The Louisiana Jambalaya Cook-Off is returning to the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival on Saturday, July 20, in the air-conditioned Prather Coliseum located at 220 South Jefferson Street at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches.

Professionals and hobbyists alike can compete in any of the three categories and demonstrate their cooking skills. Registration and the Cooks’ Meeting will take place at 8 a.m. inside Prather Coliseum in the N-Club Room, with cooking to officially begin at 8:45. Tasting and judging will begin at 12:30, with winners to be announced at 3:30 with 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place awarded to each of the three categories: Seafood, Poultry Plus, and People’s Choice. There is no fee to compete in the Cookoff. Jambalaya must be cooked on-site outside of Prather Coliseum. 

Jambalaya is a savory dish enjoyed across the states, but its origin can be traced back to Louisiana. With the melting pot of cultures within the Louisiana region, something unique and tasty was created in the delicious foodway. Ingredients and spices vary as widely as the people who regularly prepare and serve the dish; often the chefs are convinced that theirs is the “true” or “correct” way. Such chefs will present their finest representation of their own culture, methods, and stories as they battle it out to claim 1^st place.

Competitors are provided a 10’ x 20’ cooking space outside of Prather Coliseum where they will make their temporary kitchens using either propane burners or contained cookfires in order to prepare a minimum of 2 gallons of their finest jambalaya. Running water is available to them, but all ingredients and supplies must be brought on site by the head cook. Chefs are not allowed to use any premade mixes or roux, though proteins and broth/stock may be prepared in advance, with all proteins being kept on ice until use. The jambalaya must be cooked on site and contestants are responsible for all serving and sampling dishes and utensils, as well as all items needed to prepare their dishes and workstations. For a complete list of rules and entry form, please visit https://www.nsula.edu/folklife/. For more information contact the Louisiana Folklife Center at (318) 357-4332 or email folklife@nsula.edu.

“A Buck A Cup” jambalaya sales to the public for the People’s Choice category will begin at 1 PM. Festival attendees will be invited to purchase jambalaya and vote on which jambalaya they most enjoyed. Chefs participating in “A Buck A Cup” must provide their own bowls, spoons, and napkins. 

The Jambalaya Cook-Off is being held at the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival. In addition to the cook-off, this year’s festival will include the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship, three stages of live music, over 75 crafts people, Louisiana cuisine food vendors, dance lessons, informances, narrative sessions, on-site demonstrations, and much more. Admission to this family friendly event is only $10 for an all-day all event pass, after 5pm passes are only $6, and children 12 and under are admitted free all day.

Support for the festival is provided by grants from the Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc., the City of Natchitoches, the Louisiana Division of the Arts Decentralized Arts Fund Program, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Natchitoches Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, and the State of Louisiana. The festival is sponsored by C&H Precision Machining, City Bank, Cleco, Evans Family, LLC, the Harrington Law Fir m, International Paper, Natchitoches Wood Preserving Company, and Young Estate, LLC.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

July 4

Cory Elliott, 42, Pineville — OWI 2nd, speeding, improper lane usage, 9:43 pm, $1,700 bail.

July 5

Brody Holt, 20, Seiper — OWI 2nd, speeding, 12:18 am, $1,600 bail;

Anthony Taylor, 46, Alexandria — OWI 1st, no driver’s license, operating unsafe vehicle, careless operation, contempt, 4:30 pm, $2,800 bail.

July 6

Kristina Lemaire, 33, Pineville — OWI 1st, improper lane use, no signals, 12:53 am, $1,200 bail;

July 7

Janiqua Wade, 29, Alexandria — OWI 1st, resisting, wrong way on one-way, careless operation, improper plate display, switched plate, 12:01 am, $1,900 bail.

July 8

Jeremy Devanie, 24, Alexandria — OWI 1st, 6:42 pm, $1,000 bail.

Arrests are accusations not convictions. 

July 10

Weapons 

Tody Hayes, 28, Alexandria — firearm with drugs, $7,000 bail;

Other

Scott Berry, 50, Pineville — failure to renew sex offender registration, contempt, $8,000 bail;

Kevin Blue, 40, Alexandria — failure to obtain sex offender ID card, burglary inhabited dwelling, $5,500 bail;

Arthur Roy Jr., 45, Alexandria — aggravated battery, $6,000 bail. 

