By Jim Butler

Qualifying closes this afternoon for candidates in the Oct. 14 open primary. 

An unofficial listing of those who qualified Tuesday or Wednesday, the first two days of the period, in Rapides races only or those including part or all of Rapides and parts or all of other parishes, statewide races excluded:

Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 5
Toby Brazzel, R, Alexandria 
Lance Harris, R, Boyce 

State Senate 28th District
Heather Cloud, R, Turkey Creek

State Senate 29th District
Jay Luneau, D, Alexandria 

State Senate 30th District
Mike Reese, R, Leesville

State Senate 31st District
Mike McConathy, R, Natchitoches
Alan Seabaugh, R, Shreveport

State Senate 32nd District
Glen Womack, R, Harrisonburg

State Senate 35th District
Jay Morris, R, Monroe

State Rep. 25th District
Jason Dewitt, R, Boyce
Trish Leleux, R, Woodworth

State Rep. 26th District 
Sandra Franklin, D, Alexandria
Ed Larvadain III, D, Alexandria 
Reddex Washington, D, Alexandria 

State Rep. 27th District
Mike Johnson, R, Pineville 

State Rep. 38th District
Rhonda Butler, R, Ville Platte
Todd McKellar, R, Glenmora

Sheriff
Kris Cloessner, Ind., Woodworth
Mark Wood, R, Boyce

Clerk of Court
Robin Hooter, R, Pineville 

Assessor
Rick Ducote, D, Pineville
Josh Pace, R, Boyce
Coroner
Jonathan Hunter, R, Alexandria

Police Jury District A
Bubba Moreau, R, Pineville

Police Jury District B
Joe Bishop, R, Pineville
Randy Wiggins, R, Pineville

Police Jury District C
Craig Smith, R, Deville

Police Jury District D
Theodore Fountaine III, D, Alexandria 

Police Jury District E
Danny Bordelon, R, Boyce
Joey Short, R, Boyce 

Police Jury District F
Ollie Overton Jr., D, Alexandria
Clarence Reed, D, Alexandria 

Police Jury District G
Sean McGlothin, Ind., Alexandria

Police Jury District H
Parrish Giles, R, Glenmora
David Johnson, R, Glenmora

Police Jury District I
Jay Scott, D, Alexandria

Constable Justice of Peace Ward 5 2nd Justice Court
Rusty Miller, No Party, Elmer

By JIM BUTLER

The Housing Authority of Rapides Parish ended 2022 with about $100,000 in uncollected rent.

It collected $510,000 from tenants in the same year, according to its audit report issued this month.

Auditors attributed the accounts receivable to not following policy, including reviewing accounts and collecting.

Responding, Executive Director Patricia Boss Jackson noted the impact of the pandemic-driven eviction moratorium as well as the fact that tenants who have applied for emergency rental assistance cannot/could not be evicted while their application is or was pending.

The moratorium has been lifted, but programs channeling emergency rent assistance are bogged down in bureaucratic layers across the country.

Jackson told auditors the Authority will review and make efforts to collect rent on a timely basis. 

The Authority owns/manages Boyce Gardens and Section 8 housing. 

Revenue from Housing and Urban Development represented 84 percent of its income. 

About $1.3 million of its $3.2 million spending was to landlords in the assisted rent program. The year’s total spending included $111,000 in non-cash depreciation. Total revenue was $3.37 million. 

Michael T. Jones is Authority board chairman. Zelda Smith is co-chair. Other members are Michael W. Jones and Harold Elliott. Board members are unpaid. 

According to the audit, payroll expense totaled $374,000.

Jackson’s base salary was $196,663. Total value of her compensation, according to the audit, was $220,704. 

That includes insurance cost, per diem, reimbursements, registration fees and employer contributions to retirement and Social Security funds. 

The Authority pays 40.1 to 40.7 percent of salary into the retirement fund, employees pay 7.5-8.0, depending on wage level, the audit notes. 

The Authority paid $150,000 into the fund during the year; employees $3,000. 

The full audit report can be read at the Legislative Auditor website. 

By LEE BRECHEEN, Louisiana Football Magazine/TV

A big time sleeper athlete will play football this year for Alexandria Senior High. Omarion Ford is a linebacker/defensive back who goes 5-11, 185 pounds with legit 4.5 speed in the forty.

Not many high school players can match his experience. This is a kid who started as an eighth-grader for Marksville.

In his sophomore season, he ran for 718 yards and six touchdowns at Marksville, before he transferred to ASH and sat out last season, his junior year.

