By JIM BUTLER

Rapides School District 62 will be back in the bond market Tuesday as the final phase of a $100 million upgrade nears.

The School Board’s bond counsel said the $25 million realized from the sale should be in the district’s account by April 18.

Proceeds from the bond issue approved by voters in Wards 1, 2 and 8 in 2022 are being used for everything from athletic fields to auditoriums.

The ward’s three high school feeder systems – ASH, Bolton and Peabody – are getting extensive renovations, replacements and additions.

Proceeds from a 15-mill property tax will retire the debt.

District 62’s property tax total is 23.52 mills, the other 8.52 being maintenance levies.

The board has no system-wide construction and/or operating property tax implemented at the parish level.

Its parish-wide taxes include 4.83 mills provided all systems by the state constitution and three voter-approved maintenance taxes totaling 21.74 mills.

By JIM BUTLER

Pineville has instituted policies that provide review of all its manually calculated utilities bills before they are issued.

In the city’s recent report, for the year ending last June 30, auditors noted lack of such review caused a substantial refund to be made during the audit year.

An account was overbooked for an extended period because, according to the report, a clerk did not have a clear understanding of the process, which caused a continuing miscalculation.

Responding, the city told auditors the clerk has been replaced and the review system initiated.

Even with the “substantial” refund to the account unnamed by the report the utility fund charges revenues of $10.7 million exceeded expenses by $2.3 million.

The General Fund took in $26.8 million ($16 million in sales tax revenue) and spent $20.7 million.

The audit notes the city’s net position is primarily invested in capital assets less outstanding debt.

That and recognizing long-term liabilities associated with retirement benefits and post-retirement health care benefits eliminates the remaining net position, the report notes.

Net position reflects the difference between value of assets and value of liabilities. Incorporating the estimated long-term costs grows the value of the latter, in this instance creating a negative net position even though the General Fund balance grew by $2.2 million over a year earlier to $11.1 million.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

March 20

Jerome Hobbs, 40, Alexandria — firearm possession by convicted felon, criminal trespass, contempt 2 counts, $45,500 bail.

There was nary an empty spot on the dance floor when the iconic Johnny Earthquake & the Moondogs, a fixture on the Louisiana music scene for over 25 years, brought their high energy act to the 2024 Alexandria Downtown Rocks festival Thursday night.

The Moondogs were the opening act of three concerts of the Downtown Rocks series. The concerts take place in downtown Alexandria and are free to the public. Rouge Krewe will be playing April 4 and Chris Ardoin on April 18. From Classic Rock to Zydeco, there is indeed something for every taste at Alexandria Downtown Rocks.

The Alexandria Downtown Rocks concerts are a lead-in to the popular Riverfete, held in May and Winterfete, held during the Christmas season. These three events are all open to the public for no charge and provide quality family-oriented entertainment for each season of the year.

Interested in working for Lexington Independents, a dynamic and growing Contract Food Services company at our client’s school, The Louisiana School of Math and Science in Natchitoches, LA?

We are looking to hire a Food Service Director to help oversee and train our team and support our client.

This role offers a great quality of life, no late nights and off most weekends. Also, this unit is closed for the summer and holidays. We also offer competitive benefits such as medical, dental, vision, 401K and more.

Lexington Independents is part of Elior North America’s family of companies. Throughout independent schools and in partnership with educators, students, and parents, we are focused on a constant evolution of food and making a difference to life at school.

If interested, please reach out to Matthew Levy, our Senior Talent Acquisition Partner, to learn more: matthew.levy@elior-na.com

By PAITON HAGA

In the second round of the Coke Dr. Pepper Open pro golf tournament Thursday at Alexandria’s Links on the Bayou, spectators saw an intense battle unfold between two players, Will Cannon and Jake Doggett, who were tied off and on throughout the day.

Three in-state pros, Phillip Barbaree Jr. of Shreveport, Charlie Flynn from Lafayette and Ruston’s Sam Murphy, are close behind after strong rounds in challenging weather conditions.

Cannon (Birmingham, AL) managed to edge ahead of Doggett (Hutto, TX), finishing the day with an impressive 4 under par, bringing his total to an outstanding 12 under par. His consistent play and steady nerves propelled him into the lead.

Doggett matched Cannon’s 4 under par for the day as he finished the round at 11 under par through 36 holes.

Meanwhile, Flynn and Barbaree emerged as formidable contenders. Flynn shot an impressive 7 under par for the day, bringing his total to 10 under par, third on the leaderboard, setting himself up as a threat in the final rounds.

