Courtesy of LA Tech University Communications

Bankers from across Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi participated in the third year of the Louisiana Tech University School of Banking, June 3-7, in Ruston.

Presented by the College of Business in collaboration with the Louisiana Bankers Association, the week-long professional development program expands the skills and knowledge base of rising bank leaders. The 75 participants engaged in trainings and discussions about fintech, regional economic development, and cybersecurity to hone skills that have become increasingly critical to the banking industry.

“My classmates and I engaged in discussions with industry leaders about issues affecting us today and some that will affect us in the very near future,” said Angelle David, vice president and business development officer for b1BANK. “In the classroom, instructors guided us through deep dives of banking from every angle.

“This allowed us to learn more about other departments and more fully understand how each works together. Our class represents every corner of our field, and we each look forward to going home and serving our organizations as better bankers and leaders because of the opportunity to attend Louisiana Tech University’s School of Banking.”

Courses taught by Louisiana Tech faculty members, top banking executives, consultants, and regulators covered a variety of topics including operations, risk management, liquidity, marketing, sales, and regulations.

“The Louisiana Tech School of Banking is not just for those who are early in their banking career; it is also for those who have had years of experience in the banking field,” said Kim Lee, vice president and compliance officer for Community Bank of Louisiana. “I had the opportunity to network with other banking professionals and to share ideas that directly impact our day-to-day operations. I am thankful that my employer allowed me to attend this school to gain more knowledge in an ever-changing economic environment.”

The event concluded with a graduation ceremony celebrating 35 bankers who completed their second year of the School of Banking.

2024 School of Banking Graduates

• Mitchell Best, Louisiana Land Bank, ACA
• Jason Blalock, Red River Bank
• Kaila Boire, b1BANK
• Royce Boyer, b1BANK
• Courtney Carter Duplessis, Bank of Zachary
• Jarred Cram, Bonvenu Bank
• Reagan Cunningham, BOM Bank
• Josh Curry, Origin Bank
• Melissa Dickson, First Federal Bank of Louisiana
• Chad Doucet, South Louisiana Bank
• Chuck Elkin, Winnsboro State Bank
• Jennifer Freeman, United Mississippi Bank
• Bill Gibson, Gibsland Bank & Trust
• Jessica Jester, Bonvenu Bank
• Dylan Knotek, BOM Bank
• Layne LaBudde, First Horizon Bank
• Brenner Mabry, Bank OZK
• Titan Marler, BOM Bank
• Anna Martin, Bank of Oak Ridge
• Vicky Meyer, b1BANK
• Ross Michel, First National Bankers Bank
• Amanda Moran, Bank of Zachary
• Colby Nagem, Tensas State Bank
• Clinton Oliver, BOM Bank
• Albert Paxton, Bank of Oak Ridge
• Josh Payne, Delta Bank
• Robin Pearson, FISC
• Wayne Robinson, Jr., Synergy Bank
• Kyle Sisson, Mer Rouge State Bank
• David Stephens, Citizens Progressive Bank
• Reed Trisler, Guaranty Bank & Trust
• Jonathan Vedros, b1BANK
• Jonathan Wall, BOM Bank
• Trent Williams, Winnsboro State Bank
• Mackenzie Willis, Louisiana National Bank

A cohort of 40 bankers completed their first year of courses and will return in June 2025 for a second year featuring BankExec simulations and case studies that will complement classroom discussions.

2024 School of Banking First-Year Participants

• Kaitlin Ainsworth, Caldwell Bank & Trust
• Jake Bennett, Caldwell Bank & Trust
• Amy Blaylock, Caldwell Holding Company
• Whitney Boyd, Bank of St. Francisville
• Jack Colvin, b1BANK
• April Craft, Concordia Bank & Trust Company
• Tia Culpepper, Origin Bank
• Angelle David, b1BANK
• Amy Flint, Caldwell Holding Company
• Angelice Fried, Bank of St. Francisville
• Misty Guidry, Synergy Bank
• Danielle Hearne, Louisiana National Bank
• Devon Hebert, State Bank & Trust Company
• Wesley Lazarus, Progressive Bank
• Kim Lee, Community Bank of Louisiana
• Jonathan Little, Origin Bank
• Elliot Macks, South Louisiana Bank
• Kade Madden, Home Federal Bank
• Lindsay M. McClaran, Gibsland Bank & Trust
• Hilie McFarland, Delta Bank
• Julie McMillin, Merchants & Farmers Bank
• Kylie Middleton, b1BANK
• Rusti Morel, Rayne State Bank
• Greg Nichols, Barksdale Federal Credit Union
• Dillon Patel, Louisiana National Bank
• Briar Prewitt, b1BANK
• Darryl Pruitt, Bonvenu Bank
• Andrea S. Randall, First National Bankers Bank
• Logan Reeder, Home Federal Bank
• Trey Roberson, Century Next Bank
• Karri Shaver, Century Next Bank
• Kendall Shaw, b1BANK
• Susan Skapura, Century Next Bank
• Jessica Slaughter, Century Next Bank
• Justin Stanley, Delta Bank
• Mallory Taylor, Century Next Bank
• Neil Thomason, Jonesboro State Bank
• Peyton Underwood, Century Next Bank
• Katie Vegas, State Bank & Trust Company
• Michael Wilkes, Century Next Bank

For Whitney Boyd, vice president and branch manager for Bank of St. Francisville, attending the School was an opportunity for both personal and professional growth.

“The School of Banking is an excellent investment,” said Boyd. “It allowed me to hear and interact with the best speakers in a comfortable setting, enhancing our understanding of each concept. The program as a whole is an unbelievable experience that I highly recommend. I’m incredibly grateful for the connections I made while there—all made possible by my bank’s belief in me.”

