The Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested a local man last week after deputies responded to a domestic disturbance.
Zachary Foster, 23, of Ruston, was arrested on March 5 for domestic abuse aggravated assault after deputies investigated an incident on Rodeo Road.
The victim told deputies that during an argument, Foster retrieved a knife from the kitchen and pointed it at her.
Foster told deputies that prior to their arrival, he was inside when the alleged victim wanted him to go back outside. He said he did not want to go back outside and began arguing with her. He stated the victim then began to push him, although not in a forceful manner, and that he does not like to be touched. He then grabbed a knife and threatened her.
Foster was arrested and booked at 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.
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Through the whole season of Lent, I work on answering the question, “What am I giving up for Lent.”
A friend told me recently, “I’m simply frazzled.” Now, when a minister says “frazzled,” my imagination goes straight to cartoon mode. I pictured him with his hair standing straight up, soot on his face, clutching a smoldering Bible in one hand while trying to answer a phone call and a text message with the other. Ministry does that to us. Then I looked at my own calendar—those blank spaces I had optimistically filled in with “rest”—and I understood exactly what he meant.
There’s an old saying: “I’m so busy I don’t know if I’ve found a rope or lost a horse. “Some days, that feels less like a saying and more like a spiritual condition.
Our culture practically demands frazzled, frenetic activity. If we’re going to play the game, we’re expected to check email, Facebook, Instagram, and X like we’re on some sort of digital scavenger hunt. I left Facebook, I never tweeted, and my computer only checks email a couple of times a day. I do peek at Instagram—because that’s where my family hangs out—but even that can feel like a part-time job.
Maybe a good Lenten discipline would be to give up the tyranny of the immediate. If it doesn’t get done today, I’ll get to it tomorrow. And if it’s still sitting there tomorrow, maybe it didn’t need doing in the first place.
Now, I’m not suggesting you shirk your responsibilities. I’m suggesting we learn something about living for the long run, something our souls have been trying to tell us while we’ve been too busy checking notifications.
God took the seventh day off. You, however, will not—because I know you. So let me offer a substitute: two peace pockets a day.
A peace pocket is a ten-minute break where you turn off the phone, turn off the computer monitor, close the door, and do absolutely nothing. If anyone asks, tell them you’re about to “work very hard for the next ten minutes on doing nothing.” Only we could turn rest into a job description.
If you can’t take a day off, take two peace pockets and call me later.
We spend so much time ruminating over trifles. The disciples once “lost” Jesus—not because He was lost, but because they were. They finally found Him praying alone. Breathless, they announced, “The whole town is looking for you!” Jesus calmly replied that He had other places to go. In other words: “I’m not ruled by your urgency.”
Jesus had priorities. He didn’t let the trivial masquerade as the essential.
If God rested and Jesus set priorities, maybe we should take the hint. Maybe Lent is the perfect time to let go of the things that make us feel frazzled, frantic, and spiritually threadbare.
Then, perhaps, we can finally decide whether we’ve found a rope or lost a horse.
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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.
Tuesday, March 10 10 a.m.: Storytime (Lincoln Parish Library) 1 p.m.: Grambling State softball 4 p.m.: Cafternoon (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: Video-led exercise class (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: LA Tech softball 6 p.m.: LA Tech baseball 7 p.m.: Lincoln Parish Police Jury meeting (Lincoln Courthouse)
Wednesday, March 11 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) 4 p.m.: LA Tech softball 6 p.m.: GSU baseball
Thursday, March 12 9:30 a.m.: Piney Hills Quilt Guild meeting (Grace Methodist Church) 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Kiwanis Club lunch and program (Trinity Methodist Church fellowship hall) 6 p.m.: Tween and Teen Time (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: Southern A’Chord Chorus rehearsal (Presbyterian Church fellowship hall, 212 N. Bonner St.; open to all women singers)
Friday, March 13 6-9 p.m.: Beer Crawl (Downtown Ruston) 6 p.m.: LA Tech baseball 6 p.m.: LA Tech softball
Saturday, March 14 8 a.m. to noon: Friends of the Library Community Garage Sale (Lincoln Parish Library Events Center) 8:30-11:30 a.m.: Hazardous Waste Material Collection and Recycling (2609 Farmerville St.) 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market 10 a.m. to noon: Pictures with the Easter Bunny (Lincoln Parish Library) 2 p.m.: LA Tech baseball 2 p.m.: LA Tech softball
Sunday, March 15 11 a.m.: LA Tech baseball 11 a.m.: LA Tech softball 2 p.m.: Springhill Baptist Church celebration of 5th Pastoral Anniversary (727 D. Store Rd., Simsboro)
Monday, March 16 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 5:30 p.m.: Ruston Planning and Zoning 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, March 17 10 a.m.: Storytime (Lincoln Parish Library) 4 p.m. Crafternoon (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: Video-led exercise class (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: LA Tech baseball
Wednesday, March 18 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)
Thursday, March 19 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Kiwanis Club lunch and program (Trinity Methodist Church fellowship hall) 4 p.m.: Tween Time (Lincoln Parish Library) 5 p.m.: Library Board of Control Meeting (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: Teen Time (Lincoln Parish Library) 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.: Books and Bites Book Club (Lincoln Parish Library; registration required by calling 318-513-5510)
Friday, March 20 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Friends of the Library Children’s Books and Puzzle Sale (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: GSU baseball
Saturday, March 21 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ruston Farmers Market 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Missions Market 2026; Concord/Union Baptist Association Women on Mission craft and bake sale (Temple Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 1515 S. Service Rd. W., Ruston) 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Friends of the Library Children’s Books and Puzzle Sale (Lincoln Parish Library) 2-3 p.m.: Tween and Teen Writer Workshop (Lincoln Parish Library) 3 p.m.: GSU baseball
Sunday, March 22 1 p.m.: GSU baseball
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Brooke Stoehr earned the Conference USA Coach of the Year Award announced by the league office on Monday while four Louisiana Tech players received all-conference accolades.