Barbaree, the former LSU standout, backed up his opening 5-under with a 4-under card Thursday morning and is in a three-way tie for fourth. Murphy, a former Louisiana Tech golfer is tied for seventh at 8-under.

Weather conditions added an extra layer of challenge to the day’s play. The morning wave faced chilly temperatures, with the cold lingering all day. As the afternoon wave took to the course, the weather took a turn, with intermittent rain showers happening all day. Despite the inclement weather, the players showcased their resilience, navigating the conditions with skill and determination.

Cannon’s surge ahead has set the tone for what promises to be a thrilling moving day. The third round will begin today at 8 a.m. with players being sorted by score, with the leaders teeing off last at 10:39.

Barbaree goes off the first tee at 10:28 while Murphy’s start time is 10:17.

After the third round has concluded, the field will be paired by score again heading into the final round Saturday. The field over the next two days will be competing for their share of the $120,000 purse and the winner will take home $20,000.

Fans can attend the Coke Dr. Pepper Open at no admission charge. Follow along with the action on the AllPro Tour socials: Instagram @allprotourgolf twitter @AllProTourGolf.

To check the leaderboard, visit https://agpts.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/agpt24/event/agpt245/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – Even with just two losses in the regular season a year ago heading into the NCAA Tournament, nobody knew how far LSU could advance.

“I didn’t really know how far we would go,” LSU forward Angel Reese said. “We didn’t have any expectations.”

The Tigers ripped off six straight victories and won their first national championship. It led to landing the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class including the top two-rated transfer portal players, being named No. 1 in the preseason polls and becoming the biggest target in women’s college basketball.

“It’s definitely a different feeling now,” said Reese, the SEC’s Player of the Year who leads No. 3 seed LSU (28-5) into today’s 3 p.m. NCAA first-round regional contest vs. No. 14 seed Rice (19-14) in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. “I feel like there’s more of a chip on our shoulder this year going into it. We know what we have at this point. But I think our team is gelling at the right time. And I feel super comfortable.”

After some early season drama – backup center Sa’Myah Smith sustained a season-ending knee injury while Reese was A.W.O.L. for four games with a possible suspension – the Tigers slowly put things together.

They’ve won 10 of their past 11 games since dropping two in a row against No. 1 South Carolina and at Mississippi State at the end of January.

The Tigers’ biggest improvement in the last 1½ months has been their defense. Since Feb. 1, LSU has held opponents to 62 points per game and 35.3 percent from the field.

“I just have also thought if we’re going to go very far in the playoffs, we have to get better defensively through the course of the year,” LSU third-year coach Kim Mulkey said. “That’s where our most improvement has been.

“When you have that many scorers on a team (as LSU does), I doubt any of them had to be the defensive stopper growing up. If we can do it collectively and help each other, take pride in it and get excited about it as much as we do the offensive end, I think you can have a good season and a good run in the playoffs.”

One of the reasons guard Hailey Van Lith transferred from Louisville to LSU this season was to improve her defense.

“At the beginning of this season, we were caught up in how well we could score and how fun that was,” Van Lith said. “We neglected the other side of the game. And we were real with ourselves. We recognized that that was something we needed to fix. Then, we fixed it. It was pretty simple.”

Since losing Smith in November, LSU’s thin bench that goes two deep and sometimes three has been put to the test as of late.

When freshman starting shooting guard Mikaylah Williams rested a sore foot for the last regular season game and the first two SEC tourney games, Van Lith moved from starting point guard to starting shooting guard. Last-Tear Poa came off the bench and started at the point.

When Poa suffered a concussion in LSU’s SEC tourney semifinal win over Ole Mis and missed the 79-72 finals loss to South Carolina on March 10, Van Lith went back to the point, Williams prematurely was put back in action and freshman Janae Kent became the top backcourt reserve.

“Listen, in the perfect world, you want to play eight or nine players,” Mulkey said. “We lost that. We lost that early in the year. What you’re having to happen now is you’re pretty much going eight if you play Janae and Poa coming off the bench, and then you’ve got Aalyah Del Rosario.”

Mulkey said Poa will be available to come off the bench against the Owls, who lost five straight games to end the regular season but won four games in four days to claim the AAC tournament championship during its first year in the league.

The bench scored 50 points in the Owls’ AAC championship game, a 61-41 win over East Carolina to earn the automatic NCAA bid.

