The Alexandria Museum of Art is hosting a wonderful opportunity for area art lovers through Saturday. “A Graphic Journey: Prints by Picasso (The Timothy Collins Collection)” is a collection of over 50 etchings, lithographs and linocuts by Pablo Picasso, one of the most notable artists of the 20^th century.

Dr. Timothy Collins of Los Angeles, California has been collecting art for over 30 years and is the owner of 92 Picasso prints, as well as pieces by Moreau, Chagall and Rembrandt. Most of his Picasso prints are in a travelling collection. The Alexandria Museum of Art was fortunate to host one of this year’s exhibitions.

Dr. Collins gave a talk at the museum Thursday before a capacity crowd of art lovers. He spoke of how his love of art was ignited after visits to the Louvre in Paris and Michael Gallery in Los Angeles. He also about getting started in collecting art. After his talk, he led his audience on a tour of his favorite pieces in the collection.

“A Graphic Journey: Prints by Picasso (The Timothy Collins Collection)” will be on display at the Alexandria Museum of Art through Saturday, June 15. The Alexandria Museum of Art is an integral part of the cultural life of central Louisiana and is well worth a visit.

 Arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

June 4

Christopher Hebert, 39, Boyce — OWI, misdemeanor drug possession, 12:31 pm, $1,000 bail.

June 7

Rodney Mitchell, 40, Alexandria — OWI 2nd, open container, suspension/revocation, contempt, 9:34 pm, $3,200 bail.

June 8

Neil Ford, 52, Forest Hill — OWI, possession, paraphernalia, improper lane usage, 6:41 am, $4,100 bail;

Darrald Smith, 30, Alexandria — OWI with child endangerment, reckless operation, safety belt violation, conspiracy 3 counts, 3:18 am, $4,300 bail;

Travis West, 45, Alexandria — OWI 1st, improperly driving left lane, expired plate/registration, resisting, 2:19 am, $1,700 bail.

June 9

Gabriel Bulliard, 24, Pineville — OWI 1st, improper plate display, no evidence of insurance, no head light, 1:11 am, $1,300 bail.

June 10

Shemar Johnson, 21, Alexandria — OWI child endangerment, OWI 1st, possession, no license plate light, resisting, escape, domestic abuse battery, failure to appear, 7:23 am, $16,100 bail.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

June 12

Weapons

Jeremiah Dorsey, 17, Alexandria — negligent homicide, $5,000 bail;

Other

Hope Jacobs, 46, Alexandria — theft, resisting, contempt, $1,500 bail;

Joseph Jordan II, 38, Glenmora — cruelty to juvenile, fugitive, $5,000 bail;

Kyle Juneau, 20, Pineville  — criminal conspiracy, accessory after fact, obstruction evidence tampering, $3,000 bail;

Kevin Reed, 17, Pineville — theft motor vehicle, $1,500 bail;

Saymeh Raed, 62, Ball — violation protective orders, contempt 2 counts, $3,000 bail;

Kerry Smith, 56, Alexandria — burglary inhabited dwelling, burglary, contempt, $5,500 bail;

Kianearra Strong, 27, Alexandria — aggravated assault, criminal damage, domestic abuse battery, $1,750 bail. 

This date: 15 arrests, 5 with one or more contempt counts. 

By JIM BUTLER

Jacoby Moore was 16 when shot and killed three years ago. His alleged killer was 15.

X’Zavion Johnson was rebooked Tuesday in preparation for a case status conference before Judge Greg Beard.

Johnson, now 18, was charged with murder in the second degree when initially arrested in May 2021.

The charge was amended to manslaughter, to which the teenager pleaded not guilty in August of that year.

A pre-trial conference date was set as the district court struggled with Covid-created issues.

Johnson in the interim was booked on a criminal damage charge in October 2021 and on a battery allegation a year later.

When booked Tuesday his bail was set at $522,000.

VBS: Knights of North Castle

DATES: Monday, June 24 – Thursday, June 27
TIME: 5:30 – 8 p.m.

