Anita Howard Gray August 19, 1946 – February 6, 2025 Visitation: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – Ruston, Friday, February 14, 2025, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Service: Alabama Presbyterian Church, Saturday, February 15, 2025, 10:00 am
Sarah Singleton Howard Friday 09/08/1922 — Thursday 02/06/2025 Visitation: Friday 02/14/2025 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Funeral Service: Saturday 02/15/2025 11:00am, New Prosperity Baptist Church, 1378 Prosperity Church Road, Clay Interment: Saturday 02/15/2025 Following Service, New Prosperity Cemetery, Clay
The Lincoln Parish Police Jury made a move during Tuesday’s monthly meeting at the Lincoln Parish Courthouse that it hopes will eliminate the major headache it faced in early 2022 regarding fire and rescue service for parish residents living outside of municipal jurisdictions.
To that end, the LPPJ approved a new Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee consisting of six jurors.
In the summer of 2022, the Rustron Fire Department requested a significant rate increase for the RFD to continue providing rescue and ambulance service for the Lincoln Parish Fire District, which did not (and still doesn’t) have the equipment or manpower to provide the kind of crucial services the Ruston Fire Department offers.
But a majority of the then-LPPJ initially rejected that request, setting off a firestorm of internal division that finally ended in October of that year when the LPPJ, under openly vocal pressure from many parish residents and businesses, finally relented a $645,604 deal with the city of Ruston on a new five-year agreement that included an annual percentage increase based on the Consumer Price Index.
During the fall 2023 elections there was a major upheaval within the LPPJ ranks, with the infighting over the ambulance deal and the way those negotiations were handled considered a likely reason for the big change across the Jury. It resulted in a significant turnover of Jury members.
The Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee created Tuesday night will be tasked with doing the research and negotiating to prevent such division as that five-year agreement is reexamined and discussed before a new potential contract is discussed in 2027.
LPPJ President Glenn Scriber described why he thought the creation of a new LPPJ was necessary.
“Basically, we’re looking at getting this research, study or whatever you want to call it and have a plan in place for 2027,” Scriber said. “That’s when we’re going to have to have something in place to bring before the entire jury for our rescue and ambulance.
“There’s going to be a lot of moving parts, and a lot of discussion, so it will be a very active committee so we can see where we’re headed.
That committee will be chaired by Chris “Moose” Garriga, who will be joined by Annette Straughter, Dan Lord, TJ Cranford, Logan Hunt and Milton Melton.
“They’ll be serving not only the Jury, but the community as well,” Scriber said. “Because they’re going to have to be talking with area leaders, the fire district, the Ruston fire chief and mayor, small municipalities that we have — all of those. They’ll have to be engaged and hear from them.
“I like the idea of a smaller committee. You get more done with a smaller committee. But just like any other committee we have, any police jury member that wants to can come and be there for those meetings.”
Scriber said he recommended Garriga to be chairman of the committee because of the concern Garriga showed in 2023 before he was elected as the LPPJ District 8 representative.
“He’s shown a passion about this and I think that he’ll be an absolutely great head for this,” Scriber said. “I’m excited about who’s on (the new committee) and the effort they’ve already shown. They have a lot of experience dealing with the things they’re going to have to deal with.
“They can talk the language when they meet with a (Ruston Fire Chief) Chris Womack or a (Lincoln Parish Fire District No. 1 Chief) Kevin Reynolds, or mayors or whatever positions they may have in our smaller municipalities. So we’ll absolutely get input from them and they’ll be a part of this thing we’re trying to accomplish before the time comes down the road.”
Scriber said it’s nowhere near too early to begin looking at a next agreement or course of action.
“All of this takes a lot of time,” Scriber said. “Maybe there are some monies we can get out there for certain things. There’s just going to be a lot they’re going to have to do and when the time comes, we’re really hoping and praying that it’s going to be a smooth transition for whoever we vote to have our Lincoln Parish Rescue and Ambulance Service.”
Garriga talked to his fellow jurors about why he believes a long-term plan is so important.
“Our Fire District needs help,” Garriga said. “We’re building houses outside the city left and right. We just passed plat approval for a new subdivision (Oak Tree Road Unit 1 Subdivision) tonight. The Fire District has a $1.1 million budget. Their vehicles are older than all of the vehicles in this room right now are driving.
“In the past there hasn’t been a good relationship between the city EMS and parish EMS, and I think that’s mended now and moving forward. A couple of us (on the new Public Safety and Emergency Services Committee) do have some background in that field and I think we can help make sure we’re getting the best service, training and personnel that we can.”
Ruston High School announced Tuesday afternoon that four students have advanced as National Merit Finalists.
The students are Anhaar Wasi, Cedric Serio, Lydia Watts and Carter Tims.
“I wasn’t surprised that these students were named semifinalists and I’m not surprised that all of them are now finalists,” Ruston High principal Dan Gressett said. “We are talking about extremely high level students. The average ACT score for the group is a 34 with a couple of perfect scores mixed in. We are very proud of them and we are so glad that they are Bearcats.”