“We haven’t talked a whole lot about the number that’s beside our name in this tournament, but we did just go through a tournament where we were a 10 seed and we won four straight days,” Rice coach Lindsay Edmonds said. “Our back was against the wall for all four of those games. No one believed that we were going to do what we did other than the people in our locker room.

“So, we’re just trying to have that same mindset, talk about the same things, game plan the same way we would, but we’re throwing the numbers out the window and not talking about that as much. There’s a hoop, there’s two teams …  let’s go out there and play basketball and put our best brand of basketball on the national stage.”

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE — Don’t bill this weekend’s LSU vs. Florida series in Alex Box Stadium as a rematch of last June’s College World Series championship won by the Tigers.

There are a few familiar headliner returnees for both the No. 4 Tigers (18-4, 1-2 SEC) led by third baseman Tommy White and the No. 6 Gators (12-8, 2-1) led by first baseman/pitcher Jac Caglianone.

“We’re both different because we’ve both had guys move on (to the pros),” LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “But we both have guys that weren’t on the frontline that moved up in the pecking order that are finding their way in new roles.”

The Tigers, after breezing through its non-conference schedule, lost its opening series at Mississippi State last weekend with losses on Friday and Sunday and a one-run win on Saturday.

“It was the first time in an environment like that for a lot of guys and the first time against elevated competition,” Johnson said. “I think we learned a lot. Now, it utilizing that to our advantage going forward.”

LSU’s pitching, which had dominated the first month of the season, was tagged for 33 runs and 41 hits. The Tigers’ pitching staff ERA in the MSU series was 10.58 including a combined 8.78 from starters Luke Holman, Gage Jump and Thatcher Hurd.

“Mississippi State’s offense probably played their best baseball of the year,” LSU reliever Gavin Guidry said. “They had a plan going into the weekend and they executed it to a `T.’

“We’re trying to get better at getting that first pitch 0-1 strike. It allows you to do more with your stuff. And then when you get to a 0-2 or 1-2 count you put them away.”

LSU batted just .250 against the Bulldogs. The only Tiger who has been on fire lately is White.

In his last four games besides owning a four-game home run streak, White is hitting .500 (9 of 18) with 9 RBI and 7 runs scored.

He and the rest of the Tigers will have their hands full with Florida’s pitching.

Friday night starter Cade Fisher has struck out 33 batters against just three walks in 20 2/3 innings across his last four starts. Gators closer Brandon Neely, named on Monday as the SEC Pitcher of the Week and NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week, was 1-0 with a save and 10 strikeouts in 6 shutout relief innings last week.

Caglianone leads Florida in batting (.414), on-base percentage (.485) and hits (36) and has 9 homers. He has also been the team’s best pitcher with a 2-0 record, a team-low 1.77 ERA and a .132 batting average against and ranks second in strikeouts with 34 in 20.1 innings.

In his last three starts, Caglianone has allowed one earned run across 17.1 innings on seven hits, 11 walks and 27 strikeouts. He has also improved his offensively, drawing 11 walks against nine strikeouts in 82 at-bats.

No. 6 Florida (12-8, 2-1 SEC) at No. 4 LSU (18-4, 1-2 SEC)

PITCHING MATCHUPS

Game 1: Today, 7 p.m. CT (SEC Network)

LSU – Jr. RH Luke Holman (4-1, 0.63 ERA, 28.2 IP, 5 BB, 43 SO)
UF– So. LH Cade Fisher (2-1, 7.94 ERA, 22.2 IP, 5 BB 37SO)

Game 2: Saturday, 6 p.m. CT (SEC Network +)

LSU – So. LH Gage Jump (2-0, 2.12 ERA, 17.0 IP, 5 BB, 24 SO)
UF – Fr. RH Liam Peterson (1-2, 7.50 ERA, 18.0 IP, 9 BB 22 SO)

Game 3: Sunday, 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network)

LSU – Jr. RH Thatcher Hurd (1-2, 6.55 ERA, 22.0 IP, 10 BB, 29 SO)
UF – Jr. LH Jac Caglianone (2-0, 1.77 ERA, 20.1 IP, 13 BB 34 SO)

LSU VS. FLORIDA SERIES

LSU leads the all-time series versus Florida, 68-53-1, as the series began in 1971. The teams’ last meeting came in the 2023 CWS Championship Series June 24-26, in Omaha, Neb., as the Tigers claimed the national championship by winning two of three games over the Gators. The last regular-season meeting between the teams occurred on March 25-27, 2022, when the Tigers won two of three games over the Gators in Gainesville. Florida holds a 10-9 lead in the 19 meetings between the teams since 2016. This weekend’s series marks Florida’s first visit to Baton Rouge since April 18-20, 2019, when LSU won two of three games over Florida.

