By JIM BUTLER

A familiar face will still fill the District 5 seat on the next Alexandria City Council.

Chuck Fowler, whose tenure is in double-digit years, won another term Friday, qualifying unopposed in the November primary.

In District 1 Malcolm Larvadain filed to run for the post he once held, losing to Reddex Washington Jr. in a 2020 runoff.

Washington and Derrick Alexander are also on the ballot.

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Staff

BATON ROUGE — Incoming Northwestern State University President Jimmy Genovese doesn’t have a background in higher education, but may have what it takes to revitalize an institution that has suffered a 22 percent enrollment dip this decade.

A search that began with the late May announcement by outgoing president Dr. Marcus Jones ended Thursday in Baton Rouge when Genovese was hired by unanimous vote to take over at his alma mater. The 21^st president at Northwestern will be introduced Tuesday in an 11 a.m. public event in the Friedman Student Union ballroom on the Natchitoches campus.

The unconventional hire was an outcome that seemed destined since late last month, when new Governor Jeff Landry went on the record in remarks to media that he believed Genovese, an Opelousas native who is a 1971 NSU graduate, was the right person to steer Northwestern forward.

That’s a vital consideration, said former state Senator Louis Bernard of Natchitoches, among several alumni who attended Thursday’s University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors meeting in the state Capitol complex in Baton Rouge.

“It’s absolutely critical,” said Bernard, who was a pivotal figure in obtaining state approval for nearly $50 million of construction funding for two major on-campus projects during his four-year term in the Senate.

“People say they don’t like politics, but look, that’s reality. He is good at that. He’s got good relationships having been a Supreme Court justice for eight years, not only with the legislature, but he certainly has a relationship with the governor. That can’t do anything but help Northwestern and I hope he seizes that opportunity,” said Bernard.

Leah Sherman Middlebrook, president of the NSU Alumni Association, served on the NSU Presidential Search Committee that made Genovese the only recommendation Tuesday after a series of forums and interviews on the university’s main campus in Natchitoches. She traveled from her Bossier City home early Thursday to deliver a resolution from the Alumni Association, passed Wednesday night, that strongly endorsed Genovese.

“The alumni are in support because he will bring enthusiasm and excitement to the university, work on enrollment, and help us attain the funds we need for success,” said Middlebrook, who read most of the resolution to the ULS Board members prior to Genovese’s final round of interview questions in a public session.

From the initial applicant pool, the UL System office recommended eight semifinalists in early July. The selection committee pared down the field to three, and one withdrew, leaving Texas native and Colorado educator Dr. Jose Cantu and Genovese as the only remaining candidates to be interviewed on campus earlier this week.

NSU Faculty Senate president Dr. Frank Serio, who has taught mathematics at the university for over 30 years, also served on the selection committee.

“I’m firmly convinced that at the end of this process that we came out with the absolute best person we had to choose from, and you can’t ask for better than that,” said Serio. “I think we made the best possible choice.

“I’ve told all the faculty this: the best thing I’ve heard from him in the whole process is that he understands he does not know a lot about the nuts and bolts of running a university, and he’s going to listen to the people who do. I believe also he’s the sort of person that if he tries something and it obviously doesn’t work, he’s going to change course. He’s not going to be stuck on one idea and it has to be his way. He wants what’s best for Northwestern, what’s going to work for Northwestern.”

Bernard said Genovese’s obvious charisma and energy, and engaging personality, will serve Northwestern well.

“He is a real people person. He has a connection with people. I think he’ll be prioritizing talking not only to students, but to parents,” said the former senator, a 2023 inductee in NSU’s Long Purple Line alumni hall of distinction.

“I believe he’s going to attack everything from a head-on perspective, meeting it face-to-face, being a people person. We’ll get a good dose of that and it will be beneficial for Northwestern,” said Bernard.

Genovese has a network of contacts around the state established during his long career on the bench, including 20 years sitting at the appellate or supreme court levels.

“The pipelines to students and getting them to Northwestern go through a lot of different places. They go through people he’s met around Louisiana, teachers he’s known in different communities, through judges, district attorneys, and government leaders across the state,” said Bernard. “It’s an advantage he can leverage, to use his contacts around the state for the benefit of Northwestern.”

