The last few days of school are always an enjoyable time. At Quitman High School a unique way of celebrating was had as youth from the ages of Kindergarten to 5th grade competed in the “Wolverine Mile”. Congratulations to the winners in each grade shown below.

Wolverine Mile winners:

Zamayah Lewis of Jonesboro-Hodge Elementary joins Jastyn Jordan of Quitman and Kiley Stevenson of Weston as fifth graders from Jackson Parish public schools who were selected as overall winners in the D.A.R.E. essay contest sponsored by the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (or D.A.R.E.) was founded in 1983 and was solely focused on teaching the dangers of drugs and alcohol on the body and family. As times have changed, D.A.R.E has added more lessons to the program to help prepare students for what life throws at them. To today, D.A.R.E now stands for, Define, Assess, Respond, and Evaluate.

At the end of each program, for students to successfully complete the program, they must complete their workbook and a D.A.R.E. essay. The D.A.R.E essay must include topics taught in the program, how they have used Define, Assess, Respond and Evaluate methods and how they plan to use everything they have learned in the future. Once students have completed the essays, there is an essay picked out of each homeroom (three 5th grade classes per school).

See below for Lewis’s award winning essay.

My name is Zamayah Lewis and I am going to tell you how dare changed me. D.A.R.E. teaches how not to do drugs and not to smoke and don’t drink. DA.R.E. is a place to express your thoughts if you are feeling depressed or having suicidal thoughts or if you are alone. You get to tell people what you did at home, what decision did we make, or if we made the right decision. It teaches how not to go down the wrong path in life.

D.A.R.E. teaches you how not to bully and it also teaches you not to drink because you  can get dizzy from it and it can also give you memory loss. It can also cause you to have a wreck if you go out driving. D.A.R.E teaches about resistance like if your friend says, “ I got some drugs do you want one?” You say no and let’s do something else to take your mind off of drugs. You can tell your friend what can happen if he or she keeps on with what they are doing because it can get addictive and you could end up with years in prison; so, if you do not want that do not do drugs.

D.A.R.E. means define, assess, respond, and evaluate . In D.A.R.E. I also learned about bullying. For example, one day at school by accident, I spilled milk on the rich and popular girl’s jacket named Rayna because I did not see her because my friend and I were talking about the Halloween contest party. After the spilled milk, the popular girl said, “You are never going to be in that contest and you are not going to win .” She asked me, “What are you going to be for the contest?” I told her, “ I was going to be a hot air balloon”. The popular girl had a paper bag that she was going to throw away. She said , “if you need the paper bag you could get it out of the trash can!” After school, I happened to run into her while shopping at the dollar store. She said, “Wait please , don’t tell me that you shop at the dollar store?” I said yes, “I was picking up some items for my outfit, “ Rayna was just at the expensive Halloween store . She said this is her outfit it costs $200 dollars, it’s something you could not afford. I said to her, your outfit is pretty and she said to me, “good luck with the contest.” It was the night of the contest and they were about to call the winner. Ms. Jacobs said, “ This is the moment we all have been waiting for, the winner is Zamayah.

The point to my story is to never let a bully hold you back from what you are doing or reaching a goal. Because bullying can have an affect on you and can lead to you harming yourself.

Zamayah Lewis

It’s a sad time of year for most bass anglers as the spawn is over and the fish are in transition back to their summer haunts. It’s the time of year anglers call “post spawn.” The fishing can be pretty tough but there’s also a feeding period at this time for bass as they fatten up from the weight they lost during the spawn. The spawn takes a lot out of bass physically and they need time to recover. This is also the time of the year when the shad spawn kicks in. Funny how Mother Nature knows exactly how and when to make things happen. Her timing is impeccable and with the shad in their spawning stage now, this allows the bass to feed up and recover quicker.

So where can you find the bass after the spawn? Well, you might want to start looking at the same place you looked when they were in the pre-spawn stage which is mainly the first drop off headed back out to deeper water. Understand that the first drop might be as small as a one-foot break line, or it could be the first 5-to-10-foot drop. Deep water drop off is relative to what lake you’re fishing. For example, the Red River the first drop might only be the first two-foot break line off the bank. But on Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn, it could be the first 10 to 15 foot drop off the bank. Every lake is different but any slight change in depth is all it takes to hold fish, but this gives you a starting point to look.              

Another place to look, the boat docks; especially docks close to deeper water. Bass like to get next to something vertical for some reason and I don’t know why. Boat docks that are on main lake points are great places to look for bass after the spawn. Another feature to look for is brush tops around the boat docks. These make great places to fish because brush tops usually hold bait fish for the bass to feed on whether it’s shad or bream. Bass really go after the bream this time of year as the bream pull into the shallows and spawn after the bass are done. This is a great time to throw bream-colored baits like green pumpkin, watermelon/red and just about anything with green flakes will work like the color called Junebug.

I cannot state enough how tough the bass fishing can be this time of year. But once the bass recover and get into their summer patterns, bass fishing will improve. Now is also the time when the big 10- and 12-inch worms (like the V&M Wild Thang) become a big player in catching bass. Deep diving crank baits are also a great choice as some bass will pull out and suspend over deeper water. Chartreuse and blue or shad colored crank baits are a good choice depending on watercolor. Small ¼ oz. spinnerbaits thrown in shallow water will also catch bass as the small blades tend to match the hatch of the shad spawn.

