Batter Up! That was the cry heard from the umpires on the multiple diamonds at the Jackson Parish Recreation Department this past week as summer league play began on June 29th for the six leagues competing.
No games were played for the 3&4 Wee Ball and 5 & 6 Tee Ball leagues with both leagues scheduled to begin this week. Of note is the fact that no extra innings are played in event of a tie after regulation. Below are the scores and standings after games played from June 29 – July 3.
For schedule of upcoming games go online to jprec.org.
Scores: Six Point 6 – Pardue Builders 4; Academy Mortgage 8 – Jonesboro Glass 2; Academy Mortgage 12 – Six Point 5; Jonesboro Glass 15 – Pardue Builders 5
Girls 7 & 8 Standings:
Johnny’s Pizza 1-0-0
Heyhunner 0-0-1
Leach Line Drivers 0-0-1
Jonesboro State Bank 0-1-0
Scores: Johnny’s Pizza 15 – Jonesboro State Bank 6; Heyhunner 9 – Leach Line Drivers 9
Girls 9-10 Standings:
Extreme Nutrition 2-0-0
Leach’s Turf Divas 2-0-0
Vanguard Realty 0-0-2
Pro Car Sparkle & Shine 0-0-2
Scores: Extreme Nutrition 19 – Pro Car Sparkle & Shine 11; Leach’s Turf Divas 11 Vanguard Realty 7; Leach’s Turf Divas 15 – Pro Car Sparkle & Shine 1; Extreme Nutrition 10 – Vanguard Realty 3
Girls 11-13 Standings:
Catfish Inn 2-0-0
Family Pharmacy 1-1-0
Listle Real Estate 0-2-0
Scores: Catfish Inn 2- Family Pharmacy 0; Catfish Inn 11 – Listle Real Estate 6; Family Pharmacy 3 – Listle Real Estate 1
Ryleigh McCormick (left) getting instructions from Coach Patrick Staggs with unidentified batter
On one side of the road was basically the entire Jonesboro Police Department (JPD). On the other were roughly twenty residents of Harvey Place. They were both armed a ready to do battle. Their weapons of warfare – WATER BALLOONS!!!
A fun time was had by all who participated, especially the young kids who seemed to get the best of the JPD judging by the soaked uniforms sported by the officers after the battle. The event was put on by Jonesboro Police Chief James “Spike” Harris.
“It was just something that we as a department wanted to do with the kids of the neighborhood,” said Harris. “I feel it is important for them to learn at a young age that the Police is not their enemy but a group of adults who have their best interest at heart. By interacting with them in this way it allows them to get to know us a people and not just someone in a uniform.”
Although the sun had not yet appeared over the horizon, the air was already warm and sticky, typical of the onset of another hot July day in Louisiana. This would have been a good day to work on articles in my air conditioned office but fishing guide and friend Eddie Halbrook’s call the night before had a sense of urgency about it.
“I don’t care what you have planned for tomorrow,” Halbrook said, “put it off. The bass are schooling on Grand Bayou and you need to come with me.”
The “Grand Bayou” Halbrook mentioned is Grand Bayou Reservoir, a small 2500 acre impoundment located 50 miles south of Shreveport. I don’t mind admitting a degree of skepticism when Halbrook mentioned that for the past week, he’d been catching at least a hundred bass a day. Skeptical or not, I found myself in the back of Halbrook’s boat as the bright, and soon to be hot, sun made its appearance in a cloudless July sky.
Somewhere around 7 am, Halbrook caught the first bass of the day. At a little past noon, I released bass number 100. We had, indeed, hit the century mark with bass in a half day of fishing that can only be described as “hot”…in more ways than one.
Grand Bayou Reservoir is like so many lakes around the country. The lake has a thriving population of baitfish, in this case, threadfin shad, that seek the highest levels of oxygen. In warm months, oxygen is more plentiful in the top of the water column. Wave action near the surface continues to replenish dissolved oxygen and huge schools of baitfish move about in comfort just beneath the surface.
For predator fish like largemouth bass, these roaming pods of baitfish are seen as a gourmet feast there for the taking. Slashing into baitfish schools, bass gorge themselves and in the process, make their presence known to alert bass fishermen from hundreds of yards away. Their feeding activity agitates the surface, often sending plumes of water flying in all directions.
Fishing for schooling bass can be at the same time exciting and frustrating. Here’s a typical scenario…a couple of anglers see a school of feeding bass erupt from 100 yards away. Starting the engine, they rush to within casting distance of the school only to see the surface become quiet again before the first cast is made. Looking back to where they just came from, they’re frustrated to see the fish thrashing the surface back there.
Thus, patience is one of the key ingredients in fishing for schooling bass. When the fish are active, the best bet is to avoid the temptation of dashing from school to school. Just be patient; they’ll soon be thrashing the water’s surface where you are.
If you take a youngster along, there is no better way to spark an interest in bass fishing that could last a lifetime than to introduce him/her/them to fishing for school bass.
For starters, school bass are generally easy to catch, the fishing experience is filled with spine-tingling excitement, and the neophyte angler is almost always anxious to do it all over again another day. Equipment needs are simple and can be easily handled by a less-experienced angler.
As bass slash into baitfish on the surface, some of the bait will be injured or killed in the process and will likely be floating in the area. Scoop up a couple and determine their color but more importantly, the size. If they’re silver in color, as most baitfish are, and are two inches long, it’s not brain surgery to know what to do next. Simply dig in your tackle box and select a silvery lure, two inches in length. If you’re hungry for an ice cream cone, you’re not likely to head for the refrigerator and go slap-happy over a celery stick. Bass are no different; they want what they want when they want it.
If you get excited at the sight of bass exploding on the surface all around you; if you thrill to strike after strike; if you get pleasure at the look on the face of your youngster fighting a tenacious bass, then school bass fishing may be right up your alley.
“This time of year, nothing can put a smile on the face of an angler quicker than catching schooling bass.”
If you are interested in learning what the Jackson Parish Police Jury (JPPJ) and the Board of Aldermen for the Town of Jonesboro have on their agendas this month then you want to make sure you have no other plans for the evenings of July 13th and 14th.
This next week will kick off with the JPPJ holding their regular scheduled monthly meeting on Monday at 5:30 pm at the Charles H. Garrett Community located on Industrial Drive just south of Jonesboro. The next day the Jonesboro Board of Aldermen will convene at the meeting room of the Jonesboro City Hall at 6:00 pm.
Additional meetings scheduled for the dates from July 9th-14th are as follows:
July 9th @ 12.00 pm – Ambulance Service District
July 9th @ 5:30 pm – Quitman Fire Protection – District 1
July 14th @ 7:00 pm – Fire Protection – District 2
Don’t look now but a star is being born in Quitman. Actually her assent into stardom has been several years in the making but until this year her tremendous exploits had been recognized mainly just around Jackson Parish, with the exception being when she dominated a state tournament field a couple of summers ago.
That was when Cali Deal was playing for the Jackson Parish All-Stars in the 10U Little League state tournament in Vidalia, LA. It was there that the fire balling lefty so completely blitzed through the competition to lead her team to the state title that folks from all over north Louisiana took notice.