After guiding Louisiana Tech to its first regular season conference title in 15 years, Stoehr was honored by a panel of league head coaches, SIDs, and media members.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise.
Not only did Tech win the title, the Lady Techsters ran away with it.
Seventeen straight CUSA wins, the longest streak in 25 years.
The 5-game margin in the win column over the runner-up (FIU) tied the largest margin of games in the history of Conference USA.
Tech posted a perfect 9-0 record on the road in league games. Undefeated. No other team was better than 6-3 (FIU and Jacksonville State, who by the way, Tech defeated on their home floors).
Twelve of the 17 wins came by double digits. Tech’s margin of victory was over 15 points a game.
But Stoehr is the first one to point to the fact that it was her players that did the work, night in and night out, home and away.
Paris Bradley earned first team honors, while Jianna Morris and Jordan Marshall were named second team all-league. Alexis Weaver was named honorable mention.
But no specialty awards for a team of players that ran away with a regular season league title was the surprise.
Player of the Year? Defensive Player of the Year? Freshman of the Year? Newcomer of the Year? Sixth Player of the Year?
Tech went 0-for the lot of them.
To put this into historical context, the previous five years the league champion has never failed to walk away with at least one superlative award winner for a player. And most of those years the title race was much closer (outside of MTSU winning by 5 games in 2023-24; that year the Blue Raiders had both the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year).
This year, Tech clinched it with two weeks remaining.
Since the 2013-14 season when Louisiana Tech joined the league, this is only the third time the regular season champion hasn’t won at least one player specific specialty award (2017 WKU, 2018 UAB). And both of those years, WKU and UAB at least was rewarded with two first team all-conference honors. This year, Tech had just one (Paris Bradley).
And Tech had plenty of top-notch candidates.
Last year’s Freshman of the Year and this year’s Preseason Player of the Year Paris Bradley was one of only two players in CUSA to rank in the top 15 in scoring, assists and steals. She also ranked in the top 25 in rebounding. Bradley averaged 14.4 points (No. 5), 3.2 assists (No. 7), and 1.9 steals (No. 14) a contest. And for good measure, she pulled down 5.2 rebounds a game (No. 25).
Unselfish. Versatile. Talented. Best player on the best team.
How about Jianna Morris for Defensive Player of the Year? She held Missouri State’s Kaemyn Bekemeier who led CUSA in scoring (17.5 ppg) to a grand total of 14 points in two games. That’s 7.0 points a game.
Morris also got the assignment on FIU’s Parris Atkins, who ranks No. 3 in the league in scoring at 17 points a game. Atkins totaled 24 points and committed 10 turnovers in two games. That’s 12.0 points per contest, well under her average.
That’s four games against two of the top three scorers in CUSA, who averaged just 9.5 points a game, just over half of their average. And in those four games, Morris played 147 of 160 possible minutes.
To make matters more perplexing, not only did Morris not get Defensive Player of the Year, but she wasn’t even voted to the league’s 5-person All-Defensive Team.
Let’s move on to Kaleigh Thompson for 6th Player of the Year. Take away two games in which Thompson didn’t score (she played a total of 27 minutes and took a total of 3 shots in those two games), she averaged right below 9.0 points and 4.3 points a contest in league-only games coming off the bench.
