By Matt Vines

By Paige Gurgainers

Claiborne Parish Historian and author Wesley Harris was the featured speaker at Monday evening’s “Night at the Museum” at the Dorcheat Historical Museum in Minden. Harris was there to give an enlightening lecture on the topic of his new book, “Wild Boys: Outlaws Link Waggonner and Tom Kinder and the Policy of Violence in 1890s Louisiana.” 

It was during that period, a couple decades after the Civil War, when this surge of violence pertaining to the cases of the “Wild Boys” took place mostly in Webster and Claiborne parishes. 

“They (Waggonner and Kinder) dearly hated each other. They wanted to kill one another,” said Harris. “A part of that goes back to the fact that Waggonner was always wanted for something and Kinder was a special deputy sheriff in Claiborne Parish.” 

According to Harris, before the Civil War there was not a lot of internal violence, but that changed following the war particularly in North Louisiana. Factors for this included cultural values, social and economic structure breakdown, political turmoil, racial tension and corruption.  

“It was really a time when every political leader was in it for himself. There was corruption at every level,” said Harris.  

Waggonner was responsible for six known murders spanning across three parishes – Bossier, Claiborne and Webster. 

While Kinder was one of the primary killers in the Ramsey-Tuggle feud. Harris explained, this feud was “much, much bigger” than the more famously known Hatfield and McCoy feud. “There were only about six people killed in the Hatfield & McCoy feud, but there were about 20 in the Ramsey-Tuggle Feud,” he said.  

Kinder was an ally of the Ramseys – a well-off family that held numerous political offices and leadership positions in the parish. A lot of the feud took place on the road now known as White Lightening Road in Claiborne Parish.  

“It’s hard to know who killed who because most of the time the killings were from ambush, but it appears Kinder was responsible for a great number of the killings,” said Harris.  

Some of the murder took place on the public square and in front of witnesses with a few of the victims just being innocent bystanders.  

Harris explained that most local news outlets would not run stories on it and the few that were courageous enough to do it were from outside of the state.  

Ultimately, both Waggoner and Kinder end up in the Webster Parish jail in adjoining cells. There are claims that Waggoner told the sheriff, “If you just five us both Winchesters, we’ll just shoot it out right here.” The sheriff didn’t go for that, said Harris.  

It seems that Kinder developed a type of nervous condition while he was imprisoned. He was given morphine regularly while his brother also supplied him with whiskey to curb his symptoms. He was the first of the two outlaws to go to trial where he was permitted to lie on a bench in the courtroom. While the jury is out for deliberation, Kinder ends up passing away. The jury found him “not guilty.”

Waggonner’s trial starts immediately following Kinder’s death. During the process of picking a jury, there was a break-in at the jail. Waggonner attempted to hide in a chimney fluke, but the other prisoners pulled him out and held him against the cell bars. He was then shot 12 times in the chest. Nobody was ever identified in the shooting.

“Finally, those two outlaws who had terrorized North Louisiana for several years are gone,” said Harris. “There are others that take their place, but nothing like we saw with those two.”

The last Night at the Museum event of the year is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. and will host guest speaker Dawn Glass sharing her life story and maybe a song or two. 

Livestock exhibitors start purchasing and training their new livestock projects in the spring of each year in hopes that their hard work will pay off and they will win champion livestock or champion showman. The Claiborne Parish Livestock Show completed a week of showing October 7th -12th . Results from each division are listed below:

Champion Rabbit: Aya Yerrou
Resrve Champion Rabbit: Y’Miracle Underwood
Champion Rabbit Showman: Y’Miracle Underwood
Reserve Champion Rabbit Showman: Aya Yerrou
Champion Poultry: Aya Yerrou
Reserve Champion Poultry: Chrisitan Hicks
Champion Poultry Showman: Aya Yerrou
Reserve Champion Poultry Showman: Chrisitian Hicks
Champion Lamb Showman: Luke Padgett
Reserve Lamb Showman: Wesley Johnston
Champion Market Lamb: Luke Padgett
Reserve Champion Market Lamb: Wesley Johnston
Champion Commercial Ewe: Luke Padgett
Reserve Champion Commercial Ewe: Wesley Johnston
Champion Goat Showman: Luke Padgett
Reserve Champion Goat Showman: Annagail Dison
Champion and Reserve Champion Market Goat: Luke Padgett
Overall Supreme and Reserve Doe: Luke Padgett
Champion Dairy Goat: Dafinie Dison
Reserve Champion Dairy Goat: Annagail Dison
Champion Swine Showman: Wesley Johnston
Reserve Champion Swine Showman: Gracie Anglin

