Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

February 7

Jiel Artis, 27 — felony terrorizing, assault, fugitive, $10,500 bail;

Deantwan Blade, 42, Alexandria — felony parole violation, contempt non-support, no bail set;

Tracy Kerry, 55, Alexandria — aggravated battery, unauthorized entry inhabited dwelling, $4,000 bail;

Keisha Richard, 21, Alexandria — identity theft 7 counts, unauthorized use motor vehicle, theft, contempt 2 counts, $29,500 bail;

Kameron Stewart, 18, Alexandria — attempted murder 2nd degree, obstruction evidence tampering, assault by drive-by shooting, aggravated criminal damage, $1,800,000 bail;

Tyree Taylor, 22, Ball — domestic abuse battery strangulation, $30,000 bail.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

February 7

Monique Collier, 37, Alexandria — possession, paraphernalia, bicycle lamps/reflectors required, contempt, $4,600 bail;

Tycarius Davis, 27, Alexandria — possession 2 counts, contempt 2 counts, $60,000 bail;

Felicity Dixon, 33, possession 2 counts, firearm with drugs, $11,500 bail;

Juan Franklin, 28, Alexandria — possession, paraphernalia, $3,000 bail;

Eric Gipson, 64, Houma — possession 2 counts, possession with intent, obstruction of highway, simple escape, resisting by fleeing, paraphernalia, contempt, $28,500 bail; 

Raymond Harrison, 50, Alexandria  — possession, bicycle lamps/reflectors, $2,600 bail;

Dantaveous Lindsey, 29, Alexandria — possession, paraphernalia, turn signals required, $600 bail;

Roy Randall, 36, Marreo — possession, highway obstruction, $600 bail.

Rapides school lunch menus are subject to change. School is out Monday and Tuesday.

Monday, February 12

No school

Tuesday, February 13

No school

Wednesday, February 14

Cheese pizza or stuffed-crust pepperoni pizza
Buttered corn
Italian salad/dressing
Pear halves
Milk

Thursday, February 15

Italian hoagie
Baked chips
Green salad/dressing
Fruit cocktail 
King Cake
Milk

Friday, February 16

Vegetable soup
Grilled cheese
Lettuce & tomato 
Salad/dressing
Banana 
Milk

By JIM BUTLER

Mayor Jacques Roy plans to reactivate a panel charged with studying all aspects of Alexandria’s utility system.

Roy told City Council members Tuesday that the Commission on Utility Reform, created in 2013 but apparently dormant the past four or five years, will advise the administration on the full range of utility issues.

As such the panel is subject to all the “sunshine” rules public bodies function under.

The reactivation comes, perhaps coincidentally, as billings including consumption during days of near-record cold hit mail boxes.

The mayor said he intends to retain John Carroll, John Scott, Martha Crenshaw’s, June Davis and Connie Cooper as panel members.

Councilman Chuck Fowler has been a member but Roy said an abundance of caution leads him to suggest Fowler as a non-voting ex-officio member.

His concern stems from the fact that the council votes on utility issues, including those approved and forwarded from the committee.

Utility issues – particularly cutoffs for non-payment and payment catchup via Project Restore – were the apparent driving force in Project Enough’s formation in late summer and its launching a recall effort.

Petitions seeking a referendum on recall of Roy and Councilmen Lee Rubin and Jim Villard must be filed with the Secretary of State by March 17.

The required number of signatures certified as valid city voters by the Registrar of Voters is 6,329.

Petition organizers have not announced where the effort stands.

In Grant Parish, Louisiana State Police Special Victim’s Unit (LSP SVU) conducted an investigation which resulted in the arrest of 38-year-old Billy Pilgrim of Pineville. 

LSP SVU conducted an operation on Feb. 6 and identified the suspect as Billy Pilgrim. As a result of the investigation and information obtained, arrest warrants were acquired for Pilgrim. The arrest warrants were issued for Computer Aided Solicitation of a Minor and Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile. After locating Pilgrim, he was arrested and booked into the Grant Parish Detention Center. 