She is one of the toughest match-ups in the league with her size, ball-handling ability, quickness and ability to do so many of the little things that win games.
And what about that lack of representation on the all-Defensive Team, made up of the five “best” defenders in the league.
Louisiana Tech ranked No. 1 as a team in fewest points allowed per game at only 57.7 in league-only games. It ranked No. 3 in turnovers forced per game and No. 3 in opponent 3-point field goal percentage (even after UTEP went nuclear Saturday night when it hit a program record 14 vs. Tech).
The Lady Techsters held their opponent to 60 points or less 13 times. So surely they deserved at least one player on that team. Jianna Morris, perhaps?
At the end of the day, as Tech prepares to open the CUSA Tournament Wednesday in Huntsville, Alabama, the only hardware this team is concerned with is the CUSA Tournament Championship trophy.
And the league coaches, SIDs, and media just gave a group that didn’t need extra motivation … exactly that.
Louisiana Tech’s DJ Dudley, AJ Bates, and Melian Martinez earned Conference USA postseason honors, the league office announced on Monday.
Dudley was voted Third Team All-Conference USA, while Bates received Honorable Mention All-CUSA and Martinez was named to the CUSA All-Defensive Team.
Dudley has been the Bulldogs’ top scoring option throughout the season, averaging a team-best 14.1 points per game. The sharpshooter also anchored the team’s perimeter attack, knocking down 57 three-pointers at a 39.0 percent clip while adding 2.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.9 steals per contest.
The junior has led LA Tech in scoring a team-high 13 times and has reached double figures in 21 games, including eight 20-point performances – seven of which came during conference play. During one stretch of league action, Dudley scored 17 or more points in seven straight games.
He also delivered several clutch moments this season, making the game-winning basket in four contests, including conference victories over Delaware, Middle Tennessee, and Missouri State. Dudley’s season high came against Missouri State when he poured in 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting. During conference play, he averaged 15.5 points per game, ranking 13th in CUSA.
Bates, the Bulldogs’ floor general, earned honorable mention recognition after averaging 11.2 points per game, second most on the team, while also serving as the team’s primary playmaker.
The guard is the only Bulldog to start all 31 games this season and leads the team with 5.9 assists per game, a mark that ranks 30th nationally. His 182 total assists this season rank as the 10th most in LA Tech single-season history, and he recorded at least five assists in 20 games. Bates also produced three double-doubles during the campaign.
One of his most notable performances came against Jacksonville State when he dished out a career-high 15 assists, the most ever by a Bulldog against a CUSA opponent and tied for the second most in program history.
Bates also averaged 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, scoring in double figures 17 times, including four 20-point games. He led the Bulldogs in scoring eight times, highlighted by a career-high 34-point performance in LA Tech’s upset win over first-place Liberty. In that game, Bates shot 13-of-23 from the field and 6-of-11 from three-point range.
Martinez anchored the Bulldogs’ defense and earned a spot on the CUSA All-Defensive Team after leading the conference in both blocks per game (1.81) and total blocks (49). His shot-blocking presence also ranks 38th nationally in blocks per game and 58th in total blocks.
The center has recorded at least three blocks in 10 games this season and averaged 2.21 blocks per game during conference play, the top mark in the league.
Martinez’s season highlight came against Missouri State when he swatted a career-high seven shots. He is also on the verge of a milestone, needing just one more block to reach 50 for the season, which would make him the ninth Bulldog in program history to reach that mark in a single season.
Martinez has been a key piece of a Louisiana Tech defense that ranks among the top 10 in the nation in both scoring defense and field goal percentage defense this season.
Sixteen Bulldogs have now garnered 26 All-CUSA honors since joining the league in 2013-14, the second most in the league during this span. Meanwhile, Martinez became the ninth Bulldog to be named to the CUSA All-Defensive Team, the most of any conference team over the last 13 years. LA Tech has had at least one player make the All-Defensive Team in 10 of the 13 seasons.