This date: 16 arrests, 10 including one or more contempt counts. 

Arrests are accusations not convictions. 

July 10

Corey Gagnard, 38, Boyce — possession, obstruction, modified exhaust, no insurance, $3,200 bail;

Chasity Raymond, 27, Pineville — possession 2 counts, flight, suspension/revocation, running stop sign, contempt 5 counts, probation violation, $7,610 bail. 

By Jeanni Ritchie

Buddy Camp is one of the most unique community-wide projects in the state that allows children (ages 5 through 11) and teens (ages 12-19), both with and without developmental challenges, to participate in a week long summer day camp program through First United Methodist Church in Alexandria.

For the children, the goal is to bring together children of all abilities by placing them in Buddy Pairs, where the same two buddies will share quality, structured camp activities throughout the week as they learn more about each other and develop friendships, healthy behaviors, and Christian attitudes.

Campers swam, played games, and participated in a variety of activities this week as they gathered for the annual camp.

The Teen Buddy Camp met a couple of weeks ago. They were placed in groups, both special needs and typically developing, and they attended activities on the church campus as well as off campus. Once limited to teens, there is no longer a maximum age limit. Special needs adults are welcome to join; FUMC saw the need once its participants aged out of camp and made adjustments.

Both Buddy Camps are staffed by volunteer professionals who work with children and young adults of varying abilities, including nurses, therapists, youth counselors, and many other adult volunteers. These are often people who have a heart for special needs or young adults who once attended camp and students who have come back as adult volunteers. 

Like Emma Williamson. She’d recently moved back to Alexandria and wanted to volunteer at this year’s Teen Buddy Camp. “My mom was a special education teacher when I was growing up so I always did the Buddy Camp. It gives them a chance to do stuff they don’t always get to do. It helps build community,” she’d said.

It was Day 2 of Teen Buddy Camp when I visited and campers had assembled at the Alexandria Zoo. Emma was in charge of her group of seven and they’d been telling me about swimming the previous day when singing erupted from a group nearby.

“Happy birthday dear Logan…” they sang as I walked over. Looking at name tags to see which was Logan, I found the young man smiling ear to ear.

“Logan,” I’d asked. “How old are you today?”

“21!” he’d exclaimed.

“That’s a big one,” I said. He agreed. He wouldn’t have spent it anywhere else with anyone else. Buddy Camp on his birthday was a dream day!

Campers of all ages and all abilities agree that Buddy Camp is a one-of-a-kind experience. Most return year after year.

Zayden Ashley has been attending Buddy Camp for seven years. I caught up with him at the Palm Cafe where he told me he’d been attending since he was nine years old.

Albert Betchley was another camp old-timer.  “I love meeting new people every year.”  The 2024 camp was Albert’s 9th year to attend!

Campers were divided into nearly a dozen different groups but Group 8 was by far the best. At least according to camper Anna Rogers, that is! Anna rattled off the itinerary like a seasoned pro.

“Yesterday we swam and played games. Today is the zoo. We are going to a movie tomorrow. Friday is the best part. We are going to have a dance.” I know why my mom fell in love with Anna when she worked with her at Calvary’s Special Needs VBS, her energy is palpable. We talked about hair and outfits for the dance. I remember that being almost as important as the dance itself!

Abigail Tubbs was experiencing camp for the first time. The rising 8th grader’s dad is FUMC’s youth pastor and she had been up to the challenge. Enjoying her group as well, she said it had been an incredible opportunity to serve.

To find out more about ways you can help or about other programs offered by First United Methodist Church in Alexandria, visit https://fumca.org or call 318-443-5696.

First United Methodist Church is located at 2727 Jackson St. Alexandria.

Jeanni Ritchie is a freelance journalist who can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.

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

Services are today for a decorated veteran whose second career has enduring impact on the parish and state.

And rites were Sunday for an educator whose classroom hosted hundreds of LCU students over his career.

Capt. LeRoy Caubarreaux US Army Ret., 83, was a decorated Vietnam Medivac pilot, with numerous citations including the Distinguished Flying Cross.

His post-war career touches Louisianians every day.

In the 1970s he was hired to oversee the fledgling state Scenic and Protected Streams Program. Citizens swim, fish and boat in those waters every day.