At the time of his arrest, Pilgrim was employed with the Rapides Parish School Board Office. The investigation remains active and ongoing. No further information is available at this time. 

LSP SVU works to rescue and seek justice for the victims of crimes involving the exploitation of children and the trafficking of humans for sex or labor. The public plays an important role in identifying suspects accused of these crimes and is urged to report criminal or suspicious activity. The Louisiana State Police online reporting system is available to the public through an anonymous reporting form that is submitted to the appropriate investigators. The form can be found by visiting http://la-safe.org/and clicking on the “Suspicious Activity” link. 

By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports

Six members of the Rapides Parish Journal’s All-Parish football team announced their college decisions on Wednesday.

Two signed Division I college scholarships, two are headed to play for junior colleges and two accepted offers to walk on at in-state colleges.

A quartet of Alexandria Senior High players will continue their football careers at the next level. 

Amyrion Mingo, who began his Trojan career as a wide receiver before flipping over to defense this season as a cornerback, signed a scholarship with Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a Football Championship Subdivision program that plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Mingo, an all-parish selection at cornerback, finished the season with 27 tackles, a team-leading three interceptions and 11 pass break-ups on defense while making 19 receptions for 204 yards and four touchdowns. 

Jaylin Johnson, who was a three-year starter at cornerback and wide receiver, signed with Butler Community College in Kansas, while defensive end Aayden Walker will play for Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Mississippi. 

Johnson and Walker both were selected as members of the all-parish Best of the Rest – Johnson at athlete and Walker on the defensive line. 

The Trojans’ free safety, Jason Blackwell, accepted an invitation to walk on at Northwestern State. 

Despite battling injuries all season, Blackwell was an all-parish selection at safety after finishing with 76 tackles, four pass break-ups, one fumble recovery and one interception returned for a touchdown. 

Tioga free safety Ja’Corian Norris signed a scholarship with Louisiana-Lafayette, while Peabody running back and receiver Dartavin Depass will be a preferred walk-on at Grambling. 

Norris, an all-parish selection at safety, finished the season with 34 tackles and nine interceptions, including five returned for touchdowns. He also made 16 receptions for 202 yards and two touchdowns, and was one of the top return men in the parish with four kickoffs returned for touchdowns. 

Depass, who was selected to the all-parish team as an athlete, was the District 2-4A Offensive MVP after compiling 1,609 combined receiving and rushing yards and scoring 30 touchdowns. 

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE — In his previous football coaching life at Notre Dame, Brian Kelly discovered persuading blue-chip Louisiana high school talent to sign with the Fighting Irish was darn near impossible.

He signed five Pelican State products in 12 seasons with one becoming a starter and four transferring, including two returning to Louisiana colleges.

“You have to work really hard to get somebody to leave the state of Louisiana,” said Kelly at his introductory press conference when he was announced as LSU’s new head coach on Dec. 1, 2021. “That bodes well for us moving forward.”

Saving the best for last in the Tigers’ 2024 36-man recruiting class (29 high school signees, 1 junior college transfer, 6 transfer portal signees), Kelly announced Wednesday on the first day of college football’s annual second signing period that the state of Louisiana’s No. 1-ranked recruit officially flipped from Texas A&M to LSU.

The signing of Lafayette Acadiana High’s Dominick McKinley, the state’s top player who’s also rated the nation’s No. 2 defensive tackle by Rivals.com and ESPN, clinched a 247Sports No. 7 national recruiting class ranking for the Tigers.

With the addition of McKinley, Kelly signed eight of Louisiana’s top 10 Class of 2024 players and 12 of the top 15 in-state players.

The signing of the 6-5, 273-pound McKinley, who had a combined 156 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, and more than 20 sacks in the last two high school seasons, meant almost 63 percent of LSU’s signing class (transfer portal signees included) are from Louisiana.