Champion Commercial Gilt: Wesley Johnston
Champion and Reserve Champion Market Swine: Wesley Johnston
Champion Beef Showman: Allen Faulk
Reserve Champin Beef Showman: Colt Ogden
Champion Heifer: Allen Faulk
Reserve Champion Heifer: Aubrey Shively
Champion Bull: Colt Ogden

Congratulations to our other winners:
JaeBrey Miller, CJ Wesley, Maggie Allen, Lala Dison, Chrissie Smith, Trip Massey, Heath Smith, Viviana Dison, Sawyer Wilson, Ava Farley, Sawyer Urrey, Benjamin Bernard, Sharia West, Kenlyn Babcock

Congratulations to all who participated in the Claiborne Parish Livestock Show. If you are interested in participating in the Claiborne Parish Livestock Show, please contact John Monzingo at 318-927-3110.

By Wesley Harris
Claiborne Parish Library Historian

The fifth book by the Claiborne Parish History Club has just arrived at the parish library. “Historic Claiborne 2024” contains 30 articles on local history by eight area authors.

Books may be purchased at the library for $20.

The book is reminiscent of the “Historic Claiborne” books published in the 1960s-70s.

The History Club revived the idea with the release in 2020 of “Historic Claiborne 2020” and has produced a new addition to the collection each year since.

“The Claiborne Parish Library is proud to partner with the History Club as part of our role in preserving our local history,” said Library Director Pam Suggs. “Our staff worked with the club to compile and edit the articles and design the book.”

“Historic Claiborne 2024 features sections titled “Education,” “People,” “Places,” and “Civil War &  Reconstruction.” Articles cover topics such as Claiborne beauty queens, Pace Salsa’s local connection, local ghostly spirits, and more.

Suggs said the books can be purchased at the library for $20 each while they last. “It’s an easy way to take care of the readers and history buffs on your Christmas list,” she said.

Suggs added copies of Historic Claiborne 2020 through 2023 are available and can be purchased for $20 each. Proceeds from the sale of the books are devoted to local historic preservation projects.

Checks are accepted payable to the Claiborne Parish History Club. For $25, books can be mailed by sending a check to Claiborne Parish History Club, 909 Edgewood Drive, Homer, LA 71040 or by using PayPal to claibornehistory@gmail.com. Books will be mailed out the same day order is received.

The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) has announced an investment of more than $25 million toward 25 projects through its Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF). These projects span seven states within DRA’s eight-service region, including Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi. Funding for this program was made available, in part, by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden — a key part of his Investing in America agenda to grow local economies from the middle out and bottom up and to create more resilient and healthier communities across the county.

Designed to address unmet needs in basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure and flood control needs, these CIF-award projects will help strengthen the economic vitality of the DRA region by building safer, more resilient communities. Together, these 25 projects are estimated to create or retain more than 1,100 jobs and impact more than 75,000 families across 25 communities.

“The Community Infrastructure Fund is one of DRA’s most unique tools that allows us to expand and invest in the resiliency of the region’s public infrastructure,” said Dr. Corey Wiggins, DRA Federal Co-Chairman. “As a result of this investment, approximately 75,266 families will have improved access to infrastructure, helping to improve their quality of life and increase economic opportunities in their communities.”

This round of CIF funding is DRA’s final funding award for the 2024 fiscal year. During 2024, DRA invested nearly $32 million in 32 projects through the CIF program.

Today’s CIF award recipients include:

Alabama

City of Marion was awarded nearly $291,000 to rehabilitate the city’s water tank system to meet state and federal regulations and ensure its water facilities are maintained in safe, clean and operable conditions.

