By JIM BUTLER

The City of Alexandria plans to shift housing grant funds from new construction assistance to existing structures rehabilitation.

Moving the money reflects a greater demand/need for overhauling owner-occupied structures than for new construction.

A hearing on the proposal will be held November 19 at 3 p.m. at the city’s Community Development office, 625 Murray St., third floor.

Involved is moving $25,000 from HOME new construction assistance to minor rehabilitation and $1.63 million from new construction to major rehab.

Funding comes under federal affordable housing programs.

Community Development officials have also scheduled a November 5 hearing for discussing needs in five target neighborhoods.

The hearing is part of the process for proposed use of 2026-27 HUD grant funds ($730,000) for various activities and benefits for low- and moderate-income residents.

A survey questionnaire regarding the topic is available at the Murray Street office or on the city’s website coa.com/communitydevelopment The target neighborhoods are North Alexandria, Central Business, Lower 3rd, South Alexandria and Samtown/Woodside.

Home Investment Partnerships funding involved totals $245,000; Community Development Block Grant money totals $485,000.

Proposed use includes code enforcement, demolition, housing counseling, homebuyer assistance, and new construction owner-occupied.

The HOME program, initiated by Congress in the early 1990s, promotes ownership, rehabilitation, rental repairs and rental assistance.

By JIM BUTLER

The state is soliciting bids for construction of LSU Alexandria’s downtown health services center.

Nursing and all other health-related programs offered by the university will eventually move to the center at Jackson & 9th Streets.

The Office of Facility Planning & Control in Baton Rouge will receive bids through December 10.

Project architects are Ashe Broussard Weinzette of Alexandria.

Funding for the multi-million, 70,000 square feet project is a combination of state appropriations and local donor pledges.

Another LSUA project is being bid in November.

The Facility Planning unit will accept offers through the 20th for masonry repairs to Mulder Hall on the campus south of Alexandria.

NATCHITOCHES – Patience is a virtue — and one the Northwestern State football team is learning to master through experience.

As perhaps the youngest team in America, the Demons have faced one of the toughest schedules in the country, testing a roster filled with underclassmen against championship-caliber opponents week after week. The results haven’t always shown up on the scoreboard, but the progress has, in flashes of big-play potential, in resilience, and in the growing confidence of a team building toward its future.

“We are one of the youngest teams in America, so for us young guys we have to step up,” redshirt freshman Braden Woods said. “I see that trend a lot in the locker room for the younger guys having to step up and compete with the older teams that we’re playing. It’s a great thing to see.”

That youth movement is no small thing — 23 players classified as true or redshirt freshmen have seen game action this season. For head coach Blaine McCorkle, now in his second season leading the rebuilding program, it’s a sign that the foundation for long-term success is being laid one rep, one lesson and one game at a time.

For Woods, a Natchitoches native, the journey has been a fast-moving one. He recorded his first career tackle, an eight-yard sack, in unforgettable fashion – against Minnesota, a Power Four opponent, earlier this season. Since then, his role has steadily expanded, especially in recent weeks as injuries and defensive scheme adjustments have created new opportunities. Woods has seized them, becoming a player defensive coordinator Matt Conner increasingly leans on.

He rewarded that trust with a career-high seven tackles and a sack in last week’s game against No. 15 Lamar, underscoring the kind of work ethic that his classmates possess and continue to display since day one.

“If I had one word to describe my class, it’s that we grind,” Woods said. “We know we’re not as big, strong or fast, so we just have to grind to get better week in and week out.”

That grind has come against a gauntlet of opponents — including two Power Four programs and two straight Top 20 FCS teams, one of the toughest schedules in the country this year and in program history — but the effort is starting to bear fruit. In that Lamar matchup, true freshman receivers Brendan Webb and Alexandria Senior High’s Jimmie Duncan combined for 199 receiving yards on six catches, both hauling in passes of more than 50 yards. Those breakout plays offered a glimpse of the future — explosive, confident and ready to rise.

“This week in particular Coach McCorkle talked a lot about ‘the turning point,’” Woods said. “We knew we’ve been playing ranked teams. We played two really good P4 teams. So we’ve been grinding and getting better each week and we’re just waiting for that turning point. It could come tomorrow or next year, we don’t know, but I think it’s coming soon and this program is on the uprise.”

Signs of that turning point emerge every week, not just in numbers, but in moments that reveal the team’s heart. 

When senior center Caleb Billiot helped spin freshman quarterback Abram Johnston, the only freshman starting quarterback in the Southland Conference, into the end zone against Lamar to cap an eight-play scoring drive, it became more than a highlight. It was a snapshot of what McCorkle’s program is all about: veterans leading, young players learning and everyone pushing together.

“That’s the kind of grit our coaches like,” redshirt freshman offensive lineman Ralee Jackson said. “The relentless effort. Just trying to get everything you can. That’s exactly what Caleb showed. The coaches call him a ‘foxhole guy,’ somebody you can rely on and has your back. Him doing that type of thing shows how everybody should be playing at all times.”

Moments like that have also helped tighten the bond of a roster that’s growing up together.

“My freshman class got here and we got close fast,” Jackson said. “We were having game nights the first week we were here. All of us just gelling together. And the majority of the team being young I think makes us closer.”

That chemistry has carried onto the field, where underclassmen are not only gaining experience but contributing in meaningful ways. Jackson is one of three starting offensive lineman classified as a sophomore or younger, alongside Logan Brady (redshirt freshman) and Garrett Morphis (sophomore). 

They were three of the six redshirt freshman starters in NSU’s most recent game against Lamar.

“A lot of us are playing right now,” Jackson said. “We had six redshirt freshmen touch the ball last game. We had redshirt freshmen making tackles, making plays — whatever the case may be. That shows the guys that aren’t on the field yet that if we all work together and stay here for four or five years, we can totally flip this program. Coach McCorkle talks about that all the time. He makes sure that we know we’re really close and we need to stick to the process and stay consistent and we’ll get there.”

That process, and the patience it demands, has been McCorkle’s consistent message since his arrival.

“There’s a verse in Galatians we talk about as a team all the time.  Galatians 6:9 says: ‘Don’t grow weary in doing good, for in time you will reap a harvest if you don’t give up,’” McCorkle said. “Sowing and reaping don’t happen in the same season. You sow your seeds. You work, water and plant, and when the time comes, you harvest. It’d be nice to do it all in the same season, but it doesn’t always work that way. We’re doing a lot of sowing right now, but we know good days are ahead. Every day we are one day closer to turning the corner — and that’s exciting and gives us hope.”

Through the grind, the growing pains and the glimpses of promise like Webb and Duncan’s breakouts and Woods’ rising impact, that hope feels more tangible than ever.

“We can have a very narrow eyesight at times,” Jackson said. “So when things like that happen, it kind of opens things up. I think it takes away some doubts that people might have in the team or the players and shows them that we can do it — we just have to execute.”

The future of Demon football continues to be written every single week, on the field, in practice, in the classroom and in the hearts and minds of a connected group of players all striving for the same goal. 