LSU was able to make a second run for McKinley when he de-committed from Texas A&M in December after Aggies’ head Jimbo Fisher was fired.

“The window was opened with the transition at A&M,” Kelly said. “Then, we just became consistent with our ability to get with him and his family and show them why this was the best choice. “When there’s a transition, you’re able to build a stronger relationship and trust.”

McKinley became one of four Aggies’ commitments who switched and signed with LSU. The others were December early period signees 5-star offensive lineman Weston Davis of Beaumont (Texas) United, 4-star defensive end Gabe Reliford of Shreveport Evangel Christian, and three-star wide receiver Coen Echols of Katy (Texas) High.

Kelly also confirmed the six transfer portal signees, inking three offensive and defensive players each.

It’s the least amount of portal acquisitions in Kelly’s recruiting classes – he had 16 last year and 15 in 2022. Also, the 28 high school signees are the most Kelly has signed.

“The business plan has been all along to pull our base here in the state of Louisiana, develop the high school player, and then by doing so you develop a relationship and a trust and allegiance to the young man that’s in your program,” Kelly said. “That doesn’t mean you don’t use the transfer portal. You’ve got to be strategic and you’ve got to be in it when you need it.”

Four transfers are from Louisiana – former Baton Rouge University High standouts Texas A&M junior safety Jardin Gilbert and Auburn sophomore defensive back Austin Ausberry, Ohio State junior cornerback Jyaire Brown of New Orleans Warren Easton, and Mississippi State junior wide receiver/return specialist Zavion Thomas of Marrero John Ehret.

The others are Vanderbilt junior quarterback AJ Swann and Liberty grad transfer wide receiver CJ Daniels.

Swann started 12 games in two years at Vanderbilt and threw for 2,731 yards and 22 TDs. Daniels has 106 career receptions for 1,954 yards. Thomas had 40 catches for 503 yards and a TD last year and had scored on punt and kickoff returns.

“We needed to add some offense back into an offense that lost some prolific weapons and we do that with these three (Swann, Daniels and Thomas),” Kelly said. “Replacing some offense was very important strategically as we continue to develop and bring along young players in our program.”

Defensively, Gilbert, who has 12 starts in 25 college career games, had 61 tackles and two interceptions as a sophomore in 2022 before sitting out most of last season with a shoulder injury. Ohio State’s Brown appeared in 14 games (one start) in two seasons. Ausberry played in seven games in two years at Auburn.

“We were looking for someone with experience who played off the hash and we got that in Jardin Gilbert,” Kelly said. “Jyaire is an experienced player from Ohio State and Austin is an outstanding athlete.”

It’s also been somewhat by design by Kelly that when he fired his entire defensive staff and had to replace the offensive coordinator, he found replacements who have Louisiana ties.

Every assistant on Kelly’s 11-man staff has either played or coached for a Louisiana college or is a Louisiana native.

“I don’t think (hiring a coach with Louisiana ties) isn’t probably first on the list (of qualifications),” Kelly said. “It’s not mandatory. But you should have experience recruiting in this state.”

LSU, coming off consecutive 10-win seasons and returning 22 players who started at least one game last season, opens spring practice on March 5.

The Tigers will practice 15 times before playing the National L Club spring game on April 13 in Tiger Stadium. No kickoff time has been announced.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

Growing up in the country, there were sights and sounds I became accustomed to never thinking these would ever fade from the landscape. There were birds we took for granted, birds that have seemed to fade away over the years.

One is the shrike, or butcher-bird as we called them. They’re colored a lot like our mockingbirds but have totally different habits. Mockingbirds feed on insects, seeds and berries. Shrike feed on lizards, frogs and small rodents they catch with their hooked beaks and sometimes hang what they catch on the barbs of a fence to enjoy later. I have not seen one of these birds in years.

