The technical issues that the Jackson Parish Journal is experiencing is expected to be resolved by Wednesday. Tlhe situation was thought to be resolved which allowed for a portion to be published today but then the problem resurfaced. Thank you for your patience through this trying ordeal.
The tree has been lit, the Parade has been run and the fireworks exploded. Christmas in the Pines, one of north Louisiana’s favorite holiday festivals that will draw thousands of visitors to Jonesboro to see the millions of lights that adorn the town of Jonesboro has officially begun.
The festivities began this past Wednesday evening with the lighting of the Christmas tree that is on the Courthouse lawn. Commemorating the event was the Jackson Parish Gifted and Talented Music Group who led the crowd that had gathered to witness the lighting of the tree with Christmas carols.
On Saturday, Grand Marshall Bart Waggoner was introduced with a Coffee in his honor that took place at the Jonesboro City Hall followed by the annual Parade that was well attended despite the rain that fell continually. Several concerts, including one performed by the student choir of JP Gifted and Talented Music Group, Cornerstone Christian Academy, and Gracepoint Christian Academy students took place in the afternoon at the First Baptist Church in Jonesboro took place in the afternoon followed by a fireworks display that evening.
Activities continue throughout December leading up to Christmas with Santa being at his “house” located on the corner of 4th Stree and Polk Avenue in Jonesboro each Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5:00pm – 9:00pm. Carriage rides will also be available in the evenings on those days.
The Jimmie Davis State Park was featured on the KTVE-MyArkLaMiss special Destination Louisiane on Saturday. See below for a reprint of article that was published and video that ran that was authored by Aysha Decuir and Christina Jensen.
CHATHAM, La. (KTVE/KARD) — The Jimmie Davis State Park is located in Chatham, Louisiana. Some call it a waterfront refuge.
“Come early when you come in the summer because you will want a spot and you will want to enjoy the beach and enjoy this area of the park,” said Fouad Harb, District 3 Manager for Northern Region State Parks.
The state park is popular with families, cyclists, campers, fishermen and boaters.
“People come here with the primary purpose, they want to fish, they want to catch those nice, tasty beautiful fish in the state. Crappie, a visitor caught the largest size crappie in the park and the second largest bass was also caught here,” said Harb.
Hikers and bikers can also enjoy scenic areas.
“There is a kids hiking area, we also have a disc golf trail that is being finalized and it’s around 2 and a half miles long and that can also be for hiking,” said Harb.
The park also features lakefront cabins, group lodges or RV camp spots.
“This park has a very nice beautiful RV site and many of them oversee the water. We have 17 cabins here and we also have two lodges. We don’t only get people from the state, we get snowbirds people from out of state,” said Harb.
The park opened in the fall of 1996 and was originally named Caney Creek Lake State Park.
In 2003, it was renamed in honor of two-term governor Jimmie H. Davis.
To view the video segment click here.
Weston High Schoolinvites you to come and celebrate the presentation of the 2022 Homecoming Court at 5:30 pm on Friday, December 2nd. The festivities will be conducted in the WHS gymnasium prior to the boys basketball game against Choudrant High School. Being crowned as Homecoming King and Queen is Mitchel Mathews and Emma Kate McBride. The Maids and their Escorts are:
Senior Class:
Heili Bryant
Bra’naja Burns
Kinleigh Harvey
Landon Lutrick
Bryan McMillan
Dillon Pardue
Junior Class:
Baylee Broomfield
Alaina Trosclair
Quetzal Webster
Tayton Culpepper
Cooper Delaney
Rylee McBride
Sophomore Class:
Anslee Aldy
Olivia Marsh
Jacob Gill
Bryce Zehr
Freshman Class:
Jakayla Fourd
Arianna Marsh
Colton Blundell
Kason Roberts
The Thanksgiving holiday is a reminder to all to be thankful for all we have received. Thanks to the benevolence of a local youth group, residents of Jackson, MS not only celebrated the weekend by counting their blessings of the past but what they have just received.