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

TROON, Scotland – Weekend play at the British Open was the best of times for former two-time LSU All-American Sam Burns, and then, the worst of times.

Burns, a Shreveport native who now lives in Choudrant in Lincoln Parish and plays out of Squire Creek Country Club, rocketed up the leaderboard Saturday with a sizzling 7-under round of 65. That vaulted him into a second-place tie at 3-under, one off the lead, entering the final round.

But it was Sunday on the struggle bus for Burns, who was up and down on the front nine, considered the “gettable” side on the Royal Troon course, before he ran into big trouble on the back nine. He made the turn at one-over for the day, then bogeyed the next three, carding a double-bogey 6 on No. 11 and taking a disastrous triple-bogey 7 on the 12^th hole, with wild drives each time.

He consequently finished with the worst score, a nine-over 80 (along with Tom Hoge and Alex Cejka), in the 80-man field on Sunday.

He tumbled all the way to a 10-way tie for 31^st place at six-over-par. He and nine others, including former major championship winners Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, earned $90,220 for their efforts.

It was, however, the 27-year-old’s best finish in the Open Championship, and his first time in a major that he entered the final round on the cusp of the lead. It came on the heels of a ninth-place at the U.S. Open last month that was his first career top 10 in a major championship.

Amid the bitter disappointment, Burns did impress at least one member of the rugged British media with a simple gesture after the round.

Like his close friend, Masters’ champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Burns declined media interviews after finishing. Scheffler, the favorite in every tournament he enters in 2024, finished seventh but never challenged for the lead with a 1-over 72 on Sunday, carding a double bogey on the final hole.

Heading to his car, likely to join fellow new father Scheffler on their flight home, Burns was approached by a tournament volunteer who asked him to sign a ball. Instead of ducking his head and continuing on, Burns graciously stopped and met the volunteer’s request.

Burns started the Open Championship badly, seven-over after the first 11 holes on Thursday, and rallied slightly that day to finish with a five-over 76. He shot 69 Friday to climb into the top 30, and had Saturday’s low score to get to the verge of the lead after 54 holes.

American Xander Schauffele took home the prized Claret Jug with a nine-under total, shooting 65 Sunday. It was his second major win after taking the PGA Championship in May.

This is the first time since 1982 that all four of golf’s majors have been captured by American golfers – Scheffler with the Masters and Bryson DeChambeau taking the U.S. Open.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

Arrests are accusations not convictions.

July 18

Debra Quinney, 57, Alexandria — burglary 6 counts, identity theft, contempt 7 counts, $41,500 bail;

Shandrell Russell, 35, Alexandria — flight, resisting with force/violence, fugitive, contempt 4 counts, $12,000 bail.

This date: 29 arrests, 21 including one or more contempt counts.

July 19

Walter Crooks, 27, Alexandria — aggravated assault domestic abuse, aggravated domestic abuse battery strangulation, contempt, $51,500 bail;

Vence Turner, 40, Alexandria — escape, misdemeanor possession, paraphernalia, resisting, remaining after forbidden, $5,750 bail.

This date: 12 arrests, 7 including one or more contempt counts.

July 20

Steven Bilbo, 32, Pineville — battery 2nd degree, disturbing peace, $10,100 bail;

Alexis Bodoin, 41, Pineville — battery on officer, resisting, false communication, $1,500 bail;

William Brumby, 41, Ball — fugitive, no bail set;

Sean Goodwin, 39, Ball — fugitive, no bail set;

Joshua Keehnen, 47, Pineville — violation protective order, $250 bail;

Jesus Shipley, 24, Luling — fugitive, no bail set. 

This date: 21 arrests, 7 including one or more contempt counts. 

Arrests are accusations not convictions. 

July 17

Martavious Marshall, 20, Alexandria — firearm possession by convicted felon, possession with intent, no bail indicated;

Moreas Roberson III, 37, Alexandria — firearm possession by convicted felon, firearm with drugs, possession, parole violations, $25,000 bail. 