The Marucci Patriots 2025, an elite “travel ball” team based out of Jena, then came calling which fast-forwards to the last couple of weeks where the now 12 year old budding star has made herself known from Mississippi to Houston, TX.
It first began in Lake Charles, LA where Deal pitched a perfect game in the finals of the 12U Fastpitch American Softball Association (FASA) in mid-June leading her team to a 6-0 victory. She also picked up three additional wins without a loss during the tourney.
In all she pitched 16 total innings, gave up six hits and three earned runs, walked two and struck out 26, an average of 1.625 batters per innings. Deal was impressive with a bat in her hand also as she hit .400 and drove in 7 RBI.
Proof that she was now the talk of the travel ball circuit was proven this past weekend when one of Mississippi’s elite travel ball squads, Mississippi Gold, reached out to Deal to ask her to pitch for them in the nationally recognized Premier Triple Crown Tourney held in Houston, TX.
How did Deal fare in against some of the best in the nation? All she did was throw a no-hitter in the finals to once again pace her team to a title which would have been another perfect game were it not for a bobble made by a fielder that allowed a baserunner. For the tournament she threw 13 innings where she gave up just four hits and one earned run while striking out 20 and batted .385 with 8 runs scored and 7 RBI.
Overall, in the two tournaments that netted a state and regional title, Deal pitched two no hitters, gained five wins without a loss, tossed 29 innings and gave up only four earned runs. Offensively she hit .389, drove in 14 runs and scored eight.
Among the nation’s riveting woes, uncertainties, and major challenges include a Pandemic, more than 50 million Americans unemployed, more than 120 thousand lives already lost to COVID 19, weeks of protests occurring throughout the nation, and worldwide marches and protests being held over the death of George Floyd. Floyd was needlessly murdered, vigilante style, at the hands of Dereck Chauvin, a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Against this dire backdrop, the nation, the Town of Jonesboro and every city USA could use some good news.
For several years, the town of Jonesboro has suffered greatly due to an inability to fix its financial situation The Town of Jonesboro has for several years been riddled with a number of financial audit findings that have stymied the town’s efforts in receiving state and federal funding. The town’ audits were at least two years in arrears when Mayor Thompson took office. The “breaking news”, is that after almost eighteen months in office and through much hard work and perseverance, Mayor Leslie Thompson announced that the Town of Jonesboro is no longer on the state’ non-compliance list. Once removed from the State of Louisiana’ non- compliance list the Town is now eligible to receive both state and federal support in the form of grants and other means to make improvements for the citizens of Jonesboro.
A letter written to The Honorable Leslie Thompson, Mayor of the Town of Jonesboro from Mr. Thomas H. Cole, CPA, CGMA, First Assistant Legislative Auditor states: “We have subsequently corresponded with the Louisiana Department of Health(LDH), Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the condition of the town’s utility systems. Based on the possible threats to the public safety, health, and welfare of the town’s residents, we will grant a conditional extension, temporarily removing the town from the Legislative Auditor’s noncompliance list, so that the town may pursue available grant funding to bring its utility systems into compliance with LDH, LDEQ and EPA regulations.”
Mayor Thompson and his staff are to be commended for this success and especially for their drive and determination to get the town off of the non-compliance list. The town has lost over a million dollars due to having been placed on the non-compliance list. We also commend Mayor Thompson and the town council for agreeing and coming to terms with passing the town’s fiscal year 2020-21 budget. The staff at town hall has played a vital role in addressing many of the unresolved audit findings left over from the Bradford Administration. For this the town’s people are grateful.
Readers must know that there is a back story that precedes the good news being shared with the citizens of the Town of Jonesboro. During Mayor Thompson’s first and second terms in office, he was inundated with a host of major problems left in the wake of previous Mayor Donald Essmeier. Thompson was scrutinized and condemned for any actions he took that were not blessed by a contentious town council bent on maintaining the status quo. Petty disputes between the Mayor and the Town council arose over who the mayor could hire, what color the mayor’s town car was to be and where it could go. There were major disagreements over itemized spending in the town’s budget and the list goes on.
Added to this list of frustrations, Mayor Thompson was left holding the bag in trying to run a town with an antiquated, neglected, water and sewerage system that should have been replaced years ago. Water pipes were bursting night and day all over the town. Mayor Thompson did the best he could do under a situation where there were little or no funds to handle these problems while at the same time he was hit with a rapid turnover in staff. White staff members, the brain trust at town hall (who had been there for many, many years), walked out of the door and left Thompson hanging to figure it out by himself.
Despite the critics and naysayers, Mayor Thompson was able to bring in several millions of dollars in state and federal grants to address some of the unmet needs of the Town of Jonesboro. In 2007 the town received $291,950 in grants. In 2008 the town received $4,683,200 in grants. In 2009, $815,503 was received in grant funding. In 2010, $1,372,000 was received. In 2012 $212,350 and in 2013, $2,017,340 was received in grant funding. This funding was directed towards water, sewer, airport, street improvements and other improvements throughout the Town of Jonesboro. I could not find anywhere in the history of the town where this amount of grant funding was applied for and received before or since then. From 2007 through 2013, a total of $9,179,993 was received from various funding sources such as LGAP, DRA, USDA, FAA, DOTD, Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund, LCDBG, Capital Outlay grant, Community Water Enrichment Fund and local funds. This would be quite an accomplishment for any administration and deserves recognition for the effort and hard work it takes to achieve such.
After years of wrangling with the town council, Legislative Auditor Darrell Purpura’ office and local political operatives (who had a long running feud and a fundamental dislike with and for Thompson), began working together to have Mayor Thompson ousted from office. Due to several fiscal problems, the town was placed on a watch list and later on the State’s non-compliance list. The town was issued a disclaimer in the State’s audit report, which meant that the financial records were so inaccurate, or that records were missing or so badly out of order that an audit could not be performed.
When these facts became public, Mayor Thompson’s office was inundated with information requests from law enforcement that ultimately overran his office and confiscated records, and documents. Consequently, this action along with other acts of racial injustice and especially a petition being circulated by a band of white citizens to have Mayor Thompson removed from office, tensions in the black community began to rise, tempers began to flare up over the manner in which events were unfolding and citizens began referring to Mayor Thompson as having misappropriated funds. Ultimately Mayor Thompson was indicted, tried, convicted and sent to prison for 11 years for malfeasance in office.
Hold on, there is more to this back story, as reported in the Jackson Independent newspaper. On, Thursday August 30, 2018 the paper, cited a front-page story entitled: “Mayor Bradford holds special meeting to address audit allegations.” Many of the town’s people attended that meeting and were flabbergasted at the number of audit findings issued against a small town like Jonesboro. The list of audit findings for the year 2017 were more than just casual audit allegations, they were serious audit findings issued by the independent CPA firm of Bosh and Statham. The 121 page audit report (conducted on May 10th 2018) cited irregularities stemming from cash receipts not being properly maintained, pre-numbered cash receipts not used in order, issues with bank accounts being required and was not fully funded, noncompliance with public bid laws, liability for customer deposits exceeded restricted cash, utility fund accounts receivables includes bad debts, utility accounts of city employees and officials being paid late, failure in multiple elements of internal control, financial statement not being provided to Board of Aldermen, failure to publish minutes of Town’ meetings, and the list goes on. Factually there were 20 audit findings reported in the Jackson Parish story written by Ben Ledbetter.
