By JIM BUTLER

School Board member Willard McCall sees no point in horsing around about how to use a $2.4 million lagniappe.

More precisely, he wants it directed to Peabody Magnet High, home of the Warhorses, and will ask the District 62 Committee to vote accordingly at its meeting this afternoon.

The money is premium earned on the last installment of the district’s $100 million bond issue. The bonds were sold in late March; the premium has been in the bank since early April.

At its May meeting the board elected to set the money aside until more is known about various needs related to the bond issue.

For instance, at this point the fall enrollment at Peabody, impacted by the change in Bolton’s restricted attendance, is not yet known.

Plant alterations may still be required.

Additionally, the district doesn’t yet have cost projections on members’ change of mind adding storm shelters to construction plans for five schools.

Such shelters can be quite expensive, depending on direction chosen.

Earmarking all the premium for Peabody was one of five options reviewed for the board by Supt. Jeff Powell. Two others included allocating the Broadway Avenue plant $1.2 million.

In the initial bond package Peabody was assigned $5.8 million, with contingency of $779,000. ASH got $14 million, Bolton $5.7 million.

Upgrades are currently under way there. The Finance Committee today will consider a change order adding $335,000 to the contract for an assortment of renovation items. That is not a portion of the bond premium.

McCall, who had two Montessori schools in his election district that received no bond money, voiced agreement with the set-aside decision. He has changed his mind.

The committee will also consider chair Sandra Franklin’s motion to direct the administration review/revise criteria for allocation/distribution of the district maintenance fund.

That fund receives about $7.2 million a year for use at schools in Wards 1, 8 and a portion of 2.

Prior to its committee meetings the board will hold a 5 o’clock special meeting to approve awarding a contract for a scoreboard at Pineville High.

Fifteen-year-old Franklin Ingalls got a standing ovation a few weeks ago that was a gift like none other in a young life wracked with pain.

He was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease at age 12. Most know the disease as HLH because the full name is too hard to pronounce. It is an immune deficiency disorder so serious that until 1994, nobody who had it survived.

Battling this disease, he and his family went through many trials and tribulations in 2021 and ’22. Probably the most encouraging boost Franklin got in the early stages wasn’t from any medication, but rather a message from the school he attended at the time, Caroline Dormon Junior High School. It was in response to a video message from him to the school that he was about to undergo chemotherapy at Ochsner’s Children’s Hospital in New Orleans.

“They sent a picture of every kid at the school praying on their knees for him at the school gym,” said Jason Ingalls, his father, a native of Hicks who is the founder and CEO of an information security firm in Alexandria. “I’m not really big into social media,” he went on, “but the amount of support we received from social media through all this was incredible.”

Another highlight that later bore fruit had to do with music, one of Franklin’s first loves and one of his gifts. One November afternoon, the folks at Ochsner’s Children’s Hospital allowed him to play a grand piano in the atrium.  A self-taught pianist, the young, sickly Franklin proceeded to play the “Turkish March” by Mozart. This amazed everyone who was there.

Franklin’s mom, Amanda, an OB-GYN, was like an extra nurse for her son, especially when he and the family went to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for Franklin to get a bone marrow transplant that was necessary to save his life. She slept on a couch in his room five days a week for six weeks while helping administer to his needs.

And the donor who, without hesitation, volunteered to donate his blood was his older brother, Isaac, who qualified as a perfect match.

“They put Isaac to sleep for the donation (process),” said Jason. “It took two hours, and he was back in the pool swimming competitively for ASH a week-and-a-half later.

The transplant was the same day. Franklin was playing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on a ukulele a few weeks later at the request of the nurses, and on April 4, 2022, he rang the bell – the ritual ceremony cancer survivors do before leaving the hospital.

Franklin later was invited to apply to have a wish granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and he asked for a baby grand piano.

“I really didn’t think they’d agree because those things are very expensive,” Franklin said.

Amanda said in the “Make-A-Wish” vetting process, she was asked if Franklin could indeed play a piano, and, if so, could she provide proof? Well, she sent a video of his playing the “Turkish March” as a sick patient.

The response, she said, was, “What color does he want?”

After getting his wish, he was invited to entertain a crowd of 750 people at the inaugural Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana Gala on May 3^rd at the Post Oak Hotel in Houston.

Before a mesmerized audience, he played Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata, 3^rd Movement.” This is a piece, according to yourclassical.org, that “reminds you that even during the uncertain moments in life, it’s going to be all right in the end.”

When he finished, according to Jason, who was there with Amanda, the crowd of 750 gave him a standing ovation. “A good 20 seconds,” gushed Franklin, whose expression after he bowed in his white tie and tails, spoke volumes.