City of Union Springs was awarded more than $662,000 for a comprehensive public infrastructure improvement project that will take place on three streets, addressing a huge community need and positively impacting both the local workforce and economy.

City of Reform was awarded more than $1 million to make upgrades to the city’s municipal water system, ensuring the safety, resilience and reliability of water services for businesses and residents and improving the city’s commercial attractiveness and quality of life.

City of Carrollton was awarded $456,500 for a water system improvement project that will enhance operations and water services for residents and businesses.

Arkansas

City of Paragould was awarded $872,600 for a transportation project that will extend an existing rail spur to a local industry that has pledged to create 20 jobs as a result of this infrastructure investment.

City of Truman was awarded nearly $762,000 to make renovations to the city’s water system to ensure the ongoing service of potable water to existing residents and businesses while also ensuring the system has the capacity to support future residential and industrial growth.

Southeast Arkansas Economic Development District Inc. was awarded more than $2 million for a railroad infrastructure improvement project that will accommodate a grain storage elevator in Chicot County, providing access to reliable and affordable transport and ensuring economic resiliency within the area.

City of Pocahontas was awarded more than $1.9 million for upgrades that will provide for sufficient capacity and water services for current and future economic and residential growth.

Illinois

Village of Gorham was awarded more than $484,000 for a water system improvement project that will ensure the supply of drinking water in the event of a facility malfunction.

Rend Lake Conservancy District was awarded nearly $922,000 for a public infrastructure project that will provide for the relocation and storage of the district’s chlorine dioxide system, as mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency, resulting in a secure, efficient water treatment process for the entire service population.

Egyptian Electric Cooperative was awarded more than $1.8 million to support the infrastructure of a new substation construction project that will provide the additional electrical capacity needed for a building expansion, resulting in the creation of approximately 24 new, high paying jobs.

City of Murphysboro was awarded nearly $496,000 for a public infrastructure project that will replace the main sanitary sewer trunkline to provide reliable service to the entire city and its tributary.

Kentucky

Lyon County Fiscal Court was awarded more than $2.4 million for a public infrastructure project that will combine three separate water projects among water districts serving Lyon County to increase the reliability and resilience of the water supply, which is essential to supporting local industries, enhancing quality of life and promoting economic development within the region.

City of Providence was awarded more than $2 million to make upgrades to an aging public infrastructure to address existing violations and to provide for safe and adequate water/sewer utility services to residents and businesses within the city.

Louisiana

Town of Farmerville was awarded more than $1.4 million to make improvements to the water system serving the town and the largest employer in Union Parish to ensure an adequate and safe water supply for those who live and work in the area.

Town of Hayesville was awarded more than $716,000 to make improvements to its wastewater treatment plant to comply with environmental regulations and to address infrastructure deficiencies affecting local residents and businesses for a reliable and safe wastewater treatment system that supports both public health and economic development.

City of West Monroe was awarded nearly $871,000 for public infrastructure improvements to a prominent business street, within a commercial area, which is essential to the economic sustainability of the city.

Lake Providence Port Commission was awarded nearly $788,000 to support a railroad improvement project that will complete necessary construction to satisfy Federal Railroad Administration requirements and to retain and expand existing businesses and industries and to attract new ones.

Town of Jonesville was awarded more than $826,000 for a sewer system upgrade and downtown development project to meet basic health standards for existing businesses and residents and to sustain and attract businesses to the town’s redeveloped commercial district.

Missouri

City of Dexter was awarded nearly $422,000 to make public infrastructure improvements that will enhance drainage resilience, address sewer system challenges and facilitate future development within the city.

City of Potosi was awarded more than $1 million for a natural gas distribution upgrade project that will replace existing infrastructure in the system to increase its reliability, to avoid interruption in service for residents and businesses, and increase capacity for future economic growth.

Mississippi

City of Batesville was awarded more than $1.8 million for an expansion project that will extend water and wastewater utility service from the city to a manufacturing company that is expanding its operations with new buildings, equipment and employees.

City of McComb was awarded nearly $102,000 to support a reconstruction project of a high-traffic intersection utilized by nearby industries to improve transportation and to provide a safer experience for residents and businesses within that area.