A LOOK AT LSU

LSU has won four of its last six games, and the Tigers this week are ranked No. 4 in the nation by USA Today and No. 5 by Baseball America and D1 Baseball. LSU is No. 7 in the SEC with a .300 team batting average, and the Tigers’ 3.74 cumulative ERA ranks No. 6 in the league. Junior right-hander Luke Holman is No. 1 in the SEC with a 0.63 ERA, and No. 2 in the league with 43 strikeouts.

A LOOK AT FLORIDA

Florida opened SEC play last weekend by winning two of three games over Texas A&M, who was undefeated entering the series in Gainesville, Fla. UF is No. 8 in the SEC with a .298 batting average, and third in the league in home runs with 44. Florida’s pitching staff is No. 14 in the SEC with a 5.78 cumulative ERA, but the Gators hurlers have recorded 238 strikeouts, the fifth-highest total in the league. First baseman/LH pitcher Jac Caglianone is hitting .414 on the year with one double, nine homers and 21 RBI. Infielder Colby Shelton, who transferred to UF from Alabama, has 10 homers and 22 RBI, and infielder Tyler Shelnut has nine doubles, seven homers and 24 RBI.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

By BRET H. MCCORMICK, Journal Sports

A year after two Rapides Parish schools brought home girls basketball state titles, no team in the parish claimed any of Louisiana’s 10 basketball championship trophies this season. 

But there were still plenty of strong showings during the 2023-24 girls basketball season as five parish teams advanced to the state tournament in Hammond and Northwood-Lena and Oak Hill both finished as state runner-up. 

Northwood-Lena senior point guard Rhianna Battles stepped into a new role as the face of a young team, leading the Lady Gators to the state championship game for a fourth consecutive season. 

Tioga coach Debbie Johnson, whose team was not one of the ones that advanced to Hammond, wrapped up a stellar career by completing a remarkable turnaround for the Lady Indians, taking a team that won five games in 2020-21 and 2021-22 and guiding them to a 27-8 record and their first playoff victory in 18 years. 

Johnson, a longtime Tioga coach who was at the helm when Tioga last won a playoff game and advanced to the state tournament in 2006, led this year’s Lady Indians squad to the most victories in a season in school history. 

For their achievements, Battles was selected as the Outstanding Player and Johnson as Coach of the Year for the Rapides Parish Journal’s All-Parish Girls Basketball Team. 

Battles stepped into the leadership void created by the graduation of all-state MVP Na’Kiyah Allen and led an inexperienced team back to the Division IV Select state championship game. She averaged 21 points, five assists, five steals and four rebounds per game, earning District 3-1A MVP and finishing her career with two state championships and two runner-up trophies. 

Not only did Northwood lose Allen to graduation, but the Lady Gators lost two other returning starters when senior Sabrina Fisher transferred at the beginning of the school year and junior Da’Zya Johnson tore her ACL during preseason practice. 

“Rhianna Battles really had to step her game up this year and change from being the facilitator to the scorer,” Northwood-Lena coach Lashonda Cooper said. “With all the adversity we faced this year, which includes losing three starters and having to depend on middle-school kids to play in important roles this year, she never looked to complain or lower her game no matter who we were playing.” 

The Lady Gators once again played one of the top schedules in the state, facing state champions Parkway and Wossman as well as strong Class 5A teams like Captain Shreve, Natchitoches Central, Ponchatoula, Ruston and Scotlandville. Battles helped lead Northwood to a 19-13 overall record. 

“We played against the top teams in the state, and she got out there and competed,” Cooper said. “She led us to a fourth consecutive district championship title. … If anyone saw us at the beginning of the season, our game play would convince anyone that we would not be back in Hammond this year. But, with her leadership both physically and vocally, we were able to return back. What she has done for this program will never be forgotten, and we are forever grateful for her.”

Tioga entered the season with a strong returning nucleus, including seniors Abbi Troquille, Madison Lockwood and Christina Lambert, that had been shaped and guided by Johnson’s leadership since she returned to lead the program four years ago. 

The Lady Indians showed immediately that this team might be different, upsetting Northwood in their second game of the season and then again in the parish tournament before finishing as runner-up. 