See below for additional information about the Nation Merit Scholarship Program.
Steps in the 2025 Competition
Over 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
National Merit Scholarships
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2025. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 770 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 130 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 150 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2025 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 382,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
Alivia Lee makes a pass to a teammate for a late bucket to help Cedar Creek defeat Arcadia Tuesday night at The Brickhouse. (Photo by Josh McDaniel)
by Malcolm Butler
Sophomore Alivia Lee scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and junior Avery Ryan added 16 points and eight boards to lead Cedar Creek to a dramatic 49-42 win over Arcadia Tuesday night as the Lady Cougars claimed the District 1-1A title in front of a standing room only crowd at The Brickhouse.
With the Lady Cougars (25-3, 6-0) leading 43-42 with less than three minutes to play, the game was on the line as Arcadia (24-4, 5-1) was attempting to grab its first lead of the night.
It didn’t happen.
Lee took a lob pass in the middle of the lane off an inbounds and hit a short jumper with 2:10 to play and one minute later Ryan hit a layup off a feed from Lee as the Cougars pulled away for the 13th straight win of the season.
“I thought our girls were ready,” said head coach Katie Hall. “I thought they came out with energy and executed our game plan. The crowd was great. I was pleased with everyone’s performance and contribution tonight.”
Junior point guard Taylor Martinez agreed.
“(This win) was huge,” said Martinez, who scored eight points and sealed the win with two late free throws. “We haven’t been tested in a while. So winning this game going into the playoffs is very important. It just reassures us that we can handle the harder teams and that we are one of those harder teams. It just gives us confidence.”
The two teams traded early buckets before senior Mallory Smith drained a corner three-pointer and Taylor Martinez followed with a pair of free throws. After a Ryan jumper in the lane, Martinez hit her own jumper in the lane to cap a 9-0 run and give the Lady Cougars an 11-2 advantage midway through the opening quarter.
The marquee match-up of the night saw Ryan battling Arcadia super sophomore DeAsia Alexander as the two versatile post players traded blows all night long.
“(Alexander) was great,” said Lee. “She can really score the ball. It took all of us with the help defense … having our (defensive) wall to pick her up.”
Lee hit a corner 3-pointer with 3:23 to play in the first quarter as the Lady Cougars grabbed a double digit lead at 19-8 after the opening period of play.
Arcadia turned up the defensive pressure in the second quarter. After committing just four turnovers in the first stanza, the Lady Cougars coughed it up seven times in the second but still lead 29-18 at the half.
“We anticipated it being a struggle in keeping the turnovers down,” said Hall. “They are very athletic. You have to give a lot of credit to Arcadia. Their defense is very good, and we haven’t seen that in a while. We persevered and didn’t hang our heads.”
“Arcadia has a really good defense, something we will see in the playoffs,” said Martinez. “I was able to give the ball up to other people (at times) and that relieved the pressure from me. Having confidence in them and them having confidence in me right back is important. Everyone knows each other and trusts each other on this team.”
After Lee opened the third quarter with a layup to push the lead to 31-18, Ryan picked up her third foul with 7:05 to play. Three minutes later with Creek leading 33-25, Ryan was whistled for her fourth foul and Hall pulled her from the game.
“Avery is a great player, and when she goes out we all have to step up,” said Lee. “If that means me getting any extra rebounds or loose balls and just doing what I can to help.”
Alexander took advantage of Ryan’s absence, scoring five quick points, including a corner three, to close the gap to 33-30. After two free throws by Arcadia sophomore guard Ari Williams closed it to 33-32, Le answered with a layup and then Alexander was whistled for her fourth foul sending the Lady Hornets star to the pine.
“Alivia was big (during that stretch with Ryan on the bench),” said Hall. “When you have two players like Avery Ryan and DeAsia Alexander both out of the game, I like how our girls stuck with it and looked to find the gaps (in the defense) and penetrate like Alivia did. It really worked for us.”
Lee opened the fourth quarter with a bucket for Creek, pushing the advantage to 39-33 with 6:45 to play. Both Ryan and Alexander entered back into the game 18 seconds later.
Two Caroline James free throws with 4:10 remaining gave the Lady Cougars a five-point lead before four straight by Arcadia closed it to 43-42, setting up the final stretch.
Hall praised the defensive job of James, who face guarded Williams all night, limiting the star point guard to just 11 points and forcing her into some off-balance contested shots.
“Caroline was huge,” said Hall. “I felt like taking (Ari Williams) out of the game was a key because she is the engine of that team. She can penetrate, and draw fouls, and hit pull up jumpers. I felt like Caroline did a good job of shutting her down.”
Creek handed Arcadia its first loss since the Lady Hornets fell to Captain Shreve on December 27.
“It’s a reminder that we are good,” said Hall. “These girls will carry (that confidence) thru the playoffs and they should. I am confident in them.”