I hope this helps you understand the dynamics of what anglers call the “post spawn” and where you can expect the bass to be. Just like any other time of year, you just have to go into search mode and figure it out. But hopefully I’ve given you an idea of where to start your search for the largemouth bass. Till next time, don’t forget to set the hook! 
Steve Graf     

Don’t forget about our porch decor paint party THIS SATURDAY at our Jonesboro location! 

**$45 per person
**Limited Spots Available
**Follow the link below to reserve your spot or click on the “Ticket” link!

https://paypal.me/GRITANDGRACELLC?locale.x=en_US

When paying for class please stated which option you would like to paint! 

You will have 4 options to choose from!
1. Louisiana Hot Tub
2. Peach Tea
3. Watermelon
4. Sweet Summertime

All paint, cutout, supplies and artist guidance will be provided for you. You will leave with a finished product ready to spruce up your porch!

Must pay to reserve your spot in advance. Payments are non-refundable due to limited availability. You can always transfer your spot to a friend or pickup your blank hanger at your convenience to paint on your own

Blowing Off Steam is an oft-used expression to describe someone who is doing or saying something to relieve built-up feelings or energy.  Sometimes the person exerts a sudden act of verbal or physical violence.  This expression has its roots with steam engines.  Steam engines use boilers to boil water.  The boiling water produces steam pressure, which, when channeled properly, can propel vehicles including pre-diesel train locomotives and water vessels.  When functioning properly, safety valves on the engines release or blow off steam to keep the boilers operating at a safe pressure.  When not functioning properly, the boilers are unable to release the built-up steam and the pressure increases until the boilers rupture which creates a massive explosion.

In the mid-1850s, steamboats which travelled along the Mississippi River were seen by many as romantic.  Children and teenagers idolized the crew of these large vessels, especially the pilots.  Steamboats were at the height of technology and offered thrilling adventure with a twinge of danger.  Like so many other young men, Henry dreamed of working on a steamboat and eventually becoming a steamboat pilot.  Henry’s older brother was a crewman on the sidewheeler steamboat Pennsylvania, and, in the first week of June of 1858, got Henry a job on the same vessel as a “Mud Clerk.”  

This was an entry level position with no salary but would become a paid position once the crewman proved himself. On June 5, 1858, Henry’s brother and the Pennsylvania’s pilot got into an altercation which resulted in Henry’s brother’s resignation.  Following his brother’s departure, Henry knew he would have to work even harder to impress the pilot.      
On Sunday, June 9, 1858, the Pennsylvania left New Orleans, Louisiana bound for St. Louis, Missouri.  It was Henry’s first trip as a member of a steamboat crew.  Although the work was grueling, Henry was ecstatic.  On June 13th, four days into the trip, the Pennsylvania neared Ship Island, about sixty miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.  The crew noticed that the steamboat’s boiler was building up pressure to a dangerous level.  The safety valves had failed.  The crew tried to manually open pressure release valves, but the pressure continued to climb.  At about 6:00 a.m., the Pennsylvania’s boiler exploded.  Within an instant, red-hot metal shrapnel, wood splinters, and scalding hot water violently shot in every direction.

A survivor of the explosion wrote, “The boilers seemed to be heaved upward and forward parting the cabin at the gangway and rendering the upper works of the boat from that point forward a complete wreck.  When the steam and smoke had cleared up from the wreck, there indeed was a mournful spectacle to be seen by the few survivors.  The boilers and smokestacks were twisted together like hungry serpents, locking in their hot embrace scores of human beings, dead and dying.  Some were killed instantly; others were buried beneath the rubbish to await the advance of the flames which as yet slumbered in the hold.”

Survivors scrambled to aid the wounded.  The pilot and some surviving crew members commandeered a local flatboat and, after nearly half an hour, returned to the drifting wreck.  The crew loaded survivors and victims onto the flatboat.  Using buckets, survivors had nearly extinguished all of the small fires in the forward part of the Pennsylvania when a much larger fire suddenly erupted in the middle of the ship.  The heat from the fire was so intense that the crew on the flatboat had to abandon their rescue operation.  Survivors, many of whom were wearing cork life vests while others grabbed anything which would float, jumped into the swift current of the Mississippi River.  The fire aboard the Pennsylvania burned the steamboat down to the waterline.

The current carried the flatboat and the floating survivors down the Mississippi River.  Up ahead was Ship Island, which was mostly underwater due to high rainfall.  The crew aimed the flatboat toward the island.  Survivors who had enough energy swam to the island.  The burning steamboat, survivors who were too weak to swim, and others who were less fortunate, coasted down the river past the island.

Henry had survived the initial blast, but his body was scalded by the boiling water from the steamboat’s boilers. Survivors loaded Henry onto the flatboat and transferred him to Ship Island.  Henry’s brother stayed with him in the hospital, but there was little hope for his recovery.  On June 21, 1858, eight days after the explosion, Henry died from his wounds.  He was just nineteen years old.

Henry’s brother regretted getting Henry the position on the Pennsylvania for the rest of his life.  He wrote, “My poor Henry — my darling, my pride, my glory, my all, will have finished his blameless career, and the light of my life will have gone out in utter darkness. O, God! This is hard to bear … ”  

Henry’s brother continued to work on steamboats until the Civil War crippled the shipping industry in the south. Following the war, Henry’s brother entered into an entirely different career field.  Had Henry’s brother not argued with the ship’s pilot, he too would have been on the steamboat when it exploded, and he might not have lived to write the literary classics “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.  Henry’s brother was Sam Clemens, who is known around the world as Mark Twain.

