I haven’t had to work a lot of tornado watches and a lot of overnight or a lot of wall-to-wall severe weather coverages. So I do think it ebbs and flows. That’s my honest opinion in these types of things. In 2016, we had the floods. And then we hit 2019 to 2021, which was very active. We had the Ruston tornadoes. We had Hurricanes Laura and Delta. We had the Easter Sunday tornadoes in Ouachita Parish in 2020. We had the winter storm in 2021. That was in February of that year that impacted a lot of areas. So that was a really active stretch.
“Our job is to do the weather with no political bias. If it hasn’t happened in the last 14 days and it’s not going to happen in the next 14 days, we probably aren’t going to talk about it very much because it’s about weather and what’s impacting us here currently. But I would also argue for those that are discussing the severity of index of weather conditions in our area: I think we’re just more aware of them. In the early to mid-90s, when I was growing up and you were out at your local ballpark, if there was a tornado watch, you didn’t know that unless you checked the news or the television before you left. Now you’re getting bombarded from your social media platforms from your phone itself with the wireless emergency alerts.
“It’s the same with everybody talks about the severity of hurricanes and how many the frequency of hurricanes. I know a lot of hurricanes that probably happened in the 1700’s and 1800’s that — unless a boat went right through it — you wouldn’t know about it. And so, it’s, again, awareness and the ability to to observe these things more frequently as they happen in our planet — that’s what I lean on more typically.”
KR: “What is Jared doing when he’s not doing the weather?”
JF: Well, right now? Maintaining a business. Because that’s one thing that I knew nothing about when I started this and everybody keeps asking me, I have PlayStation 5 and I haven’t picked up my controller in eight months. And it’s a great thing because I really genuinely enjoy what I’m doing. This is a blessing to the community and it’s weird for me to say that because it is my own business, but it’s something that we need. I think that our community deserves good things, and we shouldn’t have to wait for larger markets. We shouldn’t have to wait for the Dallas market or the Shreveport market or whatever to get things before we get them. We deserve good things. And this weather platform is a good thing for this community.
“But on the off time that I do have free time, we do golf a lot. We are a golfing family. I’ve got to dust the swing off, and hopefully, we can thaw out eventually sometime soon and get out there and swing the sticks.”
KR: “What are all the ways people can be following you and how can they subscribe and sign up?”
“Yep, easiest way to follow us is on our social media platforms. If you don’t know where to find us on those, Just go to DigitalWeatherDesk.com. That has literally everything — the website is not just a “weather-nerd” website — It is the home base for this platform. If you need to know how to download the app, go to digitalweatherdesk.com because the links are there to download. If you need to find us on your favorite social media platform, go to DigitalWeatherDesk.com because that’s where all that information is. You can get your forecast, you can get your interactive radar, you can learn more about our business partners who support this whole venture.
“If you want to subscribe to WeatherCall.com, which this is a new thing for $15 a year — I think the folks in Ruston would really like this is a $15 a year add-on service, but it will call email, text you, or a combination of all three when a warning is headed for your area. So if you prefer to just have a literal phone call, when a tornado warning is issued for your area that’ll wake you up in the middle of the night, all that stuff.”
KR: We really appreciate all you do for our area and for your time.
Third Judicial District Judge Bruce Hampton was recently elected to serve a one-year term as First Vice-President of the Louisiana District Judges Association.
Judge Hampton earned his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, received the Wall Street Journal Award and was named Outstanding Finance Student from Louisiana Tech University in 1978, his juris doctorate, magna cum laude, from Tulane University School of Law in 1981, and his master of laws degree from Southern Methodist University in 1990, finishing first in his class.
He is a member of the Order of the Coif. Before his election to the bench in 2018, he practiced law for over 37 years in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. He worked as an assistant district attorney for 18 years, prosecuting felony and misdemeanor cases, handling drug court and juvenile court, and serving as counsel for the Union Parish Police Jury. He also served as an indigent defender for 10 years in the Third Judicial District.
Judge Hampton is a member of the American Judges Association and the Louisiana District Judges Association (currently serving as First Vice-President), was appointed to the Executive Board of the District Judges Association in 2021 and is a member of the Louisiana State Law Institute. He has been a member of the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana since 2022, currently serving as Chair.
Judge Hampton is a supporter of the Judges in the Classroom Program. He is the recipient of the 2025 Judge Benjamin Jones Judges in the Classroom Award and a member of the Supreme Court Task Force for Judges in the Classroom. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Ruston, Farmerville Lions Club, Ruston-Lincoln, and Union Parish Chambers of Commerce, the Bernice Business Club, and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. In accordance with the Louisiana Constitution, Judge Hampton was appointed to the Commission by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Judge Hampton and Cindy Hampton, an educator, have been married for 46 years and have two children and seven grandchildren.
The LDJA, which serves as the collective voice for Louisiana’s District Judges, works to improve the administration of justice, promote judicial integrity, and provide continuing education for judges across the state. Judge Hampton previously served as Treasurer and Secretary of the LDJA.
A Bernice woman was arrest last week after she allegedly slashed a longtime dating partner numerous times with a box cutter.
Shirley Fay Levingston, 55, of Bernice, was arrested several days later after an investigation by the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office.
On January 20, UPSO deputies responded to a report of a stabbing at an apartment in Bernice. Deputies located a man bleeding seriously from multiple cut wounds. Deputies immediately rendered first aid until an ambulance arrived and the patient was transported to a local facility.
During the investigation, deputies gathered evidence and interviewed multiple witnesses. Levingston allegedly entered an apartment that was not her own and sliced the victim several times across his shoulder, back, and legs with a box cutter. She had left the scene before deputies arrived and a warrant was obtained for her arrest.
Levingston surrendered herself to the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office on January 22 and was taken into custody without incident. She was booked into the Union Parish Detention Center for home invasion and attempted murder.
Levingston’s bail amount was not immediately available.
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.
I’ve seen my fair share of Lady Techster basketball over the years.
Starting with the old days at Memorial Gym to being a season ticket holder (at age 13) when the Thomas Assembly Center opened to broadcasting in excess of 700 of them in more than two decades behind the radio mic.
So I feel like a bit of a resident expert when I say this year’s team is pretty dang legit.
Folks, if you haven’t been to a Louisiana Tech Lady Techster game this year, Saturday is your chance when they host Jacksonville State. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center.
Be there.
If you like solid, up-tempo, in-your-face basketball, then expect to be entertained.