Each second-year banker participated in BankExec, an intensive simulation designed to provide an understanding of financial management challenges in banks. Divided into seven banks, teams competed throughout the week and presented their final results prior to graduation. The following team was the 2024 winner:

Bank of Hope

• Chad Doucet, South Louisiana Bank
• Layne LaBudde, First Horizon Bank
• Reed Trisler, Guaranty Bank & Trust
• Jonathan Vedros, b1BANK
• Mackenzie Willis, Louisiana National Bank

Sponsors for the Louisiana Tech School of Banking include b1BANK (presenting), Bonvenu Bank (gold), Origin Bank (gold), Century Next Bank (silver), Caldwell Holding Company (bronze), Gibsland Bank & Trust (bronze), and the Louisiana Bankers Education Council (bronze).

Registration will open in January 2025 for the next cohort of participants. For more information on the School of Banking, visit business.latech.edu/banking.

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By TEDDY ALLEN

Written for the LSWA

There are several people to blame for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s 2024 Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award being presented to former Southland Conference commissioner and NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Selection Committee chairman Tom Burnett, not the least of which is Tom Burnett.

We’ll get to that.

Burnett, still surprised by his pending turn in the spotlight, is part of the 12-member Class of 2024 to be honored June 20-22 in Natchitoches. For participation opportunities, visit LaSportsHall.com or call 318-238-4255.

The reason a once-unlikely Dixon/Burnett pairing has come to this starts with Keith Prince, Louisiana Tech’s Hall of Fame sports information director from 1969-1993, who saw in the mid-1980s a kid from West Monroe by way of Houston — we’ll call him Tom Burnett — show up “in our office at a time when he was still searching for something,” Prince said, “maybe just something to care about … or even a reason to be in school.”

Prince let him hang around, and soon Tom was enjoying his new responsibilities, looking for more and even taking ownership of the job — a full-time assistant on a student assistant’s pay.

After graduation, Burnett dipped his toe into the sports writing waters in Monroe, felt a chill, and retired back to the safety of Ruston, where he pestered Prince for more loose change so he could hang around the SID office a bit longer, Things might have ended there, with Tom replacing a retiring Prince in 1993, had the next culprit not appeared.

Enter the new American South Conference and commissioner Craig Thompson, who found Tom on either a Ruston streetcorner or the baseline at Thomas Assembly Center — accounts vary — and offered him 20 bucks plus dental to manage communication and media services from the New Orleans-based office.

Over time, the “other duties as assigned” clause came into play and Burnett was overseeing staff, formatting league schedules, managing championship events, dealing with coaching issues, helping birth the New Orleans Bowl, hosting NCAA hoops gigs at the Superdome and, well, “through all that,” Burnett confessed, “I guess I became an administrator.”

“During those early days, I saw his passion for doing things the right way,” said Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame writer Dan McDonald, the sports information director at then-USL when Burnett was just getting his young administrative feet wet. “He was ‘old-school’ like me, and we did a lot of things at conference championship events that were special at the time — things that are taken for granted these days.

“He was dedicated to making events special for the student-athletes and coaches, but he also appreciated and understood the job that the media did and their importance at the time to making those events successful.”

The snowball was rolling. Roughly a dozen years passed and Burnett, at this stage with the Sun Belt Conference, still in New Orleans, was constantly spotted telling sportswriters where to sit and when to shut up at this Sun Belt event and then that, at this NCAA event and then that, until one day the next perpetrator, the Southland Conference Board of Directors, stepped in and made him, at 38, the commissioner of the entire SLC. A fellow named Greg Sankey had left for a job with the Southeastern Conference.

Now Burnett was telling not only sportswriters, but also coaches where to sit and when to tap the brakes. Same with athletics directors, ditto with the oddest species on the entire college athletics food chain, the university presidents.

But instead of weeping and gnashing of teeth, there was an air of respect for the young man in the necktie and helpful smile, a steady stream of gratitude for a guy who was proving himself a leader in an ego-heavy business because he was “mostly a great friend and a constant presence for many like me who have benefited from his years of insight, experience and humor,” Herb Vincent, associate commissioner for communications for the SEC since 2013, said.

“Tom carried the weight of being a leader and its responsibility — a responsibility which directly impacted as many as 12 universities and thousands of student-athletes — with a steady, caring and passionate approach for over 20 years,” said former Northwestern State athletic director Greg Burke. “He was a communicator with the conference board of directors, presidents, athletic administrators, coaches and many others, always with the goal of making decisions which were best for the overall good of the membership.”

“Tom’s always maintained the ‘hand in the dirt’ mentality that he got from working for Keith Prince at Tech, the philosophy that you do the grunt work just as gleefully as you do anything else, and you enthusiastically embrace doing it,” said Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Chairman Doug Ireland, SID at Northwestern from 1989-2019. “He also models Keith in his ability to work with anyone and make everybody feel welcomed and part of the team.

“I don’t believe there was anyone at any level involved as a competitor, as a coach, or as an administrator who didn’t understand that even if Tom had to make an unpopular decision, he kept everyone’s best interests in mind and always wanted the best outcome for all. … Tom’s enthusiasm, pride and sheer joy in seeing Southland teams excel in out-of-conference and postseason competition was always apparent.”

Sadly, everyone asked about Burnett’s LSHOF honor ultimately points to the No. 1 culprit: Burnett his own self. So does his ‘commissioning’ record.

Named to the Division I Committee on Academic Performance in 2003, shortly after the NCAA ramped up scholastic standards and created the Academic Performance Rate (APR) and shortly after he became commissioner, Burnett found himself surrounded by reps from the Ivy League, Big 10, Pac-10, ACC, SEC — none of which had APR problems like the Southland’s.

Faced with significant penalties for failure to comply, the conference responded after Burnett convinced the presidents of just how real the problem was. That triggered an immediate improvement in the league’s APR scores; one of the poorest performing schools at first became a model of such dramatic improvement that it was featured in the NCAA’s quarterly magazine, and sooner rather than later, one year the SLC had a better collective APR score in men’s basketball than the ACC did.

When Burnett was a rookie commissioner, precious few SLC contests were televised. The league semi-invented its own in-house TV network of weekly football games and men’s and women’s basketball doubleheaders.