They started 7-2 and ripped off 16 wins in 17 games between Dec. 8 and Jan. 26 before finishing second in District 2-4A. The Lady Indians earned the No. 9 seed in the Division I Select playoffs and defeated Bonnabel in the first round before falling on the road to St. Thomas More. 

Troquille, the team’s point guard and leading scorer, said it was important for the Lady Indians to send Johnson into retirement with a strong finish. 

“Our goal was just to try to make it to the playoffs,” Troquille said. “We wanted to work very hard, as hard as we could this year. We didn’t really have a certain expectation, but we were trying to hold ourselves to doing our best this year and going as far as we could. 

“We all wanted to do our best for her last year and be able to play as hard as we could and get as far as we could. It was an important deal for us because we knew it was important for her and we love her so much. … We did what we could to make her last year very memorable.”

The all-parish team was selected by Journal Sports contributors Bret H. McCormick and LaMar Gafford based on nominations and input from the parish’s head basketball coaches.

2023-24 RAPIDES PARISH JOURNAL ALL-PARISH GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM

Outstanding Player: Rhianna Battles, Northwood-Lena

Coach of the Year: Debbie Johnson, Tioga

FIRST TEAM

Rhianna Battles, Sr., Northwood – The District 3-1A MVP and All-Parish Outstanding Player averaged 21 points, five assists, five steals and four rebounds to lead the Lady Gators back to a fourth straight state championship game. 

Brilee Dousay, Jr., Oak Hill – The Lady Rams’ point guard emerged as a key facilitator and difficult task for defenses by averaging 12 points, six rebounds, 5.4 assists and four steals per game for the Division V Select runner-up.

Alexis Dyer, Sr., Oak Hill – The LSU-Alexandria signee led the Lady Rams back to a third straight state championship game, averaging a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds while adding two assists and two steals per game. 

Carly Meynard, So., Menard – A double-double machine, the Lady Eagles’ forward finished with 26 of them on the season and earned a spot on the District 4-2A first team after averaging 15.3 points and 14 rebounds per game. Meynard helped lead the Lady Eagles to the state semifinals for the second straight season and eclipsed both the 1,000-point and 1,000-rebound barrier. 

Abbi Troquille, Sr., Tioga – The Lady Indians’ senior point guard led them with 10.3 points, five rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game and helped Tioga to its first playoff victory in 18 years. 

SECOND TEAM

Abigail Atherton, Sr., Menard – The Lady Eagles’ senior wing averaged 15.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, going over 1,000 points for her career and being selected to the District 4-2A second team and All-Defensive Team. 

Thamerin Balthazar, Jr., ASH – The leader of the Lady Trojans averaged 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.5 steals per game. 

Krystina Greene, Sr., Oak Hill – The senior wing earned a spot on the District 4-B first team after averaging 10 points, seven rebounds, 4.7 assists and three steals per game.

Nyasia Moran, Sr., Northwood – The smooth left-handed wing averaged a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds per game for the state runner-up Lady Gators, earning a spot on the District 1-3A first team. 

Landon Kate Wells, Sr., Glenmora – One of the best pure shooters in the parish, the senior wing averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds per game for a Lady Wildcats team that advanced to the Division III Select quarterfinals.

BEST OF THE REST 

Alexsia Branch, Sr., Glenmora
Aveonna Glasper, Jr., Peabody
Natalie Graves, So., Buckeye
Ja’Shira Henson, Sr., Northwood
Jodie Jowers, Jr., Oak Hill
Ellie Juneau, Sr., Menard
Christina Lambert, Sr., Tioga
Madison Lockwood, Sr., Tioga
Cameron Sutton, Jr., Plainview
Tamiah Word, Jr., Bolton

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

March 15

Reuben Edwards, 28, Alexandria — OWI 1st, improper turn, 1:21 am, $1,100 bail;

Fernice Guilbeau Jr., 50, Pineville — OWI 1st, open container, driving under suspension, careless operation, 2:57 am, $2,200 bail (previously charged with OWI 1st on February 2).

March 16

Kenneth Parker, 39, Deville — OWI 1st, speeding, 1:19 am, $1,100 bail.