Alexander led Arcadia with 20 points, but was held scoreless in the decisive fourth quarter.
The Lady Cougars close out the regular season Friday when they host Jonesboro-Hodge.
For three-time cancer survivor Hillary Husband, of Ruston, Feb. 13 has been special since 2021, and this year it will be even more meaningful.
Part of what makes Feb. 13 so distinctive is that it’s her wedding anniversary. In 2021 she married high school friend John Pickering on that date. This year it’s also when the local Z107.5 St. Jude Radiothon begins, and Hillary is a champion of such causes for the Memphis hospital since treatments there saved her life not only once, but three times.
Add to that, Feb. 13 is the wedding anniversary of her bone marrow donor, which she was not aware of when she chose the date for her own wedding.
Now 32 and in good health, Hillary emerged from these experiences as someone passionate about speaking out on behalf of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A web search of her name alongside “St. Jude” brings up multiple pages of stories concerning both her journey and her explanations of what the hospital means in the grand scheme of things, including events like the local radiothon.
“Every dollar raised for St. Jude goes to make sure every kid that walks through those doors gets the best possible care,” she said. “I owe my life to that, and I hope every child that comes through the doors has that opportunity, too.” Because of this, Hillary urged people to consider donating to the radiothon.
“It circles back to the Danny Thomas quote,” she said. Thomas, who founded St. Jude in 1962, said, “I’d rather have a million people give me a dollar than one give me a million. That way you’ve got a million people involved.”
Hillary firmly believes that if it were not for 1 million people giving, “I would not be here with the life I now have.”
Hillary suffered her first bout with leukemia in early high school. St. Jude’s attention to patients’ educations allowed the DeRidder native to continue her studies – and she ended up being valedictorian of her class. She was even able to help her clogging team win a national championship.
Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Louisiana Christian University in Pineville followed – but so did two relapses, while both a freshman and junior. In total, she was sick from 2008-2013.
Regarding related hospital costs and related expenses for such extended periods, “that’s just not doable for most families,” Hillary said. Her bone marrow transplant cost approximately half a million dollars.
Hence the need for monetary help for such patients. No family is ever billed for treatment, travel, meals or lodging. An estimated 89% of funds required to maintain and grow St. Jude must be raised by donors’ public contributions, hospital officials say.
Actually, Hillary is somewhat of a St. Jude legend. In 2013 during her treatment, she undertook a series of one-mile walks on the hospital’s transplant floor that resulted in completing her own unique marathon – 26.2 miles in her house slippers. As one story on the St. Jude website described it, she “showed other patients, and the world, how determination and a competitive spirit can lift a person, even in the most challenging of times.”
Afterward, she did receive her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana Christian and went on to complete a master’s in mathematics and a doctorate in molecular science and nanotechnology at Louisiana Tech.
Today, she continues to live in Ruston and works remotely as a research scientist for Metrum Research Group, a consulting firm that helps pharmaceutical companies take clinical trial data to the Federal Drug Administration for approval. In doing this, she said, “In a small way I can give back. I was in (some of) those clinical trials. Now, it’s nice to be on the other side of it.”
Another way she’s giving back is serving as chapter adviser to Tech’s Tri Delta sorority, which has been involved nationally with St. Jude fundraising in a huge way for 25 years.
Concerning her treatment at St. Jude, a high point was going back for her five-year checkup after her transplant – and receiving a good report. That’s the time when the first big drop in the odds of relapsing occurs, she explained, adding, “I took a morning jog.”
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The Z107.5 Radiothon will be broadcast Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. During the event, donations can be made by calling 1-800-787-5288 or by contributing via the station’s website (Z1075fm.com), Facebook (Z107.5) or Instagram (Z1075fm) pages. In-person donations will be collected in side events at the Ruston Walmart Supercenter and Super 1 Foods.
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 Police are again asking for help in breaking up a plague of vehicle burglaries after video of two possible suspects was obtained.
For over a month, the department has received multiple reports of vehicle burglaries. Vehicles have been entered and items ranging from personal articles to firearms have been stolen. In several instances, the vehicles themselves were stolen.
In a social media post, RPD said officers are investigating multiple reports of vehicle burglaries in the area of Ruston Elementary School that occurred around February 7. Investigators obtained video footage of two suspects believed to be involved in the burglaries walking near the school during this time.
Victims posting about their vehicles being entered or stolen indicate the crimes are occurring throughout Ruston and not isolated to a specific neighborhood.
If you know the suspects involved in these incidents, you can call Crime Stoppers at 318-255-1111. Callers remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward if the information given leads to an arrest or grand jury indictment. To speak directly to an investigator, call 318-255-4141.
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.
A taste of Louisiana’s finest crawfish is right under the giant Chevron sign on Tech Drive right here in Ruston. Packed with signature seasoning and classic Louisiana flavor, U-PAK-IT’s Tech Drive Crawfish is sure to please everyone, thanks in large part to the cook Jacob Habetz, who has spent over 19 years perfecting his recipe.
