The branches in Jonesboro and Chatham of the Jackson Parish Library has a full schedule in store for patrons for the month of September. See below for the listings of activities slated for both branches for the month.
Andrea Malone, president of the Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce (JPCoC), met with the Principals of Jonesboro-Hodge, Quitman and Weston High Schools last week to present each with a check on behalf of the Chamber members and in honor of Ms. Judie Blalock who passed away earlier this year. The donation was presented to each to help the faculty of each school purchase supplies.
Blalock, who graduated from Jonesboro-Hodge in 1968, was a dedicated teacher in the Jackson Parish School System for years. She also was a Cheerleader Sponsor and President of the Jackson Parish Federation of Teachers. After retirement “Ms. Judie” was the secretary of the Jonesboro Study Guild, Board Member of the JPCoC and President of the Jackson Parish Museum Board.
The revitalization of the downtown business district will receive an additional boost this coming Friday, September 3rd with the grand opening of Trinity Agency, located between Uptown Tanning and Four Corners on Jimmie Davis Boulevard. Festivities will take place at noon as David and Christy Henderson, along with members of the Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce, family and friends will cut the ceremonial ribbon. The public is invited to attend to meet the new owners but you are asked to please take COVID precautions by wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing as best possible.
I love it when I can open my freezer and dig out a package of venison marked “back strap” or “tender loin”. I know that this time tomorrow, I’ll be sitting down to dine on steaks that are not only delicious but some of the healthiest food to be found anywhere.
Deer season begins in Louisiana in a couple of months and I realize I’d have to eat venison just about every day between now and then in order to finish off the packages of venison I have in my freezer. Once season opens, I hope to take another deer or two so I’m faced with a dilemma – where will I put this year’s steaks? There are too many packages left in my freezer from last season.
Hunters for the Hungry to the rescue. This organization, formed in 1994 in Baton Rouge, has the perfect solution to your problem. A group of hunters gathered to discuss sharing game and fish in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Contacting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, donations were given to their dining hall. The response was so great that the Society ran out of storage room so they enlisted help from the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.
The organizations is now in operation statewide and has partnered with five major food banks around the state. Their mission is to encourage hunters and anglers to make a difference in the lives of their neighbors by sharing their bounty of wild game and fish in order to combat hunger.
The organization annually schedules Clean out the Freezer days to allow hunters to do what many of us need to do; clean out freezers to make room for more this year and donate the excess to this worthwhile program. Clean out the Freezer days this year are set for September 23-26 around the state at conveniently placed locations, namely businesses that process wild game. To find out locations near you, visit http://www.cleanoutyourfreezer.com. Not only do these processors take donated wild game, should you wish to donate a deer you down this coming season, you can do so at no cost to you; the Hunters for the Hungry program pays the processing fee for deer being donated back
to the program.
How popular has this program become? Just last year, a total of 50,347 pounds of wild game and fish were donated to the program. It is also gratifying to note that the area of the state donating the most was here in northeast Louisiana with a total of 17,226 pounds provided for the hungry.
FISHING REPORT
BUSSEY BRAKE – Bass fishing has been good one day; slow the next. Soft plastics fished very slow are picking up a few. Crappie are scattered and bream are fair. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
BLACK BAYOU – Bream are fair; crappie are scattered and slow to fair. Bass are best around the edge of the grass and trees on soft plastics and jigs. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323- 8707 for latest information.
OUACHITA RIVER – Bass have been fair at the mouth of the cuts on shad imitations. Crappie are around the tops in the river and in the river lakes. Jigs and shiners are taking a few. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Bass fishing has been fair with some schooling fish hitting topwaters and Rat-L-Traps. Bigger fish are in the deep channels with some caught on jigs, crank baits and soft plastics. Plastic frogs and spinners are taking some around the moss and grass. Crappie are in the channel with some caught on shiners and jigs fished 15-22 feet deep in 25-30 foot water. Bream fishing is fair around the beds on worms and crickets while channel cats are biting cold worms off the banks. For latest reports, call Anderson’s Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Bream fishing continues to be fair to good on crickets. Crappie have been best fishing 10 feet deep in 17 foot water around submerged tops on shiners or jigs. Best jig pattern this week has been the Purple Mist. Bass have been better at night fishing around the lighted piers on soft plastics. Stripers have been schooling and hitting shad imitation lures and trolling white bucktails when they’re down. No report on catfish. For latest information, call Misty at Kel’s Cove at 331-2730 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
CANEY LAKE – Bass are schooling and hitting a variety of shad imitation topwater lures. Some bigger fish are hitting soft plastics and crank baits fished in the deeper channels and drop-offs. Some are hitting black spinners along the banks at night. Crappie fishing has been best fishing jigs or shiners around the deeper tops. Bream fishing is fair on worms and crickets around bedding areas. Catfishing is fair fishing a variety of baits around the piers and boat docks. For information contact Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Catfishing has been fair with mostly smaller fish being caught on the far side of the lake in the “jungle”. Bass, crappie and bream are slow. For latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE ST. JOHN – Crappie are quite slow. Bream are scattered and fair. Bass are best early mornings on topwaters with soft plastics taking some up in the day. Catfishing is fair to good on yo-yos baited with shiners. For information, call Ken Mahoney at 318-201-3821.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is on a slight rise but fishing has been good, especially for
catfish. Crappie are slow to fair fishing 10-12 feet deep around the piers. Bass in the 2-3 pound
range have been fair to good. For information, call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.