This is a kid who has a chance to be a college football player as a defensive back as a nickel corner or at safety.

I saw Ford play when he was at Marksville and he was a difference maker two years ago. If he has a good senior season for the Trojans competing in a high-level Class 5A program, he has a chance to really improve his stock as a player.

Ford knows the ASH program has a rock-solid foundation in the Trojans’ head coach.

“I believe coach Thomas Bachman is a great coach,” said Ford, “and coach is someone you have to respect even if you don’t like him. That’s all because he is a real genuine coach and wants the best for his players.

“I trust him to lead us to a great season and I’m willing to do whatever he says we need to do, because I know he wouldn’t lead us astray. I’m just ready to follow him to a great first, and last, season with him.”

Ford is benefitting from playing under ASH defensive coordinator Josh Mercer, who is also his position (safety) coach.

“He’s probably the smartest coach I have ever played for and has taught me a lot and made my postion switch easy and smooth,” said Ford.

Ford did attend a few summer camps, but doesn’t have an offer yet, probably because he didn’t play last year, but it’s just a matter of time before he shows up on tape and college coaches notice. In a dream scenario, he has his top shelf possibilities in mind.

“My favorite colleges are Ole Miss, LSU, Auburn, Louisiana Tech and Baylor,” he said. “I grew up watching LSU, Alabama and Clemson as my favorite college teams.”

He does have his priorities in mind. With a 3.6 grade point average, he is considering majoring in exercise science in college.

Growing up, Ford idolized one of the greats of the game – Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens.

“Every day before and on game day, I watched him when I was little. He’s a great player, a hard hitter like me and one of the best motivational speakers I’ve heard,” said Ford.

His father played football and ran track at Marksville, and earned a reputation his son is trying to live up to. “I always hear stories from people about how good he was in his day.”

I believe Ford is going to have a senior season that will change his status from sleeper to standout.

Contact Lee at lbrecheen@aol.com

Lee Brecheen has operated Louisiana Football Magazine for over 30 years and is one of the state’s foremost experts on high school football and especially recruiting. Based in Baton Rouge, Lee travels statewide to watch practices and games and has broken down film and tape since the late 1980s.  He has converted the printed product to an online website (Lafootballmagazine.com) that will preview every high school and college football program in the state before kickoff this fall. Lee also hosts a football-centric TV show on YouTube, The Sports Scouting Report, on weekdays.

As long as I’ve been a hunter, I have hunted on areas that have special names. The “Cocklebur” stand? It’s located in the middle of a patch of – you guessed it – cockleburs.

One in particular is one I named myself because of my lack of skill in carpentry. I called it the “Shanty”. It was propped up on all sides to keep it from tumbling over.

On the adjoining hill, a buddy with expert skills at carpentry had constructed one that was plumb and square that totally put my stand to shame. We gave our approval when he named it the  “Chateau” stand.

It didn’t have to be a deer stand; it could be a certain patch of woods that when you mentioned that’s where you would be hunting, every club member knew exactly where you were talking about. Here’s how one such hunting spot earned its name.

It was a cool, clear October afternoon with little or no wind, a perfect time to be in the woods after squirrels. When I finished what I had to do at work for the day, I took the afternoon off with plans to head for my favorite squirrel hunting spot.

Changing into hunting clothes and gathering up my shotgun and gear, I jumped in my truck, turned off onto the dim little road that I had traveled many times that led to my squirrel woods a mile down the road.

Ordinarily, I drive up and around the little road to a hill where I park my truck only a couple hundred yards from the woods. This time, however, there was something blocking my way. There was a car parked in the middle of the road.

I thought it odd since I didn’t recognize the car as belonging to any of my hunting club member friends. The land was privately owned with only our group having permission to hunt there.

I was puzzled, not only at the presence of the strange vehicle but also frustrated by the fact that it was blocking the narrow woods road I had to travel to reach my hunting spot.

While pondering the problem, I noticed that there were some small pines on either side of the little road and if I could remove a few of them, I might be able to ease around the car and make it to my hunting spot in time for an afternoon hunt.

I always keep an axe behind the seat of my truck in case I might need it in such an emergency. In addition, I never head for the woods without my camera because you never know when a photo op might present itself.

Reaching behind the seat, I picked up the axe and with my camera hanging around my neck, it was my intension to remove enough of the small pines to allow me access. That’s when I noticed movement in the parked vehicle that was blocking the road. I realized that there were people in the car as I saw two faces appear in the side window.