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

Oct. 29

Richard S. Crooks, 64, Alexandria – create distribute or possess counterfeit CDS with intent, no bail data;

Weston Shaine Ray, 40, Pineville – contempt of court, $1,000 bail;

Rousline D. Washington, 58, Alexandria – OWI first offense, $1,000 bail;

Jeremy Daniel Whittington, 36, Cottonport – three counts contempt of court, $3,000 bail;

Jamarrel Martez Williams, 42, Alexandria – two counts producing manufacturing distributing with intent CDS, two counts create distribute possess with intent counterfeit CDS, parole violations, no bail data.

Oct. 28

Mark David Bowers, 60, Pineville – exploitation of the infirmed, $1,000 bail;

Dakota Keith Brister, 31, Colfax – four counts contempt of court, $50,000 bail;

Daniel Antonio Claiborne, 32, Boyce – two counts contempt of court, $28,000 bail;

Kendrell Jaquan Hymes, 24, Alexandria – five counts contempt of court, two counts failure to appear, $127,500 bail;

Aaron Wayne King, 37, Calcasieu – Louisiana fugitive, no bail data.

Oct. 27

Brandon Lasalle Allen, 39, Alexandria – two counts possession of stolen property, parole violations, $2,000 bail;

Tristian Lane Blankenship, 25, Pineville – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, $3,500 bail;

Jeffrey Bobb, 41, Boyce – contempt of court, $50,000 bail;

Lance Cole, 38, West Monroe – two counts contempt of court, $50,000 bail;

James Charles Davis Jr, 50, Alexandria – two counts aggravated battery, possession of CDS, three counts producing manufacturing, distributing marijuana, resisting an officer, probation violation, $27,000 bail;

James Micheal Easter, 34, Boyce – possession of CDS, flight from an officer, speeding, running a stop sign, $7,700 bail;

Ethan Ebey, 35, Alexandria – identity theft of 65 years or older or disabled person, theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, three counts contempt of court, $68,000 bail;

Archie Cole Free Jr., 50, Plainview – hit and run driving, careless operation of a vehicle, $600 bail;

Douglas Wayne Gilbert, 49, Boyce – no MVI sticker, driving under suspension, possession of CDS, $2,700 bail;

Cody Wayne Hicks, 37, Dry Prong – four counts contempt of court, $75,000 bail;

Ariel Elizabeth Keller, 30, Forest Hill – theft, possession of CDS, resisting an officer, $1,000 bail;

Lacey Danae Meaux, 42, Pineville – possession of fentanyl, paraphernalia, obstruction of justice, switched license plate, no insurance, $1,100 bail;

Dereck Darnell Taylor Sr., 54, Alexandria – contempt of court, $100,000 bail;

Kaely Nachelle Toney, 26, Alexandria – burglary of an inhabited dwelling, no bail data;

Morgan Wesley Walters, 30, Calcasieu – OWI third offense, child desertion, obstruction of justice, altering or removal of VIN numbers, intentional littering, reckless operation of a vehicle, operating a vehicle while under suspension for certain prior offenses, off road vehicle on public road, $33,100 bail;

Trenton Jamal Williams, 35, Pineville – possession of paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, obstruction of justice, $1,000 bail;

Anthony T. Wilson, 39, Alexandria – possession of CDS, contempt of court, $2,500 bail.

Oct. 26

Jonathan Arnold, 30, Alexandria – possession of a firearm by convicted felon, unattended vehicle, $12,600 bail;

Hollie Ann Brooks, 31, Pineville – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, disturbing the peace, possession of marijuana, $4,000 bail;

Willie Byrd Jr., 58, Alexandria – illegal possession of a stolen firearm, illegal possession of stolen things, contempt of court, $2,500 bail;

Samantha Edwards, 35, Alexandria – criminal trespass, possession of CDS, paraphernalia, $3,500 bail;

Jonathan Charles Harris, 40, Alexandria – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, criminal trespass, $3,500 bail;

Cheves Whitehead Sr., 47, Houston – sex offender failure to renew registration, contempt of court, contempt of non-support, $8,000 bail.

October 29, 1929—Black Tuesday—marked the collapse of the U.S. stock market and the beginning of the Great Depression. In a single day, billions of dollars evaporated, and a wave of panic swept the nation. But beyond the financial fallout, the event carried an eerie weight, as if Wall Street itself had been cursed.

In the days leading up to the crash, brokers and bankers worked in a frenzy, trying to keep the market afloat. When prices finally plummeted, chaos erupted. Eyewitnesses described men fainting, tearing up ledgers, and screaming in despair. Some investors, ruined in minutes, walked out of buildings and never returned home.

Newspapers at the time fueled the legend of desperate brokers leaping from skyscraper windows. While the number of suicides that day was exaggerated, there were enough tragedies in the weeks that followed to cement the image of Wall Street as a haunted district.

The “ghosts of Black Tuesday” lingered long after the crash. Families who lost everything often told stories of hearing phantom voices in their former offices or seeing apparitions of men in suits wandering near the Stock Exchange. Whether real hauntings or the product of grief, these tales captured the sense of loss that haunted a generation.

The Great Depression reshaped America. Breadlines, dust storms, and shuttered banks became the grim reality of the 1930s. Even today, economists and historians study October 29 as a turning point when prosperity gave way to hardship.

In New York, legends persist that certain offices on Wall Street are cursed. Night guards whisper of cold drafts, shadowy figures, and footsteps echoing through empty hallways long after business hours. For some, Black Tuesday isn’t just history—it’s a haunting.

Nearly a century later, October 29 remains a reminder of how quickly fortune can vanish, leaving behind only ghosts of ambition and despair.

Walk through any hospital in Louisiana and there’s a good chance you’ll meet a nurse, technologist, or healthcare leader who began their journey at Northwestern State University. From Natchitoches to Shreveport, Alexandria, and Leesville, NSU has become one of the state’s most respected names in healthcare education.

Healthcare is changing quickly, and so are the demands on those who deliver it. Hospitals need more trained professionals. Patients need more access to care. Families need people who can lead with skill and compassion. For many in Louisiana, that career path begins at NSU’s College of Nursing and School of Allied Health.

“Our students come from every corner of Louisiana and every stage of life,” said Dr. Aimee Badeaux, Dean of the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health. “Some are high school graduates looking for their first step. Others are licensed professionals seeking to grow in their careers. What unites them is a commitment to helping others, and that’s something we know how to develop.”

NSU offers one of the most comprehensive selections of healthcare programs in the region. Students can choose from associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees across nursing, radiologic sciences, and allied health.

Among the most popular options:

• Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) and LPN to ASN
• Military Medic/Paramedic to ASN — the only program of its kind in Louisiana, offered in Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Alexandria, and Leesville
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), RN to BSN, LPN to BSN, and Accelerated BSN (BS to BSN)
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with concentrations in Administration, Education, and multiple Nurse Practitioner tracks
• Doctoral-level Nurse Anesthesia, Executive Leadership, and Educational Leadership programs
• Bachelor and Master of Science in Radiologic Sciences — including the first Sonography program in North Louisiana
• Bachelor of Applied Science in Allied Health, with concentrations in Health Science & Technology and Health Sciences Leadership & Management

For working registered nurses, the RN to BSN program remains a top choice. The online format offers flexibility and affordability while maintaining a strong academic foundation.

