We would like to invite all of our friends and neighbors to a special informational meeting focused on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and Eminent Domain—topics that are growing in importance across our region.
This educational gathering is not intended to persuade one way or another, but rather to allow you to become educated on an important topic that engages our families. We have invited qualified professionals to explain what CCS is, how it works, and what implications it and Eminent Domain may have for our communities. It will be an open forum where questions are welcomed and honest discussion encouraged.
July 1st, 2025 • 6pm • Pine Ridge Baptist Church
We must become better educated on the complex issues that have the potential to seriously affect our lives and the lives of our future generation to come. By understanding the facts, we can speak with wisdom, compassion, and truth when questions arise.
I sincerely hope you will make every effort to attend and join us in this thoughtful and respectful dialogue.
Let us remember the words of Hosea 4:6 – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”
Thank you for your time,
Pine Ridge Baptist Church 6026 LA-112 Melder, LA 71433
In response to concerns and inquiries made by the public, the Pineville Community Centers are now able to receive payments via all major debit and credit cards at their booking office, located inside the Kees Park Center.
The booking office staff are ready to help citizens secure the perfect spot for their events. Whether planning a birthday party, wedding, or corporate gathering, Pineville Community Centers can provide faster, more convenient service.
Last words can be funny. Because life is a gift, we never really know what our last words will really be. I am hoping my kids will say my last words to them were “I love you.” One, because I say it to them all the time. But also, because if we get disconnected in a phone call, I will call them back just to say, “I don’t have anything else to say, but I didn’t get to tell you I love you.”
My grandmother’s last words to me caught me by surprise. Meme, as she was known to me, had been in the hospital for a few weeks and in that gray space between heaven and earth. We were all taking turns sitting with her and it was my turn. She was asleep when I arrived, so I just slipped in and sat near her bed reading my book. Soon some nurses came in to check her vitals, but she barely stirred. Others drifted in and out to check on her, clean her room, fix her bed, but she remained still with her eyes closed. Near the end of my “shift” two more nurses came into the room to adjust my grandmother in the bed, in that moment she opened her eyes and said something. Meme said something, the first something in several days and I missed it!
This was a woman who was known for her words. She was the first female to graduate from the LSU School of Journalism. In her day, women only wrote on the society page, so in order to get the “grittier” news assignments she wrote under a man’s byline. She was a magazine contributor, published author and later in life the editor of her local newspaper. Yes, this was a woman who made a life and a living with her words, so when Meme said something you listened.
What pearl of wisdom did I miss that day in the hospital? So I asked her. Leaning in closer I said, “Meme, what did you say?” Again, she opened her eyes and then she looked me square in the face and said, “you’re killing me damn it!” Not what I was expecting, but her last words to me anyway that still make me smile every time I think about her.
These are my last words to you, the readers of the RPJ as I am moving out of the area to take a new position for the United Methodist Church of Louisiana. Thank you for this opportunity to share my journey with you these last few months. My grandmother would have been so proud of me. As my journey continues, I pray yours will too. Take it all in and don’t miss a moment.
On the journey, Ramonalynn Bethley
Ramonalynn Bethley is the Lead Pastor (until June 30) at First United Methodist Church of Alexandria. You can contact her directly at RLbethley@la-umc.org
Three fun-filled days and nights make Natchitoches the festive focal point in our state Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday with the 2025 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration and you and yours are invited.
The LSHOF’s Class of 2025 will be enshrined Saturday night at the Natchitoches Events Center to culminate the 66th Induction Celebration. A seating reconfiguration last week created additional seating up to 900 and a few dozen tickets remain available at LaSportsHall.com.
The Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday with the free admission Welcome Reception from 5-7pm at the Hall of Fame museum at 800 Front Street.
The Friday schedule begins with the Mardi Gras Bowling Bash presented by BOM at Four Seasons Bowling Center in Alexandria. There’s still room for individual and team entries with participants enjoying lunch catered by Walk-On’s while warm up for the competition takes place at the 40-alley facility.
Two of south Louisiana’s hottest musical acts from the Baton Rouge area will take the stage for the coolest concert for miles around, the absolutely free Rockin’ River Fest party Friday evening.
The Lauren Lee Band will get the party started and The Chase Tyler Band is the featured act on the Rue Beauport stage bordering Cane River Lake smack dab in the middle of the City of Lights’ historic and beautiful downtown district.
In conjunction with the Rockin’ River Fest is the VIP Taste of Tailgating party, a ticketed indoor-outdoor event that is approaching capacity on the Front Street bricks and inside Mama’s Oyster House, Papa’s and the Blues Room.
The slate on Saturday kicks off with the free LSHOF Junior Training Camp led by community relations personnel from the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, along with Northwestern State coaches and this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, on the NSU campus at the Webb Wellness and Recreation Center and Turpin Stadium. This event is presented by Natchitoches Regional Medical Center and is nearing capacity. Free registration for kids ages 7-16 is required and can be easily accomplished at LaSportsHall.com.
At noon Saturday, the Round Table Luncheon presented by the Tiger Athletic Foundation is set for Riverside Reserve on Mill Street. Fox Sports broadcaster Tim Brando emcees an entertaining program.