(1) The Y Liquors, LLC is looking for a person to work Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings, from the hours of 3pm-12pm or as needed. If interested please apply in person at 1309 Hwy 813 or call 318-395-2010 & ask for Shelia.

(2) Gracepoint Christian Academy is adding to their team. If you are interested, visit the website to download an employment application. Completed applications can be emailed to gcajonesboro@gmail.com or mailed to:
Gracepoint Christian Academy
1691 S. Hudson Avenue
Jonesboro, LA 71251

T

Taylor Hanson (Winnfield, LA) – Warrant for Execution of Sentence
Demario Hudson (Jonesboro, LA) – Possession of Marijuana
Stacy Caskey (Hodge, LA) – Simple Battery
Litus Douglas (Marion, LA) – Possession of Schedule I & II drug, No turn signal
Jon K. Roberts (Chatham, LA) Sexual Battery
Lee Allen Theriot (Houma, LA) – Possession of Schedule I drug, Possession of drug paraphernalia
Tony N. Harrell (Jonesboro, LA) – Warrant for Non-Support
Benard F. Fife (West Monroe, LA) – Warrant for Contractor Fraud (x20

 

The Jackson Parish Journal is pleased to present a pictorial of the 2021 graduates from Jonesboro-Hodge, Quitman and Weston High Schools as well as Cornerstone Academy in Jonesboro. Congratulations!

They have been best of friends since they  were young lads entering grade school. They have played side by side in youth leagues and in high school. They even sit by each other in church. They are so tight you could even go so far as to say they are “brothers by other mothers” using current jargon. It is only fitting then that now Luke Morgan and Joshua Smith of Quitman High School, celebrate the end of their 2021 baseball season by being named to the All-Region team by the Louisiana Baseball Coaches Association (LBCA).

The battery mates are completely opposite in appearance. Smith represents one of the tallest pitchers in the state and Morgan one of the shortest catcher’s but their stats stand equal to any on the elite, 25 man team made up of players whose coaches are members of the LBCA – Region 2.  That represent eleven parishes across north central Louisiana including: Claiborne, Union, Lincoln, Jackson, Ouachita, Bienville, LaSalle, Red River, Winn, Grant and Natchitoches parishes. 

Morgan led Quitman with a .500 batting average (40/80) and was among the Class B leaders with 40 runs scored and 41 stolen bases. He also registered an impressive .646 on base percentage (OBP) after drawing 33 free passes from his leadoff spot in the batting order. Perhaps the best statistic that proved his keen eye at the plate, was that he got hit by a pitch 12 times which is also the number of times he struck out in 113 plate appearances. At one point during a ten game hitting streak Morgan led Class B with a .568 batting average and in the Class B playoffs batted .667 with four hits in six at bats. Fourteen times he collected multiple hits in a contest. 

Although his 6-5 record on the mound seemingly belies the fact, Smith was one of the more dominant pitchers in north Louisiana. Among his victories was a 13K, one hit, shut out over District 1-2A champion D’Arbonne Woods and complete game shutout over district 2B rival Weston. His best outing of the year which ranks as one of the most impressive performances of any high school pitcher in 2021was his herculean, ten-inning effort where he threw only an incredible 112 pitches to lead Quitman to 1-0 regional playoff round victory over Doyline. His five losses were twice to Class A state champ Oak Grove, once to Class B state champ Choudrant, District 3-1A champion St. Mary’s of Natchitoches and Class B runner-up Elizabeth. 

The Weston High School Alumni Association (WHSAA) will host its homecoming reunion for alumni, former students, past and present faculty, staff members and friends of WHS on June 12 at the Weston High School gymnasium. Doors will open at 9:00 A.M. There is no charge for admission, but if you desire a lunch the cost is $12.00 per plate. Please order your lunches ahead of time by going to the WHSAA website at: westonalumni.net

Tell everyone you know! Due to such a late time frame to determine if the Homecoming Reunion would be able to be held because of COVID restrictions, the WHSAA is asking for your help to get the word out to as many people as possible.

“We have tried to reach alumni through letters, however we only have addresses on those who have joined the association and many of those addresses are no longer valid,” said WHS Assistant Principle Debbie Pender. “As result we are asking you share this information on your own Facebook page and tell your family members, former classmates, teachers, folks who rode the same bus as you or anyone you run into who might be interested in attending.”

You do not have to be a graduate to attend! Even if you only attended Weston for a few years, we invite you to come and find former classmates and friends and reconnect. We even created a special alumni association membership with you in mind – associate member. You are our people and we want you here with us as we enjoy fellowship and reminiscing together. 

Monday, May 24th is deadline for brick purchases! As we get in the frame of mind for our upcoming Homecoming Reunion there is a special set of folks that come to mind. The bus drivers who saw us safely to and from school everyday, the lunchroom ladies who made sure we had good meals daily, the custodial staff who always made sure we had a clean, safe environment to learn and play in, the office staff tending to the daily workings of the school and of course, out teachers and administrators. You can honor them by purchasing a brick in their name at our alumni association website westonalumni.net

Bricks purchased for former teachers and administrators so far include:

The support staff bricks purchased thus far are:

Due to the rain last week that caused cancellation of several games the schedules have been revised in order to make up all the games that were rained out. Of special note this week is the 7 & 8 boys and girls leagues that will play on Monday and Tuesday instead of just the normal Tuesday dates.