CONFERENCE USA POSTSEASON AWARDS Player of the Year Zach Cleveland, Liberty
Defensive Player of the Year Kashie Natt, Sam Houston
Newcomer of the Year Mostapha El Moutaouakkil, Jacksonville State
Freshman of the Year Christian Bliss, Delaware
Sixth Player of the Year Jacob Walker, Sam Houston
Gene Bartow Co-Coaches of the Year Ritchie McKay, Liberty Chris Mudge, Sam Houston
All-CUSA First Team Mostapha El Moutaouakkil, Jacksonville State RJ Johnson, Kennesaw State Zach Cleveland, Liberty Brett Decker Jr., Liberty Teagan Moore, WKU
All-CUSA Second Team Christian Bliss, Delaware Corey Stephenson, FIU Keith Palek III, Missouri State Jemel Jones, New Mexico State Po’Boigh King, Sam Houston
All-CUSA Third Team Kaden Metheny, Liberty DJ Dudley, Louisiana Tech Torey Alston, Middle Tennessee Michael Osei-Bonsu, Missouri State Kashie Natt, Sam Houston
All-CUSA Honorable Mention Justyn Fernandez, Delaware AC Bryant, Jacksonville State Colin Porter, Liberty AJ Bates, Louisiana Tech Kamari Lands, Middle Tennessee Jacob Walker, Sam Houston Elijah Jones, UTEP Kaseem Watson, UTEP Jamal West Jr., UTEP Grant Newell, WKU
CUSA All-Defensive Team Eric Dibami, FIU Braedan Lue, Kennesaw State JJ Harper, Liberty Melian Martinez, Louisiana Tech Kashie Natt, Sam Houston
CUSA All-Freshman Team Christian Bliss, Delaware Eric Dibami, FIU Trey Simpson, Kennesaw State Jacob Walker, Sam Houston Armelo Boone, WKU
Louisiana Tech is set to host the Lamar Cardinals at JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park tonight at 6 p.m. CT.
The contest can be seen on ESPN+.
The Diamond ‘Dogs (10-7) are coming off a series win over South Alabama, securing the final two games of the series after dropping Friday’s opener. Hudson Rowan and Brooks Roberson both earned the win in each of their starts over the weekend, while Riley Fisher earned his third save as a Bulldog and Thomas Allen picked up his first collegiate save.
Trey Hawsey hit homers in Saturday’s and Sunday’s games, marking the fourth time in his career to hit a homer in consecutive games. Zeb Ruddell snapped a seven-game cold spell of not recording a hit with a double and a go-ahead two-run homer in Saturday’s win.
After dropping Friday’s game by a score of 9-3, the ‘Dogs outscored the Jaguars 12-3 through the remaining 18 innings of the weekend.
Colby Lunsford still sits among the top 10 in CUSA with a .683 slugging percentage and a 1.127 OPS, along with 17 runs, 20 hits and nine doubles. Hawsey and Sebastian Mexico are also among the top 10 each with 20 base hits, while Hawsey is tied for the fifth-most homers with five.
The Cardinals (9-7) enter Tuesday’s contest coming off a series loss in Southland play to Stephen F. Austin on the road. Lamar put up a four-spot in the third inning of the series opener to take a 4-2 lead, but allowed four unanswered runs to fall 6-4. The Cardinals won Game 2 with a sizeable 11-3 victory with four runs in the seventh and seven runs in the eighth.
The rubber match of the weekend featured an 14-11 shootout, with the Lumberjacks on the winning side of that score. Lamar led 9-3 going into the eighth before giving up 11 runs in the home half.
The Bulldogs are looking to avenge their midweek loss to Lamar from 2025, falling 6-5 at the Love Shack on February 25. Prior to last season, Tech had won four of the previous five clashes with the most recent win dating back to the 2012 season by a score of 8-1.
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Bulldog Softball
Louisiana Tech softball returns home to Dr. Billy Bundrick Field for a five-game homestand, beginning tonight with a matchup against Alcorn State at 6:00 p.m. and McNeese on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
Tuesday’s meeting will mark the 19th all-time contest between LA Tech and Alcorn and the first since March 29, 2016, when the Bulldogs defeated the Braves 12-0 in five innings in Ruston. Tech’s only loss to Alcorn came in a 3-1 defeat in 2008. The Bulldogs have won the last 11 games.
Wednesday will mark the 95th meeting between the Bulldogs and Cowgirls. LA Tech leads the all-time series 62-32 after taking down MSU 10-5 at home last season. The Bulldogs have won five straight dating back to 2022, including three wins over MSU in 2024. Tech won 32 straight games against McNeese from 1982-1990.
The Bulldogs moved to 13-10 (0-3 Conference USA) after being swept by New Mexico State in their CUSA series opener this past weekend. Tech fell 14-5 (5) on Friday, 15-14 on Saturday and 7-1 on Sunday.
LA Tech collected 25 hits in the series, 12 of which went for extra bases, including eight home runs. The Bulldogs belted six home runs in Saturday’s 14-15 loss, marking the most home runs in a single game by a Bulldog team since May 1, 2009, when Tech also hit six at NMSU. Reagan Marchant and Bradi Gallaway both had two home runs in the loss while Gracie Flores and Aleah Brooks registered their first career homers in the contest.
Marchant finished the weekend with four home runs, hitting at least one in all three games and is up to a team-best seven long balls this season. She had a grand slam and solo blast to finish with five RBI on Saturday. The second-year Bulldog now ranks sixth all-time in program history with 25 career home runs.