At Tech Drive Crawfish, we’re all about quality and consistency. With years of experience, a perfected seasoning blend, and a dedication to freshness, Keith Brasuell, Habetz, and the rest of the team take pride in serving the best crawfish in town.
“It takes a true crawfish lover to be passionate about the process,” Habetz said. “I love crawfish and it’s always been my favorite food. I grew up in the crawfish industry – my parents had crawfish ponds since the early 90’s as a side hustle that eventually turned into a career when my dad started hauling crawfish commercially in 2000. What keeps me passionate about crawfish is all the awesome customers I have and the great people in Ruston who rely on us daily during the season.”
Come to Tech Drive Crawfish today for the highest-rated crawfish in Ruston!
The City of Ruston announces, weather permitting, that S. Bonner St. between E. California Ave. and E. Arizona Ave. will be closed to through traffic beginning Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 8am until further notice.
This closure is necessary to allow for utility repairs.
The City of Ruston regrets any inconvenience this necessary work may cause residents and motorists. We appreciate your patience, and any questions can be received by the Public Works Department at (318) 242-7703
A Ruston woman was arrested last week after she allegedly attacked a woman and stole her purse.
Ameka Thompson, 55, allegedly went to a Jackson Street residence after being banned from the property. She engaged in an altercation with the resident, striking her in the face with a closed fist multiple times until the victim fell to the ground.
The victim said she had her purse with her, and Thompson pulled the purse off of her and took $40 out of it. Thompson then walked away, throwing the purse down.
Thompson was arrested at a Bonita Street residence and booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for purse snatching, simple battery, and entering premises after being forbidden.
Bail was set at $1,000.
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.
We start off teething at seven month and it hurts like all get out and thank goodness we don’t remember.
We were born cold and naked and upside down — and it all goes downhill from there: such often seems the case when it comes to The Teeth Department.
No fault of dentists. God bless them for helping. The dentists I’ve met have all been nice people, good folk who wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Then again, do flies have teeth? Neg.
The nice hygienist who held my hand and tried to help me as I wept like a small wet child in the dentist chair and called her ugly names said that she’d been taught in Teeth School that a major Tooth Ache Pain Situation — or “TAPS,” a fitting acronym for it — rates the same on the pain scale as labor.
Anyone who ever eats or smiles can see why people would need teeth, would even enjoy teeth. Teeth are good.
But if labor pains are on the same level as a bona fide toothache, no one who’s ever had a rebel tooth will be able to figure out why women continue to have babies.
Who even HAS a toothache in the 21st Century? Nobody, is what I thought. Those went out with scurvy, beri beri, polio and George Washington, famous for his teeth made of wood. And for being on the one dollar bill. (When he paid his dentist for his fake teeth, did he pay in all $1 bills? And sort of wink? That zany George! …)
But modern toothaches are, “for reals,” a “thing.” It was a recent Sunday afternoon when it started hurting. Sore in the gum. Ended up being – again, appropriately – tooth number 13. If you go to your front top teeth and, counting to your left three or four back, that’s it. It’s one of your main teeth. If you eat.
So I’m telling you this in case a loved one says to you they have a toothache. Even though you don’t see a bone sticking out or blood, believe them. One day, it could be you. So don’t ask for who the tooth hurts: it hurts for thee.
It will pass, you think, except it doesn’t. It gets more sore. The numbing medicine Anbesol is good for a bit, but after a couple of hours, your tooth laughs at Anbesol. Warm salt water helps a little. It helped me. An open dentist office would have helped even more, but it was Sunday.
So I prayed too.
Have you ever had something hurt and you suspect it will quit hurting – most things quit hurting – but it doesn’t? That was the deal with this tooth. On Sunday. That’s where the panic began. No one to help. My family was gone. It was just me and my dog, who has healthy teeth. She was zero help. I needed Lassie. Or Flipper.
I actually called and texted the dentist’s emergency number. Hours passed. No call back. I’d have to make it through the night. Unless …
Desperate times call for needle nose pliers. Had to do it. Because you figure if you make it to the dentist’s office, which is a fat chance, they’ll have to pull it anyway.
So with a paper towel and the needle nose and in front of the mirror, I “went in.” Grip issues stymied me. And tears. My screams scared me a little bit. Man desperate. Man hurting. Wait: man thinking he’ll try the flathead pliers!
That didn’t work either. Grip problems. Courage problems. Shaky hand issue. Man panicky. Man defeated.
The hours were long after that. At 8 a.m., the receptionist over the phone, probably before she’d sat down good, said they could see me at 10:30. Man weeping.
But there was the eventual visit, The Altercation With The Nice Hygenist, then some calming medicines for a solid week until the Heavy Duty Dentist could see me and “fix” what was ‘dead pulp,” which causes pressure, which makes you curse and cry and not eat or sleep. But when it’s fixed, well, Glory, and Hallelujah.