The beleagured city has been dealing with problems with their drinking water over the past several weeks but in a true act of benevolence, Making Provisions for All Children, Inc. (MPAC) a local youth organization founded and operated by Jackson Parish Police Jury member, Tarneshala “Niki” Cowans, came to their aid by bringing pallets of drinking water to be distributed.
“Mr. Stanley Welsey, the distributor there said that although the water has gotten better they still have a long road ahead of them,” said Cowans. “We wanted to do something to make a difference for them and I appreciate all the support we received.”
MPAC is an upcoming youth organization that is geared to giving the local community’s youth a place to be empowered and help them enjoy being young. If you would like to be a part of this tremendous movement, contact Ms. Cowans at (318)475-0893.
Region 8 directors of the Louisiana Department of Health announce that Vaccinations will be offered from 8:00am – 4:30pm beginning on Wednesday, November 30, and running through Friday, December 2 at the Jackson Parish Health Unit, located at 228 Bond Street in Jonesboro. To schedule an appointment call (318) 259-6601. Also, from 10:30 – 12:00pm on the following Monday, December 5th, you can get COVID-19 and Flu vaccines at the Jackson Parish Council on Aging, located at 120 Polk Avenue in Jonesboro.
He operates a successful deer processing business; he is a garbage man; he teaches concealed firearms classes, he is a farmer who sells his produce; he is an award winning author; he is pastor of his church. And he does all this while being blind. Yes, you read it right; Ben Dupree is functionally blind.
Dupree is a 42 year old graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches with a master’s degree in education.
“After college I began work as a teacher, basketball coach and assistant principal. Then I began having these strange problems with my eyes. I had 20-20 vision but I began having difficulty keeping my eyelids open and I sought medical treatment. I was finally diagnosed with a rare condition, Blephrospasm, a condition that forced my eyelids to close,” Dupree explained.
“I go to Shreveport quarterly to have injections around my eyes so they can stay open.”
After doing something he was trained for in the education system that he absolutely loved, he was forced to have to give it all up after 10 years because of the diagnosis; he was declared functionally blind.
Kristin, Ben’s wife and mother of their two sons, is a registered nurse and the couple was faced with a “what’s next?” dilemma.
“Kristin encouraged me to do something I had always wanted to do, and that’s write a book. So I did and I eventually won an Excellence in Craft award from the Louisiana Outdoor Writer’s Association. I was a commercial fisherman for awhile, I cut and sold firewood and then I got into deer processing. The first year I processed a few deer for friends, an activity that took
place in my wife’s kitchen but she thought it best that I find another place to cut up deer and make sausage. My dad helped me construct a building in our back yard and from something that started simply five years ago, K&B Processing is in a fully operational building with concrete floor, drains and a custom trolly system and I expect to process 400 to 500 this season,” said
Dupree.
Serious health problems forced Kristin to have to give up her job in the nursing profession as a nursing instructor and today, she’s at home keeping records and handling book keeping for the family businesses. Sons Reagan, 15 and Michael 12, are home schooled and assist Dupree in his deer processing business and they take turns on Wednesdays helping their dad on the weekly garbage run, which was the next venture he explored.
The idea of developing a garbage collecting system for folks in the community took shape and today, Dupree has 92 customers throughout north Natchitoches Parish, furnishing cans and drum liners with each Wednesday designated as garbage collection day, garbage taken to the land fill in Natchitoches.
“I’m the only garbage man I know who has a master’s degree,” he quipped.
Rev. Jason Womack, pastor of Goldonna Baptist Church was called to pastor a church in another community recently and before he left, he advised Dupree, who is a licensed minister, to expect to be asked to be interim pastor.
