By JIM BUTLER

The City Council tonight will consider settling with Brittany Poston Meshell, putting las Dupree affaire to bed. 

Her EEOC complaint over alleged on-job recriminations following trysts with then-Mayor Rich Dupree and his chief of staff while she was a city employee rocked the city last summer.

Dupree eventually resigned and Joe Bishop, then parish president, was appointed his successor by the council. 

The agenda for tonight’s session includes introducing for publication an ordinance to appropriate and pay funds to resolve Meshell’s claims. 

How much is under consideration is not included in the agenda posting. 

Prior council discussion of the matter’s details has been in executive session, not the case tonight, according to the posting. 

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It’ll be brother against brother when Class 2A Menard hosts Class 4A St. Thomas More in boys basketball Thursday night.

Briggs Carbo, 25, is in his first season as the boys head coach at Menard – it’s his first season coaching anywhere as a head coach – and he’s got a young, inexperienced team that has won just five of 21 games. His Eagles will be playing at home against a St. Thomas More team that is 13-3 and includes Briggs’ youngest brother, LG, a 16-year-old sophomore.

LG’s real first name is David, but he doesn’t answer to David, only ‘LG,’ which is a nickname is father, Michael, gave him at an early age.

“I was large as a baby, and my dad just started calling me LG, and it stuck, and people have been calling me that ever since,” said LG, who’s looking forward to the blood duel Thursday (beginning around 7:30 p.m. after the 6 p.m. girls game). “It’ll bring back all the memories of when we used to play on a court in our back yard. He would always beat me. I based my game after his.”

LG is 6-foot-2 and plays point guard, the same position Briggs played at Menard and for one year at LSUA. He ended his playing career when he transferred to LSU, but ultimately finished college at LSUA in ’21 with a business degree. Since then he has been working in his father’s fast-food restaurant business, with his work requiring travel to Kentucky, Missouri and Arkansas. This coaching gig is his second job.

Meanwhile, he and his wife, Tara, are expecting a son in March.

An assistant to Brian “Twig” Terwilliger for two playoff seasons at Menard, Briggs said one of the main reasons he took the Menard job was for the challenge. Of the 22 players on the roster, 13 are freshmen, and none are seniors.

“It reminds me of when I played here – same thing, we won four games, then four games, then 15 and then we won 22 in 2017 when I was a senior,” said Briggs. “I play all freshmen and spell them with a few juniors.” He scheduled Class 4A powerhouse Peabody, Alexandria Senior High (5A) and St. Thomas More this season “so we could see good basketball and have a grow-up year. I like to think we’re better than a 5-16 team. Even though the record doesn’t show it, I can see the improvement.”

Michael and Holly Carbo, Briggs’ and LG’s parents, are both Menard graduates, but they moved a few years ago to Lafayette. “They wanted a different scene,” said Briggs, noting the move led to LG’s playing for Hub City Hoops, a Lafayette travel team, during the summer before his freshman year.

“At first he didn’t want to leave Menard (Junior High),” said Briggs, “but after playing for that team in the summer, he made friends and was ready to play (for STM).”

LG said he remembers Briggs competing in one-on-one games against both him and their other brother, Ben, while wearing high heels to make the games more competitive.

“I smoked ’em both,” boasted Briggs, while acknowledging he had an age advantage. “I was tired of all their smack talk and told ’em I’d still whip ’em while wearing my mom’s high heels. We’re very, very close as brothers, but we’re very, very competitive in everything. There were many broken fence poles. All three of us, whatever we do, we’re in to win.”

Ben, 18, is at UL-Lafayette, and although he quit playing basketball at Menard after his junior year, he concentrated on soccer and helped the Eagles as center back advance to the state finals in ’23.

Briggs took over a Menard team that won just one game last year with only a handful of players on the roster by the end of the season.

“At first I was a little nervous,” he said about the job, “but I really enjoy it. It’s fun to see the progress.”

A businessman, he said he tries to run his team “like a business,” which means he demands discipline and teamwork and hustle and good grades. Each player must get all A’s and B’s, allowing one subject to fall to a C or D, or the student won’t play. The players have evidently bought in, turning in a 3.6 GPA at the end of the last nine-week session. Only “one or two” have been suspended for academic reasons, and those suspensions were brief, Briggs said.

“I wear them out for the first 30 minutes of practice,” he said, “and when you do that, they are so much better focused on listening.” He and his two assistants – David “Dae-Dae” Brevelle and current LSUA basketball player Jakemin Abney — also require the players to clean the gym and even the gym’s bathrooms.

With such a young team, Brooks sees a bright future. “Our freshmen are 2-0 against the ASH freshmen,” he said. “We won a tournament in Lafayette, beating St. Thomas More, Acadiana (5A), Northside (of Lafayette) (5A) and ASH, with ASH in the finals,’ he said, adding they’ll be playing in a Class 2A state freshman tournament in New Orleans this weekend.

Meanwhile, as for Thursday night’s family feud game, you can figure all those involved, especially Briggs and LG, will have a high-heeled time.

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Alexandria, LA –  The Zen Fellowship of Alexandria invites individuals interested in Zen practice to join them on February 1, 2025, at 10:30 AM for an introduction to Zazen (seated Zen meditation), a profound practice that is the direct path to living here now.

Zazen is a practice that transcends the intellectual study of Zen. It involves engaging the body and mind in a state of dignified non-action, with no reason, purpose, or personal gain. Through sitting in the posture of Zazen, practitioners allow themselves to return to a state of mental and physical equanimity, automatically, spontaneously, and naturally. This introduction will provide an opportunity for individuals to experience this practice firsthand.

The introduction will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Alexandria, located at 1245 Elliott Street in Alexandria, LA. Attendees are asked to arrive 15 minutes early for preparation, as is customary for the dojo’s twice-weekly sittings.

In addition to the introduction on February 1st, the Zen Fellowship of Alexandria holds regular sessions, including:

• Formal: Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM, which includes sutra chanting and formal ritual.