With it’s 30-point win over Kennesaw State last night — the poor Owls didn’t know what hit them — Louisiana Tech has won seven straight games and sits alone in first place in the Conference USA standings.
Head coach Brooke Stoehr and Co. are rolling. Why?
Because they are good. Flat out.
Tech possesses four point guards. Yes, four. Lexi Weaver, Jianna Morris, Joy Madison-Key, and Paris Bradley could start at point guard for pretty much any team in Conference USA.
They are the reason that Tech ranks No. 1 in Conference USA in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio. This team loves to share the ball, almost to a fault at times. Tech is averaging almost 18 assists per game … the second closest team in CUSA is three assists per game behind.
Bradley, Morris, and Weaver provide a three-headed threat from the three-point line. These ladies can flat out shoot it. Morris, who has made at least one three-pointer in 25 straight games, is a sharp shooter who ranks No. 2 in CUSA in three-pointers made per game and three-point field goal percentage. The trio has combined to hit 121 threes this season.
Stoehr also has the luxury of an inside group that is versatile and interchangeable. Jordan Marshall, Averi Aaron, Isla Airey, Kaleigh Thompson, and Hillary Dawson all possess skillsets that have similarities and variances that complement one another. Marshall and Aaron are the bruisers inside. Thompson is a highly versatile addition that can also play the three and who is a tough match-up for opponents.
Airey’s 6-foot-4 frame gives Tech a legitimate shot blocker who also has nice footwork and a sweet little baby hook. Dawson is a true freshman who has shown flashes of a very bright future.
This group ranks No. 1 in CUSA in scoring, scoring margin, field goal percentage, and assists and top three in three-point field goal percentage, three-pointers made, offensive rebounds, and rebounding margin.
All of those are offensive numbers for the most part.
What is scary (for CUSA opponents) is as good as Tech is offensively, this group seems to have found its footing on the defensive end too.
In league-only games, Tech ranks No. 2 in scoring defense (57.0). Five of its eight CUSA opponents have failed to score 60 points.
Bottom line is this team plays the game the right way. And they have a great time doing it with one another. I’m pretty sure this group ranks No. 1 in smiles per game on the court and on the bench. They pull for one another.
Brooke Stoehr has had some good teams at Tech. This is her best. It’s her deepest. It’s her most versatile. It’s her most talented from top to bottom.
And if you haven’t seen them play, you are missing out.
Definitely worth the price of admission. And they will put a smile on your face too.
Up to this point, this series has focused on individual use: how AI can help with small tasks, thinking through ideas, and creating images or documents responsibly. But there’s a different conversation that starts once AI moves beyond personal tools and into industrial-scale deployment.
This is where many of the biggest concerns live: job displacement, massive data centers, energy use, corporate downsizing, and who ultimately bears the costs for these systems. These are not imaginary problems, but they are often discussed in ways that blur important information, making it harder to think clearly about the issue.
When people hear about AI replacing actors, automating animation, or generating entire films, they often assume the same systems are sitting inside the apps they use on their phones, but there’s a big difference between consumer-facing AI tools and industrial-scale AI systems.
Most people’s everyday interactions with AI happen through general-purpose tools: chat-based assistants, image generators, writing helpers. These systems are intentionally constrained and designed to work across many varied tasks, not dominate one industry.
By contrast, the AI systems used in film, gaming, advertising, logistics, or large-scale automation are often:
custom-built for narrow purposes
trained on proprietary or licensed datasets
privately funded at enormous scale
run on dedicated infrastructure
A studio training a model to generate short films isn’t using the same tool someone uses to rewrite an email. They’re deploying a combination of highly tailored models working together to accomplish specific tasks like motion capture, sound layering, and scenery design. These systems consume enormous amounts of energy within tightly controlled environments. This new tech is still dependent on people to edit and maintain it, but it potentially shortcuts a lot of early production phase labor.
These models don’t understand stories, people or meaning, they simply imitate structure, remix examples they have been fed, and follow the prompts given to them. It is not responsible for what it produces; a human is.
AI used in systems like banking, on the other hand, is focused on prediction, detection, and control, with the goal of flagging troublesome transactions in milliseconds, 24-7, in order to improve financial security and reduce loss over time. A mundane, costly and time-consuming feat for human workers to achieve.
Consumer service AI looks to automate help desk services that never lose their patience and are available around the clock, a use that sounds great on paper, but most of us have found it generates just as much if not more frustration for customers with its limited response range and lack of a human brain when needed to solve a problem.
Unlike some other industries, banks are still held accountable for their decisions, “AI did it” is not an excuse. Requiring human liability has kept the industry from explosively trying to replace people, whereas some other industries have had no such liability lever.
This distinction matters because when people talk about AI “replacing jobs,” they’re usually reacting to industrial decisions, not casual experimentation. Everyday users aren’t deciding staffing levels, production pipelines, or labor contracts. Corporations are.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: not every job that exists today is one we can, or should, preserve forever. We already live in a world where productivity has increased dramatically and wages have not kept pace, with automation steadily replacing labor for decades. AI didn’t invent this trend. It is just another factor accelerating it.
That doesn’t mean this growing movement may not be painful or destabilizing for some, but framing the issue solely as “AI stole our jobs” avoids deeper questions about population growth, labor expectations, and economic systems built on constant expansion and endless output.
One reason AI feels so disruptive right now is that its infrastructure, like huge data centers, are becoming more visible. But data centers aren’t new. We were already using them for email, social media, streaming services, financial transactions, cloud storage and online backups. AI has just increased the demand and number of data centers needed.
Training and running large models (the lingo used for AI software behavior) requires enormous amounts of electricity, cooling, and space for hardware. That’s why new data centers are often built in regions with lower land costs, existing energy infrastructure and favorable tax incentives. Hello Richland Parish.
Our region is uniquely positioned to appreciate these growing concerns as the Richland Parish data center introduces us to the reality of large-scale energy production, water usage, and grid strain for growing cloud-based technologies. Up until now, this reality has lived elsewhere, but now it’s in our backyard it feels different.
Fears and concerns about the long-term costs and impact are justifiable, but the entities behind them are often reluctant to release specific data like estimates or long-term projections due to fears of lawsuits or harassment if any of their numbers are wrong.
That doesn’t automatically make data centers evil, but communities deserve transparency about how facilities are powered, how much water they use, how emissions are managed, and who pays when infrastructure needs to expand its energy use or size. One day these questions may come with standardized answers, but for now with the everchanging tech landscape, they may remain more elusive than helpful.