“When he got back to the table,” said Jason, “he told the Make-A-Wish staff that he felt like he’d been given two wishes because he got to be a concert pianist that night.”

Thinking of that grand moment, after all he had been through the last few years, Franklin said, “That was priceless!”

And, don’t you know, he earned every bit of it.

By Jeanni Ritchie

One of the highlights of every school year for students and teachers alike is Field Day, that magical day where fun is the main objective and it is a reward for months of hard work.

Students across Rapides Parish participated in school-wide field days last week, the games as diverse as the Louisiana weather.

Cherokee Elementary hosted their Field Day after record rains flooded Central Louisiana. The result was the opportunity for an impromptu mud slip and slide that should be a requirement for all future field days. The kids had an absolute blast.

By the time Horseshoe Elementary had their field day the ground had dried up a bit and it was pretty hot making the giant inflatable waterslide a favorite for many students.

“I want to go back down it,” Aniyah Lee, 9, said. Wrapped in towels and snacking on treats from the canteen, Amilya McGlory, 9, and Leia McCoy, 8, agreed.

There were relay races, beach volleyball, parachute play, free play, and tug of war which found students competing against cadets from the Youth Challenge Program.

There was a gaga ball pit, the modern version of dodgeball. That was my least favorite PE game as a kid. But jumping rope was a favorite so I stuck around long enough to turn the rope a few times and joining in with the teacher as we taught them Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear.

I still prefer Cinderella dressed in yellow!!

Field Days are a great bonding experience for classes, the memories of each grade passed forming the basis for a foundation of childhood memories to carry a child through life. These schools weren’t just investing in a day, they were investing in lives.

Jeanni Ritchie can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.

Do you remember your childhood? For some it is a distant memory, for others it was not so long ago. We all had one. The role of primacy was important in the childhood experience. In many cases being or going first brought honor and privilege.

In homes with multiple children a first spot in the bath rotation was important. Adolescent shower time became fierce competition since hot water and your place in line shared a proportional relationship. In many areas, we want to be number one. First, in our class brings recognition and scholarships. First in line for the big sale gives us confidence we will depart with our purchase and not a rain-check. First in line at the check-out rewards us by removing the energy for angst and frustration to grow as we wait on others, always slower than us, to check out.

Primacy also shares a relationship with light and experience. When the sun was shining or the lights were on, there was little problem in leading the way. If the moon was out and the room was dark, there was often a call for volunteers. “You go first!” “No, you go first!” Experience could alleviate anxiety caused by the darkness. If you knew through experience that monsters had never been behind that door before, you were less likely to fear opening it. Experience has brought you through this place before.

There were other times as a child when primacy was the result of a challenge. In most places those challenges were known as a dare. The dare could be strengthened by adding “double dog” or “triple dog” to it. A good way to deflect a dare was the power of “if you will, I will.” There is something comforting about having company share in the stupid activity resulting from a dare. This rule is used by parents when warning about following friends jumping off of bridges. If your friend would not participate in the activity called for by the dare, you could claim exemption too.

There were advantages to being the pioneer. If you are the oldest child you never heard academic or athletic comparisons being made about you and your older sibling. You had none! The first born helped parents develop their skills and discover that children are basically parent proof. The first born pioneered the way for younger siblings to experience parental relaxation of the rules regarding bedtimes, friends, activities, and curfews. In many cases the first child exhausted the parents. That explains the hundreds of pictures of the first born and the scant photographic record of subsequent siblings.

The one disadvantage of going first is that you have no frame of reference. You have no benchmarks or landmarks for the activity. Those moments when we are launching into new territory can be filled with doubt and fear. Following the leader isn’t fun if you are the leader. You can always find the leader; they are the ones with the arrows in their back. In business, raising a family, or living a good life there are occasions when are off the grid and out of the box. If only we had done this before. If only someone had gone before us. We might be able to follow a known pattern.

One New Testament writer points to Jesus as the “pioneer of our faith.” No matter what you are facing, Jesus says, “been there, done that.” Jesus overcame every obstacle during His life. He even threw the Devil’s dares right back at him. Jesus gave us a pattern for living a good and joyous life. We forget that He had a good life. He savored each minute of His earthly journey.

Jesus walked with the assurance of God’s presence and love. He overcame everything thrown at Him. Even death couldn’t hold Him. He scouted out the path called human life. He walked it. Jesus went first! We can follow Him confidently. He is standing out ahead of us urging us on in our living.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

May 16

Jose Rubio, 35, Glenmora — OWI 1st, open container, no driver’s license never had one, reckless operation, 4:37 pm, $1,140 bail.