• Mid-week Sitting: A less formal sit every Wednesday evening at 5:00 PM.

A $10 donation is requested from attendees of the introduction to support the mission of the dojo in facilitating this and other Zen practice opportunities in Central Louisiana.

About the Zen Fellowship of Alexandria: The Zen Fellowship of Alexandria (ZFA) is a local dojo in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition, following the lineage of Zen Masters Kodo Sawaki, Taisen Deshimaru, and Robert Livingston. The ZFA is affiliated with the New Orleans Zen Temple and the Zen Fellowship of Bakersfield, California, under the guidance of NOZT Abbot Richard Collins. The ZFA offers authentic immersion into the Zen lifestyle in Central Louisiana.

For questions/more information please email info@zenalexandria.org.

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By JIM BUTLER

The new Alexandria City Council majority may or may not flex its muscle at the year’s first meeting Tuesday, but it’s certain two of the four will.

Fall elections shifted council demographics from 4 white-3 Black to 4 Black-3 white.

Does race matter? The simplest answer is that in politics everything matters.

The new majority’s inclinations will be apparent in the votes to elect a council president and vice president. Those are the last items on the posted agenda.

There’s no doubt regarding intentions of newly elected members Jules Green and Malcolm Larvadain on another matter.

As expected, each will move early on to replace Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority members.

The seven council members each have an appointment. Appointees serve at will of the council, a statutory change implemented in early 2023. Prior to that appointees served fixed terms.

Replacements to be nominated by at-large Councilman Green and District 1 member Larvadain pose another seismic shift in the Authority governance.

Green’s pick to replace Chairman Greg Upton, appointed last Spring by now-departed at-large Lee Rubin, is Earl Williams Jr., a pastor and an automotive firm finance manager, also described as a community activist in vita included with the agenda posting.

Larvadain’s pick to replace Paula Katz is Steven R. McGee, who was a member, and chairman, when the now-departed Reddex Washington deep-sixed him in early 2023.

McGee, it should be noted, challenged Washington’s council candidacy in court several years ago.

Whether the reconstituted board will continue to work with the administration on economic development ambitions, including housing initiatives, or focus more, as it had in the past, on underwriting costs of various events and gatherings in the city is an open question.

A certainty seems to be it will move to resolve legal challenges to some GAEDA actions and decisions as well as resolve the executive director question.

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HAWKINS, Texas – The No. 5 LSUA men’s basketball team captured a 63-60 road win over Jarvis Christian University Saturday, completing a sweep for the Generals in Red River Athletic Conference play.

The LSUA men stand alone in first place in the conference but got a stiff challenge after halftime from Jarvis Christian. Through the first 15 minutes of play, the Generals (16-1, 13-1 RRAC) opened a 27-15 lead over the Bulldogs (5-11, 5-8 RRAC). LSUA went into halftime leading 35-27.

The Generals extended their lead to 54-40 with 8:59 left in regulation, but the Bulldogs brought the game back within three, 54-51, four minutes later.

Kashie Natt led LSUA with 16 points, while Jordan Decuir recorded 13.

LSUA’s basketball teams next play when they travel to Texas College on Saturday for an RRAC doubleheader starting with a women’s contest at 1 o’clock.

LSUA WOMEN 78, JARVIS CHRISTIAN 69: The Generals overcame a strong performance from a bad team and won their first road game of 2025, 78-69, over Jarvis Christian University.

“Jarvis did a great job pushing the ball,” LSUA coach Billy Perkins said. “But I am very proud of our effort and getting the win.”

The Generals (13-5, 10-4 RRAC) stormed out to a 12-3 lead in the first five minutes. The Bulldogs (2-11, 2-10) cut LSUA’s lead to two, 17-15 by the end of the first quarter. At halftime, the Bulldogs led 35-33.

LSUA outscored JCU 24-18 in the third quarter for a 57-53 lead through three periods.

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SAN ANTONIO – The Louisiana Christian women’s basketball team pulled off Saturday’s big Red River Athletic Conference surprise, toppling a third-place Texas A&M-San Antonio squad that came into the day seven games over .500, riding a pair of double-doubles to pull off a 91-84 shocker.

It started a doubleheader sweep for the LCU basketball programs, with the men’s team posting its fourth consecutive victory in Saturday’s second game. It also completed a string of four wins in the Alamo City starting with Thursday night’s double dip at Our Lady of the Lake.

LCU plays a home doubleheader at H.O. West Fieldhouse Thursday beginning with a 5:30 women’s game against North American.

In the women’s game Saturday, the Wildcats scorched the Jaguars Den to the tune of a 36-for-61 (59%) shooting bonanza and nearly banked a field goal percentage north of 60% for the first time since December 2022.

Along with hot shooting, the LCU women posted an astounding 29-carom advantage on the boards, outrebounding the Jags 52 to 23 — which negated a minus 18 turnover differential.

The visitors from Pineville put on an offensive clinic, setting new 2024-25 benchmarks for points (91), field goals (36), three-point percentage (50%, 4-of-8), and field-goal percentage.

Louisiana Christian (5-9, 5-7 RRAC) got another outstanding performance from Princis Goff (24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists) in the upset of Texas A&M-San Antonio (12-6, 9-5).

More dynamic scoring came from McKayla Price (18, a season high) and Jakiya Thompson (13, a career best).

After numerous near-misses, Kylei Leblanc finally cobbled together her first career double-double, logging a game-best 12 boards as well as 11 points.

LCU MEN 75, A&M-SAN ANTONIO 67: The Wildcats played winning basketball by being nearly flawless from the charity stripe, swishing 20-of-21 of their freebies, a season-best percentage-wise.

Devin Carter led Louisiana Christian (7-9, 6-6 RRAC) with 18 points, 10 at the free throw line, while dropping the losers (5-13, 4-10 Red River)

Corey Lombard posted a perfect field goal percentage for the second time, going a perfect 5-for-5 inside the paint on top of making both free throw shots as he produced 12 big bench points.