Festivities culminate Saturday evening with the Induction Reception at the LSHOF museum beginning at 5pm, followed at 7pm by the Induction Ceremony at the Natchitoches Events Center. Northwestern State University and State Farm Agents of Louisiana are presenting sponsors Saturday evening.
Louisiana Public Broadcasting will televise the ceremony live from 7-9:30pm.
The VIP Taste of Tailgating, the Bowling Bash, the Round Table Luncheon and the Induction Reception and Ceremony are ticketed events requiring purchase in advance through LaSportsHall.com or by calling 318-238-4255.
The Thursday reception, the Friday evening River Fest and the Junior Training Camp are free.
The Class of 2025 is headlined by two men pivotal in LSU’s 2003 football national championship – coach Nick Saban and Andrew Whitworth, a champion at West Monroe High School, LSU and in the NFL during a 16-year pro career. More sparkle is provided by pro basketball All-Stars Vickie Johnson and Danny Granger, the state’s winningest all-time college baseball coach Joe Scheuermann and Danny Broussard, one of the nation’s most successful high school basketball coaches, in this year’s induction class.
It also includes LSU gymnastics great and NCAA individual champion April Burkholder, transformational Catholic-Baton Rouge high school football coach Dale Weiner and George “Bobby” Soileau, a four-time high school and 1956 NCAA boxing champion at LSU who also won a state crown as a football coach at his alma mater, Sacred Heart High School in Ville Platte.
LSU graduate Herb Vincent, now a longstanding associate commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, is receiving the Hall’s Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award with his enshrinement.
Also being honored: Ed Daniels, a generational television sports broadcaster in New Orleans, and Glenn Guilbeau, one of the nation’s more decorated sportswriters in a career that has seen him cover LSU, state college, high school and pro sports along with stories across the South and around the SEC. They are being inducted as recipients of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism.
(Portrait by CHRIS BROWN, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)
By KEVIN FOOTE, Written for the LSWA
Sometimes it’s a good idea to listen to the advice of your older brothers.
There was one particular decision, though, when St. Thomas More boys basketball coach Danny Broussard is certainly glad he opted for his gut feeling instead.
After graduating from Meaux High in rural Vermilion Parish in 1977, Broussard’s first thought was to become a coach.
After all, his two older brothers Rickey and Brent were already coaches and the family was always heavily involved in athletics.
“They were kind of trying to talk me out of it,” Broussard said. “They said things like, ‘Oh, it’s tough, you don’t make a whole lot of money and it’s long hours, so why don’t you do something else?’”
So Broussard spent his entire freshman year at then-USL in Lafayette in general studies, hoping to decide what his future would hold along the way.
He thought about being a pharmacist. He always had a big personality and loved talking to and helping people.
“The only problem with that was pharmacy school was in Monroe and I didn’t want to go way up there and also there were too many chemistry courses,” Broussard said. “I was good at math, but not chemistry.”
After the second semester, his advisor came to him demanding a decision.
With no other favorable options in mind, Broussard said, “I’m going to education.”
Indeed, Broussard’s first thought was right on target.
Over four decades later, Broussard is entering the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as one of the nation’s most successful coaches in the history of high school basketball. The three-day Class of 2025 Induction Celebration begins Thursday in Natchitoches, with event information available at LaSportsHall.com.
It wasn’t that his brothers didn’t think young Danny could coach. In fact, he had already proven he could.
As a senior at Meaux High, Broussard coached the school’s 4H basketball team to a tournament title in Kaplan.
“I found guys at Meaux,” he remembered. “We put together a little team of fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders and we won. That’s kind of when I got hooked. I remember thinking, ‘This is fun. I love this.’ Getting them together and preparing them and then seeing the results.”
Two years later, Broussard helped Tommy Picard coach a Babe Ruth youth baseball team to the state championship and before the team’s ace pitcher punctured a lung during the series, “I “I think we could have won regionals.”
Big brother Rickey wasn’t surprised by those early signs of success.
“I never had any doubt that Danny could accomplish great things,” said Rickey, who led Nicholls State’s basketball team to two NCAA Tournament appearances. “There was just something about him.”
Upon graduating college, young Danny faced another big decision.
Incredibly, he got an offer from Hanson Memorial in Franklin to be the program’s head basketball coach. Broussard asked for the weekend to ponder his options, although he was ready to accept the offer.
Once again, his older brother had other ideas. While Danny was communicating with Hanson, a math teacher at the new Lafayette school St. Thomas More where Rickey was the head basketball coach decided to run the math department at Fatima instead, just weeks before the start of school.
So Rickey implored his younger brother to talk to STM’s administration before accepting the Hanson Memorial job.
“They offered me $3-4,000 more a year to be a freshman baseball, basketball and football coach,” Broussard laughed. “That’s a lot of money to a kid right out of college, so I took it.”
As a football coach, things didn’t go very well. The Cougars’ freshman squad went 0-8 and didn’t score a point, but he showed promise in basketball.
Amazingly, another big decision was right around the corner.
Rickey’s assistant coach from Fatima, Stephen Rees, decided to head to medical school, so now Danny moved into the spot as the Cougars’ top basketball assistant.
