The Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce congratulates Barksdale Federal Credit Union for being named the Business of the Month for March. The chamber is very appreciative for the support that BFCU has given to the chamber and community.
Barksdale Federal Credit Union has been open since 1954. With 25 locations it is the largest credit union in Louisiana with assets totaling $1.99 Billion and providing banking services to more than 154,000 members.
Hodge Branch Business Hours
Lobby and Drive-Up Hours Monday: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Tuesday: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Wednesday: 8:00 am – 1:00 pm Thursday: 7:00 am – 4:30 pm Friday7:00 am – 4:30 pm Saturday / Sunday: Closed
Contact Barksdale Federal Credit Union
Address: 1026 South First Street Hodge, Louisiana Phone: (318) 259-6634 Toll Free: (800) 647-2328 Fax: (318) 259-3716 Website: www.bfcu.org
Through their partnership and dedication to the Jackson Parish School District, the Jonesboro State Bank recently donated CPR Equipment and Stop the Bleed kits to the Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School.
“On behalf of Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School, I would like to thank Jonesboro State Bank for their donation of CPR Equipment and Stop the Bleed kits. These high-quality first aid tools are vital to the safety of our school community,” said JHMS Principal, Danielle Copeland. “The items will be stored in a clear centrally located place and transported to events as needed. We greatly appreciate Jonesboro State Bank’s dedication to Jackson Parish Schools and look forward to working closely with them in the future.” – Danielle Copeland, Principal
The Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce has changed the date of the regular monthly meeting. Director, Wilda Smith, announces that the new meeting date will be Thursday, March 10th. All members are invited to come to Johnny’s Pizza for the 12:00 noon session.
The Spring application window for a possible Jonesboro State Bank / Pledge 10 grant ends on March 15th. Applications for the fall quarter that runs from July 15th to September 15th. is also being accepted from area non-profits in Jackson, Lincoln, Winn and Bienville Parishes.
These grants assist with innovative projects that promote education, youth development, financial literacy or community enrichment in this four-parish area. Awards range from $2500.00 to $10,000.00 To apply for a Pledge 10 grant go online @ Pledge10.com.
Grants are largely evaluated, scored and recommended for funding based on how carefully the guidelines are followed. Please send questions to Pledge10@jboro.com. Upon submission of a grant proposal, contact will be made if any additional information or clarification is necessary. To learn more about the guidelines, grant agreement and for Frequently Asked Questions click here.
The Student/Athlete of the Week of March 6th – 12th at Jonesboro-Hodge, Quitman and Weston High Schools has been named. The award is sponsored by the Jackson Parish Hospital and chosen by select faculty and staff at each school. The recipients were chosen based on their academic excellence and athletic achievements during the week.
It was ‘Laissez les bond temps rouler’ at Forest Haven Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center on March 1st. For those who don’t understand the French language, the blurb means “Let the Good Times Roll” which is exactly what the residents, staff, friends and family did in celebration of Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday.”
To view the enjoyable time that was had click here.
Jonesboro’s newest restaurant, the Crawfish Basket, is open for business. Located at Hours of operation are 4:00 – 9:00pm at 800 Pershing Hwy the hours of operation are from 4:00 – 9:00pm. Only drive thru and call-in orders are currently available and payment methods of cash and credit cards are accepted. NO CHECKS!
Family owned and operated the Crawfish Basket is a farm to table, restaurant that offers boiled crawfish, shrimp, and crabs as well as all the extras that go with them.
Some of the best young spellers in northwest Louisiana went head-to-head this past Saturday in the 2022 SCRIPPS Regional Spelling Bee held on the campus of Louisiana State University – Shreveport.
This year’s event featured 24 students from second through eighth grades, including three representatives from the Jackson Parish School District. Local competitors were Damion McMillan from Jonesboro-Hodge Elementary School, Victoria Leonard from Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School, and Caden Jackson from Quitman High School.
Sahil Thorat, 12, of Caddo Middle Magnet was crowned the 2022 northwest Louisiana Regional Spelling Bee champion. He and a parent now get an expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., in June to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
The Jackson Parish Ambulance Service District is hosting an Open House to celebrate the opening of the new training center that has been added on to their facility located at 115 Watts Street in Jonesboro.
The event will take place from 6:00 – 7:30pm on Tuesday, March 15th.
Get a chance to tour the new center, meet with instructors and learn about the upcoming EMT class that will take place in April. Student packets will be given out and refreshments will be provided.
Kerri Rawson was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1978. She had a happy childhood with loving parents and good friends. When Kerri was about ten years old, she and her parents watched a news report on local tv about a serial killer in Wichita, her hometown. The news anchor briefly told of the murders, explained that the killer was still on the loose, and asked anyone with information to report it to police. Kerri was terrified. What if the killer came for her next? Her parents did as most parents would do and assured her that she was safe. Kerri was not so sure.
The news program explained that on January 15, 1974, Charlie, Danny, and Carmen Ortego returned home from school in Wichita and discovered the lifeless bodies of their father, 38-year-old Joseph, mother, 33-year-old Julie, sister, 11-year-old Josephine, and brother, 9-year-old Joseph, Jr. They had been tied up, torture, and murdered. The police found few clues.