The Southland Conference Television Network, an old school “over-the-air” operation, grew into close to three dozen affiliates across the South and Southwest, before an enhanced ESPN agreement and an expansion into volleyball, softball and baseball telecasts.

Eventually, SLC schools were producing hundreds of digital telecasts combined (like most leagues do now), which allowed for negotiation of the Southland’s multi-million-dollar agreement in 2020.

In 2007, Burnett approached the Big 12 about combining the two leagues’ football officiating programs into a consortium, something that was being done between leagues in other college sports, but not football. Officiating consortiums between FCS and FBS leagues are common throughout the NCAA today — but the Southland was the tip of the spear.

The Southland simply took ownership of the FCS Championship Game. Before the 2010 season, Frisco, Texas won the bid to host and the SLC embraced the event, put passion behind it, and 12 of the first 13 title games sold out. Besides leading to the Frisco Bowl’s birth, the game is estimated to bring in $16 million in economic impact annually.

In 2014, the Southland was the first FCS league to adopt full-time instant replay at every home game like the FBS leagues had.

Easier said than done, but somehow in between the league’s spring meeting and the first game — 90 days — the league installed cameras, cables, extra power, developed a set of four stationary cameras in each stadium and, well … it worked. Soon after, the Big 10 added stationary cameras in their stadiums for additional replay angles, and although it took a few years, everyone in FCS was eventually in the replay business.

Five March Madness wins followed, the first one courtesy of the Northwestern State over Iowa in 2006, the league’s first win in the Round of 64 since the Karl Malone-led Louisiana Tech team in 1985.

While Demons coach Mike McConathy waited for his postgame interview on CBS, Burnett planted a can’t-help-myself “big wet kiss on his cheek,” Burnett said. “I hope he’s forgiven me for that. But it was such a needed validation for the league, proving what our teams were capable of doing, winning in the national tournament and belonging in the mainstream of Division I.”

That win also triggered another first for the league — NCAA Tournament revenue-sharing the conference had never realized previously.

Along with providing two of those March Madness wins, Stephen F. Austin upset No. 1 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 2020, the SLC’s first-ever win against a top-ranked team and Duke’s first nonconference home loss in over 20 years.

Thanks to Sam Houston State, the league finally won its football national championship in the COVID-delayed 2020 season, played in the spring of 2021.

“The conference was a trendsetter nationally among its peers,” Ireland said, “because Tom was an innovator and bold enough to give new ideas a chance.”

Then in 2021-22 — and who knows where the blame lies here, maybe with the NCAA? — Burnett became just the ninth commissioner and first since 2009 to chair the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Committee, the first FCS commissioner to serve in the role.

This is, of course, the group that manages the selection and administrative processes of the national championship, just about the most important college athletics showcase in the whole world, and this is the truth because right there on national TV on Final Four Weekend in 2022, there was NCAA president Mark Emmert introducing Tom, who congratulated the Kansas team for winning the title and handed to Jayhawks coach Bill Self the actual trophy, right there on the floor of the Superdome in the city where Burnett first began administrating.

Cinderella story is all it is. A happy ending for a necktie-wearing but purposeful blend of an i-dotter, t-crosser, dice-roller, smile-wearer, and problem-solver, the longest-tenured commissioner in the SLC’s history.

“I’ve always felt college athletics was something special, and when I was involved, I worried about its future,” McDonald said. “But I always felt better knowing people like Tom were in charge and were doing the right things to help keep it special.”

“I’ve never been surprised by Tom’s career success,” Prince said. “He’s a natural leader, and his vision for things that are needed and will work has always been exceptional. He proved that many times over as a conference commissioner and as chairman of the NCAA basketball selection committee.

“No doubt he deserves to be in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He’s been in mine for a long time.”

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Teddy Allen is a Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee as the 2022 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. He writes for LincolnParishJournal.com.

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by Malcolm Butler

Tow trucks and emergency responders were busy this past weekend as Lincoln Parish saw at least two one-vehicle incidents on I-20.

Friday morning saw a one-car fire around mile marker 98 just inside the Lincoln Parish line headed east on I-20.

According to the Lincoln Parish Fire District, they were dispatched to the scene at 10 a.m. for a passenger vehicle fire. When LPFD arrived, firefighters found a vehicle fully engulfed with fire. LPFD personnel were able to quickly extinguish the fire.

Due to the fire’s location, Ouachita Parish Fire and Choudrant Fire also dispatched trucks to the scene. Once the fire was extinguished, one LPFD unit remained on scene until the burned vehicle was towed from the interstate.

No injuries occurred as a result of the fire. The cause was determined to be a mechanical issue with the vehicle.

Sunday morning at 9:34 a.m. the Ruston Police Department and Ruston Fire Department worked an accident that saw an 18-wheeler going east bound overturn in the median just east of Exit 85 on I-20.

Ruston Police Deputy Chief Chad Hamblin said an officer was patrolling near the North Vienna Street bridge and discovered a semi-truck overturned in the median of I-20 eastbound. The driver was able to crawl out through the windshield to escape the truck.

The driver told police he had a tire blow out and the weight of the truck shifted, causing the truck to overturn. The driver was transported to Northern Louisiana Medical Center where he was treated for moderate injuries.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

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Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents arrested six men for allegedly committing fraud in hog hunting contests in Caldwell and Bienville parishes.

Wildlife agents received information the six allegedly won two Louisiana hunting contests by capturing wild hogs in Texas prior to the contests and entering the animals in the competitions.

Agents arrested Trace Davis, 30, of Longville; Hunter Webb, 27, of Pitkin; Colby Bushnell, 26, of Dry Creek; Davy Haymon, 35, of Pitkin; Nathan Granger, 34, of Vinton; and Don Pollard Jr., 40, of Pitkin; for hunting contest fraud and criminal conspiracy. Davis, Webb, Bushnell, Haymon, and Pollard Jr. were also arrested for violating interstate commerce. Davis was also arrested for obstruction of justice. Webb was also cited for hunting under a hunting license suspension.