The moral? I don’t want to waste your time. I’m just saying swallow your pride if your tooth hurts and get to the dentist. It won’t heal itself. If you try to walk the lonely enamel-bricked road alone, you’ll end up bloodying your tool box, pulling out all your teeth, and probably most of your hair.
Contact Teddy’s teeth atteddy@latech.edu
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MONROE, La. — Not many teams can boast they held the Ouachita Lions to only three points in a quarter — and certainly not in the Mad House.
But that’s exactly what Ruston did Tuesday night in a 47-36 road win over the Lions, with sophomore Ahmad Hudson putting up another dominating scoring performance with 24-point performance to lead all scorers.
“I think we ran our offense well and slowed down their possessions,” Ruston High acting-head coach Corey Deans said. “We played more zone tonight than we have in any game all year. That caught (Ouachita) off-guard a little bit.”
Ruston took a 6-3 lead after the first quarter after getting baskets from Hudson, senior Aidan Anding, and sophomore Keshun Malcolm.
The Bearcats added 15 points in the second quarter to take a 21-18 lead into the halftime locker room, thanks in part to eight points from Hudson. Malcolm added five more with a two-point basket and a three-pointer, while senior C.J. Malone added another basket.
Hudson poured in eight more points in the third quarter, with both Malcolm and Anding added a basket apiece to put Ruston up 33-26 going into the fourth quarter.
Malcolm and Hudson then combined for all of Ruston’s points in the fourth, scoring seven and six points, respectively to put the Bearcats over the top at 47-36.
“Our starting five did a really good job slowing them down,” Deans said. “I don’t feel like we had any mistakes in the first half. We always come out strong in the first quarter, and I think we played well throughout the entire night tonight. Running our offense the way we did really helped us out.”
Hudson’s 24 points led all scorers while Malcolm added 16 points.
The Bearcats have one more regular season game Friday, Feb. 14, at West Monroe. Tip off will be right after the varsity girls’ game, which will be at 5:30 p.m.
“I really want us to keep executing on offense and playing as hard as we can on defense,” Deans said in conclusion. “If we do that, we have a chance to beat anybody.”
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.
Tucker Batterton scored 23 points to help lead Choudrant past Quitman Tuesday night. (photo courtesy of Snazzy Shenanigans Photography)
Staff Reports
Tucker Batterton scored 23 points and Clarence Menyweather added 22 to lead four Aggies in double figures as Choudrant defeated Quitman 89-75 Tuesday night at CHS Gym.
The Aggies (15-13) picked up a big win in the power ratings against a quality Quitman (22-5) team that lost for just the fifth time all season.
Quitman led 45-41 at halftime before the Aggies outscored the Wolverines 28-8 in the third quarter of action to take a 69-53 lead into the final stanza.
Menyweather netted eight points and Batterton six in the frame that saw Choudrant hit more field goals (10) than Quitman scored points (8).
Batteron and Carson Carrico each scored seven points in the fourth quarter to keep Quitman at arm’s length. Carrico added 15 points while Brayden Pye scored 17.
Brayden Smith led Quitman with 17 points while Brayden Martin added 15 and Noah Leach scored 13.
With the win, the Aggies moved up to No. 15 in the power ratings. Choudrant will travel to Claiborne Christian Thursday before closing out the regular season next Tuesday at home against West Ouachita.
MONROE, La. — Every wins counts in February on the quest to make the postseason.
And with the Ruston High Lady Bearcats (12-13) just on the outside looking in, the 52-48 win over Ouachita (18-8) Tuesday night will be critical if the Firmly Founded is going to get into the to 28 teams in the power rankings after the regular season concludes Friday night.
And the Lady Bearcats will have both senior Kiersynce McNeal and sophomore Gioia Tatum to thank for a combined 37-point effort in the victory.
“The girls came out fighting hard on both ends of the floor,” Ruston High head coach LaShanda Cooper said. “We’ve been really stressing the importance of boxing out and executing the game plan and tonight these young ladies worked hard to execute just that. Our leaders did a great job of leading.”
Tatum led the squad with 21 points overall, which included five three-pointers. McNeal added 16 points and scored nine in the first half.
“Gioia hit some big shots for us and really embraced the moment,” Cooper said. “I believe a lot of the girls were fueled from so much energy coming from our bench. It was a great overall team effort.”
The Lady Bearcats took a 15-8 lead into the second quarter after getting seven points from McNeal and six points from Tatum. Freshman Adrianna Robinson added a pair of made free throws.
Ouachita would hold Ruston to just seven points in the second quarter, and the Lady Bearcats took a 22-19 lead into the halftime locker room after baskets by McNeal, senior Jasmine Summerford and sophomore Angelica Green. Junior Journi Douglas added a made free throw.
The Lady Lions would take a 38-36 lead after the third quarter, outscoring Ruston 19-14 in the stanza. Ruston would get six points from Tatum on two more three-pointers, and five points from McNeal. Summerford added a three of her own, as well.