The 2021 football season for the Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School Tigers will begin this Tuesday, August 31st at D’Arbonne Woods in Farmerville. Kickoff is set for 5:30 pm. The contest is the first of two road games on the six games schedule that JHMS, under the direction of head coach Kris Cash, will play this season. See below for full schedule of games.
The Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce is encouraging residents of the parish to sign up early for their 2021 Christmas Parade that will be held in downtown Jonesboro on Saturday, November 27th.The lineup for the parade at First Baptist Church parking lot in Jonesboro and will also end at the church. No horse drawn carriages will be allowed in the parade because of safety reasons. Santa will be at the parade and in his house in the Christmas park after the parade. The theme this year “Christmas In Toyland”
All participants in the Christmas Parade will be given a number for the lineup. Lineup will be posted on the chamber Facebook page if there are any questions. All cars, trucks, motorcycles, and four-wheelers will line up at the Jonesboro-Hodge Methodist church, corner of Fourth Street & Cooper Avenue. The deadline to register is 11:30 AM on November 22nd. Trophies will be awarded to the first-place winners of each division.
“Without your number, you cannot enter the lineup,” said Chamber Director Wilda Smith. “Thousands of visitors come each year for our parade and fireworks. Let us show them a wonderful time and make their trip to Jonesboro one to remember!”
The three divisions for floats that will be judged are businesses, family and friends, and churches. If anyone would like to participate in the parade, the fees are listed on the entry forms. Forms for parade participants are available in a folder outside the front window at the Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce. The forms for parade entries can also be downloaded at http://jacksonparishchamber.org/.
The Grand Marshal, who will be honored in the 2021 Christmas Parade, will also be nominated soon. To nominate someone for Grand Marshal in the parade, all nomination forms can be picked up in a folder at the front window of the Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce or downloaded from . Only one form per person can be submitted.
If an organization, club, or church wishes to nominate someone, they can list their names on the one form for that nominee. No letters of recommendation will be accepted. The President of the Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce, Andrea Malone, will give the nominations to a secret committee, and they will make the decision on who is Grand Marshal. The nomination forms should be completed and returned to the Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce Monday, October 25th at 11:30 AM.. Wilda Smith, the Director of the Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce, will give them to the president. Coffee will be served to honor the 44th annual Grand Marshal of the Christmas Festival with location TBA at 10 a.m. on November 27th.
2021 CHRISTMAS PARADE ENTRY FORM
YES,_________________________________________________________________________, WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE JACKSON PARISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARADE SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 27TH. LINE-UP AT 300 P.M, IN THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH PARKING LOT ON COOPER AVE. LINE-UP SHEETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE SITE. WHEN YOU ARRIVE, PLEASE FIND YOUR SPOT AND GET IN LINE.
YES,_________________________________________________________________________, WOULD LIKE OUR ENTRY TO BE JUDGED.
(Floats: $45.00– Car/Truck/Golf Carts/4-wheelers: $25.00 Performing Groups: $30.00 Other: Please explain on back of page.) Make check payable to: Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce or JPCOC. Floats Only will be judge in one of the three categories.
1. Business 2. Churches 3. Family & Friends
ALL ENTRIES MUST BE CLEAN AND DECORATED, ONLY CHRISTMAS MUSIC PLAYING ON YOUR ENTRY
FLOAT (NO LONGER THAN 85FT).
NO,__________________________________________________________________________, WOULD NOT LIKE OUR ENTRY TO BE JUDGED.
($25.00 entry fee required for each float participant (truck pulling a trailer)
($5.00 entry fee for motorcycles, riding in (Toy for Children) all others $10.00, $10.00 4-wheelers, antique cars , trucks, golf carts, horses))
NAME OF PERSON OR GROUP PARTICIPATING: ______________________________________________________________
PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR ENTRY IN DETAIL. IS IT A CAR, TRUCK, FLOAT OR OTHER TYPE OF ENTRY? WILL YOU HAVE TRAILERS ETC.? WE NEED TO KNOW TO HAVE PROPER SPACING OPEN FOR YOU IN THE LINE-UP. WE NEED LENGTH OF TRUCK AND TRAILER!
NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER OF PERSON TO BE CONTACTED IS:
______________________________________________________________________________
BRIEF INFORMATION ABOUT YOU OR YOUR GROUP FOR THE PARADE ANNOUNCER:
___________________________________________________________________________
For questions contact Wilda Smith @ the Jackson Parish Chamber office. 8AM-12 PM Mon-Friday (259-4693)
Cary L. Leslie (Monroe, LA) – Fugitive from Justice (Ouachita Sheriff Office), Criminal Trespass
Jessica E. Florion (Monroe, LA) – Fugitive from Justice (Ouachita Sheriff Office), Criminal Trespass
William J. Lewis (Hodge, LA) Domestic Abuse Battery
John Combs (Chatham, LA) P&P Warrant (Monroe District)
James R. Jones (Hodge, LA) – Warrant, Resisting an Officer
Eric A. Parker (Quitman, LA) – Execution of Sentence, Expired MVI, No Proof of Insurance
David Ayres (Jonesboro, LA) – Warrant, Sex Offender in contact with victim
Earlvenski Martin (Ruston, LA) – Warrant, Remaining after being Forbidden, Simple Criminal Damage to Property
Christopher D. Jackson (Jonesboro, LA) – Disturbing the Peace
Joshua L. Plunkett (Jonesboro, LA) – Warrant, Aggravated Assault
Marquis E. West (Jonesboro, LA) – Aggravated Assault with a firearm
Timothy LaMay (Jonesboro, LA) – Possession of Schedule I, Possession of Schedule II, No turn signal, Expired MVI
Marcus Austin (Chatham, LA) Warrant, Child Support, No Drivers License
For some of the players on the field for this Saturday’s 1:00pm pre-season jamboree contest between Jonesboro-Hodge High School and St. Frederick’s of Monroe it may be the first time of many to come that they will get to play on a college football field. For others it may be the only time. Rest assured, they will all remember it as being a hot field.
While extended weather predictions show that the high temperature on Saturday should be around 90 degrees the temperature of the artificial playing surface at Raymond Malone Stadium on the campus of the University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM) will be well above one hundred.
“We have been practicing in much hotter conditions than what is expected, so I hope the guys are prepared for the heat,” said JHHS head coach Terrance Blankenship. “We expect to see players cramping up though as the surface will be hot and just ramping up to game speed always causes muscles to get tight.
Regardless the Tigers are eager to get the 2021 football season underway.
“It seems like it took forever to get here but it is finally upon us,” said Blankenship. “We’ve been looking forward to this weekend for a year. It’s time to play some football.”
Last year the Geometry students at Jonesboro-Hodge High School received instruction online at home. They will once again be taught online this year, only it will be while they are in the classroom. In a Special Called meeting held on August 23rd, the Jackson Parish School Board agreed to pay Elevate K-12 Inc. to provide a certified math teacher for Live Streaming Online Instruction in the math discipline of Geometry. There will also be a facilitating teacher in the classroom with the students.
After Gerry Mims gave the invocation and Wade McBride led the Pledge of Allegiance additional board members in attendance: Dennis Clary (President), Gloria Davis, Rickey McBride, Mary Saulters, and Calvin Waggoner approved the move which was the only item on the agenda. This is to be paid from the General Fund.
Twelve coaches whose teams will be participating in the 2021 Bayou Jamb traded friendly barbs and spoke about their teams on Monday at Media Day. The event was held at the VCOM Medical Building on the campus of the University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM).
Laugh’s were aplenty as the “Who’s Who” of north Louisiana coaches shared stories about their old friends and longtime rivals. Each also spoke on the hoped for fortunes of their teams and introduced two players each from their respective squads. Respect was also paid to the three 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award winners Billy Bell of St. Frederick High School in Monroe and two retired coaches, Mickey McCarty of Neville and Mack Fowler of Jena. 
With Quarterback Tydre Malone and Wideout Devontae Mozee alonside JHHS head coach Terrance Blankenship asked those in attendance to continue to remember the families of the two fallen players and who tragically lost their lives over the summer and thanked the coaches in attendance for their kind words of compassion and encouragement.
“I want to thank everyone who called and sent words of encouragement to me and our teams,” said Blankenship. “It meant a lot. Nothing is harder than to have to go through something like that but we have to go forward. They won’t be with us physically but will always be there mentally and spiritually.”
To listen to Blankenship’s stirring interview go to the Bayou Jamb Facebook page.
Nichols and Holden honored: In an effort to pay respects, Bayou Jamb President Patti Thurmond and committee had the jerseys belonging to LaJavion Nichols and Javious Holden prominently displayed at the sign in table. The pair and their families will also be honored before the game against St. Frederick that will be played at 1:00pm on Saturday.
Buy your tickets at JHHS: You are asked to purchase your game tickets ahead of time at Jonesboro-Hodge. The reason is that this will most benefit the school as all proceeds from tickets purchased prior to the event stay with the school. Tickets proceeds that are purchased at the stadium are split among the participating teams. Cost of tickets are $15.00.