The faces turned ashen in color with eyes wide as they watched a guy dressed in camo walk up behind them with a camera and an axe.

It was not rocket science to figure out that I had happened upon a secret venture of a couple who only wanted time alone and what better way to find such special times than to drive down a dim woods road in the middle of the day to insure their privacy.

Long story short, I backed my truck out of the way so the couple could drive away, shielding their faces as they passed me.

I was able to drive on in and enjoy my afternoon squirrel hunt. I don’t recall if I got any squirrels but I now had the name of my favorite hunting spot.

To this day, that fine scope of woods is known by a special name I gave it that day.

Hanky Panky Hill.

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

Recent Rapides Parish Operating While Intoxicated arrests. Arrests are charges, not convictions. 

August 2

Patrick Francis, 57, Pineville — OWI 1st;

Laterica James, 32, Alexandria — OWI 1^st, Contempt of court;

Christopher Mikeska, 62, Anderson, MO — OWI 1^st, Improper lane usage.

August 3

Clinton Ellzey,31, Hattiesburg, MS – OWI, Running stop sign.

August 4

Lucas Leger, 29, Broussard — OWI 1^st, Open container, Driving wrong way on one-way street.

August 5

Charles Cockerham, 71, Alexandria — OWI 2^nd, Careless operation.

By JIM BUTLER

Brandon Lucius has posted $5,000 bond after his Aug. 3 arrest for allegedly inflicting serious injury domestic abuse battery, the latest of his in and outs with the penal system.

Lucius, 43, of Deville was most recently charged with possession of les than two grams of fentanyl, carfentanil. Arrested on Feb. 21 this year, he posted bond on March 20 and was released.

Last August he was in jail a day before making $10,000 bail on an attempted carjacking charge.

Those accusations pale in comparison to those of three years earlier.

On May 19, 2019, he was booked on charges of alleged 1st degree rape, false imprisonment, domestic abuse battery strangulation, 2nd degree battery and violation of protective order violent, second and subsequent.

He had been released from jail on March 22 after posting $2,000 bond on a charge of possession of CDS II and IV.

He was held on the May charges until October 2019, when he posted $195,000 bond, not appearing in jail records again until the alleged carjacking try.

Recent Rapides Parish felony drug arrests. Arrests are charges, not convictions. 

August 1

Stacie Brown, 47, Deville — Possession CDS II <2 grams, Possession paraphernalia;

Ashton Bryan, 25, Pineville — Possession, manufacture, distribution, dispense, possession with intent CDS II < 28 grams or analogues; Possession CDS II 2-28 grams; Possession paraphernalia;

Isiah Davis, 32, Alexandria — Possession CDS IV except flunitrazepam; Possession, manufacture, distribution, dispense CDS I < 28 grams analogues or counterfeit; Possession firearm by convicted felon; Illegal carrying weapon; Carrying firearm with drugs;

Travis Trantham Jr., 39, Pineville — Possession CDS I < 2 grams, two counts; Possession CDS II < 2 grams, two counts, Possession CDS III, Possession CDS in presence of person under 17, Possession paraphernalia, Illegal carrying firearm with drugs, Expired MVI, Driving under suspension/revocation;

Chad Travis, 51, Alexandria — Possession CDS II < 2 grams, Possession paraphernalia, Parole violation.

August 2

Jenea Croom, 37, Dry Prong — Possession CDS II < 2 grams, three counts; Possession CDS II 2-28 grams, Possession CDS III; Possession CDS IV except flunitrazepam, two counts; Possession CDS I 4th or subsequent; Possession CDS I < 2 grams; Possession paraphernalia; Use CDS in presence of person under 17;

Diante Peace, 23, Alexandria — Possession, manufacture, distribution, dispense CDS I < 28 grams or analogues or counterfeit, two counts; Possession CDS I 2-28 grams; Possession, manufacture, distribution, dispense, possession with intent CDS II < 28 grams or analogues thereof; Contempt of court, two counts.

August 3

Phillip Green, 72, Alexandria — Possession CDS II < 2 grams, Possession paraphernalia, Improper headlight equipment, Contempt of court.