March 17

George Funderburk, 58, Boyce — OWI 1st, careless operation, suspension/revocation, contempt, 5:50 am, $3,700 bail;

Allen Hampton, 50, Hammond — OWI 2nd, 11:51 pm, $1,500 bail;

Marcus Santamaria, 29, Woodworth — OWI 1st, improper lane usage, 3:16 am, $1,100 bail.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

March 20

Dedrick Lions, 40, Welch — obstruction: tampering with evidence, resisting, paraphernalia, contempt, $12,000 bail;

Bradley Stewart, 32, Pineville — violation of protective order, $100,000 bail;

Otha Tatum, 40, Alexandria — aggravated resisting with force or violence, assault, $1,000 bail. 

This date: 10 total arrests, six of which included one or more contempt counts. 

By JEANNI RITCHIE

I sat amid an audience of school-age children for Lagniappe Theatre’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid stage musical yesterday, dancing in my seat to a Broadway-level production by some of the most talented kids I’ve ever seen.

This cast nailed it!

Led by Eli Tyler as diary, er journal, owner Greg Heffley, the show brings the popular book series to stage with over a dozen high-energy song and dance numbers that took place throughout every surface of the theatre. No matter where you sat, you couldn’t miss the fun.

I was a children’s librarian as the series climbed to the number four best-selling book series of all time, its draw for readers in the relatability of characters and its fluency ease.

Not to mention its humor. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is just funny! The stage version even kicks that up a notch with songs like Better Than You that had me surprisingly rooting for Patty Farrell (played to perfection by Evie LaFleur) over Greg for Middle School Treasurer. After all, girls don’t forget anything, and that second-grade glue incident had been waiting for its day to be avenged.

Other unlikeable book characters that were too fantastic not to fall in love with onstage are the 8^th grade bullies. I couldn’t take my eyes off Angel-Lena Wade every time she started dancing, putting personality to choreography in a way that can’t be taught. She is a director’s dream, committing to character and illuminating the stage with no need for a spotlight.

I was glad my little sister hadn’t been there during the scene when Greg’s teacher calls roll on the first day of class. “Greg Heffley? I had your brother Rodrick. You’re sitting up front near me!” I’m certain her eyes would’ve been shooting daggers at me, a family joke being that she was the one who paid the price for my high school sins!

The Cheese Touch was every middle schooler’s waterloo, that moment of utter and final defeat. Such setbacks lose their power, however, when dancing with blocks on cheese on your head. Kids all around me danced along; I joined in.

There wasn’t a dull moment from the very first scene until the curtain call. I hadn’t seen the show, so I knew I’d enjoy it. I had no idea I’d be blown away by the talent of Lagniappe’s cast.

Over 60 kids sang, danced, and handled props and set changes like they’d received Equity cards with their birth certificates, including Aiden Stokes (Fregley) and Emma Naquin (Fregley’s Mom), who stole the show during The Fregley Song after Greg’s best friend Rowley (Rhett Schnexnayder) abandoned him for a new friend.

Almost every child will have that experience at least once in their life. In fact, the themes in Diary of a Wimpy Kid aren’t limited to kids. Listening to performance songs about insecurity, relational pain, integrity, and ambition is therapeutic to children of all ages, even those who’ve been out of school for decades.

You do NOT want to miss this show!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid will be at Lagniappe Theatre Event Center, located at 7521 Coliseum Blvd. in Alexandria on Friday, March 22 at 7 PM, Saturday, March 23 at 7 PM, and Sunday, March 24 at 2:30 PM. Tickets are available online at lagniappetheatre.com or at the door.

Jeanni Ritchie is a former community actress who gets a little peanut butter and jealous when seeing shows she’d rather perform in than write about.

By JIM BUTLER

Loren Lampert’s campaign committee reports contributions of $1,000 or more since March 3 totaled $11,500 through March 14.

The committee of his opponent, Allie Nowlin, in Saturday’s special election to fill a Ninth Judicial District (Rapides jurisdiction only) judgeship reports $2,000 in such contributions.

Louisiana campaign finance laws require candidates to report within two days any contributions of $1,000 or more within 20 days of a primary or general election.

Such contributions listed by Lampert’s committee include:

O’Neal Law Firm, Alexandria; Teddy Darrell Price, Winnfield; Central Management Co., Winnfield, each $2,500; Kinetex, Robert Levy, Used Cars Center, all Alexandria, and Don Burkett, Many, each $1,500.

Nowlin’s committee reported contributions of $1,000 from Darrell D. Ryland, Marksville, and Richard B. Crowell, Alexandria.

Judicial campaign financing differs from that of other contests in that candidates are barred by ethics code from soliciting contributions. It is all third party.

