Sunday was a sad day because it was the last day for deliveries for the Town Talk newspaper.

It wasn’t sad in the sense that I’m going to miss the paper being delivered. I haven’t had the Town Talk delivered in a while because deliveries became so undependable. We went to digital  for a year or two but dropped our subscription entirely when the total number of employees dropped to three (and now it’s two), and one day there wasn’t a single local story in the paper.

The corporate management evidently didn’t care to put out the best local paper it could, or put out even a fair-to-middlin’ product, so we decided we weren’t interested in paying $10 a month for a digital rag.

No, the sadness lies in the heartache one has in seeing a once proud champion become a chump. Think legendary Willie Mays stumbling and mishandling fly balls in center field in the final year of his career. This is a newspaper where I spent 39 years of my life. In fact, I sacrificed a good bit of my life with my wife and children to work for the paper, often being away on assignments (granted, some fantastic assignments) – often on weekends, as a sportswriter, when most sports events take place.

I recall, especially fondly, during the first two decades I worked there, when it was a family-owned paper. Joe D. Smith, who was born in Selma in Grant Parish, worked at nearly every job at the paper before rising to the top of the ladder as publisher. He was recognized and respected nationally, having served as chairman and president of such trade associations as the American Newspaper Publishers Association and the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. He was also a former officer of the Associated Press news-gathering organization.

We’d complain then, from time to time, about such things as our lack of space to put stories and photos in the sports section, but we didn’t know how good we had it. We had a publisher who was civic-minded and advocated reform in state and local government and had his pulse on the heartbeat of Alexandria, which was reflected in the breadth of coverage of news, sports, editorials, opinion, society and entertainment. Heck, we even had a political cartoonist.

It was a great time to be part of a newspaper respected as among the top mid-sized papers in the country. It all started on Saturday, March 17, 1883, when the first paper sold for two and a half cents. I recall late one night in 1984, when Mr. Smith invited us to come across the street to the annex building where the big, shiny blue state-of-the-art press was going to make its debut. Several of us were there, in the days when our circulation hovered around 38,000 and covered about 11 parishes, to see “Big Blue” begin its thunderous first roll – an impressive sight and sound that brought goosebumps.

I could go on about a newspaper I once called “my baby” – so invested was I in trying to make it the best paper it could be. And this was a feeling shared by others who cursed and shook fists at the place in one moment and reveled in seeing a “hot off the press” paper with the latest news and sports that we had sweated and labored and sometimes won arguments about to get in there.

No deliveries? Say it ain’t so, Joe. But then again, they don’t deliver milk to the back door anymore, either. 

Bob Tompkins enjoyed a 43-year newspaper career as an award-winning writer and editor, serving the last 39 years at the Town Talk in Alexandria through most of 2015. He is a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as a past winner of the LSWA’s Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. An Alexandria resident, Tompkins is a contributing columnist sharing his talents with Rapides Parish Journal readers.

By JIM BUTLER

It’s not exactly what federal authorities meant when ordering vocational training as part of Jamir Baxter’s prison stay.

Baxter, 22, now of Pineville, was booked Monday afternoon in the parish lockup for allegedly operating a clandestine laboratory, criminal conspiracy and illegal carrying a firearm with drugs.

The arrest is his third this month.

On Aug. 4 he was charged with possession of CDS I first 14 marijuana, tetracycline or derivatives, violation of protective order, improper window tint and improper license plate display. Booked about 6 p.m., he posted $2,200 bond and was released at 10:45.

Baxter was back in familiar territory on Aug. 18, booked for alleged possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He posted $25,000 bond 13 hours later.

Baxter, once a promising athlete at Northwood High (class of 2019), first appears in Rapides jail records on Jan. 9, 2019, charged with three counts of contributing to delinquency of a minor, carnal knowledge and criminal trespass. He posted bond.

On April 22 he was back in the lockup, charged with domestic abuse battery. He posted another $2,000 bond.

Less than a month later, May 16, he was again charged with carnal knowledge and contributing as well as possession of marijuana 1st 14, criminal damage and burglary. He posted $5,800 bond.

Baxter surfaced three months later, committing felony gun thefts in Dothan, AL., first on Aug. 6 alone, then on Sept. 6 with two others.

By then authorities were on to him. He fled, with an all-points bulletin issued for his arrest, which came Oct. 8 when Jackson County, AL officers stopped his gold BMW.

He was returned to Dothan and put in the Houston County Jail, challenging its conditions in a writ of habeus corpus filed, and soon dismissed, in December.

According to the federal indictment, on August 6, 2019, Baxter burglarized Performance Machine Works in Dothan, and stole five firearms, including a Glock, model 27, .40 caliber pistol; a Glock, model 20, 10mm pistol; a Glock, model 48, 9mm pistol; an FN, model 509T, 9mmm pistol; and, a Remington, model 1911 R1, .45 caliber pistol. Then, on September 6, he and two others conspired to burglarize The Outpost, a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) in Dothan, in order to steal guns. They entered the building by using hand tools to remove material and breach the business’ back wall to avoid setting off the alarm.

Nine firearms were taken, including a BCM, model BCM4, 5.56 mm rifle; a Caracal, model F, 9mm pistol; an I.O. Inc., model BSR-74, 5.45mm rifle; a Kel-Tec, model P11, 9mm pistol; a Romarm/Cugir, model WASR-10, 7.62mm rifle; a Romarm/Cugir, model WASR-10UF, 7.62mm rifle; a Taurus, model 24/7 G2, 9mm pistol; and, two (2) Taurus, model G2C, 9mm pistols.

The three were indicted for unlawfully taking firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) and conspiracy to steal from an FFL in connection with the September 6, 2019 burglary. Baxter was indicted on an additional charge of stealing from an FFL for the August 6 gun thefts. All three pleaded guilty to the charges contained in the indictment.

Baxter was sentenced in June 2021 to three years in prison and thee years supervised release.

He reported to Pollock Federal Correction Institution on July 13. His sentence order included intensive drug treatment, mental health counseling and vocational training.