What is more interesting, troubling and continues to haunt many concerned citizens is the fact that several years earlier Mayor Leslie Thompson was indicted and convicted for malfeasance in office and sent to prison for supposedly engaging in and committing some of the same offenses noted in the Bradford Administration’s audit reports. In a preliminary audit report issued by Bosch & Statham dated April 2, 2020, which was generated from the results and schedule of findings as of and for the year ended June 30, 2018, which occurred during Bradford’s tenure as Mayor, it was noted that; “The Town appears to have violated the Louisiana Audit law. The law includes the following: Whoever violates the provisions of this Section (K) shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars and shall be deemed guilty of malfeasance and gross misconduct in office and shall be subject to removal”. The statements set forth in the preliminary report to the Town of Jonesboro were grounds for removal of any mayor who was in office in 2018. Sadly, most of the council members who were in office at that time never questioned the findings and looked the other way giving the Bradford Administration a pass on the 2017 audit findings that could have led to malfeasance in office. Additionally cited in the audit report was a note that the town “has been placed on the noncompliance list and will receive no funds from the state until the report is submitted.” Note that the 2018 audit was never completed by the Bradford administration but was completed under Mayor Thompson’s administration.
Wow!! This has to be one of the great tales of two men, where both men were cited for the same findings which could constitute malfeasance in office, but one goes to prison and the other was so protected that he has never seen the inside of a prison. Where is the justice in this scenario? The wheels of justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine. In 2018, Bradford ran for reelection and was defeated, by now, Mayor Thompson, thereby making Bradford a one term mayor. Nevertheless, it is this kind of miscarriage of justice that must come to an end and all people must be treated with dignity and allowed to live out the true meaning of justice and liberty for all. We must get rid of the dual justice system.
Every lake has a reputation. For most when you think of Caney Lake you think of catching the giant Florida bred bass. Think of Black Lake and those big slabs of white perch come into your mind. Start talking about D’Arbonne Lake and you hear people talking about finding the “schoolers”. Then there is Lake Claiborne where fishing for striped bass rules the conversation.
Fact of the matter all of the above are well known for providing tons of fun when it comes to ‘Perch Jerkin” it doesn’t matter where you go in north Louisiana, you are bound to catch a mess. Unlike bass fishing where you need rigged out boat, all kinds of artificial lures and high dollar rod & reels you can catch you a meal or two of Perch simply by putting some crickets, shiners or worms on a hook that is hanging on a line attached to a cane pole.
Sure it is always good to be able to move around from spot to spot in a boat but lots of Perch and bream are caught from the banks or even standing on a bridge that goes over the water. Best of all it is good, simple fun. Drop a line, watch a bobber (if you like to use one) and JERK when you feel a strikE Also if you like to feel a good fight when you catch a fish then “Perch Jerkin” is for you. Nothing more fun that to see a 12 foot cane pole bend almost double and hang on for dear life while that big ole slab darts back and forth.
This time of year is great for catching a mess too. Want proof? Take a look below the area fishing report at the pictures of some of the “slabs” that found their way into the frying pans this past week.
FISHING REPORT CANEY LAKE – Smaller bass are schooling and hitting shad imitation lures fished on top. Some bigger fish are locating around deep humps and ridges with oversized plastic worms and crank baits picking up a few. Crappie fishing has been best fishing around the deep tops on shiners or jigs. Catfish have been biting using noodles or tight lining cold worms and liver. Bream fishing has been fair to good on worms and crickets. Night tournaments are being held Thursday nights at Hooks Marina with a 3-fish limit. For latest information contact Bateaux on Caney Lake at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
OUACHITA RIVER – There is a slight rise on the river. Best bets for bass are in the mouth of the river lakes on shad imitations. Crappie fishing is best in river lakes fishing shiners or jigs 10-12 feet deep. Bream are in the back waters and river lakes and hitting crickets and worms. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Crappie are fairly shallow on the flats fishing shiner or jigs 6 feet deep in 8-10 foot water. Bass have been best fishing up the creeks around grass beds on Carolina rigs and plastic frogs. Some are also being caught along the edges of the channel on crank baits and soft plastics. Bream are still biting fairly shallow on crickets and worms around the lake. Catfishing has been good on set hooks baited with bream with lots of smaller channel catfish caught fishing off the banks with cold worms and night crawlers. For latest reports, call Anderson’s Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Crappie fishing has been best fishing early and late around the deep tops on shiners or jigs. A good many catfish are being caught using “noodles” and trotlines baited with cold worms. Some bream are still being caught off the banks on worms and crickets. Bass have been a bit slow this week. Stripers continue to school chasing shad on top with some being caught on shad imitation topwater lures or white bucktails. For latest information, call Tim Loftin at Kel’s Cove at 927-2264.
At about 5:00 p.m. on December 6, 1933, just before sunset, Nurse Hattie Crawford walked out of her apartment in Miami, Oklahoma. A man approached her and asked if she could tell him where Nurse Crawford lived in the apartment building. She told the stranger that she was Nurse Crawford. The stranger told her that a friend of his had been injured and needed help pretty quickly. It was in Nurse Crawford’s nature to help anyone in need. She sensed no danger and saw that the stranger seemed panic-stricken. She agreed to go without hesitation. Rather than taking her himself, the stranger gave Nurse Crawford instructions. He told her to take the bus to Afton, Oklahoma, about fifteen miles southwest of Miami, which she did. Within half an hour, Nurse Crawford disembarked from the bus at Afton not knowing exactly what to expect. The stranger was there waiting for her in a car with another man she did not know. She entered the sedan and they drove to Vinita, Oklahoma, about fifteen miles southwest of Afton.
The stranger and his companion drove Nurse Crawford to a dark, seemingly abandoned house on the outskirts of town. The sun had set and the car’s headlights were the only illumination. As they approached the porch, a woman opened the door of the house. Nurse Crawford immediately recognized the woman as someone she knew but had not seen in seven or eight years. They spoke only for a second or two before the woman led Nurse Crawford to a bedroom by flashlight, the only light in the house. In the bedroom, a man lay in bed with a gunshot wound on his left leg and similar wounds on his left arm. Nurse Crawford knew better than to ask how he received the gunshot wounds. She asked for bandages and rubbing alcohol. The woman gave Nurse Crawford the rubbing alcohol and tore a bed sheet into strips to use as bandages. Nurse Crawford cleaned and bandaged the injured man’s wounds as good as she could by the dim glow of a single flashlight. Nurse Crawford gave the woman instructions on how to clean and dress the wound.