At about 2 p.m. on April 4, 1974, 20-year-old Kathryn Bright and her 19-year-old brother, Kevin, returned to her residence in Wichita, and discovered an intruder in the home. The man said he would not hurt them, he just wanted to rob them. The man forced Kevin to tie his sister to a chair and led him into another room. The man attempted to bind Kevin and began choking him. To the man’s surprise, Kevin fought back. During the struggle, the man pulled a gun and shot Kevin in the head. Thinking Kevin was dead, the man returned to Kathryn. Somehow, Kevin escaped from the house and alerted police. Kathryn had been stabbed multiple times and died that evening in the hospital. Kevin survived but was unable to provide much information about the killer.
On March 17, 1977, Shirley Vian Relford’s three children, ages 8, 6, and 4, ran to a neighbor’s house in Wichita. The panicked children explained that their mother had been murdered. Police located Shirley’s lifeless body on a bed in her home. She had been bound, tortured, and murdered.
On the morning of December 8, 1977, a man called the Wichita Police Department and reported a murder. He provided the address and hung up. Police went to the residence and found the body of Nancy Fox. She had been bound, tortured and murdered.
In 1978, a television station in Wichita received a letter from someone who claimed to be the killer of the Oteros, Bright, Vian Relford, and Fox. In this letter, the writer provided several nicknames for himself that the press could use when reporting on his crimes. One of them stuck. From then on, he was referred to as BTK, which stands for Bind, Torture, Kill, his method of murder. The press finally reported that Wichita had a serial killer.
In 1979, BTK stalked 63-year-old Anna Williams and intended for her to be his next victim. He studied her schedule and had everything planned. Anna failed to return home at her normal time. BTK waited impatiently. Anna was visiting friends. After waiting for several hours, BTK, furious that his target had evaded him, drove away. Anna’s visit to her friends saved her life.
April 27, 1985, was the last time friends saw 53-year-old Marine Hedge. A few days later, police found her car at a shopping center in Wichita. On May 5, police located a body in rural Sedgwick County. They positively identified her through dental records.
On December 31, 1987, Mary Fager returned to her home in Wichita and found her husband, 37-year-old Phillip, lying on the living room floor. He had been bound, tortured and murdered. In a panic, she ran to neighbor’s house for help. Police arrived at the Fager home and found the lifeless bodies of Mary’s 16-year-old daughter, Kelly, and 9-year-old daughter, Sherri. BTK wrote a letter in which he denied killing the Fagers. However, evidence on the letter proved that he was their killer.
On February 1, 1991, police found the body of 62-year-old Dolores Davis under a bridge in Sedgwick County. She had been bound, tortured, and strangled. They later learned that BTK had killed Dolores on January 19th.
Police wondered when the next murder would occur. They hoped he would make a mistake which would give away his identity. They were building evidence against BTK but still had no idea who he was. They waited but no more murders fit BTK’s method. Local news stations occasionally reported on the cold case. Each time she saw the news story about the serial killer, Kerri’s fear of the killer was renewed. One day, Kerri and her father were walking hand-in-hand near their home. She explained her fears to her father. As he had done many times before, he told her she was safe to ease her mind.
BTK’s downfall came with his desire for public attention. He taunted investigators with postcards and letters. He sometimes left packages to be found by police which contained mementos he had removed from his victims. On one occasion, BTK sent a package to a television station which contained a letter on a floppy disk and more mementos from one of his murders. Investigators located information stored in the metadata of the floppy disk and learned the true identity of BTK.
On February 25, 2005, Kerri heard a knock at the door. She had not thought about BTK for some time, but the stern FBI agent on the other side of the door sent chills down her spine when he told her that after 31 years of searching they had arrested BTK. At first, Kerry was confused as to why the agent would be alerting her specifically. Then she learned that the man who had reassured her all those years that she was safe, her father, was BTK.
This article is dedicated to the victims of BTK. The absence of his name from this article is no mistake. Kerri Rawson (her married name) filed a no-contact order against her father and works as an advocate for victims of abuse, crime, and trauma.
Retirement planning isn’t just about saving. We all need to consider tax planning. As April 18th quickly approaches this becomes very real.
Taxes and taxation of income is a key component of retirement strategy. I work with clients to lessen the impact of taxation on their retirement dollars. Believe it or not it can and does make a difference when you take various forms of income. Do you know when to pull dollars from what source of funds? Are you kicking the tax can down the road? Thereby, making a larger than necessary tax burden for you and your beneficiaries? Roth verse traditional? Leave your 401k with employer or move to private account? What is the truth?
Make sure you know the facts and not just the myths. Give me a call to discuss your specifics. Know that you know the best plan of action.
Edward Franklin Price June 17, 1945 – March 6, 2022
Mr. Edward Franklin Price, age 76 of Jonesboro, passed away Sunday, March 6, 2022 following a period of declining health. Mr. Price was born in Freeport, Texas and was a graduate of Ouachita Parish High School. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war. Mr. Price was an accomplished police officer serving the Jonesboro and the Hodge police departments for many years. He then relocated to Raymond, Mississippi where he was elected Chief of Police for Raymond where he eventually retired from that position and returned to Jonesboro. He enjoyed belonging to shooting clubs and fishing as his recreation. The greatest joy that he had in life was spending time with his family.