American Gothic is one of only a few paintings which has transcended being merely a painting and has become a cultural icon. Like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Edvard Munch’s The Scream and James McNeill Whistler’s Arrangement in Grey and Black No.1, commonly known as Whistler’s Mother, American Gothic has become one of the most famous paintings in the world.
In the summer of 1930, Grant Wood, a painter from Cedar Rapids, Michigan, was riding with a friend and fellow painter named John Sharp through the town of Eldon, Iowa. The two painters were looking for inspiration when Grant spotted a little farmhouse with a distinctive upper window. Grant later explained he “saw such an American Gothic house in southern Iowa, and I imagined American Gothic people with their faces stretched out long, to go with it.”
Grant made a quick sketch of the house on the back of an envelope. On the following day, Grant got the permission of the homeowners and made a more detailed sketch with oil paints from the front yard. Grant never saw the house again. Back in his studio, Grant began painting the gothic farmhouse. Needing more detail, he requested and received a photograph of the house from the homeowners. Throughout the process of painting the house, the background in the painting, he considered who he would get to be the male and female models for the people in the painting.
He took great care in picking the female model because he needed someone who would be unoffended by his stretching her face in the painting. After considering several friends and family members, he settled on Nan Graham. Grant said Nan’s, “face is nearly as round as mine, so I had to do a great deal of stretching.”
Grant struggled to find the right face for the male figure for his painting, a struggle which had held up the works of other famous artists. While painting the Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci had trouble finding the right face for Judas, which he said had to be villainous. Leonardo spent days walking the streets of Milan, Italy in search of just the right face. Each face he saw was eliminated for one reason or another until he finally found his Judas. Similarly, Grant looked carefully at every man he met and considered everyone he knew. Years before Grant had the idea for the painting, Byron McKeeby had built a bridge for him. Grant, somewhat of a starving artist, traded a bridge for a bridge. In lieu of payment, Byron accepted a painting by Grant of a famous bridge in Paris. Byron had just the right face for Grant’s painting. With little convincing, Byron agreed to be the male model for Grant’s American Gothic. A short while later, Grant finished the painting.
In October of 1930, the Art Institute of Chicago accepted two of Grant’s paintings, Stone City and American Gothic, for inclusion in their annual American Artists exposition. Hundreds of paintings were submitted and rejected. The Art Institute would accept no more than two paintings each year from the same artist. For Grant to have two entries accepted was an exceptional honor. In addition, Grant won the coveted Norman Wait Harris bronze medal and a cash prize of $300 for American Gothic. Newspapers at the time described it as “a painting of a Gothic type of home at Eldon, IA with two imaginary figures of the artist’s conception of Gothic individuals in the foreground.”
When the exhibition opened, American Gothic became an instant hit. Newspapers throughout the United States published photographs of the painting and incorrectly described the subjects in the foreground as being of a farmer and his wife. Wood set the record straight and explained that it was a farmer and his daughter. In late November, Wood learned that the Friends of American Art had purchased American Gothic for inclusion in the Art Institute of Chicago’s permanent collection.
Not all who saw the painting were impressed. Mrs. Earl Robinson of Collins, Iowa suggested the artist “hang the portrait in one of our Iowa cheese factories because the woman’s face would positively sour milk.” In response, Mrs. Nan Graham, the lady in the painting, said she was proud to have been the model for the painting and retorted, “I wish that jealous woman would send me her photograph. I have a very appropriate place to hang it.” The lady in the painting whom Grant carefully selected was his younger sister.
Byron McKeeby, uncomfortable with the publicity he received from the painting, said all of the publicity should go to Grant. For five years Byron refused to admit his connection with the painting. “Grant chose the face, I didn’t,” he said with his usual warm smile. It was true that Grant traded a bridge for a bridge. Byron builds Grant a bridge and Grant gave Byron a painting of a famous bridge he had painted in Paris, a painting which is now much more valuable than the bridge Byron made for Grant. You see, Byron was Dr. Byron McKeeby, Grant Wood’s dentist.
This week, we continue our series on “My Unforgettable Co-Anglers” with another one of my worst nightmares. The thing I enjoy the most about fishing Pro/Am events is the amount of diversity among anglers. I’ve fished with guys from our region like Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, and from as far away as New York, Florida, Georgia and Alabama, to name a few. Each of them had their own little quirks and different ways of doing things, but I’ve learned something from just about every angler that’s ever gotten into my boat. Just because they are fishing the co-angler side does not mean they don’t know how to fish. Some are really good anglers that fish as a co-angler simply because they can’t or won’t take the time off to scout for a tournament. Some don’t want to pay the higher entry fees to fish the Pro/boater side.
Let me set the stage for this event. It was the FLW BFL Regional Tournament with a full field of 200 boats on my home body of water…the mighty Red River. This particular event went out of the Red River South Marina just south of Bossier City… an absolutely awesome facility that has hosted several national events including the Bassmaster Classic twice. It was a two-day event with the top 5 earning a trip to the prestigious FLW All-American, the pinnacle of BFL anglers all across the country.