May 17

Robert Wilson Jr., 70, Boyce — OWI 1st, negligent injuring vehicular, 6:50 pm, $1,500 bail.

May 18

David Bordelon, 31, Ball — OWI 1st, open container, running red light, 12:27 am, $1,200 bail;

Joseph Dodd II, 25, Houston, TX — OWI with child endangerment, battery on police officer, hit & run, no child restraint, careless operation, contempt 5 counts, 2:00 am, $9,290 bail;

Monica George, 46, Deville — OWI 1st, careless operation, 10:00 pm, $1,100 bail;

Donald Juneau, 58, Pollock — OWI, suspension prior offense, contempt, 9:00 pm, $2,500 bail;

Robert Reynolds, 22, Forest Hill — OWI 1st, improper lane usage, 1:27 am, $1,100 bail;

Grant Spillers, 27, Pineville — OWI 1st, 5:55 am, $1,000 bail;

Amy Zimmerman, 32, Pineville — OWI 1st, improper lane usage, no seat belt, 3:34 am, $1,200 bail.

May 19

Shakira Evans, 24, Alexandria — OWI 1st, running yellow light, suspension/revocation, 3:32 am, $1,200 bail;

Dustin Wilkinson, 34, Pineville — OWI 1st, improper lane usage, 3:00 am, $1,100 bail.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

May 19

Jonathan Bell, 31, Pineville — sexual battery, $2,000 bail;

John Brian, 40, Alexandria — domestic abuse battery serious injury, criminal damage, $20,000 bail;

Linda Willett, 59, Pineville — aggravated battery 2nd degree, burglary, $2,500 bail. 

This date: 9 arrests, 1 including contempt charges. 

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

May 19

Anthony Bob Sr., 50, Alexandria — possession 2 counts, paraphernalia, lamps/reflectors required, contempt 7 counts, $18,600 bail;

Carlos Raye, 48, Shreveport — possession, speeding, possession stolen vehicle, $7,600 bail.

By Brad Dison

By JIM BUTLER

Patrick Hammond shocked the parish with his first felony. His latest arrest goes almost unnoticed.

Hammond, 58, was jailed Saturday on drug and traffic charges, his fourth arrest of 2024.

His first felony conviction in 1987 came after what Judge William Polk Jr. at the time labeled insidious and sadistic.

The horror of his cruelty to a juvenile: puncturing an eight-month-old girl with a safety pin.

Examining physicians counted more than 200 skin punctures, as well as bruises over the baby’s eyes and an ear, a swollen hand and non-accident trauma.

Hammond pleaded guilty though he denied that he stomped the child.

“Budgie” Polk sentenced him to five years, the mid-point of the then-permitted sentence.

The judge at sentencing said he considered Hammond’s youth and the fact the case was his first felony conviction, as well as his hope incarceration would help the defendant overcome substance abuse.

If Hammond did, it allegedly didn’t last.

His February 15 arrest alleged heroin possession as well as OWI. On February 20 he was jailed again on OWI and other traffic counts.

In April Hammond failed to renew his registration in the state sex offender registry.

He was convicted in July 2014 of carnal knowledge of a juvenile.

On Sunday at approximately 7:10 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a one-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 84 west of Whitehall in LaSalle Parish. This crash claimed the life of 21-year-old Dustin G. Rachal of Pineville.

The initial investigation revealed that a 2013 Dodge Ram, driven by Rachal, was westbound on U.S. Highway 84. For reasons still under investigation, Rachal’s vehicle left the roadway, traveled down the ditch embankment, vaulted, and struck several trees.

Rachal, who was unrestrained, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene. Routine toxicology samples were collected and will be submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

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

In 2024, Troop E Troopers have investigated 22 fatal crashes resulting in 24 fatalities.

Louisiana State Police, Public Affairs Section – Region E

By JIM BUTLER

There’s as much chance of GAEDA’s board holding its May meeting Tuesday as there is of LSU winning the SEC baseball tournament. Or less.

The Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority has a posted agenda for the session but in addition to grant considerations it’s laced with items central to the dispute between the two factions in the board — three holdover members from upheaval that began in early February and four including two holdovers and two appointed in February.

Among those agenda items — minutes from meetings being challenged legally or on the basis that no quorum was present.

No quorum is the likely scenario Tuesday.

Legality of a February session at which an interim director was named permanent is the subject of a suit filed by new member John Callis.

It is on the June docket of District Judge Monique F. Rauls.

Callis, whose appointment by City Council member Lizzie Felter began the agency’s tumultuous times, has been outspoken about his disdain for how it functions.