“The church did ask me to consider the interim position which Kristin and I prayed about and I felt led to do. Then the church voted, in a unanimous vote, to call me as pastor. I explained that with all the businesses that I operate, they would have to consider me a bi-vocational pastor and they agreed,” he said.
He might have had to give up his profession of being an educator because of his functional blindness but being a renaissance man, he fits the definition of the word exactly…”a person with many talents or areas of knowledge.”
BLACK BAYOU – Crappie fishing has improved on jigs and shiners. No report on bass or bream. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707 for the latest information.
BUSSEY BRAKE – Bass fishing continues to be quite good with the best catches made on fake frogs around the pads. A couple of fish over 10 have been reported along with several 8 and 9-pounders. Crappie fishing has been good also on jigs or shiners.
OUACHITA RIVER – The water is low with no current and fishing has in general been fairly shown. A few crappie have been caught and catfish are fair on jugs and in traps. For the latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Crappie fishing had continued to be good along the edges of the deeper channels on shiners or jigs. Bass fishing has improved along the channel edges on crankbaits with the Corney Creek area producing the best. in the channels on shiners. Bream are slow while catfish are biting cold worms fished off the banks. For the latest information, call Anderson Sport
Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Crappie fishing has been good in the deeper channels with shiners seeming to be preferred over jigs. Bass has been fair fishing crankbaits off the points. A few catfish have been caught on cold worms. The bream and stripers are slow. For the latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
CANEY LAKE – Best bass fishing has been fishing deep water with jigging spoons and tail spinners working best. Soft plastics and deep diving crank baits have been producing some of the bigger bass in the 7 to 8-pound range. Crappie fishing continues to be the best fishing the deep tops 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.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Crappie fishing has improved both around the slips and on the lower end of the lake on shiners or jigs. Catfishing has been good on a variety of baits. No report on bass or bream. For the latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is quite low. While both crappie and bass fishing has been fair, some really big fish are being caught. No report on bream or catfish. For information, call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.
The Weston High Cross Country Youth Team held thier year end banquest recently where head coach and sponsor Cyndi Pardue handed out several awards to her team. Each member of the team received medals while several others who were deserving earned special awards. The varsity team also took part in the celebration but will receive their awards at the spring athletic banquet in May.
“I am so proud of all our young participants who gave it their all this fall,” said Pardue. “I would like to thank all the parents and sponsores for helping us throughout the season and special thanks goes to Ebenezer Baptist Church for letting us use their church gym for our celebration.”
MVP or (most valuable runner): Anna Pardue and Miriam Shuler. They both placed in the top 10 at every meet this year.
Most Improved- Jax Davis, Cameron Pardue, Rylee Sonnier, and Landry Thomas
100% award- Elsie Flynn, Brooklyn Johnson, Eli Jones, and Jeremiah Jones
Best Teammate- Aubrie Allen and Sam Jones
Biggest Heart- Raegan Hall, James Lewis
Mark your calendar for this upcoming Holiday Workshop, December 2 at Jackson Parish Library/Chatham branch. Three LSU AgCenter Area Nutrition Agents, Shannan Lang Chevallier, Cathy Schimmel Judd, and Kimberlyn Jones will help you get ready for the holiday by sharing holiday recipes and delicious food samples. Please call 318-249-2980 to reserve your spot.
It doesn’t matter how good you think you are or how many tournaments you have won, there will come a time when you just can’t figure the fish out and you come to the scales with nothing. This is the number one fear amongst all anglers who fish in tournaments. Anglers will literally wake up in a cold sweat at night when they have this nightmare. But let’s take a deeper look at the psyche of what goes through an angler’s mind as the day unfolds and they come in with no fish in the live well.