In the last regular filing before the 20-day period, the Lampert organization reporting raising $36,000 from February 13 through March 3, spending $40,000 and having $20,000 on hand.

Contributors reaching the $2,500 threshold included Paul A. Guillory, Law Office of John R. Flynn, Shelton Energy Solutions, Mike Shelton and Pamela B. Webb, Jay for LA PAC, all of Alexandria; Brian Caubarreaux & Associates, Marksville; Morrow, Morrow, Ryan & Bassett Attorneys, Opelousas.

Filing for the same period, Nowlin’s panel reported receiving $7,200, including a $1,500 loan from the candidate, and spending $16,000, including paying $7,200 in loan repayments to Nowlin, and having $23,000 on hand.

A $2,500 contribution in that period was reported from Christen Van Mol of Glenmora.

By JIM BUTLER

The Pineville City Council moved this month to establish a uniform fee schedule for electronic production of public records for requesting parties.

Mayor Rich Dupree told the council the city has a schedule for records provided the old-fashioned way but none for the digital age.

Under the Public Records Act local government is allowed to adopt reasonable fees for meeting records requests. Reasonable is defined from entity to entity.

Citizens cannot be charged for viewing public records at the place of custody and cannot be charged costs related to original creation of a record.

An electronic record is provided in original format (pdf, etc.). A custodian is not required to provide it in any other electronic format.

Printed copies of such records, if requested, must be provided, again for a reasonable fee.

A second fees action was also taken by the council.

It approved amending the Code of Ordinances sections relative to various deposits and fees from time to time by resolution rather than the more-cumbersome ordinance process.

The mayor noted there have been no revisions in utility deposit or connection fees in 30 years.

By JIM BUTLER

An Alexandria man was booked Tuesday on two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Dominique Roland, 35, is also charged with possession of drugs with intent to distribute, two counts of drug possession and one of criminal conspiracy. Bail is set at $3,308,500.

The conspiracy count raises a question of whether the case is related to a similar double-murder charge filed against a Boyce-area man Monday night.

Through mid-evening Tuesday authorities had provided no information regarding either arrest, related or otherwise.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

March 19

Dominique Roland, 35, Alexandria — murder 2nd degree 2 counts, attempted murder 2nd degree 2 counts, criminal conspiracy, possession with intent, possession 2 counts, $3,308,500 bail. 

It’s Eddie Robinson, Fred Hobdy, Wilbert Ellis, Collie J. Nicholson, and president and baseball coach Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones, the cornerstone personalities of an incomparable legacy, developed over many years in relative obscurity, in the red clay hills and piney woods of north Louisiana.

There’s Buck Buchanan, Willie Davis, Willie Brown, and Charlie Joiner, all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

It’s Doug Williams, Sammy White, Everson “Cubby” Walls, Ernie Ladd and James “Shack” Harris, all with their distinctive places in NFL history.

From the hardwood, along with Hobdy, it’s his greatest player, Willis Reed, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member. They combined to win a national championship, an NAIA title in 1961. Another Hobdy superstar: Bob Hopkins, who scored 3,759 points as Tiger from 1952-56, a total exceeding the NCAA Division I standard of 3,667 from Pistol Pete Maravich at LSU more than a decade later.

In the 1970s came future pro players Aaron James, Larry Wright and Kenny Simpson.

Just to drop a few names.

Grambling is no newcomer to the national stage. Robinson and Nicholson took the Grambling football show on the road to major cities in the 1960s and 1970s, including games in Yankee Stadium, and the combination of big crowds in big markets and prime-time players from Grambling in the NFL, AFL and NBA, coupled with the charm and brilliance of “Coach Rob,” made an impression on the American sports consciousness.

Add in the World Famed Band Tiger Marching Band, the featured halftime attraction at the first Super Bowl, as another factor as Grambling emerged among the iconic brands of college sports years before the creation of ESPN, and the proliferation of college sports on television.

It’s Grambling State University. The Mighty G. GramFam. A college that for the first six decades of is existence served students who could not attend most higher educational institutions close to them.

It’s where “Everybody is Somebody.”

And as of about 8 p.m. Central Daylight Time Wednesday night, Grambling became quite something once more.

For all of the glow of big-time college sports, the electricity of March Madness is incomparable, in no small part because of the small schools involved, and the opportunity they get to square off against the super powers on a neutral court, five-on-five, for 40 minutes.