Another is the meadow lark, a bird we knew as field lark. They sported a coat of mottled brown with a distinct golden chest marked by a black vee over the gold. They spend their time feeding on insects in fields and like to sit on fence posts with their distinctive whistle call. Again, this is another bird that has escaped my sight for the past several years.

Another bird has all but disappeared. I’d love to be able to see a shrike or a meadow lark but I’d be super thrilled if I was out for a walk and heard the distinctive clear ringing “Bob WHITE” of a bobwhite quail.

These game birds enjoyed decades of popularity as species to hunt and provide some of the best eating of any wild game. Folks fed their pointers and setters all year long for the chance to see these special dogs work for a month when their noses were filled with scent of a covey of quail.

Few sights in the outdoors can rival a bird dog running, sniffing the air and then suddenly come to a complete halt, frozen in one position where the covey is located. Nothing is more thrilling than to walk up behind the dogs on point, step forward and the covey explodes from underfoot, causing heart palpitations to increase and giving you about two seconds to find one in your shotgun sight.

I mentioned quail problems on my Facebook page as my topic for my radio program this week and the responses from those who read it were instantaneous. So many comments were like mine; they had not heard or seen a quail in years and sorely missed hearing and seeing them. Others pointed toward loss of habitat, predators and fire ants as being the source of the problem.

Austin Klais is Conservation Delivery Coordinator for the Mississippi Valley Joint Venture with the focus on enlisting property owner’s involvement in attempting to bring back quail to areas where they formerly lived.

“Quail have been hit by so many different directions. Predators and fire ants are problems for sure but the main thing that will help their numbers increase is habitat management,” said Klais.

“The purpose of our Arkansas-Louisiana Open Pine Landscape Restoration program is to enlist property owners to enroll in the program to enhance habitat and as a result to help quail have everything they need to survive.”

Property owners who enlist in the program will be involved in putting in fire breaks, have controlled burns to remove undergrowth and undesirable trees such as sweet gum and elm.

We asked Klais how long after enlisting in the program and following guidelines before positive results can be expected.

“Usually after thinning and the first burn, we have been successful in quail showing up on the property. We’ve seen quail show up we didn’t know were there,” he said.

To learn more and to enlist your property in the program, contact your local National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) office. Deadline for signing up is February 16.

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

February 6

Kierra Alexander, 28, Alexandria — aggravated assault domestic abuse battery, $1,500 bail;

Malik Hampton, 20, Alexandria — murder 2nd degree, aggravated kidnapping, $1,500,000.

(Note, Hampton’s murder charge was initially reported in Wednesday’s RPJ).

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

February 6

Matthew Fortenberry, 32, Alexandria — possession, paraphernalia, bicycle lamps/reflectors required, improper bicycle operation, contempt, $3,700 bail;

Brela Lucas, 33, Deville — possession 2 counts, speeding, $3,100 bail.

Superbowl Crack (or just plain foodie crack if you do not plan to watch the big game)!  This recipe is an easy 10/10.  I foresee this appetizer as being my new go-to for any party or weekend snack marathon.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag wavy potato chips
• 1 packet Ranch seasoning
• 8 oz block cheddar, shredded
• 10 strips cooked bacon, roughly chopped (or bacon bits)
• 1 cup sour cream for dipping 

Directions 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a medium bowl mix cheese with ½ ranch seasoning.  (Mix the other half in the sour cream)!  Pour potato chips evenly onto a baking sheet.  Make sure chips are close together but not in a pile.  Sprinkle cheese over.  Top with bacon.  Bake 5-6 minutes.  Serve with ranch sour cream.

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

By JIM BUTLER

Tayshaun Spearman, ordered in October to stay out of Rapides Parish until March, is back, and again in jail.

Spearman, 19, who gave an Alexandria address, was charged Monday with armed robbery during investigation of a shooting on Victoria Drive.

A second shooting later in the evening at the same location resulted in a dead juvenile victim.