Alcorn State enters Tuesday’s meeting with a 9-10 record and most recently fell to Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 13-4, on Friday in its SWAC opener. Only the Friday game was played, as the rest the series was postponed due to rain.
McNeese is 19-7 this season and is coming off a Southland Conference series-opening sweep of Lamar. The Cowgirls earned key non-conference wins over Houston (14-9, 7-3), Baylor (5-4), Iowa (11-4), Missouri (5-3, 4-1), and No. 21 Ole Miss (12-11).
Graveside services for Mary Ella Graham, age 90 of Ruston, LA will be held at 2:00 PM, Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Kilpatrick Memorial Garden. Burial will follow under the direction of Owens Memorial Chapel Funeral Home of Ruston. Visitation will be held at the funeral home Tuesday from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM.
Mary was born July 13, 1935 in Lake City, AR to Opal McFarland Gadberry and Lois Hope Gadberry and passed away Thursday, March 5, 2026 in Monroe, LA. She started pre-pharmacy school but she dropped out to support her husband, A.G. Graham, while he attended Dental School. After his graduation, Dr. Graham started his dental practice in Arcadia, LA where Mary worked as the office manager and bookkeeper. She always supported her husband whole heartedly. After the dental practice was moved to Ruston, she and her brother, Billy began breeding Greyhounds for the race track. She really enjoyed this the rest of her life.
When Mary was not working, she was a mother. To her children she was more than a mother, she was the heart and soul of the family. She was a minister’s daughter and she lived it; a very Christian person always loving others and a very giving person that would help others in need. Mary enjoyed watching Perry Mason, cooking cobblers and pies, and adopting dogs, especially Doberman’s. She loved listening to country music and to travel. Mary also owned and operated Graham Properties, an apartment complex.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her husband A.G. Graham; son, Steven Craig Graham; brothers, Oral Gene Gadberry, Billy Dean Gadberry, and Gerald Stanley Gadberry.
Mary is survived by her sons, Larry Kent Graham of Ruston, LA and Michael Wayne Graham and wife Cindy of Baton Rouge, LA; sister, Ellen Gibbons of Monette, AR; several special nieces; and a host of other family and friends.
A Celebration of Life for Nancy Elizabeth Felice, 98, of Choudrant, LA will be 2:00 P.M. Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Kilpatrick Funeral Home Chapel in Ruston, LA. Rev. Jon Tellifero will officiate the service. Interment will follow in Beulah Cemetery in Calhoun, LA under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Homes in Ruston, LA.
A Visitation for family and friends will be prior to the service beginning at 12:00 noon until service time at Kilpatrick Funeral Home Chapel in Ruston, LA.
Nancy Elizabeth Felice passed on to a glorious homecoming on Friday, March 6, 2026. Better known to many as Babe, Elizabeth, Liz, or Mammaw. Our wonderful matriarch lived a life that was filled with love, full of the normal daily tasks and highlighted by fun and adventure. Everything she did was executed with conscientious devotion to family and friends.
Born to Connie and Ida Ruth Walters on December 8, 1927, at home in Calhoun, Louisiana, she was the 5th of 8 brothers and sisters. Born and raised in Calhoun, she was a graduate of Calhoun High School.
Elizabeth enjoyed life whether she was at home with her family or traveling the globe with her husbands and with her sister and best friend, Annette. She found joy in the everyday – riding her lawnmower and enjoying the sunshine – and in the adventures – seeing the Great Wall of China and cruising the Caribbean.
A talented artist, she blessed many with her paintings in watercolor and acrylics. She had an eye for nature and painted many of the beauties seen even right outside her window. A family heirloom of a portrait of her mother hung in her home and shows a cherished love from a daughter.
She was a longtime member of Beulah Community Church where she served as the pianist for many years while also volunteering as the church’s Treasurer and Holiday Basket Organizer. Her faith helped to lead her family.
Better known as Liz on the golf course, she took up golfing later in life and enjoyed many sunny days on the course with her friends and family. She was active in playing at Pine Hills and Calvert Crossing until 2020 and was a member of the Ladies Golf Associations.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, James B. Smith; second husband, Frank Felice; grandson James Gregory Smith, brothers Leander, Gilbert, Layton, Hilton, and Ray; sister Mittie; and daughter-in-law Sandra Smith.
Nothing meant more to her than her family, and she cherished every moment with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her sister Annette Coker; her four sons, Gary (Glenda), Randy (Lisa Clair), Charles (Linda), and Steven; step-daughter Linda Foto (Gary). Along with 12 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.