“Many of our RN-BSN students are balancing full-time jobs and family commitments,” explained Dr. Greg Handel, Executive Vice President and Provost. “We built the program to meet them where they are. It’s affordable, accredited, and recognized nationally for quality.”

Students in NSU’s healthcare programs train in high-fidelity simulation laboratories that recreate real-world clinical settings. From emergency response to pediatric care, these labs allow students to practice critical skills in a safe environment before moving into hospitals and clinics.

Those partnerships with regional healthcare providers are another reason NSU graduates are in such high demand. Students complete clinical rotations with major hospitals, community clinics, and long-term care facilities throughout Louisiana, gaining the experience and confidence that employers look for.

“The hands-on training our students receive makes a real difference,” said Dr. Badeaux. “They graduate with practical skills and a sense of responsibility to their patients and communities.”

That preparation shows in the outcomes. NSU boasts NCLEX pass rates of 98% for ASN graduates and 96% for BSN graduates, consistently exceeding state and national averages.

The university has also earned top national recognition, including:

• #1 in Louisiana among Top Public Schools – U.S. News & World Report, 2026
• #1 Best Online Nursing Program – The Princeton Review, 2024
• #1 Best Nurse Practitioner and MSN Programs – NursePractitionerOnline.com and RegisteredNursing.org, 2025

In the past five years alone, Northwestern State has produced more registered nurses, nurse practitioners, and radiologic technologists than any other institution in the state.

Behind every successful graduate is a team of faculty who are both experienced clinicians and committed educators. With an average class size of 17, students receive the kind of personal attention that larger universities often can’t provide.

“Students succeed here because they’re known here,” said James T. Genovese, President of Northwestern State University. “We take pride in offering an environment where each student’s goals are understood, supported, and celebrated.”

As Louisiana’s population grows and healthcare needs become more complex, NSU continues to adapt. The university is expanding key programs to new sites, building stronger partnerships with hospitals, and investing in technology that enhances training and patient simulation.

Dr. Badeaux summarized it simply: “Every day, we’re educating the professionals who will care for our families tomorrow. That’s work we take seriously.”

For students and families exploring healthcare careers, Northwestern State University offers a trusted path — from the first day of class to the first day on the job. To learn more or connect with an advisor, visit www.nsula.edu/nursing.

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Acclaimed author Ann Bausum of Wisconsin visited this deep South city last week and spoke at a couple of events about her newest book, “White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War Then Rewrote the History.”

That’s like a guy from Massachusetts coming south to Baton Rouge to coach LSU football and telling white lies about how the team would win the national championship and then shaking down the university after being fired for a payout more than $50 million.

Well, maybe it’s not exactly like that, but it was courageous of her to come into “hostile” territory for such a talk, and it was bold of retired attorney Michael Tudor, her second cousin once removed, to invite her.

I listened to her talk at last week’s Alexandria Rotary Club luncheon, and she showed a bit of the Southern charm she experienced while growing up in Lexington, Va., as the daughter of a history professor at Virginia Military Institute.

To illustrate the premise of her book, she quoted from elementary and junior high school books in Virginia in 1957 that talked about how the planters “did not know how to free their slaves and keep their plantations open,” as if there were no other alternatives as to how they could do so.

She also quoted from a seventh-grade history textbook that claimed there were “strong ties” between slaves and masters that made their mutual lives “happy and prosperous.”

A preposterous notion.

But I do have a bone to pick with Bausum about such things as statues — and presumably honorariums – relating to the Confederacy having no place in the public square. She said statues honoring the Confederacy, in general, or its soldiers and leaders, are “coded messages” reinforcing the old Jim Crow segregationist laws and saying the Civil War is not over.

One of my favorite history professors at LSU, where I majored in history, was William Cooper, who taught there for nearly five decades and specialized in the history of the American South and the Civil War era. He is considered a leading expert on the life of Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

He was interviewed on “60 Minutes” several years ago, when Confederate statues were being taken down or removed across the South, including General Robert E. Lee in New Orleans.

“One of the things that bothers me most as a historian,” he said, “is what I call ‘presentism,’ judging the past by the present, figuring that we are the only moral people.” He contended that those monuments were put up by real people who had real beliefs and even if today most Americans don’t like those beliefs the monuments remain a part of history and should stay.

I’ll take it a step further, considering how some family members have been victimized by the erasure of honors for anyone associated in any way with the Confederacy.

In December of 2020, a Board of Visitors at Virginia Commonwealth University unanimously approved a resolution to remove 16 names, plaques and other symbols related to the Confederacy. The Tompkins-McCaw Library at the Medical School was renamed and a more generic title chosen: the Health Sciences Library.

In 1950 the library got its name, inspired by five physicians from the Tompkins and McCaw families. Most notable among that crew were Captain Sally Louisa Tompkins, the first commissioned officer of the Confederacy, and Dr. James Brown McCaw, who was the wartime administrator for Richmond’s Chimborazo Hospital.

At an early age, Sally, my paternal grandfather’s great aunt, began nursing the sick, both slave and free, in the local community. She became a nurse and started managing the private Robertson Hospital in August 1861, shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run. By her being officially commissioned as a captain in the Confederate Army on September 9, 1861, President Davis could keep her hospital running as a military facility. 

Numerous ladies from the Saint James Episcopal Church helped run what became one of the South’s biggest wartime hospitals. During the war, Robertson Hospital treated 1,334 wounded with only 73 deaths, the lowest mortality rate of any military hospital during the Civil War. Her care and treatment of the patients earned her the nickname “Angel of the Confederacy.”

Mary Chestnut, an author and Civil War diarist and frequent visitor to the hospital, called Captain Sally “our Florence Nightingale.”

Sally refused payment for her service, writing on her commission that she accepted the commission when it was offered, but “I would not allow my name to be placed upon the (payroll) of the army.”

Is this the kind of villain whose name should be eradicated from legacy or is best left for a tombstone? Thankfully, her image in a stained-glass window at Richmond’s St. James Episcopal Church has not been removed. Such an honor is not rewriting history.

For that matter, Dr. McCaw, my third great-grandfather, is far from some hateful, demonic type whose memory should be eradicated. He was featured in a Nov. 22, 2011 retrospective in the New York Times for running the Chimborazo Hospital during the Civil War in Richmond, not far from Robertson Hospital. Dr. Samuel P. Moore, the Surgeon General of the Confederacy, appointed McCaw, one of the South’s leading young physicians then, to run the facility. Lois Leveen, who penned the NYT story, said McCaw “embodied the emergence of the modern, professional doctor.”

McCaw used his organizational skills in the way he laid out the hospital complex into five divisions, each with its own surgeon-in-chief. When the number of the wounded exceeded the capacity of the 90 wards, McCaw had 100 Sibley tents pitched nearby, accommodating up to 10 patients each.