First United Methodist invites your children to take a VBS journey this summer like never before! Join us as we visit the kingdom of North Castle, where under order from the King, our valiant knights will embark on a quest in search of the King’s Armor.

Together, we will explore the Old and New Testament of the Kings Book where we will discover different pieces of protective armor—the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Justice, the Shoes of Peace, the Shield of Faith, and the Helmet of Salvation—at work in the lives of familiar Bible characters, and examine how that armor works in our own lives as we follow and serve God and share His love. All children who have completed Kindergarten through 5th grades are invited to join us!

Dinner will be served each evening. Please use the registration form to let us know if your child has any dietary restrictions.

FUMCA: Who We Are

First United Methodist Church of Alexandria celebrates strong relationships that focus on transforming our community by building relationships that grow active disciples who share the life-changing lessons of Jesus.

We experience God’s grace and seek to grow in our relationship with Jesus through worship, celebration of the sacraments, Bible study, fellowship and service. We value our relationships with others, encouraging one another on this journey together and excited about what God is doing in our midst.

We are learning how to “walk on water” with faith, courage, humility, and compassion and would love to welcome you to come and experience the journey with us.

For all those times you’ve wondered what it would be like to visit with sports stars you read about or see on TV, you get the opportunity free of charge next Thursday evening at the Welcome Reception kicking off the 2024 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration.

You can be right there at the Hall of Fame museum at 800 Front Street (at the traffic circle) in Natchitoches. There will be an eye-catching new sign out front, a photo op on its own. Inside, no need to dress fancy, just enjoy plentiful food and refreshments and music and a world-class museum, mingling with sports stars and their families from 5-7 next Thursday evening, June 20, at the museum.

Adding to the excitement – a brand-new exhibit showcasing Pete Maravich’s time at LSU, setting the basketball world on its collective ear, and the regal one-of-a-kind silver Heisman Trophy won by LSU’s Billy Cannon in 1959.

The “Showtime! LSU’s Spectacular Pistol Pete” exhibit debuts in the Atmos Energy Gallery on the first floor will include over 60 photos, many behind-the-scenes shots, of Maravich during his days from 1967-70 at LSU, some never seen in public. Baton Rouge photographer John Musemeche had unique access, and shares memories in an 8-minute documentary short film “We Were Fans” playing in the exhibit.

Upstairs, one of America’s most prized sports trophies will be on display on the second floor. Cannon’s 1959 Heisman Trophy will be in the house through the weekend festivities, courtesy of the Cannon Trust, as a cornerstone of the museum’s months-old Heisman Trophy exhibit that showcases the state’s (just updated) five winners: Cannon, John David Crow (1957), Joe Burrow (2019), DeVonta Smith (2020) and Jayden Daniels (2023).

But the spotlight is squarely on the Class of 2024, which includes a Super Bowl MVP (Drew Brees), a women’s basketball superstar (Seimone Augustus), one of the world’s most famous MMA fighters (Daniel Cormier), an Olympic gold medal wrestler (Kevin Jackson), a 19-year pro football veteran (Kerry Joseph), a game-changing Tulane basketball coach (Perry Clark) and one of America’s greatest jockeys (Ray Sibille).

There’s Grambling icon Wilbert Ellis, who coached baseball for the Tigers for 43 years, and became a state and national treasure for his community service out of uniform; and another retired coach, Frank Monica, who won state high school football championships at three different south Louisiana schools, lastly St. Charles Catholic. They are charismatic men who have stories and smiles aplenty.

Sports journalists Bobby Ardoin (Opelousas) and Ron Higgins (Baton Rouge) have covered many amazing games and highly-accomplished athletes, including plenty of LSHOF members, in their careers and will be inducted next weekend as well. So will Tom Burnett, who was commissioner of the Southland Conference for two decades until 2022, and oversaw the last Final Four held in New Orleans.

The Welcome Reception is also a wonderful chance to stroll around the 27,500-square foot museum. Lots of display items have been recently rotated into exhibits, and there’s a Kim Mulkey exhibit showcasing the LSU women’s basketball coach and her iconic wardrobe. She will be at the induction ceremony on June 22.