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The arrests come on the heels of a fishing contest fraud arrest last month stemming from a Toledo Bend tournament. The arrested man allegedly placed lead weights inside fish in attempt to win the contest.

During the hunting contest investigation, wildlife agents obtained evidence indicating the six men caught hogs in Texas to be used for the Dingler Wild Hog Roundup in Bienville Parish on February 9-10 and the Swamp Time Hog Hunt in Caldwell Parish from March 14-16.

The feral hog is an invasive species that causes severe crop and land damage throughout Louisiana. An estimated 500,000 wild hogs inhabit all 64 Louisiana parishes causing millions of dollars in damage to the state’s agriculture and natural resources.

Nathan Granger turned himself in on June 4 to the Bienville Parish Jail since he did not participate in the Caldwell Parish hog hunting contest. The five other subjects turned themselves in on June 7 at the Bienville Parish Jail and the Caldwell Parish Jail.

The rules of both hog hunting contests stipulated the hogs must be caught during the contest dates and be caught in Louisiana.

Hunting contest fraud may be punished by a fine of up to $3,000 fine and one year in jail. Criminal conspiracy carries a fine in the same manner as the offense considered by the conspirators. Violating interstate commerce brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Obstruction of justice carries up to a $10,000 fine and five years in jail. Hunting under a hunting license suspension can incur a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail.

Even with hunters harvesting over 200,000 feral hogs each year in Louisiana, the population continues to grow.

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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By Shelley Cole Parker

This year the Louisiana Music Teachers Association’s annual Torgrimson/Swanzy Competition for Outstanding Students looked a little different than it has in the past.

Louisiana State University’s School of Music was unable to host, so the First United Methodist Church in Baton Rouge allowed the use of their facilities for the event which was held on June 8th.

Piano students from all over the state competed with two songs from memory typically in different musical styles played in “recital” fashion with parents, teachers and onlookers in the room. A judge awards 1st-3rd place awards for each section and often adds in Honorable Mention(s) for stand out performances that did not place.

Five Ruston area students received awards as follows:

Prep B-1
Honorable Mention – Esther Allen
Student of Jeanne Patterson

Prep B-2
1st place – Krystal Jeong
Student of Steele Moegle

Level I-1
1st place – Lucas Chen
3rd place – Zoey Wang
Both students of Steele Moegle

Level III-2
1st place – Preston Parker
Student of Denise Cox

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Dentist by day. Chef by night.

Our good friend Trey Hanna at Ruston Smiles is at it again!

Trey is providing the Lincoln Parish Journal a cooking column/recipe periodically. This time Trey’s menu includes black bean salad. You won’t want to miss it.

Just click on the link below for ingredients and direction.

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A Lincoln Parish deputy sheriff serving papers determined a convicted sex offender had moved and failed to register at his new residence.

Alex Terrell Jenkins, 27, was arrested last Monday after a deputy investigated his place of residence.

The deputy was near Jenkins’s supposed home when he realized the location was vacant and abandoned. The deputy could see the residence was vacant with the front door missing and windows damaged. A neighbor told the deputy nobody lived at the address.

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The deputy attempted to call Jenkins but the number was no longer in service.

Jenkins was contacted by phone at his place of employment. He confirmed he lived at the address the deputy found vacant.

Jenkins met the deputy at the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office. He was asked for proof that he was living at the location in question. He stated he did not have any proof.

Upon further questioning, Jenkins said it had been a few weeks since he had stayed there, constituting a violation of his sex offender status. Jenkins eventually admitted he was living on Fairview Street in Dubach rather than the address he had provided to the sex offender registry.

Jenkins 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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by Malcolm Butler

Cedar Creek head coach William Parkerson knew he was going to be inexperienced at quarterback this coming season.

That hasn’t changed.

What has changed is the fact that Kade Luker, who was set to be the starter this coming season, has informed Parkerson that he doesn’t plan to play football as he focuses on baseball.

Luker saw limited playing time under center for the Cougars during his true freshman season when starter Ladd Thompson went down with an injury early in the year.

However, now with Luker’s decision to forego football, the Cougars QB position is a competition between freshman Cason Floyd, senior James Myers and junior Hayden Durrett.

None of the three have ever taken a snap at QB in a varsity high school game.

“This spring all three of them saw some time at QB,” said Parkerson. “I’m assuming it will be one of those three. I’m not ready to say just yet. Between those three whoever wins the QB job will play quarterback and the other two will play defensive back and tie back.”

Floyd did play quarterback for the Creek junior high last year.

“The good news is four of the starting five offensive linemen from last year will return,” said Parkerson. “The fullback (Wyatt Gremellion) isn’t a returner but he got a lot of reps and I think he has a chance to be special. We are going to put a lot on the offensive line and the fullback to pick up the slack.”

Parkerson said he is looking for a number of things when making the decision on the starting signal caller.

“No. 1 is toughness,” said Parkerson. “It needs to be one of your best athletes who can think on the run. Competitiveness is No. 2. Leadership. Are the other 10 guys standing in the huddle looking at him and believing in him. If they believe in him, the rest will take care of itself.

“Regardless of who was going to be the QB, the offense was going to be build around the offensive line and the fullback. I think the O-line has a chance to be pretty dog-gone good, and I think the fullback has a chance to be elite.”

Although last year’s starting center Brett Johnson graduated, Creek returns Bryce Martin, Logan Canales, Landon Hall and Kaden Williams. Parkerson said there is a good chance Williams will move over to center while Martin and Canales will play guard and Hall one of the tackles.

“Aiden Woods and Logan Amidon will most likely compete for the other tackle spot,” said Parkerson. “We will try to live off of the O-line. If they can dominate it won’t matter who is at quarterback.”

Parkerson said the Cougars are currently conditioning and weight training this summer while also practicing in helmets only two days a week.