Those left to cherish his memory are his children, Kimberly Guin and husband Burt, Duane Price and wife Carla, Keith Price and wife Alisa; grandchildren, Kayln Stropes and husband Ben, Waylon Price, Kelsey Hicks, Ryan Chapman and wife Raegan, Leah Chapman, Bailey Chapman; 10 great-grandchildren; brother, Randy Price and wife Francis; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. Mr. Price was preceded in death by his first wife, Sandra L. Price; granddaughter, Casey Marie Price, grandson, Azden Joe Hicks; parents, Robert Franklin and Jessie Lee (Harrell) Price; sister, Pat Sabo; second wife Heather Price.
Funeral services will be held 3:00PM Wednesday in the Edmonds Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Larry Carr officiating. Interment will follow in the Garden of Memories in Jonesboro under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home.
Honoring Mr. Price by serving as pallbearers are Mark Sabo, Terry Carr, Randy Price, Jr, Waylon Price, Matt Vail and Kenny Price.
Kevin Al Pardue February 13, 1950 – March 4, 2022
Kevin Al Pardue, age 72 of Paradis, passed from this life into the next on Friday, March 4, 2022. Kevin grew up in Weston, Louisiana and graduated from Weston High School. He married his sweetheart, Pamela Rentz, on August 7, 1970 and they were blessed with 51 years of marriage. Kevin was always a hard working man that loved his family dearly. In his younger days, you might find Kevin out enjoying the great outdoors doing some hunting and fishing when he found an opportunity to take a break.
Those left to cherish Kevin’s memory is his loving wife, Pamela Sue (Rentz) Pardue; daughter, Amanda Sue (Pardue) Maxwell; son, Reginald Dwight Pardue and wife, Melissa Dawn (Kelly) Pardue; grandson, Bailey Mason Pardue; brother, Ronnie Fields Pardue and wife, Bettie (Rentz) Pardue; nephews, Ki Fields Pardue, Ellie Randal Pardue; niece, Olivia Suzanne Carson; a host of other family and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dwight Fields and Violet Christine (Wyatt) Pardue; son in law, Mathew Maxwell.
Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday, March 9, 2022 in Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home chapel from 11:00am until time of funeral service. Funeral services are set to begin at 1:00pm with Reverend Bill Staples officiating. Burial will follow in Ebenezer Cemetery under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home.
Serving the family as pallbearers will be Stilez Shea Carson, Skyler Carson, Bailey Pardue, Ellie Pardue.
Weston may be going to the “Field of Dreams” later in the season but their start over the first seven games is almost beyond the realm of reality. Six games against schools from Class 2A and above, equals seven wins with all the games have been called early due to the “mercy rule”
The first four games were won by shutout before the Wolves gave up one run and one hit against Delhi Charter in the 11-1 Weston win this past Thursday in the opener of the Downsville Tourney. Then the Wolves pitching staff threw two more shutouts to go 3-0 in tourney play.
Six shutouts in seven games and oh by the way, the one run that Delhi Charter scored was unearned. To add to the incredibility of the Wolves pitching prowess is the fact that four times Weston has no-hit their opponent. In two others, they allowed just one hit. Jonesboro-Hodge just thought they struggled at the plate against Weston in the season opener when they got two hits, but it is the best showing an offense has had all year long against the Wolves.
In back-to-back days this past Monday and Tuesday, Weston no-hit Class 4A, Woodlawn-Shreve for a three inning 19-0 victory. That was followed up with a pair of 15-0, no-hit victories over Class 3A, Carrol out of Monroe. The Wolves then skunked Class 2A Delhi Charter in the opener before no-hitting Woodlawn again by an 11-0 count and then one-hitting Downsville in a 20-0 shellacking.
Conventional wisdom would say that first year head coach Joey Kemp must have inherited one of those “special” aces who throws every game, right? WRONG! The incredible pitching feat, that includes what is believed to be a Jackson Parish record of a team throwing three straight no-hitters, has been accomplished with SIX hurlers taking part.
Offensively the Wolves have been just as impressive as they have totaled 106 runs for a 15.14 runs per game average which broken down even further tabulates out to be 4.167 runs per innings. WOW! Jonesboro-Hodge just thought they did poorly at the plate against Weston pitching when they gathered two meaningless singles in the Wolves season opening 15-0 victory. In back-to-back days this past Monday and Tuesday, Weston no-hit Class 4A, Woodlawn-Shreve for a three inning 19-0 victory. That was followed up with a pair of 15-0, no-hit victories over Class 3A, Carrol out of Monroe. The Wolves then skunked Class 2A Delhi Charter in the opener before no-hitting Woodlawn again by an 11-0 count and then one-hitting Downsville in a 20-0 shellacking.
Offensively the Wolves have been just as impressive as they have totaled 106 runs for a 15.14 runs per game average. Broken down even further that tabulates out to be 4.82 runs per inning. WOW! Davis Tolar (shown above) leads the hit parade with a .750 batting average that includes a double, triple, two home runs, 11 runs scored and a team leading 15 RBI. Just behind is Caleb Waters with a .615 batting average and a team leading 3 homers, two triples, a double and five stolen bases that has accounted for 13 RBI and a team tying best, 15 runs scored.
Braden Theriot checks in next at a .545 clip with 2 doubles, 1 homerun, 12 runs scored, 6 stolen bases and 7 RBI, followed by Kaden Shirley who is batting an even .500 with two doubles, six runs scored, 3 stolen bases and nine RBI. The remaining 11 players on the roster have all contributed as well as shown.