Jon’Quarius McGhee is beginning to hit his stride of late, bringing in a career/contest-most nine rebounds along with 11 points.

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Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

 

Jan. 12

Jessica Cruz, 42, Alexandria – OWI first offense, wrong way one way street, open container $1,200 bail;

Lance Alan Lacombe, 33, Deville – OWI first offense, improper lane usage, $1,100 bail;

Clenard Earl Simmons Jr, 44, Alexandria – OWI first offense, producing, manufacturing or distributing controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS, possession drug paraphernalia, legend drug possession without prescription, expired plate registration, no driver’s license, $2,200 bail.

 

Jan. 11

Laci Elizabeth Baker, 44, Jonesville – OWI first offense, careless operation of a vehicle, failure to change address, $1,200 bail;

Serretta V. Byone, 56, Oakdale – criminal mischief, two counts contempt of court, $2,750 bail;

Lori Ann Crockette, 62, Pineville – OWI second offense, $1,500 bail;

Walter Austin Crooks, 28, Alexandria – taking contraband to and from penal institutions, possession of drug paraphernalia, contempt of court, $15,500 bail;

Ashley Ilene Reeves, 46, Deville — producing, manufacturing or distributing with intent controlled dangerous substance with child 12 years or younger present, five counts contempt of court, $16,000 bail;

Sawyer Adam Thompson, 27, Alexandria – two counts criminal damage to property, two counts criminal trespass, violation of protective orders (first, non-violent), unlawful communication via telephone harassing language, $2,500 bail;

Ohaji Walls, 22, Ball – OWI first offense, simple obstruction of highway, possession of controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, driver’s license not in possession, two counts contempt of court, $6,100 bail.

 

Jan. 10

Joshua Lynn Andries, 34, Hineston – possession of controlled dangerous substance, impersonation of a police officer, contempt of court, $15,000 bail;

Christian Kade Cockerham, 29, Pineville – domestic battery with child present, fugitive in Louisiana, three counts contempt of court, $7,000 bail;

Ivan David Doyle, 40, Pineville – simple burglary, three counts contempt of court, $7,000 bail;

Chad Gonzales, 40, Lafayette – simple burglary, resisting an officer, $5,500 bail;

Randall Holmes, 35, Alexandria – violation of protection orders (non-violent, first), illegal possession of stolen firearm, concealed negligent carry, possession of controlled dangerous substance, two counts of resisting an officer, contempt of court, $9,000 bail.

Jammi Jhaderius Jefferson, 20, Alexandria – resisting an officer, remaining on the premises, contempt of court, $1,750 bail;

Donquerious Johnson, 25, Alexandria – cyberstalking through electronic mail, aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a peace officer, criminal mischief tampering with property, $16,000 bail;

Julia Byrd McDaniel, 42, Alexandria – theft up to $25,000, $1,000 bail;

Reginald Taylor Jr., 29, Alexandria – theft up to $5,000, $2,000 bail;

Trent Wright Jr., 23, Forest Hill – possession of controlled dangerous substance schedule 1, illegal carrying of weapons, $3,000 bail.

 

Jan. 9

Robert A. Ardoin, 29, Alexandria – two counts of felony theft, $5,000 bail;

Alise Lee Beauregard, 46, Alexandria – fugitive in Louisiana, no bond data;

Amanda Renee Cash, 42, Pineville – possession of controlled dangerous substance, drug paraphernalia, failure to pay, probation violation, $6,000 bail;

Myra Lee Hayes, 36, Alexandria – theft, extradition proceedings, $20,000 bail;

Lebaron Demond Johnson, 44, Alexandria – theft between $1,000-$5,000, $2,500 bail;

Mayon Dameko Jones Jr., 24, Ferriday – second-degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, parole violations, $700,000 bail;

Megan Lavespere, 33, Pineville – criminal trespass, battery on an officer, resisting an officer, criminal damage to property, $3,000 bail;

Terrance Levonta Leach, 30, Alexandria – possession of controlled dangerous substances schedule 1 schedule 2 and schedule 4, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, illegal carry firearm with drugs, resisting an officer, probation violation, two counts contempt of court, $65,500 bail;

Russell Paul Marceaux, 46, Alexandria – producing, manufacturing or distributing with intent controlled dangerous substance, producing, manufacturing or distributing of marijuana or other substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, $12,500 bail;

Kyan Keorri McNeal, 21, Alexandria – possession of controlled dangerous substance schedule 1 and schedule 2, illegal carry of firearm with drugs, $3,500 bail.

Brianna Lasha Russaw, 23, Alexandria – theft up to $5,000, probation violation, $25,000 bail

Kolby Tyler Wells, 26, Pollock – simple burglary, criminal damage to property, contempt of court, $5,000 bail;

Calvin Joseph Wise, 46, Alexandria – Louisiana fugitive, failure to appear, probation violation, five counts contempt of court, $15,500 bail.

 

Jan. 8

Victor Joseph Coscarella, 35, New Castle, Canada – three counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer, flight from an officer, criminal damage to property, resisting an officer, taillights must emit a red light, 66 counts of turn lamp signal required, $92,200 bail;

Latasha Nicole Gold, 50, Lafayette – aggravated domestic abuse battery with child present, $2,500 bail;

Keisha Demetria Lacour, 50, Alexandria – theft up to $25,000, $2,000 bail;

Corey Dewayne Loucious, 44, Pineville – resisting an officer, remaining on premises, rear lamps and reflectors on bicycle, two counts contempt of court, $3,850 bail;

Kristie Denise Marquez, 47, Alexandria – OWI second offense, improper lane usage, open container, $1,700 bail;

Floyd Teril Molette, 48, Alexandria – possession of controlled dangerous substance, possession of firearm by convicted felon, illegal carry of firearm with drugs, resisting an officer, improper bicycle operation, two counts contempt of court, $22,110 bail;

Christy Marie Pantallion, 40, Alexandria – aggravated assault, criminal damage to property, seven counts contempt of court, $14,750 bail;

George Hadley Vanzant, 32, Boyce – possession of controlled dangerous substance, permanent license plate rear of vehicle, $2,600 bail.