August 4

Trenton Chumney, 23, Alexandria — Possession CDS II < 2 grams, Possession paraphernalia;

Leslie Dauzat, 39, Alexandria — Possession CDS II < 2 grams, Possession paraphernalia; Burglary, three counts;

James Guinn, 56, Alexandria — Possession CDS II < 2 grams, Improper bicycle operation;

Maurico Hernandez, 25, Glenmora — Possession, manufacture, distribution, dispense CDS I < 28 grams analogues thereof or counterfeit’ Possession paraphernalia;

Lionel Johnson, 25, Alexandria — Possession CDS II < 2 grams, Illegal carrying of weapon;

Alicia Jones, 59, Pineville — Possession CDS II < 2 grams, two counts, Possession CDS I 1st 14, Illegal carrying firearm with drugs, Improper window tint.

August 5

None

August 6

Terineesha Nelson, 30, Alexandria — Possession CDS II < 2 grams, Possession paraphernalia, Resisting officer, Disturbing the peace loud/abusive language, Remaining after forbidden.

August 7

Justin Bradford, 35, Pineville — Possession CDS II 2-28 grams, Possession paraphernalia;

Deantrye Brown, 30, Jena — Possession CDS I 2-28 grams heroin, mixture of or derivatives; Possession CDS II < 2 grams;

Sherterrocca Henderson, 46, Alexandria — Possession CDS II 2-28 grams, Possession paraphernalia, Battery simple, Criminal trespass, Unauthorized entry inhabited dwelling;

Matthew Temple, 35, Cheneyville — Possession CDS II 2-28 grams, Possession paraphernalia; Contempt of court, two counts.

This recipe for Taco Angel Chicken dates back to the beginning of The Copper Whisk (4+ years ago now)! We love this one as a go-to I know everyone will like, especially on evenings we are coming in later from ball but still want a hot meal that isn’t fast food. This is often cooked when we are in school. It almost guarantees I will have no fussing come supper time.

The boys prefer this over angel hair pasta, and I have to agree that’s my favorite too!

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, sliced in strips lengthwise
1 (8 ounce) container softened cream cheese spread
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning
1 can Rotel
1 (4 ounce) can Hatch diced green chiles
Serve over pasta, Mexican rice, or mashed potatoes
Directions

Slice chicken and place in slow cooker. Combine cream cheese spread, cream of chicken, chicken broth, taco seasoning, Rotel, and green chiles in sauce pan on stove. Stir over low heat until well combined and cream cheese is melted. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve over pasta, Mexican rice, or mashed potatoes.

Ashley Madden Rowton is a wife, mom and published cookbook author who lives in Minden, La.

When considering the leading causes for power outages, Mother Nature probably comes to mind first.  Nearly everyone has experienced outages that occur because of severe weather, but a less recognized cause for outages can do just as much damage to power lines in the blink of an eye – car crashes.

SWEPCO understands the importance of reliability and has worked to build infrastructure that can withstand wear and tear.  But even the most rugged equipment can be damaged by a pole strike in an instant.

Across the entire AEP system, car accidents impacted more than 600,000 customers resulting in outages for more than 1.6 million hours in 2022.

SWEPCO crews face unique challenges when responding to these events.  Their work to restore power always starts with a safety focus, but the challenges to crash-related repairs can differ from those of severe weather outages.  Crews not only have to make sure the wires are de-energized before beginning repairs – they also must ensure the scene is safe for crash victims and first responders. 

After securing the scene and allowing any medical situations to take precedence, SWEPCO crews begin work to restore power.  This work includes carefully removing damaged equipment and setting a new pole(s) to run power lines on.  Crews complete the work by installing distribution equipment onto the new poles, then re-energizing them.

These restoration efforts often take several hours.  Crews recognize the importance of restoring service to impacted customers, but that urgency does not distract from their safety mindset.  Crash sites are often tense and carry human elements, which can have an impact on crews. 

The number of crashes that impact power distribution reinforces the importance of safe driving.  Car crashes not only cause significant harm to those involved, but also to nearby neighborhoods and communities.

By Jim Smilie

A resolution regarding the City of Alexandria’s Project RESTOR program to address outstanding utility bills and the execution of more than 60 residential customer utility cutoffs on June 26, a day for which an advisory regarding excessive heat was issued by the National Weather Service, triggered heated debate between residents as well as council members at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Alexandria City Council.

The resolution was the last item on the agenda and was added on Monday by City Council President Lee Rubin. Council members didn’t receive the materials for the resolution until late Monday evening. That prompted District 1 Councilman REDDEX Washington to request a delay. Washington, citing Section 2-23 of the Alexandria Municode, argued the resolution was out of order because it was not filed in a timely manor.