The Cecilia Akin regime at Weston has gotten off to a good start. By beating Castor twice on Saturday at the Choudrant Tournament after dropping the season opener to Simsboro on Friday the Lady Wolves have won two of the first three games played to open a season for the first times since 2018.
Josie Irvin has gotten off to a good start as well. The junior batted .556 in the three games, accented by a pair of doubles, leading the team in RBI’s and scoring a second highest number of runs. She wasn’t alone. Alaina Trosclair led Weston with a .600 batting average, scored a team best in runs and reached base eight of the ten times she went to the plate, coaxing five free passes and getting three hits in five at bats. Taylor Chatham also had a big weekend as she hit .429 with three hits and got on base four more times via walks. Betty McCarty stole three bases and scored two runs as well.
Simsboro 8 Weston 1: Simsboro pitching limited the Weston offense to just two hits and one run and despite not getting a hit the Lady Tigers scored in all four innings to take the easy victory. Weston got it’s run when Irvin led off the third with a hit, stole second and scored on Lexi Barmore’s single. Ansley Aldy, Barmore and Penelope Ferguson combined to throw the no-hitter, but seven walks and three errors proved to be fatal.
Weston 11 Castor 1: Weston’s bats heated up in the second game of the tourney for 8 hits that led to four runs in the first, five int he third and two more in the fourth inning. Josie Irvin’s 2/4, 3 RBI performance, that included a double led the offensive onslaught. Taylor Chatham also came up big from her leadoff positions with two hits and two walks and knocking in two runs. Betty McCarty stole three bases and scored two runs as did Lexi Barmore and McKenzie Hargrove. Penelope Feguson threw five innings of one hit ball and gave up no earned runs to grab the victory.
Weston 6 Castor 5: The Lady Wolves rallied from a 5-4 deficit with a run in the sixth and another in the seventh to take the second win of the day over Castor in the contest that saw the two teams combine for 11 errors. After Castor had scored three in the bottom of the fifth take the lead Gracie Mudge alertly ended up on second base when her fly ball was misplayed by the Castor first baseman mishandled. McKenzie Hargrove then doubled to tie the score. Castor went three up and three down in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a double play started by shortstop Alaina Trosclair. After making the stellar play in the field, Trosclair then coaxed a two out walk and scored on a hard hit grounder to short by Jacie Ledford that was ruled an error. Emma Kate McBride, who threw a complete game four hitter, with only one earned run allowed, shut down Castor in order to preserve the win.
Class B Quitman continues to play giant killer. This past Saturday, February 26th the Wolverines beat Class 3A, South Beauregard 8-7 and Class 2A, Pickering 11-0 in the Many Tournament. Then on Friday and Saturday they beat Class 4A Grant 14-1 and Class 2A Buckeye. Sandwiched in between was a 8-7 loss to Grant this past Tuesday.
Quitman won the first two on the strength of two stellar pitching performances and an outstanding offensive attack. Ian Tilley threw a no-hitter over five innings against Pickering to win the tourney opener and Ty Simonelli pitched six strong innings to stake the Wolverines to an 8-1 lead over South Beauregard before tiring in the seventh to beat South Beauregard.
Logan Ponder was the offensive catalyst in tourney going 4/6 and getting three free passes while scoring five runs. Simonelli and Luke Morgan reached base five times over the two games with identical batting lines of one hit, two walks, getting hit by a pitch twice, stealing two bases and scoring three runs. Tilley rounded first four times on two hits and a pair of walks and two RBI followed by Cam Deal who got two hits, scored a run and knocked one in. Cam Hollis and Blake Carter scored twice as did Bryan Lay. Riley Duck walked three times.
After losing to Grant 8-7 on Tuesday, the Wolverines got revenge on Friday and in a big way. The 14-1 margin was the largest of the year to date. Ty Simonelli (3 RBI, 2 RS)), Cam Hollis (3 RS, RBI) and Blake Carter (2 RS, 2 RBI) all got two hits apiece, with Landyn Caskey (2 RS), Riley Duck (RBI) and Logan Ponder (3 RS, 2RBI) getting a hit. Simonelli got the win by tossing two hit ball and striking out 10 for the 5 inning victory.
Against Buckeye Ty Simonelli hit a triple and knocked in four to lead the way to a 12-1 victory. Riley Duck and Kyler West hit doubles and both Luke Morgan and Logan Ponder scored three runs each. Ponder went five innings for the victory
Quitman girls lose three of four
For the fifth straight game Quitman unleashed a ferocious offense attack but suddenly the hits quit falling against improved competition that led to defeat in three of the next four games. Following the 18-8 thrashing of Glenbrook the Lady Wolverines lost their first of the year against Class 5A Ruston by a 7-3 score. Another loss followed by a 4-1 score at the hands of Class 2A Buckeye. Quitman got back on track by beating Class 3A Jena but then fell 18-9 against Class 4A Neville.