The Alexandria Police Department was called to the 1000 block of Texas Avenue on Aug. 17 around 11:20 pm in reference to gunshots being fired in that area.  When officers arrived, two victims were located who sustained gunshot wounds.   Both victim’s injuries were non-life-threatening.  Both victims were transported from the scene by Acadian Ambulance to Rapides Regional Medical Center for treatment.

This is an ongoing investigation.

If anyone has any information about this incident or any other type of crime in the Alexandria area, please contact the Alexandria Police Detective Division at (318) 441-6416, or APD Dispatch at (318) 441-6559.

BATON ROUGE – Let’s be honest.

The chest-thumping DBU (Defensive Back University) moniker LSU defensive backs gave themselves for the amount of NFL Draft choices produced hasn’t equaled the on-field production since the 2019 national championship season.

Last season in Brian Kelly’s first year as head coach, the Tigers were 79^th nationally in interceptions and 73^rd in third-down conversion defense.

Two subpar defensive coordinator hires by former head coach Ed Orgeron in 2020 and 2021, plus a rash of transfers, left Kelly digging out of a hole in his maiden voyage.

And he’s still got the shovel in his hand.

There were six transfer portal defensive backs in his first (2022) recruiting class. Four were one-year rentals.

There are four transfer portal DBs in the 2023 recruiting class. Three are potentially in one-year layover situations.

While there’s a growing group of recruited sophomore and freshmen defensive backs who have shown potential in preseason camp, Kelly is leaning toward experience when No 5 LSU opens the season vs. Florida State on Sept. 3 in Orlando.

 “(New senior Marshall transfer) Andre Sam has been outstanding, Greg Brooks is competing, Major Burns has had a really good camp, Sage Ryan has had a really nice camp playing both nickel and a little bit of corner for us,” Kelly said. “(Junior Syracuse transfer Duce) Chestnut has played a lot of football, so to have him there has been a nice addition. He’s a calming influence out there.  “When you have a veteran secondary out there other than one cornerback position, I’m feeling pretty good about where we’re at this point.”  Ryan, who suffered what Kelly termed in his Tuesday press conference as “a stinger” in Saturday’s Tiger Stadium scrimmage, has emerged as a key component in Kelly’s plans.  And that’s good for Ryan, a redshirt sophomore who was winner of the LSWA Mr. Football award as a five-start recruit at Lafayette Christian High. Hyped as someone saddled on a rocket ship to stardom, his progress has been subdued and steady.  But now, Kelly sees Ryan in a different light as a cornerback rather than a safety.

“He has elite speed to play out there (at corner),” Kelly said. “He’s got the skill and experience. He’s a pretty smart football player who puts himself in a pretty good position.

“One thing that we really are concerned about is making sure that we’re tackling the football and having a great tackler out there. Sage has been a really steady tackle force.”

Ryan has been impressed with newbies Chestnut and freshman Ashton Stamps.

“He (Chestnut) has ball skills off the chart,” Ryan said. “And Ashton has tremendous feet for a cornerback.”

Chestnut, an All-Atlantic Coast Conference honoree last season, admittedly was smitten with LSU’s DBU hype as a youngster growing up in Camden, N.J.

“(Former LSU All-American defensive backs) Patrick Peterson and Honey Badger (Tyrann Mathieu) were guys I looked up to even before I got the high school,” Chestnut said. “I always told everybody that I was trying to go to LSU. I always wanted to be a part of DBU.  “When I put my name in the transfer portal and heard LSU wanted me, I almost broke into tears. I always watched LSU, no matter where I was at because it was always my dream school growing up. I watched the Alabama game (last season). I can’t wait to play in the stadium like that.”  Ryan, Chestnut and other LSU DBs said the secondary has improved daily in the preseason.  “In the spring, we were more of adjusting to each other and learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses,” Chestnut said. “The more as fall camp goes on, we’re not too far from being where we want to be. It’s just corrections while learning the defense and the more we learn the defense, the more we look better as a secondary.”  Here’s Kelly on other subjects in his Tuesday presser:  On his assessment of last Saturday’s scrimmage

“Overall, what we were looking for more than anything else was who are the guys that need to be developed to be guys to count on and who are the guys that are not ready to be counted on yet that need more time to develop.

“This was much more about finding out who else can we get on the field at the jack position. Is Whit Weeks getting closer to playing? Can (Ashton) Stamps hold up at corner and become a positive force? We’re looking for those kinds of answers.”

On the development of true freshman offensive tackle Lance Heard

“He certainly has developed just the understanding of the offense and itself from terminology to technique. It’s college football. There are guys he went against last year (in high school) who were probably mismatches for him 99 percent of the time. Now, he’s going up against Sai’vion Jones and he’s going up against some pretty impressive football players. That’s a whole new thing for him to deal with. He’s going through a lot of that. But is he pushing for a starting position? He’s a guy that we’re giving reps. We’ve got to find the best five guys and then the next is the sixth and seventh. He’s in the mix and he’s out there competing hard.”

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

A native of Baton Rouge and a 1979 LSU graduate, Ron Higgins has written for seven newspapers, two online websites and a magazine in four states during a sports writing career that now spans six decades. The man nicknamed “Mad Dog” has won more than 180 state, regional and national writing awards including more than 80 first places. He is the Journal’s LSU beat writer.

By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports

Monday’s ruling by a Baton Rouge judge that temporarily threw out the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s definition of what classifies a “select” school left local coaches with a lot of questions and no shortage of opinions. 

During the 2022-23 school year, the LHSAA changed the definition of a “select” school to include all private, magnet and charter schools as well as schools located in districts that offer students open enrollment. The latter designation left all 11 public high schools in Rapides Parish competing in the “select” playoff brackets in the sports of football, boys and girls basketball, baseball and softball. 

Six of those schools – Tioga, Buckeye, Glenmora, Rapides, Northwood-Lena and Plainview – along with three others from Monroe (Neville, Carroll and Wossman) filed suit against the LHSAA to overturn the new definition, and 19th Judicial District Judge William Jorden of Baton Rouge ruled in their favor on Monday.  