In addition to what he said were possible procedural problems, Washington said he felt he needed more time to review the materials and that the public should have more notice as well. Attorney Trey Gist noted that state guidelines were followed regarding the addition of the item to the agenda by Rubin and that the council could consider the matter or they could vote to delay.

Of note, Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy, who was present at the beginning of the meeting, was not present for any of the debate. Utility Director Michael Marcotte was present but did not address the council or the audience.

Rubin acknowledged the resolution was added late and didn’t oppose a motion to delay. When a vote to delay the matter was held, it was a three-three tie. Council members Washington, Rubin and Johnson voted in favor of delaying the matter until the next meeting while council members Villard, Fowler and Felter opposed the delay. Council member Cynthia Perry was absent from the meeting. Since a majority did not vote in favor of a delay, the matter moved forward.

District 4 Councilwoman Lizzie Felter said she sent a letter on July 28 to the administration asking a series of questions, including how disconnections or cutoffs for past due accounts are determined, if commercial customers were included in the disconnects ordered for June 26, what time the disconnects were conducted, when the heat advisory was issued, were any cutoff ordered after the heat advisory was issued and how many of the customers who were disconnected that day were reconnected.

She read the responses from the administration, which was dated August 7, and written on the letterhead of Director of Finance David Johnson and signed by Johnson as well as Chief Administrative Officer Kay Michiels. Marcotte, along with City Attorney Jonathan Goins were listed as receiving copies of the response.

As Felter read the administration’s responses, she was interrupted numerous times by comments from residents attending the meeting as well as council members. Local resident Cornelius White, who addressed the council earlier regarding a separate matter, frequently offered comments to council members from his seat in the audience, prompting At Large Councilman Jim Villard to tell him repeatedly to “hush.”

Rapides Parish Police Juror Jay Scott was also vocal in his questions about the program. Scott said the public didn’t get all of the details about how Project RESTOR worked and that he knew of at least one resident who received a $400 grant from the program that was not requested and now had to be paid back. He admonished council members to “tell people the truth,” as he returned to his seat.

Felter said the “spirit of the resolution” was to “clarify misinformation” and was “not supposed to divide, it’s supposed to help.”

Resident Jack Henton said it was his opinion that the council needed to let people know sooner and that they didn’t give the public enough time to review the matter before the meeting or even know that the item would be considered. “This was not an emergency. In the future, I would ask that you give information in a more timely fashion,” he said.

Rubin tried to shift the conversation from complaints about how the resolution was filed and specific individual complaints about how Project Restor and the utility disconnects of June 26 were conducted and focus on the actual text of the resolution. “This resolution explains how and why things happened. It doesn’t offer solutions. We will address that with an ordinance in two weeks,” Rubin said.

At Large Councilman Jim Villard agreed, adding, “this doesn’t change anything, it just affirms Project RESTOR and adds information,” he said. District 5 Councilman Chuck Fowler noted the city is “more lenient than any other utility” when it comes to disconnects.

Ultimately, the council voted to approve the resolution with Washington being the only member not to vote in favor of the resolution.

Following the meeting, Rubin said the point of the resolution was to get information about how the process worked ahead of discussion of an ordinance set for debate at the next meeting to revise Section 26-11 of the City of Alexandria Municipal Codes with respect to the termination of utility services during extreme weather conditions.

“The information we put out today was compiled by the people involved,” Rubin said. He said many of the customers who were scheduled for disconnections had not made any payments for more than 120 days and many had very large outstanding balances. “This is a business. People have to pay their bill or get cut off,” Rubin said. “If we followed the PSC guidelines a lot more would be cut off.”

Washington also maintained his position that discussion should have been delayed. “We need to get information out to the people,” he said. “We don’t need to rush. Sometimes you need to let it marinate.”

In other business, the council unanimously approved the appointment of Jamar Gailes and Oday Lavergne to serve as commissioners on the board of the England Authority. They also confirmed the appointment of Brett Bolton to serve on the City of Alexandria Zoning Commission.

The council also approved authorizing the city to co-sponsor the 50th Annual Bayou Classic Roadshow Kickoff. The event, which is scheduled for August 18-20 in Alexandria, will kickoff an 11-city tour to promote the Bayou Classic football game between Grambling State University and Southern. Representatives of both schools were on hand at the meeting and explained the official game ball will be taken to each of the participating cities, which include major cities in Louisiana as well as Houston and Dallas, Texas, and will be signed by each city’s mayor. The ball will ultimately be used to start the game and then be displayed at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

A month of extraordinary heat and lack of rain has done what legions of mockingbirds and dozens of passing pedestrians and neighbors over time could not — put the huge fig tree at the lot’s corner out of business.