Town of Liberty was awarded nearly $292,000 to rehabilitate a water storage tank to eliminate system inadequacies and meet state regulation, in addition to providing residents with a reliable water supply.

City of Raymond was awarded more than $635,000 for a public infrastructure project requiring urgent repair and improvements to the city’s sewage lagoon to meet compliance with state and federal standards and to provide residents and businesses with a proper quality of life.

For more information about the Community Infrastructure Fund, visit http://www.dra.gov.

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About the Delta Regional Authority

The DRA was established in 2000 as a formal framework for joint federal-state collaboration to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. To fulfill this purpose, DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. DRA’s region encompasses 252 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.

Peggy McKenzie Sandlin, age 86, of Homer, LA, passed away on Friday, October 25, 2024. Peggy was born in Homer, LA, on July 12, 1938. The family moved to Bienville, LA, where she graduated high school and met Terry. They were married in 1956.

Peggy is survived by her son, Clifton Sandlin and wife Sheri; two grandchildren, Carlie Sandlin and Andy Sandlin; and a host of loving nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Jessie and Louise McKenzie; four sisters, Catherine Davis, Ruth Sherril, Mary Scriber, and Hannah Toms; and her loving husband, Terry Sandlin.

She was a devoted sister, wife, and mother. Peggy worked for the State of Louisiana in child welfare services. She was an active member of Bienville Baptist Church where she served as choir director. After relocating to Ruston in 1978, Peggy and Terry became members of Temple Baptist Church where she sang in the choir, enjoyed many trips with the senior Sunday School class, and forged lasting friendships with so many people. Peggy loved to fish and springtime would find her and Terry at area lakes searching for bream beds. She spent the last four years of her life as a resident of The Arbor and Terrace of Ruston where she met many new friends, enjoyed playing cards and bingo, and received excellent care.

A Memorial Service was held at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 405 East 5th Street, Homer, LA, on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., and Rev. Randy Tom, officiated. Visitation was held from 1-2 p.m., prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers honoring Peggy, the family suggest memorials be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The 2024 Louisiana duck hunting season begins Nov. 2-3 in the West Zone with a youth-only hunt, and the first split of the season opens a week later, on Nov. 9, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced.

The East Zone’s youth-veterans only hunt will be Nov. 9 with the first split of the season beginning Nov. 16.

To see the complete seasons for both zones, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Regulations/2024-2025-Hunting-Regulations.pdf.

All waterfowl hunters 16 years and older, even those who are not otherwise required to purchase a license, must have a Federal Duck Stamp. Go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/federal-duck-stamps for more information.

Those 18 and older duck hunting are required to have a basic hunting license and be Harvest Information Program (HIP) certified. Youth 17 and under do not need a hunting license or HIP certification to duck hunt. To purchase a hunting license, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/hunting-licenses-permits-tags.

Many LDWF Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) throughout the state offer duck hunting opportunities. The most popular include: Pass-a-Loutre WMA, Atchafalaya Delta WMA, Pointe-aux-Chenes WMA, Sherburne WMA, Dewey Wills WMA and Russell Sage WMA. For a complete list of WMAs open to duck hunting and more information on WMA duck hunting, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/seasons-and-regulations.

All visitors to LDWF WMAs must have either a WMA Access Permit, Senior Hunting/Fishing License, Louisiana Sportsman’s Paradise License or Lifetime Hunting/Fishing License. Go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/wmarefugeconservation-area-licenses-and-permits for more information.

For more information on duck hunting in Louisiana, go to https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/subhome/waterfowl or contact Jason Olszak at jolszak@wlf.la.gov.

 For press inquiries, please contact Rene LeBreton, at 504-286-8745 or rlebreton@wlf.la.gov

I early voted this past Thursday in Shreveport.  It went smoothly as I was ushered in, through and out.  

I thought about how such a simple but powerful act is a mere reflection of so much more.  The right to vote—to determine the laws we live under and the kind of country we live in—has been afforded to us, guaranteed to us throughout America’s history only by the great sacrifice, that “last full measure of devotion”—of more than 1.1 million Americans who were killed in combat throughout our history, and millions more who were grievously wounded, defending the freedoms we often take for granted.  