A frequent reaction from first-time visitors: “I didn’t realize it would be this great! I can’t believe I haven’t been here already. I’m bringing friends next time.”

That’s the same sentiment for the entire Induction Celebration, which includes a free Friday evening Rockin’ River Fest concert on the downtown riverbank stage. More about that tomorrow.

You’re invited to all the fun. Visit LaSportsHall.com to get more information and the schedule of events, make online ticket purchases, or call 318-238-4255 for participation opportunities for ticketed events.

Jerry West died Wednesday at age 86.

And it was never more apropos to say “Rest in peace” than it was about such a legendary sports figure so celebrated and revered, yet so anguished by a handful of failures mere mortals would consider accomplishments.

On October 13, West was scheduled to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball of Fame for the third time.

He’d previously been inducted in 1980 for a 14-year NBA career from 1960 to 1974 with the Los Angeles Lakers in which he was an All-Star selection every season he played as well as a 12-time All-NBA honoree. As a lightning-quick guard, his stop-and-pop jumper interspersed with fearless drives produced career scoring averages of 27 points and 29.1 points in the regular season and playoffs respectively still ranking eighth and fifth.

He’s just one of three players ever to win NBA Finals MVP honors (and the only Finals MVP on the losing team), Final Four MVP honors as an All-American guard at West Virginia, and an Olympic gold medal for the 1960 U.S.A, team which was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

His third Hall honor as a contributor to the sport stems from his 18 seasons from 1982 to 2000 as general manager of the Lakers when the franchise won eight NBA titles.He put together the Kobe Bryant-Shaquille O’Neal-Phil Jackson marriage), got burned out and became a consultant for the franchise before his stunning move to become GM from 2002 to 2007 of the brand-new Memphis Grizzlies which he quickly built into a playoff team.

That’s where during my almost 30-year writing career in Memphis I got an inside look at the man whose image as a player became the model for the NBA logo, hence West being nicknamed “The Logo.”

West’s competitive fire, long after his playing days and after his GM stint with the Lakers, never quit burning. As a consultant, he couldn’t stay idle playing golf and collecting paychecks.

“I wasn’t called very much as a consultant and I felt I was taking somebody’s money for nothing,” West told me. “I got bored with living the good life with no stress or pressure. When I studied the situation in Memphis, it was the ultimate challenge for me.

“I don’t think men are worth a damn unless you have a challenge in your life. Many people in basketball told me, `What in the hell you are doing. . .Memphis. . .of all places to go?’”

West was 53 years old when he became the Grizzlies’ GM. Anybody around him daily quickly learned the internal scars West incurred as a player continually haunted him.

“I’m not proud I played in nine NBA Finals and won only one of them,” West told me. “The most painful moments in my life occurred in some of my very best moments as a player. . .to not win titles a couple of times when we had the best teams is the thing that’s driven me all my life.”

West coached the Lakers for three seasons after retirement. They were a playoff team each year, but losing games engulfed his soul.

When he finally became a general manager and felt he had similar control he enjoyed as a player, it was somewhat more soothing but not much.

As a GM, he rarely watched a game in person, especially in the playoffs. It was just too much torture.

At first, he walked the halls in the belly of the arenas where the game was played, listening to the crowd and occasionally peeking out a tunnel to the court to check the scoreboard.’Then, eventually, he would drive around the Los Angeles freeways during games. He wouldn’t even listen to radio broadcasts. He’d call his secretary for score updates.

In the Grizzlies’ first home playoff game in history at the end of the 2003-04 season, he never showed up in his private box full of guests to watch one minute of the game. He repeated that over and over.

In public, he often measured his words.

In private, not so much.

A lot of my one-on-one interview sessions with West went like this:

With my pen in hand, notepad in sight and tape recorder rolling, he would give searingly non-stop honest opinions and assessments that today would have made me the tweet king of the universe. The social media reaction would be like daily meteor strikes. But immediately after spewing forth some of the greatest quotes I’ve ever heard, West would look at me with soulless eyes and snarl, “If you ever use any of that in a story, I will (insert the most imaginable threatening cuss word here) kill you.”