Later, “Lee” became an assistant Wildlife & Fisheries Secretary before concluding almost 30 years with the department.

His services are at 10:30 a.m. today at Hixson Bros. Marksville.

Dr. William Todd, 91, who has three daughters living in this area, was laid to rest July 7 in Alabama. He earned all his college degrees (undergraduate, master’s, Ed.D) at the University of Alabama.

That pedigree was the subject of annual good-natured give-and-take every Fall during his 37 years on the LCU faculty.

He first retired in 1996 after 27 years on campus, and was designated professor emeritus. Asked to return in 1996, he did, staying until 2016.

I am no longer eligible to attend the “young adults” Sunday School class at church. If we had a “senior” choir, I would likely be the oldest one there, bifocals, hearing aids and all. My walking cane would be close at hand to prevent me from tumbling into the soprano section. I’m relieved that our church has an elevator; I can only look wistfully at those long stairs. Let’s face it; Father Time has caught up with me and he and I have become close friends.

Having said all that, one of the fortunate things old guys like me have is a vast store of memories we can take from the shelf, dust off and relive. Among my favorites are being dad to a pair of exceptional daughters, Cathy and Kayla. They’re grown and have children and grandchildren of their own. While they were growing up, my memories look back on those days when as little fellows, I introduced them to some of the things I love, and that includes taking them with me to the pond, baiting their hooks and watching their eyes grow wide when they caught a fish.

When Kay and I married – we’ll have our 40^th wedding anniversary Friday – she brought to our marriage a bonus daughter for me in 10-year-old Melissa. It was the same with her, taking her fishing, teaching her to drive, everything I taught Cathy and Kayla.

As rewarding and satisfying as has been being there as these three daughters of mine were growing up, it’s a toss-up as to whether interacting, rearing and raising these girls was as satisfying or sometimes even more so than when they began to fill my coffer with grandchildren. Kayla has four; Cathy and Melissa each have three.

Ah, grandchildren. The Good Lord has blessed me with these 10 and being a part of their lives as they have grown up has added a quality to my life that is hard to describe.

There, however, is a problem. Today, Kayla’s four are scattered from Missouri to North Carolina while one of Cathy’s girls lives in Missouri and the other is teaching school in Hawaii. Her special needs son lives with her and her husband near Baton Rouge.

I’m thankful for Melissa who with her husband, lives just 50 miles away near Minden and I have access to her three, at least for a while until they grow up and head into the world on their own. Her oldest just graduated from high school and is headed for college in Texas. One will be a senior this school year while the youngest will enter seventh grade. I still have access to these three for a brief window of time and am soaking up the hours I get to spend with them.

Just last weekend, the three were here for a few days with us and I jumped at the opportunity to do some special things with them, things that Ruston has available I was sure they would enjoy. That included a trip to a blueberry farm north of town where I turned them loose in the blueberry patch where they filled buckets with blueberries.

Next stop was to get peaches and not only were they able to bring ripe peaches back home, they enjoyed sitting in the shade with peach ice cream.

While this is not my typical outdoors column where I write about hunting and fishing, it’s just that my heart has been full of late as I look back on my life and how God has blessed me with three daughters I had the privilege of mentoring as they grew up.

The cherry on top is having the same opportunities with their offspring that has allowed me to keep doing what I love to do, at least for a while longer. Thank you, Lord, for kids and grandkids.

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

Arrests are accusations not convictions. 

July 9

Reginald King, 57, Lecompte — aggravated battery, $250 bail;

Santana Mullins, 29, Alexandria — escape, unauthorized entry occupied dwelling contempt 8 counts, $57,500 bail;

Dezijhaon Payne, 26, Alexandria — hit and run 2 counts, resisting, $880 bail. 

This date: 19 arrests, 13 including one or more contempt counts. 

Arrests are accusations not convictions. 

July 9

Miracle Bush, 29, Alexandria — possession, paraphernalia, littering, contempt, $7,000 bail;

Raymond Dunn, 37, Boyce — possession 2 counts, paraphernalia, contempt 4 counts, $11,000 bail; 

Thomas Holt Jr., 33, Alexandria — possession 3 counts, paraphernalia, contempt, $18,000 bail;

Angie Strong, 62, Alexandria — possession with intent, drugs in presence of child 12 or younger, $5,000 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.