Now after day one I was sitting in 3rd place with a golden opportunity to make it to the All- American until I drew “Crack Head Joe” who was strung out so bad that he bit his tongue four times because he was talking faster than his mouth could move. “Joe” was an angler in his mid 50’s from the great state of Tennessee. This guy was a real treat who ran all over my boat like a rat on crack during an eight-hour period. Hyper does not even begin to describe his demeanor. He literally got into my boat shaking before takeoff that morning. I think he must have had twenty cups of coffee with a pound of sugar to boost his energy level past extreme! Now as I have noted, I like an angler or someone in my boat that I can carry on a good conversation with…an angler I can get to know on a personal level. Some have even become good friends of mine over the years. But this man from the Volunteer State has, nor will ever be on my Christmas card list.
As “Joe” and I headed out on day 2, I had a particular spot that I could catch a couple of good fish really early on my way to my main starting spot. On my first flip, I caught a 3 ½ pounder and as I was boating this fish, Joe decided to flip into the same spot in front of the boat (which is against the rules). Co-anglers are not supposed to cast past the boater/pro in front of the boat. Needless to say, I was not a happy angler and I made sure I reiterated the rule of not throwing past the front of the boat. But he was very apologetic as he hooked up and boated a 4 pounder out of the same hole where I just caught my 3 ½ pounder! So already frustrated, I pulled the trolling motor up and headed to another area I had further down the river. On my next stop and about four casts later, I set the hook on another 3 pounder. Well as I was reeling this fish in, I called for him to get the net for me, as he made another cast to the same spot! Once again, I scolded him and promptly reminded him about the rule of casting past the front of the boat. But I could tell that he was not hearing a word I said as he once again apologized and dropped another 2 pound in the live well. Now Joe was also a dancer of some kind because after every fish he boated, he would break out into some sort of Tennessee dance to the tune of “Rocky Top” on the back deck of my boat.
Now that “Joe” has my full attention and I’m so mad I could eat a fried shoe sole, I proceeded down a rock jetty flipping old pilings with a worm. Just a short time later (30 minutes) I set the hook on another good fish and once again ask for him to get the net. While I was fighting this fish, he threw a spinnerbait right by my ear and directly in front of the boat. Now I’m mad and so after I boated another keeper fish, I reach up and grabbed his fishing line and bit it into. He was shocked and the look on his face was priceless. He could not believe I just bit his line into! I told him that he had two choices the rest of the day. Either follow the rules and fish where he was supposed to or continue to break the rules and then I would make sure not to sign his weigh slip at the weigh-in which would have disqualified him from the competition. I WAS NO LONGER GOING TO BE A NICE GUY THE REST OF THIS DAY. FOLLOW THE RULES OR GET OUT OF MY BOAT! Needless to say, Joe straightened up with little to say the rest of the day, much to my pleasure. Now I’m not sure if me biting his line was the reason for his change in demeanor, or if the caffeine just finally wore off. But whatever the reason, he was a lot calmer.
To wrap up, I finished in 7th place and just missed the All-American by less than a pound. While it was still a great tournament and I was proud of how I fished, sometimes things just don’t always go as planned. Even with all the distractions of “Crack Head Joe” I maintained my composure and kept my head down and fished hard. In pro/am style events, you have no control over the co-angler you’ll be paired with. It’s simply the luck of the draw and sometimes you get a really good co-angler and sometimes you get one that you wish you could have left at the ramp. But it’s all good and it’s what makes pro/am tournaments so interesting. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!
Steve Graf
Former Jonesboro-Hodge High School assistant football and head baseball coach, Mack Fowler, was recognized as one of three recipients of the Bayou Jamb Lifetime Achievement Award at Media Day that was held on Monday. The 28 year veteran who retired in 2006 after spending 13 season as head football coach at Jena High School was at JHHS from 1978-1981.
While speaking with the Jackson Parish Journal Fowler fondly recalled his days as a Tiger.
“What I remember most was the incredible talent we had and also all the wonderful people I worked with. I loved the kids we had. They worked hard and were very coachable. Also words can’t express how much I appreciated “Doc” Robinson for everything he did for me. He was just a super guy and in my mind one of the best educators and administrators there has ever been.”
Fowler graduated from Winnfield High School in 1969 after spending his first two years of high school in Jena. In 1973 he took his first coaching job at Farmerville High School before moving to Mansfield in 1974. From there Fowler came to JHHS where as an assistant was part of the 1978 state championship runner-up team, four district champions and also led the Tiger baseball team to a state semi-final appearance which is still ranks as the best season in JHHS baseball history. In 1982 Fowler became the head football coach at LaSalle High School where he stayed for ten years before going back to his hometown Jena.