As soon as she had finished treating the patient, the two men ushered Nurse Crawford out of the house and drove her back to Miami. Unlike the earlier trip, they drove Nurse Crawford all the way back to her apartment building. During the return drive, the two men asked if she could return with them the following night to check on the injured man’s condition. She quickly agreed. They gave Nurse Crawford the hefty sum of $5.00 for treating the injured man, which, adjusted for inflation, would be just under $100 in today’s money. They warned Nurse Crawford not to tell anyone of the incident, or else.
Nurse Crawford’s initial plan was to immediately notify the police of the incident, but she took their warning seriously. She was paranoid that someone was watching her. She feared what would happen if she reported the incident. On the following day, Nurse Crawford waited for the two men to pick her up and deliver her once again to the injured man. Five o’clock came and went. Then six o’clock, then seven o’clock, but the men never returned. Eight days later, on December 14, 1933, Nurse Crawford finally gained enough courage to report the incident to the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office.
Nurse Crawford told a deputy about her providing aid to the injured man. The secretive nature of the whole incident got the attention of Craig County Sheriff John York and FBI agent H.E. Hollis. Nurse Crawford described to them the location of the house, described the house itself, along with the furniture within. She explained that she saw the outside of the house only by the headlights of the car and the inside of the house by flashlight. Nurse Crawford said she did not know the men who escorted her to the house, nor was she certain of the identity of the injured man. She was certain, however, of the identity of the woman, whom she was acquainted with several years earlier.
Sheriff York immediately recognized the place Nurse Crawford described as being the home of Mrs. Jane Hall. Mrs. Hall had not lived at the home for several years and left the house in the care of custodian Bob Hill. Bob told investigators that he had no knowledge of and had not given consent to anyone to occupy the house. He granted the investigators permission to search the house.
At daylight on December 15, 1933, Sheriff York, Ottawa County Sheriff Dee Waters, several deputies, and Agent Hollis surrounded the home of Mrs. Jane Hall, but found it to be unoccupied. While searching the home, officers found bloodstained bandages and rags in a bathroom cabinet. They also found a bloody undershirt in another room. Once they were certain the house was unoccupied, one of the deputies drove Nurse Crawford to the home. She immediately recognized it as the place where she had treated the injured man on the night of December 6, 1933. Sheriff York made arrangements and had the home kept under constant surveillance. For several days, deputies kept watch at Mrs. Hall’s home to no avail.
As had happened many times before, law enforcements officers had missed their chance. The woman who allowed Nurse Crawford into the seemingly abandoned home and the injured man whom she had helped were…Bonnie and Clyde.
Source: United States Bureau of Investigation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, File Number 26-3779, December 23, 1933, Report by Special Agent H.E. Hollis.
The final master plan and proposal for renovation of the Jackson Parish Golf Course is now available for public view at the Jackson Parish Recreation Department home office located on Hwy 4 East. The announcement was made during the June 15th meeting of the Jackson Parish Recreation Board (JPRB) that was held at the Charles H. Garrett Community Center.
In other business JPRB members: Brent Barnett (President), Ricky Cash, Jeff Hairston, Brandon Lamkin, Rodney Potts, Sullivan Stevens and Chris Womack held a video conference with Mr. Nathan Grace of Watermark Golf and voted to amend the quote from Kincade Recreation for the Village of North Hodge.
An update on ongoing baseball/softball season and archery was provided as well as the approval to advertise in the Jackson Parish Journal for a period of one year. Jamie Cockerham also spoke to members about renovating the old rodeo arena located at the Jonesboro fairgrounds.
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 20th.
Ever wondered who had the best overall record of high school boys basketball teams in northwest Louisiana in Class B & C over the last decade? You have to guess no longer thanks to Lee Hiller, formerly a sports writer for the Shreveport Times, who painstakingly gathered the records of every area small school over the past ten years.
There are six teams that have won over 200 games from the years 2010-2020 with Zwolle leading the charge with 313 wins against only 89 losses. Simsboro (296-72), Atlanta (266-93), Summerfield (232-103) and Florien are next.
That leaves only one more team that has averaged at least 20 wins over the last decade and that is our very own Weston High School which checks in in sixth place overall with a 219-130 record which represents an impressive .628 winning percentage.
Fellow Jackson Parish representative, Quitman came in at 14th with a 129-190 record, while Jackson Parish Journal coverage area schools Dodson (118-208) and Saline (110-211) were at 16th and 17th respectively. Additional area schools were #8 Choudrant (190-160) and #13 Calvin (131-165). Downsville had the worst record of all with a 40-223 mark.
Lena Grace Petersen February 26, 1933 – June 29, 2020
Lena Grace Powell Petersen, or “Oma,” as she was known to her children and grandchildren, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Monday, June 29, 2020. She was 87 years old.
She was born to Irene and Forrest E. Powell on February 26, 1933, in Guilford, North Carolina and was preceded in death by three brothers: Forrest E. Powell, Jr.; Bobby Roy Powell; and Henry Ambrose Powell; and a daughter-in-law, Sonya Phillips Petersen.
Mrs. Peterson is survived by her husband of 65 years, Carl H. Petersen, Sr., of Jonesboro, Louisiana, and three sons: Carl H. Petersen, Jr., of Jonesboro, Louisiana; Forrest Petersen and wife Jo of Quitman, Louisiana; and Chris Petersen and wife Sherry of Richardson, Texas.
Oma had nine grandchildren: Casey Petersen and wife Michelle of Wake Forest, North Carolina; Jessica Fuller and husband Brandon of Monroe, Louisiana; Samantha Mercer and husband Adam of Ruston, Louisiana; Joanna Petersen of Quitman, Louisiana; Isaiah Petersen and wife Amelia of Seattle, Washington; Grace Jones and husband Jeremy of Alice, Texas; Sarah Self and husband Quentin of Renton, Washington; Blaine Chard of Plano, Texas, and Karian Chard of Austin, Texas.
She also had 10 great-grandchildren: Gracie, Adelae, Zeke, and Lyndee Petersen of Wake Forest, North Carolina; Sawyer and Lila Mercer of Ruston, Louisiana; and Faith, Elijah, Hope, and Noah Jones of Alice, Texas.
A graveside service was held at the Sweetwater Baptist Church cemetery in Quitman on Thursday, July 2nd with Brother Geary Phillips officiating.
Warren Dale Newsom August 18, 1952 – June 29, 2020
Mr. Warren Dale Newsom, age 67 of Jonesboro, passed away on Monday, June 29, 2020. A veteran who proudly served his country in the United States Army worked at the Jackson Parish Correctional Center and enjoyed spending time fishing. His family will always remember how he always had a bounce in his step and the smile that he wore wherever he went. He was a loving father, grandfather, son, brother and friend.
Those left to cherish his memory are his sons, Jessie Newsom, Wesley Newsom (Danielle), Zach Newsom (Keeleigh); grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Alana, Scarlet, and Warren Dale Newsom, II (on the way); mother, Sue Patsy Newsom-Carter; siblings, Anna Beth Crowson (Joel), Al Newsom, Lori Newsom; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his infant son, Adrian Newsom; father, Warren Aubrey Newsom.