Then early in year two, Rickey got a call from Ragin’ Cajuns head coach Bobby Paschal with an offer to join his staff. He accepted.
“I remember asking Rickey, ‘So who is going to coach St. Thomas More?’ and he said, ‘You are.’”
Naturally, the 22-year-old’s stomach got real tight in a hurry, but big brother knew he was doing.
“I had no doubt in my mind that he could do it,” Rickey said. “The only question was, would they give him the job? There was a contingent of people (on the STM board) that wanted to go after a coach from New Orleans. I had to go to the board.
“I told them, ‘Just give him a shot. He knows all the plays and the players like him.’”
Fast-forward 41 years and Broussard ranks as the No. 6 coach nationally in wins with 1,162 – that’s 171 wins from being the winningest coach ever. He’s led the Cougars to six state championships, five state runners-up, 20 Top 28 appearances, 27 district championships and 18 30-win seasons.
“It’s a testament to his longevity and consistency and success,” former player Lyle Mouton said of Broussard’s Hall of Fame induction. “The way he tells it, he became a coach by default. I guess sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. He has proven it was a great decision and it wasn’t luck.
“You don’t do it for this long with so much success if it was just luck all the way.”
Any remaining doubters were proven wrong when Broussard led the Cougars to the state championship in 1986.
“By that year, I had settled into my own,” Broussard said. “I could see the program developing.”
By 1987, the Cougars were ranked No. 21 nationally in the USA Today poll, led by Mouton, the future LSU basketball and baseball player, and future UL Lafayette point guard Eric Mouton.
Broussard’s actual glory years on the floor were yet to come.
Finally in 2013 came that second state title, followed by four more since then.
Many believe this past season might have been the best coaching job of his career.
One year after being briefly benched by triple bypass surgery, Broussard guided his 2025 Cougars to the state championship game and then led the STM coaching staff to a victory coaching the West All-Stars in the McDonald’s All-American game in New York.
“This is one great year for Danny Broussard,” Lyle Mouton laughed.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is currently updating the Statewide Transportation Plan and is inviting residents, commuters, and business owners to provide input through an online survey available until June 30.
The plan, last updated in 2015, will serve as a blueprint for shaping the future of Louisiana’s transportation system. The updated plan is expected to be finalized in 2025 and is designed to address the evolving needs of a modern transportation network—balancing safety, infrastructure longevity, environmental sustainability, and economic growth.
DOTD’s effort is guided by the theme “Shaping Louisiana’s Future: Your Journey, Our Priority,” emphasizing the importance of aligning transportation planning with the needs of the public. Transportation in Louisiana encompasses more than just roads—it’s about efficiently and safely moving people and goods across the state and the country.
To ensure the plan reflects the priorities of Louisianans, DOTD has identified six overarching goals:
Safety – Provide safe and secure travel across all modes of transportation.
Preservation – Maintain the state’s multimodal infrastructure in a state of good repair.
Resilience – Strengthen the system’s ability to withstand and recover from extreme weather and other disruptions.
Community Development and Enhancement – Ensure the transportation network serves all citizens and supports broader community goals.
Economic Competitiveness – Foster a transportation system that drives employment, commerce, and tourism.
Environmental Sustainability – Make transportation decisions that are respectful of Louisiana’s environment, culture, and history.
Public input will play a critical role in refining these goals and guiding investment decisions over the coming years. Whether priorities lie in road improvements, bridge repairs, public transit, or freight logistics, community feedback will help shape the vision for how Louisiana moves forward.
With growing demand, technological advancement, and shifting infrastructure needs, DOTD is committed to planning for a transportation system that supports safety, sustainability, and long-term growth. Public participation is essential to creating a plan that reflects the values and vision of all Louisianans.
The location for the Carbon Capture Public Form to be held on Monday, June 30, at 5:30pm has been changed from Kees Park to Pineville High School Auditorium (1511 Line St.).
This event is intended to provide factual, science-based information about Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS). It is not an advocacy forum. All speakers have been invited to share technical and policy background relevant to Louisiana.
Audience questions are welcome following the presentations.
The Rapides Parish District Attorney announced today that Jaiden Holmes was found guilty of the charge of 2nd Degree Murder. Holmes was sentenced to ten years in prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Kelvin Sanders.
England Airpark and Alexandria International Airport (AEX) will join other airports across North America in observing Airport Workers Day today across social media platforms.
This coordinated event underscores the indispensable contributions of airport personnel across all functions, such as passenger services, facility maintenance, and operations.
According to the Airports Council International-North America, “U.S. airports contribute $115.4B in direct payroll, supporting 1.4 million on-airport workers representing every facet of airport operations and business management.” AEX alone is responsible for more than 2,200 direct and indirect jobs.
“Our AEX team is second to none,” states Director of Aviation and Deputy Director of Alexandria International Airport and England Airpark Scott Gammel. “Passengers often tell us how easy and efficient it is to fly AEX. While that is true, it doesn’t happen by chance. Our team works tirelessly – around the clock and often behind the scenes – to ensure a safe, seamless, and smooth experience for our guests. We thank them for their commitment to safety and customer service.”