Members of the Jackson Parish Museum and Fine Arts board joined together with community volunteers and the Beta Club from Quitman High School to give the building and treasured historic items inside a little tender loving care during the Work Day held this past Saturday. Sincere appreciation is given to: James Fitzpatrick, Barbara Johnson, Randy and Barbara Layfield, Blair Aranda, Nikki St. Clair, the Beta Club from Quitman high school and Micah Breeding.
The Jackson Parish Museum and Fine Arts building houses many historical treasures from Jackson Parish and individuals who have donated items for display. If you have a piece of treasured memorabilia that you would like to see cared for and prominently displayed for others to view or to set up a tour of the museum, please contact Wilda Smith at (318)-426-6511 or Barbara Johnson at (318) 450-5561.
What a way to start a new school year. Go to the first classes of the year on one day and two days later win the first tournament. That is exactly what the boys and girls teams from Quitman Junior High did as they both walked away as champions of the 2021 Weston Junior High Tournament after winning three game each.
Girls Finals: Quitman 40 Weston 7
Ava Caskey scored 8 of her game high twelve and Maggie Guyotte added four of her six points in the contest in the first quarter to pace Quitman to the easy victory. Kinsley Ponder also scored six while Addyison Fenn, Emma Walker and Ava Canady added four each. Brooklyn Brown and Kaylee King scored two. Weston was led by JaKaiyla Fourd with four, Carly Griffen – 2 and Hailey Chatham with one.
Boys Finals: Quitman 24 Saline 23
Abel Leach hit a three and Taden Thomas added a basket in the final frame to help Quitman rally past Saline who was held to just two fourth quarter points. Thomas led Quitman with nine while Leach and Kace West had six apiece. Brayden Smith added three.
In other girls games: Quitman beat Choudrant 20-10 behind eight points each from Guyotte and Walker and also downed Castor 23-6 in the tourney opener as Guyotte scored 11 and Leach added seven. Choudrant beat Weston 11-7 who was led by Fourd with four.
In additional boys action: Quitman had 10 players scored led by Thomas, Leach, Smith and Syler Nelson with six each to beat Choudrant 43-11 and Weston opened the tourney by beating Dodson 21-8 as ten players scored led by Dawson Griffin who tallied five in the fourth quarter. Jake North, Beaux Oliver, Jace Shirley and Trey Trosclair all hit three pointers. In second round action Saline beat Weston 32-25 with Ferguson scored 12 for the Bobcats and Colton Blundell leading Weston with eight while Quitman beat Castor 38-31 behind 15 from Smith and eight from Leach.
A-1 Honey Do’s will be paid $5,500.00 to resurface the Ebenezer boat pier per action taken by the Jackson Parish Watershed Committee during their August 19th meeting held in the Sunshine Room of the Jackson Parish Police Jury Administration Building this past Wednesday.
Board members in attendance: Gary Joynor, Jimmy Waggoner, Kent Hightower and Roy Barlow along with President Kent Hightower also agreed to hire 4T Exteriors to wash down the boat pier at the spillway and two boat piers at Chatham Lake. Materials to water seal all three piers was also agreed to be purchased. Wesley Harvey, Bert Brown and Daniel Ponder was absent from the meeting.
Mr. Casey Goss was approved for a sea wall permit as was permits for all duck blinds. In final action Gary Joynor was voted as Vice President. The next meeting is scheduled for September 16th, 2021
In an effort to raise money for the stricken families and to honor the two JHHS football players, who along with the sister of one of the athletes, tragically lost their lives in a car accident earlier this summer, designer T-Shirts are now on sale.
The shirts are red in color with the photo of LaJavion Nichols and Javious Holden in their JHHS Tiger uniform on the front and the 2021 JHHS football roster on the back. For sizes Youth Small to Adult X-Large the cost is $18.00 per shirt. For Adult 2XL and up the cost is $21.00 per shirt. Payments must be made at time of shirt order. Deadline to submit an order is Saturday, September 4, 2021
Payments can be submitted to:
cashapp
$KSmith926
(include your name and size on the “For” line)
Venmo
Kenisha-Smith-11
(include your name and size on the “What’s It For” line)
You can also call Kennetria Jones during business hours at 318-582-0817
The Jackson Parish Police Jury (JPPJ) Projects Committee will meet at 5:00 pm on Friday, August 27th in the Nathaniel Zeno Jr. Meeting Room of the Jackson Parish Police Jury Administrative Building, located at 160 Industrial Drive in Jonesboro. Chairman Lewis Chatham and commitee members Todd Culpepper and Amy Magee have two items on the agenda for discussion including the current JPPJ plan using 2020 Census data and the status of new and ongoing projects.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance, please
contact Gina Thomas at (318) 259-2361, extension 3 describing the assistance that is necessary.
It is possible that a quorum of the Police Jury may be in attendance at the meeting, but no
action of the Police Jury as a whole will be taken.