“What’s the new definition of ‘select’ in the LHSAA now?” asked James Halle, a former baseball coach at Alexandria Senior High and assistant at Tioga who served as the Indians’ interim coach last season. “I think that’s one of the

questions … that nobody knows right now.”

LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine sent out a memo to member schools on Tuesday, telling them that LHSAA executive staff will meet to discuss potential resolutions before making a presentation to the LHSAA executive committee for discussion.

“Once this process is complete,” Bonine wrote, “expect a communication from this office with particulars.” 

Buckeye softball coach Justin Kees brings a unique perspective to the situation. He has led the Lady Panthers to a non-select and select state championship in back-to-back seasons, and he also is involved with the LHSAA as a football official. 

Kees said he didn’t believe the LHSAA’s changing of the select definition to include any school that could enroll a student from out of zone was the correct way to handle the situation, but he also admitted it led to a system that produced much better postseason results than the old system. 

“As a football official, that’s the most competitive (postseason) I’ve seen in years,” Kees said. “My championship game in the Dome in 2022 was a three-point game. It’s a lot more competitive playoff format.” 

While Kees argued the change in postseason format was generally positive for Rapides Parish schools, Halle said that was not the case for Tioga. The Class 4A Indians were forced to play up in the playoffs against larger schools in the Division I playoffs, which consisted of Class 5A schools and the largest 4A schools.  

“We are not a Division I school,” Halle said. We are not. We are Division II because Division II is nothing but 3A and 4A schools like we are.” 

While Tioga was forced to play against larger schools, which hampered their chances at advancing deeper in the playoffs, several Rapides Parish schools had extremely successful runs in the select playoffs. 

Northwood-Lena’s girls basketball team repeated as state champions, a year after winning the title as a non-select school, while the Gators’ boys basketball team won the first boys basketball state championship in school history. 

Oak Hill’s girls basketball team won its first state championship, Peabody’s girls made the semifinals for the first time since 2007, Pineville made the baseball semifinals for the first time since 1985, and Tioga’s softball team played in the title game for the first time since 1979. 

One major issue local coaches and administrators had with last year’s format was that it treated all Rapides Parish schools the same, regardless of how many students enrolled from other zones. 

Tioga has a total of 47 open-enrollment students for the 2023-24 school year out of roughly 950 total students, Halle said. Many rural schools – such as Northwood-Lena, Rapides, Oak Hill, Glenmora and Plainview – lose way more students than they attract. 

That’s why Halle and Kees are proponents of adding some sort of percentage requirement to the select definition.

That definition used to include 25 percent of students coming from out of zone. Halle said he would be happy with 20 percent. 

“I think that would pacify a lot of people,” Halle said. 

Alan Tinsley, who has spent the past 37 years coaching boys basketball and led Northwood-Lena to the 2023 Class 1A select title, said he’s hopeful Louisiana doesn’t return to the system that was in place prior to the 2022-23 school year where seemingly everyone made the playoffs. Instead, he said, only “the elite teams” should be allowed into the postseason.

“How can we have – as best we can – a playing field that promotes fair competition and promotes high-school athletics at not only the highest level but also gives kids the most opportunities to enjoy the sports they want to play and have at least a chance at what everyone wants, which is to win a state championship?” Tinsley pondered.

Tinsley said he believes now could be the time where Louisiana sees momentum build to add a multiplier as other states in the region do. In this scenario, teams that would fall under the “select” designation have their enrollment multiplied – perhaps by 1.5 times or some other similar figure – to determine where they would be classified. 

“You can’t just say it’s an even playing field and we’re gonna do that,” Tinsley said. “You can’t just say that. It’s a lie.”

Kees discussed the idea of creating six classes for all sports with football being divided one way and all other sports being divided separately, including the consolidation of Classes B and C into Class 1A. 

No matter which way the LHSAA leadership decides to go, there’s little question at this point that tough decisions have to be made and soon. 

“We continue to fight this same battle every year – split, no split,” Halle said. 

“I don’t think we’re ever gonna come back to (the way things were before the split),” Kees said. “I think that ship has sailed.”

Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSUA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeff Langston as the new Dean of the College of Health and Human Services.

With 19 years of healthcare administration experience, Langston brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to LSUA. Formerly the Vice President of Support Services at Rapides Regional Medical Center, Langston was honored with the 2022 Human Experience Guardian of Excellence Award for his outstanding contributions.

Langston’s impressive career includes roles as the Administrative Director of Support Services and Director of Oncology at Rapides Regional Medical Center. Before that, he served as the Director of Outpatient Services at Christus Savoy Medical Center. An alumnus of the University of Louisiana Monroe, Langston furthered his education with post-baccalaureate studies in nuclear medicine technology at Chattanooga State Community College, followed by an MBA and a Master of Health Administration from LSUS.

“As a life-long resident of Central Louisiana, I have spent my career serving the community I love,” said Langston. “Transitioning into higher education [allows] me to serve in new ways, and I am excited about the possibilities. Having personally experienced the impact of shortages in trained professionals over the last few years give me a true understanding of how important this position is and the commitment required to be successful.” 

“In his new role as Dean of the College of Health & Human Services, we have full confidence that Jeff Langston will exhibit exceptional leadership for LSUA’s School of Nursing, Department of Allied Health, and School of Education – three pivotal pillars driving professional career development across the region,” affirmed LSUA Chancellor Paul Coreil. “Jeff arrives with a wealth of professional experience in healthcare administration and a proven track record in fostering strong corporate and business partnerships, which are instrumental to the growth of our new Health Education Campus in downtown Alexandria. We are indeed fortunate to have such a seasoned professional at the helm of three significant LSUA programs, all of which are grappling with critical workforce shortages.”