Funeral services were held at the Edmonds Chapel on Friday, July 3rd, with Reverend Marvin Denton officiating. Burial followed in Gayla Traina Cemetery under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home in Jonesboro. Serving the family as pallbearers will be Timmy Decote, Ben Ledbetter, Jeremy Dark, Brent Mize, J.W. Tumlin, Ray LaBlance, James Smith, Jr., Billy Martin and Terry Diffey. Jackson Parish Correctional Center staff served as honorary pallbearers.
Jackson Parish law enforcement officials have identified the Sunday, June 21st , Caney Lake drowning victim as Gerardo Hernandez, age 28, who resided in West Monroe. According to reports a 911 emergency call was received from the State Park after several eye-witnesses thought the deceased was playing and splashing around while in the water at the beach site of the State Park but then went under water and did not come back up.
Friends immediately went in the water, located him and brought him back to shore. Attempts were then made to revive him but even though he was underwater for less than five minutes they were not successful. Additional CPR attempts were then made by the Ward 4 Emergency Response team and Wildlife and Fisheries personal at the State Park before he was transported to the Jackson Parish Hospital where he was declared dead.
It was bound to happen sooner or later. After all virtually every single Correctional Center across the United States had already experienced an outbreak of COVID-19. What the fact that it has taken so long to reach the Jackson Parish Correctional Center (JPCC) should say to area residents is that the protection program in place by JPCC officials is working very well.
To put it into perspective on June 3rd it was reported that the Winn Parish Correctional Center had 112 COVID-19 cases which was the second highest number among Correctional Centers in the nation. A few weeks before that the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe saw two guards die from the disease. Now almost three months since the outbreak first rocked America the Jackson Parish Correctional Center is reporting their first four cases among the detainees.
Across the rest of Jackson Parish the numbers looked like this as of June 28th: Positive cases tested – 205 Recovered – 91 Hospitalized – 0 Deaths – 15 Active cases – 99
Hallelujah! After weeks and weeks of waiting the summer leagues for the youth of Jackson Parish is finally beginning. Games actually began on Monday, June 29th: but due to press time reports will be provided next week.
What is shown below is the upcoming schedule from the dates beginning July 1st – July 8th for the three boys and girls leagues as well as Wee Ball and Tee Ball competition. What you can expect from the Jackson Parish Journal in the upcoming weeks is full game score coverage and standings in each league as the season progresses. You might even get to see you favorite youngster in a picture as well.
If you have a photograph you would like to see published please send pics to: jpjjacksonla.com
It is our goal to show as many pictures as we can each week in an attempt to let the youth of our parish have their day in the sun, so to speak. BATTER UP!!
Jackson Parish Recreation Department Games Schedule Week of July 1 – 8
Boys 7 & 8
3-Jul 6:00 SOUTHERN KUSTOMS MERCY MEDICAL FIELD 2
7:30 TRAINAS BAKERY SPS FIELD 2
7-Jul 6:00 TRAINAS BAKERY MERCY MEDICAL FIELD 2
7:30 SOUTHERN KUSTOMS SPS FIELD 2
Boys 9 & 10
2-Jul 6:00 RHODES FARMS HODGE BANK FIELD 2
6-Jul 6:00 HODGE BANK SOUTHERN KUSTOMS FIELD 2
7:30 HODGE BANK RHODES FARMS FIELD 2
Boys 11-13
2-Jul 6:00 SIX POINT ACADEMY MORTGAGE FIELD 1
7:45 PARDUE BUILDERS JONESBORO GLASS FIELD 1
6-Jul 6:00 PARDUE BUILDERS ACADEMY MORTGAGE FIELD 1
7:45 SIX POINT JONESBORO GLASS FIELD 1
Girls 7 & 8
3-Jul 6:00 JONESBORO STATE BANK LEACH’S LINE DRIVERS FIELD 3
7:30 JOHNNY’S PIZZA HEYHUNNER FIELD 3
7-Jul 6:00 JOHNNY’S PIZZA LEACH’S LINE DRIVERS FIELD 3
7:30 JONESBORO STATE BANK HEYHUNNER FIELD 3
Girls 9 & 10
2-Jul 6:00 PRO CAR SPARKLE & SHINE LEACH’S TURF DIVAS FIELD 3
7:30 EXTREME NUTRITION VANGUARD REALTY FIELD 3
6-Jul 6:00 PRO CAR SPARKLE & SHINE VANGUARD REALTY FIELD 3
7:30 EXTREME NUTRITION LEACH’S TURF DIVAS FIELD 3
Girls 11-13
6-Jul 6:00 FAMILY PHARMACY CATFISH INN FIELD 4
7:45 FAMILY PHARMACY LISTLE REALESTATE FIELD 4
7-Jul 6:00 CATFISH INN LISTLE REALESTATE FIELD 4
3 & 4 Wee Ball
6-Jul 6:30 JONESBORO ANIMAL CLINIC DODSON ENTERPRISES T BALL 1
7:15 J & L WORKS TRIPLE G CARRIAGE T BALL 1
6:30 MCGEE FARMS JONESBORO STATE BANK T BALL 2
7:15 HODGE BANK OPEN T BALL 2
5 & 6 Tee Ball
7-Jul 6:30 UPTOWN TANNING JACKSON PARISH BANK T BALL 1
7:15 LA FAM MEDICINE CLINIC PARDUE BULIDERS T BALL 1
6:30 GREG WILLIAMS LOGGING AVERY’S LEGAL EAGLES T BALL 2
For a novice thinking about fishing it is generally thought to be a relaxing thing to do. How hard is it, you say? All you do is sit in a boat and cast all day hoping to get a bite or two, right? That may be true after you have done all the prep work involved in just getting to the lake or your favorite body of water.
For those who fish regularly you know there is a whole lot more to it, especially if you have the boat you are going to fish in. There is nothing easy about getting prepped and ready to go. You have to get the gas, make sure the boat is in good working order, get your gear prepared, buy your baits, etc……
Then you have to deal with Mother Nature, especially this time of year. She can really beat you up. First there is the temperature you have to deal with as it regularly creeps into the mid 90’s. You haven’t been hot until you have been on the lake with the sun bearing down on your all day. Got to take precautions to stay hydrated and not get sunburned.
Then there are the summer “thunder boomers” that pop up seemingly every day. There is hardly a scarier time than getting caught on the lake with lightning and thunder popping all around you. It is no fun at all.
What is the option? Well, fishing at night is a good choice. It is recommended that you know the area you are fishing in really good though because things look different at night than during the day. It is also a good idea to take a scouting trip or two at night before you decide to actually go fishing.
Over the past several weeks anglers on Caney Lake have had the opportunity to try their luck at night each Thursday night at the weekly bass tourneys sponsored by Hooks Marina. To enter contact Hooks Marina at 249-2347 See below for results from the last two weeks. Also check out the pull up icon at bottom of article for tips on what is bringing in the fish at local waterways.