Board member Curtis Lewis, Ph.D, has filed complaints with the state ethics board over alleged conflicts of interest by two members as well as asked for attorney general’s opinion on two issues related to the membership turnover.

In the meantime, the four have replaced the board attorney, who is resisting that move, and rescinded the director appointment. She in turn has threatened legal action.

GAEDA, funded by a hotel-motel occupy tax, provides funding to assist in attracting attendance at various events in the city or underwriting some costs.

The premise is the events attract attendees who stay in lodging as well as spend dollars elsewhere, bolstering the city economy.

Out-of-market advertising and marketing expenses are a frequent funding request. Another recurring request is a stipend to assist in food costs at gatherings here.

Its annual audit shows GAEDA spent $484,000 on economic development projects in 2023

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – LSU baseball’s NCAA Tournament chances, still barely airborne after being shot full of holes, seem to have found a safe landing after almost running out of runway.

In their last SEC regular season series of the year and needing three wins to dramatically increase their chances of earning a ticket to the Big Dance, the Tigers got their first sweep in league play on Saturday during Senior Day in Alex Box Stadium with a 9-3 win over Ole Miss.

Tommy White’s grand slam fourth-inning bomb helped LSU get out its broomstick after wins of 5-1 in Thursday’s Game 1 and 4-2 in Friday’s Game 2.

A week after a series loss at Alabama featuring two heartbreaking one-run defeats, the Tigers (36-20, 13-17) played their best trio of games since March. It earned LSU a spot in the opening game of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Ala. The 11th-seeded Tigers will play Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. vs. No. 6 seed Georgia (39-14, 17-13). The Bulldogs are led by first-year head coach Wes Johnson, who was LSU’s pitching coach last season for its national championship team.

“I don’t think us being in the postseason should even be a discussion,” proud third-year LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. “We have the players. We pass the eye test. We have 36 wins as an SEC team. This should be a no-brainer. If you look deeply at our record against somebody else against common opponents, we win out on all of those.”

Maybe so.

But for the longest, the Tigers’ inopportune hitting, inconsistent relief pitching and spotty fielding kept a team with seven new position starters and a revamped starting pitching rotation from hitting its stride.

Yet against Ole Miss (27-28, 11-19), which also had been on the NCAA tourney bubble, LSU discovered the magic it has been chasing all season.

The Tigers had their best batting average (.300), earned run average (2.00) and fielding percentage (1.000) in an SEC series this year.

Junior third baseman Tommy White, a projected top 10 pick in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft in mid-June, had the most productive conference series of his two-season LSU career after transferring from North Carolina State.

He battered Ole Miss pitching, hitting .615 (8 of 13) with 3 homers, a career-first triple, 2 doubles, 2 singles, 7 RBI and 5 runs scored. His hitting seemed contagious, especially helping the Tigers find their offensive mojo as they hit .326 with runners on base.

“Seeing and getting the right pitches to hit is great for our confidence,” said White, who drove in 5 runs in Saturday’s Game 3 when his solo home run in the sixth gave him the seventh multi-homer performance of his 122-game LSU career. “In the past, we’ve chased and got outside of ourselves. We’re bringing it back to where it’s at. Finding hard contact, hitting it where it’s pitched, not trying to do too much, not trying to hit a five-run home run every time we’re up there. Just putting it back where it came from.”

Gage Jump and Luke Holman, the Tigers’ Game 1 and Game 2 starting pitchers, again provided consistent outings.

Before he was pulled from Thursday’s opener which was halted by a lightning/rain delay of 1 hour and 39 minutes, Jump allowed 1 run and 5 hits in 6 innings while striking out 8 and walking 2.

“I could have thrown the whole game,” said Jump, lamenting the weather delay that prematurely ended his night.

Holman lasted 6.2 innings in Friday’s start, striking out 9 and issuing no walks while giving up 2 hits and 5 runs.

“Pitches were working whenever I wanted to throw them,” Holman said. “I was able to mix really well.”

An undeniable key in LSU’s sweep was its superb relief pitching.

Eight LSU relievers, including two appearances each from Christian Little, Griffin Herring, Nate Ackenhausen and Gavin Guidry, allowed just 3 runs in 13.1 innings.

“Tough, tough weekend,” said Ole Miss head coach and former LSU catcher Mike Bianco. “We didn’t swing it well all weekend.”

Little set the tone for the series by striking out 3 of 4 batters he faced as the first Tigers’ reliever in Game 1 after the weather delay.