About 75,000 patients passed through Chimborazo – which was not a field hospital but a convalescent hospital – during its  3 ½ years of existence.

People have always liked to honor those who transcend themselves, especially in the darkest of times, by elevating others. Their legacies should not be buried or exiled.

Alexandria Senior High scored one of the most impressive wins in the state this season last Friday, going to Ruston and toppling the Bearcats 45-28.

ASH was sixth-ranked in last week’s Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 5A poll. Ruston was No. 2.

The Trojans trailed 21-3 but rallied for a 24-21 halftime lead. Behind a powerful running attack that put up 257 yards, and a defense that held the Bearcats to 179 on the ground, ASH beat Ruston at its own game. The visitors scored the game’s final 11 points to pull away in the fourth quarter.

The outcome lifted the Trojans one spot, and dropped the Bearcats right behind their District 2-5A nemesis.

In Class 4A voting, Tioga stayed put in the “also receiving votes” category with a pivotal district championship game against Franklin Parish looming in Week 10.

Class 5A

School (1^st place votes), poll points, last week’s rank

1. Karr (11), 8-0, 132, 1

2. John Curtis, 7-0,112, 3

3. West Monroe, 7-1, 105, 4

4. St. Augustine, 6-1, 93, 5

5. Alexandria Senior High, 7-1, 90, 6

6. Ruston, 6-2, 80, 2

7. Catholic-Baton Rouge, 6-2, 68, 7

8. Evangel Christian, 7-1, 45, 8

9. Zachary, 6-1, 37, 9

10. Destrehan, 6-2, 25, 10

Others receiving votes: Central 17, Parkway 16, Archbishop Rummel 8, Neville 7, Terrebonne 3, Carencro 3, Thibodaux 2, Ouachita 1, Hahnville 1, St. Paul’s 1.

Class 4A

1. North DeSoto (9), 8-0, 127, 1

2. Teurlings Catholic (2), 8-0, 122, 2

3. St. Thomas More, 6-2, 108, 3

4. Plaquemine, 7-1, 86, 4

5. Iowa, 8-0, 80, 5

6. Franklin Parish, 6-2, 71, 6

7. St. Charles, 7-1, 66, 7

8. Archbishop Shaw, 6-2, 62, 8

9. Lakeshore, 7-1, 50, 9

10. Vandebilt Catholic, 8-0, 40,10

Others receiving votes: Franklinton 12, Loyola 9, Tioga 9, Belle Chasse 6, Westgate 5, E.D. White 2, Brusly 2, Cecilia 1.

Class 3A

1. Jewel Sumner (9), 8-0, 127, 1

2. Madison Prep (1), 7-1, 120, 2

3. St. James, 6-2, 102, 4

(tie) University (1), 6-2, 102, 5

5. Sterlington, 6-2, 89, 6

6. Jena, 7-1, 75, 8

7. Erath, 8-0, 68, 7

8. Bunkie, 7-1, 60, 3

9. Lake Charles Prep, 6-2, 37, 9

10. Marksville, 7-1, 28, 10

Others receiving votes: Church Point 18, Amite 17, Jennings 15, John F. Kennedy 10, De La Salle 1.

Class 2A

1. Ouachita Christian (7), 8-0, 124, 1

2. Lafayette Christian Academy (3), 7-1, 121, 2

3. Dunham (1), 7-1, 111, 3

4. Calvary Baptist, 7-1, 103, 4

5. South Plaquemines, 6-1, 78, 6

6. Notre Dame, 6-2, 77, 7

7. Lafayette Renaissance Charter, 7-1, 55, 9

8. Kinder, 8-0, 47, 10

9. Catholic-New Iberia, 6-2, 41, 5

10. Oak Grove,  6-2, 28, NR

Others receiving votes: Mangham 26, Newman 20, Loreauville 14, Northlake Christian 6, Ferriday 3, Union Parish 3.

Class A

1. Haynesville (11), 8-0, 132, 1

2. Hamilton Christian, 7-0, 112, 3

3. Riverside Academy, 7-1, 110, 4

4. Covenant Christian, 6-2, 90, 6

5. Westminster-Opelousas, 8-0, 81, 5

(tie) Jeanerette,  7-1, 81, 2

7. Ascension Episcopal, 7-0, 69, 8

8. Southern Lab, 4-4, 50, NR

9. Ascension Catholic,  6-2,  39, NR

10. St. Edmund, 7-1, 22, NR

Others receiving votes: North Iberville 18, Kentwood 18, Logansport 15, Sacred Heart-Ville Platte 10, Vermilion Catholic 6, Catholic-Pointe Coupee 4, Opelousas Catholic 1.

By JIM BUTLER

The Renaissance board is seeking proposals for shifting construction of its expansion from a traditional approach to one it thinks more suited to the project’s complexities.

About $38 million in grant funding is involved in the addition of beds to accommodate juvenile offenders, with multiple parishes as well as state agencies involved.

Ordinarily public construction goes through design, then competitive bids on basis of the design and specifications, then construction.

The Construction Management at Risk method involves the chosen contractor involved in the project from the design get-go.

It also sets a fixed maximum price and timeline.

The board has created a committee to review applications for the construction job. Members are Police Jury President Craig Smith, Sheriff Mark Wood or designate, DA Phillip Terrell or designate, architect representative Bill Aldridge and contractor representative Wayne Vollman.

While that process unfolds the board is tending to related issues:

• Asking the state Interim Emergency Board to shift $1 million previously appropriated for a new 16-bed addition to the overall expansion;
• Negotiating buyout of a farm lease in order to sublease property for the detention facility;
• Testing of subsoil to assure capability for hosting the facility.

The Louisiana Christian University football team took advantage of a couple Texas College miscues, enough to dodge an upset as the Wildcats rallied by the winless Steers for a 12-7 triumph in a Sooner Athletic Conference contest Friday night at Wildcat Field.

The game was moved up from Saturday due to weather concerns.

Louisiana Christian (6-3, 5-1 SAC) played from behind most of the way after Texas College (0-7, 0-6 SAC) took its second drive of the day and marched 72 yards in nine plays, finishing off with an eight-yard touchdown pass to go up 7-0.

The Steers seemed poised to enhance their lead, getting down to the LCU 15-yard line before their drive stalled, and a 31-yard field goal was blocked by Nate Sullivan and returned 69 yards for a Wildcats touchdown by Brandon Johnson II. The extra point was missed but LCU closed within 7-6. 
The one-point edge held up going to the fourth quarter before Wildcats got the break they needed. A bad punt snap by the Steers resulted in a short field for LCU, starting at the TC 23.
 
On the second play, Bryce Perkins and Omarius Davis connected on a 31-yard touchdown pass, giving the Wildcats a 12-7 advantage with 13:41 left. The ensuing two-point conversion attempt was stopped short.
 
The Wildcat defense made a vital stop on a fourth and two play at the LCU 20 for a turnover on downs. LCU had its chances to put the game away on offense, but a 50-yard field goal attempt was just wide and a fourth and two play failed at the Texas College 26.

A sack by Jermarian Jackson near midfield halted TC’s last gasp as time expired.
 