Final results for Hook’s Marina Thursday Night Amateur 3 Bass Blast on June 27th (27 teams)
1st Place: Brandon Brown & Braydon Brown (11.21lbs.)
See below for list of people arrested by law enforcement officials in Jackson Parish from the dates of June 22nd – June 29th.
1. Aaron T Johnson (Jonesboro, LA) – Resisting Arrest, Driving under suspended license, driving with switched plates 2. Derrick J. Harvey Jr. (San Pablo, CA) – Possession of drug paraphernalia, presenting false ID, possession of alcohol in a moving vehicle 3. Deon Wright (Monroe, LA) – Possession with intent to distribute Controlled Substance Schedule I, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of Firearm by a felon, Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, carrying of a weapon in presence of narcotics, resisting an officer by flight 4. Jailen J. Pikes (Monroe, LA) – Possession of Schedule I Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Speeding 5. Dylan P. Dautrevil (Youngsville, LA) – Following to close, No Driver’s License, Possession of Marijuana 6. Sophie K. Harrison (Lafayette, LA) – Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia 7. Treyvonne Campbell (Jonesboro, LA) – Possession of Schedule I Controlled Substance 8. Christopher Lewis (Jonesboro, LA) – Bench Warrant, Possession of Schedule I Controlled Substance, Turn Lamps 9. Nathaniel Lamkin (Montgomery, LA) – Warrant – Attempted Theft 10. Ray D. Atkins (East Hodge, LA) – execution of sentence
Black, tired, happy feet have been marching and protesting for “Black Lives Matter” causes in Jackson Parish for a long time because injustice is and has been alive and well throughout the parish. Racism still occupies a seat at the table of brotherhood. Marchers and protesters will continue the journey until Jackson Parish and surrounding communities are awakened to their voices crying out for change. The voices of these young marchers who are saying we have had enough, it’s time for change, must not yield to the pressure to silence and undermine their commitment to secure racial justice and equality for all people. People of all colors have the right to and must march peacefully and fight vigorously to end systemic racism. They must continue to fight until the walls of injustice and discrimination come tumbling down. May the young protesters be encouraged by the words of the Negro National Anthem, …let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us, facing the rising sun of our new day begun, let us (black, white, brown, yellow) march on till victory is won…
History reveals that in the nineteen sixties Jackson Parish was considered a “hot spot” of racism and was the scene of months of civil protests and unrest created primarily by actions of fear and intimidation on behalf of the local KKK. It was also during this period that the Deacons for Defense came into existence, an organization that became the counter to the KKK. The Town of Jonesboro became a venue for and the center of direct action by citizens of color. Churches were burned, KKK demonstrations were routinely held, sit-ins were staged at local white owned restaurants such as M&D’s Café on main street, local white law enforcement actions were challenged, African American students were arrested for attempting to integrate the local library, and a large number of African American students were hauled off to jail in the bucket compartment of a garbage truck for protesting at a local white owned grocery store located in the Black community. Caravans of KKK cars with covered license plates frequently made their way through the streets of communities of color tossing out propaganda literature in their wake.
While Jackson Parish has no statues of confederate generals mounted on horses, confederate flags flying in public spaces, or parks and schools inundated with and named after confederate soldiers, research indicates that Jackson Parish was named in honor of President Andrew Jackson who was a slave holder, a supporter of state’s rights, supported the institution of slavery and he oppressed Native Americans. It was Andrew Jackson who removed Native Americans from their ancestral lands. Jackson parish is also cited for having taken over 40 years to settle a desegregation lawsuit filed by Margaret M. Johnson in 1969 against the Jackson Parish school board. More conspicuous research disclosed that African American citizens have never been employed in the Jackson Parish Registrar of Voters office, which provides another reason that black and white feet must continue to march and protest against injustice anywhere and everywhere.
I reflected upon a personal and an unforgettable experience I had in 1960. Sheriff Van Beasley, (in a make shift interrogation) threatened me and several of my teenage African American friends (with my dad at my side) with the words; “Boy, I don’t care who you are, who your daddy is, I am going to stomp a mud hole in you if you don’t leave white girls alone.” Those became chilling and fighting words and stemmed from an allegation of which I had no personal knowledge. The claim by Sherriff Beasley was totally inaccurate and based upon conjecture and false pretense. However, those words made me feel lower than a cockroach, which people stomp and kill. I felt that I did not matter, that I did not belong in Jonesboro or better yet, I had no place in America. That was one of the rare moments that my dad, a mild mannered personable man, well respected by both black and white citizens stepped up and said: “You will have to stomp a mudhole in me as well!”
After the confrontation and for whatever reason, Sheriff Beasley excused me and my dad but continued the interrogation of my other friends. Those words were etched in my memory and all these years later remain in my mind. Some thirty plus years later, in 1997, when we relocated to Jonesboro, Sheriff Van Beasley, (whom I want to believe now had a contrite and repentant heart) came to our house (totally unexpected) and parked his big white vehicle in our driveway. As he emerged from the vehicle, he greeted me and extended a hand of friendship, welcoming me back to Jonesboro. He then presented me with a deputy sheriff’ commission and badge which I held for many years. I am not sure how much contrition was involved, but I am sure it took a lot of courage for him to go to a guy that he was going to “stomp a mudhole in” and in his way, so to speak, apologize as he did in his own unspoken way.
Flash forward to 2006 when Leslie C. Thompson was elected as the first African American mayor of the Town of Jonesboro and two weeks after his election, a group of white citizens began a recall petition to have him removed from office. Six years later, in a second term, Mayor Thompson was indicted, convicted on three counts of malfeasance in office by an all-white jury and sentenced to serve 11 years at hard labor, plus five years of probation and pay $51,000 dollars in restitution to the Town of Jonesboro. Mayor Thompson served a total of four years, one half of which was served in state prison. Upon being released from state prison, Thompson successfully filed a writ of certiorari with the Louisiana State Supreme Court requesting the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling of the appellate court. The Louisiana State Supreme Court overturned all three counts based on prosecutorial misconduct due to racial bias. Nevertheless, Mayor Thompson was recently retried (February 2020) on one count of malfeasance in office which ended in a mistrial.
Looking back at past events and the history of racism in Jackson parish, reflecting on the fact that just a few years ago while African American citizens were protesting at the trial of Mayor Thompson, standing on the lawn of the court house expressing one’s right to peacefully assemble and protest, the court house sprinkler system was turned on to discourage citizens protesting.
The most recent protest march and rally in Jonesboro occurred on a Sunday in June2020. Days following the rally, I had a moment to talk with Mayor Leslie C. Thompson (who attended but did not speak at the rally) regarding the event. These are some of his reflections and thoughts about the marches and protests sweeping across the world after the public killing of men like George Floyd and most recently the murder of Rayshard Brooks, his thoughts about the endless murdering of young black men: “As we march and protest, the issue is not whether we are able to control the crowd but whether we are able to control our destiny moving forward. We, as a people have been crippled and then blamed for limping for far too long. Systemic, institutional racism has been Americas’ tool to demoralize and dehumanize Blacks in this country since slavery. George Floyd’s murder presents productivity for the first time in my generation, a legitimate intellectual dialogue, designed to confront and ultimately eliminate this evil from our society.”