Very few times an angler left the ramp on tournament day because he did not feel good about his game plan. Most anglers usually have a good idea about what and how they’ll catch them on that particular day. But as the day unfolds and the clock is ticking, if an angler does not have fish in the live well by 10:00 AM, at some point he starts to second guess his game plan. He starts thinking (which is usually not a good thing) about how he should have started out deep rather than shallow, how he should have thrown a topwater bait early instead of a worm. Maybe he should have run up the lake instead of staying on the south end or how he should have fished the grass instead of the bushes. But no matter what, pressure starts to build especially when the clock strikes one o’clock with no fish in the box and a weigh-in time of three o’clock. For me, I tell myself, “If I’m going to catch them, I’ve only got two hours to figure them out!”
The next thing you know it’s two o’clock and you still have nothing to show for all the casts you’ve made. It’s at this point most anglers start to panic and start to visualize coming to the weigh-in with a big fat zero. You start to fish too fast and make bad casts, you get hung up more often and have to go and retrieve your bait in places you can’t get to. So, then you end up breaking off whatever bait you’re throwing, with the internal clock in your head moving faster, as you waste even more time looking for another bait and having to re-rig. It’s during these high-pressure times that you backlash a reel so bad that you have to put it away so that you can cut the backlash out when you get home. Then with only minutes to go, you hook the fish of a lifetime, only to watch it come off and swim away right before you get ready to swing it into the boat. A fitting end to a very frustrating day!
Then it’s time to head for the weigh-in and you hope everyone is gone by the time you get there…but that’s never the case. It’s funny how when you have twenty pounds of fish in the live well, no one ever asks how you did. But when you have zero, it seems everyone in the tournament, including their grandma, wants to know what you’ve got. But oh, the shame and embarrassment of having to say, “Zero!” It just doesn’t get any worse than that! So, it’s at this time you head straight for the boat ramp, load your boat, tuck your tail between your legs, pull your cap down low so maybe no one recognizes you, and head home. If you want to see who did not catch fish that day, watch the parking lot at the ramp and see just how fast an angler can load his boat and get out of there.
Hope you enjoyed hearing about the misery of what an angler goes through on those days when he just doesn’t catch them. But the thing that’s great about the end of a tournament is it means there’s an opportunity for redemption at the next event. Forget it and move on because that tournament is over and there’s nothing you can do to change the outcome of that event. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget your sunscreen.
Steve Graf
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show
Tackle Talk Live
NOTE: Pam Ford Davis publishes Devotionals in Mature Living Magazine, Devotions for the Deaf, The Secret Place, Coosa Journal, Mary Hollingsworth’s The One Year Devotional of Joy and Laughter, Jo Krueger’s Every Day in God’s Word. You can find more of her inspirational work at::
http://www.pamforddavis.com
http://www.faithwriters.com/member-profile.php?
To have your job opportunities, business services, items, or any Legal/Public Notices, Advertisements for Bid, Requests for Proposals, and/or Quotes listed – send an email to: jpjjacksonla@gmail.com
Stump Removal and Grinding: Call James Stewart at (318) 243-1009 or (318) 768-2554 for your stump removal and grinding needs. Free Estimates!
Book – “100-year history of JHHS football” Comprehensive year-by-year description of the first 100 years (1919-2019) of JHHS football. Includes categorial individual and team top ten rankings. Perfect Christmas gift for that family member or friend who would enjoy remembering their “glory days”. The cost is $25.00 per book plus $3.00 for shipping and handling. To order call (318) 480-1206.
Commemorative Plates – Beautifully etched china plates commemorating Jonesboro-Hodge High School and Jackson Parish. To order contact Wilda Smith at (318) 426-6511 or Barbara Johnson at (318) 450-5561.
Due to unforeseen technical difficulties, the Jackson Parish Journal will not publish today – Sunday, November 27, 2022.
The Jackson Parish Journal will proudly resume publishing on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at 6:55 a.m.
Make sure to get your news at 6:55 a.m. every day of the week in the fall by subscribing for FREE by clicking HERE.
All JPJ articles are free and always will be free!