By JIM BUTLER

School Board members will turn evaluations of Supt. Jeff Powell’s job performance into the Executive Committee by month’s end.

The 35-item review has both objective and subjective components, including six that are required elements under Powell’s contract.

Board members are asked to rate the superintendent as highly effective, effective proficient, effective emerging or unsatisfactory.

Any unsatisfactory rating requires written supporting comment.

The categories – leadership, personnel, finances, school/staff and community relations, professional growth and ethics, school and student performance.

The Executive Committee will tally the nine members’ responses, analyze them and come to the overall rating.

The evaluation will be reviewed with Powell during an executive session in August.

Powell has been superintendent since July 2019, his initial contract renewed in December 2021, effective through the last day of this year.

A captivating induction ceremony June 22 that enshrined 12 new members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame will be the centerpiece of a two-hour program premiering Thursday evening at 7 statewide on Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

The “Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame: 2024 Celebration” show will also be streamed live at lpb.org and on the LPB app. It will have an encore showing Sunday afternoon at 1 on LPB and the other platforms. It will be archived for viewing any time at lpb.org/lshof.

This LPB special, produced in partnership with the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, captures highlights from the June 22 induction ceremony in Natchitoches and many of the festivities leading up to it. Included in the program will be exclusive induction interviews and profile stories on the honorees, plus a look at the new memorabilia added to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches.

Baton Rouge native and LSU, WNBA and USA Olympic basketball great Seimone Augustus headlined the 10 sports greats involved with the June 20-22 induction celebration, which included seven different events, among them a Friday night riverbank concert and fireworks show over Cane River Lake in downtown, historic Natchitoches.

Grambling icon Wilbert Ellis, baseball coach for 30 years with 13 more as an assistant, drew the most rousing cheers of the induction ceremony with nearly 200 supporters among the sellout crowd of 812 at the Natchitoches Events Center. Ellis was the second-ever recipient of the Louisiana Sports Ambassador Award, presented only occasionally to a person who has made long-term deep influence as a sports figure bolstering the state’s profile and culture.

New Iberia native and McNeese football great Kerry Joseph, Sunset native and renowned jockey Ray Sibille, and Opelousas sports journalist Bobby Ardoin provided plenty of jovial and poignant moments for an audience including big contingent of admirers from Acadiana.

River Parishes high school coaching legend Frank Monica, who also spent 12 seasons on two football staffs at Tulane, and highly-successful former Green Wave basketball coach Perry Clark were interrupted by cheers and laughter during their inductions.

Along with Augustus, LSU fans – including Tigers’ women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey, a 1990 LSHOF inductee – embraced three-time All-America Tiger wrestler and two-time USA Olympic wrestling coach Kevin Jackson, and acclaimed LSU graduate and Baton Rouge-rooted sportswriter Ron Higgins. Louisiana Tech graduate Tom Burnett, a former Sun Belt Conference administrator who served over two decades as the commissioner of the Southland Conference that includes five state colleges, received the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award as an inductee.

Two prime-time sports figures were inducted remotely – New Orleans Saints quarterback hero Drew Brees, and Lafayette native Daniel Cormier, an All-American and USA Olympic wrestler who became a multiple-time Mixed Martial Arts champion and remains one of that sports’ premier figures.

“The contributions that these Louisiana superstars have made to the world of sports is legendary,” says Clarence “C.C”  Copeland, LPB President and CEO. “Our partnership with the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame allows us to relive and share those stories with a wide audience statewide and also nationally and internationally with our digital stream.”

“LPB’s commitment to quality, and the longstanding ability to deliver superior content around Louisiana to its four million-plus citizens, is second to none,” says Doug Ireland, chairman of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. “The stories about the Hall of Fame and its inductees that LPB produces go far beyond the games they play; they speak to the unique and powerful culture in our state and celebrating excellence not only in competition, but in the deeply positive influence teams and sports heroes have in their communities and around Louisiana on people of all ages.”

Louisiana Public Broadcasting, launched in 1975, includes stations in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Monroe, and Shreveport. LPB is also affiliated with WLAE-TV in New Orleans. LPB affiliates are available over the air and on cable, satellite and streaming platforms.