The family wishes to recognize and thank the following caregivers: Joyce, Lori and Linda, as well as the staff of Caring Hands Hospice, with special thanks to Nurse, Peyton.
Pallbearers are Charles Smith, Corey Smith, Tyler Smith, Zach Smith, Keith Walters, and John Marshall Knighten.
Honorary Pallbearers are James Gary Smith Jr., Roy Turner, Jimmy Pitts, Larry Parker, and George Addicott.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Beulah Community Church, 487 Beulah Church Road, Calhoun, LA 71225.
There will be a public meeting hosted tonight (Monday, March 9) at 6 p.m. in the Jack Beard Community Room at the Lincoln Parish Library.
The meeting will include an outline of the transportation planning process, identification of key findings, presentation of the final draft before publishing, and a question and answer session.
This is a great opportunity to understand the work that has gone into creating this transportation plan and the impact it will have on Lincoln Parish for years to come.
Courtesy of Louisiana Tech University Communications
Louisiana Tech undergrads have gained another top-shelf interdisciplinary education opportunity.
The Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently added six colleges and universities — including Tech — to its Gulf Scholars Program (GSP), a five-year, funded pilot program that prepares undergraduate students to address pressing environmental, health, energy, and infrastructure challenges in the Gulf Coast region.
The addition of this fifth cohort — Tech, Alcorn State, Millsaps College, Texas Southern University, Ole Miss, and South Florida — expands the GSP network to 30 institutions across the five Gulf States, marks the final cohort of the pilot phase of the program, and sets the stage for an extensive network of higher education partners working toward a more resilient and sustainable Gulf region.
“Because of all these social and environmental challenges of our region, the great thing the program allows is for all of our five colleges to engage,” Dr. Jennifer Hill, associate professor of Biological Sciences in Tech’s College of Applied and Natural Sciences and director of Tech’s Gulf Scholars Program, said. “The program is framed around integrated education across multiple disciplines informing students and the community of the interdisciplinary nature of our regional challenges.
“This is very much a team effort with faculty from various disciplines on the steering committee,” Hill said. “This program is designed to be engaged by the entire University community.”
As a participant in the GSP, Tech will develop a unique educational curriculum consisting of place-based courses, workshops, and an internship program that includes major research, service-learning, or creative project in partnership with a local or regional organization to address our region’s complex environmental, social, energy, and resilience challenges.
In working to find solutions for the region and planet — and therefore for people — students and faculty might explore anything from recycling programs to health disparities to construction materials that better contend with flooding.
“There are so many different things that we need big solutions for,” Hill said. “And we want to find solutions by engaging the public, our alumni, and the community, not just working behind the scenes in our labs. We’re working to engage in a way that we’ll have active solutions.
“I’m a scientist and ecologist; I am not an economist, so on my own I don’t have the answers,” Hill said. “This is why we want all disciplines involved, to feed off each other, to help each other learn and solve. Our students are hungry for his information and engagement. While this program isn’t all about coastal problems, the program initiatives will help us get them into our (Gulf) environment more, see what these challenges for the coast and the people there look like up close. We want to make our students more civilly engaged in all the issues we are facing. The more informed they are, the more active they’ll be in making needed change.”
An undergrad and internship initiative commissioning between eight to 13 interns annually, the program officially begins next academic year, funded with $600,000 by the GRP.
The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program is an independent, science-based program founded in 2013 as part of legal settlements with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. The GRP’s mission is to develop, translate, and apply science to enhance the safety of offshore energy, the environment, and the well-being of the people of the Gulf region for generations to come. It supports innovative science, guides data design and monitoring, and builds and sustains networks to generate long-term benefits for the Gulf region and the nation.
An artist’s rendering of the 2026 Monroe St. Jude Dream Home.
Ticket sales are now underway for the 2026 Monroe St. Jude Dream Home, and organizers say 9,000 tickets will be available this year – an increase from the 8,500 offered previously.
Ruston’s Zeta Rho chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha is once again leading the volunteer effort, handling ticket processing and coordinating Open house tours. Z107.5 continues as the exclusive radio partner, helping spread the word about the annual fundraiser.
This year’s Dream Home, built by BRACO Construction, is located at 9073 DeSiard Trace in Sterlington’s DeSiard Trace subdivision. The upscale cottage-style home has an estimated value of $525,000. Among its features are a custom built-in banquette breakfast nook off the kitchen, a spacious walk-in pantry and a private study area apart from the living spaces.
In addition to the possibility of winning the house itself, ticket buyers have a chance to win other prizes. Upcoming deadlines are:
– Tickets on Sale Prize deadline, March 13 – $2,500 Visa gift card. Courtesy of Assurance Financial.