Way back when, enterprising people apparently decided figs were the economic future in this part of the world.

Consequently, there are an inordinate number of very large fig trees, usually loaded in early August with their dark, sweet fruit.

(Okay, so the fig is not technically a fruit, but I dropped Dr. Connell’s botany class long before we got to the why. So be it. )

Under many of the trees there are mockingbirds, so bloated from their feeding frenzies that they waddle around like those birds with no wings.

Fig trees have an early season, bearing some fruit in June, then return in August with the main money crop.

One June, when there was no hint of what was to come, fruit-wise, I decided to try my hand at doing something with figs given me by a well-meaning neighbor.

Unwilling to venture into preserves, jams or jellies, I followed a stove-top recipe, creating a syrup from sugar and water, blending in some figs and freezing the concoction.

I left the pan in the sink overnight and ended up with what was probably the world’s first fig taffy.

Later, we tried some of the syrupy stuff on Blue Bell homemade vanilla. Not bad. Of course the ice cream makes almost anything better.

But now I’m sticking to Fig Newtons.

(Okay, I know they are actually fig rolls. But Fig Newtons is what Nabisco markets them as and what Dad called them in every fishing or hunting day lunch bag we ever packed, then ate well before the sun got very high. That’s good enough for me.)

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.

By Jim Butler

Candidate qualifying for the Oct. 14 open primary opened Tuesday in the clerk of court office in Rapides and the other 63 parishes. It closes Thursday afternoon.
Those entering races Tuesday for Rapides-only offices or offices involving all or parts of the parish and all or parts of other parishes (statewide races excluded):

Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 5
Toby Brazzel, R, Alexandria
Lance Harris, R, Boyce 

State Senate 28th District
Heather Cloud, R, Turkey Creek

State Senate 29th District
Jay Luneau, D, Alexandria 

State Senate 30th District
Mike Reese, R, Leesville

State Senate 31st District
Mike McConathy, R, Natchitoches
Alan Seabaugh, R, Shreveport

State Senate 32nd District
Glen Womack, R, Harrisonburg

State Senate 35th District
Jay Morris, R, Monroe

State Rep. 25th District
Jason Dewitt, R, Boyce
Trish Leleux, R, Woodworth

State Rep. 26th District
Sandra Franklin, D, Alexandria
Ed Larvadain III, D, Alexandria
Reddex Washington, D, Alexandria 

State Rep. 27th District
Mike Johnson, R, Pineville 

State Rep. 38th District
Todd McKellar, R, Glenmora

Sheriff
Mark Wood, R, Boyce

Clerk of Court
Robin Hooter, R, Pineville 

Assessor
Rick Ducote, D, Pineville

Coroner
Jonathan Hunter, R, Alexandria

Police Jury District A
Bubba Moreau, R, Pineville 

Police Jury District B
Joe Bishop, R, Pineville 

Police Jury District C
Craig Smith, R, Deville

Police Jury District D
Theodore Fountaine III, D, Alexandria 

Police Jury District E
Joey Short, R, Boyce 

Police Jury District F
Ollie Overton Jr., D, Alexandria
Clarence Reed, D, Alexandria 

Police Jury District G
No qualifiers 

Police Jury District H
Parrish Giles, R, Glenmora 

Police Jury District I
Jay Scott, D, Alexandria

Constable Justice of Peace Ward 5 2nd Justice Court
Rusty Miller, No Party, Elmer

Felony arrests recently booked into the Rapides Parish Jail. Arrests are accusations, not convictions:

August 1

Salvadore Rojas-Hernandez, 17, Forest Hill — Sodomy – crime against nature – aggravated, 10 counts; Sexual battery oral, 5 counts; 1st degree rape, 15 counts.

August 2

David Brown, 37, Alexandria — Criminal conspiracy, Theft of motor vehicle;

Brandon Grassa, 21, Alexandria — Flight from officer, Criminal conspiracy, Theft of motor vehicle, Contempt of court;

Michael Grassa, 53, Alexandria — Criminal conspiracy, Driving under suspension/revocation, Theft of motor vehicle;

Lee Jones, 30, Alexandria — Assault aggravated with firearm; Stalking, two counts, Resisting officer, Domestic abuse battery, Burglary aggravated Contempt of court;

Tyrone Lincoln Jr., 23, Pineville — Carnal knowledge of juvenile, Illegal possession of stolen firearm.