Then he’d pause.

And then I’d wait for him to laugh to let me know he was kidding.

And then he’d never laugh.

Rest in peace, Logo.

Seriously.

I’m not laughing about this.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

The pied-billed grebe is a rather nondescript water bird most of us have never heard of.

However, when you mention “di-dipper,” heads nod in recognition. They’re one and the same.

Just about every country boy who spent any time around a lake while growing up has encountered these shy little critters that are there on the surface one minute; gone the next.   

They’re still around because today, I see them often at the Lincoln Parish Park lake.

According to George Lowery’s “Louisiana Birds,” the most remarkable feature of these birds is their ability to submerge instantaneously, thus their French name of sac-a-plomb, which means “sack of lead.” Lowery also noted that it is virtually impossible to shoot a grebe because “at the flash from the muzzle, the bird submerges and is gone before the pellets arrive.” With all due respect, George, I beg to differ. Read on…

My first encounter with a grebe was down on Chee Chee Bay in Natchitoches Parish. I was in my early teens when I went to spend the night with a friend from school with the idea of going duck hunting the next morning. My friend, Arthur, lived near the lake, which made it convenient for us to be at the lakeside at first light, hoping to get some pass-shooting at a duck or two.

Arthur went one way; I went another as I waited in the cold dampness for a crack at a duck. While hunkering down behind some button willows next to the shoreline, I waited for what seemed an hour without a single duck flying my way. Then I spotted something moving on the water just up the lake from where I was. In my mind’s eye, it was a duck.

I formulated a plan to outsmart that duck and at least have something to show for my efforts that morning. By using the row of button willows as a shield, I belly-crawled through the cold mud for 100 yards until I had sneaked within shotgun range of the little brown “duck.”

When I’d gotten close enough, I eased to one knee, raised my gun, took aim, and fired. The “duck” rolled over, dead as a…..well, you know. Then I encountered a problem. The wind was blowing out and my prize was floating away toward the big lake.

Luck was on my side, though, because I spotted an old wooden boat somebody had beached just up from where I was. There was no paddle in the boat but I found a plank nearby that would serve as my paddle.

The boat was made of wood, it was big and very heavy. It took all the strength I could muster but I finally pushed and pulled; grunted and strained until I had the boat in the water. As you might expect, a boat such as this would never have been abandoned if it were still sea-worthy. It leaked; not too bad but enough that I figured I had to paddle fast to reach my duck and then get back to shore before it sank.

Flailing the water with the one-by-six plank, I was finally able to catch up with my “duck”. It was not until I had lifted it from the water that I realized my mistake. It was no duck; it was a di-dipper. I had little time to browbeat myself because the boat was sinking. I had to fight the wind and paddle with all my might to get the boat back to shore. I just barely made it before the creaky old craft filled with water. I left it in the shallows and walked ashore, wet and muddy, with my di-dipper.

For the uninformed, the pied-billed grebe is described as a “ducklike water bird closely related to LOONS.” After this hunt, I felt I may have been that grebe’s cousin.

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

June 11

Weapons

D’antay Henderson, 23, Alexandria — firearm with drugs, possession, cruelty of infirm, low-speed scooter exceptions, $8,500 bail;

X’Zavion Johnson, 18, Alexandria — murder 2nd degree, illegal possession handgun by juvenile, firearm on school property, criminal damage, battery, $522,000 bail;

Quantrevious King, 25, Alexandria — firearm with drugs, possession 2 counts, paraphernalia, improper display license plate, $20,600;

Other

William Cook, 57, Alexandria — criminal conspiracy, theft subsequent conviction, $6,000 bail;

Leslie Dauzat Jr., 40, Alexandria — burglary, paraphernalia, tail lamps required, $25,600 bail;

Marcus Huff, 32, Deville — unauthorized entry inhabited dwelling, violation protective order, $2,000;

James Knapp, 47, Alexandria — sex offender failure to renew registration, $1,000 bail;

Denise Marks, 38, Cheneyville — domestic abuse battery serious injury, $3,500 bail;

Tina Meshell, 52, Pineville — criminal conspiracy, theft, resisting, parole violation, $500 bail;

William Vanmol, 63, no address given — felony flight, identity theft, worthless checks, contempt 2 counts, extradition proceedings, $55,000 bail.