Jaterrius Johnson led the LCU offense, rushing for 130 yards on 22 carries.
 
Perkins finished the game 10 of 18 passing for 89 yards and a touchdown.
 
E.J. Scott had four catches to lead the team, getting 26 yards.
 
Davis led LCU in receiving yards with 48 on three receptions, including the go-ahead touchdown.
 
Trace McHugh paced the defense with eight total tackles, 1.5 for loss and had a hand in on a sack.
 
Along with the blocked the field goal attempt, Sullivan had an interception which he returned 40 yards.
 
The Wildcats have a bye week before wrapping up their three-game homestand on Sat., Nov. 8 when Arkansas Baptist comes to Pineville for LCU’s final home game of the 2025 season, which will also be Senior Day.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions

Oct. 26

Samantha Edwards, 35, Alexandria – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, criminal trespass, $3,500 bail;

Jonathan Charles Harris, 40, Alexandria – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, criminal trespass, $3,500 bail.

Oct. 25

Kyle Wayne Benton, 33, Alexandria – simple assault, two counts contempt of court, $50,500 bail;

Carolyn Desselles, 73, Pineville – three counts contempt of court, $75,000 bail;

Tripp Eckstein, 18, Pineville – OWI, open container, improper lane usage, $1,200 bail;

Brandon Markee Landers, 37, Alexandria – aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts contempt of court, $10,000 bail;

Chad Jules Gagnard, 48, Pineville – two counts contempt of court, $100,000 bail;

Adam West Hughes, 53, Dry Prong – domestic abuse battery serious injury, no bail data;

Hung Luu, 35, Alexandria – OWI first offense, red light lamps, $1,100 bail;

Jiovanna Salinas, 21, Ediburg, Texas – domestic abuse battery, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, no bail data;

Dvetric Dewayne Williams St., 26, Alexandria – OWI second offense, $1,500 bail.

Oct. 24

Eric Bell, 48, Alexandria – seven counts contempt of court, $175,000 bail;

Ronnie Lynn Benett, 39, Boyce – criminal trespass, possession of marijuana, paraphernalia, impersonating a peace officer, parole violations, $1,500 bail;

Damien Lamelle Bradley, 47, Pineville – OWI, reckless operation, open container, $1,100 bail;

Dwight Paul Drouin, 42, Alexandria – two counts contempt of court, $50,000 bail;

Jason William Fowler, 38, Pollock – four counts simple burglary, three counts criminal damage to critical infrastructure, theft of a firearm, criminal damage to property, theft, theft of a motor vehicle, $45,500 bail;

Troyvonta Deonta Green, 28, N/A — second degree murder, possession of firearm by convicted felon, simple battery, criminal damage to property, simple escape, $325,000 bail;

Charles Demonte Hall, 44, Alexandria – three counts theft, simple burglary, resisting a police officer with force or violence, battery on officer, six counts contempt of court, $47,000 bail;

Cedrick Dewayne McGinnis Jr., 24, Alexandria – five counts contempt of court, $100,500 bail;

Elizabeth J. Phillips, 42, Pineville – flight from an officer, resisting an officer, possession of CDS, resisting an officer, running a stop sign, running a red light, no vehicle registration, no signals, improper lane usage, contempt of court, Louisiana fugitive, $14,000 bail;

Travis Glenn Rush, 34, Alexandria – possession of marijuana, five counts contempt of court, $7,500 bail;

Demetrice Tolliver, 19, Jonesville – two counts contempt of court, $50,000 bail;

Rocky Walker, 20, Pineville – aggravated second degree battery, no bail data;

Mark Shawn Wilkerson, 48, Pineville – simple burglary, two counts contempt of court, $50,000 bail.

Oct. 23

Desmond Dewayne Austin, 38, Alexandria – domestic abuse battery strangulation, three counts contempt of court, $11,000 bail;

Daitreon Delshaun Benjamin, 40, Alexandria – producing manufacturing distributing CDS, obstruction of justice, $101,000 bail;

Francis Merlin Bourgeois, 56, Alexandria – sex offender failure to renew registration, parole violations, $10,000 bail;

Erica Uniyaunique Chapman, 27, Pineville – cruelty to juveniles, aggravated second degree battery, aggravated battery, two counts contempt of court, $79,000 bail;

Van Michael Dunn Jr., 29, Alexandria – two counts contempt of court, $50,000 bail;

Cameron Ashton Hebert, 25, Alexandria — possession of fentanyl, criminal trespass, $25,250 bail;

Gregory Demoin Mason, 51, Pineville – domestic abuse battery serious injury, $5,000 bail;

Kori Quartez Mock, 26, Alexandria – producing manufacturing distributing marijuana, parole violations, $100,000 bail;

Nathaniel Kevin Smith, 34, Deville – simple burglary, contempt of court, $11,000 bail;

Darquarious Delquan Stafford, 25, Alexandria – possession of firearm by convicted felon, criminal trespass, contempt of court, $27,500 bail;

Shailen Trena Zeno, 32, Alexandria – OWI first offense, improper driving on the left, open container, $1,200 bail.

Oct. 22

Dakota Lee Beebe Sr., 29, Lena – possession of a stolen vehicle, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, possession of firearm by convicted felon, Louisiana fugitive, parole violations, $75,000 bail;

Gatloyn O’Bryan Blue, 28, Lecompte – producing manufacturing distributing CDS, criminal conspiracy, possession of drug paraphernalia, intentional littering, $760,000 bail;

Quaderius Dewayne Bush, 24, Alexandria – three counts contempt of court, $52,000 bail;

Yolanda Fate Hall, 51, Alexandria – OWI first offense, possession of marijuana, smoking in vehicle, expired plate/registration, expired MVI sticker, $1,800 bail;

Larry Charles Hargrove, 29, Alexandria – possession of firearm by convicted felon, possession of marijuana, violation of protective orders, illegal possession of stolen things, parole violations, firearms with obliterated serial number, $23,500 bail;

Johnny Ray King, 52, Alexandria – producing manufacturing distributing CDS, improper window tint, $5,100 bail;

Colby Aaron Whatley, 24, Pineville – child desertion, contributing to delinquency of juveniles, switch MVI, driving under suspension, reckless operation, no license plate light, speeding, resisting an officer, flight from an officer, three counts aggravated obstruction of highway, contempt of court, aggravated second degree battery, aggravated obstruction of highway, criminal conspiracy, criminal mischief, $158,500 bail;

Ladarrian Damon Young, 27, Alexandria – producing manufacturing distributing CDS, criminal conspiracy, possession of drug paraphernalia, careless operation of a vehicle, intentional littering, $210,100 bail.

By JIM BUTLER

It appears certain GAEDA does not intend to honor its agreement to participate with the city in restoration and use of the former Weiss & Goldring building and court action is in the offing.

The Authority is past due on payment obligations to the city and its commissioners are seemingly taking legal advice not to pay.

A vote this week to purchase a downtown building as the agency’s future home seals the deal, some think.