LSUA, recognized as the fastest-growing undergraduate institution in Louisiana, has seen a surge in enrollment, with health professions constituting 30% of its graduates. The university’s commitment to addressing the healthcare workforce needs of Central Louisiana is evident in the 80% increase in health profession graduates from 2017 to 2021. With census data revealing that 73% of LSUA’s health graduates remain in-state a decade post-graduation, the university’s impact on local healthcare is undeniable. Additionally, LSUA’s School of Education recently received a $1 million federal Community Grant to address teacher shortages plaguing K-12 school systems across the region. Likewise, their Center for the Advancement of Regional Educators (CARE) grant provides expanded recruiting and degree pathways for teacher certification. 

Despite the rising demand for healthcare professionals, Central Louisiana continues to face a shortage. LSUA is at the forefront of addressing this challenge, with the full backing of local employers, city government, and the Central Louisiana Legislative Delegation. Under Langston’s leadership, the College of Health and Human Services, encompassing the School of Nursing, the Department of Allied Health, and the School of Education, is poised to innovate and expand its programs. Recent partnerships with the LSU School of Dentistry and LSU of Eunice further underscore LSUA’s commitment to healthcare and education in the region.

The LSUA community warmly welcomes Jeff Langston and looks forward to his visionary leadership in shaping the future of healthcare education and addressing the pressing needs of Central Louisiana.

Written by Adam Lord

Photo credit – Nathan Parish | LSUA Strategic Communications

By JIM BUTLER

The Rapides Parish Police Jury expects an electronic requisition program to correct any shortcomings in its purchase order system.

In their report for the year ending Dec. 31, prepared June 19 and released this month, auditors noted imperfections in spot checks of the purchasing system.

Auditors also pointed out the parish failure to meet requirements regarding ethics and sexual harassment awareness and training. The parish responded the requirements will be implemented.

Combined fund revenue for the year was $76.4 million and expenses were $46.8 million.

That revenue included $29.4 million in property tax dedicated to specific uses and $5 million in dedicated sales tax income. General use sales tax income was $3 million.

Public safety took $20.6 million of the combined fund expense and public works $8.7 million.

According to the audit the parish’s restricted fund balances totaled $91.6 million.

The General Fund fund balance was $8.3 million, with $6.4 million unassigned to specific uses.

Police jurors’ lay is set by state law at $1,600 monthly, $19,200 annually.

The president, in this audit year Craig Smith, is paid $24,000 and has use of a parish vehicle. That use value was set at $11,600 on the audit.  

The full audit report is available at the Legislative Auditor website. 

Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a one-vehicle crash on Aug. 20 around 1 pm on Highway 113 near East River Road. The crash claimed the life of 64-year-old Alfonso J. Rubio-Araiza. 

The initial investigation revealed that Rubio-Araiza was traveling south on Highway 113. For reasons still under investigation, Rubio-Araiza’s vehicle traveled off the roadway and struck a large tree. After striking the tree, the vehicle became engulfed in flames (vehicle identification is pending). 

Rubio-Arazia, who was not restrained, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Impairment is a suspected factor in this crash. Routine toxicology samples were obtained and submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation. 

Louisiana State Police would like to remind all motorists that if you feel differently, you drive differently. Alcohol, prescription drugs, and other drugs have many effects on the body that negatively affect driving skills. These drugs can impair visual ability, alter the sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and designate a sober driver. Not doing so can have deadly consequences. 

While not all crashes are survivable, proper use of seat belts can greatly decrease an occupant’s chance of death and may greatly reduce the extent of injury. Always ensuring every occupant is properly restrained can often mean the difference between life and death. 

In 2023, Troop E has investigated 35 fatal crashes, resulting in 40 deaths. 

By JIM BUTLER

The Rapides Parish School Board will meet at 5 p.m. Thursday to consider alternatives for future use of Bolton High School.

Options to be discussed and possibly acted on include having pre-K to 12th grade at the school, having 3rd-12th or 6th-12th grade at Bolton Academic and Performing Arts Magnet School beginning next August.

The discussion and possible vote come after the board in March delayed an up or down choice on Bolton’s future use and created an advisory panel to study the matter. The panel finished its work early this month.

A recurring point in the committee report was absence of a premier academic campus on the parish.

Consideration of what to do with Bolton, approaching its 100th year, is a hot topic as the parish moves forward.

In his Better Facilities Strategic Plan, Supt. Jeff Powell proposed a pre K-12 magnet plan and closure of three schools.

Alma Redwine Elementary escaped closure; Phoenix Magnet Elementary, Horseshoe Elementary and Rapides Academy are still on the block.

If the board moves to vote on the motion by Sandra Franklin public comment will be heard before the vote.

I watched from the back porch shade for more than an hour as two hawks floated above a stand of oaks at the far end of the field this afternoon, evidently indifferent to the stifling conditions.

(A reward of retirement is being able to just sit idle if one chooses. And providing the significant other approves.)

Every once in a while one or the other of the hawks would work its way about halfway across the field, a hundred yards or so.

Otherwise, they just danced like ballerinas over the oaks, riding current I couldn’t feel, much less see, any evidence of.

I don’t know whether they were hunting, courting or just out for an afternoon cruise as they used their natural flaps, rudders, ailerons and elevators to rise, fall, roll and loop.

They were still at it when I was called in because it was time for me to fold clothes, another reward for reaching retirement.

Jim Butler, a Bolton High School alumnus, was an acclaimed writer and editor at the Alexandria Town Talk for 36 years, the last 23 (1977-2003) as editor-in-chief. He led Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina for the Gulfport (Miss.) Sun-Herald in 2005. Butler returned home to Cenla a few years ago, and shares his talents and insight with Rapides Parish Journal readers.

Louisiana Baptists Executive Director Steve Horn spoke Saturday morning to the incoming Louisiana Christian University freshmen class, encouraging them to share their Christian faith every day.

Wearing a red T-shirt that read in bold letters: DAILY, Horn read the message that his youth pastor wrote in a Bible he gifted Horn for his freshmen year in 1988: “Don’t wait until your senior year, start now.”