This date: 22 arrests, 8 including one or more contempt counts.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions 

June 11

Brandon Andrews, 41, Deville — possession, contempt 4 counts, $11,000 bail;

William Hellman, 46, Colfax — possession 3 counts, paraphernalia, contributing to delinquency, $5,500 bail;

Anthony Lewis, 31, Alexandria — possession, burglary inhabited dwelling, contempt 3 counts, $7,000 bail;

Mary McQuarn, 47, Pineville — possession 2 counts, $2,000;

Lacey Stephens, 48, Alexandria — possession 3 counts, paraphernalia, contributing to delinquency, $5,500 bail. 

By JIM BUTLER

Kenneth Fields Jr., accused years ago of shooting and trying to rob a drug customer, is back in the clink.

Fields, 34, of Pineville was booked Monday morning on charges stemming from last October.

Those include possession with intent to distribute with a child under 12 present, felony flight, obstruction, child desertion, cruelty to a juvenile and probation violation. He posted bond ($18,600) a few hours later.

Back in 2015 Fields was charged with attempting to murder a drug customer in a setup on La. 1 near Echo.

The patron showed up for the deal and Fields allegedly produced a gun instead of drugs. In the ensuing scuffle one bullet hit the customer’s leg, he wrested control of Fields’ car and fled.

Fields told a different story to officers responding to reports of gunfire, saying he had been waylaid and his vehicle boosted. The ensuing investigation resulted in the charges against Fields.

Record of the judicial outcome is not readily available, but Fields next appears in online arrest records as an alleged probation violator in September 2019.

He was arrested in February 2021, charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, having a firearm with drugs, possession and traffic offenses.

A month later he was booked with alleged possession with intent to distribute and traffic charges.

In March 2022 he was again charged with alleged firearm possession and a speeding offense.

By JIM SMILIE

Louisiana House of Representatives Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Johnson said he is tired of Louisiana being ranked among the worst states.

“There’s no reason to sugar coat it,” Johnson told members of the Rotary Club of Alexandria Tuesday during their lunch meeting at Alexandria Convention Hall. “In my 65 years of living, we’ve been 50th in so many things,” he said, citing education, highways, economic development and other categories. “We have a unique opportunity to change our state. It’s time we’re not an outlier.”

Johnson, the State Representative for District 27 since 2019, said the state Legislature, which met for the past six months with two special sessions as well as the regular session, took a number of steps he believes will put the state on a path to improvement. “I think we accomplished a lot, but we just scratched the surface,” he said.

One of the main things Johnson focused on was the creation of the Central Louisiana Delegation Caucus, which brings together representatives of Central Louisiana in the House and the Senate to work together for the benefit of the region.

Johnson said the caucus has 13 members and that many are now in key leadership positions. He specifically mentioned members in leadership roles in committees for insurance, health and welfare, finance, judiciary, labor and appropriations. “Having members in leadership positions in finance and appropriations is critical,” Johnson said. “We do a lot of lawmaking, but it comes down to if you can get the funding.”

Many of the bills the Legislature passed involved making changes to bring Louisiana more in line with what other states are doing. That was especially true in the case of insurance matters. “We passed 38 bills addressing insurance,” Johnson said. “We looked at the things that were different and looked at what other states do that have lower insurance and we tried to get more like them.’

Crime was another area that was addressed and was the sole focus of a special session held ahead of the regular session. Johnson said New Orleans, which has been listed as one of the most dangerous cities not just in the United States, but in the world, was specifically addressed with Governor Jeff Landry planning a police troop specific to the Cresent City.