The vote to buy the tract at 726 Murray for $780,000, bypassing the state Bond Commission in the process, raised issues of its own.

Praised by City Council members Jules Green, Cynthia Perry and Malcolm Larvadain as a step forward for the city and the economic development panel, it is criticized as hastily done by others.

That quarter claims the purchase a preemptive move in the face of vows by former commissioner John Callis to “reform”,  in his opinion, GAEDA, through the courts if necessary.

That camp also believes the decision to bypass the bonding process was spurred by the possibility of questions that panel might ask regarding Callis’ recent win in a state Supreme Court ruling.

Regarding the “hasty” claim — GAEDA has been entertaining thoughts of a permanent home for some time.

The most-recent specific mention, according to minutes, was in July and concerned a Jackson Street property under consideration.

In August a commissioner asked for an update regarding that. Minutes do not reflect details of any update.

Most public bodies hold minutes content to the required minimum.

When the Murray Street site came into play isn’t known. The panel’s September meeting consisted of its annual retreat.

The property improvements currently house four attorneys and a coffee shop, with additional rental space available. Current annual rental income is $65,000.

GAEDA, like any other public body, is required to obtain an appraisal of property before purchase and cannot pay more than the appraised value.

If either the buyer or seller is a public agency and is aware a public official may have a pecuniary interest in a transaction it must by law disclose that at least seven days prior.

Any public official with such an interest in such a transaction must by law disclose that at least five days prior.

For the Louisiana Christian University football team, this is the fun time of year.

After manhandling visiting Nelson last week, LCU looks primed for another Sooner Athletic Conference victory at home Saturday afternoon.

The Wildcats (5-3, 4-1 SAC) continue their three-game homestand when Texas College comes to Pineville. Kickoff against the Steers (0-6, 0-5 SAC) is set for 2 p.m. at Wildcat Field, where LCU is 3-0 this season.

Leading the offense for the Wildcats is junior quarterback Bryce Perkins. He has thrown for 1,776 yards and 15 touchdowns, hitting 121 of 227 throws with nine interceptions.

ASH product Datlan Cunningham is the LCU workhorse in the running game. Cunningham’s 158 carries are more than twice as many as any other Wildcat. He has rushed for 719 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Omarius Davis is LCU’s top receiver with 33 catches for 522 yards and 5 touchdowns. ASH product E.J. Scott has 23 catches for 367 yards and four scores in just four games.

Kylon Polk sets the tone for the Wildcats’ defense. He has 46 tackles, 6 pass breakups and 3 interceptions.

NATCHITOCHES, La. — Representatives from the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) will host an informational session for prospective students and their families on Tuesday, November 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Alexandria – Downtown, 701 4th Street, Alexandria.

Each fall, LSMSA staff travel across Louisiana to meet with families, answer questions, and provide insight into the unique opportunities available at LSMSA. When possible, parents of current students and alumni from the area will also be present to share their first-hand experiences.

“Information sessions are such a great opportunity for families across the state to get a closer look at LSMSA experience,” said Emily Shumate, LSMSA’s Director of Enrollment and Student Success. “It’s always inspiring to see students and their families discover the opportunities that await them here.”

The sessions are free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to register online before the day of the session at lsmsa.edu/info-sessions.

LSMSA is a tuition-free, public high school for high-achieving sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Financial assistance is available to ensure that no eligible student is denied access to its 42-year legacy of a college-level living/learning experience.

By JIM BUTLER

From public notices:

Annexation, zoning request

Pineville is asked to annex not quite 10 acres at LA 107 & Smith Road, which is east of Bayou Maria.

The petition by Mallard Creek Town Homes LLC seeks an R-2 Residential designation. Notice does not enumerate how many residences are envisioned. 

It will be considered at a Zoning Committee meeting November 10 at 4:30 p.m.

Cloverdale drainage

The Police Jury is seeking proposals for engineering services aimed at improving drainage in the Cloverdale area off Coliseum Blvd.

A joke in that area is heavy dew causes flooding from Mabel Brasher school to near WhatABurger.

A negotiated fee with fixed construction details and schedule is part of such a request.

Response deadline is November 7.

Pay raise

Forest Hill Council members have voted to increase their pay. The published minutes don’t stipulate the amount or the effective date.

Posted minutes of most public bodies do not normally contain details of ordinances or discussion.

The most-recent available village audit report lists the salary for the three council members as $4,800 annually.

Rate increases

The Lecompte Council has implemented wastewater rate increases. 

Auditors have previously noted the town was failing to meet requirements of a revenue bond issue that financed system improvements. 

A Rural Water Association rate study concluded the system was unsustainable at rates then in place. 

The immediate change puts base residential service (2,000 gallons of water or less) at $30 monthly and $5 per 1,000 gallons over. 

Corresponding commercial rates are $60 and $5. 

Phase 2 of the adjustment raises the rates in 2026 to $32 and $5.50 residential, $62 and $5.50 commercial. 

Beginning in 2027 rates will be adjusted annual on February 1 based on the Consumer Price Index-Urban annual change or 3 percent, whichever is greater. 

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

Oct. 22

Zachary Tyler Babin, 29, Walldoboro, Maine – three counts domestic abuse battery, $75,000 bail;

Breanna Nicole Baham, 28, Pineville – contempt of court, $100,000 bail;

Terry James Gilbert, 51, Boyce – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, Louisiana fugitive, switch MVI, $3,100 bail;

Michael Kane Pitts, 47, Leesville – Louisiana fugitive, contempt of court, $25,000 bail;

Justin Sean Rollins, 25, Pineville – contempt of court, $50,000 bail.

Oct. 21

Marcus D. Booker Jr., 38, Pineville – theft, criminal trespass, possession of CDS, parole violations, $3,250 bail;

Devetrick Bush, 20, Pineville – armed robbery, $250,000 bail;

Carnell Antonio Carter, 38, Alexandria – possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of drug paraphernalia, $500 bail;

Edward D. Evans, 56, Calvin – contempt of court, $50,000 bail;

Allen Jerry Fields, 35, Pineville – sex offender failure to renew registration, $10,000 bail;

Brandon John Glorioso, 30, Elmer – four counts possession of fentanyl, two counts possession of CDS, two counts contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, $71,500 bail;

Lasane Harris, 21, Boyce – criminal conspiracy, hit and run, reckless operation, unsafe vehicle, no insurance, $10,556 bail;

Jorion Dwann Henderson, 28, Alexandria – resisting arrest, eight counts contempt of court, $68,500 bail;

Michael J. Johnson Jr., 39, Alexandria – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, resisting an officer, theft, criminal trespass, simple burglary, possession of marijuana, eight counts contempt of court, $307,250 bail;

Ryan Odell Kirk, 51, Pineville – driving under suspension, seven counts contempt of court, headlights, $156,200 bail;

Brady Lachney, 39, Pineville – criminal conspiracy, prohibited activities and sanctions, theft, $5,500 bail;

Misty Higgs Laprairie, 48, Pineville – two counts Louisiana fugitive, no bail data;

Melissa A. McEvers, 44, Pineville – resisting an officer, three counts contempt of court, $5,500 bail;

Shelton Ray Morris Jr, 48, Lecompte – criminal damage to property, aggravated robbery, three counts simple burglary, $13,500 bail;

Joseph Clay Nugent, 54, Pineville – hit and run driving, criminal damage to property, possession of marijuana, paraphernalia, possession of CDS, obstruction of justice, resisting an officer, driving under suspension, failure to report an accident, improper lane usage, Louisiana fugitive, $6,300 bail;

Jaquarius Deonte Sewell, 29, Alexandria – producing manufacturing distributing CDS, improper lane usage, careless operation of a vehicle, $5,200 bail;

Terris Strong Jr., 20, Alexandria – second degree murder, possession of paraphernalia, producing manufacturing distributing marijuana, illegal use of weapons, $1.15 million bail;

Blaise H. Vidrine, 37, Elton – no insurance, driving under suspension, speeding, possession or sell of firearms with obliterated serial number, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts contempt of court, $25,300 bail.