I also had an opportunity to chat with Police Chief James “Spike” Harris about policing in Jonesboro in view of the killing of black men in America as well as the recent march and protest held at the courthouse square in honor of the life of George Floyd. These are some of his comments: ‘As the first African Amerian Chief of Police for the Town of Jonesboro, Louisiana, I must admit that the recent killings of young African American men by law enforcement has been exceedingly difficult to stomach. The recent protest march was led by many African American men and women who did an outstanding job of putting this event together. We have our problems here in the town of Jonesboro, however in light of everything going on around the world, I can honestly say from my perspective that this community is standing strong and we have yet to have any issues with rioting, killings, looting and destruction of businesses that we see happening in many cities across the nation and world We have a long way to go with race relations in the United States especially when it comes to education, economics, employment, housing, health care, racial injustice and other areas.”
Communities of color across America have suffered much too long under an oppressive regime of systemic racism, a system that judges Black people by outward appearances. African American citizens have had to contend with a system of discrimination that judges and devalues them based solely upon the color of their skin. May the rallies and protests produce a nation of repentant and contrite hearts that will bring an end to years of pain and suffering, years of intentional racial torture and poverty, years of exclusion from meaningful educational opportunities, decent housing and quality health care, and the years of lynching and killing of young men of color by police. May justice come for every American citizen.
The journey and fight to and for true freedom and overcoming injustice and racial discrimination is in the hands of young African Americans like Ja’Keshia Lard and a cadre of young black and white protestors who are marching around the world chanting “enough is enough.” The torch is being passed to them and the eyes of the nation are upon them. People struggling today in ghettoes and slums, in rural poverty, in a constant war for survival are depending on them. They have to take up the banner and lead the way for substantive change in the nation. It is their voice, their activism, their persistence for change that will make the difference.
Older African American citizens like me are standing on the sidelines, emotionally broken and teary eyed at the protests and marches, because we have tasted bitterness, worked the vineyards, been educated in the school of hard knocks. We are watching, encouraging and cheering them on. People are counting on them, people born and unborn are depending and counting on them to change the world and make America a better nation for all. We encourage them to keep the faith, to never give up on their hopes, dreams and aspirations, to fight a good fight, and to do justice to all mankind and we beg of them, please do not let this moment for criminal justice reform, for equality in America, pass or slip away without waging a vigorous fight for change. Fight for justice for George Floyd, and for people all over the nation to have the right to breathe.
This is their moment in history, their call to duty, their season and their opportunity to make lasting changes in Amerian politics. This is their moment to stand firm in addressing issues of structural and systemic racism, abject poverty, poor schools, blighted neighborhoods, police brutality, political and economic inequality that has kept people of color yoked to failure, pain and misery, oppression and caged in an environment that is hostile, and unforgiving. This is no longer acceptable. Together, let us once and for all send institutionalized racism and injustice back to the pits of hell from whence it came. A change must come!! God Bless and keep America.
Dr. Herbert Simmons, Jr. is an associate Professor, Department of Criminal Justice, Grambling State University, former President, Grambling State University Faculty Senate and former Chair, Department of Consumer Education and Resource Management, Howard University, Washington, D.C.
While COVID-19 has left many things uncertain, the Louisiana Department of Education and the Louisiana Health Department have worked together to give guidelines that must be followed if public and non-public schools in the state want to reopen.
The guideline requirements for reopening depends on what phase the state is in when school starts. When it comes to group sizes:
PHASE1: 10 people, including adults
PHASE 2: 25 people, including adults
PHASE 3: 50 people, including adults
Adults and students, 3rd grade and up, are required to wear face coverings during arrival, dismissal, in the classroom, and any other transition within the school building. Any child over the age of 2 may wear a face covering. Individuals with severe breathing difficulties should not wear a face covering.
High touch surfaces must be cleaned multiple times a day, including bathrooms. LDH suggests Hand washing at arrival, at least every two hours, before and after eating, before and after using outdoor play equipment, and at the exit.
According to the LDH guidelines, school bus transportation will also have requirements.
PHASE1: Bus capacity is 25 percent. One rider per seat, unless members of the same family. Every other seat will be empty.
PHASE 2: Bus capacity is 50 percent. Passengers will be distanced to the max extent possible.
PHASE 3: Bus capacity is 75 percent. Passengers will be distanced to the max extent possible.
In addition to the guideline requirements, the band and choir will not be able to practice until phase 3, as saliva can be transmitted easily. Athletic activities are allowed to resume with the recommendations put forth in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s guidance for opening up high school athletics and activities.
To see the full guidelines from the Department of Education, click HERE.
On a warm day in July, John Adams lay in his bed at his home in Quincy, Massachusetts. The aged former president had been unable to leave his bed for several days. The unmistakable sound of cannons firing in the distance got his attention. It was a sound he remembered all too well. His thoughts raced back to the events of the American Revolution. Following the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770, it was he, then a 34-year-old Boston attorney, who successfully defended the British troops against charges of murder. None of the other local attorneys would take on the case for fear of reprisals. In the trial, Adams proved that an angry mob had provoked and attacked the British soldiers. The soldiers had acted in self-defense.
Although Adams had defended the British troops in the Boston Massacre trial, he spoke out and fought constantly against what he, and many others, considered unfair taxation and unjust attacks by the British Parliament. As a member of the First and Second Continental Congresses, he argued aggressively against Parliament’s ultimate control over the colonies. He was one of the first people in Congress to argue for total separation from Great Britain.
Adams’s thoughts raced back to his old friend, Thomas Jefferson. While Adams argued for total separation in Congress, Jefferson watched, absorbed everything, but said nothing. Adams had never heard Jefferson speak more than a word or two in Congress, and that was usually a simple aye or nay during a vote. Adams and Jefferson developed a friendship over the issue of independence. Before the Congress declared independence, Adams formed a committee to draft a formal Declaration of Independence. Reluctant at first, Jefferson completed a draft of the Declaration which the committee edited into the document’s final form. On July 2, 1776, Congress approved the Declaration. Adams predicted the second day of July would be celebrated annually throughout the country. Congress approved the Declaration on July 2, but officially declared independence two days later, which is why we celebrate independence on the fourth of July and not the second of July.
The war raged on until October 19, 1781, when the British General, Lord Cornwallis, surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia. America had won its independence. Adams, Jefferson, and the other founding fathers spent the next eight years developing America’s system of government. Adams and Jefferson had spent years as envoys in separate countries trying to garner support against the British, and, once the war was over, as ambassadors of the new country.