After months of pre-planning and meetings, Jeff Glover, managing partner of the MGM Development Group has reported that final closure on the long awaited financing package took place this past Friday and that construction is now officially set to begin next week on the Jonesboro Senior Village. A drive down Industrial Drive in Jonesboro shows that clearing the land has already taken place for the planned 50 unit, gated, certified green retirement community. Plans call for the expected the developmentto be completed by late 2023.
“I can’t tell you how happy we are that we have finally been able to get the financial package pushed through,” said Glover. “I am very excited that soon we will see actual construction on the development begin.”
During August through May, except for holiday periods, hundreds of youth from across Jackson Parish get up in the early hours of the morning during the week and make their way to school. Some ride a bus. Others are taken by family members or friends. Then some are older that drive themselves. They come in all shapes and sizes, colors and creeds, ranging from wee little, pre-K kids to tweens and teens, yet they are all the same in the sense that they are students who are doing what they have to do to get their education.
That is, except for a select few.
These are the ones who don’t just go to school because it is required, always looking at the clock wishing the class would get over and the last bell would ring. They aren’t the ones who have a bad attitude, are always late to class, and never have their lessons done on time.
These are the ones who apply themselves and pay attention to what is being taught because they want to learn. These are the ones who do the little extra things and offer to assist their classmates, their teachers, and the school’s administration. These aren’t the ones that examples aren’t made of, but the ones who set the example of what a student should be like.
These are the ones who have risen above the norm to stand alone among their peers.
These are the ones who have been selected as Student of the Year!
This past week the Student of the Year was selected at Jonesboro-Hodge High School and for the Elementary, Junior High, and Senior High divisions at Quitman High School.
Logan Wiggins – Jonesboro-Hodge High School: An exemplary student, Wiggins is a two-sport athlete, who earned 1-2A All-District honors last spring and is the returning MVP of the Tiger baseball team. The senior also was a member of the JHHS football team this past fall. Upon graduation, Wiggins will serve in the United States Armed Services, having enlisted this past September.
Blake Carter – Quitman High School: The son of Matt and Angela Carter is a standout two-sport star for the QHS baseball and basketball teams and has been a member of BETA since he was in the 6th grade. He is an outstanding student that has maintained a 4.0 GPA during high school and his peers look up to him as a leader and a role model. Blake is a New Prospect Baptist Church member and plans to attend La Tech University and major in Sports Marketing.
Libby Morgan – Quitman Junior High: The 8th-grade daughter of John and Tracey Morgan maintains a 4.0 GPA and is a phenomenal student. She is a co-captain of the junior high cheer squad having already been named All-American three times and won the “Pin It Forward” award twice at the competition. Libby also competes for the QHS tennis team and is a member of the Beta Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). She is an active member of Sweetwater Baptist Church where she is currently involved with her favorite outreach program, Operation Christmas Child. In her free time, she enjoys painting & visiting with friends.
Ella Simonelli – Quitman Elementary: The daughter of Michael and April Simonelli is in the 5th grade, holds a 4.0 grade point average, and is very active in sports. She is a member of LA Gunsmoke, which is an elite 10U independent softball travel squad, and has represented Jackson Parish for the past 4 years on summer All-Star teams, including being an integral part of the 2021 Little League 8U State Runner-Up squad. Ella also plays in the Jackson Parish Recreation Department Youth Basketball League and is a huge fan of the Lady Wolverines junior high and varsity basketball teams. She is a member of Sweetwater Baptist Church and is in the Children’s Choir.
When coaches think about a prep basketball season, one way they look at it is by breaking it down into different sections. First, there is the early season before the Thanksgiving holiday break kick in. Normally that will run between 8-12 games depending on how many a school plays in the various tournaments they enter. Then there is roughly the same number of games that will be played up to the Christmas break followed by the stretch run which is composed of a few games followed by the district schedule.
With the first “section” in the bag, let’s take a look at how the girls and boys at Quitman and Weston fared along with who is leading in individual statistical categories. if you are wondering about Jonesboro-Hodge, they don’t play their first game until November 29th.