The museum in Natchitoches is open Tuesday-Saturday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., with two floors of exhibits showcased in a world-renowned building that was named the top new architectural project on Earth when it opened in 2013. There are now 491 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductees featured in the museum since the Louisiana Sports Writers Association was born and created the Hall in 1958, inducting the first class a year later.

It also includes an exhibit of photographs of legendary LSU basketball player Pete Maravich. The “Showtime: LSU’s Pistol Pete” exhibit including many never-seen-before backstage photos of Maravich during his LSU career by Baton Rouge photojournalist John Musemeche is open through mid-October.

BATON ROUGE – On July 20, 1969, fearless astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon.

He declared, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Earlier that same day, fearful and shy 12-year-old Ron Higgins landed in a small dining hall full of buzzing boys for an event that would change his life.

“Welcome to Lakeside Oaks Basketball Camp and Country Club,” said a bespectacled authority figure who oozed infectious enthusiasm. “My name is Joe Dean and I’m the camp director.”

Yes, THAT Joe Dean. Former LSU All-SEC guard in the 1950s who eventually became a Converse shoe company vice president who signed stars such as Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors to endorsement deals.

And also, an SEC basketball television analyst whose catchphrase “String Music!” has never gotten old.

And eventually, the longest-tenured LSU athletic director in history who dearly loved his alma mater.

On Sunday, the third-generation Lakeside Oaks, which morphed into Dixie Basketball Camp and now into String Music Basketball Camp will open business for its 58th year, the 50th year at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Miss.

The community college has dorms with air conditioning, several gymnasiums and a spacious cafeteria. It’s a far cry from the original Lakeside Oaks, a renovated fishing camp with two outside concrete basketball courts, ping pong tables (a sheet of plywood placed on top of two sawhorses), and a bunkhouse cooled only by huge fans.

Scott Dean, grandson of the late Joe Sr. and son of former camp director Joe Jr., is the camp director. Mardi Dean, daughter of Joe Sr., handles the camp’s accounting and room assignments.

The camp’s daily schedule has hardly changed since its origin. Basketball fundamentals are taught in the morning ending with a free throw contest, an early afternoon daily camp assembly for announcements and camper comedy skits followed by 3 on 3 games and 5 on 5 games at night after supper.

It isn’t, wasn’t, and will never be a high-pressure camp where college coaches hang out recruiting talent.

The camp has stayed true to its roots. It’s a place where you learn or improve your game, but it’s so much more than that.

“What we find is that young men are begging for someone to tell them what to do,” Big Joe once said decades ago. “There’s a lot of basketball mixed in with fellowship and discipline cleaning their dorm room and making their beds daily.

“For one week, we tell them what to do and they respond magnificently. We’ve created leadership, teamwork, friendships and loyalty. We teach hard work and reaching goals in whatever you do.”

It’s why the annual retention rate of returning campers is probably over 90 percent.

“It’s amazing the loyalty and the following that camp has created,” said former LSU head basketball coach John Brady, who reports for duty again this weekend as a camp counselor for the two one-week sessions. “It’s a testament to what Mr. Dean created. Last year, we had 12 to 14 kids whose grandfathers had been in the camp when they were kids.”

The amount of coaching talent who have been camp counselors is staggering such as eventual Final Four head coaches Brady, Richard Williams and Mike Davis, Final Four players Larry Conley and Kyle Macy and high school state championship coaches from across the South.

The camp has produced its share of campers who became celebrities, like Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and NBA players such as Calvin Natt and Garrett Temple.

But more often than not, most campers are preteen and teenage kids trying to find themselves and needing confidence.

It was an unspoken mission of Joe Sr. to make every camper feel special, regardless of their level of basketball skill. He always felt every kid had a talent – even if it wasn’t sports – that could be nurtured through encouragement and humorous motivation.

Joe Sr. taught the shooting station. He emphasized using “the banking board” whenever possible. He’d tell us, “Fellas, there’s three sure things in life. . .death, taxes and Joe Dean from 15 feet.”

Big Joe’s weekly camp-opening orientation meeting was spellbindingly funny, covering everything from bathroom habits (“The toilet paper goes in toilet. . .if you can’t hit the toilet from two feet maybe you shouldn’t be in basketball camp,” he said) to keeping a trash-free campground (“When you finish a drink, grip the can, walk to a trash can, extend your arm and release all five fingers. . .the can should fall in the garbage. . .if doesn’t come see me and I will do something about it,” he said).