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Alexandria – Louisiana State Police Superintendent Colonel Robert P. Hodges has detailed Lt. Christopher “Chris” Wright to the position of Captain and Troop Commander of Louisiana State Police Troop E in Alexandria.  Effective today, Captain Wright succeeds recently promoted Major Jason Smith.

Captain Wright began his Louisiana State Police career in 2004, initially assigned to Troop E Patrol.  Throughout his career, he has held positions on the Critical Incident Stress Management team, Special Weapons and Tactics, and Transportation Safety Services.  Captain Wright most recently served as a Lieutenant at Troop E.  With this appointment, Captain Wright becomes the 29th Troop Commander in the history of Troop E.

On behalf of the Louisiana State Police and the Department of Public Safety family, congratulations are extended to Captain Wright.  For additional information on the sections of Louisiana State Police and Troop E, please visit                                                                https://www.lsp.org/about/leadershipsections/ and https://www.lsp.org/about/troop-information/.

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SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Louisiana Christian University men’s basketball team added another signature win to its 2024-25 ledger Thursday night, toppling 20^th-ranked Our Lake of the Lake 75-69 on the Saints’ homecourt.

Earlier this season, coach Reni Mason’s Wildcats surprised 14^th-ranked LSU Shreveport for the first Top 25 win by LCU in 10 tries.

Thursday’s victory completed a Red River Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep for LCU as the women were also winners. Both teams play at Texas A&M-San Antonio on Saturday.

For the Wildcat men, it was their third straight victory. They held the high-flying Saints to their second-fewest points to-date (69), 18 points lower than their season average, primarily by eliminating the perimeter shooting, allowing the least three-pointers (3) and lowest long-ball percentage (23.1%) in a league contest this season in addition to forcing 20+ turnovers for the third time.

Led by Bryce Weinmunson’s 16 points and 14 by Devin Carter, LCU improved to 6-9 overall and 5-6 in Red River Athletic Conference play, while Our Lady of the Lake  fell to 13-4 and 9-4. 

Jon’Quarius McGhee came off the bench to add a season-best 14 points. Chukwuemeke Nwaoshai has established a rhythm in the paint, hauling in double-digit rebounds in each of his past three appearances and his sixth overall after tallying a team-most 11 on top of blocking a campaign/game-high three shots.

Carter, the nation’s 3-point per game leader, nailed three more from distance.

LCU WOMEN 57, OUR LADY OF THE LAKE 52:  Rebounding dominance was the key for the visitors as they collected more than 60 rebounds for the first time in seven years and had a plus 22 (63-41) advantage on the glass.

Defensively, the ladies from “The Hill” held OLLU to the second-lowest scoring output of the season, stayed out of foul trouble with a year-to-date low of just nine, and logged double-figure steals for the second time.

Louisiana Christian (4-9, 4-7 Red River) got another Princis Goff double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Dakayla Howard snagged a career-high 10 rebounds and Deja Tanks collected 11 in just 15 minutes of action.

Our Lady of the Lake dipped to 6-10 overall, 4-9 in the RRAC.

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By JIM BUTLER

Steve Berry, in his sixth term as a School Board member, is its 2025 president.

Berry, elected to the board from District B in 2002, was chosen president, by acclamation, at Tuesday’s session.

Mark Dryden, District C, is vice president.

Both represent districts comprised of portions of Wards 9, 10 and 11.

Berry, who succeeds Dr. Stephen Chapman, District E, took the chair prepared with committee appointments, all approved without dissent.

Committees and membership:

Finance – Chapman, chair; Sandra Franklin, District I; George Johnson, District H; Education – Linda Burgess, District F, chair; Wally Fall, District G; Dryden; Personnel – Wilton Barrios Jr., District A, chair; Willard McCall, District D; Berry; Executive – Barrios, chair; McCall; Burgess; School District 62 – Sandra Franklin, District I, chair; Burgess, Chapman, Fall, McCall.

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Matthew Waggoner, a 21-year-old fireman for the Bossier City Fire Department, lives in Haughton but his eyes are on a particular plot of ground in neighboring Claiborne Parish. Waggoner and his family lease a tract of land south of Homer and one particular buck captured his attention.

“Last year,” Waggoner said, “we had this big buck on camera and everybody in our group had him in our sights. He was a big 8-point last year but although we had numerous photos of him, they were always at night.

“This season, things changed a bit when he started showing up during daylight hours. I believe it was because he was zeroing in on his home range which was smaller. Maybe as he got older, he had found a spot where he preferred hanging out and I started seriously concentrating on and patterning him with the hope that I might be the fortunate one to actually down this big buck which had improved significantly since last year.

“Several times,” he added, “I would be at work and would be frustrated when he showed up on my camera standing in front of my stand and there wasn’t a thing I could do but wish I was on my stand instead of being at work.”

Waggoner hunts out of a box stand that overlooks a shooting lane in front with an area that had been clear cut next to the lane, an area that had grown up into this brush and briars. Waggoner believed that this is where the buck would lay up during the day and only come out for food and water late in the day.

“I hunted this buck from my stand for 26 days and never laid eyes on him until Day 27. I would see plenty of bucks I could have taken but I didn’t want to waste a buck tag on one, only to have the big one step out the day I had killed a smaller buck and you can’t take but one buck per day, so I just waited for a chance at him,” he said.

There was something Waggoner had noted as he sat on his stand and that just about every day he hunted, a doe and yearling would come out and that night after he had left the stand, the big one would show up on camera.

“I got on my stand Friday, January 3 around 4 o’clock on the 27^th day I had hunted the buck. This day, however, the doe and yearling didn’t show up like they always had and I had this hopeful feeling that since they didn’t come out, maybe he would,” Waggoner said.