MONDAY, MAY 24TH

TUESDAY, MAY 25TH

Sometimes it is just not the right time. The Finance Committee of the Jackson Parish Jury (JPPJ) was supposed to discuss recommendations to bring to the table to the full board this past Thursday, May 20th. As result of only Chairman, Tarneshala Cowans and Secretary/Treasurer, Gina Thomas present, no action took place as a legal quorum could not be established. Committee members, Amy Magee and John McCarty were unable to attend.

Agenda items that were to be discussed included: 

1. Review month-to-date budget vs. actual, POs, budget amendments, and fund reviews
2. Discuss and recommend action on Library budget amendments
3. Review 2021 Millage Assessments
4. Discuss and recommend action on Enterprise Fleet Management proposal
5. Discuss and recommend action on request from Pinebelt for Summer Program funding
6. Discuss and recommend action on request for Courtroom audio system replacement

The date and time for the next Finance Committee was set for Tuesday, June 22nd at 12:00 PM. Minutes of the meeting can be found in the Public Notices section. 

The Jackson Parish Police Jury (JPPJ) Project and Operations Committee’s are scheduled to meet this Tuesday, May 25th at the Sunshine Room of the JPPJ Administration Building located at 160 Industrial Drive in Jonesboro. The sessions begin with the Project Committee meeting at 4:30pm followed by the Operation’s Committee fifteen minutes later. 

Agenda items slated for the Project Committee consisting of Lewis Chatham (Chairman), Todd Culpepper and Amy Magee are:

1. Presentation: Dude Solutions via Zoom Meeting
2. Discuss and recommend action on Dude Solutions program
3. Discuss and recommend action, if necessary, on mapping services and reapportionment from 2020 census results
4. Discuss and recommend action, if necessary, on project to cover the Veteran’s Memorial Park stage

No details were provided on the Operations Committee meeting. Members include: Amy Magee (Chairman), Lewis Chatham and John McCarty

The Jackson Parish Hospital, sponsor of the Student Athlete of the Week Award is pleased to announce that this week’s recipients are Anteirany Wilson of Jonesboro-Hodge, Emma Carter of Quitman and Lakerria Austin of Weston. Each award winner was chosen by select staff at their representative school based on their superior athletic and academic achievement this week. 

Each of this week’s winners won medals at the LHSAA state track and field meet held on May 6th & 7th at the Bernie Moore Complex on the campus of LSU.  Wilson is a freshman at JHHS and ran the lead leg of the third place winning 4×100 meter relay in the Class 2A championships. Carter is a sophomore at Quitman and won the HIgh Jump in Class B while Austin, who is a junior at Weston, came in second in the Class B, 100M hurdles and sixth in the 300M hurdles.

It was going to be a controlled scrimmage between JHHS and Homer, two projected district championship contenders in Class 2A and Booker T. Washington, an up-and-coming Class 4A team from Shreveport. Mother Nature won. The round-robin competition that was supposed to be played this past Friday night in Homer got called off at the last minute as thunderstorms, heavily laden with lightening, rumbled through north Louisiana.

“Naturally we are disappointed that we didn’t get to play,” said JHHS head coach Terrance Blankenship. “We were looking forward to seeing how our guys would perform following our spring practices.”  

The Tigers, who will once again compete in district 1-2A in 2021, will open summer practices on June 7th and go to Northwestern State University for a 7 on 7 competition on June 14th. The fall season begins on August 28th at the “Bayou Jamb” in Monroe where JHHS will face St. Frederick’s followed by the regular season opener at traditional rival Winnfield. 

COVID-19 case numbers are on a slow climb in six north Louisiana parishes in Louisiana, including Jackson Parish. Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Region 7 director, Dr. Martha Whyte, said while case numbers and hospital data are still looking good, the past two weeks have seen 18 parishes in the state with an above 5% positivity rate. 

According to data issued by the LDH on May 22nd, the test positivity rate in Jackson Parish is very high, suggesting that cases are being significantly undercounted. Cases have decreased over the past week but are still very high and the number of hospitalized Covid patients has risen. Deaths have remained at about the same level. Because of the high Covid-19 transmission in Jackson Parish, unvaccinated people are at an extremely high risk while fully vaccinated people are shown to be at minimal risk  Recommended precautions are shown below.

If you’re fully vaccinated:

Individuals are fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their final vaccine dose. If you are fully vaccinated, you may choose to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for fully vaccinated people since your risk of getting sick is much lower.

(1) Indoor activities are at a lower risk: It’s low-risk to have indoor visits, such as inviting another household over for dinner without masks and without social distancing, as long as the size of these gatherings is limited to a few households.
(2) You can travel more freely: Fully vaccinated people can resume domestic travel and don’t need to get tested or self-quarantine after traveling. International travel may be riskier than domestic travel. Check the C.D.C.’s country-specific Covid-19 risk and international travel requirements before traveling to a different country. Keep in mind that receiving medical care, even for unrelated conditions, may become difficult if hospitals at your travel destination are overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients.
(3) It is still recommended to wear masks in a few places: If you’re fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask in most settings. The C.D.C. still recommends wearing a mask in settings where Covid-19 may spread more easily, including healthcare facilities, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, transportation hubs and on all forms of public transportation. This helps protect people who may be particularly vulnerable to the virus and also to prevent spread.