“It’s been good,” said Parkerson. “First week we didn’t do as much as we wanted to because it rained all week. Kids are working hard. We are really starting to see the team personality that we are trying to cultivate break through. We are seeing more of a attitude. It’s been good.”

Parkerson said the Cougars have 31 players currently working out this summer, but hopes to see a few more join prior to the start of the fall.

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by Theodore P. Savas

My son asked an interesting question during the endless summer that finally ended this week: “Papa, when you were a kid, what did you do in the summer?”

How do you tell a seven-year-old who has almost everything that it was better way back when without almost anything? And that as kids, we perfected the art of doing nothing for days on end—and loved every hour?

How do you put in plain words we enjoyed ourselves without Xboxes, PlayStations, cell phones, computers, and TVs in cars? How journeys of exploration and adventure did not include a hand-held device indoors on a sofa? That swimming holes were so much better than swimming pools in the backyards of homes we would have considered mansions available only in our dreams?

Can he possibly comprehend that when we left the house not long after dawn in cutoffs and a T-shirt, mom never asked where we were going? That catching pond frogs and building tree houses with rope swings was better than having 471 TV channels? That staying out all day and doing whatever we wanted and making our own decisions was (gasp!) normal? That our summons home was the street lights popping on and not a call on a cell phone?

Would he believe that we hoofed miles around town or rode our bikes (spray painted cool neon colors) with friends seated between the handle bars, holding on for dear life while trying to keep their toes out of the spokes? Or that those same spokes made the coolest “tat-tat-tat” sound if you attached a playing card with a clothespin? That no one had heard of a bicycle helmet, and that we would not have been caught dead in one anyway?

That digging for night crawlers so we could fish in a muddy creek for bullhead cat with a bamboo pole and a red and white bobber (with your brother yelling at you for tangling his line) beat the pants off sitting in an air-conditioned house playing Nintendo?

Can you imagine the damage I might inflict on the psyche of a modern-day child if I told him our idea of pure drinking water was letting a garden hose in a backyard run for several seconds before taking a warm sip? Or that “organic food” was eating Mr. Weydert’s sweet corn raw off the cob out in the field before heading to the barn to wash it down with milk straight from a cow’s udder?

That nothing was more fun than a round-trip sneak attack on Mr. Bogart’s apple tree, hiding among his leafy branches happily munching green apples while stuffing another half-dozen in our pockets and planning our getaway? That spine-tingling terror could be had crawling on our hands and knees into old lady Taylor’s backyard (we thought she was a witch), pushing aside a large piece of slate hiding a well, dropping in a rock, and being brave enough to stay put long enough to hear the splash?

Today, kids can’t play in their own front yard without adult supervision. We used to play king of the hill on a large dirt and rock pile in someone’s driveway blocks away. When we got hurt or broke something, we went home for a band aid and iodine (and occasionally a well-deserved belt-to-bottom spanking) instead of to the lawyer’s office with dad to sue the homeowner.

Can today’s children even begin to conceive we waged war from behind stacked up Culligan salt pellet bags with REAL WWII rifles our dads brought home from Europe or the Pacific, decked out in authentic German and American helmets and canteens—and that it was much more fun than playing Age of Empires or Call of Duty on a PC over the Internet with a stranger? Would they believe every 9-year-old had a BB gun, every 12-year-old a .22 or 12-gauge, and responsible use was shooting cans off a fence or nailing an egg-stealing blackbird—but never a robin?

How could I get my son to understand that sleepovers meant Jiffypop popcorn on the stove (usually burned black), “Kick the Can” in the backyard and, if you were very lucky, one scoop of vanilla ice cream smothered in Hershey’s syrup? Or that bedtime meant squeezing into the hot top bunk with your buddy (not a single soul had air conditioning) while your friend’s two brothers crammed into the bottom bunk and fought their way asleep?

How could I explain all this in a way that made sense?

“Long ago,” I began, in an effort to answer his question.

“You mean back in the olden days?” my son interrupted.

I smiled. “Yes. Way back when.”

“When what?” he asked.

My smile melted away and I let out a heavy sigh. “When we were free to be kids.”

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Ted Savas is a noted author and book publisher. He lives in South Carolina but discovered crawfish at Ponchatoula’s and Southern hospitality all around Ruston.

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The “youngest” event during this weekend’s Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration is the most exclusive, yet casual, opportunity for the public to enjoy hearing from the Class of 2024 inductees.

It’s the Round Table Luncheon this Saturday, June 22, at noon at Riverside Reserve, 104 Mill Street, in Natchitoches. There arestill a few seats available among the 300 guests for the sixthannual Round Table Luncheon presented by the Tiger Athletic Foundation.

Registration is available for the luncheon can be made by visiting LaSportsHall.com, or by calling 318-238-4255. It is a ticketed event.

Festivities begin Thursday evening at 5 with the free of charge Welcome Reception open to all, no registration necessary, at the Hall of Fame museum facing the traffic circle at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches.

Friday’s slate begins with the BOM Celebrity Bowling Bash at Four Seasons Bowling Center in Alexandria. Friday evening is the free Rockin’ River Fest concert on Cane River Lake in downtown Natchitoches, from 6-10:30, with the Class of 2024 introduced at 9:15 right before a sports-themed fireworks show over the water.

Events on Saturday include the filled-to-capacity Saints and Pelicans Junior Training Camp, the Round Table Luncheon, and the Induction Reception and Ceremony, which is sold out. It will be live-streamed on LPB.org online.

The Round Table Luncheon starts with tremendous Louisianacuisine and quickly kicks into gear with Fox Sports announcer (and 2020 LSHOF inductee) Tim Brando interviewing small groups of inductees on stage in a very informal and fast-movingsetting. 

A poignant scene at the 2019 luncheon unfolded before the program when Peyton Manning, being inducted later that day,stopped by to greet LSU legend Johnny Robinson, who was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame two months later.

Scenes like that, up-close access and the fun-filled dialog between Brando and the 2024 inductees combine to provide a memorable 90 minutes.