Follow England Airpark on social media for Airport Workers Day employee highlights and industry data: @englandairpark (Facebook and Instagram) and @england-airpark (LinkedIn). Participating organizations will use #AirportWorkersDay2025 to collate content.
About England Airpark
The England Economic and Industrial Development District is an independent political subdivision of the State of Louisiana. England Airpark encompasses approximately 4,000 acres and includes Alexandria International Airport (AEX). As a mixed-use development offering convenient connectivity through air, interstate highway, rail, and port access, the Airpark features more than 300 residential units and 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, supporting aviation, transportation, manufacturing, education, and engineering sectors. Learn more at www.englandairpark.org.
On June 25, 1981, Microsoft took a major step toward transforming the personal computer industry with the introduction of MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System). Though the software would not become widely used until later that year, this date marks the official beginning of a platform that would come to dominate personal computing for more than a decade—and propel Microsoft from a modest software startup into one of the world’s most influential tech giants.
The story of MS-DOS is one of timing, opportunity, and rapid innovation. In 1980, IBM was developing its first personal computer—the IBM PC—and needed an operating system to run it. Microsoft, founded just five years earlier by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, had never developed an OS before. But when IBM came calling, Microsoft made a bold move: it agreed to provide the software and then quietly acquired an existing OS called 86-DOS from a small Seattle company, Seattle Computer Products.
Microsoft adapted 86-DOS for IBM’s hardware, rebranded it as MS-DOS, and delivered it to IBM in time for the launch of the IBM PC in August 1981. The agreement allowed IBM to use the system under the name PC-DOS, while Microsoft retained the rights to license it to other manufacturers. This seemingly small decision would prove to be one of the most consequential in tech history.
Over the next several years, MS-DOS became the backbone of countless IBM-compatible personal computers, also known as “clones,” which flooded the market. As hardware became more affordable and accessible, Microsoft’s operating system powered millions of machines in homes, schools, and businesses worldwide.
MS-DOS was a command-line operating system, meaning users had to type specific text commands to launch programs or access files—an experience that could be intimidating for newcomers. But at the time, it was a revolutionary step forward, offering a standard platform for developers and helping to fuel the rapid growth of the software industry.
Though rudimentary by today’s standards, MS-DOS laid the groundwork for future advancements in personal computing. It supported early versions of now-legendary programs like WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, and eventually, Microsoft Word and Excel. It also paved the way for the development of Windows, Microsoft’s graphical user interface that would eventually replace MS-DOS as the dominant operating system.
By the mid-1990s, MS-DOS had been largely phased out as users transitioned to more user-friendly systems like Windows 95 and Windows 98. Still, echoes of MS-DOS remain in modern Windows environments, where the “Command Prompt” is a direct descendant of its early interface.
Beyond the technology itself, the launch of MS-DOS on June 25, 1981, marked a defining moment in Microsoft’s history. It positioned the company as a central player in the emerging PC industry and set the stage for its meteoric rise. By retaining the rights to MS-DOS, Microsoft was able to license the software to dozens of manufacturers, securing a steady stream of revenue and building a near-monopoly on personal computer operating systems for years to come.
Today, MS-DOS is a footnote in the story of modern computing, but its impact remains undeniable. It empowered a generation of computer users, shaped the trajectory of the digital age, and demonstrated how a few lines of code—backed by strategic thinking—can change the world.
As we look back on June 25, 1981, it serves as a reminder of how quickly technology evolves, and how the smallest decisions can have the biggest consequences.
Mary Jo Lewis September 20, 1943 – June 22, 2025 Service: Thursday, June 26, 2025, 10am at St. Peters Catholic Church, Elmer.
Glenda Hicks Cedars November 25, 1944 – June 21, 2025 Service: Wednesday, June 25, 2025, 10am at Hineston Tabernacle, Elmer.
Richard Donald Preston Jr. December 21, 1945 – June 17, 2025 Service: Friday, June 27, 2025, 10am at John Kramer & Son Funeral Home, Alexandria.
Mary Lynne Heald December 22, 1942 – June 16, 2025 Service: Thursday, June 26, 2025, 11am at Gallagher Funeral Home, Ball.
Ryan Neil Goodman October 29, 1974 – June 15, 2025 Service: Saturday, June 28, 2025, 10:30am at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Alexandria.
Gregory Harville September 7, 1958 – June 12, 2025 Service: Thursday, June 26, 2025, 11am at Second Nazarene Baptist Church, Alexandria.
Rodney Dale Bagwell November 3, 1949 – June 1, 2025 Service: Saturday, July 5, 2025, 10am at Rush Funeral Home, Pineville.
Bobbie Sherlene Langston White April 17, 1932 – May 17, 2025 Service: Saturday, June 28, 2025, 11am at Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria.
The Rapides Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or RPJNewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to RPJNewsla@gmail.com)
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Two women accused in separate arrests since 2023 of theft of more than $25,000 have yet to appear in court, according to public records.
The time between charge and disposition is not particularly out of the ordinary though the cases are due to attention they received at the time.
Kim Beebe Ryder was arrested In November 2023. While a Sheriff’s Office employee she allegedly took money from an employees voluntarily-funded account she managed.
A bill of information filed on August 15, 2024 asserts the theft occurred between March 2022 and time of her arrest.