August 3

Rafal Lopez, 27, Alexandria — Simple strangle domestic abuse battery strangulation;

Brandon Lucius, 43, Deville — Domestic abuse battery serious injury.

August 4

Laneisa Cobb, 50, Lecompte — False swearing, Possession firearm by convicted felon, Illegal carrying weapon; Contempt of court, two counts;

Sharika Miner, 45, Alexandria — Battery aggravated.

August 5

None. 

August 6

Marquetta Duffie, 34, Pineville — Aggravated assault with firearm, seven counts; Contempt of court failure to pay fine; Contempt of court, seven counts;

Tayshaun Spearman, 18, Alexandria — 2nd degree murder, Armed robbery.

August 7

Jerrell Antoine Jr., 38, Alexandria — Probation violation; Parole violation, two counts; Theft motor vehicle > $25,000;

Markita Hongo, 33, Alexandria — Battery aggravated, Theft, Robbery, Contempt of court.

Rapides Parish Assistant District Attorney Derrick Johnson was sworn in as president of the Louisiana Municipal Association.

The Alexandria Police Department responded to multiple calls reporting gunshots heard in the 2700 block of Elliott Street on Aug. 6 around 5:58 am.  Officers located the residence of the victims and determined the shots fired arose from an earlier domestic disturbance that occurred in Pineville.  The investigation resulted in the arrest of Marquetta Duffie, 34 of Pineville.  Duffie was charged with seven counts of Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, seven active Warrants and one Failure to Pay Fines and was booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center.

This is currently 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.

The Alexandria Police Department responded to 2100 block of North Bolton Avenue on Friday, Aug. 4 around 11:05 pm in reference to a robbery.  The responding officers located the victim who reported that he had been beaten and robbed at gunpoint near the intersection of Mimosa Drive and Tupelo Court.  The victim further reported that a struggle ensued during the robbery and a gun was discharged.

While the officers were receiving the initial report a second call came into the Alexandria Police Department advising that a person suffering a gunshot wound had arrived at Regional Medical Center.  The person shot was identified as 18-year-old Dontavius Ceasor, who later succumbed to his injuries. Police were able to determine that the two incidents were connected and the deceased was identified as an assailant in the initial report.

On Aug. 6 the Alexandria Police Department arrested a second assailant, Tayshun Spearman, 18 of Alexandria, on one count of Armed Robbery and one count of Second Degree Murder arising out of the August 4, 2023 incident.

This is currently 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.

There have been many college football seasons when after Week 1 I felt absolutely duped by an LSU head football coach.

Since 2000 when Nick Saban – the Father of the Closed Practice – took charge of the program, the media have been given occasional glimpses of preseason workouts.

We had to rely on the alleged trusted word of head coaches Les Miles and Ed Orgeron that everything was sunny side up heading into the start of seasons, only to watch it blow up.

In 2016, LSU started the season ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press and No. 6 in the coaches’ poll. What we didn’t know because we failed to see a single preseason practice was star running back Leonard Fournette hurt his ankle in preseason camp and starting QB Brandon Harris had lost all confidence.

LSU fans eagerly traveled to Green Bay’s Lambeau Field only to watch their team stink up the joint in a 16-14 loss in which Harris threw an interception to kill the Tigers’ last rally.

It was the beginning of the end for Harris and Miles. Harris lasted one more week as a starter and Miles was fired after Game 4.

On Tuesday, I was asked by radio hosts in Nashville and New Orleans on their shows if I thought this season’s LSU team deserved the No. 5 preseason ranking it received Monday in the coaches’ poll.

For the first time since my waistline was slimmer and my hairline was lower, I said I believed the ranking was accurate because the LSU media is being allowed into 10 Tigers’ preseason practices by Brian Kelly.

In seven of them, we get to observe at least an hour of practice that involves more than drills.

“We’re going to have 10 access points for you in practice that should give you a lot of chances to evaluate and put the starting lineups together both for offense and defense,” Kelly said in his opening preseason press conference following the first practice last Thursday.

Then he added with a laugh, “Make sure you e-mail me once you guys put that together.”

Kelly, in his 33^rd year as a college head coach, is comfortable in his own skin. He’s not giving away secrets when he allows the media to watch practice. But he realizes not only can we get a clear and honest assessment of his team, but it educates us to ask (for the most part) more intelligent questions.