Johnson said many of the crime-related bills were designed to ensure that criminals get appropriate jail time and that they do their sentence. “For too long, the rights of the criminals have been put ahead of the right of citizens,” Johnson said.

Legislation was also approved to treat 17-year-old offenders as adults, a move Johnson said he supports. “17-year-olds aren’t like they were when I was young,” he said. “Now, if you do an adult crime, you will get an adult punishment.”

Johnson said the parole system was also addressed. “If you are on parole you will need to keep your nose clean. We don’t want repeat offenders doing repeat crimes,” he said.

Other areas Johnson highlighted included education and economic development. A bill signed this week by Gov. Landry reorganizes the Louisiana Office of Economic Development (LED) and creates an advisory committee of public citizens and business people to offer their input. In education, Johnson noted the creation of Education Savings Accounts (ESA). “I believe that if you pay tax dollars you should have a say in where your kids go to school,” he said.

Johnson quickly listed a number of areas that received funding in the hopes of making needed improvements, including $1.3 billion to the Department of Transportation and Development for roads and bridges, $1.2 million to help cover the cost of incarcerating teen offenders, $17.5 million to attract teachers to fill hard-to-fill positions, $94.3 million for deferred maintenance on state higher education facilities, $41.7 million for faculty incentives and improvements and $4 million for a summer feeding program.

“It sounds like we’re spending money like a drunken sailor, but we’re not,” Johnson said. “We’re making cuts too. And we’ll need to cut more next year as we expect a revenue shortfall.”

Citing the anticipated revenue decline, Johnson said that’s one reason the state needs to hold a Constitutional Convention. The House approved a convention proposal, but ultimately no convention has been set as of now. Johnson noted that under the current state constitution, budget cuts are limited to narrow areas, primary education and healthcare.

Johnson said he is optimistic positive changes are coming based on his interactions with Gov. Landry. “I work with the Governor on a daily basis,” Johnson said. “He is one of the most high-energy, passionate, driven people I’ve met,” he said, adding it’s not uncommon for the Governor to call as early as 5:30 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m.

“We’ve begun the task of making a new Louisiana,” Johnson said. “One that’s not 50th and one that our kids won’t want to move away. I have no inclination at my age to be last anymore. We can’t continue to accept mediocrity.”

The biggest, most star-studded and fun-filled party of every summer for miles around is coming your way next weekend.

 Three days of festivities are right around the corner, Thursday June 20 through Saturday June 22, with the 2024 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration in Natchitoches.

 The LSHOF’s Class of 2024 will be enshrined next Saturday night at the Natchitoches Events Center to culminate the 65^th Induction Celebration.

 The Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday, June 20, with the Welcome Reception from 5-7 p.m., free to the public at the Hall of Fame museum.

 The Friday, June 21 schedule begins with the Celebrity Bowling Bash presented by BOM at Four Seasons Bowling Center in Alexandria. The 2024 Rockin’ River Fest, a free concert presented by Rapides Regional Medical Center on the downtown riverbank stage, begins at 6 p.m. and runs until 10:30. In conjunction with the Rockin’ River Fest is the VIP Taste of Tailgating party.

The slate on Saturday, June 22 kicks off with the free LSHOF Junior Training Camp led by community relations personnel from the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, on the NSU campus at the Webb Wellness and Recreation Center and Turpin Stadium. This event has been filled to capacity since last month.

 At noon Saturday, the Round Table Luncheon presented by the Tiger Athletic Foundation is set for Riverside Reserve on Mill Street.

 Festivities culminate Saturday evening with the Induction Reception at the LSHOF museum beginning at 5, followed at 7 by the Induction Ceremony at the Natchitoches Events Center. Northwestern State University and State Farm Agents of Louisiana are presenting sponsors Saturday evening.

 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. Those events are nearing sellouts.

 The Thursday reception, the Friday evening River Fest and the Junior Training Camp are free.

 The Class of 2024 is headlined by a star-studded group of eight inductees from the LSHOF “competitors ballot,” led by national sports celebrities Seimone Augustus, Drew Brees and Daniel Cormier.