He knew how to make a point.

One day after many campers were grousing about how they couldn’t make shots because of the tight rims, Big Joe had heard enough.

He summoned Joe Jr. to bring him a ladder, then told the entire camp they needed to sit on the concrete basketball courts that had spent most of the day cooking under the 100-degree Louisiana summer sun.

As we sat there while our rear ends were sautéed, he climbed the ladder and soon was at eye level with the rim. He asked Joe Jr. to hand him two basketballs.

“I’ve heard bitching all day that none of you can make shots on these goals,” Big Joe said. “You’ve told me `Mr. Dean, the rims are too tight. I can’t make a shot.’”

Suddenly, Big Joe took the two balls, dropped them through the basket side-by-side, and paused for dramatic effect before hammering home his message.

“And all YOU have to MAKE is ONE,” he said before climbing off the ladder and walking briskly away.

Man, I’d give anything to be 12 years old again, laughing and squirming on a concrete court hot as lava and dreaming about where life’s roads will take me.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

When a holiday falls on a Friday or a Monday, I listen to folks bragging about their long weekend. They will ask, “What are you doing on your long weekend?” I usually answer dolefully that I don’t have a long weekend, because I work on Sunday. I know you might be thinking that you want a gig where you only work for one hour on Sunday morning.

My Sunday morning begins at 4:30 a.m.

I head down to my study to see if the sermon is ready to be removed from the sermon incubator. Some sermons are low and slow. They are the result of weeks of work, prayer, and reflection. Other sermons are fried. They are cooked up at the last minute and deep fried with prayerful panic preparation. I don’t like those. I have noticed that God seems to have other ideas some weeks. Sunday morning is the final preparation before the presentation.

Last Sunday morning, nothing was working. Low and slow had evolved into deep fried, which evolved into panic because Sunday is here.

I was frustrated with what was planned. I cooked up a cup of coffee and went to the front porch swing to think and stew. I was working that sermon over in my mind. It just wasn’t “arriving.”

Gibsland is a peaceful place at 5:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning. There are no cars. When the early morning train comes through the distant train whistle is comforting. I was swinging and listening.

The front porch is fern paradise. I have several ferns on the porch. They enjoy the sun and the shade. I noticed something reflecting at the base of one of the ferns. I would see it and then I didn’t.

I focused on the reflection, which turned out to be a firefly. I didn’t know they were up so early. Fireflies are one of those childhood memories that bring me joy. When I was a kid, they were abundant. Yes, I did the jar with the holes in the lid and caught them. We would also turn them loose.

That Saturday night I had been thinking about fireflies and the occasional visit they make to Gibsland. I think this firefly had been reading my mind.

It was one firefly. The little bug was doing his thing and when I moved the fronds back, I would see the light shining brightly. A thousand joyous memories came flooding back.

God reminded me through His creation that He was present. It was a gift that I needed early on a Sunday morning. I got the message, sometimes God shows up in sermons that preachers don’t like! I have continued to thank Him for that little bright Sunday morning firefly.

God is present in many ways; our challenge is to slow down so we can see and hear what he has for us. How has God shown up in your world recently?

Doug de Graffenried is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston, Louisiana. You can reach Doug at his email:  DougDeGraffenried

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

July 8

Weapons

Craig Price, 37, Lecompte — aggravated assault with firearm, $5,000 bail;

Other

Edmond Bordelon, 79, Deville — indecent behavior victim under 13 three counts, obscenity, $40,000 bail;

Dovante Palmer, 32, Many — battery on officer, theft, obscenity, battery, disturbing peace language, $9,500 bail.

This date: 13 arrests, 7 that include at least one contempt count.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

July 8

William Bynog Jr., 39, Boyce — possession, criminal trespass, $3,000 bail;

Raymond Green, 29, Alexandria — possession, contempt, $10,000 bail;

Audra Knapp, 36, Pineville — possession, trespassing/remaining after forbidden, criminal trespass, paraphernalia, $4,000 bail;

Stacy Tullos, 50, Deville — possession with intent, possession, paraphernalia, $3,500 bail.