Oct. 20

Christopher Bell, 34, Pineville – domestic abuse battery, Louisiana fugitive, failure to appear, $2,000 bail;

Devarus Martelle Bennett, 21, Alexandria – home invasion, $50,000 bail;

Ashley Nicole Bowman, 31, Pineville – home invasion, $50,000 bail;

Jason Leon Crager, 39, Calcasieu – two counts Louisiana fugitive, no bail data;

Lawanda Ann Dubois, 55, Pineville – OWI first offense, careless operation of a vehicle, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, $1,200 bail;

Qwadadrian Fields, 20, Alexandria – Louisiana fugitive, flight from an officer, possession of CDS, paraphernalia, no driver’s license, canceled plate violation, failure to secure registration, resisting an officer, safety belt violation, $31,800 bail;

Elijah Frank, 19, Hineston – theft, two counts contempt of court, $6,000 bail;

Cazya Creone White, 19, Pineville – home invasion, $50,000 bail;

Z’mya Breon White, 20, Pineville – home invasion, $100,000 bail;

Travis Terrell Wilson, 39, Alexandria – theft of package delivered to inhabited dwelling, obstruction of justice, $26,000 bail.

Oct. 19

Sundrea Denae Campbell, 28, Pineville – possession of CDS, simple burglary, paraphernalia, probation violation, $25,500 bail;

Casmyn Jer’Wayne Claiborne, 26, Alexandria – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, domestic abuse battery, $4,000 bail;

Eric Fruge, 43, Alexandria – theft, contempt of court, $50,500 bail;

Ashley Nichole Grantham, 43, Pineville – illegal possession of stolen things, two counts contempt of court, $60,000 bail;

Willie Clyde Reed, 27, Pineville – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, running a stop sign, parole violations, $3,100 bail;

Keith A. Reynolds, 38, Alexandria – domestic abuse battery, violation/protective order, $1,750 bail;

Curtis Rominger, 33, Deville – theft, contempt of court, $5,500 bail.

On October 22, 1942, a tragedy unfolded at sea that still sends shivers through maritime history. The British light cruiser HMS Curacoa was escorting the RMS Queen Mary, which was transporting nearly 20,000 American troops to Britain during World War II. In a catastrophic miscalculation, the Queen Mary accidentally rammed the Curacoa, slicing it in half.

The Queen Mary, nicknamed the “Grey Ghost” for her speed and stealth, was under orders never to stop, not even in emergencies. After the collision, the massive liner plowed forward, leaving behind the shattered cruiser and hundreds of men struggling in the cold Atlantic. Of the Curacoa’s crew, 338 perished. Survivors recalled the horror of watching their shipmates vanish as the Queen Mary steamed on.

The event was hushed during the war. News reports were minimal, and families often received vague notices of “lost at sea.” But among sailors, the story became a whispered legend of bad luck and restless spirits.

Today, the Queen Mary is docked in Long Beach, California, serving as a hotel and museum. It is also considered one of the most haunted places in America. Visitors and paranormal investigators frequently report hearing footsteps echoing in empty corridors, ghostly figures in naval uniforms, and even cries for help. Some believe the spirits of the Curacoa’s sailors followed the ship, bound forever to the vessel that could not stop for them.

Tour guides often point to “Door 13” in the engine room, where a crewman was crushed decades later, as one of the ship’s most active paranormal hotspots. But many say the true haunting stems from October 22, 1942, when hundreds of men were lost in the Atlantic’s icy embrace.

For those who walk the Queen Mary today, the line between history and haunting is thin. The ship’s grandeur hides its dark past, but echoes of the Curacoa disaster continue to reverberate—an eternal reminder of duty, sacrifice, and ghosts that never let go.

By JIM BUTLER

A buzz started in City Hall on Monday when GAEDA posted notice of intentions to buy property in downtown Alexandria.

That agenda item for today’s 3:15 p.m. Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority meeting seems to have caught most interested parties by surprise.

The agenda includes discussion and adoption of a resolution authorizing financing purchase of property at 720 Murray St.  for $790,000.

Whether the Authority envisions establishing its permanent quarters on the site or securing it as an economic development attraction isn’t stated.

The potential financial commitment comes as GAEDA weighs its rescission options on an agreement to join the city on the Weiss & Goldring building restoration.

GAEDA’s part of that pact amounts to about $1.2 million.

The financing proposal for the Murray Street deal would go to the state Bond Commission where final approval is required.

Also on today’s agenda is discussion and approval of Executive Director Angela Varnado’s performance evaluation rubric, which in turn has bearing on any bonus qualifications in her contract.

The agenda includes no references to the La. Supreme Court recent ruling in the 2024 dispute over actions at what the court eventually ruled was an illegal meeting.

In the time between then and the ruling the Authority in essence did a redo on Varnado’s contract, among other things.

Plaintiff in that suit, John Callis, has urged the City Council to reshape the Authority or sunset it.

The Council, which meets at 5 p.m. today, has not responded. The Authority seems to be taking a water-under-the-bridge position.

The leaves are falling and so are college football head coaches.

Ten, count ’em, ten head coaches have already been fired and we aren’t even in the ninth week of the season.

The knives are out, and tempers are boiling after LSU’s 31-24 loss Saturday at Vanderbilt in a matchup of ranked Southeastern Conference football teams.

The noise on the internet is that Brian Kelly, the Tigers’ fourth-year head coach, is a bum, never should’ve been hired and should be fired immediately. And those are the kind comments.

I understand LSU fans are upset. LSU was being touted by LSU coaches and players before the season as a serious contender for the national championship, and the Tigers have been underwhelming in putting together a 5-2 record. With No. 3 Texas A&M and fourth-ranked Alabama on the schedule as the next two opponents, the future doesn’t look bright.

In a time when we expect instant gratification in everything, many are calling for LSU to find the $50-plus million to buy out the remainder of Kelly’s $10 million per year contract.

Wait a minute, please. Take a few slow, deep breaths.

There’s something to be said for patience as opposed to impatience or contrariness. Patience can lead to stability, and stability can lead to confidence, and confidence can lead to success. Impatience can lead to hurried, irrational choices, which can lead to chaos, which can lead to failure.