Sure enough, about 10 minutes before end of shooting time, Waggoner’s heart began pounding when he looked up and saw his target buck come out of the clear cut and step on the lane at 60 yards.

“I already had my gun on the window – I shoot at Remington 700 30.06 – I got on him and hit the trigger and he dropped but then got up and ran about 30 yards where I heard him crash. I immediately started calling my dad and several others that were hunting, walked out to the road to meet them and we piled into two pick-ups and drove to where the buck was last heard, finding him piled up,” Waggoner said.

The buck was indeed impressive sporting a symmetrical rack of 10 points with an inside spread of 18 ¼ inches with the G3 measuring over 13 inches. The buck weighed in at 225 pounds and was aged at 5 ½ years old. Putting the tape on the rack, it came to 167 5/8 inches of antler mass.

One has to admire the patience of Waggoner, who hunted the buck 27 times before finally laying claim to his trophy.

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@aol.com

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All arrests are accusations, not convictions.

 

Jan. 7

Arcenio Ramon Bowie, 35, Lecompte – second degree murder, attempted second degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, $1.6 million bail;

 

Hanner H. Jeansonne, 51, Alexandria — theft of a motor vehicle, $1,000 bail.

 

Jan. 6

Jawaun Oshay Ellis, 23, Alexandria – produced/manufactured/distributed less than 2.5 pounds of marijuana or chemical derivative, illegal carry of firearm with drugs, contempt of court, $75,000 bail;

 

Dan Henry Gray Jr., 49, Alexandria – aggravated battery of a police officer, contempt of court, $7,500 bail;

 

Ti’Jeanae Bricole Harris, 29, Pineville – five counts of theft, $2,000 bail;

 

Zachary Hart, 23, Alexandria — produced/manufactured/distributed less than 2.5 pounds of marijuana or chemical derivative, $25,000 bail;

 

Jorion Dwann Henderson, 27, Alexandria — produced/manufactured/distributed less than 2.5 pounds of marijuana or chemical derivative, possession of fentanyl, possession of drug paraphernalia, $8,100 bail;

 

Brian M. Johnson Sr., 43, Alexandria – cruelty to juveniles eight years and under, two counts contempt of court, $9,000 bail;

 

Jordan Nathanial Johnson, 24, Pineville — produced/manufactured/distributed less than 2.5 pounds of marijuana or chemical derivative, illegal carrying of firearm with drugs, probation violation, $75,000 bail;

 

Michael J. Lacoste, 70, Boyce – unauthorized entry of dwelling, theft of more than $1,000, five counts of contempt of court, $11,500 bail;

 

Jerry Lawis Taylor, 45, Alexandria – OWI third offense, resisting an officer, flight from an officer, illegal carry of weapons in use of violent crime first offense, possession of firearm by convicted felon, possession of controlled dangerous substance schedule one, possession of controlled dangerous substance schedule two, three counts of speeding, reckless operation of a vehicle, driving under suspension/revocation, running a yellow light, improper driving on left, wrong way on one street, $135,700 bail.

 

Jan. 5

Alexis Bueno Cortes, 31, Opelika, Ala. – criminal damage to property between $1,000 and $50,000, $500 bail;

 

Jessica Lynn Phillips, 41, Pineville – possession of controlled dangerous substance schedule two, obstruction of justice evidence tampering, contraband taking to and from penal institutions, four counts of contempt of court, $16,000 bail;

 

Jamie Dewayne Troquille, 39, Marksville – battery on a police officer, two counts of contempt of court, $81,000 bail;

 

Donald Alzea Williams Jr., 35, Alexandria – domestic abuse battery strangulation, domestic abuse battery with child present, flight from an officer, seven counts of contempt of court, $132,000 bail;

 

Kenneth Lee Williams Jr., 45, Duson – legend drug possession sale or distribution without a prescription, two counts of contempt of court, $20,500 bail.

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A 13-7 run over the final four minutes Tuesday night at The Fort propelled the No. 5 LSUA men’s basketball team to a 77-72 win over visiting Texas A&M-Texarkana.

“We are better than that,” coach Dimario Jackson said after his Generals improved to 15-1 overall, 12-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference. “We are tougher than that, more disciplined than that. I’ll take the win, you’re always happy to win, but that’s not our brand. Missed free throws, missed layups, we didn’t execute like we needed to. We got timely stops. I’ll give our guys credit for being able to finish.”

Trailing 65-64 to the Eagles (10-5, 9-4 RRAC), a three-point play from Kashie Natt opened the run and put LSUA ahead 67-65. Isaiah Howard and TJ James knocked down four free throws. A layup from Howard, followed by two shots at the charity stripe from Natt, made it 75-67 LSUA.

After two Jordan Decuir free throws, the Eagles made a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the game’s final points to close the margin to two.

Natt finished with 26 points. He went 9-for-14 from the field, including a 4-for-8 mark from beyond the arc. He was a perfect 4-for-4 at the line. Jakemin Abney recorded 16 points and EJ McQuillan tallied 10 points.

LSUA’s lead hovered around five for the majority of the second half. A three-point play from the Eagles with 7:21 left in regulation cut the Generals’ lead to two, 60-58. A pair of free throws on the Eagles’ next possession brought the game even, 60-60.

LSUA is back in action on Saturday afternoon in Hawkins, Texas for an RRAC doubleheader at Jarvis Christian.

LSUA WOMEN 75, A&M-TEXARKANA 54: Amani Gray’s double-double led the Generals (12-5, 9-4 RRAC), as she scored 10 and snagged 10 rebounds.

She sank 10-for-17 from the field and 4-for-4 at the free throw line. It is the second time Gray has recorded a double-double this season. The first also came against Texas A&M-Texarkana (3-14, 3-10 RRAC) on November 16 when she recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Dannah Martin-Hartwick added 17 points, while Alexis Dyer (13), and Benedetta Peracchi (10) also notched double digits. Jewel Jones finished with six assists, while Peracchi dished out five. Dyer finished with a season-high four steals.