We’ve seen the vast improvement, even from the spring, of quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier. It’s hard to not notice the vast riches the Tigers now have at running back, wide receiver and tight end as well as capable offensive line backups.

Defensively, tackle Masson Smith looks like he has regained his explosive first step after sitting out almost all of last season with knee surgery. He’s going to be hell to block and he’s on a mission.

The talent of transfers such as Oregon State’s All-Pac 12 first-team linebacker Omar Speights and Texas defensive end Ovie Oghoufo shine through.

And when Kelly tells us that Alabama transfer receiver/kick returner Aaron Anderson is “pretty fluid (as a punt returner) … he’s really natural with the football,” we know he’s telling the truth because we’ve seen Anderson catching punts and watched him hit top speed within a few strides.  We’ve also seen the passion of budding defensive superstar Harold Perkins Jr. on display when he and wide receiver Kyren Lacy got in a fight at Monday’s practice.   Fights happen more often in practice than the public knows. Football is a violent sport. Combine that with 100-degree plus temperatures and it’s a powder keg waiting to explode.  But we’ve also seen this team, filled with veteran returnees, go about their business with its nose to the grindstone and practicing in a manner they learned from Kelly last season.  “We were a determined team last year, but I feel the determination this year based on how on we practice,” defensive end Sai’vion Jones said. “The fight that happened just shows how passionate this team is.”  And it was nice for us in the media to witness it and the rest of what we’ve seen so far.

CAMP NOTES: Kelly said defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey, who was admitted to a hospital with an undisclosed illness before the start of preseason practice, was being released Tuesday. “I am really happy for Jimmy, but he has a long road ahead of recovery,” Kelly said. … Running back Tre’ Bradford, who signed and played with LSU in 2020, transferred to Oklahoma and then returned to LSU before the 2021 season and then left the program again in the spring of 2022, is back on the team after not playing anywhere last season. “The thought process was just giving a man another chance,” Kelly said. “He had a long road. He had to get back into school on his own. We didn’t help him. He had to do everything and do it on his own. We’re open to second chances here, but this one is on you. You’ve got to prove yourself to the university. And it’s going to be up to the university to decide whether they want to re-enroll you — we’re not going to make any calls. We’re not writing any letters. And if you understand what the guidelines are, and you’re able to do that, and then you come here this summer, and our strength coaches sign off on you that you’ve done everything to warrant an opportunity, then we’ll invite you to camp. And both of those things happened. So, he earned a second chance.”

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 Jim Smilie

Name an annual youth activity that starts with “Do I have to go,” and “I don’t want to do this,” and ends with “Do I have to leave,” and “Can I do this again?”
The answer: Summer Camp.

In this case, the event is Camp Ryla, the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards annual week-long summer camp hosted by Rotary International for high school sophomores going into their junior year.
Four former Ryla camp attendees spoke to members of the Rotary Club of Alexandria Tuesday afternoon to share their experiences at summer camp.

All four said they didn’t want to go to the camp when it was offered, but are now glad that they did.
First to share her story was Lindsey Purvis, a junior at Alexandria Senior High School. She said her biggest takeaway from the camp were the lessons she learned about teamwork and the new friends she made. “I learned that teamwork is much more than just working together.”

Next up was Calyn Mangum, who said she was hesitant to attend the leadership camp because she was afraid to meet new people. “I learned that if you don’t get out of your comfort zone, you will never get out of the bubble you have created,” she said. “I have Ryla to thank for amazing friendships. I had one of the best summers of my life. I would go back in a heartbeat.”

Timber Nichols said she was nervous at first as the only Bolton student at the camp. She quickly made new friends and felt that the camp fostered a family atmosphere. “We became so close it was like I had known these people my whole life,” she said.

While Purvis, Mangum and Nichols each attended the camp this summer, it has been more than a quarter of a century since the final presenter attended Camp Ryla, but he still remembers the lessons he learned that week.

Jonathan Goins, an attorney, former Alexandria City Councilman and current City Attorney for the City of Alexandria, attended Camp Ryla in 1997 while a student at Peabody Magnet High School.
“I was just a young kid from the hood — Samtown/Woodside. I didn’t want to go,” Goins said, noting he would have preferred to play basketball, go swimming or just hang out with his friends. “But it was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Goins said the camp taught him the importance of setting goals and maintaining a positive attitude. “I learned that your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude,” he said. “Camp Ryla gave me goals to reach and helped me become who I am today.”