Part of the problem is that people are typically told to celebrate innovation or fear it, rather than try to understand it. AI is just the next new tech “savior” or “boogey man,” depending on how you look at it.
Moving forward without blind optimism or reflexive panic means learning how to educate ourselves when we have questions rather than rely on those with an agenda to tell us what to think and feel absent of any significant understanding.
New technology can amplify efficiency, creativity, and access, or inequality, exploitation, and environmental strain. What it ultimately does depends less on algorithms and more on the economic, political, and ethical choices surrounding its deployment.
AI isn’t just on the periphery of our lives anymore; it’s something we are all interacting with, whether we realize it or not. I choose to engage in order to learn, but you don’t have to. The choice is yours.
It’s AI Homework time! Ok, here are your last assignments kids.
EXERCISE 1: If you would like to learn more about the newest AI models out there, here are a few resources you can check out:
MIT Technology Review
A good resource for explaining what new AI systems actually do, why they matter, sans hype.
The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested a Saline man Monday after he allegedly committed assault on two family members.
Benjamin Jack Collinsworth, 36, was charged with two counts of domestic abuse battery on January 26 after deputies responded to a disturbance call on La. Highway 818 southwest of Ruston.
Collinsworth’s relative said Collinsworth was an alcoholic and had been drinking most of the day. He said Collinsworth had been calling him and his wife profane names and swearing at them. At one point, Collinsworth allegedly punched his relative in the abdomen and pushed the relative’s wife into a metal chair, causing a laceration to her hand.
A deputy wrote in a report that Collinsworth was confrontational and did not want to speak to deputies.
Collinsworth was arrested and taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center.
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.
Update 11:46 a.m. – Ruston High’s boys basketball is no longer playing in the Homer tournament Friday night.
With area schools closed this week in the aftermath of Winter Storm Fern, the local Lincoln Parish hoops schedules have also seen some postponements and possible cancellations.
Ruston High School’s boys and girls varsity teams were scheduled to play district games at Ouachita, but those have been postponed until a later date.
Cedar Creek’s varsity teams were scheduled to play Plain Dealing tonight, but those have been postponed until Saturday, Feb. 7.
Simsboro’s games against Weston have been postponed until a later date, and Choudrant’s games in the District Tournament that were set for this weekend have also been postponed. That will not take place next Saturday at Choudrant.
Lincoln Prep’s scheduled games tonight against Ringgold have been postponed to a later date.
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.
Saturday, Jan. 31 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market 2 p.m.: Lady Techsters basketball
Monday, Feb. 2 Groundhog Day 10 a.m.: Ribbon cutting celebrating Party Fowl (102 N. Homer St.) 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 5:30 p.m.: Ruston City Council meeting (Ruston City Hall) 6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street) 6-9 p.m.: Creative Meetups (Creatives at Work, 301 N. Trenton)
Tuesday, Feb. 3 10 a.m.: Ribbon cutting Cenla Christian Childcare Center of Ruston (1004 Center St.) Noon: Lincoln Parish School Board meeting (Choudrant Elementary School)
Wednesday, Feb 4. 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 12-1 p.m.: Rotary Club meeting (Historic Fire Station) 6:30 p.m.: LA Tech basketball
Thursday, Feb. 5 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) 6:30 p.m.: GSU women’s basketball
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:55 right to your inbox.Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
RUSTON – First place Louisiana Tech dominates Kennesaw State 72-44 Thursday night in the Thomas Assembly Center, its seventh win in a row.
“I thought our energy was really good, it has been that way in practice the last two days,” Lady Techster Head Coach Brooke Stoehr said. “We were locked in from the start with great focus and energy. For three quarters we were solid defensively, but gave up too many in the fourth quarter. Our defensive energy got us going offensively. I thought we had a really good crowd tonight and I am glad for people to see that our group is fun to watch. We have an unselfish group that is really learning the flow of our offense, which has allowed good looks for us to knock down shots.
“The depth of our team has been huge as well, it feels like we have eight starters. We have players that can step into any role at any point and as a coach it gives us great confidence and comfortability. It makes us hard to prepare for when you have so many players who contribute the way they do. We are consistently playing 10 people because their practice habits have improved and it is reflective in how they are playing and competing.”
The Owls were the first to strike in the TAC, but Jianna Morris converts an and-one to take the first Lady Techster lead 7-5. That play was part of a 12-2 Lady Techster run that set up a 14-7 lead at the first media with LA Tech making five straight baskets. Averi Aaron’s inbounds layup sent the teams to the benches with an 18-11 LA Tech lead. The ball movement was key for Louisiana Tech with five assists on seven made baskets.
The second quarter was all Lady Techsters. A 13-1 run started the quarter with Kennesaw State missing their last five shots heading into the first media. Once the Owls scored, the Lady Techsters ran off another 6-0 run to end the quarter, only allowing five points in the entire frame. Eleven assists on 14 baskets with nine different LA Tech scorers highlighted a 39-16 Lady Techsters first half.
Louisiana Tech continued to pour into its lead during the third frame, sparking a 7-2 into the first media. Paris Bradley’s spinning layup extended the lead to 33, the largest of the game. The Lady Techsters defense continued to stall the Owls, only allowing seven points in the third quarter on one field goal. Bradley played all 10 minutes of the third, scoring a team high six points.
Kennesaw State’s offense found its footing in the fourth quarter, but it was too late to spark a comeback. The Owls scored 21 in the frame, almost more than the previous three quarters combined. A 21-10 run for KSU only closed the gap to 28, ending in a 72-44 Lady Techsters victory.
Ten different Lady Techsters scored in the game with nine registering an assist. Paris Bradley led the team with 15 points, her ninth time leading in scoring this season. Kaleigh Thompson continues to provide a spark off the bench, scoring nine points and tying the lead for rebounds with six. Thompson had a plus/minus of +33 in only 23 minutes.
Tech returns to action Saturday, Jan. 31, at 2 p.m. against Jacksonville State.
Graduate right-handed pitcher Blake Hooks has been named to Conference USA’s Preseason All-Conference team, per the league office’s release Thursday afternoon. Along with Hooks’ selection, Louisiana Tech baseball was picked second in the CUSA Preseason Poll behind Dallas Baptist.