Wednesday night was not that kind of matchup. Friday evening will be, when the 16^th seeded Grambling Tigers tip off against No. 1 Purdue in the “first round” of this year’s NCAA Tournament.

That’s because Wednesday night in college basketball’s paradise, Dayton, Ohio, in UD Arena, at the NCAA’s First Four “opening round” event, Grambling did two things it had never achieved before.

1. Tipped off in the NCAA Division I Championship, for the first time in 46 years of eligibility. The Tigers had never before won the right to represent their league, the Southwestern Athletic Conference, in the Big Dance. They took care of that the previous week, and took the court Wednesday against NCAA Tournament veteran Montana State (six appearances, including a current streak of three straight).
2. They won an NCAA Tournament game. In overtime, overcoming a 14-point second-half deficit, making a heroic charge in the closing minutes and taking total control in the final two minutes of overtime of an 88-81 triumph.

It was nearly exactly a year ago to the day when Grambling’s greatest basketball star passed away. Willis Reed, whose Number 50 Tigers jersey was finally raised in the rafters of the Fred G. Hobdy Assembly Center just a year before, died last March 21.

“This is something I will remember and cherish the rest of my life,” he said that January night in 2022, proudly wearing a Grambling letter jacket.

His New York Knicks No. 19 jersey had been retired almost a half-century earlier, in 1976, commemorating a career that earned him a spot in the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in its first five decades. But his heart was always centered back along I-20.

“People would ask me, ‘Where would you like to go to a game at?’ Let’s go to Grambling to see them play football, let’s go see them play basketball. I feel like I’m at home here,” said Reed that night.

His smile said even more. The only thing about Wednesday night’s win that wasn’t just right, was that Reed wasn’t around to see it.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

Dr. David Jeffreys has been named acting president of Louisiana Christian University by the Board of Trustees, following the March 8 retirement announcement of Dr. Rick Brewer, LCU’s ninth president.

“Prior to this assignment, he served in an executive leadership role at the university, gaining substantial knowledge about its operations and objectives,” said Board of Trustees Chair Anthony Bunting. “On behalf of the board, we would like to congratulate Dr. Jeffreys on his appointment and look forward to his leadership in continuing the vision and mission of the university.” 

Jeffreys has served as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the university under Brewer since January 2022.

“I know Louisiana Christian University is in faithful and capable hands as David Jeffreys steps into the role of interim president,” Brewer said. “For the past two years, he has been an invaluable asset with resource development, facilities management, denominational relations, strategic planning and special projects.”

Brewer also worked with Jeffreys during his six-year tenure on the Board of Trustees

Jeffreys holds a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts, both in Christian Education, from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Louisiana Christian University. 

Prior to LCU, Jeffreys served as associate pastor of Highland Baptist Church and Highland Baptist Christian School in New Iberia for 20 years.

“I am humbled by the board’s appointment to serve in this capacity,” Jeffreys said. “I pray for God’s leadership during this transition as the board seeks the next president of LCU.  Our faculty and staff are second to none, and I am honored to serve such a dedicated group of women and men who are committed to our purpose and mission.  I also want to thank Dr. Rick Brewer for inviting me to be a part of an institution that I have called home since my freshman year in 1988.”

He has served the national and state Baptist conventions in a variety of positions, including membership on the Southern Baptist Convention Committee on Nominations (2010) and the Louisiana Christian University Board of Trustees (2014- 2020), serving as trustee chairman in 2020 and the first vice president of the Louisiana Baptist Convention is 2021. He was the director of the NOBTS Southwest Louisiana Extension Center (2015-2019) and a NOBTS adjunct faculty member (2002-2019). 

Jeffreys has also been active on various committees with the Evangeline Baptist Association from 2006-2021 and held leadership positions with the Pike County (Mississippi) Baptist Association from 1995-2002. 

Before his call to Highland Baptist Church in 2002, he served as minister of education and youth at First Baptist Church in Magnolia, Mississippi from 1995-2002; minister of youth at Old Zion Hill Baptist Church in Albany from 1992-1995; and minister of youth at First Baptist Church in Pitkin from 1990-1991. He also served as youth activities intern with the First Baptist Church in Pineville from 1989-1990 and was a staff counselor with the Dry Creek Baptist Camp in 1989. 

He and his wife Stephanie have been married for 31 years. 

Brewer is transitioning to a new career as Head of School for Masters Academy Vero Beach, Florida April 15. He retired from higher education administration after 37 years of service.