July 18

Jacoby Bradford, 20, Alexandria — possession 3 counts, expired MCI, brake lamp required, $1,700 bail;

Benjamin Coco, 32, Alexandria — possession with intent 2 counts, paraphernalia, suspension/revocation, contempt, $1,100 bail;

Anthony Lewis, 31, Alexandria — possession, burglary inhabited dwelling, contempt 3 counts, $5,000 bail;

Devonte Taylor, 26, Alexandria — possession, parole violations, $1,000 bail. 

July 19

Thaddeus Morris Jr., 29, Alexandria — possession, resisting, failure to pay fine 2 counts, $2,500 bail. 

A winner will be selected by RRJ Management.  All decision are final, and contest rules can change without notice.

The Rapides Parish Journal and Hahn Roofing are giving you a chance to win pairs of tickets to the Mud Racing Nationals, Friday July 26, at the Rapides Parish Coliseum.

Registration begins Monday July 8.  The Rapides Parish Journal will select a winner after the registration closes Tuesday July 23.  The winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 24.

Register to win the tickets and receive a free lifetime subscription of the Rapides Parish Journal.

BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Supreme Court Justice James “Jimmy” Genovese of Opelousas was unanimously approved Thursday by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors as the new president at Northwestern State University.

Genovese’s appointment becomes effective when he signs an employment contract, which is anticipated perhaps as early as today, said Board Chairman Mark Romero of New Iberia.

Thursday morning, Genovese fielded questions from the board for a half hour in an open session. Then the board went into executive session with Genovese and emerged about a half hour later to unanimously pass the motion, offered by board member Joe Salter of Florien and seconded by Dr. John Noble of Lake Charles, to name the 74-year-old Northwestern graduate the university’s 21^st president.

Along with the main campus in Natchitoches, NSU has a prominent nursing school headquartered on Line Avenue in Shreveport, and  campuses at England Air Park in Alexandria and Fort Johnson in Leesville.

He takes over when the university, founded in 1884, has experienced enrollment decline.  Northwestern had near 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students in the Fall 2020 semester, but has dipped by around 3,000 students, and 42 percent of those enrolled are taking at least one, if not all,  of their classes online.

“Throughout his career, Justice Genovese has demonstrated exemplary public service and leadership,” said Romero. “I’m confident in President Genovese’s ability to rally the NSU community and make a significant impact in driving positive change. His commitment to strengthening NSU’s legacy is evident, and we are dedicated to supporting him.”

“His deep roots in NSU and unwavering commitment to public service will undoubtedly benefit the NSU community,” said Rick Gallot, UL System President. “His leadership and dedication to the state will bring fresh insights, drive positive change and enhance the university’s impact.”

Genovese was nominated by the NSU Presidential Search Committee Tuesday after a day of meetings and forums with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community stakeholders, as well as a public interview and an executive session with the committee. Colorado educator Dr. Jose Cantu was the other finalist.

“My vision is to reinvigorate and rejuvenate Northwestern,” said Genovese. “I have chosen this as perhaps my final endeavor in my employment. It means so much to me that I am willing to forego the remaining two years of my (10-year Supreme Court) term and help the institution that allowed me to get to where I am today.”

During interviews, Genovese said he will focus on increasing enrollment, fund raising and increasing the university’s visibility. He touted NSU academic offerings in creative and performing arts, nursing, education and applied sciences as among the best in Louisiana.

“What a great honor and pleasure it is to be able to have a chance to say I can do something for Northwestern and the State of Louisiana,” said Genovese. “It’s going to be a challenge and I look forward to it.”

Genovese earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at NSU in 1971 and his juris doctorate from Loyola University in 1974 with honors in property law. He has been an associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court since 2017. He was a practicing attorney for 21 years before serving as a judge in the 27^th Judicial District from 1995-2004 and a member of the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal from 2005-16.

Genovese served on the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Judicial Council Appellate Court Work Point Values Working Group and the Trial Court Committee to Review the Need for Judgeships and as chairman of its long-term subcommittee. He was the Supreme Court’s appointee to the Juvenile Justice Reform Act Implementation Commission. Genovese is a board member of the Supreme Court of Louisiana Historical Society.

Genovese has been a panelist, speaker and lecturer at conferences and continuing education seminars on recent updates, professionalism, ethics, summary judgment, writs and appeals, practices and procedures of the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeals and judicial review in the Louisiana Supreme Court.