The Bulldog closer is back for his third year in Ruston and is coming off a stellar 2025 campaign. The Petal, Mississippi native led the conference with nine saves, which put him fifth all-time for single-season saves in program history, along with holding a 3-0 record through 25 appearances and boasting a 2.78 ERA.
In his LA Tech career, Hooks has a perfect 4-0 record through 50 total appearances out of the pen and fanned 76 batters through 67.2 innings and held opponents to a .236 average.
The Pearl River CC transfer saw four of his nine saves last season come in his first five appearance of the season. The first one came in the second game of opening weekend against Maine before earning his first win of the year in the series finale with one run allowed through three innings.
Hooks saw three-straight outings following the win where he earned a save (at Southern Miss, vs. Memphis, vs. South Alabama) including an efficient 2.1 innings allowing no runs with four strikeouts against the Tigers on March 1.
He saw a career outing later in the season on the road at Western Kentucky, where he tossed a stellar four frames against the Hilltoppers allowing no earned runs with three hits, a walk and fanning seven batters.
The Bulldogs being selected second in the CUSA Preseason Poll marked the seventh-straight season LA Tech was selected among the top three in the preseason poll; Tech has not been picked lower than third since the 2018 season when they were selected to finish seventh.
Graveside services for Mary Jo Wimberly Newell, 93, of Ruston, LA will be 11:00 A.M., Monday, February 2, 2026, at Wimberly Cemetery, 1014 Pleasant Road, in Ringgold, LA. Officiating the graveside service will be Rev. Doug de Graffenried under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Homes in Ruston, LA.
Mary Jo was born on August 12, 1932, in Ringgold, Louisiana and entered Heaven to be reunited with her loving husband Bob on January 28, 2026, in Ruston, LA. She was the daughter of Tom L. and Eva T. Wimberly. Mary Jo was an active member of Trinity Methodist Church. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Robert H. Newell, and brother, John L. Wimberly.
After graduating from Ringgold High School as class Valedictorian in 1950, she attended Louisiana Polytechnic Institute. In August 1953, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics with departmental honors. During the years from 1955 – 1970 she taught at several different schools including one year in the Panama Canal Zone while Bob was stationed there.
In 1970, she entered graduate school at Louisiana Tech and graduated with a Master of Science in 1973. She began teaching Biology I and II and Science classes at Ruston High School in 1970. During her time at Ruston High School, she compiled the course of study for Biology II, served on the Principal’s Advisory Council, Superintendent’s Advisory Council, and participated in the SACS self-study and evaluation. She was also a sponsor of the Pepettes, sponsor of students in local, regional, state and international science fairs and attended the Louisiana Edison Centennial Science Institute in Baton Rouge. Mary Jo retired in 1994 after 25 years of teaching. She had such an impact on so many of her students and dearly loved them all. Mary Jo and Bob enjoyed attending Louisiana Tech sports, especially basketball, traveling together, and spending time with their grandchildren Tom and Luke.
Mary Jo is survived by her son, Don Newell and wife Kelly and grandson, Tom; daughter, Nancy Newell Sutton and husband Mike and grandson, Luke Sutton; step grandchildren, Nathan Sutton and wife Jill; Faith Thompson and husband, Justin; step- great grandchildren, Sadie, Abby, Hannah, and Jonathan Thompson; and Breck, Bennett, and Blake Sutton.
Special thanks to Dr. Benson Grigsby, Tender Touch Service, and her caregiver, Vijaya Frost for her special care, kindness, love, and thoughtfulness for our mom.
Memorials may be made to Louisiana Methodist Children’s Home; Trinity Methodist Church; or charity of the donors choice.
Donald Eugene Shankles October 21, 1932 – January 21, 2026 Visitation: Friday, January 30, 2026, 1:00PM – 2:30PM, Grace Methodist Church, 3401 N. Trenton St, Ruston Service: Friday, January 30, 2026, 2:30PM, Grace Methodist Church, 3401 N. Trenton St, Ruston Final Resting Place: Sharon Cemetery, 2769 Hwy 152, Dubach
Shirley Ann Curry Monday 01/23/1961 — Tuesday 01/20/2026 Family Gathering: Friday 01/30/2026 2:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Visitation: Saturday 01/31/2026 9:00am, Stonewall Baptist Church, 807 Eatman Street, Bossier City Celebration of Life: Saturday 01/31/2026 11:00am, Stonewall Baptist Church, 807 Eatman Street, Bossier City Interment: Saturday 01/31/2026 Following Service, Forest Park Cemetery, 3700 St. Vincent Ave, Shreveport
Craig Abney Wednesday 09/04/1963 — Friday 01/23/2026 Funeral Service: Friday 01/30/2026 11:00am at King’s Funeral Home Private Burial
Howard T. Bell Tuesday 05/30/1944 — Sunday 01/18/2026 Visitation: Friday 01/30/2026 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Celebration of Life: Saturday 01/31/2026 11:00am, Shiloh Baptist Church, Bienville Interment: Saturday 01/31/2026 Following Service, Collier Cemetery, New Hope Rd., Chatham
Area businesses and individuals showed their southern hospitality by delivery food and other necessities to tranded passengers along I-20.
by Wesley Harris
Hundreds of motorists and truckers found themselves stranded in Ruston following the onslaught of Ice Storm Fern that brought traffic on Interstate 20 to a standstill for hours. At one point, traffic on westbound I-20 was stalled for 60 miles from west of Arcadia in Bienville Parish to Monroe in Ouachita Parish.
Not just stuck for a few hours, but over 24 hours for many travelers caught in the jam behind big rigs that were unable to negotiate the area’s hilly terrain. When the 18-wheelers blocked all westbound lanes on I-20, over a day of gridlock followed.
The community responded accordingly, with area restaurants, groceries, and others with the capability to provide large quantities of food teamed up with local citizens to get those motorists fed.
Chick-fil-A of Ruston saw the need and developed a plan to feed scores of motorists. It was more than cooking up a batch of delicious chicken. The operation entailed dozens of volunteers who donated time and supplies as well as bringing in all-terrain vehicles that could navigate the ice to reach those in need.
Kitchen team members prepared more than 300 Chick-fil-A Sandwiches and 400 boxes of Chick-fil-A 8-count Chicken Nuggets, according to Ruston Chick-fil-A operator Jeremy Telford.
The community was asked through social media to pitch in and donate snacks, fruit, bottled water, and sports drinks to add to the meals.