At a bond reduction hearing in October, Spearman informed the court he was moving to Dallas. He was told not to return to this parish except for court appearances.

According to court records, his next date is a pretrial conference on March 27.

That trial will be to face murder and armed robbery charges stemming from an incident in August, when he allegedly shot and killed a man during a sidewalk argument.

What the argument was about has not been released.

His bond on those charges was revoked, leading to him being sought and again booked on those charges.

Spearman’s current bail is $125,000.

Also arrested in the investigation, and charged with aggravated kidnapping and second-degree murder is Malik Hampton, 20, of Alexandria. No bail had been set Tuesday afternoon.

By JIM BUTLER

Seven out of 10 persons voting preferred Rapides school calendar option A.

As such, the School Board accepted that calendar for the next school year at its meeting Tuesday evening.

Supt. Jeff Powell told members that 2,100 persons responded to the open voting.

The 2024-25 school year will begin classes Aug. 8 and finish on May 28.

The board also heard an update on Bolton Academy applications.

Through Tuesday, according to Powell, 344 students had applied to attend the 6-12 facility this fall.

That includes 112 high school applications.

Board members also heard a report on the just-completed audit which seemed to indicate issues in some schools with fiscal record keeping and procedure.

The report will be released by the legislative auditor for public viewing at a future date.

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center recently announced its expansion into new regions of the state through a strategic alliance with MD Clinics—a cancer care provider with locations spanning central and north Louisiana. The integration, beginning in April 2024, will be reflected with all MD Clinics locations becoming Mary Bird Perkins locations, significantly expanding the Cancer Center’s footprint across Louisiana.This includes the MD Clinic on University Parkway in Alexandria.

The new partnership is poised to enhance the groundwork laid by MD Clinics by providing additional resources and services, fostering a collaborative approach to providing cancer care that aligns with the shared missions of both organizations. The partnership represents a unified effort to bring more robust cancer care to these regions.

Mary Bird Perkins’ expansion into central and north Louisiana marks a significant milestone in its fifty-plus year history and delivers on the organization’s mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer by providing high-quality cancer care close to home.  Over the past few years, the Cancer Center has unveiled state-of-the-art technology, recruited additional oncology experts, forged new partnerships, initiated phase one clinical trials and expanded its education and early detection programs.

MD Clinics’ physicians and team members will join the Cancer Center team, remaining at their current locations. Patients will also continue to receive care at the location most convenient for them, including specialty support services already available at several clinics.

Through the integration, Mary Bird Perkins will be able to enhance services already being provided in these regions of the state where the need is great. According to the Louisiana Tumor Registry, cancer mortality rates in central and north Louisiana are 15-20 percent higher than the national average.

Jonas Fontenot, PhD, MBA, president and CEO, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, expressed enthusiasm for the integration, stating, “We are thrilled with the opportunity to work with the MD Clinics team, who share our vision for empowering providers with the resources needed to deliver exceptional cancer care to patients in their own communities.”

Through the integration with MD Clinics and its partnerships with other organizations, Mary Bird Perkins will provide oncology services at 18 locations across the state.

“This opportunity marks a significant step in our journey to improve access to high quality cancer care, improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer for patients across Louisiana. As a community cancer care organization, we are here to serve.” 

Manish Dhawan, MD, founded MD Clinics in 2019, along with several other specialists, to bring high-quality cancer care to communities across central and north Louisiana. Through the integration, his team can now leverage the Cancer Center’s resources to care for even more patients. Across central and north Louisiana, MD Clinics provides 6,500 unique patients visits and maintains 2,500 new patient consults annually.

“By combining MD Clinics’ expertise and knowledge of the region with Mary Bird Perkins’ leading-edge cancer services and resources, we are forging a continuum of care that goes beyond traditional boundaries for patients,” said Dhawan. “Joining forces with Mary Bird Perkins empowers our team to reach more patients and offers them additional resources to achieve the best possible outcome for the patients we serve.”