Records show neither she nor her attorney appeared for scheduled arraignment on August 30, 2024. No court minute has occurred since through June 20 of this year.
Failure to appear for arraignment, when a formal plea is entered, is not customary though not extraordinary.
Tracy Borland Smith missed hers on June 9 this year though her attorney was present.
Arraignment was reset for August 13.
Smith was arrested last July 24. The bill of information filed on May 9 this year accuses her of theft of Ward 10 Dixie Softball funds.
Arraignment is the initial court appearance following filing of a bill of charges or an indictment.
Court records in a third case receiving public attention show only one minute entry.
Prominent attorney Samuel Spurgeon was arrested December 31, 2024 and charged with second-degree battery, a felony, after an alleged domestic incident.
On January 17, records show, the DA’s Office asked to recuse itself, a request granted by the court.
The matter was turned over to the Attorney General’s Office, which in April confirmed the case had been assigned.
Nothing appears in court minutes since the recusal. The AG Office declines to provide further information or say whether the case is still on its calendar.
As the theft cases show, quite some time between arrest and formal charging is not outside the normal course.
And if matters are no-cased, as sometimes occurs, there is no such notation in the court record.
Laton Hebert has gone to his great reward, and the world made little of his passing. But that matters not.
What matters is the celebration that is happening beyond the Pearly Gates. Laton Hebert was the maintenance man at The Town Talk for 43 years, and I’ve got to believe that Saint Peter has documentation to show that not a day passed when he went to work that he didn’t bring a smile to at least one face. Countless times to a whole lot of faces.
In my 39 years at the local newspaper, I don’t think anyone was able to lift people’s spirits daily as much as Laton. Some people take a vitamin each day; I settled for a daily dose of Laton Hebert. He was the picture of joy – friendly, engaging, smiling, singing. Never complaining. Seriously. He never complained.
I never heard him complain about anyone and anything. Well, maybe he complained about the heat once or twice. When it was 100-plus degrees.
He made anyone he met feel special – not with superficial compliments but simply by taking an interest in you. A warm hello. A smile. Maybe a little rhyming ditty he’d ad-lib about you that was spot on and disarming.
“And, oh, he could sing!” said his Town Talk boss Joe Blackwell as we traded stories about him during the visitation at Annadale Baptist Church.
That’s where Laton and I really connected. He liked the old ballads from the Fifties and Sixties and sometimes, late at night when not many employees were around to be disturbed, we’d croon together a verse or two from, say, “Moon River” or “Only You” or “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
I know it doesn’t fit the stereotypes. A white guy and a black man singing together. At work. In a newspaper office. The hot breath of a deadline inhaled while he exhaled.
Laton treated his job, regardless how menial others might regard it, as a gift. He didn’t preach, but he evangelized, mostly by his actions and reactions. The biblical admonition “Do unto others …” evidently was written on his heart and he took it seriously.
As a result, you’d get the feeling he cared about you and so you naturally cared about him. You’d appreciate his joy and find that, regardless of how down in the dumps you might’ve been five minutes ago, you felt better after a visit with him.
And it had a ripple effect. He’d throw a pebble in the pond with a smile or a song, and instead of whining about an assignment with a co-worker, you were sharing a joke or a story about your son’s rare base hit on his birthday.
And so, for a while, the world became a better place because of the maintenance man.
When I viewed him in his open casket, I hardly recognized him. The affable bear I’d known looked old and thin and the curves had become angles. He was 88, after all. I turned away and took a seat in a pew in the back and tried to forget the image I’d just seen.
I brought back to mind the man I’d known and, yes, loved.
And I thanked God for Laton Hebert and his legacy of living the Golden Rule. Not just now and then. But day by day. Year by year.
I feel certain the welcome he heard on the other side was “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
The Main Library of the Rapides Parish Library will host the LSU AgCenter as it presents “Pumpkins!” on Wednesday, June 25, 10am to 12pm.
Molly Lyles from the LSU AgCenter will present on pumpkins and their cultivation. Participants will learn about this fascinating plant and take home one of their own to grow.
Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Charlton Meginley, Col (Ret), USAF has announced the department’s success from the 2025 Regular Session of Legislature. Legislation includes protection for military families against discrimination and expands the financial assistance that can be provided to veterans through the Military Family Assistance Fund.
“Governor Landry and the LDVA team is committed to making Louisiana the most veteran-friendly state in our nation, and we couldn’t do it without the help of our state legislative delegation,” said Secretary Meginley. “It is vital that we are able to work with our legislators to continue fulfilling the mission of serving those who served, and I thank them for their support of the veteran community.”
Sen. Franklin Foil authored Act 100 (Senate Bill 66), which prohibits discrimination against service members on the basis of their service in the areas of housing, education and more. Secretary Meginley noted, “This legislation is as much for the military spouse as it is for the service member. Military spouses are the backbone of the Department of Defense, most of whom have given up their own opportunities and career to ensure their service member can continue to serve. After hearing the story of a military spouse who was denied admission into an education program because she was an active duty military spouse, I knew we had to address this. Make no mistake, taking care of our military spouses is a national security issue; if we don’t take care of the military family, we won’t have a military. We are grateful to Sen. Foil and all members of the Legislature for this groundbreaking legislation.”