Unsure how the operation would turn out, Telford wrote on Facebook, “To be honest, I have no idea how it’s going to work out. “
But Telford is pleased with the results.
“Our community came together quickly and donated cases upon cases of bottled water and sports drinks, along with tons of donated snacks and fruit,” Telford said. Volunteers “showed up big time for lots of stranded travelers.”
“More than just chicken—it’s community!” Telford said in a Facebook post after the operation. “It’s simply kind people in our small, Southern town helping others in their most desperate situations and times of need.”
But Telford doesn’t want any credit for doing what needed to be done.
“Neither I nor Chick-fil-A want any recognition for what took place,” he told the Lincoln Parish Journal. “I simply saw a need, had an idea, presented that idea to our Chick-fil-A Ruston Senior Director of Operations, Doug Gibbons, brought our willing and available Chick-fil-A Team Members in on the idea, made a Facebook post about what we would need from the community, and this community showed up big time.
“All glory to the Lord for providing me with the resources to be able to do this, and all credit for the implementation of the plan to Doug, our incredible Chick-fil-A Ruston Team Members, the folks who showed up in droves delivering water, snacks, and other food,” he said.
Telford also acknowledged the volunteer community members who helped inside the restaurant organizing the food and those on all-terrain vehicles who delivered the food to the stalled motorists.
“Reports from the teams that delivered food down the interstate are that everyone was extremely grateful for your love and generosity,” Telford told social media users.
“Some of the travelers were teary eyed. Some asked for pictures with the guys on ATVs, and some of our ATV guys teared up themselves as they helped meet a most basic need of their new friends.”
Many travelers receiving food reported they had been stranded for over 24 hours without moving, and many had not eaten for hours.
“The incredible team of volunteers who showed up in Jeeps, ATVs, and other 4WD vehicles were angels to the folks they delivered to. Putting it mildly, we couldn’t have done any of this without them,” Telford said.
Telford thanked team members who prepared the food and “incredible community volunteers who showed up, and showed out, to help us with an assembly line to get all of the food packaged and ready to be delivered.”
Chick-fil-A was not alone in lending a helping hand during the days following Ice Storm Fern.
Karl Malone Toyota served over 140 meals Tuesday, feeding first responders and anyone else who walked in. Dealership employee and well-known local chef extraordinaire Rusty Wilfong and his son, Kyle, cooked up batches of jambalaya and chili in the service bay of the Ruston car dealer and fed all comers.
“We just wanted to give back,” said Wilfong. “We live in a community that tat is what we do. People do whatever they can to help other people out. That’s what we are supposed to do … help each other. We have the equipment and know how to make a lot of food and the manpower to do it. We wound up serving a lot of people who saw it on our Facebook page. People who were stranded.
“We have a tremendous respect for the first responders who were handling the tough work for days. It was the least we could do to help. Although Karl was out of town, he called numerous times throughout the day to check on how things were going. He was adamant that we do what we could do to help.”
PJ’s Coffee served 15 gallons of “hot caffeinated happiness” to five miles worth of stranded motorists on I-20 Tuesday, “one cup and one car at a time,” according to a social media post. PJ’s said, “Thank you, Ruston! Your continued support is what allows us to do things like this.”
When Christy Sorensen, the general manager of Newk’s in Ruston, said they prepared over 1,000 boxed meals for utility workers while they labored to restore power in the area.
“We don’t do it for the recognition, we do it because we can,” said Sorensen. “It’s our way of giving back.”
Mayor Ronny Walker cited some local businesses who helped out in feeding first responders and city utility workers in the early days of the recovery effort.
“Moose Garriga of Log Cabin and Ponchatoula’s, Heath Hightower of Sundown Tavern, and Super 1 Foods were great in helping us out with food for our city workers and contract crews,” said Walker. “We’re very fortunate to have such great people in Ruston.”
In naming names who helped out, someone always gets left out, so to the businesses who avoiding ringing up sales to join the charitable effort, the community and the travelers thank you.
Countless individuals independently took it upon themselves to aid travelers, check on neighbors, pull strangers out of ditches, deliver food and firewood, and perform other acts of kindness you expect in a community like Ruston.
Karl Malone Toyota fed more than 100 first responders and other needing folks on Tuesday.
Louisiana Tech players watch movies and mingle during their 18-hour delay on I-20.
by Malcolm Butler
LOVE AND SERVE
Those are three words that members of the Louisiana Tech Lady Techster basketball team hear daily.
It’s a mantra head coach Brooke Stoehr encourages her student athletes to live by.
Whether it’s volunteering their time around the Lincoln Parish community or interacting with one another, love and serve is part of the culture of the program.
Stoehr is big on her players giving back.
However, this past weekend, on the final stage of their return from a two-game road trip that saw the team win at Missouri State Thursday and at FIU Saturday, the Tech travel party endured a trip for the ages.
It was the final leg of the return that took 24 hours to get home from New Orleans.
And an opportunity for the Lady Techsters to grow as a group and to be on the other end of what they preach.
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LOVE AND SERVE
After defeating FIU Saturday afternoon in Miami, Tech boarded a flight and landed in New Orleans Saturday night.
They were met by a Mayo Tours bus piloted by veteran driver, Tim Henderson. After spending the night in a hotel in the Big Easy, the Lady Techsters prepared to head north to Ruston.
With news of the winter storm that had blanketed north Louisiana, the decision didn’t come lightly, and it didn’t come without intel from authorities.
“Before we even made the trip, we had communicated with state police that morning at 7 a.m.,” said Stoehr. “Our driver, Tim, had talked to his people and other drivers. The decision we made was well informed from the information we had from reliable sources. We felt good about it.”
That feeling lasted for the first four hours of the trip. The trip was uneventful up through Mississippi and then back into Louisiana, via the bridge over the Mississippi River on I-20.
That’s when the good feeling began to turn.
“We had no issues until we got to Well Road,” said Stoehr. “We never checked up even through Monroe, even over the bridge, until we got to Well Road. And then the only reason we stopped was because traffic was backed up because of the trucks.”
When you travel as much as college athletes do, inevitably you will experience delays, whether in airports or on buses.
However, there are delays … and then there are delays. And over the next few hours, it was simply a delay.
But then a few hours turned into many, many more.
“We were communicating with our administration the entire time,” said Stoehr. “We were communicating with people who had connections to the sheriff’s office and to the state police, trying to get any type of information we could.