Key benefits of the integration include:

• Research: Because research is key to unlocking the future of cancer care, Mary Bird Perkins plans to extend its robust clinical trials program into the region. Clinical trials provide many patients with enhanced outcomes and shapes cancer care for generations to come.  
• Advanced Technology and Expertise: Communities gain access to state-of-the-art technology, additional highly-skilled oncologists and greater collaboration among a robust network of experienced cancer care professionals.
• Comprehensive Patient Care:Patients continue to benefit from a broad range of medical services, fostering a patient-centered approach to cancer care.
• Enhanced Coordination: Closer coordination among more healthcare professionals ensures timely and well-coordinated care throughout the treatment journey; integrating MD Clinics’ operations within Mary Bird Perkins’ clinical and technical systems will help bring this collaborative approach to fruition.
• Community Impact: The integration solidifies the commitment of both organizations to serving local communities, ensuring residents have access to high-quality cancer care close to home. MD Clinics’ providers and staff understand the unique needs of the patient population and will help ensure optimal resources and services are included in integrated growth plans.

To learn more about Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and to find a location near you, visit marybird.org.

Pictured below: Chandice Boothe, RN; Jennifer Anderson, clinical program specialist, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center; Melissa O’Banion, vice president, marketing and communications, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center; Kim Hicks, director of clinical affairs, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center (photo at MD Clinics location in Alexandria)

The logic is irrefutable.

Now that Centenary, as of this fall, and Louisiana Christian, for over two decades now, are playing football, why aren’t they scheduling each other? Or going to take on Grambling and Northwestern State

The Tigers and Demons have NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision teams. Yes, there’s a big difference between that level and the Gents’ resumption of football as a Division III program, along with the Wildcats’ newfound NAIA Division I status (LCU was in NCAA Division III in all sports until last year, when it shifted football to the NAIA ranks – doesn’t seem to be much difference, except a shorter path to the postseason and longer regular-season road trips).

Not suggesting that the other two 318-area code football programs, Louisiana Tech and ULM, should be inviting Centenary or LCU to come play. There’s enough of a resource gap between them and their FCS neighbors, a difference which would be magnified many times over considering a collision with the Gents or Wildcats.

But it is hardly incomprehensible to bring the Gents or Wildcats to NSU or the Mighty G from time to time, starting in 2025, since 2024 schedules are already set in place.

All it takes is reconsidering a flawed mindset.

That happened a half-century ago, in what was then known as State Fair Stadium in Shreveport, in 1974 when Grambling and Northwestern squared off in the first Deep South collision of a predominantly Black (nowadays known as HBCU) program and a mostly white university in the holy sport of football. That barrier-breaking had happened just a few years earlier in hoops in NAIA playoffs, and in baseball.

It was at the time an infinitely bigger deal than this would be. It went great. A crowd estimated at over 30,000 saw a thrilling 14-13 Grambling win still fondly remembered.

Nowadays, we’re not talking about a societal milestone, just some football games that would have benefits for each side.

First, the obvious upside. It doesn’t even take half a tank of gas to go back and forth between Shreveport and Grambling or Natchitoches. Same is true for the round trip from Pineville to Eddie G. Robinson Stadium or Turpin Stadium.

Team travel costs: virtually nil. No doubt, it would produce better than normal visiting fan counts. Probably a fair chance for more Grambling or NSU supporters to show up, too – because their teams are absolute locks to win, and the visiting teams’ rosters will include lots of young men from nearby.

From the Centenary or LCU perspective, the incentives are simple: they’ll make more money from the game guarantee than they will in a year of collecting home game admissions, and spend very little of it traveling to play. The resulting exposure and buzz around the games will resonate far past that weekend and benefit much more than football for those small colleges.

The perspectives are different for the G-Men and Demons.