Horn read from Acts 8, where scripture tells us that people were being saved daily.

“I don’t think anything should have changed from the first century to now,” Horn said. “The Lord still wants to add to His church daily.”

But somewhere along the way, he said, many Christians started thinking it’s only the role of professional preachers to share the Gospel.

“Every believer—every one of us—is a vehicle to take the message to someone else,” Horn said. “Every Christian is a witness.”

Horn offered the students ways to share their faith and told them to remember they are on a campus where there is great freedom to do so.

“It’s expected here that you would talk about Jesus,” Horn said. “You don’t have to be afraid here.”

He encouraged students to be prayerful, to be bold and to be relational—but to also be prepared to share their faith and answer questions from others. 

Life On Mission app and the Louisiana Baptists hereforyou.org both offer ways to share faith with others. He also shared the traditional “Roman Road” and offered a FAITH acrostic: Forgiveness, Available, Impossible, Turn, Heaven. 

Horn reminded students to make sure they back up what they say with how they live their lives.

“Let others see Jesus in you,” he said. “Where there’s a culture of evangelism, it must be backed up with a lifestyle.”

Tamarian Evans, a freshman kinesiology major from Bastop, said the message was heartfelt and he learned a lot of ways to share the Gospel.

Maebyn Orillion, a freshman early education major from Opelousas, agreed. 

“He gave us some really cool apps I didn’t know about that will make the salvation message easily accessible to share.”

Meredith Rennier, vice president of Student Life, said this year’s Welcome Weekend has been a great time, and LCU is thankful that Horn could come and address the incoming class.

Friday night, 14 area churches came to Quad Bash to introduce themselves to students. Students have participated in many activities and games getting to know each other and campus.

LCU classes started Monday. 

By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports

PINEVILLE – Senior Erick Frazier scored two touchdowns, and the Pineville Rebels defense looked much improved in a 15-12 loss to Natchitoches Central in a scrimmage at D.C. “Bill” Bates Stadium last Friday evening.

The two teams exchanged three 10-play series with NCHS scoring the only touchdown before playing two 10-minute halves of live football. 

Frazier’s first TD came off left tackle as he shook off one defender and raced 30 yards into the end zone to cut the Chiefs’ lead to 12-6 late in the first half. On the first drive of the second half he caught a pass from senior Jaylan Witty in the right flat, broke a tackle and followed a block from freshman Bryson Phoenix for a 53-yard score to tie the game at 12. 

Natchitoches Central drove inside the Rebels’ 10-yard line twice late in the second half but came away with just three points as Mateo Restrepo’s 21-yard field goal with just over four minutes to play turned out to be the game-winner. 

PROS: Frazier was the Rebels’ offensive standout, while senior lineman Sebastian Molette made several eye-popping plays on defense. The Rebels knocked down several passes and also made two goal-line stands where they kept the Chiefs out of the end zone after Natchitoches Central drove inside the 10-yard line. Pineville played hard from start to finish and didn’t seem to get discouraged when negative plays occurred. 

CONS: The Rebel defense played with a noticeable increase in intensity under first-year defensive coordinator Justin Charles, but at times that led to untimely penalties. The Rebels gift-wrapped NCHS its first touchdown with a pass interference penalty followed by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, both of which extended drives when Pineville had made stops to get off the field. 

QUOTE: “Obviously, I believe we’re better tonight than we were a year ago. I’m proud of that. There are some things that we can control that we need to correct, and we will. There’s things we just have to get better at.” – Pineville coach Bryant Bell

ASH-Acadiana

The Trojans got three rushing touchdowns from junior tailback J.T. Lindsey and two junior-varsity passing touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough as they fell 55-35 in a combined score between situational series and one live period. 

PROS: The Trojans got a lot of reps against one of the top programs in Louisiana, the three TDs by Lindsey and a couple of explosive plays in the passing game by Amyrion Mingo and E.J. Scott. The coaches also got a chance to continue evaluating their personnel, especially at the quarterback position.

CONS: While the Trojans hit some explosive plays, they weren’t very consistent. They also gave up some big plays and lost the live period 28-7. They didn’t get consistent play from either of their quarterbacks, and rotating them caused the Trojans to play at a slower pace than they desire. 

QUOTE: “They’re good at all three levels on defense. It was good for us to play them. That’s what championship-caliber football is. That’s where we’ve got to be. … To know as bad as we were the other night, I’m not discouraged by the potential that we have.” – ASH coach Thomas Bachman 

Tioga-Opelousas

Senior Josh Loyd took a screen pass to the end zone as the Indians scored once and gave up one score in a 48-play varsity scrimmage at Opelousas on Friday. The two teams traded three eight-play varsity possessions. 

PROS: Down its starting running back, the Indians found two from the defensive side of the ball that they can rely on. Senior Corbin Zeto and sophomore Kenny Ponthier added offense to their linebacker duties and performed well against Opelousas. The Indians also played well defensively and really limited the Tigers’ star running back, junior D’Shaun Ford. 

CONS: The Indians would have liked to have gotten more plays and found the end zone more often, but that was more a product of the scrimmage format. The biggest issue of the night was mechanical problems with one of their buses which caused a delay in the start of the scrimmage. 

QUOTE: “I thought that we played hard on defense. I was pleased with how well we ran to the football. There was plenty of pad-popping. A lot of guys flew to the football.” – Tioga coach Kevin Cook

Peabody-East Beauregard

The Warhorses scored five touchdowns and gave up just one in a controlled scrimmage at Tioga where the two teams traded 10-play series beginning at their opponent’s 40-yard line. 

PROS: The Warhorses displayed a high-powered passing attack led by junior quarterback Larry Roberts, who tossed two 40-yard touchdowns and also scrambled for a 12-yard score. Junior TJ Hullaby, the team’s leading receiver last year, caught a 40-yard TD pass as did senior Malachi Goodley. Peabody displayed a three-headed rushing attack led by Dartavin Depass, who scored touchdowns of 8 and 2 yards. 