“They would get one thing fixed and then there would be another accident or a truck stall out in front of us. A lot of it was the trucks were trying to go up and hill and they would stall out. And then it ended up being truckers sleeping in their vehicles because they had been sitting there for so long.”
It was just the beginning of an 18-hour delay that lasted through the night and into Monday morning.
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LOVE AND SERVE
Tim Henderson has been driving Mayo Tour buses for five years. And although he has been a part of plenty of trips, including others with the Lady Techster team, Tim said this one was unique.
“I have never quite had an experience like that,” said Tim.
And according to Stoehr, Tim was the perfect man for the job on this trip.
“Tim was incredible,” said Stoehr. “He is just steady and calm. He was so reassuring during the entire time. Extremely selfless. He is the consummate professional.
“Above all else, he was going to keep us safe. I think he understands that we all have families. He has a family. He wasn’t going to put us in danger. We told him at any point, if you don’t feel safe, let us know.”
As the day turned into night and traffic remained at a standstill and temperatures plummeted into the teens, Tim said he had one focus.
“I was trying to reassure everyone that we are going to be okay,” said Tim. “We are going to be delayed, but we are in touch with the state police as well as other local officials.
“I wanted to keep assuring them that we had plenty of fuel because the bus would run for at least two days on the fuel we had. We had heat. We had Wi-Fi. We had snacks. We were telling jokes to make everybody a little more comfortable and loosen them up.”
Junior guard Lexi Weaver praised Tim’s efforts.
“Mr. Tim … he was the best,” said Weaver. “I can’t even imagine what it was like for him being behind the wheel. He had to make some difficult decisions. He was in control of all our lives. He was just incredible.
“When you talk about loving and serving, it’s easy to overlook the bus driver. But Mr. Tim really illustrated those values to us.”
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LOVE AND SERVE
Student athletes are adept at entertaining themselves on bus trips.
And in this day and age of technology, there is plenty to do.
According to Weaver, as the hours dragged on, she and her teammates found plenty of ways to pass the time … at least some of it.
Charades. Phase 10. Coup. Sing alongs. Legos. TV. Homework. Music. And of course, naps.
That was good … for a while.
“We tried to lighten the mood even in such a difficult time,” said Weaver. “I say difficult. We had Wi-Fi. We had snacks. We had water. We had a bathroom. It could have been much worse.”
Great perspective from a 20-year-old college student.
Despite the adversity, Stoehr said she couldn’t be prouder of how her team responded.
“I thought the girls were incredible,” said Stoehr. “We had been gone since Wednesday. It was a long trip to begin with, going from Missouri State to FIU. We had two incredible road wins. That always helps morale.
“I just think it speaks to who they are as a group. They really value each other. They are committed to each other. They are just fun to be around.”
Even though, there were times when Cabin Fever began to set in on the group.
“It was a difficult 24 hours,” said Weaver. “We would go back and forth from everybody being up and walking around and laughing to slowly losing it as time went on.”
It was during one of those times late Sunday night – about 10 hours into the delay – that Weaver turned to one of the team’s leadership books.
“This year’s team came up with their own vision of what they wanted this team to be about this summer when we went through our book together, ‘The 7 Commitments of a Great Team’,” said Stoehr. “That vision was a confident family who’s consistently tenacious and resilient in pursuit of a championship.”
According to Stoehr, the players were paired up, and each pair has a day of the week and commitment.
Weaver, along with freshman Hillary Dawson, have “Commit to Valuing Each Other.”
“Every day someone will give a quote or show a video of something related to that commitment,” said Weaver. “It was Hillary and my day, so I thought it was a good time to give a quote.”
So, at 11 p.m. with her teammates fighting for their sanity, Weaver took the bus’s microphone and read aloud the following quote.
“Great teams aren’t defined by the easy wins, but how they treat each other when things get hard. When we truly value one another, we choose trust over blame. Encouragement over silence. And commitment over quitting. Hard times don’t break good teams, they build them. And when we stand together, every challenge becomes something we can get through as one.”
It was the perfect message at the perfect time.
“It gave our group a little bit of juice and a little bit of hope, and it was a reminder that we are safe,” said Stoehr. “We are stranded and we can’t move and that’s very frustrating, but it is just an inconvenience.
“I was proud. I thought they were mature in how they managed it.”
Weaver felt the message was needed.
“I thought it was a good quote in a tough time to pull everyone together,” she said. “It was 11 o’clock and we had been stuck in the same place for seven or eight hours. It was a good time to pull everybody together.”
It was just another impressive moment.
“Those kids rock,” said Tim. “They were very resilient, very understanding. They encouraged each other. It was amazing to witness.”
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LOVE AND SERVE
Although the team ate breakfast in New Orleans before it departed, the snacks on the bus just weren’t doing it.
Hunger had set in.
“We had our snacks and our cooler that has Gatorade and waters,” said Stoehr. “We had that prepared and ready just in case a situation occurred. We stopped at a convenience store in Jackson, (Mississippi) to stock up on a few things. We thought we were fine and would be home in a few hours.”
By nightfall, stomachs were grumbling.
“Everybody was hungry,” said Weaver. “We hadn’t really eaten a meal since before we got on the bus that morning. Everybody’s patience was running thin.”
Stoehr was texting with her friend, Christy Sorensen. She knew Sorensen had lost power in West Monroe and was checking on her earlier during the afternoon, very early in the delay.
Around 9:30 p.m., she texted her back.
“I just said, ‘Hey, we are still out here stranded,’” said Stoehr. “I told her, ‘We are fine. We just could use some real food.’”
“I was like, ‘Wait a minute. You are still on I-20?’” said Sorensen. “I was like, ‘I’m on it.’
“I knew how stressed Brooke was because she treats those kids like they are her family because they are. I knew she was at her wits’ end.”
Sorensen is the general manager at Newk’s Eatery in Ruston. She said she immediately started game planning. Although she couldn’t get to Ruston, she knew who to call.
“My boss always tells me I have a way of getting people to do what I want,” said Sorensen. “And I try to use that for good.”
Sorensen posted a message on Facebook, asking for help in delivering food. While she awaited responses, she called one of her managers, Chris Hall, who is a LA Tech student who lives close to Newk’s Eatery.
It didn’t take long for the plan to take shape.
Chris and his brother, Nick, along with another Newk’s employee, Kaden King, walked up to the restaurant to begin preparing the food.