– Early Bird Prize deadline, April 10 – “Exmark 42” Zero-Turn Mower with extended warranty and maintenance plan plus Echo handheld package. Courtesy of 3B Outdoor Equipment.
– Bonus Prize deadline, May 8 – 2026 Mazda3 Sedan Select. Courtesy of Dream Day Foundation.
– Last Chance Prize deadline, June 5 – Generac home standby generator. Courtesy of Albritton Service Co.
Open house tours will be scheduled during May and June. Visitors may also register for a free drawing for the Open House Prize, a $5,000 shopping spree courtesy of Ivan Smith Furniture.
Furniture staging for the Dream Home is being furnished by Sleepy Hollow. The interior designer is Jan Strickland of Strickland Interiors, of Rayville.
The winner of the house, in addition to winners of the other prizes, will be announced live June 16 on Monroe TV partner stations KTVE and KARD.
Tickets are $100 each. To purchase, call 1-800-592-1582 or visit dreamhome.org.
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A Louisiana State trooper arrested a 35-year-old man in Ruston after he noticed the man’s Cadillac was displaying a switched license plate.
Justin J. Nolan, of Angie, La., was arrested March 4 after the trooper found suspected methamphetamine in his car.
Nolan was stopped on La. Highway 33 in Ruston at about 8 a.m. when the trooper determined the license plate on his Cadillac belonged to a Honda. During the traffic stop, the trooper detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana.
A records check revealed Nolan’s driver’s license was under suspension.
A search of the vehicle located a glass container with a small amount of suspected methamphetamine. Nolan denied ownership of the drug.
Nolan was taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and booked for possession of methamphetamine, driving under suspension, and switched license plate.
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.
On March 6, 2026, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop F responded to a one-vehicle crash on Louisiana Highway 599 at Bernie Turner Road. The crash claimed the life of 65-year-old Michael A. Hutson of West Monroe.
The initial investigation revealed that a 2017 commercial vehicle, driven by Hutson, was southbound on Louisiana Highway 599. For reasons still under investigation, Hutson left the roadway, traveled down the ditch embankment and overturned.
Hutson, who was not restrained, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead. Routine toxicology sample was obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.
While not all crashes are survivable, proper use of seat belts can greatly decrease an occupant’s chance of death and may greatly reduce the extent of injury. Always ensuring every occupant is properly restrained can often mean the difference between life and death.
RUSTON, La. — What a third quarter it was Friday night for No. 2 Ruston.
Between an explosive offense and a filthy defense, the Bearcats outscored the No. 23 Parkway Panthers 30-7 in third quarter alone to help propel Ruston to a 68-30 win and a trip to its third state tournament appearance in four years.
“I think in the first half we were playing uptight and trying not to make mistakes,” Ruston High Head Coach Marcus Jackson said. “In the third quarter, we got going. We had defense that led to offense, and that’s what allowed us to win. We preach that defense wins championships — if we’ve got a chance to win it, we have to play defense first.”
Ruston found itself down toward the end of the first quarter 10-6 after being held scoreless for nearly six minutes before sophomore Darren Ford hit his first of three-straight three-pointers — first at the end the first period and then two more in a row to start the second to put the Bearcats up 15-11 with 5:44 to go in the first half.
After a pair of Ford free throws, junior Ahmad Hudson then scored six of Ruston’s nine points for the remainder of the quarter to help put Ruston up 26-18 at halftime.
In the third quarter, it was junior Keshun Malcolm’s turn to take over after he scored nine of Ruston’s for 12 points of the period to put Ruston up 38-20 with 3:35 to go in the period. Two back-to-back dunks right after by Ford sent the crowd into a frenzy and forced Parkway to take a timeout with 3:00 to go in the third, where the Bearcats would go on to lead 56-25 going into the fourth.
And after a Malcolm bucket and a Hudson dunk, the clock ran for the rest of the game en route to the Ruston victory.
Ford finished the night with 26 points, while Hudson and Malcolm had 15 and 13, respectively, in front of a raucous crowd.
“All three of those guys have unique talents,” Jackson said. “If we play off each other and not try to play against one another, that opens up the flow of the game. It was obviously a playoff atmosphere, for sure. Ruston has a great crowd and a great community.”
For Jackson, taking the Bearcats back to the state tournament feels pretty sweet after some personal difficulties from last year.
“Where I was last year being hurt and then burying my mother, this is just overwhelming,” an emotional Jackson said. “I’m just so proud of the guys. They’re buying in. They didn’t know me coming into (last) season. I thought the Oregon trip helped us, a lot of church trips, eating together — that all helped us get to this moment. I’m proud of Ruston High’s administrators and teachers — they supported me this whole while, and I’m just thankful and grateful for it.”