The temperature at the gymnasium at Summerfield High School was scorching and so was the junior high boys and girls teams from the host school as they swept Weston in dominating fashion by scores of 37-0 and 50-13. It was a swarming Summerfield defense that caused havoc as both boys and girls squads had trouble advancing the ball up-court leading to numerous easy baskets for the home team. Shane Reed led the Wolves in scoring with five points, Alex Lewis hit a trey and Trey Trosclair made a basket. Drew Browning, Brody Tidwell and Cole Otwell made one point each. Weston traveled to Saline on Tuesday.
The Jackson Parish Tourism Board will be looking for an additional member as of last Friday after board members Deneise Barlow, Kelly Spangler, Christie Weeks, Tammy Gunter and Catherine Brown accepted Dawn Slezak’s letter of resignation to be effective August 20th. The action was taken during the August 17th meeting that was held in the Sunshine Room of the Jackson Parish Police Jury Administration Building.
In additional action it was agreed that judges for the 2021 Art Contest would be paid $200.00 each not to exceed $1000.00 and that the Website was up and running. In regard to the concert in the park, labels for water bottles were discussed as well as speaking to the paper about running an ad. Deneise Barlow agreed to notify EMS and to contact the library about printing certificates for the art contest.
The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 21st at 5:30pm.
To have your service business shown or list items you have for sale, send email to: jpjjacksonla@gmail.com
Over 60 years of combined Licensed and Certified experience in Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Control Panels, Electrical, HVAC and Inspections service. Located at 5039 Hwy 4 East, Jonesboro, LA. For free estimate contact: Billy Earl Wilhite: (318) 475-2403 or Richard Andrews: (318) 475-5136. “Call us when you want the job done right.”
www.qualityecs.com
House wash, Metal roof wash, gutter cleaning, concrete, deck, and brick/ patio cleaning. For free estimates call Trevor Hall at (318) 475-0347 or email Trevor.hall62@yahoo.com
No job to large or small. For complete lawncare and select landscaping services contact: Todd Lowe (318) 623-8532, TJ Wilkerson (318) 480-1328 or Josh Henry (318) 480-1596.
email: littleballgame93@yahoo.com
For all your lawn and landscaping needs contact Greg Harris at (318) 245-2349. Free estimates and professional service guaranteed. Based out of Chatham.
“Service you can trust at affordable prices” Commercial and residential cleaning services. Be it commercial buildings, homes, driveways, patio’s, truck’s and trailers, no job to big or small. For free estimates call or text: Ty Garrett at (318) 243-7772 or send email to: tygarett23@yahoo.com
A year-by-year description of the first 100 years (1919-2019) of JHHS football. Included is summary of early beginnings, yearly results, rosters, updated team and individual records and a gallery of pictures. Perfect gift for that grandfather, father, uncle or cousin who would enjoy remembering their “glory days”. Cost is $25.00 per book plus $3.00 shipping and handling. To order call (318) 480-1206 or send email to: jpjjacksonla@gmail.com
Excellent Condition. Solid floors. Metal sides and roof. Dimensions: 56″ tall x 93″ long x 60″ wide. $3,000.00 or best offer. Owned by Jonesboro-Hodge Methodist Church. For more information or to set appointment to see trailer call: 318-480-1206.
Jackson Parish School Board Minutes of Special Called Meeting
August 23, 2001
The Jackson Parish School Board met in Special Called Meeting at 9:00 a.m. on August 23, 2021 at Jackson Parish School Board, 315 Pershing Highway, Jonesboro, La.
The following were present for roll call: Dennis Clary, Gloria Davis, Wade McBride, Rickey McBride, Mary Saulters, Gerry Mims and Calvin Waggoner
Absent: None
Gerry Mims gave the Invocation.
Wade McBride led in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The meeting was called to order by President Dennis Clary.
Motion was made by Wade McBride seconded by Calvin Waggoner and carried to approve payment to Elevate K-12 (Live Streaming Online Instruction) not to exceed $39,000.00 for a Geometry Teacher at Jonesboro Hodge High School, to be paid from General Fund.
A motion was made by Calvin Waggoner, seconded by Gloria Davis and carried to adjourn at 9:30 a.m.
JACKSON PARISH TOURISM BOARD MEETING MINUTES
August 17 ,2021
NOTICE POSTED: August 20,2021
DATE: Tuesday August 17,2021 TIME: 5:30
PLACE OF MEETING: The Sunshine Room 160 Industrial Dr. Jonesboro., Jonesboro LA 71251
ROLL CALL: D. Barlow, T. Gunter, K. Spangler, C. Weeks, D. Slezak
INVOCATION AND PLEDGE: C. Weeks gave the invocation with D. Barlow leading the pledge
PUBLIC COMMENTS/RECOGNITION OF GUESTS:
APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF THE MAY MEETING: Motion made by D. Barlow and second D. Slezak to approve the minutes as presented. All in favor.
APPROVAL OF THE MAY FINANCIALS AND PAY BILLS: Motion made by K. Spangler and second by T. Gunter to approve the financials as presented. All in favor.