And by 11:45 p.m., they had “30 to 40” pizzas, fruit, and cake boxed up and ready to roll.
“Pizza was the easiest thing to do,” said Sorensen. “They were instructed to feed themselves and Brent and his guys too. I said make whatever it takes to feed everyone.”
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LOVE AND SERVE
Ruston resident Brent Causey responded to Sorensen’s Facebook message.
“Christy explained the situation and asked for help,” said Causey, who had been out that day assisting others. “We started texting back and forth about what they needed. Is it fuel, blankets, food? What do they need?”
When Sorensen explained to Causey that the food was being prepared, he started working on his end of things.
He was more than willing to do Door Dash – ATV-style.
“I got a couple of guys together who were willing to help me do this,” said Causey, who was joined on the late-night adventure by Justin Post and Zach Mays. “We were trying to figure out how to get there. This was Sunday night and everything was shut down.”
Nothing like a little challenge.
“We loaded up chain saws and tools, and we trailered my Polaris Ranger to Newk’s (Eatery) and picked up the food around 11:45 p.m.,” said Causey, who said he got back home around 3:30 a.m. “We drove Hwy 80 to the gas station located on the Cheniere Exit (in West Monroe).
“We unloaded (the ATV) and food. We drove it over I-20 and got on the interstate going east with traffic. We then crossed over the median and came back west and found the bus.”
According to Stoehr and Weaver, they have never been so happy to see food at 1:30 in the morning.
“I was in tears,” said Stoehr. “Some of our players were in tears. It was emotional. What an act of humanity. They didn’t have to do that. It’s cold. It’s 1:30 in the morning. They don’t know us. They did it out of the goodness of their heart. It’s a great reminder of humanity.
“We talk about love and serve in our program and what that looks like. It was a great example of that, and we were just so grateful. They brought the food on the bus and we hugged them, and then they hopped back on the side by side and took off.”
What an illustration of helping others.
“We couldn’t be more grateful,” said Weaver. “It was something those people didn’t have to do. It shows the togetherness and the community that we have. We are so grateful. It was below freezing outside, and they didn’t have to come at 1 o’clock in the morning.
“And the people who cooked the food for us … it was just so selfless of them. We couldn’t be more grateful.”
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LOVE AND SERVE
Around 8 a.m. Monday, Tim Henderson was able to put his foot on the accelerator and start back down I-20 towards Ruston after an 18-hour delay.
And at 9:45 a.m., the Lady Techsters rolled into the ice-covered parking lot of the Thomas Assembly Center – a total of 1,443 minutes (24 hours, 3 minutes) from New Orleans to Ruston.
Stoehr said she couldn’t be prouder of her entire staff, especially director of operations Mikayla Baillie.
“I want to give our staff a lot of credit,” said Stoehr. “I thought Mikayla did an incredible job in such a difficult situation of planning ahead, constantly changing, having to adjust. She was phenomenal. She stayed poised and calm. I think our players really fed off that. We must model that even when we are dying inside and feeling hopeless.”
No, it wasn’t life or death.
But it was true adversity, something that every college athlete and athletic team faces during a season.
“Adversity comes on the court and off the court,” said Weaver. “I think building from adversity pulled us closer together instead of pulling us apart is the biggest thing we can take from it.”
Tech is currently in first place in the Conference USA standings, but there is plenty of basketball yet to play.
And no one knows better than the head coach that adversity will come in different forms and at different times, not only the rest of the season, but in life.
“We are always talking to our team about adversity is a given,” said Stoehr. “We don’t know when it will hit. If it will be on the court, in the classroom or in our personal lives, but we will all face it at some point or another. The most important thing is the people you have around you to help you through it.
“We are so blessed by the wonderful community of Ruston and the great people that live here. They have a willingness to love and serve our players and program in such a big way. It’s one of the many things that makes Louisiana Tech and Ruston such a special place to live and be a part of.”
Grambling residents faced plenty of icy roads and challenges during the last week.
By T. Scott Boatright
Grambling residents fared fairly well in the face of Winter Storm Fern, but the roads and highways across the city weren’t as fortunate.
“Everybody has done well,” said Grambling Police Chief Tommy Clark. “Most people have listened and stayed off the roads, and those who have gotten out have taken in slow and safe.
“But in the future, I think something needs to be done about the trucking industry, because they have been the worst problem we have had during this event. I don’t remember any problems with truckers during the last ice event we had (in 2021), but for some reason, the truckers this time just thought they could continue to drive through it before finding out they couldn’t.”
This ice storm brought as much as 6 inches of sleet to the Grambling area, freezing up roads and leaving a bottleneck of 18-wheelers stranded along Interstate 20.
Clark said that ended up being the biggest headache for him and his officers.
“Our biggest problem was the truckers, not the citizens,” Clark said. “The citizens that got out had what they needed. They had a 4-wheel drive or front-wheel drive vehicle and didn’t just cruise around but just went out to do what they needed to do and went back home. Our biggest problem was all the big trucks that got stuck.”
Clark said some of those Grambling residents who did bravely venture out did so to help his officers.
“We had several citizens come out and deliver food to the officers working all of those problems on the roads,” Clark said. “They brought hot meals out for us and I do thank them for that. I don’t even know their names. They just said, ‘Hey, we’re just bringing some food out to you because we know how busy you are and all the good you are doing.’ So, I thank them for that.”
Grambling Mayor Alvin Bradley said that city services will be suspended again today before being evaluated to see how Friday will be handled.
“I talked to our police department at length today,” Bradley said. “Chief and I talked at length about the conditions of the roads and he advised me to go ahead and suspend city service and keep City Hall closed until Friday, at least. We’ll talk again (this) afternoon and see how we think things will look for Friday before making a decision on that.
“Today I got my vehicle cleaned off and finally went out and drove through the city, and there are still roads that have significant amounts of ice on them.”
Bradley added that he believes Grambling’s Civic Ready warning program played a key role in keeping Grambling residents safe and informed.
“I’m thinking that was one of the key factors of keeping this event from being as bad as it could have — keeping the public informed,” Bradley said. “I also put a memo to the citizens out on Facebook, and I think that helped, too. I think that kind of communication — keeping the citizens informed about what they should and shouldn’t do, was a big help through all of this. The citizens really seemed to appreciate the warnings and being informed.”
Bradley said he had no knowledge of any problem with broken water pipes during the frigid temperatures that hit the area, but the city of Grambling did have to postpone the start of installation of valves to city water lines that was scheduled to begin last Friday, and Bradley said he is still unsure of when that work will be rescheduled.