Quitman 18 Glenbrook 8: Early on Glenbrook was giving it right back to tie the game at 8-8. Then Quitman’s freshman fireballer, Cali Deal, who was a Class B first team selection last year as an 8th grader, stepped to the circle and that ended that. Conversely Quitman would continue to pound the ball and score ten more runs to win 18-8 and up their record to 5-0. Class A Glenbrook fell to 0-3. Quitman’s returning first team All-Stater was pitching for the first time this season but looked in midseason form to pick up the win after scattering three hits and striking out six. She also reached base four times with a pair of hits and two walks. Maggie Guyotte paced the Wolverine attack with 3 hits and 3 RBI, with Averie Willams (2 RBI) and Madison Chaplin (2 RS) getting two hit each and Madeline Vail scoring three runs and knocking in two with a home run. Maddie Kaye Brymer, Skylar Hall (2 SB), Karley Huckaby (4 RBI) and Marley Bell (2 RBI) would all score a pair of runs each to round out the attack that accounted for 14 hits and 11 walks against Glenbrook pitching.
Ruston 7 Quitman 3: To all good things must come an end and thusly so did at five the Lady Wolverine season opening winning streak. Class 5A Ruston took advantage of an uncharacteristically wild performance by two Quitman hurlers and for the first time all season the Lady Wolverines had their bats silenced. Ruston jumped out to a 6-2 lead after two innings on a double and triple by A. Holton and C. Wilson made it hold up by allowing just six singles over seven innings. Maggie Guyotte took the loss. Quitman opened the game with Madeline Vail and Madison Chaplin getting singles. Vail scored on an error by the Ruston catcher with Chaplin coming around just a few pitches later, on a Guyotte groundball. That would be all the runs Quitman could muster until the fifth when Guyotte singled, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on a passed ball.
Buckeye 4 Quitman 1: After seven innings the score was tied 0-0. Then Buckeye shocked the Lady Wolverines with a three-run homer and scored another run to for the win. Quitman had taken the lead in the top half of the inning when Madison Chaplin drove in Madeline Vail.
Quitman 9 Jena 7: Cali Deal hit a home run and a double to drive in three and pitched seven innings for the win. Karley Huckaby and Averie Williams hit doubles and Madison Chaplin, Maddie Kaye Brymer, Maggie Guyotte all got two hits. Skylar Hall drove in two as well.
Neville 19 Quitman 9: Neville scored 11 runs in the top of the third to rally from an 8-4 deficit and followed that up with three more in the fifth to give Quitman their most lopsided loss of the year. Karley Huckaby hit a home run and Averie Williams, who had three hits, slapped a double as both had 2 RBI. Maggie Guyotte who took the complete game loss also had three hits with Maddie Kaye Brymer, Madison Chaplin and Madeline Vail chipping in with two hits apiece.
Tiger baseballers drop third straight
It went from bad to worse. The losing streak reached three straight after the season opening win for JHHS who fell 13-4 to Montgomery and then 22-1 against Grace Christian out of Alexandria in a contest that lasted just 2 ½ innings.
Montgomery 13 JHHS 4: The Tigers broke out to a 4-1 lead after two innings of play then got overwhelmed as four JHHS hurlers got roughed up for 11 hits, gave up 13 free passes and had 8 bases stolen against them. The defeat overshadowed a great day at the plate by Logan Smith who reached base in all four of his at bats, including getting three hits, one of which was a double. Waylon Evans went 2/3 with a double while Ethan Taylor and Dominick Strickland also had run scoring doubles. Julian Paggett and Jayden Qualles got a hit.
Grace Christian 22 JHHS 1: The road trip to Grace Christian was a long one, the longest on the schedule this year. It felt even longer coming back. That is because it took longer to get there than it did to play the game that lasted only 2 ½ innings before being called per the “mercy rule”. For the second straight game the Tigers broke on top as Marcus Thompson walked, stole second and scampered home on Dominick Strickland’s single. Then the bottom dropped out. Grace Christian out of district 6B ran their record to 6-1 after sending 21 batters to the plate and scored 17 runs in the bottom of the first inning. Everybody in the GC lineup scored and four tallied twice before the Tigers registered the first out as JHHS pitching gave up 8 hits and walked 9 batters in the frame. Jayden Qualles stroked a double, Logan Smith got a hit and Pierce Ulloa stole two bases for the Tigers.
The Jonesboro Board of Aldermen will meet at 6:00pm this Tuesday, March 8th at the Charles H. Garrett Community Center, located at 182 Industrial Drive in Jonesboro. Highlighting the agenda will be the discussion to approve changes in personnel of the Jonesboro Police Department.
The changes involve the resignation of Rob’Bresheen Goree and Harry Woolridge who have taken positions with other companies and the re-hiring of Eric Davis as a part-time officer. Additional action to be taken is in regard to an agreement made with Kenneth Folden about the town’s accounting and Converged Telephone Networks for telephones at City Hall.
The meeting will begin with the Board of Devin Flowers, Robbie Siadek, Pete Stringer, Nia-Evans Johnson and James Ginn being asked to approve the financial statements for December, 2021 and January, February of 2022. Department head reports and Mayor Leslie Thompson’s update will close the meeting along with final comments from the Town Council and the Mayor.
If you need American’s will Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations, you are asked to contact Town Hall prior to the meeting to make necessary arrangements.
Sometimes you just run across a team that is just better than you. All you can do is give it your best and when it is over, shake their hand and wish them luck. That was the fate for Jackson Parish Journal coverage area schools, JHHS and Saline High, this past Friday in the LHSAA quarterfinals as the pair lost to the top ranked team in their respective classifications.
At least they didn’t have to travel very far. JHHS ventured to Lakeview where they fell to the district 3-2A champion 79-57. Saline’s trip was even shorter as they went to defending Class B state champion, Simsboro and lost 81-62.