Grambling has played programs like Langston – now a conference cousin of Louisiana Christian’s in the Sooner Athletic Conference – for years, mostly at home but at times at neutral sites. This fall the Tigers will welcome Division II Tuskegee in a great matchup between two of the best known and distinguished HBCU’s.

Northwestern hasn’t played a lower-division opponent since 2019. The Demons have never played an NCAA Division III foe in football, and since going NCAA Division I FCS in 1977, have hosted one NAIA team, Langston in 2013 (a 37-0 NSU romp).

The Tigers have no interest in the FCS postseason. The annual Bayou Classic is their showcase game, and it hopefully leads to the SWAC Championship game and even, as it did a couple of times under former coach Broderick Fobbs, to the Celebration Bowl, the HBCU championship contest.

The Demons do hope to eventually find their way back to the FCS playoffs, something not done in 20 years. First, they need to focus on simply posting a winning season, something not accomplished since 2008. That’s right, a spirit-obliterating 15 consecutive seasons below .500 or at break-even (2013, 2014). NSU has scheduled uphill, playing only two lower-division opponents in the past 10 years while facing at least one higher-level foe every year, including LSU, Texas A&M and the like.

This year, the Demons’ five-game non-conference slate includes perennial FCS playoff entry Weber State and a Southeast Missouri team with three playoff trips in the last six years, along with two FBS programs (Tulsa and South Alabama). Not to overlook the home game with Prairie View, who has won at least 5 games in every full season over the past decade.

Suffice to say, a home date with Centenary or LCU would be a welcome fit any time in the forseeable future for win-starved Northwestern.

Not saying it should happen every fall – not saying that’s a bad idea, ether — but suggesting that in every five seasons or so, it sure makes sense to see Centenary making short trips east on I-20 and south on I-49, and LCU also staying in the 318 as a visiting team.

Plus, let’s not overlook the obvious: LCU vs. Centenary, home and home. Don’t hair-split over NAIA/Division III complications. The Wildcats just last year popped D3 East Texas Baptist 34-14 in their home opener in Pineville. The mature, never-better LCU program would plaster Centenary for at least a few seasons, home or away.

There’s no negative to getting this series established. The schools still compete in every other sport in Red River Athletic Conference circles.

And it makes infinite sense for the Wildcats to make an occasional jaunt up to Natchitoches. It’s nothing new for Louisiana Christian to travel to FCS foes – recent ones include long bus rides to Stetson (Deland, Fla., next to Daytona Beach) and Abilene Christian, along with a comparatively short journey to Lorman, Miss., to play Alcorn State.

Besides, those frisky Wildcats, fresh off a sensational 9-2 season and an NAIA playoff appearance, are traveling to play Houston Christian this fall. That’s the HCU Huskies – who play in the Southland Conference along with NSU.

If that can happen, why can’t this?

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

BATON ROUGE — LSU women’s head basketball coach Kim Mulkey’s press conferences are as predictable as the plots of Elvis movies.

Watch any Elvis flick, and a fight or a song is guaranteed to break out every five minutes.

For the media looking for a story hook or soundbite, they know Mulkey is going to deliver an unfiltered gem that’s either going to educate you or make you laugh or think or all three simultaneously.

In Tuesday’s presser previewing the No. 12 Tigers’ Thursday SEC game at Vanderbilt, Mulkey asked if her team’s identity changes as the season progresses.

“Your identity evolves on the floor,” Mulkey said. “People can perceive it to be one way and it really isn’t that way. The way they perceive it may have to do something with the way we play, and how we score.

“I don’t know how our identity has changed. We are talented at all positions; we can score at all positions. We don’t have the one scorer we feed the ball to all the time. Our identity is who are you going to guard and not guard.”

LSU (19-4 overall, 6-3) certainly hasn’t lost any of its offense despite leading the universe in missed 2-foot shots.