“We’re going to have to get together with the contractor and city engineering consultant Henry Shuler and do an evaluation to see when we can reschedule that,” Bradley said. “I think that it all did throw quite a few things off, but I am glad we didn’t get started with a project of that nature and the weather taking a turn like it did.”
NOTE: This is a partial list of Lincoln Parish businesses and entities that are closed Thursday (per their communicating to us). If you have an addition to this list, please email LPJNewsLA@gmail.com (include BUSINESS CLOSURE in the subject line. We will update this list periodically throughout the day.
We encourage anyone who doesn’t see a business listed on this to call or check their Facebook page before you try to go to said business … it still may be closed and just not on this list.
The Apostle Paul, in a letter to the Roman church, wrote, “Owe no one anything, except to love one another.” Biblical writers and more recent financial advisors have cautioned about the excessive accumulation of debt. Debt can lead to stress which in turn can foster health ailments, not to mention the damage to credit, financial stability, and personal relationships.
We can imagine the burden of debt weighed heavily on 37-year-old Reverend Early Penn Giddens as he tried to raise his family during the difficult days of Reconstruction when many north Louisianans were still suffering in the aftermath of the Civil War. Few pastors relied on their church’s support alone, subsisting on full-time jobs as farmers, teachers or merchants. Giddens’s position as pastor of the Union Grove Disciples of Christ Church near Haynesville paid very little and his farm provided the bulk of his modest income.
In 1875, Giddens wrote the following letter to his congregation:
“April 3, 1875, at Home–To the Disciples of Christ meeting at Union Grove, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana:
Dear Brethren and Sisters, many of you will no doubt be surprised when I say to you I must quit the ministry to which position you have seen proper to call me.
My reasons are many, but to be brief I mention only two. 1st, the protracted illness of my wife and 2nd financial embarrassment. In the first place, my wife has been for four months in a helpless condition which throws upon me in addition to my farm work all the housework and the care of my little children and sick wife.
All this makes it impossible for me to read my Bible to know what the Lord hath spoken that I may tell it to others.
In the second place, I am owing money that was to have been paid over 12 months past, but it was impossible to pay it. Now, in justice to those to whom I am indebted I must with, if possible, double energy lay hold upon my plough and hoe and try to redeem myself from such bondage. Good men have sold me goods on time. I cannot pay for them.
I could not preach to a congregation if one of those men sat before me as a hearer. Brethren, I must first pay my just debts and this, I cannot pay in preaching nor by preaching, but only by hard work.
Then if I can only pay them by work do you not all say, go to work? I am sure you do. Then do not expect me to lift my voice again as a public speaker while this financial embarrassment hangs over me.
Brethren and Sisters, pray for me and may Heaven’s protective smiles which can’t but bless crown your days with endless joys.
Yours in the hope of Immortality,
E. P. Giddens”
The good reverend did not ask his small congregation for more support—they met in a schoolhouse for lack of funds for their own church building—nor did he flee his creditors. His answer was to increase his efforts to make a living that allowed him to pay his debts. He knew this decision would reduce his ability to minister and preach effectively, so he stepped aside so another pastor could serve his church.
Giddens was finally able to pay off his debtors and move to the Atkins community in southern Bossier Parish, where he and his wife Nancy raised their family. Sadly, Giddens died in 1900 at age 62 three days after a cow kicked him in the chest. Nancy apparently overcame her lengthy illness with her husband’s help and lived to 1926, dying at age 84. In 1885, the Union Grove congregation was finally able to build a church and generously shared the facility with four other denominations.
Giddens’s resolve in dealing with his debts reveals the nature of his character. He could not in good conscience preach the Gospel before men he owed overdue debts. He knew what the Bible says about debts—“The wicked borrows but does not pay back,” Psalm 37:21 tells us. Paul, again speaking on the subject in Romans, says, “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”
I remember growing up in Minden with my mom and younger brother. It was a single-parent home, and money was always tight. I remember going to the grocery store with my mom and working that little hand-held calculator as she would select items for the week ahead. We had a budget from necessity, not choice.
She did everything possible to do the little things, that looking back, were so special.
I remember how she would call our apartment sometimes on a Friday night after work and tell me that she was bringing Sonic burgers home and for me not to set anything out for dinner. Sometimes we would actually go to Pizza Hut and truly “eat out.”
Funny, I don’t give a second thought now to bringing a burger home or eating out on a Friday night. The little things back then that were so special are just accepted as the norm today.
She would also give us a haircut anytime we wanted one. I didn’t have to book an appointment or wait in line. I didn’t pay for a haircut until I attend La Tech.
We could always count on a homemade birthday cake. There were no parties or people coming over to our apartment, but you could always choose the cake you wanted. She and Betty Crocker would always deliver. Homemade was more than just made at home.
She showed us how to make coke floats and frosted coke drinks. If we splurged on vanilla ice cream and a bottle of coke, she knew how to make the most of them! I don’t know if I have had either of those since then.
I remember her staying up late after work sewing Izod and Polo patches on generic shirts for my brother so he could have the same as other kids in his class. I preferred athletic T-shirts from school sports teams so that was easy. She was skilled at “finding a way”! Times weren’t that different back then.
There were so many little things that she did that went unnoticed by many. I saw it though. Every day I saw it.
For us, there were no vacations in the summer, but rather opportunities for summer jobs and experiences that were probably more valuable in the long term. I learned a work ethic from my mom that has served me well! I appreciate the vacations today, but I will forever be impacted by her commitment to providing!
It’s those seemingly insignificant things, those small gestures, or those actions that many just take for granted that can be so impactful. Those actions are often overlooked, dismissed as irrelevant, or unimportant by some, but for those directly impact, it may mean the world!
What are those “little” things from your past that impacted you?
What are those seemingly insignificant things you are doing today for others?
Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others”.
I had the privilege of officiating my mom’s funeral almost 13 years ago. If I had shared all the little things she did that made so much of a difference, we would have been there for quite a while.
In a world of social media and huge opportunities, let’s don’t ever lose sight of those “LITTLE THINGS”!
Doug equips leaders to make organizations better. He has two Christian-based leadership books available on all online platforms. Whether you are looking for a speaker for your next event or a leadership coach to develop people and build an authentic team, contact Doug at doug.strickel@gmail.com and learn more about PLUS.
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