Ruston’s defense would hold in the fourth quarter, keeping Ouachita to only 10 points. The Lady Bearcats added 16 in the final period with nine points from Tatum and four more from Douglas. McNeal added a basket while Summerford added a made free throw.
The Lady Bearcats entered the contest No. 29 in the power rankings and will wait until today to see the updated rankings.
Ruston returns to action Friday, Feb. 14, on the road for the season finale against West Monroe. Tip off is set for 5:30 p.m.
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.
Cameron Temple drives past an Arcadia defender Tuesday night. (photo by Josh McDaniel)
by Malcolm Butler
Cedar Creek battled toe-to-toe with Arcadia for most of three quarters Tuesday night, but the Hornets pulled away in the final stanza for a 62-36 victory at The Brickhouse.
The Cougars (12-8, 2-4) trailed 31-16 at halftime but pulled to within seven points at 33-26 three minutes into the third quarter.
Head coach Lance Waldron praised his teams unselfish play.
“That’s two games in a row where we have played as a team and moved the ball around,” said Waldron. “We did a good job of looking for the open man and getting the ball where we wanted in situations we wanted.”
The short-handed Cougars, still playing without seniors Cannon Robbins and Jack Bell, had their hands full on the defensive end of the floor all night, battling the size and athleticism of Arcadia (16-5, 5-1), especially Kristopher Jackson and Kylon Clark.
“Their big guy (Jackson) is 6-foot-6 and he is a load,” said Waldron. “(Clark) isn’t as tall but he was just as athletic. We did a good job of blocking those guys out. I was super proud of the team for the way they rebounded it tonight. That’s a tough group to get some rebounds against.”
Brett Bell, Landon Hall and Luke Waldron played a physical brand inside against the much bigger Hornets, and time after time, put bodies on their opponents when shots went up.
“Brett was huge. We have Landon and Luke and they may not be the ones getting the rebounds, but they are taking the big guys out of the equation so Brett can come in and reap the rewards,” said Waldron. “That’s teamwork. You have to have players really to do that.”
After Bell’s three-pointer cut the Arcadia lead to 33-26 with 4:45 to play in the third quarter, the Hornets scored seven straight before Cameron Temple drained a three-pointer. Another Bell bucket closed the third quarter with Creek trailing 42-31.
However, Arcadia outscored the Cougars 20-5 over the final eight minutes to pull away for the win.
Jake Terry led Creek with 17 points while Bell and Temple each netted seven points. Jackson scored 26 and Clark 12 for the Hornets.
Creek will close out district play Friday when it hosts Jonesboro Hodge.
In the winter of 1907-1908, Prefect of Police Louis Lépine employed dog auxiliaries to patrol the lonely beats in and around Paris, France. Having the dogs patrol the lonely beats would free up human police officers to concentrate their efforts in areas with higher crime rates.
On one lonely beat along the Seine River just outside Paris, a young boy fell into the river. Unable to swim, the boy flailed in the water in panic. He was barely able to let out a yelp. Suddenly, one of the police dogs who lived nearby, a large Newfoundland dog, leaped over the hedge, plunged into the Seine, and pulled the struggling boy to safety. Everyone, especially the young boy’s father, was jubilant that the dog had saved the young boy from drowning. The crowd gathered to take turns caressing the Newfoundland hero. The boy’s father rewarded the dog with a large, juicy beefsteak. Two days later, another young boy fell into the Seine a short distance away and struggled to tread water. Again, the Newfoundland hero jumped the hedge, plunged into the Seine, and pulled the child to safety. The people rewarded the dog as they had earlier, with caresses and another large, juicy beefsteak.
The following day, another child fell into the water and the Newfoundland came to the rescue again. After this third time, police began to look more closely at the incidents. They questioned the three children separately. The first child to be rescued said he slipped and fell into the river, but the second and third child said they were pushed into the Seine. Police worried that a disturbed criminal was stalking the neighborhood and pushing children into the river so that they would drown. This same scenario happened several more times. Hardly a day went by that a child was not pushed into the river. Luckily, all were within earshot of the Newfoundland hero.
Catching this individual proved to be a difficult task. None of the children had seen who had pushed them into the river. It was normal for people to casually walked along the banks of the Seine. A uniformed policeman began patrolling the area in an attempt to catch the serial “pusher” in the act. It was obvious that the serial “pusher” was aware of the police presence because no children were pushed when he was around. Children were still being pushed in the river and rescued by the dog, but it always happened when the policeman was not looking. There were no witnesses either. The policeman dressed in plain clothes, but children were still being pushed into the river and rescued by the Newfoundland hero, who by this time had become somewhat of a local celebrity. Still, the policeman was unable to witness the crime. The policeman began watching from a concealed location. He watched as children played by the river’s edge but the serial “pusher” only pushed children who were alone presumably so there would be no witnesses. Then, the hidden policeman noticed a child alone by the edge of the river. Moments later, he saw the serial “pusher” calmly walk up and push a child into the river. His mouth dropped as he saw the Newfoundland hero spring into action and pull the child to safety. The policeman knew the serial “pusher” well. He had seen him nearly every day since his investigation began, but he never suspected that the serial “pusher” was… the Newfoundland hero whose only motivation was the reward of caresses and beefsteak.