With the loss Jonesboro-Hodge finishes the 2021-22 boys basketball season with the Class AA quarterfinal loss and 19-8 overall record. The Tigers finished tied for first in district 1-2A play with a 5-1 record but was relegated to second place after dropping a one game playoff against North Caddo. The Class B quarterfinal defeat ends Saline’s year with a 18-19 overall record after finishing in second place in district 1B with a 4-2 mark.
Lakeview 79 JHHS 57: The Gators earned their spot in “Marsh Madness” which is what the state basketball tournament is fondly called. Lakeview won by methodically outscoring the Tigers a little bit more each quarter, leading by two, seven and finally 16 by the end of the third which put the game out of reach.
Tydre Malone kept JH close early on scoring seven of the Tigers 13 first quarter points. The second quarter found the sledding a little tougher as JH could only muster four baskets and 11 points to go into the half down 31-24.
Cameron Joe scored seven points on one of the three 3-pointers the Tigers made in the frame as JH turned in their best quarter offensively with 20 points. Zion Gray and Justin Calahan made the other two. Despite the increased scoring though the Tigers fell further behind as Lakeview exploded for 29 points to take a commanding 60-44 advantage heading into the final frame.
Malone led the Tigers with 18 points followed by 15 from Joe and 8 from Gray. District 3-2A champion, Lakeview, made 10 three pointers in the game as they improved their record to a sterling 29-4 on the year. Andre Sewell accounted for four of the “bombs” on the way to a game high 26 points.
#9 Jonesboro-Hodge (19-8)
13
11
20
13
57
#1 Lakeview (29-4)
15
16
29
19
79
(JHHS scoring) Malone 18, Joe 15, Zion Gray 8, Calahan 5, Leonard 4, Tew 3, Mozee 2, Phillips 2 (Lakeview scoring) Sewell 26, Howard 14, Jones 11, Taylor 9, Reliford 6, Holden 6, Pikes 5, Harris 2,
Simsboro 81 Saline 62: It is bad enough to have to win against the defending Class B state champion and top ranked team this year. The task was even harder given the fact that Simsboro was playing on their home floor where they haven’t lost to a Class B or below school in four years. It became impossible when one of Saline’s top players, Titus Malone, went down to injury midway through the second half.
What was the biggest factor of all though was the 34 points that Chilaydrien Newton put up in front of the home folks. The standout playmaker lit Saline up for 11 first quarter points, outscoring the entire Bobcat team by two all by himself.
Newton added 8 more to his total in the second frame that saw Nick Maryland get into the act with nine to give Saline a commanding 42-26 lead at the break. It would have been worse than that were it not for Stephen Brown, who continued his impressive late season scoring surge by draining three, 3 pointers in the second quarter giving him 13 points at the half.
The Bobcats clawed their way closer in the third through a solid team effort that saw all five starters score, led by 8 from Ethan Roberts and five by Malone. Simsboro then put the game away by scoring nine baskets to three for Saline in the final frame.
“We knew it would be tough to come in here and get a win. To their credit, they played well,” said Saline head coach Klint Robinson. “I also want to say how much I appreciate the sportsmanship Coach Brown and his team showed after the game, especially Nick Maryland. This young man made it a point to come over and speak to our hurt player and offer his condolences. That was a class act.”
#9 Saline (18-19)
9
17
23
13
62
#1 Simsboro (31-3)
21
21
20
19
81
(Saline scoring) Brown 19, Roberts 15, Malone 9, Jackson 7, Staggs 7, Jones 3, Ledbetter 1, Crawford 1 (Simsboro scoring) Newton 34, Crawford 13, Maryland 12, Abney 9, Brantley 7, Wright 6
A friend in need is a friend indeed. This means that a friend who helps you when you really need help is a true friend. Jackson Parish Sheriff Andy Brown proved that he is a true friend of the Jonesboro Police Department (JPD) this past week when through the Sheriff’s Office he donated a new Ford SUV to the JPD.
“I would like to thank Sheriff Brown for another vehicle donation,” said JPD Police Chief James “Spike” Harris. ” We appreciate him and Chief Deputy Brent Barnett coming to our aid in time of need!”
Carolyn Sue (Moore) Crawley, age 89 of Jonesboro, made her trip to her Heavenly home on Friday, March 4, 2022. Carolyn is a Jackson Parish native and a retired school librarian. She graduated with a Masters degree from Louisiana Tech. She was married to Bobbie Charles Crawley in 1954 and they enjoyed 61 loving years together.
She enjoyed following the Lady Techsters where ever they were playing. Carolyn will be best remembered for the 35 years that she was a high school librarian and was a dedicated member of the Jackson Parish Library Board. She also loved her church and her church family dearly at Siloam Springs Community Church. Her smile and kindness were contagious to others and she will be missed by all who loved and knew her.
Carolyn is survived by her nephew, Billy R. Moore and wife, Lana; niece, Pam Joiner and husband, Ernie; great nephews and niece, Corby Bennett Moore, Jason Edward Murray (Ginger), Casey Moore (Christie), Carly Marie Moore; sister-in-law, Betty Hall; cousin, Valerie Walker Tew; her sweet fur babies, Rosie (the poodle), Tom (the cat); a host of other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Bobbie Charles Crawley; parents, Holt Armon and Georgia Evelyn (Gordon) Moore; brother, Billy Joe Moore; nephew, Dennis Armon Moore; great niece, Katie Martin Moore.