 Along with Brees, the New Orleans Saints’ NFL record-setting passer, is Augustus, a Baton Rouge native who is one of women’s basketball’s all-time best, and Cormier, the Lafayette born-and-raised Olympic wrestler who became and remains one of the most prominent figures in MMA.

 This year’s class also includes 1992 Olympic wrestling gold medalist Kevin Jackson from LSU along with former basketball coach Tulane Perry Clark and McNeese football great Kerry Joseph, who had a 19-year pro career.

 More inductees are high school football coach Frank Monica, who won state titles at three different south Louisiana schools, and Ray Sibille, a Breeders’ Cup-winning thoroughbred jockey from Sunset who ranks among the nation’s elite riders.

 Grambling’s Wilbert Ellis becomes the second-ever recipient of the Louisiana Sports Ambassador Award. During his 43-year baseball coaching career and since, Ellis has made local, statewide and national impact not only in the competitive arena but also in community service and leadership.

 Winners of the LSWA’s Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism are widely-respected south Louisiana sportswriters Bobby Ardoin and Ron Higgins. Longtime Southland Conference commissioner Tom Burnett, a Louisiana Tech graduate, will receive the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award.

 The 2024 Induction Celebration will be hosted by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame. The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 c 3 non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors. 

 For information on sponsorship opportunities and other participation, contact Foundation President/CEO Ronnie Rantz at 225-802-6040 or RonnieRantz@LaSportsHall.com, or Greg Burke, Director of Business Development and Public Relations, at 318-663-5459 or GregBurke@LaSportsHall.com via email.  

By JIM BUTLER

The School Board seems willing to go all in to pay for track and field improvements at ASH. The problem is after all is said and done, another $52,836 is needed.

The project is the last athletics-related ASH project under the District 62 bond issue, overlooked in initial planning but later added.

Completed are upgrades to the football, baseball and softball fields and the field house.

The track project and a classroom addition are all that remain of the ASH portion of the bond spending plan.

Bids are scheduled to be received June 18 on the classroom wing. About $2.3 million is earmarked for that 15,000 square feet add-on.

The board discussed the issue at length at its June session, eventually voting to wait for those bids before addressing the track resolution.

Members expressed reservations about jeopardizing the classroom financing in order to award the track contract, at the same time wanting to honor the covenant with voters on the bond project listing.

Of the $100 million raised, ASH got $14 million for construction after all fees., etc. were deducted.

Contingency accounts established with each category have been exhausted by specification revisions, pricing changes, etc.

If the classroom bid leaves enough for the track award, problem solved.

If not there is another possible option, though it wasn’t mentioned.

A committee of the superintendent and three District 62 members (Dr. Stephen Chapman, Wally Fall and Sandra Franklin) is to report in July its recommendation for how to revise the district maintenance fund spending plan as well as how to allocate the $2.3 million bond premium banked in late April.

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – Jay Johnson’s 43-minute Tuesday afternoon press conference – probably the longest since his introductory presser when he was hired as LSU’s head baseball coach in June 2021 – became an unofficial State of his Tigers address.

He made it clear he’s not interested in the Texas head coaching vacancy despite rumors he’s at the top of the Longhorns’ wish list.

“I have not been contacted,” said Johnson, who has more wins (137) than any LSU head baseball coach in history in their first three seasons after the defending national champion Tigers rallied for a 43-23 finish, almost advancing to a Super Regional they would have hosted. “Contractually if I was to be contacted, (LSU athletic director) Scott Woodward would be the first person that knows because that’s what it says in my contract.

“And I’m very, very thankful to be here . . . I think I’m built for this job incredibly well because you’re just going to face a lot of bullets coming at you. There was nobody better positioned to help us get through what we did (winning the last 21 of 28 games despite a 3-12 start in SEC play) than me, and that’s exactly what happened. I’m not saying it’s because of me, but I feel like I’m very well positioned to help LSU and players that commit and stay at LSU to be really successful.”