REVIEW OLD BUSINESS:
a. 2021 Art Contest- motion was made by D. Barlow and Second by D. Slezak for fees to be payed to the judges 200.00 dollars each not exceeding 1000.00
b. Rack cards- contact was made, still being worked on.
c. Website – up and running
d. Tent-in process of being ordered
e. Conference-T. Gunter is unable to attend because of a conflict in schedules
f. Concert in the park-discussed ordering labels for water bottles, speaking to the paper
about running a add. D. Barlow will notify EMS .
g. D. Slezak resignation letter was accepted by the board effective August 20,2021
DISCUSS NEW BUSINESS
OTHER BUSINESS:
a. D. Barlow offered to contact library about printing certificates for art contest.
ADJOURNMENT 6:35 PM Motion by D. Barlow with a second by T. Gunter to adjourn the meeting. Next
meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 21 at 5:30
Jackson Parish Watershed Commission Meeting Minutes
August 19th
Members present Gary Joynor, Jimmy Waggoner, Kent Hightower, Roy Barlow.
Members absent Wesley Harvey, Bert Brown, Daniel Ponder.
Meeting called to order by President Kent Hightower.
Invocation by Mr. Joynor.
There were no public comments.
Motion Mr. Barlow second Mr. Waggoner to approve minutes for the July 15th meeting Motion carried.
Motion Mr. Waggoner second Mr. Barlow to approve payment of bills motion carried
Motion Mr. Barlow second Mr. Joynor to remove past board members Mr. Benson Bagwell, Lynn Tubb, and Don Denton from Peoples Bank of Chatham’s checking account Motion Carried.
Motion Mr. Joynor second Mr. Waggoner to approve sea wall permit for Mr. Casey Goss Motion carried.
Motion Mr. Waggoner Second Mr. Joynor to approve resurface Ebenezer boat pier by A-1 Honey Do’s for $5500 Motion carried.
Discussed wooden fence post cap’s at spillway parking lot and was tabled to next month’s meeting.
Motion Mr. Waggoner second Mr. Barlow to approve 4 T Exteriors to wash down boat pier at spillway motion carried.
Motion Mr. Waggoner second Mr. Barlow to approve 4 T Exteriors to wash down two boat piers at Chatham Lake motion carried.
Motion Mr. Waggoner second Mr. Barlow to purchase materials to water seal both Spillway and Chatham Lake piers Motion carried.
Motion Mr. Barlow second Mr. Waggoner to approve all Duck blind permits.
Motion Mr. Joynor, second Mr. Barlow to approve the resignation of Mr. Burt Brown Motion carried.
Discuss annual boat pass for Duck blind permits Died lack of motion.
Motion Mr. Waggoner second Mr. Barlow to elect Mr. Gary Joynor as Vice President. Motion carried.
Motion Mr. Joynor second Mr. Barlow to adjourn motion carried.
Next meeting will be September 16th 2021
According to the recently released 2020 Census, Jackson Parish has lost 1,243 residents since 2010. Actual population figures show 15,031 residents, down from the 16,274 that was in the parish ten years ago, which reflects a 6.3% decrease. The total number of housing units in the parish is also down 6.5%, going from 7,680 in 2010 to 7,182 in 2020.
The ethnicity of the population also changed and in dramatic fashion. In 2010, African-Americans and White people combined accounted for 15,937 people, which made up 97.9% of the population. The separate totals were 11,084 white people and 4,853 African-Americans. Hispanics made up the majority of other ethnicities with 209 followed by 193 people of mixed descent, 79 listed as other, 35 American Indians, 28 Asians and 2 Pacific Islanders.
The 2020 number shows White and African-Americans totaling only 13,923 people (9,967 – White, 3,956 – African American) a decrease of 12.6%. Separately, White people had a 10.1% decrease while African-Americans had a 18.5% decrease.
People of mixed ethnicities had the largest gain in numbers increasing to 613 residents, which was a gain of 420 people and reflected a 217.6% increase. Hispanic’s or Latino’s increased by 258 (123.9%) while those categorized as Other showed an increase of 225. Asian’s had the highest percentage of increase with the addition of 117 people for a 432.1% increase. The American Indian population grew by two and Pacific Islanders added three more.
| Ethnicity | 2020 | Percentage | 2010 | Percentage | Change |
| White | 9,967 | 66.3% | 11,084 | 68.1% | (10.1%) |
| African American | 3,956 | 26.3% | 4,853 | 29.8% | (18.5%) |
| Mixed | 613 | 4.1% | 193 | 1.2% | 217.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 468 | 3.1% | 209 | 1.3% | 123.9% |
| Other | 304 | 2.0% | 79 | 0.5% | 284.8% |
| Asian | 149 | 1.0% | 28 | 0.2% | 432.1% |
| American Indian | 37 | 0.2% | 35 | 0.2% | 5.7% |
| Pacific Islander | 5 | 0.0% | 2 | 0.0% | 150.0% |