CONS: While the Warhorse defense looked solid overall, Peabody still must develop depth on that side of the ball. During the Trojans’ second possession, they moved down the field with relative ease for their only score as the Warhorses shuffled in some backups to give them a shot in varsity action. 

QUOTE: “We’ve still got a lot to improve on, but I just like that the guys came out and competed. They hustled, gave great effort and great sportsmanship.” – Peabody coach Harry Coleman 

Bolton-Avoyelles

Senior quarterback Connor McLain broke free for a 40-yard run from scrimmage on the Bears’ first play, but that was the biggest highlight of the night as Avoyelles kept Bolton out of the end zone all night in a situational scrimmage. 

PROS: The Bears entered last week with less than 20 players on the roster and nearly doubled in size, so the new players were able to get some quality reps and show that they will be able to contribute to the team. Although the result wasn’t favorable, the Bears showed a lot of effort as they battled for playing time. 

CONS: As is the case with most players trying to learn a new system, there were a lot of mistakes – missed blocking assignments, wrong routes being run, missed coverages and tackles on defense. The new Bears are trying to learn the system as quickly as possible, but they need as many reps as possible to do so. 

QUOTE: “For a lot of our kids their first practice was Thursday, so they just didn’t know what to do. When I watched the film, it was just people not knowing what to do on most of the problems that we had. If we can just clean that up, I think we’ll be looking pretty good.” – Bolton coach Clint Dean

Buckeye-LaSalle

The Panthers were able to get in nearly 75 plays of varsity action, outscoring LaSalle three touchdowns to two in a scrimmage that was entirely situational in the open field and red zone. Buckeye scored twice in the open field and once in the red zone, while both of the Tigers’ TDs came during the red-zone portion of the scrimmage.

PROS: Junior quarterback Adam Brodnax completed 9 of 12 passes for an estimated 180 yards, including two deep balls to fellow junior Haidyn Boone, and perhaps more importantly took his first hits in live action. The Panthers don’t have one single defensive standout they rely on and instead have a deep pool of defenders as they played 17 or 18 players with the varsity and flew to the football. 

CONS: The Panthers have two main issues that could be classified as their “kryptonite” that they must clean up. The first is pre-snap penalties on offense that slow down their tempo and put them behind the chains. The second is being able to tackle in space on defense so they don’t give up big chunk plays. 

QUOTE: “We’re going to play faster than I’ve ever played in my coaching career. That’s my goal. We’re gonna play faster than even I did at (Louisiana College, where he was a quarterback and later offensive coordinator). … I think the kids are gonna enjoy it.” – Buckeye coach Ben McLaughlin 

Menard-Jena

The Eagles ran out of time Friday night in an 8-7 loss to Jena as they were driving to try to set up a game-winning field goal. Senior Cooper Scott scored the Eagles’ only touchdown to put them ahead 7-0, but Jena answered with a long drive for a score and 2-point conversion with less than a minute to play. Menard drove just past midfield before the clock expired about 15 yards shy of being able to attempt a field goal. 

PROS: Senior safety Maddox Shelton made a key interception to set up the Eagles’ touchdown, returning it roughly 60 yards to the Jena 5-yard line. Two plays later, the 6-2, 220-pound Scott dove into the end zone. Save for the lone Jena touchdown drive, the Eagles’ defense looked particularly strong as they didn’t allow Jena to score during the situational portion of the scrimmage. 

CONS: The Eagles have to play crisper and sharper moving forward. They had some bad shotgun snaps as they switch to a new offense as well as unnecessary penalties. Several of the team’s younger players also made too many mistakes and missed too many assignments. 

QUOTE: “Our defense is really senior-laden so that’s going to be the strength of our team.” – Menard coach David Perkins 

Northwood-Montgomery

The Gators and Tigers battled to a scoreless tie during a one-period live session, and the Gators gave up just one score during the series portion of the scrimmage. 

PROS: The young Gators competed on both sides of the ball, even if they didn’t find much consistent success offensively as they switch from a double-wing to a shotgun spread offense. Sophomore quarterback/linebacker A.J. Butler and senior running back/slot receiver/defensive lineman Khalil Page will play vital roles on the Gators’ offense and defense, while senior offensive and defensive lineman Jacob Skaggs will be crucial along with the emergence of freshman Javen Batts on the defensive line. 

CONS: Once the live period began, the Gators had settled into a better rhythm, but they got off to a rocky start. They made the typical mistakes of a young team that is switching offenses and has struggled to get consistent reps over the summer. The team’s passing game remains inconsistent and must improve. 

QUOTE: “Once we got going, they competed. None of them quit. They got tired, but they gave it everything they had.” – Northwood coach Tommy Moore

By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports

A Baton Rouge judge issued a temporary injunction on Monday that could have major implications on the Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s playoff brackets this school year. 

Nine high schools – including Tioga, Buckeye, Glenmora, Rapides, Northwood-Lena and Plainview in Rapides Parish – filed suit against the LHSAA after its executive director, Eddie Bonine, and executive committee changed the definition of what a “select” school is in the summer of 2022. 

Also joining the lawsuit were Monroe City Schools Neville, Carroll and Wossman.

Before last season’s football playoffs, Bonine and the LHSAA executive committee changed the definition of a “select” school to include any school that offered a magnet program, all charter schools, and all schools in a district that offers open enrollment. 

That move expanded the amount of select schools and produced playoff brackets that were more evenly distributed with teams. However, it also created hard feelings because the move was not ratified by a vote of the entire LHSAA body.

The LHSAA consists of more than 400 member schools, while the executive committee consists of 26 representatives, including principals and other appointees. 

After hearing testimony Monday afternoon from witnesses on both sides of the issue, including Bonine and former Tioga principal Alan Lacombe (who now works at the Rapides Parish central office), Judge William Jorden of Baton Rouge’s 19th Judicial District ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. 

The schools argued that being classified as “select” caused them undue harm and damage during the postseason of multiple sports. 