Bear with me. I started in the sportswriting business five decades ago, and I remember it as a time of stability for successful head coaches at the time. Woody Hayes, until a sideline eruption with a player, coached 28 years at Ohio State. Bear Bryant coached 25 years at Alabama. Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer Eddie Robinson coached at Grambling for 55 years over two stints, starting in 1941 and ending in ’97. Vince Dooley coached 25 years at Georgia.

Frank Broyles coached 19 years at Arkansas. Charlie McClendon coached 18 years at LSU.

Here’s one to ponder: Frank Beamer coached 29 seasons at Virginia Tech, but that never would’ve happened in today’s impatient college football environment. Why? Because he had a rough go of things through his first six seasons, with records of 2-9, 3-8, 6-4, 6-5, 5-6 and 2-8-1.

No way he would’ve survived with that record today. Why do I say that? One of the coaches who have already been fired this season is Brent Pry, in his fourth season at Virginia Tech. He was fired  after his team lost its first three games. His overall record at Virginia Tech was 13-25. Frank Beamer’s overall record at Virginia Tech through the first three games of his fourth season was 12-23.

Patience with Beamer paid off for Virginia Tech back then (his tenure was from 1987-2015) as he finished with a career record of 235-120-2, including multiple 10-win seasons, 23 straight bowl games and advancing to a national championship game with 13 victories in 2000.

It’s rare to find a head coach now who has spent as much as 25 years at one school, although Kirk Ferentz is in his 27^th season at Iowa. At the NCAA Division III level, Geno DeMarco is in his 33^rd and final season at Geneva College, located in Beaver Falls, Pa., home of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath.

Also in Division III,  former LCU foe Pete Fredenburg coached for 24 seasons at Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, before retiring after the ’21 season.

The longest active tenure among SEC coaches belongs to Kentucky’s Mark Stoops, who is in his 13^th season with the Wildcats. He is the winningest coach in Kentucky’s football history and has survived a two-year probation from the spring of ’21 to March of ’22. He has 79 victories in his time at UK, but that includes a 10-win season in 2021 that was vacated as part of the probation due to a violation where at least 11 players were paid for work they did not perform.

One of those 10 coaches already fired this season is Billy Napier at Florida, the same guy many LSU fans were wishing would’ve been hired out of Louisiana-Lafayette by LSU after the 2021 season instead of Kelly.

Which is a reminder that you’ve got to be careful what you wish for. The urge to purge might not result in a surge.

The Alexandria Senior High Trojans football team smashed local rival Pineville last Friday, and moved up one spot in this week’s Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 5A Top 10 poll.

Now sixth-ranked ASH (6-1) faces another District 2-5A powerhouse, No. 2 Ruston (6-1), on the road in a matchup of top 10 teams this Friday night.

The Trojans were No. 2 just a couple of weeks ago before West Monroe scored 10 points in the last 2 ½ minutes to rally past visiting ASH.

The visit to Ruston starts a demanding finish to the regular season for ASH, which will host Ouachita on Halloween and then visit Neville to wrap up the 10-game schedule.

Tioga (6-1) rolled over West Ouachita last week but none of the top 10 in Class 4A lost, so the Indians are stalemated in the poll. They cross the Red River this week to play at Peabody.

The Week 8 LSWA Top 10 polls, as voted by an 11-person panel of sports media personnel from around the state:

Class 5A

School (first place votes), W-L, poll points, last week’s ranking

1. Karr (11), 7-0, 132 , 1

2. Ruston, 6-1, 114, 2

3. John Curtis, 6-0, 107, 3

4. West Monroe, 6-1, 99, 4

5. St. Augustine, 6-1, 81, 5

6. Alexandria, 6-1, 77, 7

7. Catholic-Baton Rouge, 5-2, 60, 9

8. Evangel Christian, 6-1, 49, 10

9. Zachary, 5-1, 37, 6

10. Destrehan, 5-2, 26, NR

Others receiving votes: Central 19, Parkway 15, Archbishop Rummel 12, Neville 6, Southside 5, Carencro 4, Thibodaux 4, Ouachita 3, Hahnville 2, Brother Martin 1, Liberty 1, St. Paul’s 1.

Class 4A

1. North DeSoto (9), 7-0, 127, 1   

2. Teurlings Catholic (2), 7-0, 122, 2

3. St. Thomas More, 5-2, 110, 3

4. Plaquemine, 6-1, 88, 4

5. Iowa, 7-0, 76, 5

6. Franklin Parish, 5-2, 71, 6

7. St. Charles, 6-1,  66, 7

8. Archbishop Shaw, 5-2, 59, 8

9. Lakeshore, 6-1, 50, 9

10. Vandebilt Catholic, 7-0, 31, 10

Others receiving votes: Belle Chasse 17, Franklinton 12, Loyola 9, Tioga 6, Westgate 4, Northwood-Shreveport 3, E.D. White 3, Brusly 2.

Class 3A

1. Jewel Sumner (8), 7-0, 126, 1

2. Madison Prep (1), 6-1, 117, 2

3. Bunkie (1), 7-0, 102, 3

4. St. James, 5-2,  97, 4

5. University (1), 5-2, 94, 5

6. Sterlington,  5-2, 83, 6

7. Erath, 7-0,  70, 7

8. Jena, 6-1, 52, 9

9. Lake Charles Prep, 5-2, 37, 10

10. Marksville, 6-1, 23, NR

Others receiving votes: Church Point 15, Amite 15, Jennings 15, John F. Kennedy 10, Donaldsonville 2.

Class 2A

1. Ouachita Christian (6), 7-0, 124, 1

2. Lafayette Christian Academy (4), 6-1, 121, 2

3. Dunham (1), 5-1, 110, 3

4. Calvary Baptist,  6-1, 101, 4

5. Catholic-New Iberia, 6-1, 86, 5

6. South Plaquemines, 5-1, 63, 8

7. Notre Dame, 5-2, 60, 5

8. Mangham, 6-1, 55, 10

9. Lafayette Renaissance Charter, 6-1, 44, 9

10. Kinder, 7-0, 32, NR

Others receiving votes: Oak Grove 26, Newman 12, Ferriday 11, East Feliciana 3, Northlake Christian 3, Union Parish 2, D’Arbonne Woods 2, Country Day 1.

Class 1A

1. Haynesville (11), 7-0, 132, 1

2. Jeanerette, 7-0, 119, 2

3. Hamilton Christian,  6-0, 105, 3

4. Riverside Academy, 6-1, 102, 4

5. Westminster-Opelousas, 7-0, 77, 5

6. Covenant Christian, 5-2, 60, 6

7. Kentwood, 4-3, 58, 7

8. Ascension Episcopal, 6-1, 56, 8

9. Opelousas Catholic, 5-2, 36, 9

10. North Iberville, 7-0, 32, NR

Others receiving votes: Ascension Catholic 23, Southern Lab 15, St. Edmund 12, Sacred Heart-Ville Platte 9, Logansport 8, St. Frederick 2, Catholic-Pointe Coupee 1.