The Generals (12-5, 9-4 RRAC) shot 43.9 percent from the floor and also posted a 38-26 rebounding margin over the Eagles.

LSUA shot over 50 percent in both the second and fourth quarters.

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By JIM BUTLER

Jerry “Jay” Pearson’s sentencing in federal court is now scheduled for January 30.

Pearson, of Boyce, pleaded guilty in August to a count of wire fraud.

Sentencing on December 3 was postponed. The Western District Court docket posted Monday, January 6 includes Pearson’s new date before Judge Dee Drell.

It is docketed for 2 p.m. in the second-floor courtroom of the federal building on Murray Street.

Pearson is accused of defrauding investors in a Self-Directed IRA scheme of about $3.4 million.

Penalty for the crime is up to 20 years imprisonment and up to $250,000 fine. Restitution can also be ordered.

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Pam Shriver tried to peer through the fog of some 40-plus years since she had played tennis with, or even communicated with, Kay McDaniel on the pro circuit.

Shriver was just learning Sunday of McDaniel’s death last Friday at age 67 after a long illness. The current tennis broadcaster, pundit and coach and winner of 21 Grand Slam doubles titles (20 with Martina Navratilova) was returning a call while in Kona, Hawaii, where she was enjoying some vacation time with her three grown children.

“Kay McDaniel,” she said, searching the memory files of her brain to place the Shreveport native who who achieved extraordinary accomplishments in in tennis at both Captain Shreve High School and at LSU before her professional tennis career. There, she competed at tennis’ grand slams for six years against legends like Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Steffi Graf. Not to mention Shriver.

“Blonde? Lefty? Deep southern accent?” Shriver asked. “Yes, sure. She was good, she was fun, she was a good competitor. She had a great smile, too. I can still remember her smile.

“I’m sorry,” she continued, on learning of her death, “and I’m sorry for her family.”

She asked a series of rapid-fire questions about Kay’s passing and seemed genuinely saddened. I sought out Shriver for a comment because at some point over the years Kay told me that of the elite players in that early ’80s era of professional women’s tennis, she probably felt closest to Shriver.

Shriver, McDaniel and Kathy Jordan competed together in the Maureen Connolly Brinkers Championships for the USA team that beat Great Britain in 1982.

A great admirer of Kay for many years, I got to know her through her periodic trips every year or two to Alexandria to visit her oldest brother John and his wife, Sid, with whom Janet and I have been close friends for many years.

One of Shriver’s questions about Kay was “Does she have any kids?”

I answered “No,” since Kay never married, adding, “but in another way, she had many, many kids.”

I was referring to the thousands of youngsters she had mentored at her free annual youth clinics for 31 years at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn. Many of her instructors were initially participants in the clinics and she enjoyed working with many of them for an average of 10 years. A Christian and motivational speaker, McDaniel taught more than tennis to the youngsters. She wanted them to “learn that God’s eternal love lasts longer than a lifetime.”

Kay had a drive to succeed as a tennis player, a coach or even as a columnist for the Chattanooga Free Press. She pursued and captured nature’s beauty as a talented photographer, and with that “great smile” she often sought to help others.

Here’s a side note to her tennis career: she won her first professional tournament in Atlanta as a rookie in 1979 against Dr. Renee Richards, the man who, in the 1970s, had a sex change to compete as a woman. She won the match in a 7-5 tiebreaker in the third set.

Despite her many physical setbacks through the years, especially battling lupus and Addison’s disease, she showed how God’s love helped her overcome adversity. In the past year she talked of how her body was “breaking down” with such things as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and major spine surgery.

Her brother, John, said she wrote in a recent journal how God gradually took away all her physical abilities which she was so blessed with during her lifetime.

“And,” he said, “look who’s hand she reached for at the end … before He took her up to Him.”    

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Sam Spurgeon in a sense is correct. He and others who choose to walk in the public light are treated differently by the media.

His run-in with the law last week would have been just another entry on the police blotter were he plain Joe Citizen.

Spurgeon’s aggressive advertising (is there anyone around here who hasn’t played off “in a jam?”) and England Authority chairmanship put him in a different category than most.

Fair? Not really. Reality? Yes.

How much media attention an alleged offense gets sometimes depends on the charge, sometimes on the accused’s public standing.

Often the revelation comes through a source, anonymously or otherwise. By its nature public life generates friends, and enemies.

Such alerts have become more common as the number of news-gathering enterprises diminishes and their manner of operation changes.

In many jurisdictions communicators no longer visit police stations and courthouses daily, learning from the public record what has transpired.

They rely instead on releases from authorities who decide what is worth reporting, and on tips.

Once tipped, the respective media outlets have to decide whether it’s news. And ordinarily when one frog jumps in, they all do.

The initial decision is sometimes, but not always, easy. The Spurgeon example is — the accusation is a felony.

Now the media task is to keep up with the case and its eventual outcome. 

Arrest during the recent holidays of a public figure on an OWI charge was apparently judged non-news, if noticed at all.

OWI arrests, once a focal point of media attention, have become secondary information. Barring extraordinary circumstances, an arrest is just an entry on the list.

The media’s challenge is treating all public figures the same if or when such events occur.

We have our friends and favorites among the public figures we deal with. How we handle any alleged offenses by them defines how well we meet our obligations.

 

Jim Butler, a Bolton High School alumnus, was an acclaimed writer and editor at the Alexandria Town Talk for 36 years, the last 23 (1977-2003) as editor-in-chief. He led Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina for the Gulfport (Miss.) Sun-Herald in 2005. Butler returned home to Cenla several years ago, and shares his talents and insight with Rapides Parish Journal readers.

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NATCHITOCHES — An electrical fire Sunday morning in a data base station on the south wall of the first floor of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches was contained with minor damage, officials said Sunday afternoon.

An alarm shortly after 10 a.m. signaled a fire, and the museum’s sprinkler system was triggered and functioned perfectly, said fire officials. The Natchitoches Fire Department responded immediately, entered the building and completely extinguished a small blaze in the Hall of Fame gallery, the room that visitors see to the left as they enter the front door.