Visitation for Carolyn will be on Monday, March 7, 2022, at Siloam Springs Community Church from 1:00pm-2:00pm. A graveside service will be held at 2:00pm with Reverend Wayne Morrow officiating. Burial will follow under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home.
Serving the family as pallbearers will be Grover Mann, Ernie Joiner, Corby Moore, Jason Murray, Casey Moore, Guyton Moore.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the caregivers that took such great care of Carolyn. Special thank you to Teresa McCaskle, Nettie Sharbano, Liz Shumake, Terri Dye, Lynda Bayles.
It was a happy time and a sad time, all at the same time. The reason was a local culinary era came to an end this past Friday when “Aunt Betty” Morgan retired from the Southern Classic Restaurant in Jonesboro. The cause for the happiness was the celebration friends, family and co-workers had. The reason for the sadness is that the Jonesboro icon won’t be around anymore to put her touch on what is commonly known as the best chicken in north Louisiana.
If you know “Aunt Betty” as she is fondly called, you are lucky. There has never been a day that she didn’t greet you with a wonderful smile and kind words. To make things even better she made sure that if you ever had the chance to eat at the restaurant, you are even luckier. Thanks to her touch and supervision, according to a survey conducted by a representative of KEEL 710 radio in Shreveport last fall, the Southern Classic in Jonesboro was regarded as the best chicken outlet in north Louisiana. That is something that folks in Jackson Parish knew all along.
Weston’s Caleb Waters will continue his baseball career at Bossier Parish Community College. The senior made it official this past Wednesday with a signing ceremony at Weston High in front of family, friend and teammates.
The Cavaliers, led by head coach Bobby Gilliam, competes in the Region XIV Athletic Conference where they finished with an 11-14 conference record and 23-22 overall in 2021. Waters brings tremendous versatility to the team as a standout second baseman who can also pitch while supplying a power stroke and at the same time having tremendous speed.
After seven games this year Waters is hitting .615 with 3 home runs, two triples, and a double in 13 official at bats, while stealing 5 bases and scoring 15 runs and knocking in 13 more. On the mound Waters has won both games he started and given by striking out 13 batters and giving up only three hits in nine innings while allowing not a single earned run.
In the February 27th edition of the Jackson Parish Journal, it was reported that Hodge, LA resident David Womack had been disqualified as Jackson Parish, District D, Justice of the Peace. More details have since emerged regarding the reasoning behind the disqualification and why it was granted on an interim basis.
On February 14th, 2022, the Supreme Court of Louisiana approved a motion submitted as file #21-378 by the Judiciary Commission. The motion requested that David D. Womack be disqualified, without salary, from exercising all judicial functions of the office of Jackson Parish District D Justice of the Peace on an interim basis pending final disposition of judicial disciplinary proceedings.
These proceedings are due to Womack being charged on December 7, 2021, in the Second Judicial District Court on one count of Non-Consensual Disclosure of a Private Image, which is a violation of La. R. S. 14:283.2 and one count of Obscenity. (La. R. S. 14:106A(8)(a)
Womack requested his disqualification be ordered on an interim basis, effective February 17th, 2022, citing that the existence of matters pending before him would be more efficiently resolved now rather than after an appointment of a pre-tempore Justic of the Peace.
The Judiciary Commission did not oppose the request in the interest of obtaining an Order of Interim Disqualification expeditiously, given the inherent time delays in moving for interim disqualification without Womack’s consent.
What does leading the nation in solo tackles and the state in three defensive categories get you? Offers play college football! Lots of them and even though you have committed to a major college they keep coming
This past week Jonesboro-Hodge High School linebacker and University of Missouri commit Xavier Atkins received a couple of more offers for his services. One came from Oklahoma State of the Big 12, another from Mississippi State of the SEC and still another from Southland Conference member, the University of Incarnate Word. Being that Atkins is a member of the Class of 2024, many more are certainly to follow.
After a breakout sophomore season where Atkins led the nation with 180 solo tackles and the state of Louisiana with 219 total tackles, solo tackles and 27 tackles for a loss, his exploits immediately started to draw attention. First there was the offer to visit LSU this past winter. Then the University of Missouri came calling and received a commitment for his services. Being that he still has two years left to play that hasn’t deterred others from continuing to woo the talented 6’1″ 190 lb. Class AA first team All-State linebacker.
“I feel blessed and thankful to be considered by these schools,” said Atkins. “It is my goal to continue to work hard and hopefully help JHHS win a state championship.”
The most satisfying thing I have accomplished in my lifetime of hunting has to be the completion of my wild turkey Grand Slam in 2003.
There is another grand slam I have to my credit that I’ve thought little about. In fact, I’ve completed this feat several times, as far as I can recall. This “grand slam”, while not gaining me but a snippet of the acclaim I got from my wild turkey slam, was legitimate and what is significant about that is that I got the series of slams all right here in my home state.
What am I talking about? Catfish. I’ve been successful in landing the four species of catfish that live in Louisiana’s fresh waters – the flathead, blue, channel, and bullhead, and I’ve done it several times over.
If you fish at all within the waters of Louisiana, you have no doubt duplicated my feat; you’ve caught all four species at one time or other and you probably never even thought of the possibility that you gained a measure of notoriety by landing a Louisiana Grand Slam of catfish.