Act 241 (House Bill 116) by Rep. Peter Egan provides for the Military Family Assistance Board to be able to pay for the burials of indigent veterans; pay up to $1,000 of educational benefits for children of certain disabled veterans; and issue grants of up to $10,000 to organizations dedicated to helping veterans. The MFA Fund has awarded more than $2 million to veterans in need of financial assistance.
Additional department legislation includes:
· Act 130 (House Bill 54) by Rep. Dodie Horton provides for colleges and universities in the state to be designated as a “Purple Star Campus” if they meet the necessary requirements. These schools will have demonstrated their commitment to helping veteran and active military students.
· Act 132 (House Bill 60) by Rep. Jay Galle provides for Louisiana National Guard veterans and retirees that did not deploy under federal orders to be eligible for residency in the state’s veterans homes.
· Act 137 (House Bill 96) by Rep. Alonzo Knox provides for the United States Space Force to be included in the definition of Armed Forces under Louisiana law.
· Act 191 (House Bill 387) by Rep. Kellee Hennessy Dickerson provides for the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs to adjust any applicable fees for the care and maintenance of spouses and Gold Star families that reside in state veterans homes.
· Act 197 (House Bill 468) by Rep. Roy Daryl Adams provides for the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs to begin issuing, at the discretion of the Secretary, a Civilian Honor Medal to those Louisiana non-veteran citizens that have demonstrated a commitment to caring for and supporting the veterans and military members of the state.
Other veteran legislation includes:
· Act 242 (House Bill 120) by Rep. Jeff Wiley provides for the members of the Louisiana State Guard to be eligible for death and disability benefits.
· Act 12 (House Bill 167) by Rep. Sylvia Elaine Taylor provides for a portion of Louisiana Highway 3188 to now be known as the “Veterans Memorial Highway.”
· Act 86 (House Bill 508) by Rep. Ed Larvadain provides for only Louisiana resident disabled veterans to be eligible for free parking at the New Orleans cruise terminal.
· House Resolution 258 by Rep. Chuck Owen provides for the Louisiana Legislature to urge the Trump Administration to support and sign the Major Richard Star Act currently pending in Congress, which would grant combat disabled veterans both any retirement pay and any disability pay they are entitled to, without offset or reduction.
· Act 23 (Senate Bill 9) by Sen. Adam Bass provides for drones and other unmanned aerial devices to now be prohibited from flying over Louisiana military installations.
· Act 321 (Senate Bill 69) by Sen. Brach Myers provides for honorably discharged veterans to now be eligible for an 80% discount on hunting and fishing licenses.
(Portrait by CHRIS BROWN, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)
By LENNY VANGILDER, Written for the LSWA
Joe Scheuermann was a 27-year-old assistant baseball coach at Tulane when he came to Natchitoches in June 1990 to present his father, “Rags,” for induction in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Curveballs are a part of baseball, and “Rags” delivered a dandy one that night. During his acceptance speech, he announced his retirement as Delgado Community College’s baseball coach.
Thirty-five years after following in his dad’s footsteps on City Park Avenue and with 1,207 victories on his record, Joe Scheuermann will join his dad to become the fourth father-son combination to be inducted into the LSHOF.
That culminates the Class of 2025 Induction Celebration in Natchitoches beginning Thursday and wrapping up with Saturday night’s induction ceremony televised live on Louisiana Public Broadcasting. Information about the Hall’s seven events over three days is available at LaSportsHall.com.
While most assume it was a done deal that Joe would replace “Rags” at Delgado, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The younger Scheuermann came back to New Orleans and soon met with then-Delgado president Dr. James Caillier. “I don’t want to have this job because I’m Rags Scheuermann’s son,” Joe Scheuermann told his future boss.
Later that summer, he became the second head coach of what is now the oldest junior college program in any sport in Louisiana.
Though the reins had been handed down, it was still hard for the new head coach not to look over his shoulder and in the grandstand. “The first 4-5 years I was more worried about making my dad happy than I was about being a coach,” he said. “I coached too much with exterior emotion. The last two years of his life I started to relax a little bit.”
“Rags” passed away in April 1997, a week shy of his 74th birthday.
Joe Scheuermann was preparing for his 16th season at Delgado when his program – and the entire city of New Orleans – was dealt a body blow named Hurricane Katrina.
The Scheuermanns, with their house and campus under water, evacuated to New Roads. A few days later, in Baton Rouge, he met with Delgado’s chancellor, Alex Johnson.
With the college in financial straits after a lost semester and significant rebuilding costs, the message about the spring 2006 season was simple – “We can’t fund it.” The only way to have a season, and save the program started three decades earlier by his father, was to raise the money himself.
Scheuermann got that program-saving donation from a longtime supporter and friend, and the task of resuscitating a season – and a ballpark, since Kirsch-Rooney Stadium had also been inundated with several feet of flood waters – began.
Said Scheuermann: “The fact we played the year after Katrina is probably my proudest moment. It would have been easy for Delgado not to have athletics, but it made them realize how important athletics is for the college.”
One year later, the Katrina freshman class would lead Scheuermann to his first-ever Junior College World Series, 22 years after “Rags” made his only trip.