The Hall of Fame Round Table Luncheon shapes up as a highly entertaining opportunity for guests to have an up-close-and-personal experience and be entertained and well fed in a casual setting, with a touch of elegance at the brand-new Riverside Reserve on the banks of Cane River Lake just a mile from downtown Natchitoches.

This is a Journal Services advertorial.

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BATON ROUGE, La. – The 2024 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame induction reception will have a special flair this year as the Louisiana State Museum and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser celebrate the opening of Showtime: LSU’s Spectacular Pistol Pete, a new exhibit showcasing the incredible career of Pete Maravich through the photographs of John Musemeche. Opening night is set for Thursday, June 20, from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum. Sponsored by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation and La Capitol Credit Union, this event is free and open to the public.

“Pete Maravich was the ultimate showman on the basketball court. He definitely had his own style that wowed the crowds and opponents alike. Louisiana was fortunate to have a front row seat to his jaw-dropping no-look passes, scoring prowess, and those floppy socks every kid wanted to start wearing. We are fortunate to be able to display these amazing images of one the greatest to play the game,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.

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During his record-shattering career at LSU from 1967–70, the incomparable Peter Press Maravich, better known as “Pistol” Pete,” captivated basketball fans not only with his incredible scoring ability but also with his sensational showmanship. The “ooohs and aaahs” came loud and often as Pete astounded fans, opponents and even teammates with his incredible ball-handling and passing ability and an array of free-style moves that mystified defenders. Following a 10-year NBA career, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity member was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary team in 1996 and 75th Anniversary team in 2021.

The exhibition features more than 40 photographs from John Musemeche and Musemeche Photography in Baton Rouge. John Musemeche, a photographer in addition to his full-time role as a sportswriter for the Morning Advocate, had back-stage access to Pete and his dad, Press, then LSU’s head basketball coach. In 1969, Musemeche published Maravich, the first book about the “wizard of aahs.” The still-active photographer and his son, Rob, are regarded among Louisiana’s premier sports photographers. John Musemeche’s reflections on Maravich also play a key role in filmmaker Drew Tewell’s short documentary about Pistol Pete, “We Were Fans,” which is included in the exhibition.

Photographs in the exhibit feature the dazzling moves of Maravich on the court along with casual behind-the-scenes photographs of the athlete’s life. The exhibition was made possible with funding from the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation and Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers.

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Courtesy of GSU Athletic Communications

For the first time in school history, the Grambling State University football the will travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State on Sept. 6, 2025. It will also be the first time that GSU faces a member of the Big Ten Conference.

The game features two of the most historic football brands in college football history. Grambling State boasts 27 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championships, 16 Black College National Titles and has produced four Pro Football Hall of Famers in Willie Brown, Buck Buchanan, Willie Davis and Charlie Joiner. The Tigers also cultivated Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams, James “Shack” Harris and the first player to be drafted to the NFL, Paul “Tank” Younger.

“This is another example of us being able to showcase our brand to a national audience,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Travyean D. Scott. “We are thrilled that our players and fans will get to experience a matchup between two of the most storied football programs in the country. When you think of college football, Grambling State and Ohio State are two of the names that many think of immediately. This contest will allow our both fan bases to experience the cultural and athletic excellence of both institutions.”

GSU is also known for legendary head football coach Eddie Robinson, who built the Grambling State University football program from the ground up, winning 408 games during his tenure.

Ohio State has won eight national titles, 42 conference crowns, seven Heisman trophy winners and has produced 10 Pro Football Hall of Famers.

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Dorothy Clark 
June 23, 1933 – June 16, 2024 
Arrangements to be made 

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A Ruston man has been arrested following the shooting of another man early Saturday morning, the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday.

Dentavius Jerod Wright, 34, was arrested for attempted murder and other crimes within hours of the shooting of Cedric William, 48, of Ruston.

LPSO Lt. Matt Henderson said deputies received a call that a man later identified as Williams had been dropped off at the Northern Louisiana Medical Center emergency room at about 3 a.m. Saturday. He had been seriously injured by an unspecified number of gunshot wounds.

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Early investigation determined the shooting occurred on Pecan Street near Second Street just southeast of Ruston.

Patrol deputies went to the scene and secured it until detectives from the LPSO Criminal Investigative Division responded and processed the scene, collected evidence, and interviewed witnesses.

Once a suspect was identified, a search warrant was obtained for a Pecan Street residence. During the execution of that warrant, Wright was taken into custody. He was interviewed by detectives who also determined he was wanted on drug charges by the Lincoln Parish Narcotics Enforcement Team.

By midmorning Saturday, LPSO had booked Wright, charging him with:

–attempted second degree murder.

–possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

–3 counts of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute

–3 counts of violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act

–illegal use of a weapon

Wright is being held at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center with bail set at $1,030,000.

Henderson said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected.

On April 16, another man with multiple gunshot wounds was found at the same intersection. Several arrests have been made in that case.

The Sheriff’s Office requested anyone with information regarding this incident please contact detectives at 318-251-5111 or CrimeStoppers of Lincoln Parish. CrimeStopper information can be given in several ways: call 318-255-1111, or text a tip to “TIP515 plus your message” to CRIMES (274637) or submit a tip online at http://www.rustonlincolncrimestoppers.com.

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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By T. Scott Boatright

Remembering and learning from the past while forging toward a better future for all was the permeating theme for the weekend as Juneteenth observances continued for Lincoln Parish with events in Grambling and Ruston. 

Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth (short for “June 19th”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were freed.

Grambling’s week and a half festivities with the city’s second annual Juneteenth Gala held in the foyer of GSU’s Frederick C. Hobdy Assembly Center while Saturday, the biggest day of Grambling’s Juneteenth celebration, started with a Heritage Health Walk followed by the annual Juneteenth Parade and other events on Main Street that included a Young Entrepreneur Fair, vendors selling foods and wares, the annual Kidzone and Car Show as well as the return of a stage for musical and other performances, something that returned for the first time since the COVID pandemic.