Johnson also said he’s changing his recruiting philosophy because of mass roster defections caused by the NCAA’s transfer portal and LSU’s proclivity for producing many major league draft choices.

After LSU had 13 players drafted last season (players are first eligible to be drafted as high school seniors and then as third-year college players), Johnson figures anywhere from five to 11 Tigers could be taken in the upcoming draft in July. So far, nine LSU players on the 2024 roster including a junior, three freshmen, two freshmen redshirts, and three sophomores have entered the transfer portal.

“I want the guy that (five-time national championship LSU head coach) Skip Bertman was able to redshirt and then get in there in some type of role and then elevate that role,” Johnson said. “And then become, a player that everybody around here remembers.

“My specialty is developing a program, that’s like my wheelhouse. But we’re in a different landscape now. I don’t think it’s about building a program anymore. It’s now about building your team one year at a time. We have to adapt and adjust to overcome that.

“I have a blueprint in my head (of the 2025 roster/playing rotation) of probably 12 or 13 position players that are really going to contribute, 9 to 11 pitchers and the rest of the roster needs to be able to do something really well and be completely bought into what we’re doing at LSU.”

Since arriving back in Baton Rouge last Tuesday after a heartbreaking 4-3 10-inning season-ending loss to host North Carolina in the Chapel Hill Regional championship game, Johnson dived headfirst into roster management.

His exit interviews with his players started to determine which underclassmen wanted to return to LSU or enter the transfer portal. He told players eligible for the major league draft that they were welcome to return to LSU if they weren’t drafted or were unhappy with their draft position after being selected.

Reliever Griffin Herring and first baseman Jared Jones are draft-eligible Tigers with remaining eligibility at the top of Johnson’s wish list to return.

“I know their value to LSU baseball and value they could create (by returning to LSU) for themselves next year is really high and they have a platform here to do that,” Johnson said. “If they were to return for a third year, they could leave here as one of the best pitchers and one of the best hitters ever to play here.”

Johnson sees the four Tigers who combined for 130 starts as true freshmen this past season – second baseman Stephen Milam (60 starts), outfielders Ashton Larson (40) and Jake Brown (21) and pitcher Cade Anderson (9) – as the 2025 squad’s building block as well as redshirt pitchers Chase Shores (sophomore) and Jason Noot (freshman) returning from Tommy John arm surgery.

Johnson can’t predict how many signees in his No. 2 nationally freshman signing class he’ll lose to MLB after the draft.

But he has signed five junior college players, led by junior college Division 1 national champion Blinn (Texas) College infielder Tanner Reaves. He hit .563 with 13 RBI and 14 runs scored in the NJCAA Division 1 College World Series.

Johnson understands day-to-day roster management is a fluid situation.

“You’ve got to be uncomfortable with uncertainty,” Johnson said. “Three days last week, a player would look me in the eye, say they were returning, and then call me and said they’re not returning.

“I’ve got to be OK with that.”

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

Arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

June 10

Weapons

Gerald Helaire Jr., 25, Alexandria — aggravated assault with firearm, handling machine gun unlawful, $10,000 bail;

Other

Dereon Gordon, 17, Alexandria — felony flight, resisting, theft of motor vehicle, $15,500 bail;

Karl Johnson, 29, Alexandria — unauthorized entry inhabited dwelling, resisting, $500 bail;

Gerald Luke, 28, Alexandria — unauthorized entry inhabited dwelling, resisting, probation violation, $2,000 bail. 

This date: 15 arrests, 4 including one or more contempt counts. 

Arrests are accusations, not convictions. 

June 10

David Drerup, 65, Boyce — possession, resisting, suspension/revocation, no license plate light, $2,200 bail;

Kenneth Fields Jr., 34, Pineville — possession with intent, possession with intent child present under 12, felony flight, obstruction, intentional littering, child desertion, cruelty to juvenile, no child resisted, probation violation, $18,600;

Austin Hedges, 31, Oakdale — possession 2 counts, brake lamp required, $4,100 bail.