Omaha, Nebraska, is the goal each year for LSU and other NCAA Division I programs. On the NJCAA Division I level, it is Grand Junction, Colorado.
“Once we got to the World Series, people bought into our program,” Scheuermann said. “Your kids remember the experience and they pass it down the line … Our expectations became Grand Junction.”
Delgado rattled off three straight trips to Grand Junction from 2014-16 and then returned for a fifth time under Scheuermann in 2023, finishing fifth.
In May 2024, Scheuermann won his 1,178th game to pass the late Tony Robichaux, a 2022 LSHOF inductee, and become the winningest college coach in Louisiana history. But that’s not how he sees it.
“I broke the junior college record for wins in Louisiana,” said Scheuermann, who played at Tulane the same time as Robichaux played at then-USL. “Every game I’ve won was at the junior college level. Tony Robichaux did it at the Division I level. That’s not the same.”
But, he added, “It’s something I will always share with him.”
On April 13 of this year – coincidentally, what would have been “Rags” Scheuermann’s 102nd birthday – Scheuermann registered his latest milestone, career win No. 1,200.
How has he gotten to this point? By being himself and convincing other families to do exactly what he did – starting your path on the two-year college level.
“Nobody understands how beneficial it is to go to junior college as an athlete,” Scheuermann said. “We’ve been able to convince Mom and Dad that Delgado isn’t a trade school.
“I’ve placed over 400 kids in four-year programs and continue to get their baseball skills developed and get their education.”
One of them was Sean McMullen, who played at Delgado in 2011 and 2012 before becoming a two-year starter at LSU.
“You never looked there,” McMullen said of Delgado. “(Scheuermann) sat me down and said, ‘How about you give us a shot … If you come here and perform, I will put you in touch with where you want to go.’ I trusted him.”
McMullen became a Pied Piper of sorts for the Dolphins, helping to recruit many of the key local pieces in the program’s three consecutive trips to Grand Junction.
“I told them, if you want to play (Division I) baseball, come here,” McMullen said. “If you hate it, you can leave and just go to college. But nobody does that. This is family. This is different.”
Not one of Scheuermann’s former players has played a day in the major leagues, which may be even a bigger credit to the coaching job he has done in 35 years.
“We’ve been able to do this with blue collar guys,” he said. “We don’t … recruit nationally.”
Scheuermann already is a member of the NJCAA Baseball Coaches and the All American Amateur Baseball Association halls of fame. Tulane’s athletic hall of fame will honor him in September with its career achievement award.
Joe and “Rags” join the trio of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning; “Dub” and Bert Jones, and Glenn and Billy Hardin as the only fathers and sons enshrined in Natchitoches.
“Archie texted me and said ‘welcome to the fraternity,’ ” Joe Scheuermann said. “When Archie Manning sends you that, it kind of hits home.”
As much as Joe Scheuermann has followed in his father’s footsteps, there’s one thing he won’t do – go on stage at the Natchitoches Events Center and announce his retirement.
“I get asked all the time, when are you going to get out?” Scheuermann said. “I’m 62, I feel great, I enjoy coaching.
“I remember my dad saying, ‘You’ll know when it’s time.’ I really don’t feel it’s time yet. It’s an occupation but I do it more for the kids and the school.”
The City of Alexandria announced that the Elliott/Cabrini ATRANS route will stop service at 2pm today, June 24, and will remain out of service until 6pm.
Normal operations are expected to resume at 6am on Wednesday, June 25.
The City thanks the public for its understanding and urges them to plan accordingly.
Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a disturbance with a subject at a residence in the 1500 block of Hyland Park Drive in Tioga at approximately 8:15am on Sunday, June 22. According to initial reports, the suspect was refusing to leave and attempting to gain entry into the residence and shots had been fired. When deputies arrived, two subjects were detained pending further investigation. No injuries were reported.
Sheriff’s detectives and Crime Scene Unit responded to begin their investigation. From their investigation, detectives determined the suspect, identified as Jiyason K. Singleton, 19 of Alexandria, arrived at the residence uninvited, attempting to make contact with a subject in the residence. According to witnesses, Singleton made entry inside the home without permission and after brandishing a handgun at the victim, the victim fired a handgun at Singleton, causing him to retreat from the residence into the front yard where deputies located him on their arrival.
While processing the scene, a witness told deputies Singleton had allegedly thrown an unknown object in the area of a parked vehicle near the residence. A supervisor arrived with his K9 partner Kai, an explosives detection canine, who located a handgun under the vehicle during a pattern search of the yard. Detectives were able to confirm the handgun was in Singleton’s possession and he had hid the gun in an attempt to dispose of evidence before deputies arrived on scene.
Through their investigation, detectives determined Singleton was the aggressor and the victim was protecting themselves and others in the residence.
Through evidence collected, detectives were able to establish significant probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant for Singleton. Singleton was placed under arrest, transported and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center where he remains at the time of this release, being held on a $65,000 bond.