The Bearcats will face No. 6 Central – B.R. in the semifinals in the LHSAA State Tournament in Lake Charles, La., on Thursday, March 7 at 8 p.m.
Lincoln Prep senior Kaden Vernon is pictured celebrating with the net after cutting it off the rim Friday night. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
The Lincoln Preparatory School boys basketball team made a list of five goals to accomplish before the 2025-26 season started.
So far, the Panthers have reached four of them, but the biggest and most elusive so far still lies ahead.
The Panthers roared past Ouachita Christian 59-40 at home Friday night to earn a fifth straight trip to March Madness and a semifinal berth in the Division IV Select School Playoffs.
Now the Panthers turn their focus toward something they’ve never accomplished under the moniker of Lincoln Prep — capture a state championship.
“By the grace of God, we’ve been able to do that,” Panthers coach Antonio Hudson said of earning a fifth straight trip to the championship tournament in Lake Charles. “Now we just have to figure out how to finish it.”
The first half went the way most of Lincoln Prep’s games have gone this season — defensive domination by the Panthers, who led 8-7 at the end of the opening stanza and 22-11 at halftime.
And the Panthers hit the first basket of the third quarter 45 seconds in on a putback by Devin Shine, who scored all six of his points in that stanza.
But the Eagles pulled within striking distance at nine points down at 26-17 at the 5:20 mark of the period on a baseline layup by D’sian Bradshaw, who hit a short jumper at the buzzer to make a 13-point game at 39-26 in Lincoln Prep’s favor heading into the fourth quarter.
“That’s our best deal — our best style of game,” Hudson said of the defensive start his team got off to. “We’ve played some really good teams, but I think OCS is one of the best defensive teams that we’ve played. In the half-court set it’s hard for people to get locked in, and we did that in the first half.
“Toward the end of the third quarter I think we got kind of lax because we got comfortable with the lead. We gave up more layups than anything in the third quarter, and that’s unacceptable. That’s not the way to win a championship. But we’re going back down to (Marsh Madness) again, and that’s a good thing.”
The Eagles remained within striking distance for the first four minutes of the final stanza, cutting it to 11-point lead for Lincoln Prep on one of two technical foul free throws when the Panthers were hit with a tech for taunting with 4:17 remaining.
But before any more time ran off, the Eagles were hit with a technical foul of their own, with Lincoln Prep’s Jabari Levingston hitting one-of-two of his free throws to push the Panthers’ lead back to 12 at 46-34.
The game also started with a technical foul before the opening jump that OCS hit one of two free throws on to take a 1-0 lead before the clock started.
“We’ve been running out the same way all year, but they said we couldn’t run out under their goal,” Hudson said. “I never heard of that, but you know, they know more than we do.”
After the fourth quarter technical fouls exchange, the Panthers then went on a 9-0 run to pull away for good with their biggest lead coming at 21 points with 1:14 remaining on an Alley Opp pass from Trey Spann to Zion Hicks, who caught the ball under the net and bounced it smoothly off the backboard for the score.
Levingston and Hicks both double-doubled for Lincoln Prep, with Levingston chalking up 22 points, 13 rebounds, eight steals, six assists and a blocked shot while Hicks recorded 21 points, 14 boards, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
Hudson declined to take part in the net-cutting ceremony, letting senior Kaden Vernon completely remove it from the rim.
The win was especially meaningful for the Panthers’ three seniors — Trey Spann, who totaled six points, five assists, one rebound and one steal — along with Hicks and Vernon.
“I want to win the championship for the players who played in front of me who didn’t get this chance I’m going to get, and for all the people who have supported us,” Hicks said.
In a postgame locker room talk, Panthers assistant coach Yum D. Pujoe told the team they had now accomplished four of those preseason goals, with one remaining.
“The first was to win or 25 or more games (the Panthers are 28-0), No. 2 was to win district, No. 3 was to go undefeated at home (where Lincoln Prep went 15-0) the fourth was to finish the season at No. 1 (which the Panthers have been since season’s start),” Pujoe said. “Now we only have one goal left — win the state championship.”
After the game, Hudson said the Panthers’ final goal is the only one that matters.
“We gotta get it,” Hudson said. “It’s for the community, too. In some ways, it’s selfish of us, but it’s for the team, because we’ve got to prove that we can get it done. We’ve been down there so many times and have come back empty handed. We’ve got to make it happen. I want to cut the net down in Lake Charles. That’s why I didn’t want to do it tonight. I want to do it down there.”
Top-seeded Lincoln Prep will take on fourth seed Central Catholic Tuesday, March 10, at 1 p.m.