If you are not fully vaccinated: 

(1) Indoor activities are extremely dangerous right now: Given the severity of the outbreak in Jackson Parish, spending time inside with people from other households puts you at risk for getting the coronavirus or spreading it to others. Avoid indoor dining, bars, gyms, movie theaters and nonessential shopping, as well as having friends over to your home, and indoor personal care services like haircuts and manicures. 
(2) Avoid events with more than a handful of people: Weddings, funerals, concerts, sporting events and other gatherings that bring multiple households together are places where Covid can spread easily. At this level of risk, even outdoor events are not safe, so consider postponing. Religious services are safest when conducted outdoors and without singing.
(3) Outdoor activities can be a good substitute: Because of the extremely high risk of exposure to Covid in Jackson Parish, even outdoor dining and outdoor bars are unsafe. Walking, cycling, running and other outdoor individual workouts are the safest kinds of exercise. Low-contact outdoor sports like singles tennis, skateboarding and golf may be enjoyed safely. Contact sports like basketball and soccer should be avoided.

Marguerite Martin Gray, who has family roots in Jackson Parish was the guest of honor at the Jackson Parish Library this past Saturday for a book signing of Wait For Me, the fifth historical Christian fiction book of her Revolutionary Faith Series . The resident of Gibsland, LA is a relation to the late Flossie Edmonds and the Martin family in Jonesboro. 

Wait For Me is the final book in the series that discovers the destiny of the Lestarjette family in Charles Town, SC during the years of 1775-1780 as they hope and wait upon deliverance from a world under siege during the Revolutionary War. Additional title in the series are Hold Me Close, Surround Me, Bring Me Near and Draw Me to Your Side. 

Marguerite enjoys the study of history, especially when combined with fiction. An avid traveler and reader, she teaches French and Spanish and has degrees in French, Spanish, and Journalism from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and a MA in English from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. She has two grown children.

“I got the inspiration to write this series from my love of reading about this period in history as a young child,” said Gray when asked what led her to write her series.

Gray’s collection of books can be purchased through BookBub, Facebook, Amazon and Goodreads and she can be followed at: margueritemartingray.blog

Summer Reading Challenge Registration begins May 24th

Online Art Class for Children “Geo-Board Week”

To access Mrs. Terrye’s art class go to: https://youtu.be/RpHDTw-Fmyc

New Book arrivals available for checkout!

New Books

New Audiobooks available for checkout!

New Audiobooks

New Movies available for checkout!

New Movies

Kiley Stevenson has been named the winner of the D.A.R.E. essay competition at Weston High School. Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, the 5th graders of Jackson Parish have been participating in the D.A.R.E. program, brought to them by the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

At the end of each program, for students to successfully complete the program, they must complete their workbook and a D.A.R.E. essay. The D.A.R.E essay must include topics taught in the program, how they have used Define, Assess, Respond and Evaluate methods and how they plan to use everything they have learned in the future. Once students have completed the essays, there is an essay picked out of each homeroom (three 5th grade classes per school) and one overall winner from each school. The essays of these 3 winning students will be on display at the Court House, Jonesboro Library and the New Sheriff’s Office through the summer.

The Drug Abuse Resistance Education program (or D.A.R.E.) was founded in 1983 and was solely focused on teaching the dangers of drugs and alcohol on the body and family. As times have changed, D.A.R.E has added more lessons to the program to help prepare students for what life throws at them. To today, D.A.R.E now stands for, Define, Assess, Respond, and Evaluate.

See below for Stevenson’s thought provoking and award winning submittal:

The D.A.R.E Decision making model teachers students like me to not do drugs, vape, tobacco or alcohol. Our D.A.R.E. officer, Mrs. Lindsey, has helped me and my class learn new things about drugs, vaping, tobacco and alcohol and how it can affect our bodies. The “D” in D.A.R.E stands for Define, which means to see what the problem is. The “A” is assess which means to see what your options are. The “R” means to respond or to choose an answer. The “E” means to evaluate which means to see what would happen when you made your decision what to do.

Alcohol is illegal for anyone under the age of 21. Mixing alcohol with medicine is dangerous. There are 88,000 alcohol related deaths each year in the U.S. Most teens don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol slows down the brain and body. This effects your memory loss and slow reflexes. There are more than 200 known harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke. Nicotine in cigarettes and chewing tobacco reduces the amount of blood that flows to the brain.

The people in my help network are my mom, my cousin, my aunt, the police, firefighters, and the ambulance workers. My grandma, Anna, Davynee and my teachers are also in my help network. If one of my family members or friends need help then I will ask what is wrong and will help them find a solution.

There are 5 ways to resist drugs and alcohol. One way is avoiding the situation. If you know why where people often use drugs, stay away from those places. The second strategy is strength is in numbers. Hang around with non-users, especially where drug use is expected. A third strategy is walking away. If someone says, “I found a cigarette in my mom’s purse, wanna smoke?” say no walk away. A fourth strategy is saying no while giving a reason. If someone offers you a beer, you could say “No, my parents would kill me!” The last strategy is changing the subject. If someone says, “I have some beer, want some?” say “No, lets play hide and seek.”

Possible ways my body feels when I am stressed is frustrated, my head hurts and I’m crying. It I’m stressed then I start acting different and my face turns red. Some things that I do to relieve stress is listen to music and watch tv.

There are 5 ways to report bullying. Who, what, when, where and why. One safe way to report bullying is by telling an adult or teacher when the bully cant see you. There is cyberbullying which is on email or a text and there is verbal bullying which is used with words in person.