It contains three data base stations with biographic information on Hall of Fame inductees, along with four display cases, a display of artwork done by previous LSHOF artists Clif and Carolyn Thorn, and a recently relocated set of four displays of “Showtime!” LSU’s Spectacular Pistol Pete” photographic exhibit.

A portion of the Hall of Fame’s Wall of Honor, displaying names of the 492 people inducted since 1958, was destroyed, and the entire display suffered smoke damage. Some water damage to the “Showtime” exhibit’s nearest display occurred. Permanent exhibits in the Hall of Fame gallery are all enclosed in glass cases and initial indications, said museum branch manager Jennae Biddiscombe, were that only the nearest case, directly across from the exhibit, might have any significant impact from water and smoke.

State museum staff will be on site today to fully assess the impact and begin to address any necessary rehabilitation of items on display. Among the items in the case adjacent to the fire location are football jerseys of Archie (Saints), Peyton (Pro Bowl) and Eli Manning (Ole Miss), Bert Jones (Colts), Gary Reasons (Northwestern), baseball jerseys of Atley Donald (New York Yankees) and Mel Parnell (Boston Red Sox), along with a cap worn by Coach Eddie Robinson (Grambling), a New York Knicks warmup top from Willis Reed (Grambling) and an LSU football helmet autographed by Billy Cannon, along with baseballs that belonged to Baseball Hall of Fame member Mel Ott of Gretna and were autographed by MLB greats including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Rogers Hornsby and Tris Speaker. There was no damage apparent Sunday.

The Cane River Creole Heritage Disaspora exhibit in the nearby Atmos Energy Gallery did not appear impacted with only some water on the floor at the entrance.

The museum will be unable to open for an indefinite period of time, however, said Biddiscombe. Advisories on upcoming events at the museum and reopening information will be provided this week, she said.

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By BOB TOMPKINS

Kay McDaniel, who carried her childhood dream of playing tennis to stardom in the sport at the collegiate and professional levels and then led a free youth summer tennis clinic for 31 years, died Friday at age 67 after a long illness.

Funeral arrangements are pending, but a funeral service will be in Cleveland, Tenn., and the burial will be in her hometown of Shreveport. Her older brother John and his wife are Alexandria residents who often hosted McDaniel in visits to Cenla, where she developed friendships inside and outside the tennis circuit.

A three-time All-American at LSU, and LSU’s first tennis All-American, McDaniel was once ranked No. 1 in the nation as an amateur. She played the No. 1 singles position for LSU before going on to realize her ultimate dream of competing at tennis’ Grand Slams for six years against legendary players such as Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, and Steffi Graf. McDaniel rose to the top 30 in the world in singles and held a top 20 world ranking in doubles.

She competed six times in the U.S. Open, four times at Wimbledon and three times in the French Open. She advanced three rounds at Wimbledon in her first appearance.

At LSU, she was an NCAA singles semifinalist, ranked No. 2 in doubles nationally and made the Junior Federation Cup Team for three years. She never lost a set in high school, at Captain Shreve, winning state Class 4A singles and doubles titles there for three straight years. In 1986 she got the Concord British Airways Award for having the “Fastest Serve in Women’s Tennis.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Kay and her family,” said LSU tennis coach Taylor Fogleman in an LSU news release. “She was one of the most outstanding players in this program’s history. She will be dearly missed.”

McDaniel was for 26 years a professor at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., in the health, exercise science and secondary education department. She retired from Lee in 2023. For her last five years, she advised Lee students by helping them find their strengths and gifts and matched them with their majors and potential career paths. She also coached students on how to successfully overcome obstacles. She wrote her first of two books in 2002, “Serving the Master,” in which she shared  how God gave her the strength to live with two serious diseases.

McDaniel suffered from a variety of health problems for much of her adult life, most notably lupus and Addison’s disease.

At age 11, McDaniel purchased her first tennis racquet with Green Stamps after collecting 5,000 stamps to obtain it. Her mother sewed all her tennis clothes until age 15 when her achievements earned her tennis’ top sponsorships (Fila, Tail, and Nike) that lasted throughout her career.  

McDaniel wrote a children’s book, “Be a Dream Chaser,” in 2022, and it sold out, and she published a second edition in 2023. She described it as “a whimsical, colorful hardback book that contains some of my most popular stories.”

During her clinics, McDaniel, who gave Christian and motivational speeches around the country, shared her inspiring stories of how she overcame difficult obstacles in sports and in life.

She described her annual summer tennis camp as “an intimate, family-strong community,” noting she knew most of her instructors for an average of 10 years, starting as participants.

“We are connected by a fierce passion to present the love of God through tennis,” she said. “We love the kids who attend and each other. Every year, about half of the attendees will be first timers to my clinics. Not only do these participants learn to play a sport that can last a lifetime, but they learn that God’s eternal love lasts longer than a lifetime.”

McDaniel was a member of the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Tennis Association Hall of Fame, the Ark-La-Tex Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame.

Two highlights of her esteemed years on the tour include playing on national TV at the U.S. Open and splitting sets with Yvonne Goolagong and reaching the singles round of 32 at Wimbledon. 

McDaniel achieved All-American acclaim at LSU from 1976-78, reaching the semifinals two consecutive years and being named to the USTA Jr. Federation Cup team, which at the time was made up of the top eight amateur women in the nation. Playing the national 21 and under circuit, she was listed No. 1 nationally in the 1978 USTA 21 and under rankings.

Starting her tennis career in the Louisiana Tennis Association, McDaniel was ranked No. 1 in the state in Girls’ 14s, 16s, and 18s for six consecutive years. In addition, she won the prestigious Southern Junior Closed Championship in Girls’ 14s, 16s and 18s and was ranked No. 1 in the South in each of those age divisions.