“I think it turned out to be a great day and our Juneteenth events have all been great and done well this year,” said Grambling Mayor Alvin Bradley. “We still have more in store before it’s over, but I’m happy with the way things have gone so far. 

“We’ve had good turnouts at things like the financial seminar, cooking contest and the discussion about Main Street along with all of the other events, and we just hope it all keeps going strong until we wrap things up with closing ceremonies and a fish fry on Saturday.”

Grambling Juneteenth and Committee Chair Cathy Holmes Giles said she is pleased with the way Grambling’s observance has grown since getting past the COVID pandemic.

“It grew last year, and we had even more this year and it’s all gone great,” Giles said. “We just want to see it keep getting bigger and better. It was hot out there today for the parade, but we still had a pretty good crowd on hand. Hopefully that trend will continue leading up to Wednesday’s final events.”

Grambling’s Juneteenth observances will continue with a citywide Exercise Event slated for 7 p.m. today at Grambling City Park.

There will be a Mimosas and Marigolds event at the Grambling City Garden Tuesday starting at 6 p.m.

Then on Juneteenth itself (Wednesday) a fishing tournament will be held all day at Grambling City Park followed by a Fish Fry at 5:30 p.m.

Anglers older than 17 will be required to have a Louisiana Fishing License for that event.

As Ruston began its Juneteenth observances on Friday night. Regina Rogers won a three-person talent contest to earn $1,000 and an appearance opening for the Mississippi Mass Choir during a Gospel concert held Saturday evening at Railroad Park.

“This was a fabulous concert,” said Santoria Black, Coordinator for Ruston’s Juneteenth observances. “There were so many people who remembered these songs and didn’t sit down the whole time.

“I thought the Juneteenth Choir was incredible, Cornelius Jackson was powerful delivering 

‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ and then to get an incredible performance from Regina Rogers was great.”

Amy Stegall, Main Street Director and Community Coordinator for the City of Ruston, said that she feels the growth of Ruston’s Juneteenth observance is important while adding that she feels future growth is still needed.

“It was a good turnout,” Stegall said. “The Mississippi Mass Choir was incredible. So, it’s been good to see the growth.

“But I would still like to see the (demographics involving race) get even better, because that’s important. I’d like to see even more diversity because this is an event for all of Ruston regardless of race. It’s about coming together and being one for the future of Ruston and the growth of the city and everyone who lives here. So hopefully this will keep growing and be even better next year, because again, that’s important.”

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By Hanna Singh

Century Next Bank of Ruston underwent a session of bank-wide training focusing on efforts to educate employees on business techniques for customers with Dementia.

Spearheading the initiative as Vice President of Training and Development Nate Trisler who implemented a company-wide goal for employees to be trained on these skills to be considered “Dementia friendly”.

With growing numbers of the population being diagnosed with Dementia, Century Next is committed to being a Dementia-Friendly institution, which includes learning preferred methods for communication and better ways of handling business with customers who are cognitively declining.

Inspired by attending an Elder Financial Abuse Seminar presented in Tyler Texas, Trisler developed a greater concern for fraud targeting elderly clients of the financial institution. He designed a training program for Century Next including educating employees through presentations, discussions and a simulation allowing them to experience what it is like to perform tasks with Dementia.

“So far the feedback we’ve gotten back has been overwhelmingly positive,” Trisler said. “I want to make sure that all of our staff members are educated properly, so this is something we are looking at morphing into some form of ongoing training for anyone who comes aboard our bank.”

Dementia affects over 50 million people worldwide, primarily developing in individuals later in life. This syndrome impairs cognitive functioning, severely interfering with daily life. People with dementia often struggle with complex financial tasks, such as balancing a bank account and avoiding financial scams.

Louisiana engagement and marketing officer, Jessica Slaughter explained why the company felt the need to address the concern and implement the training program on a wide scale.

“Everyone is affected by this,” Slaughter said. “We are doing this company wide because we feel that this is a way we can better serve our customers and our community. We want to better interact with people and know how to address these situations.”

It is important for companies to properly train and educate employees on how to better assist individuals with cognitive impairments. Initiatives like this from Century Next Bank, along with efforts from other organizations, are crucial in increasing dementia awareness in our community.

About 3% of adults ages 70 to 74 had dementia in 2019, compared with 22% of adults ages 85 to 89 and 33% of adults ages 90 and older.

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PINEHURST, N.C. — Choudrant resident Sam Burns posted the tournament field’s best final round score, a three-under-par 67, Sunday at the U.S. Open on the storied Pinehurst No. 2 course and charged to his first top 10 finish in one of golf’s major championships.

Burns, 27, who plays out of Squire Creek Country Club, finished in a three-way tie for ninth place and collected a $502,391 payday. His previous best U.S. Open finish was 27th in 2022, and his previous best major championship performance was 20^th at the 2022 PGA Championship. He had missed cuts in the first two 2024 majors, The Masters and the PGA, but otherwise has had a strong 2024 season.

He climbed over the $25 million mark in career earnings and moved up to $3.6 million in purses won this season after his sixth top 10 finish of 2024, and 34^th in his PGA Tour career since 2019 – including five wins.

Burns shot an opening 73, but rallied with a 67 Friday to make the cut. He carded another 73 Saturday but posted a bogey-free card Sunday, capping it with a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18^th hole.

His first two birdies came on the par-5 fifth hole, and the short par-4 13^th.

The Shreveport native, who graduated from Calvary Baptist Academy and became a breakout college star at LSU, was the best in the field this week in sand saves (8-of-9) and shared the tournament lead with a strokes gained average of 4.78.  He tied for second in putting (1.69 average per green).

A two-time All-American at LSU and the 2017 Jack Nicklaus Collegiate Division I Player of the Year, Burns is expected to play in the upcoming Travelers Championship, the last PGA Tour Signature Event of the season, this week in Hartford, Conn.

His wife Caroline, also a Shreveport native, and their one-month-old son Bear are on a three-week swing with the local pro, who certainly will treasure his first Father’s Day.