In conclusion, I have learned a lot of things in D.A.R.E that will help me make the right decisions in life as I get older and am in different situation with drugs and alcohol.

Kiley Stevenson

This has been a wet spring for sure. Just this week, we’re hearing of serious flooding plaguing our friends in Lake Charles, an area that needs more disasters like I need a toothache. As news of the flood waters flash across our television screens, I am reminded of a time when our part of the world experienced serious flooding.

The flood of 2016 will, to coin a phrase from a former President Franklin Roosevelt, “live in infamy”. Admittedly, the global impact of the flood is not the same as what happened at Pearl Harbor but if flood waters entered your home and you had to stand by helplessly and watch your possessions and your memories wash away, the devastation couldn’t be more real to you.

We had to watch the flood of 1991 destroy my in-laws home on Lake D’Arbonne. It was sickening to paddle up to the house, look through the windows and see furniture floating in five feet of water. Several days earlier, we had no idea the water would get as high as it did. Before it began creeping under the doors, I paddled around their front yard with a bucket of little crawfish I had seined from a ditch and caught some of the biggest chinquapins I have ever caught pulling them from around the roots of mother-in-law’s azaleas, which were in full bloom. It was eerie.

There have been other times when heavy rains swelled the water levels in ponds to the point of overflow and I have found the bass on the new ground aggressive and eager to smack the daylights out of my spinner bait. With flood waters still affecting so much of the state after a foot or more of rain lashed parts of Louisiana, it will be awhile before things return to any semblance of normalcy for hundreds of unfortunate folks who have stood by helplessly and watched flood waters take over homes and businesses.

Although this question pales in importance compared to personal losses from the flood, I wondered what effect all the water would have on this spring’s spawn that was just beginning to kick in before the flood. As waters around here remained high during the 2016 flood, I visited with Mike Wood, retired head of freshwater fisheries for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and asked him what effect the high water levels would have on the annual spawn.

“The main effect of all this extra water will likely be a positive one,” Wood said.

“Fish are used to water; that’s where they live. The high water is not nearly as big a problem for fish as it is for fishermen. It’s tragic that so many people have had their homes and camps inundated by flood waters but a springtime flood can be a bonanza to the fishery,” he added.

“Nobody wants fish to be swimming around on their flooded patio but where there is gravel and hard ground and the water stays up for a week or so, we could conceivably have what we call a ‘super spawn’. If so, you’ll see the positive effects a couple of years down the road.”

Wood said that not only does high water sometimes trigger an impressive spawn, water that is covering new ground flushes out insects – bugs, worms, spiders et al – that are inaccessible to fish under normal circumstances.

“The fish take advantage of this new food source and can really fatten up during times of
high water,” Wood continued.

I hope and pray that our area will miss the brunt of the excessive rainfall while at the same time feeling concern for folks in the southern part of Louisiana facing another weather-related disaster. It’s a tragedy if your home or camp is flooded. However, being able to catch fish in your flooded yard will hopefully provide just a bit of balm to your pain.

AREA FISHING REPORT –

CANEY LAKE – Bass fishing has been fair to good with the drop-shot rig working best. Crappie are around the deeper tops and hitting jigs and shiners fished 12 feet deep in 15-25 foot water. Bream are on the beds and hitting crickets and worms. Catfishing has been good using noodles baited with a variety of baits with a 30 pound op reported. For information contact Bateaux’s 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 – The river is high but crappie have been fair in the bayou. No report on other species. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Crappie fishing has been fair on the flats on shiners and jigs fished 14 feet deep in 18-25 foot water. Bass have been fair fishing the deeper channel holes with deep diving crank baits, soft plastics and jigs. Bream fishing is good on worms and crickets. Catfishing continues to be good off the banks on night crawlers and cold worms. For latest reports, call Anderson’s Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Bream are on the beds and fishing has been good on crickets and worms. Bass fishing has been fair to good with best results on soft plastics fished around the piers and grass and along the edges of the drop-offs in the channel. Stripers have been fair while some nice sized crappie have been caught fishing 7-10 feet deep as well as below the spillway on jigs and shiners. Lots of channel catfish are being caught on cold worms. Kel’s Cove has been sold to a group of investors from Ruston. For latest information, call Tim Loftin at Kel’s Cove at 927-2264.
BUSSEY BRAKE – Bass fishing has been fair with with some to 6 pounds caught fishing soft plastics, spinners and jigs around the trees and brush. Bream are on the beds and biting crickets and worms. No report on crappie or catfish. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
BLACK BAYOU – Bream fishing is good around the tupelo gums on crickets and worms. Bass are around the grass and pads and are hitting plastic frogs and lizards. Crappie are scattered and slow. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Bass and crappie are slow to fair. Catfish and bream fishing have both been good this week. For latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE ST. JOHN – No report. For information, call Ken Mahoney at 318-201-3821.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is high but slowly falling. No fishing this week. For information, call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.