As an undergraduate at NSU, Genovese was named in Who’s Who Among Universities and Colleges, Who’s Who Among Greek Fraternities and Sororities of America and Outstanding College Athletes of America. He was a four-year letterman in tennis at No. 1 singles and doubles, president of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and involved with Interfraternity Council, Student Government Association and intramurals. He was inducted into the Long Purple Line, the university’s alumni hall of distinction, in 2018.

Genovese practiced law in Acadiana from 1974-1995 and served as president, vice president and secretary-treasurer of the St. Landry Parish Bar Association. He is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, Colorado Bar Association and American Bar Association and is admitted to the bar in all state and federal courts in Louisiana, including the United States Supreme Court.

Genovese’s judicial career began as a judge ad hoc of the Opelousas City Court from 1975-1989. He was elected district judge of the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District Court for the Parish of St. Landry in 1995 and served as district judge through 2004, whereupon he was elected to the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal. He served on the appellate court in Lake Charles, for the western division of Louisiana, from 2005-2016. He was elected Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, commencing January 1, 2017.

His wife, Martha, is also a Northwestern graduate from Opelousas and is a retired U.S. Army sergeant.

Genovese succeeds Dr. Marcus Jones, who served as interim president from July-November 2021, then had the interim tag removed. He announced his departure at the end of May to rejoin the UL System office as CFO and vice president.

DALLAS – No matter the site hosting the SEC Football preseason Media Days for the last 17 years, Wednesday was always reserved for Nickfest.

From 2007 through last season when none of us in the media suspected it would be Nick Saban’s last year as Alabama’s head coach, every SEC Media Day Wednesday was like a Mardi Gras parade when Saban and three Crimson Tide players arrived.

The crush of Tide fans wanting a glimpse of the Sabanator or an autograph caused the league to put up velvet ropes to hold back the worshiping mob.

Even the guy who showed up dressed as Bear Bryant from head to toe whenever media days were held in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover.

The Nicktator always concluded his 30-minute appearance in the main media room full of print and internet journalism by thanking us for what we did to create interest in college football.

The statement was usually met with wry smiles and smirks from a room full of cynics, knowing it wouldn’t be long before he was railing about the “rat poison” spread by us who usually considered his team the favorite in 99.9 percent of the games they played.

Since retiring in January – Saban finally decided winning seven national championships was enough and didn’t care to annually re-negotiate with returning starters seeking more NIL cash – his transformation to life after the greatest coaching career in college football history has been a revelation.

First, the 72-year-old Saban is learning the basics of doing things himself and does not have an army of support personnel at his beck and call.

“He has started responding to texts,” said pleasantly surprised Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, who served 11 seasons on Saban’s Alabama, LSU and Miami Dolphins staffs. “I told people the other day, that’s the first time ever. Either somebody has his phone, or he learned how to text. That makes all of us in his circle of friends proud because we get to reach out to him.”

Even Saban showing up at this week’s 39th annual preseason media days here in the Omni Hotel in his new job as an ESPN football analyst was eye-opening.

When he was coaching, Saban and his players would fly or drive (when media days were in Hoover just 53 miles from Tuscaloosa) on the day Alabama was required to appear.

He would have his usual bodyguards flank him as he whizzed past the security checking credentials to enter the interview areas. He’d do his day’s work and immediately return home.

On Monday morning, Saban checked into the Omni at 7:30 about 90 minutes before the SEC Network’s wall-to-wall coverage started. His room key didn’t work.

He discovered his room was already occupied by longtime Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist Wally Hall who checked in Sunday night. Hall cracked open the door just enough to see a confused and perturbed Saban.

“They told me this was my room,” Saban told Hall, who listened to Saban read the room number on his key.

“That’s what they told me when I checked in yesterday,” Hall said.

“I think this is supposed to be my room,” Saban said. “They told me this was my room number.”

“I think there’s some confusion here,” Hall said. “You are Nick Saban and I’m Wally Hall, and I don’t see us sharing a room.”

Saban eventually gave up but was flustered enough to leave his media credential in his reassigned hotel room. Without it, he was denied access by a security guard to the media interview where the SEC Network set was located.

After Saban’s rookie mistake, he retrieved his credential, and it was smooth sailing the rest of the week.