RPSO patrol deputies responded to the 5600 block of New York Ave in Alexandria in reference to an alarm activation on June 21 at approximately 11:40pm. Upon arrival, deputies, along with officers from the Alexandria Police Department, observed some paneling on the exterior of the building was pried back where it looked like someone may have made entry to the establishment. Deputies and officers searched and cleared the building but did not locate anyone inside.
Sheriff’s detectives responded to what was now considered as a burglary investigation. Detectives were able to obtain a description of a possible suspect vehicle and put it out to local law enforcement, and a short time later, an APD officer located the suspect vehicle in the Martin Park subdivision. When the officer approached the vehicle, the driver, later identified as Zahir Ammere Quinney, fled on foot and got away. The officer also gave chase to the other two occupants of the vehicle, identified as Michael Francis Bayonne, Sr. 46 of Alexandria and Diane Marie Evans, 27 of Pineville. Both subjects were apprehended and taken into custody without further incident.
Sheriff’s detectives responded to the Martin Park Subdivision where the suspect vehicle was located where they also discovered several items that were reported stolen.
Bayonne, Sr. and Evans were placed under arrest, transported and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center on various charges. Bayonne, Sr. remains in jail being held on a $12,000 bond as well as a parole violation. Evans remains in jail being held on an $11,000 bond and a probation violation.
Sheriff’s detectives say this is still an active, ongoing investigation. Quinney is still at large and RPSO is asking the public for any information regarding his whereabouts to contact Detective Matt Deville, Criminal Investigation Division-Tioga Substation, at 318-641-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 318-443-7867.
Sheriff’s detectives would like to thank their Patrol Division as well as the Alexandria Police Department for their quick response and diligent work in in locating the suspects and recovering several stolen items, aiding in other active cases.
On a relaxing Sunday afternoon on June 28, 1931, Betty Robinson and her cousin Wilson Palmer, a novice pilot, decided to take a flight in what one newspaper described as “an ancient plane of small design.” Betty was an Olympian. In 1928, she won the first Olympic championship in the 100 meters for women’s track. Betty had made a few attempts to pilot a plane herself and took frequent flights with her cousin. Betty’s and Wilson’s parents and friends chatted warmly at the airfield as their flight began. It was a scene they were familiar with until the airplane reached an altitude of about 400 feet. They noticed something was wrong. The airplane was struggling to gain altitude and the engine stalled. Wilson fought at the controls until the plane “slipped into a nosedive and plunged almost straight down.” At that crucial moment, Wilson instinctively cut off the plane’s ignition switch. There was nothing anyone could do. Wilson fought with the controls until the end. Family and friends watched helplessly for those few seconds as the plane silently plummeted straight down to the ground right in front of them. Because Wilson had turned off the ignition switch, there was no fire. The crowd rushed to what remained of the airplane and dragged Betty’s and Wilson’s unconscious bodies from the wreckage. Motorists who had witnessed the crash stopped to help and transported Betty and Wilson to two different hospitals in Chicago; Betty was taken to Oak Forest Infirmary and Wilson to Ingalls Memorial Hospital. Doctors at both hospitals told their families that it was unlikely that either would survive. All they could do was hope and pray.
After reviewing her x-rays, Dr. Jacob Minke explained Betty’s injuries: “The thigh bone is fractured in several places between the knee and the hip and when it heals it will probably be a little shorter than the other leg. It will be months before she is able to walk again. She has a fractured left arm and internal injuries which may be more serious than is yet apparent.” Headlines read, “Crash Will End Athletics for Betty Robinson.”
On September 5, 1931, Betty was able to leave the hospital but remained in a wheelchair. She slowly began regaining her strength and her ability to walk. “Not being able to race is terrible to contemplate,” Betty said after leaving the hospital, “but I have determined not to let this accident ruin my life.” She hoped to become a coach at the 1936 Olympics. Despite her countless hours of physical therapy and training, Betty was never able to get back into the crouching position runners take before a race. Betty was at the 1936 Olympics, but not as a coach. Five years after the airplane crash that left her body broken and battered, Betty was part of the U.S. 4 x 100 meter relay team. During the race, Betty took the lead from her German counterpart and led her team to victory. Even with a stiff left arm and permanent damage to her left leg, Betty Robinson won her second Olympic Gold Medal.
The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of yet another scam being perpetrated against citizens, thanks to Alexandria Police Department. This one AGAIN involves families of the inmate population.
According to the initial investigation, a family member of an inmate at the Rapides Parish Detention Center – 3 (DC-3) was contacted by someone representing themselves as a deputy. The person calling the family member advised they were calling from DC-3 and providing them a bond amount for a family member that has been booked in our jail. The alleged deputy then requested the family member to put the money in a DOGECOIN CRYPTO CURRENCY machine. This individual provided the address to DC-3 and told the family member that they can pick their loved one up after they have deposited the money in DOGECOIN CRYPTO machine. It appears that only people related to persons recently booked in the jail are being contacted.
Of course this is a SCAM. First, RPSO never calls people to solicit money for any kind of transaction. Real bondsmen must meet with the person they are receiving payment from as there is paperwork that must be signed. Also, the bondsman meets with the person being released to have them sign paperwork for them to appear in court.
The RPSO urges everyone to be very skeptical of ANYONE calling and attempting to get money, no matter what the reason. Communicate this information to family members and friends.