LSU’s usual Game 3 pitching lineup of stringing together four to six relievers, which had provided a dismal 1-8 record in SEC series-closing games, finally drew a line in the sand.

The final day relievers were the beneficiaries of a big inning of offensive support when LSU scored 6 runs in the fourth, tying the most runs it had scored this season in an inning in an SEC game. The usually run-starved Tigers haven’t scored more than 6 runs in 24 of 30 SEC contests this season.

Ten LSU batters went to the plate in the fourth, had four hits and forced two Ole Miss hurlers to throw 52 pitches. Three LSU batters earned walks on 3-2 pitches.

The big blast was White’s first-pitch grand slam into the rightfield stands. It was the 11th first-pitch homer of his LSU career and his third grand slam.

“It’s just playing the game the right way,” White said. “That’s how this team is together now and that’s why we’re winning baseball games.”

With the sweep of the Rebels, LSU’s RPI according to the NCAA jumped from No. 35 to No. 30. A win over Georgia would cement LSU’s postseason chances since 70 percent of the SEC teams since 1985 with 14 league wins (including in the SEC Tournament) received NCAA tourney bids.

“There’s no doubt we are one of the top ten to fifteen teams in college baseball,” Johnson said. “It’s not even debatable. If we lost today (Saturday), then we may have given the committee an excuse to not put us in. But there is no excuse now, this is one of the best teams in the country.”

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

Arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

May 16

Weapons

Guangyi He, 37, Ball — firearm with drugs, transaction with drug proceeds, possession with intent 3 counts, paraphernalia, modified exhaust, improper lane usage, OWI 1st, $762,200 bail;

Robert Hicks, 58, Alexandria — firearm possession by convicted felon, firearm with drugs, possession, $12,500 bail;

Other

Joshua Vincent, 31, Pineville — $2,500 bail, no charge or booking time entered, same for six previous since February 2020. 

This date: 13 arrests, with 3 including one or more contempt charges. 

May 17

Winnie Lott, 49, Alexandria — aggravated battery, contempt 4 counts, $13,000 bail. 

This date: 14 arrests, with 7 including one or more contempt charges. 

May 18

Samuel Brogan, 19, Pineville — aggravated battery, criminal trespass, $1,000 bail;

Yonathan Najera, 23, Alexandria — domestic abuse/aggravated assault/child endangerment, $10,000 bail;

Christopher Taylor, 44, Ball — aggravated assault/domestic abuse, no bond set. 

This date: 22 arrests, 11 including one or more contempt charges. 

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

May 16

Brandon Charrier, 30, Hineston area — possession, $2,500 bail;

Kyle Covey, 39, Willamstown, KY — possession, burglary, $2,500 bail.

May 17

Jennifer Deville, 52, Deville — possession, felony fugitive, $2,500 bail;

Tara Gill, 49, Lecompte — possession, manufacture, distribution, possession, paraphernalia, running red light, littering, $13,600;

Christopher Reed, 58, Alexandria — possession, paraphernalia, resisting, theft, $4,000 bail.

May 18

Patrick Hammond, 58, Alexandria — possession, open container, paraphernalia, suspension/revocation, no insurance, switched license plate, $2,800;

Brittany Woodard, 38, Alexandria — possession, fugitive, criminal trespass, criminal damage, burglary, contempt 2 counts, $16,500 bail. 

Downton Alexandria was the place to be for colorful family fun as the Cenla Indian Association held its annual Holi Fest, Saturday, May 18. The festival, a multicultural area tradition since 2013, is the signature fundraiser for the Children’s Advocacy Network that drew over 1,000 people to enjoy an afternoon of music, food, and lots and lots of color.

The event featured a 5k walk, jog, or run with a fun twist. The more than 150 runners ran through clouds of brightly colored smoke as they started the run. Volunteers also threw bright powdered paint at the runners. A firetruck from the Alexandria Fire Department put a mist over the finish line to keep everyone cool in the heat and to provide a fun play area for the children.

The Royal Indian Bistro, a local Indian restaurant, served up hundreds of plates of tasty Indian fare, while volunteers threw powdered paint on participants and kept the event running smoothly.

The Holi Fest celebrated the varied and dynamic cultures of India. Dancers performed pieces representative of some of India’s 28 states and several hundred languages. Other onstage entertainment consisted of dance schools, Zumba classes, and tap dancers.

The Holi Fest is held as a fundraiser for the Children’s Advocacy Network and is expected to raise over $20,000.00 to assist area children finding themselves in difficult circumstances. The event is terrific family fun and a superb example of people of differing races and cultures coming together for a common purpose in order to make our community a better place for our children.

The festival is a wonderful example of our community at its best!