Weston girls: With a 10-1 record, the Lady Wolves claim the most wins in the first section of the season. Weston set a new school record for the start of a season by winning their first nine games and their impressive 63.2 points per game scoring average are more points than ever before at this stage of the season. Currently ranked #10 in Division V, where so many small school powers reside, the Lady Wolves are the highest-ranked team from North Louisiana.
Quitman girls: While at 7-2 the record is not quite as good as their fellow neighboring district 1B rival, Quitman’s strength of schedule, especially in the last five games, makes their mark just as impressive. The two losses are to a pair of south Louisiana powers and last week the Lady Wolverines took down Class 2A Winnfield and perennial Class A power Ouachita Christian, who over the last 3+ seasons has compiled a 96-8 record. At #19 in the Division V power ratings, the Lady Wolverines are the 4th highest-ranked team in north Louisiana.
Quitman boys: Win one, lose one, win again! That has been the season story for the Wolverines to date en route to their 5-4 record. Being the fact that only three games have been played at home, including two at their “|new” home, the JHHS gymnasium while their gym is getting renovated the record is pretty impressive.
Weston boys: The Wolves started the season by losing their first four but have shown improvement by winning two of the last four as losses of key personnel played a big role in the slow start. The future is promising as the problem with scoring seems to be rectified. After averaging only 41 points per game over the first four contests, Weston averaged 60.25 in the last four. against a stronger schedule.
Girls Individual Stat Leaders
| CATEGORY | FIRST | SECOND |
| Points per game | Emma Kate McBride (WHS) – 14.6 | Cali Deal (QHS) – 14.4 |
| Rebounds per game | Briley Peterson (WHS) – 9.6 | Cali Deal (QHS) – 7.0 |
| Assists per game | Emma Kate McBride (WHS) – 3.9 | Bethany Leach (QHS) 2.8 |
| Steal per game | Lainee Trosclair (WHS) – 3.0 | Briley Peterson (WHS) – 2.9 |
| Three Pointers made | Bethany Leach (QHS) – 33 | Lainee Trosclair (WHS) – 27 |
Boys Individual Stat Leaders
| CATEGORY | FIRST | SECOND |
| Points per game | Bryce Zehr (WHS) – 12.7 | Logan Ponder (QHS) – 12.0 |
| Rebounds per game | Blake Carter (QHS) – 10.1 | n/a |
Jack McFarland, Louisiana House Representative for District 13 which encompasses Bienville, Jackson, Ouachita, and Winn parishes announces that as of November 17th and stemming from legislation he authored earlier this year that the “Greaux the Good” farmers market match program has been launched.
What the “Greaux the Good” program does is create a match program for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) which benefits both consumers and vendors who can now buy local farm products and support local businesses.
“I am proud of being able to bring all sides to the table to create this great program to help our families and businesses. With 27,000 farm operations in Louisiana, agriculture is one of the top economic drivers in the state. Of those, a little over 1,000 operate as ddirect-to-consumer” said McFarland. “Unfortunately, many families were shut out of this access to quality farm products due to economic reasons. This hurt our local businesses and contributed to Louisiana’s generally poor health outcomes. With the renewed interest and growth in farmers’ markets, many families have been able to improve their health while simultaneously supporting local businesses.”
If you operate a farm, here is the link to become a partner in the Greaux the Good Program: https://greauxthegoodla.org/become-a-partner
On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, the Louisiana Department of Education released the 2021-2022 school performance scores for the state’s public K 12 schools and systems. To the delight of the Jackson Parish School District and Superintendent David Claxton, the three high schools in Jackson Parish, (JHHS, Quitman & Weston) earned a cumulative score average of 80.2, which relates to a B average.