Ingruil L. Qualls (Jonesboro, LA) – Disturbing the Peace
Mary Lebrun (Jonesboro, LA) – Warrant for Simple Battery
Cole Durbin (Choudrant, LA) – Possession of Marijuana
James C. Brown (Jonesboro, LA) – Felony Theft
Kristina M. Hanna (Reklaw, TX) – Theft ($100.00-$750.00), Possession of Schedule IV drug
Max Rudd (Quitman, LA) – Speeding, Possession of Schedule I drug, Possession of drug paraphernalia
Allice R. Knapps (Dubach, LA) – Possession of Schedule I drug
Glen Whiseant (Jonesboro, LA) – Criminal Trespass
Allen C. Garlington (Ruston, LA) – Parole and Probation violation
Tristen Hays (Jonesboro, LA) – Criminal Mischief
Jonine C. Nichols (Jonesboro, LA) – Failure to appear warrant
Marshal G. Johnson (Jonesboro, LA) Failure to appear warrant 

HELP WANTED:

The Y Liquors, LLC is looking for a person to work Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings, from the hours of 3pm-12pm or as needed. If interested please apply in person at 1309 Hwy 813 or call 318-395-2010 & ask for Shelia.

Jackson Parish Finance Committee Meeting Minutes
May 20, 2021

The Finance Committee met Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 12:00 PM in The Nathaniel Zeno Jr. Meeting Room of the Jackson Parish Police Jury Administrative Building, 160 Industrial Drive, Jonesboro, Louisiana. Members present: Ms. Tarneshala Cowans. Absent: Ms. Amy Magee and Mr. John McCarty.
The Chairman, Ms. Tarneshala Cowans, called the meeting to order and made note that there was no quorum and no action or recommendations would take place.
There were no public comments.
The Chair invited the Secretary-Treasurer to discuss the agenda items.
The date and time for the next Finance Committee was set for Tuesday, June 22
nd at 12:00 PM.
Ms. Cowans adjourned the meeting.

Elizabeth Suzanne Ortego
July 27, 1956 – May 20, 2021

Mrs. Elizabeth “Suzanne” Wright Ortego, age 64 of Farmerville, walked through Heaven’s gates Thursday, May 20, 2021, where she will rest eternally at the right hand of Jesus. Suzanne, affectionately known as Sissy by her family and friends, entered into the world on July 27, 1956 with a fierceness and boldness that soon became her trademark. Her life motto, which she quickly reverberated to anyone within earshot was, “Women rule the world!” And she did just that. Suzanne served in the medical field as a compassionate nurse for many years. Those who were privileged enough to be under the direction of her care sing her praises to this day. She loved the beach. Granted, her toes rarely touched the sand, but from the safety of her balcony, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore brought peace to her soul. She loved shopping, but rarely bought anything for herself because her giving heart was too busy searching for a special prize for someone else. Suzanne made friends everywhere she went. From the bag boy at Brookshire’s to the owner of the local flower shop, everyone in town knew Mrs. Suzanne the moment she walked through the door. There is no doubt that after she drew her last breath on this earth, she drew her next breath in the presence of God.

Those left to cherish her memory is her beloved husband of over 29 years, Sam Ortego; daughters, Amanda Rowley (Matt), Ashley Tisdale (Jeremy), Amber Williams (Michael), Destini Miller (Eddie); grandchildren, Julia Bubrig, Kyle Henshaw, Brodi Rowley, Maddax Rowley, Tully Dauser, Tegan Dauser, Ayden Ortego, Stone Williams, Kaiden Williams; brother, Wayne Lee Wright, Jr. (Lynette); sister, Pam Munsterman (Kurt); a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wayne Lee and Joy Yvonne (Toney) Wright; sister, Toney Deanne Wright.

Friends may visit on Sunday, May 23, 2021 from 5:00-8:00pm in the chapel of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home. A home-going celebration will be held on Monday, May 24, 2021 at 11:00am in the chapel of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home with Reverend Chris Witt officiating. Burial will follow in Garden of Memories Cemetery under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home.

Serving the family as pallbearers will be Jeremy Tisdale, Michael Williams, Brodi Rowley, Tully Dauser, Kyle Henshaw, Mark Hartley.

Richard E. Formby
February 15, 1947 – May 08, 2021

Funeral services honoring the life of Richard E. Formby were held at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 12, 2021 at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall St., Shreveport, Louisiana. Officiating the service was Reverend Tom Brown. Visitation was held prior to the service at 11:00 a.m. until the time of service. Burial immediately followed at Rose-Neath Cemetery, 5185 Swan Lake Road, Bossier City, Louisiana.

Richard E. Formby was born February 15, 1947 in Magnolia Arkansas and passed away peacefully, Saturday, May 8, 2021 in Haughton, Louisiana.

Richard graduated high school in Magnolia, Arkansas and went on to earn a pharmacy degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He was a United States Air Force veteran who was proud to serve his country. After over 30 years of service, he retired from Health South Rehab in Ruston, Louisiana. Richard loved the outdoors, his rescue animals, and watching sports of any kind. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

He is preceded in death by his father, Robert Aaron Formby.

Left to cherish his memory are his mother, Gracie Sanders; daughter, Kelly Formby McTiernan and husband, Patrick; son, Robert Formby and spouse, Jimmie Dragoo; grandsons, Kaleb Foster, Kaden Brantley and Kason Formby; sister, Nell Formby; nephew,  Aaron Formby and wife, Paige; great-nephews, Gabriel Formby and Conner Formby; and Trosey Formby.

Honoring Richard as pallbearers were Kaleb Foster, Kason Formby, Aaron Formby, Gabriel Formby, Conner Formby, and Trosey Formby.

The family would like to express a special thank you to Shekinah with A First Name Basis, and Christine and Jennifer with Southern Care Hospice for their care and compassion.