Northwood-Shreveport principal Shannon Wall, who has been an outspoken critic of the LHSAA’s playoff policy change and how it was enacted just over a year ago, was pleased at Monday’s ruling.

“We finally got to a courtroom – which we didn’t want to do except as a last resort – and what we’ve been saying all along won the day, so we’re excited. We’re willing to go with what a majority of the principals around the state decide, but that vote never happened.

“We don’t want divisions where there’s small number of teams in the playoffs. We want the select division to have full brackets, we want their kids’ experiences to be worthwhile, but the only way that’s going to happen is to allow the principals to have a voice. That’s what we’ve been fighting for, and that’s what we haven’t had,” said Wall.

In the LHSAA’s plan adopted last summer, Northwood-Shreveport was among schools around the state sent into divisions in which they faced much larger schools in postseason play in 2022-23.

“What we’re trying to do is what’s right for all the kids playing high school sports in Louisiana. I don’t want another group of kids to lose their senior years competing in situations that are simply unfair,” said Wall.

State Rep. Michael T. Johnson, R-Pineville, who is the attorney for the Rapides Parish School Board, served as the co-counsel for the plaintiffs while the lead counsel was Baton Rouge attorney Brian Blackwell.

Blackwell argued that Bonine’s changing of the definition of “select” in the LHSAA glossary affected every amendment that included that word and that Bonine did not have the authority to change amendments. Johnson said Blackwell used the LHSAA’s own constitution against the organization, and he was pleased that Jorden sided with the plaintiffs.

“It was a thing of beauty to watch,” Johnson said.

The LHSAA has the right to file an appeal of the injunction, but Johnson said he’s hopeful the organization will do what it should have done all along – bring the issue before all of the principals for a vote. 

The principals deferred a vote at the regular LHSAA meeting this past January believing it might have an unwanted negative impact on the basketball playoff brackets, which were to be released soon, and those of spring sports. Many principals believed the issue would be addressed at a meeting this past June, but that meeting never occurred. 

Attempts to reach representatives of the LHSAA were unsuccessful Monday evening. 

Johnson said he hopes the LHSAA can call a special meeting within the next few months – before the football playoff brackets are released in November – to address the issue.

“I just appreciate that we (in Rapides Parish) have a group of principals, a school board and a superintendent who were willing to step up and do what’s right,” Johnson said.

Wall praised all the plantiffs in the suit.

“Alan Lacombe in Alexandria, and Mickey McCarty from Neville were very essential to all this, because they’ve been catalysts and their parishes were willing to put up the money and hire the attorneys,” he said.

Monday night, Wall echoed Johnson’s hope that the LHSAA will not pursue legal action and all of the state’s principals will be included in developing a system that gains majority approval from the entire group, not just the LHSAA’s executive committee.

“Hopefully we’ll be included in the process. We’ll see,” he said. “We’ll get together to hopefully work on proposals to keep this from happening in the future.”

• With reporting by Doug Ireland

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE — If there is one thing that never changes for Jay Johnson, head coach of LSU’s college baseball 2023 national champions, it’s he’s constantly thinking about “next.”

Next pitch. Next inning. Next pitching change. Next batting order. Next bullpen move. Next lineup shift because of injuries. Next recruiting class. Next year’s roster. Next coaching staff.

Because when “next” becomes “now” – like the Tigers early last year losing their top three relievers to season-ending injuries before a revamped bullpen eventually boosted LSU  to 11 wins in 13 NCAA tourney games for the program’s national title No. 7 – Johnson wants to be prepared.

He believes he’s got a good jump on next season as LSU prepares to defend the title after losing six of its top seven hitters including No. 2 overall MLB draft choice Dylan Crews and two starting pitchers including No. 1 overall MLB draft pick Paul Skenes.

“I really like what we’ve assembled, there’s a blend,” Johnson said at a Monday press conference on the first day of classes for the fall semester. “There are a few (returning position players) guys that were key parts of that (national championship) run.

“Then, there’s a grouping (of players) that were also key parts at a point during the (last) season where it’s now time for them to take a step forward. I’m excited to dig into that next phase with the Brady Neals, the Paxton Klings, and the Jared Jones’ of the world.

“And then we tried to supplement what we needed with the high school (recruiting) class and the portal.”

Even before the conclusion of the College World Series, Johnson was plucking the first of six transfer portal standouts including Alabama’s top pitcher Luke Holman, Arizona’s All-Pac 12 outfielder Mac Bingham, South Carolina starting shortstop Michael Braswell III and All-Big East reliever Justin Loer of Xavier.

Four days after LSU pounded Florida 18-4 to win the national championship, Johnson hired two-time National Pitching Coach of the Year Nate Yeskie from Texas A&M to replace Wes Johnson. Johnson parlayed his one season with the Tigers into being named Georgia’s head coach.

Also, Johnson hired one-time LSU pitching coach and former UCF head coach Terry Looney on July 12 in the newly created position of associate director of program development and recruiting.

Johnson had exit interviews with all his players. He paid particular attention to “re-recruiting” prospective veteran returnees he considered invaluable, such as catcher Hayden Travinski of Bossier City. He’s someone Johnson badly wanted to return to the Tigers as a fifth-year senior if wasn’t drafted in the top five rounds of July’s MLB draft.

Last season once he was healthy in the final two months the season, he went on a tear. He played in 41 games (23 starts), batting .356 (37-for-104) with five doubles, 10 homers, 30 RBI and 30 runs scored.

“You could make an argument that outside of Dylan Crews, from the end of the SEC schedule through, the SEC tournament, the Regional, the Super Regional, there was not a more valuable player on our team,” said Johnson of Travinski, who didn’t get drafted possibly because of history of injuries. “I think he feels like his best baseball at LSU is still in him. Like what we saw over that six-week period, I think he like to put together a full season like that, because he hasn’t really had the opportunity to do that.”

When LSU released its roster Monday, Travinski got a very special honor. He has a new jersey number – 8, given each season to “an upperclassman who exemplifies the spirit of LSU baseball through his leadership and dedication to the program,” and worn in each of the past two seasons by Gavin Dugas.