Source: New York Times, February 2, 1908, p.14.
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Riley Hnatyshyn was the top finisher at the Hal Williams Collegiate for Louisiana Tech, tying for 28th as the Bulldogs closed out the event Tuesday in South Alabama.
It was a career-best finish for the junior Hnatyshyn as LA Tech finished in 12th as a team after shooting two over (287-283-284=854) with a third-round score of Even par.
Hnatyshyn was the lone Bulldog to finish under par after three rounds, shooting one under for the tournament (71-69-72=212). Freddie Surgey was the next best finisher for LA Tech, tying for 36th after shooting one over (72-68-74=214).
The best round Tuesday belonged to Niilo Maki-Petaja who drained seven birdies, including five in the span of six holes on the back nine, in route to a 68 (-3). The sophomore would climb 16 spots on the player leaderboard to tie for 44th after shooting two over (71-76-68=215).
Also shooting under par in round three was Gray Kingrea who was two over after eight holes but recorded three birdies and eight pars the rest of the way for a 70 (-1). The sophomore would tie for 54th after shooting four over (73-74-70=217).
Oskari Schuvalow matched Surgey’s third round score of 74 (+3).
SMU, ranked 15th in the country, held off Kent State and Kansas State to take the team title.
Philip Foy Rice, 85, of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, passed away on February 8, 2025. Born on December 1, 1939, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He was a graduate of Pine Bluff High School in 1957, earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1962 and MBA in 1965 from the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and earned a PhD in Industrial Management from Clemson University in 1968.
Phil spent 60 years in higher education as a professor, an advisor, an administrator, and a sports fan. He spent most of his career as a faculty member at the Louisiana Tech University College of Business for 24 years and as the founding/first dean and faculty member at the Hickingbotham School of Business at Ouachita Baptist University for 32 years.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years Jane Brady Rice of Arkadelphia; son Alan Rice of Denton, TX; daughter SusanLee Rice Torrey and husband Robert of Denton, TX; son Steven Rice and wife Lianne of Keller, TX; and grandchildren Philip Torrey, Annamarie Torrey, Alexander Torrey, Garret Rice, and Lindy Rice.
He was preceded in death by his parents Buddy and Opal Rice.
A memorial service will be held at 2pm on Sunday, February 16, 2025 at First United Methodist Church of Arkadelphia, AR.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Hickingbotham School of Business at Ouachita Baptist University, Box 3754, Arkadelphia, AR 71998; the Humane Society of Clark County, P.O. Box 435, Arkadelphia, AR 71923; and First United Methodist Church of Arkadelphia, AR, 107 N. 9th St, Arkadelphia, AR 71923.
Anita Howard Gray August 19, 1946 – February 6, 2025 Visitation: Kilpatrick Funeral Homes – Ruston, Friday, February 14, 2025, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Service: Alabama Presbyterian Church, Saturday, February 15, 2025, 10:00 am
Sarah Singleton Howard Friday 09/08/1922 — Thursday 02/06/2025 Visitation: Friday 02/14/2025 3:00pm to 6:00pm at King’s Funeral Home Funeral Service: Saturday 02/15/2025 11:00am, New Prosperity Baptist Church, 1378 Prosperity Church Road, Clay Interment: Saturday 02/15/2025 Following Service, New Prosperity Cemetery, Clay
Five-year-old Reed Pipes has been getting treatment for leukemia at St. Jude since his diagnoses in 2024.
Written by Lauren Pipes, mother of Reed Pipes
Presidents Day, 2024. A day that will forever be ingrained in my memory. The day that we got a call that told us our baby boy had cancer.
I was standing at the kitchen island when my phone rang. We had been waiting for a call with lab results for what seemed like the longest three days of our lives.
When I answered the phone, and heard the news: “Reed has leukemia, do you have any questions.”
I could not even speak. After hanging up the phone, I went to the front porch for air and to get away from my son, who was sitting on the couch watching TV.
Questions. Yes, I had so many. I knew absolutely nothing about Leukemia. I had no idea how to tell a 4-year-old that he had cancer. I couldn’t fathom explaining it to my 7-year-old daughter either. It was overwhelming.
Meanwhile our amazing doctor in Ruston was filing the paperwork to get Reed to St. Jude for treatment. Little did we know at the time; the care we received at St. Jude would be a life changing experience for our family.
When we arrived at St. Jude the next day, we were blown away by how quickly everything happened. Reed began treatment the very next day. The doctors and nurses were amazing about presenting a plan and explaining in detail everything that was about to happen. We had so much to learn about our child and his diagnosis and St. Jude personnel made that process easy.