Corey James Ingram Carter
August 05, 2013 – May 06, 2021

Corey James Ingram Carter, age 7 of Jonesboro, was carried into the arms of Jesus May 6, 2021.  Corey was a bright and fun-loving child who enjoyed spending time in all of the outdoors activities.  He thoroughly enjoyed playing baseball and his teammates and his coaches were very special to him.  He loved his mother and his father and all of his grands, great grands, aunts and uncles with all of his heart.  He was a special young man who was loved by all that came in contact with him.  Corey will be missed.

Those left to cherish his memory are his father, Dakota Lynn Carter, mother, Elizabeth Ann Ingram; paternal grandparents, Eric & Janet Carter; maternal grandparents, Jeff & Dana Ingram; paternal great grandmothers, Kitty Carter and Nancy Jones; maternal great grandparents, Ray & Linda Blackstock, Nollie & Vickie Ingram; maternal great-great grandmother, Nelda Carter; maternal great-great grandmother, Jimmie Walsworth; aunts and uncles, Nicole Carter, Tyler Carter, Olivia Kate Carter, Ken & Terry Jones, Cliff & Jill Hampton, B.J. Carter, Abby Ingram, Gracie Ingram, Pat & Christy Posey, Chad Posey, Jeff & Pam Blackstock, Scotty & Jena Blackstock, Greg Balckstock, Jeanie Ingram Landes & Mike, Jody Ingram Bussey & Jonathan, Jessica Ingram Carr; a host of cousins, other relatives and friends.  Preceding Corey in death are great grandfathers, Glen Carter and Joe Jones; great-great grandparents, James & Eloise Rasberry.

Funeral services were held at McDonald Memorial Baptist Church on Monday at 11:00am with Bro. Randy Dark officiating.  Interment followed in the Garden of Memories cemeteries under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home of  Jonesboro.

Honoring Corey by serving as pallbearers were David Jamison, Carlton Rojas, Silas Taylor, Ridge Spivey, Greg Williams and Bannon Martin.

The Town of Jonesboro Board of Aldermen passed an Ordinance that increased sewer rates for residential and commercial customers at their regularly scheduled meeting held on May 11th at the Jonesboro City Hall. Three other Ordinances that were to be voted on following public hearings for each, were tabled until the June meeting.

Ordinance (2021-005 LRWA) that will go into effect on July 1st, 2021 was first amended following a motion by Nia Evans-Johnson to include set sewer rates as follows: (Entire ordinance language can be found in Public Notices)

Residential Inside city limits $12.00 plus $2.00 / 1000 gallons or portions thereof over 2000 gallons
Residential Outside city limits $17.00 plus $2.25 / 1000 gallons or portions thereof over 2000 gallons
Commercial Inside city limits $24.00 plus $2.25 / 1000 gallons or portions thereof over 2000 gallons
Commercial Outside city limits $26.00 plus $2.25 / 1000 gallons or portions thereof over 2000 gallons
Industrial Inside or Outside city limits $1000.00 flat rate plus $2.25 / 1000 gallons or portions thereof over 2000 gallons

Board members present Johnson, James Ginn and Devin Flowers, which was enough to establish a quorum, then voted to adopt the Ordinance. Pete Stringer and Robbie Siadek were not present. Ordinance’s #2021-002 (General), #2021-003 (Water) and #2021-004 (Sewer) were tabled until the June meeting after motions by Ginn and second’s by Flowers.

Before the meeting took place a Public Hearing on each Ordinance above was held with opened with Ken Terry of the Louisiana Rural Water Association (LRWA) giving a presentation in regards to Ordinance 2021-005 LRWA. Renee Stringer then asked the Ordinances on the table would be made available on the Town of Jonesboro website if the Board of Aldermen voted to adopt them. The City Clerk state they would be. 

Following the discussions regarding the Ordinances, Alderman Ginn asked Attorney Douglas Stokes about an Attorney General’s opinion that was first requested in 2019 regarding reading meters and charging customers correctly. Stokes replied that he would do research on this and if an opinion hadn’t been given he would request one. 

Roderic Joe was then granted the approval to place a mobile home at 502 Dewey St. followed by Mayor Leslie Thompson’s discussing budget and audit issue the Town of Jonesboro has had in the past and what to look forward to in the future. 

Jonesboro Police Chief James “Spike” Harris, Fire Chief Brandon Brown and Public Works Director Calvin Wortham then gave their department reports leading up to the town council accepting the resignation of Jonesboro Police Officer Isreal Smith.

If additional business Mrs. E. L. Johnson and Ms. Gloria Davis was given monetary consideration by the Town of Jonesboro. The Johnson payment of $120.00 per month for a period of up to 12 months was in regard to Resolution 2021-008 (Johnson Contract Agreement) which grants a Right of Way on Johnson’s property that allows access to one of the Town of Jonesboro’s sewer lift stations. Davis had $1,200.00 paid on her behalf to a plumbing company after some sewer back up in her home was found to be an issue relating to the town’s line. Consequent action found the Mayor Thompson and the Town Council agreeing that a policy needed to be put in place so that the Town would not be held responsible in the future for vendor bills if the Town does not hire them. 

Final action saw the Board agree to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with Veterans’ Affairs, adopt the Resolution 2021-009 Compliance Questionnaire and enter into a lease agreement with the Boys and Girls Club of North Louisiana who will pay the Town $500.00 per month for the rental of the McDonald Recreation Center. A proposed contract with Hi-Tech Server was tabled until more information could be made available.