Adams and Jefferson wrote letters to each other frequently and spoke highly of their friendship in letters to others. In a letter to James Madison, Jefferson wrote that Adams “is so amiable, that I pronounce you will love him if ever you become acquainted with him.” Adams expressed his affection for Jefferson in a letter to him in which he wrote “intimate correspondence with you…is one of the most agreeable events in my life.” Their friendship grew stronger when Jefferson arrived in England on diplomatic business. Adams was currently serving as an ambassador to Great Britain. Adams and Jefferson toured several English gardens and visited William Shakespeare’s home. Adams recorded in his notes that they chipped off a piece of Shakespeare’s chair “according to the custom.” In 1789, the presidential electors cast their votes for the first President of the United States. The candidate who received the most votes became president and the candidate who received the second most votes became vice-president, a system that seems foreign to us today. George Washington won by a landslide followed by Adams. George Washington served two terms as president with Adams as his vice-president. All the while, Adams and Jefferson remained friends.
George Washington’s announcement that he would not accept a third term as president created a power struggle in Congress. The members of Congress broke off into factions, the Federalists and the Republicans. The Federalists chose Adams as their candidate and the Republicans chose Jefferson. Adams, who had argued and played a large part in convincing the Congress to vote for independence, and Jefferson, who had drafted the Declaration of Independence, were on opposite sides. When the electors tallied the votes, Adams won the election by just three votes. Adams became president and Jefferson became vice-president, the only time in American history where the president and vice-president were from opposing political parties.
Adams and Jefferson were often at odds over policy but remained friends. Adams served just one term as president. He lost his reelection bid to his old friend, Jefferson. Before he left office, Adams made several last-minute political appointments who were Jefferson’s political rivals. Due to the appointments, Adams and Jefferson stopped corresponding altogether. Jefferson served two terms as president and retired to his home, Monticello, in 1809. For eight years, the old friends had had no direct communication. They only heard about each other through friends. In 1811, Jefferson learned through mutual friends that Adams had said, “I always loved Jefferson, and still love him.” With this simple statement, Adams and Jefferson renewed their friendship with another series of letters which continued for the rest of their lives.
Upon hearing the cannons firing again, Adams was jolted back to the events of the moment. He inquired as to the reason for the firing cannons. Someone at his bedside answered that they were firing cannons in celebration of independence from Great Britain. It was the fourth of July. “It is a great and glorious day,” Adams replied. Newspapers reported that “he never spake more.” At around 6:00 p.m., John Adams passed away. Some historians have claimed that when Adams realized that death would soon take him, he uttered the phrase, “Jefferson survives.” Unbeknownst to Adams, Jefferson had died five hours earlier. John Adams, the man who convinced Congress to declare independence, and Thomas Jefferson, the man who drafted the Declaration of Independence, both died on the same day, July 4, 1826, … the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Sources: John Adams, “Notes on a Tour of English Country Seats, &c., with Thomas Jefferson,” April 4-10, 1786, in L.H. Butterfield et al., eds., Diary and Autobiography of John Adams (Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1961), 3:185. Jefferson to Madison, January 30, 1787, in PTJ, 11:96. Adams to Jefferson, March 1, 1787, in PTJ, 11:190. Jefferson to Rush, December 5, 1811, in PTJ:RS, 4:313, 4:314n. The National Gazette (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), July 10, 1826, p.2.
One of the main goals of every high school football player is to win a ring. Most of the time that is only received after your team wins a state championship but for several outstanding players from Jonesboro-Hodge who graduated this past spring recently they got to enjoy adorning some jewelry as result of their participation in post season all-star games.
A few weeks ago Bowl Director, Andy Bryson came to Jonesboro-Hodge to bring Jaylen Kendrick, Caleb Hassen and Logan Webb their rings for being on the winning team in the 2019 Louisiana Gridiron Football All Star Bowl held on December 28th, 2019 in Alexandria, LA. Earlier A.J. Blundell received his ring from being on the winning team at the East/West All-American Bowl Game that was played at Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, TX on January 20th, 2020.
“I am very happy for these guys” said JHHS head coach Terrance Blankenship. “They were great representatives of their school and they now have something they will treasure for the rest of their lives.”
Caleb Hassen, Louisiana Gridiron Bowl Director Andy Bryson and Jaylen Kendrick sporting bowl rings
A. J. Blundell with JHHS Head football Coach Terrance Blankenship at East/West All-American Bowl played at Cowboy Stadium in Dallas, TX
Ring earned by A.J. Blundell at the East/West All-American Bowl
Mary Elizabeth Morgan August 12, 1983 – June 25, 2020 Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Morgan, age 36 of Quitman, passed away Thursday, June 25, 2020. Mary was born August 12, 1983 in Ruston, Louisiana to Sharon Stevenson Hines and her father Chris Robinson.
She is survived by her mother, Sharon Hines and step-father Skip Hines; daughters, Malia Snowden, Kailei Ramirez, Lily Ramirez; brother, John David Morgan; half-brother Mitchell Robinson; Grandparents, Jerry & Lillian Stevenson, Mary Morgan, Barbara Robinson; step-grandparents, Danny & Claudine Reihn; a host of aunts, uncles, other relatives and numerous friends and loved ones. Mary was preceded in death by her adopted father, John W. Morgan; grandfathers, Al Morgan, Billy Robinson.
Graveside services were held in the Beech Springs Baptist Church cemetery with Reverend Jim Lancaster and Reverend Tim Thomas officiating and under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home of Jonesboro. Serving the family as pallbearers were Cole Stevenson, Darren Stevenson, Justin King, Matthew Nash, Michael Lowe, Noah Brown. Honorary pallbearers will be Brian Knox, Danny Knowlton.
Jerry L. Lowrey October 22, 1950 – June 24, 2020 Mr. Jerry L. Lowrey, age 69 of New Iberia, passed away on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Mr. Lowrey was born October 22, 1950 to the late Clyde Revis and Sybil (Hortence) Lowrey and was a resident of New Iberia for over 40 years. He proudly served his country in the United States Air Force and was a retired consultant after working in the oil field for many years. Enjoyment was brought by working around his house, fishing, reading and spending time with his family; especially his grandchildren.
Those left to cherish his memory is his loving wife, Mecca Tobar Lowrey; daughter, Dawn Lowrey-Meydam and husband Smith of Newport News, VA; stepsons Troy Fondon, Keith Fondon; stepdaughter, Renee Fondon; 3 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren; brothers, Jimmy Lowrey and Gwen of Quitman, Rickey Lowrey and wife Kathy of Quitman, Clyde Lowrey, Jr. and wife Ve-Ester of Winnfield; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents.
A graveside service was held Saturday, June 27, 2020 in Antioch Presbyterian Cumberland Cemetery at 2:00PM with Reverend Bill Staples officiating with the burial following under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home in Jonesboro.
What is known is that on Sunday, June 21, 2020 a man drowned at the State Park on Caney Lake. From there on out the details get sketchy as local law enforcement agencies and emergency responders have not provided any information despite several attempts to reach them.
One unnamed source indicated that the reason no information has been given is that the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) is still trying to determine the identity of the deceased who is believed to not be a resident of the Parish.
According to an eye-witness a man was seen going under while swimming and then retrieved from the water. CPR was provided by a concerned citizen who then gave way to Ward 4 Emergency Responders and Wildlife and Fisheries agents. From there the deceased was transferred to the Jackson Parish Hospital where it was determined he had expired.