Here are some facts about childhood cancer:
About 44 children are diagnosed with cancer every day.
One in five children diagnosed with cancer do not survive past five years.
Childhood cancer research funding is much lower than funding for adult cancers.
Pediatric cancer survival rate has increased from about 60% in 1970 to about 85% in recent years.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death for children and adolescents worldwide.
St. Jude and the research that they provide have helped to make huge strides in fighting childhood cancers. The team at St. Jude has been a Godsend to our family. They have taken an awful situation and lessened the burden mentally and financially. All treatments and research are funded by donations. If you are looking for somewhere to donate, there is no better place than St. Jude.
Our children deserve to have adults who fight for them when they can’t. That is what St. Jude is doing. It is fighting for our kids, so that we can one day end childhood cancer.
Our son, Reed, is about a year into treatment and is doing better and better every day.
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The region’s 44th St. Jude Radiothon will be broadcast Feb. 13-14 from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. on Ruston station Z107.5.
During the event, donations can be made by calling 1-800-787-5288 or by donating online via the station’s website (Z1075fm.com), Facebook (Z107.5) or Instagram (Z1075fm) pages. In-person donations will be collected in related side events at the Ruston Walmart Supercenter and Super 1 Foods.
Grambling State University police arrested two non-students with guns and drugs last Monday night.
Kenshawn Twan Carter, 20, of Homer, and Treveontae D. Walker, 18, of Bossier City, were stopped about 11:30 p.m. on February 3 as they walked through GSU’s Freshman Village housing area.
An officer’s report said Carter had a hybrid AR-15 pistol rifle in his waistband, and Walker was armed with a semi-auto pistol.
Carter is a convicted felon on probation for a previous weapon offense. He pled guilty in Third District Court in January to a charge of possession of a machine gun and was sentenced to two years’ probation and a $1,000 fine.
GSU Police received a tip through its G-Safe app about a man with a gun in front of the university dining hall. Officers spotted Carter and Walker acting suspiciously as they walked through the area. When officers approached the two, the odor of marijuana was detected.
During a frisk for weapons, Walker was found with a Springfield XD-9 pistol inside his jacket. Carter was carrying a Omni Hybrid AR-15 pistol rifle in his waistband. Carter also produced “a stack of cash.”
In a backpack Carter was wearing, officers found separate plastic bags containing a total of approximately 81 grams of marijuana and another bag containing a single tablet of MDMA, also known as ecstasy
Under questioning, Carter said the 81 grams of marijuana was for “personal use.”
Carter was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of MDMA (ecstasy), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in a school zone, and violation of the drug-free zone law.
Carter is also being held for probation officers of the Louisiana Department of Corrections.
Walker was booked for possession of a firearm in a school zone.
Carter’s bail was set at $ 75,000 and Walker’s at $10,000.
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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Ruston High head football coach Jerrod Baugh will be one of three honored at the National Football Foundation S.M. McNaughton Chapter’s annual North Louisiana Scholar-Athlete Awards Banquet on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025.
Baugh will receive the chapter’s North Louisiana High School Football Coach of the Year award, which is only presented occasionally for extraordinary merit. Selections are made by the McNaughton Chapter’s board of directors.
Baugh is being honored for his superior abilities in coaching, sportsmanship, integrity and character in amateur football. This country is marked with remarkable individuals who work tirelessly out of pure love for the game and a desire to help youth play it well and Baugh exemplifies that model.
Baugh has led the Ruston football program back among the state’s best since taking over as the Bearcats’ head coach in 2016. They have played in the LHSAA Division I Non-Select state championship game each of the past two seasons, winning in 2023, and have been highly-ranked in the LSWA’s Class 5A top 10 poll and the LHSAA’s power rankings throughout his tenure.
Baugh’s Bearcats program has produced many college football competitors and he has generated tremendous community involvement and support for the program and school, and impressive facility upgrades. His remarkable personal story of overcoming adversity has been an inspiration for all who encounter him.
The coach of the year honor was last presented to three-time state champion Jess Curtis of Many High School in 2022, and previously to Jason Brotherton of Haughton and Bo Meeks of Airline in recent years.
Also receiving awards will be Shreveport businesswoman Toni Goodin as the chapter’s 2025 Distinguished American award winner, and retired West Monroe High School athletic administrator James Remedies will be presented with the Contribution to Amateur Football honor.
The trio will join the Class of 2025 high school football scholar-athletes as the featured guests at Shreveport’s East Ridge Country Club for the chapter’s annual awards banquet. Reservations are available through next Thursday morning, Feb. 13.
The elite seniors are Cole Cory of North DeSoto; Carter Doyal, Loyola College Prep; Jaydan Gladney, Airline; Sam Greer, C.E. Byrd; Landon Hall, Cedar Creek; Christian McGuire, Jonesboro-Hodge; Cooper Russell – Ouachita Christian; Parker Todd, West Monroe; and Abram Wardell of Calvary Baptist Academy.