Highlights of her tennis career include teaming with Pam Shriver and Kathy Jordan in the Maureen Connolly Brinker Championships on the USA team which defeated Great Britain in 1982. McDaniel turned pro in 1979 and shortly afterward, played in Wimbledon for the first time where she reached round of 32 in singles, falling to Betty Stove, who reached the finals that year.

In 1983, McDaniel played in the USTA National Mother-Daughter Doubles Championship with her mother, Frances McDaniel, and they reached the finals. As a result, they each received a coveted USTA silver ball, emblematic of reaching the finals of a USTA national championship tournament. 

McDaniel has two USTA gold balls for winning national championship events and two USTA silver balls.

She called the silver ball she won for the Mother-Daughter tournament one of her most prized possessions.

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The No. 5 LSUA men’s basketball team opened the new year with a 109-75 victory Saturday over LSU Shreveport in Red River Athletic Conference play.

Kashie Natt led the Generals (14-1, 11-1 RRAC) with 16 points. Jakemin Abney and EJ McQuillan both recorded 14 points. Jordan Decuir (13), Keyo Giroir (12), Jason Perry II (11), and Brayden Thompson (10) all were in double digits as the bench scored 68 points.

LSUS (9-7, 6-6 RRAC) tallied the game’s first bucket, but LSUA went on a 13-2 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes, staking out a 13-4 lead. The Pilots battled back, tying the game at 18-18.

Over the next eight minutes, LSUA opened up a 46-35 lead, the first double-digit lead of the game for the Generals. After a 51-41 halftime lead, LSUA ran off 14 unanswered to  blow it open, going up 72-48 with 12:54 left. LSUA reached a 30-point lead with 4:10 on the clock, 96-66, on the first of three free throws from Natt.

The Generals are back in action on Tuesday as they host Texas A&M-Texarkana at 7:30 in The Fort.

LSUS WOMEN 76, LSUA 60: A turnover-plagued second half was the difference as the Lady Pilots pulled away from a halftime tie in Saturday’s first game.

Amani Gray and Jewel Jones led the Generals (11-5, 8-4 RRAC) with 13 points each. All four of Jones’ baskets came from beyond the arc. Dannah Martin-Hartwick recorded 12 points and also led LSUA with eight rebounds and six assists.

LSUA scored 20 points in the paint, 21 points off turnovers, and tallied 11 second chance points.
The Generals struggled in the second half, turning the ball over 14 times in the third and fourth quarters.

The Pilots managed an 11-point swing, ending the third period ahead 57-46.

LSUA plays again Tuesday night at 5:30, hosting Texas A&M-Texarkana.

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Peabody Magnet’s boys basketball team scored a signature win Friday night in front of a jammed gymnasium on campus, outlasting Alexandria Senior High 65-55 in a matchup of two of Cenla’s strongest teams.

It was also a showcase in a pregame ceremony as new Northwestern State University president James T. “Jimmy” Genovese presented the university’s prestigious Nth Degree to Peabody coach Charles Smith, who decades before earned a master’s degree in education from Northwestern.

Smith, 75, was inducted in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in October in Springfield, Mass., the greatest honor issued for worldwide participants in the sport. He is the fifth-winningest coach in the history of high school basketball, with Friday’s victory upping his total to 1,223 career victories.

The Nth Degree is a special honor conferred by Northwestern since the 1960s that recognizes individuals who have gone the extra mile in meritorious service to the university or the community. It is awarded only occasionally and Smith’s honor was the first presented by Genovese since he became the university’s president Aug. 5.

Participating in the ceremony were Mike McConathy, the winningest college basketball coach in state history, and Doug Ireland, the chairman of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, which inducted Smith in 2019.  McConathy and Ireland are special assistants to Genovese at Northwestern.

Smith’s Nth Degree not only resulted from his basketball success, but for his educational impact on generations of students at Peabody and in Rapides Parish, and for his strongly positive community influence.

In his remarks to the crowd, Genovese pointed out that Smith’s induction in the Naismith Basketball Hall officially confirmed his status in the history of the game, and put him in a peer group of coaches including UCLA’s John Wooden, Georgetown’s John Thompson, North Carolina State’s Jim Valvano and other iconic figures in basketball through the 130-year history of the sport.

“It’s my honor to present Coach Smith with this award because he represents the best of us, and inspires all of us,” said Genovese. “We are proud he is an alumnus of Northwestern and we are thankful he has served his community, Peabody High School and the entire state humbly and with great distinction during more than 50 years in education.”

Coach Smith has been a role model to thousands of Peabody students, and 80-plus basketball scholarship recipients, with his former players including an executive vice president of a Fortune 500 company, pilots, doctors, attorneys, engineers, business owners, educators, coaches and two NBA players.

His Warhorses won the ninth state championship under his leadership last March, and are 16-1 this season.

He came to Peabody in 1974 as a math teacher – and remains in that role. He was an assistant coach, helping the Warhorses win the first state title in school history, before taking over the head coaching role in 1984. He earned his undergraduate degree from Paul Quinn University and after beginning his teaching and coaching career, completed his master’s at Northwestern.

Scanning the list of previous Basketball Hall inductees are superstars like Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Russell, Pete Maravich, Julius Erving, Michael Jordan, Cheryl Miller, Anne Meyers, Bob Cousy, Karl Malone and Bob Pettit – not to mention the game’s greatest coaches from all levels, like Red Auerbach, Henry Iba, Pat Summit, Kim Mulkey, Leon Barmore, Lenny Wilkins, Morgan Wooten and Adolph Rupp along with Thompson, Wooden and Valvano.

Among those joining Smith in the Basketball Hall’s 2024 induction class were Vince Carter and another Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer, Baton Rouge native and LSU great Seimone Augustus.

His induction in Springfield came in Smith’s first year of consideration. As a high school basketball coach, he was chosen from a subset that previously had only four representatives among the 450 people enshrined since 1959. Smith has won 86 percent of his games, losing only 215.

Such is his stature that the gymnasium at Peabody now carries his name – Charles Smith’s Emerald Palace.

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