Saban has been nothing short of brilliant in his new gig, which is no surprise. He’s taking his coaching strengths – unequaled preparation and concise communication – and applying them to the airwaves.

For instance, he said he prepared 200 hours for his three-round appearance on ESPN’s NFL draft coverage.

The job was right up his alley, which is player assessment. Saban didn’t win those seven nattys and 11 SEC titles with blind luck.

This week, Saban quickly addressed new SEC member Texas and its history in the Big 12 and Southwest Conference of bullying the league’s other members and being placed on a financial pedestal above them.

“What kind of tickles me is all these people asking questions about how Texas always ran the conference they were in,” Saban said. “They’re not gonna run the SEC.”

Which infuriated Texas fans.

Then, he predicted Georgia and Texas would play in December’s SEC championship game.

Which ignited Alabama’s fan base.

“Nobody has told me I have to be critical,” Saban said. “I don’t want to be critical. I want to be objective, but I don’t want to be controversial. You can take any decision that anybody makes and make it controversial.”

ESPN has made numerous dumb personnel moves in the last several years, but it would be wise to make Saban the centerpiece of its live College GameDay show and send tank-top-wearin’ jackleg goofball Pat McAfee back to anonymity.

No one in college football, on and off the field, has more street cred than Saban.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

Arrest are accusations not convictions.

July 15

Meredith Fleck , 50, Alexandria — OWI, 11:55 pm, $500 bail;

April Maricle, 39, Alexandria — DWI 1st, reckless operation, 10:20 am, $770 bail;

Demaries Taylor, 26, Alexandria — OWI, no headlight, 3:00 am, $1,300 bail.

July 16

Jared Beryman, 23, Alexandria — OWI 1st, improper lane, open container, 1:08 am, $1,200 bail;

Tommy Colston III, 51, Sieper — OWI 3rd, 9:49 pm, $30,000 bail.

Arrests are accusations not convictions. 

July 17

Samantha Burlew, 35, Deville — criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault home invasion, battery, $1,500 bail;

Douglas Gilbert, 47, Boyce — theft, $5,000 bail;

Bhawanda Piper, 48, Alexandria — felony fugitive, no bail set;

Hubert Strother, 44, Plainview — criminal conspiracy, theft, criminal trespass, criminal damage, 4 counts each, $44,000 bail;

Jerry Sydnor Jr., 39, Pineville — violation protective order, $10,000 bail;

Calvin Wise, 45, Alexandria — felony fugitive, probation violation, contempt 5 counts, $15,500 bail. 

This date: 24 arrests, 11 including at least one contempt count. 

The Rapides Parish Journal and Hahn Roofing are giving away tickets to the Mud Racing Nationals, and the latest winner was Jerry Waller.

If you see Jerry, please tell him congratulations!

Your change to win is simple, just complete the form below and we will select another winner on Tuesday, July 23, 2024.

Good Luck!

A winner will be selected by RRJ Management.  All decision are final, and contest rules can change without notice.

The Rapides Parish Journal and Hahn Roofing are giving you a chance to win pairs of tickets to the Mud Racing Nationals, Friday July 26, at the Rapides Parish Coliseum.

Registration begins Monday July 8.  The Rapides Parish Journal will select a winner after the registration closes Tuesday July 23.  The winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 24.

Register to win the tickets and receive a free lifetime subscription of the Rapides Parish Journal.

By JIM BUTLER

August 2 is circled on whatever calendars school officials use these days.

Rapides School Supt. Jeff Powell told antsy School Board members at Tuesday’s District 62 meeting that that Friday is decision day for schools in the waning days of major construction.

Committee members are concerned about the pending opening of schools, for teachers reporting Aug. 5 ahead of students, then students themselves on Aug. 8.

Powell said he and construction overseers have been in plants measuring progress and evaluating what remains to be done.

As of Tuesday, he said, no opening delays are envisioned but acknowledged that could change.

The obvious concern is student, faculty and other employee safety.

Work at six schools is the center of attention — Alma Redwine, Martin Park, Acadian, Huddle, Peabody and Bolton.

The contracts nearing completion are among those at the 14 District 62 schools financed by a $100 million bond issue.

There are also projects at some other district’s schools that are coming down to the wire