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By Judith Roberts

The crown may be on her head, but the work has just begun. 

Louisiana Tech student Olivia Grace George has been named the newest Miss Louisiana at the state pageant this weekend at the Monroe Civic Center. 

For Miss Louisiana, her talent was dancing and her service initiative is Education is Key, which she said she is excited to promote this upcoming year. 

“This job is the opportunity to lead, serve and share my community service initiative, Education is Key, throughout our great state of Louisiana,” George said. “I plan to empower our students to become strong leaders in and outside of the classroom. I want to help students grow their love for learning.” 

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George is co-captain of Louisiana Tech’s Regal Blues, is a member of Sigma Kappa sorority and is an education major in Tech’s College of Education and Human Sciences. 

George held this year’s title of Miss Louisiana Watermelon Festival. Additionally, the Miss Louisiana Watermelon Festival’s Teen, Ruston resident Melissa Le, also now holds the title of Miss Louisiana’s Teen.

George also received the Women in Education scholarship from the Miss Louisiana pageant and received the preliminary fitness award on Thursday night. 

First runner up was Miss Natchitoches Parish Felicia McGill; second runner up was Miss LA Port City Lily Gayle, third runner up was Miss Ouachita Parish Leah Thompson; and fourth runner up was Miss University of Louisiana at Monroe Gabrelle McLeod.  

George will represent the state at the Miss America Pageant in January.

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The Boys & Girls Clubs of North LA is participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided to all children ages 18 and under without charge.

Acceptance and participating requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Click the attachment below for details of sites.

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By Kyle Roberts

Dozens of incoming juniors and seniors from Ruston High, Choudrant High and Simsboro School gathered during the first week of June for the ACT boot camp in efforts to prepare the students for the American College Testing exam, commonly known as the ACT.

Courtney Martin serves as the math facilitator for Lincoln Parish Schools and oversaw the program hosted at Ruston High, which offered help for both students who would be taking the exam for the first time and for those who are looking to improve their scores.

“We try to break them into groups based on scores,” Martin said. “That way, we can really do some targeted practice with them because a student who has never taken the ACT before does not need the same kind of instructions as the student who is sitting there with a 28 and just wants to get a higher score.”

Based on conversations with Pre-AP English I teacher Jamie Gressett — who helped work the event with fellow educators Kelsey Whitlock, Mary Fowler and Stacy Campbell — the boot camp works well for students that attend.

“In the past, we’ve had students come tell us that the little tips and tricks helped,” Gressett said. “We try to help them learn how to make the best guess and eliminate wrong answers if you’re not sure. Students come and specifically tell us which tips have helped.”

Whitlock gets the same feedback as Gressett.

“As an eleventh grade ELA teacher, I have many students who take the boot camp the summer before their junior year,” Whitlock said. “Throughout the school year, these students express how the bootcamp really helped them have a better understanding of the test and that they feel more prepared throughout the year to take the ACT.

“My students who are going to be seniors often get their best score after the bootcamp and are so happy to have finally earned the score they have been aiming toward. For these students, it’s such a great opportunity to get an extensive review and an opportunity to practice right before the test.”

Martin says the heart behind the bootcamp is reducing testing anxiety on the ACT and commended the students who gave up time in the summer to come out.

“We want confident test takers,” Martin said. “And it’s a sweet gig for the teachers, because these are students who want to better themselves — nobody is making these kids come to the boot camp in the summer. “

The service was free for the students that signed up and covered English, Math, Science and Reading. The ACT boot camp is offered every summer and is also taught throughout the year in advisory periods.

“It’s good for people to know that all three of our high schools (Ruston, Choudrant and Simsboro) are working very hard within the classroom day-to-day,” Martin said. “That’s a big initiative of ours — we are pushing ACT prep and testing strategies. So we don’t have this just one time a year only. We’re really working every single day with ACT prep questions so that kids are familiar with those things.”

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A woman who allegedly shoplifted from a campus bookstore and then fled was arrested. Monday afternoon by campus police.

Quashanna D. Sanders-Hernandez, 35, of Ruston, was charged with theft by shoplifting after employees at the Grambling State University campus bookstore saw her fill a bag with merchandise and leave the store without paying.

A Barnes & Noble Bookstore employee said Sanders came into the store, went to a corner and filled a bag with several items. She then ran out of the store, setting off an alarm. The store manager pursued Sanders and directed her to return the items to the store. An argument ensued in the store and campus police were called.

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GSU Police found Sanders near the cafeteria. The woman told officers that the items had already been paid for and she was picking them up.

The items taken included caps, clothing, books, a tote bag, blanket, and other items valued at a total of over $560.

A records check revealed Sanders was wanted by the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for illegal possession of stolen things.

After her arrest, Sanders told police she had been barred previously from the bookstore.

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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Meriwether Wealth & Planning is pleased to announce the addition of John Michael Cristler to its team.

Before joining Meriwether, John Michael worked for a local accounting and consulting firm, with a specific focus on the financial services industry. A native of Stonewall, he is a graduate of North Desoto High School and earned his bachelor of science degree in finance from Louisiana Tech University in 2022.

John Michael is training to be a financial advisor with Meriwether and will begin by supporting existing advisors and clients with special projects. John Michael resides in Ruston and will work primarily out of Meriwether’s Ruston office. Outside of work, John Michael enjoys fitness, the outdoors, and spending time with family and friends. He attends The Bridge Community Church in Ruston.

“We are thrilled John Michael has joined our team. He comes highly recommended and has already demonstrated he will add significant value to our clients through his thoughtfulness and insight,” said Jeremy Pendergrass, Meriwether president and financial advisor. “I have no doubt John Michael will grow to be an invaluable asset to our team and an exceptional advisor.”

Meriwether Wealth & Planning is a registered investment adviser with locations in Minden and Ruston, Louisiana. To schedule an appointment, call (318) 377-1803 or visit www.meriwether.com.

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