The Tigers’ four losses can mostly be traced to asleep-at-the-wheel defense when no help is provided after an opponent beats one of LSU’s perimeter defenders to the basket. Because of LSU’s lack of depth – just two deep off the bench – perhaps there has been a reluctance to play help defense for fear of fouling.

The way LSU snapped its two-game losing streak last Sunday, scoring a school record for most points in an SEC game with a 106-66 demolition of Florida, should be the Tigers’ victory blueprint for the remainder of the season.

Ideally, LSU wants a Final Four shot to defend its national championship. At this moment with basically no depth, that goal might seem out of reach.

But as Mulkey said recently to the media, “After we lost at South Carolina (88-64) last year, how many of y’all thought we were going to win a national championship?”

If anyone cares to remember, LSU won the national title because its relentless defense kept the Tigers afloat in their first five NCAA tournament wins when they shot just 39.5 percent from the field including 19.7 percent from 3-point range.

The basketball Gods smiled on LSU in its 102-85 romp over Iowa in the championship game as had its best shooting game of the tourney (54.3 percent from the field). Included were 11 of 17 3-pointers, three fewer than the Tigers made in their first five tourney matchups.

Last year’s team identity revolved around forward Angel Reese and now-graduated point guard Alexis Morris. Reese and Morris carried the bulk of offense and the rest of the Tigers’ eight-player rotation filled in the gaps.

LSU avoided serious injuries all season, there was no off-the-court drama. The Tigers seemed to be on the fringe of the spotlight for most of the year, motivated by the non-believers who thought LSU’s weak non-conference schedule padded its win total.

This year as defending national champs and a preseason No. 1, the Tigers talked about how everyone would be gunning to take them down.

Even after Colorado whacked LSU 92-78 in the season opener in Las Vegas, the Tigers didn’t get a true, consistent taste of being Team Bullseye until they got into SEC play and played in packed arenas in every road game.

It wasn’t until the 77-73 loss at Mississippi State two games ago that LSU finally got the wake-up call that anything less than an exceptional, concentrated effort in every phase of the game would lead to more defeats.

These Tigers didn’t find their identity, but rather their identity found them.

Losing reserve center Sa’mayah Smith for the season in November with a knee injury and Mulkey tossing returning guard Kateri Poole shortly after Reese’s four-game absence (from an apparent, but unconfirmed Mulkey suspension) reduced what had been a rotation of nine players.

It has forced returning reserve point guard Last Tear-Poa to step up her game and reserve freshman center Aalyah Del Rosario to accelerate her growth.

Poa is emerging as a key component moving forward. Louisville transfer Hailey Van Lith has had her struggles transitioning from shooting guard for the ’Ville to LSU’s starting point guard, a position where she fights the good fight as a playmaker but often loses her identity as a scorer.

In the win over Florida, Van Lith scored 13 of her team-co-leading 21 points when she shifted to shooting guard as Poa took over point guard duties.

“We wanted Poa to get in the game a little bit more,” Van Lith said. “We can continue to build on that. It’ll make us really dangerous because we can play fast and it’s hard to guard us in transition.”

When Reese re-joined the team after her absence, she finally realized she could play even harder this season because she’s surrounded by talented teammates. LSU’s starting five, which all average scoring in double figures, and Rosario have combined to score 20 or more points 34 times.

The timely and physical efficiency of DePaul transfer forward Aneesah Morrow, the athletic spark of returning sophomore guard Flau’jae Johnson, and the enormous talent of likely SEC Freshman of the Year Mikaylah Williams all cannot be understated.

The Tigers understand now they need to fight for the full 40 minutes. If they don’t believe that, they must remember what happened in the 76-70 loss to No. 1 South Carolina on Jan. 25.

“We gave up 3’s at the end of each quarter (in the first half),” Johnson said. “We lost by six.”

And if the Tigers want to maintain their relevancy as a featured team on ESPN telecasts and highlights, they must first subscribe to ESPM.

Every Single Possession Matters.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com