Let’s examine more closely the four species that make up the Bayou State Catfish Grand Slam.
FLATHEAD CATFISH
There is no way to pin down the absolutely best spot to catch a flathead catfish in Louisiana because they inhabit practically all of our lakes, rivers and larger streams. These are the fish mostly sought after by anglers bent on a night of “setting out hooks”. A trotline or several limb lines are baited with live bait, such as bream, small bullheads or goldfish, with a return trip the following morning to see what’s there. Finding a 40 pounder on your hook is not at all uncommon.
BLUE CATFISH
If you are looking for genuine heavyweights, blue catfish, especially those that inhabit our larger lakes and rivers, can grow to extreme sizes. Ancient records boast of blue catfish weighing in the 250-300 pound range although the Louisiana record, caught in the Mississippi River in 1997, tipped the scales at 105 pounds. Again, no doubt larger specimens have been taken on trotlines and set hooks. Blue catfish can be caught on a variety of baits, from live or cut shad to big crawfish to stink baits containing tainted chicken blood or rancid cheese. Blue cats are the primary target of commercial fishermen but are also sought by recreational anglers.
CHANNEL CATFISH
When it comes to popularity, no catfish approaches the channel cat in popularity. These are the filets and small fiddlers you find on the platter at catfish restaurants all across the state. While these fish are generally pond raised, which controls their diet, wild caught channel catfish are also delicious on the table. Around Louisiana, they are everywhere. Blindfold yourself, take a Louisiana map and jab a finger anywhere on the map and chances are, your digit is resting near a good spot to catch channel cats.
BULLHEAD CATFISH
While Louisiana keeps no records on bullheads, the largest ever caught and entered in the records weighed about 9 pounds and was caught in Michigan. Those we caught as boys on Molido Creek down home weren’t called bullheads; they were “mud cats” to us. Perhaps it was that name that caused us to shy away from them when they ended up on the table. Bullheads live in practically every lake, pond, creek or slow-moving bayou all over the state. They are easy to catch and when cleaned properly and soon after being caught, they can be rather tasty when fried up golden brown.
Completing a wild turkey Grand Slam is quite a feat. A Louisiana Catfish Grand Slam is not so bad itself.
FISHING REPORT
CANEY LAKE – The big bass have really showed out this week with five over 10 pounds reported. Largest two were a 13.21 pounder caught by Dusty Nomey and a 13.1 pound fish caught by Jerry King. Jigs, creature baits, crank baits and soft plastics seem to be working best. Some nice crappie are being caught mostly out from the dam in deep water on shiners or jigs. No report on bream or catfish. For information contact Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707. BUSSEY BRAKE – Big news this week involves Shane Hodge, Farmerville, who landed a 3.65 pound white crappie that when certified will likely be the second largest white crappie ever caught in Louisiana. BLACK BAYOU – Fishing is slow. No report this week. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information. OUACHITA RIVER – The river is on a rise and fishing has been slow this week. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707. LAKE D’ARBONNE – A good many crappie are being caught and most are still along the edges of the deeper channels. Some nice sized slabs are being caught on shiners or jigs. Bass fishing has been off and on as they are trying to move up as water temperatures warm and then headed back deep when temperatures drop. Bream fishing has not yet kicked off for this year, but catfish are still biting cold worms fished off the banks. For latest reports, call Anderson’s Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707. LAKE CLAIBORNE – Crappie fishing continues to be best fishing shiners in deep water out from the dam while some have been caught on yo-yos baited with shiners back in the creeks. Also, some are being caught around deep submerged brush on shiners or jigs. Bass fishing has been best with anglers starting shallow and moving deeper until they find the fish. Spinners and lizards are picking up a few. Catfish are biting cold worms. No report on bream or stripers. For latest information, call Misty at Kel’s Cove at 331-2730 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498. LAKE POVERTY POINT – Catfishing has been good on cold worms with mostly frying sized fish caught. Crappie fishing has improved on the north end of the lake on shiners and jigs. No report on bass or bream. For latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.
Mr. Edward Franklin Price, age 76 of Jonesboro, passed away Sunday, March 6, 2022 following a period of declining health. Mr. Price was born in Freeport, Texas and was a graduate of Ouachita Parish High School. He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war. Mr. Price was an accomplished police officer serving the Jonesboro and the Hodge police departments for many years. He then relocated to Raymond, Mississippi where he was elected Chief of Police for Raymond where he eventually retired from that position and returned to Jonesboro. He enjoyed belonging to shooting clubs and fishing as his recreation. The greatest joy that he had in life was spending time with his family.
Kevin Al Pardue, age 72 of Paradis, passed from this life into the next on Friday, March 4, 2022. Kevin grew up in Weston, Louisiana and graduated from Weston High School. He married his sweetheart, Pamela Rentz, on August 7, 1970 and they were blessed with 51 years of marriage. Kevin was always a hard working man that loved his family dearly. In his younger days, you might find Kevin out enjoying the great outdoors doing some hunting and fishing when he found an opportunity to take a break.
Carolyn Sue (Moore) Crawley, age 89 of Jonesboro, made her trip to her Heavenly home on Friday, March 4, 2022. Carolyn is a Jackson Parish native and a retired school librarian. She graduated with a Masters degree from Louisiana Tech. She was married to Bobbie Charles Crawley in 1954 and they enjoyed 61 loving years together.