“I would like to congratulate all our faculty, staff, students, and parents for their hard work to help increase our district performance score for the past two years. I would also like to recognize the support our community has shown us over the years. I appreciate everyone for everything that you do for Jackson Parish schools,” – JPSD Superintendent, David Claxton
The scores of each school were the highest recorded since the Covid pandemic that began in 2019 and the third consecutive year that scores have risen. Individually, Quitman High School led the way with an 87.0 average followed by Weston High at 80.2 and JHHS at 73.5. In addition, Weston High School was noted as a Top Gains Honoree among all Louisiana High Schools, while Quitman High showed an impressive 5.8-point improvement.
Every year on the last Saturday of November, the annual Christmas Wonderland in the Pines ushers the holiday season into the town of Jonesboro, Louisiana. With over 5 million Christmas lights dotting the small town, visitors flock from all over the state and region to experience the charming southern community.
On Monday, the television personality who broadcasts the ever popular Where in the ArkLaTex is Rick Rowe feature weekly on KTBS – Channel 3 was in Jonesboro to promote the annual gala event. He arrived to a large throng of Christmas Festival supporters who braved the cold and sang Christmas Carols on Main Street as a backdrop to the segment.
To see the video in it’s entirity click here.
You can also see another video of the event that was filmed locally by clicking here.
For the past two years, Cartavious “Hambone” Waters has been a stalwart lineman for the Jonesboro-Hodge High School Tiger football team. Now the 2021 1-2A All-District member has the opportunity to continue his playing career at Manchester College in Indiana who last week presented “Tavy” with an official offer. Founded in 1987, the school is one of 10 members of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
This past season Waters recorded 48 tackles, including 42 solo stops. Included were 15 tackles for a loss, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. In his career that JHHS, Waters made 122 tackles, 24 tackles for a loss, recovered four fumbles, and forced and forced a fumble. Waters also played with the offense where he was a lineman and every now and then lined up in the backfield, mainly as a blocking back. In 2021, Waters carried the ball twice and scored a touchdown.
This past Saturday all the members of the Jonesboro Fire Department (JFD) came to the Fire Station this past Saturday. For once though it wasn’t because of an emergency call but instead to enjoy food, refreshments, and, fellowship with family members as all enjoyed the 2022 Christmas Party. Highlighting the evening was JFD Fire Chief, Brandon Brown, presenting Kristina Whitman with the JFD Firefighter of the Year Award.
The Jonesboro Fire Department encourages all residents to be especially safe and careful over the next couple of months and sends their wishes that all have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season.
The Jackson Parish Tourism Board held their regulary scheduled monthly meeting on November 15th in the Sunshine Room of the Jackson Parish Police Jury Administration. During the session board members Kelly Spangler, Tammy Gunter, Christie Weeks, Yumeaka Washington and Deneise Barlow discussed the Fishing Tournament that is to be held on Caney Lake in March and agreed to host a 4th annual Art Contest. The 2023 budget was also approved.
In old business it was noted that only a few photos were left to acquire for the Civil Rights Trail and that Christmas ads were up and running on billboards and facebook pages. In corresponding action it was agreed that the amount to be spent on billboards at the three locations chosed was not to exceed $6,000.00. Board members also decided to look into a rental to house tourism board equipment and approved changes to the Promotion Assistance Document Form. The session started with Gary Joyner, Vice President of the Jackson Parish Watershed Board asking for assistance with upcoming events.
Playing against much larger schools on back-to-back nights was too much of a hill to climb for the Jonesboro-Hodge Middle School 7th and 8th-grade boys basketball teams as both fell to Neville and Natchitoches Junior High schools. The odyssey began with a trip to Monroe this past Wednesday to face Neville, where the 7th grade lost 33-25 and the 8th grade fell 40-14. On Thursday, the junior Tigers welcomed Natchitoches to their home gym but again lost by scores of 32-25 and 51-15.
J-HMS will be in action again on Monday, November 28th when they host Lincoln Prep on 8th grade recognition night.