“Just as a couple weeks ago, he sent me some video of him swinging the bat and said, `I’m so fired up about how this turned out.’ And that’s the way you want. You want them to be excited and look at this as an opportunity,” said Johnson.

The Tigers’ coach sweated whether his highest rated freshmen signees, pitcher Cameron Johnson of IMG Academy and shortstop Steven Milam of Las Cruces (N.M.) Centennial High, would stick with the Tigers if they were chosen in July’s major league draft.

Stunningly, they both honored their commitment to sign with LSU.  

“The longer I do this, I think you can’t undervalue the family’s approach to how they value college and education, and we use Cameron Johnson as an example,” Johnson said of the 6-6, 240-pound lefty. “The one thing I overlooked is the multiple times that he and his family came down here. They really wanted him to go to college and they really wanted to come to LSU and play for us. I was a little bit dismissive of it only because of how I viewed his talent.”

Milam, who batted .627 with 50 RBIs this past season as the 2023 Gatorade New Mexico Player of the Year, also didn’t waver at draft time.

“In December, I flew to Las Cruces and met with him and his family,” Johnson said. “To their credit, they stuck to stuck to their guns.

“He’s a switch hitter can play short and can play second. He’s a baseball player through and through. Very heady player and he’ll adjust well to this level. His competitiveness is off the charts.”

The Tigers began on Monday 45 days of strength and conditioning for the 46-player roster. They open their 45-day fall practice on Oct. 5, highlight by practice games at McNeese on Nov. 5, at home on Nov. 12 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette and at home for the Purple-Gold intrasquad scrimmage Nov. 18-19-20.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

Since 2015, Rapides Regional Medical Center has been “tackling stroke” at some of the area’s high school football jamborees.

Thanks to this summer’s unprecedented heat wave, our hand-held fans with the signs and symptoms of stroke may be in more demand than ever, and that’s OK with us.

“One of our goals as a certified stroke center is to raise awareness about the warning signs of strokes, as well as the risk factors,” said Cynthia Cimini, RN, BSN, CCRN, SCRN, Stroke Program Coordinator at Rapides Regional Medical Center. “While no one likes the heat we have been experiencing, if these hand-held fans can provide some relief to those at the football jamborees and educate them at the same time, that is a win-win situation.”

Strokes are the fifth-leading cause of death in both the United States and Louisiana, as well as being the leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Louisiana ranks third for highest stroke death rate in the country. Each year, approximately 795,000 people suffer a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first attacks, with 1 in 4 occurring in people who have had a previous stroke. But, according to the Stroke Awareness Foundation, 80 percent of strokes are preventable.

That is why recognizing the signs and symptoms of stroke is crucial, especially in a region with a population that is already at high risk for stroke. These risk factors include hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking and physical inactivity and obesity. Although the risk of a stroke increases with age, strokes can, and do, occur at any age.

“It is more important than ever to recognize the signs and symptoms of strokes and to seek medical treatment quickly,” said Cimini. “The quicker someone experiencing a stroke seeks and receives medical treatment, the better the outcome.”

Volunteers from Rapides Regional will distribute hand-held fans listing the warning signs of stroke. The warning signs printed on the fans could save someone’s life and quality of life.

To best remember the signs of a stroke, “B.E F.A.S.T.”

B – Balance. Do you have loss of balance, a headache or dizziness?

E – Eyes. Do you have blurred vision?

F – Face. Is one side of the face drooping?

A – Arms. Does either arm drift down when raised?

S – Speech. Is speech slurred or confusing?

T – Time. If you observe any of these signs, dial 9-1-1.

The Emergency Department of Rapides Regional Medical Center has been certified an Advanced Primary Stroke Center since 2009 by The Joint Commission. Rapides Regional is also the only local hospital that provides Neurosurgery Coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Time is important when someone is having a stroke so they may receive medical care and the blood-clot busting drug, tPA.  Just a few minutes may make the difference in saving a person’s ability to walk or eat. 

For more information on strokes and the certified stroke center at Rapides Regional Medical Center, visit rapidesregional.com.

By Doug De Graffenried

I met Bubba the Dragonfly on Tuesday morning. Bubba was trapped by glass. He had flown in through the architectural features that lined the hallways of the building. The architectural features around the elevators were real windows. Bubba had flown into the building and was having a hard time exiting the premises. I watched him for several minutes. I decided to act when I watched Bubba back up and fly at full speed toward the glass. Bubba was a big dragonfly, and he made an audible thud when he hit the glass.

That was enough for me. I picked Bubba up off the ledge of the window and walked him over to one of the architectural features in the building and turned him loose. Bubba flew away triumphantly.

I had several thoughts, watching Bubba fly.

I wondered if Bubba knew that church aphorism, “When God closes a door, he opens a window.” No, he doesn’t! There are times that God says, “No.” We are the guilty parties by continually testing the doorknob. Very often, we are the mistaken parties thinking this opened window is God’s doing. There are times the door is closed, and the window has impenetrable glass to cause you to stop and change directions. We call that repentance which simply means, “to turn around.” Bubba reminded me that in my own life, I need some repentance going on.  I’m responsible for that. There are places I need to change direction!

The other thing I thought about as I watched Bubba fly away was that what we all need is a savior. We are banging our heads against walls that we can never penetrate. We shouldn’t be banging our heads according to the paragraph above. But we are habitual in our habits. They might not benefit us, but we are so used to doing the same thing and we keep at it. A savior intervenes. 

A savior not only shows us a new and better way but will put us on the path to that new and better way. For our part, we are called to have faith in this savior. 

While I was watching Bubba fly free, I offered a prayer of thanksgiving to Christ my Lord. He set me free from the power of sin. He opened a new way of being and living. He called me into this crazy thing called “the ministry.” 

Before Jesus I was trapped. Since Jesus, I have been set free to experience abundant life in Christ.

The Apostle Paul put it this way, “For freedom Christ has set us free.”