I thought of Thomas Jefferson’s brilliant Declaration of Independence and the timeless moral truths it laid down in a governing blueprint for the ages.

I thought of the resolve and bravery of General George Washington who overcame numerous seemingly insurmountable obstacles and, by the force of his personality and regal bearing, held together a rag tag army many of whom had neither shoes in that freezing weather nor a weapon, to defeat the British army and secure America’s independence.

I thought of the Founding Fathers as they sat in the miserable heat of that Philadelphia convention hall from May to September 1787 with no cooling breeze of any kind because they had to keep the doors and windows closed and curtains drawn so as not to have it discovered that they were writing a constitution rather than doing what they were supposed to be doing—revising the Articles of Confederation. 

It is inexplicable except by the hand of God how those men from such diverse backgrounds, often with no prior relationship with each other, came together, built trust and by the hardest framed a document that, along with the nation it gave rise to, is the envy of the world.

I think again of George Washington who, always lamenting his “want of qualifications,” reluctantly served as president of the convention and said almost nothing over the 4 months of the Convention.  Yet, his mere presence in the room—sitting silently on the raised dais—conveyed a moral authority and dignity to the gathering that did nothing less than hold the often volatile and heated proceedings together. 

I think of the venerable Benjamin Franklin also, who, after weeks of sitting quietly in the convention hall, realized that the delegates were making only “small progress” and uttered the remarks for which he is probably best known as he implored the men to begin praying each morning before they began their deliberations:

Franklin rose, unsteady on his feet in his late eighties and with a weak voice; he would have immediately received the full attention of the delegates. We can almost hear in Franklin’s voice his age, fatigue, and wisdom.  “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men.  And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, it is likely an empire can rise without His aid?”  The delegates began praying after that and they begin to make progress.

I also think of Benjamin Franklin’s great quote at the conclusion of the Convention when he was asked by a woman in the street “Dr. Franklin, what have you wrought?” and he replied famously “a Republic, madam, if you can keep it.” 

To say we must cherish our right to vote is not enough.  We must cling to it as a rare treasure because the right to vote and the necessity to have all legal votes count equally with that of every other voter is not only one of our fundamental constitutional rights but is also the right that is preservative of all our other rights.  

The Framers handed down to us a sacred gift.  The very least we can do in honor of their memory and sacrifice is to guarantee—by virtue of our vote—that we preserve that gift for ourselves and the Americans who will follow us, who will hopefully also ‘pledge their lives, their fortune and their sacred honor,’ to ensure that America continues to defend and protect the essential values imbedded in our Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.  Doing so will guarantee that America maintains a “Government by the Consent of Governed”, and that a “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” does not perish from the earth.

(Shreveport attorney, Royal Alexander, worked in D.C. in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly 8 years for two different Members of Congress from Louisiana.  He has witnessed up close several Speaker races.)

Good chicken salad is like pornography. We can’t really define it, but we know it when we see it.

And taste it.

We live among a people bent on throwing wrenches into what should be the simplest things. Pee wee ball. Music awards shows. The high school prom.

And chicken salad. 

Instead of just playing, singing, dancing, or eating, we end up injecting everything with steroids, putting it under strobe lights, and driving people crazy.

These are the people our parents warned us about, the kind of complicated folk who mess up one-car funerals. And it’s not because they’re stupid. It’s because they want to add seven more cars, two taxis and a tow truck — just because. Too much time on their hands.

Big problem.

Nowhere is the disease more rampant than in your foodstuffs. I offer, for your consideration and contemplation, chicken salad. So simple, yet so misunderstood. It falls into a troublesome category of food that can be either really good or really bad. Usually, it turns bad when people try to glorify it and lift it above its reason for being. 

Think of a jacked-up VW with chrome and mud flaps. Some things just aren’t meant to be. 

My friend Ma Parker came back from lunch this week lit up like a Christmas tree. The reason was music to my ears.

“I just had,” she said, “some really, really good chicken salad.”

Sweet. It’s hard to come by in these modern times, so hard that, when you find it, you have to seek out a friend and comment, spread the love.

Chicken salad need not be complicated. I am no pro but when I think chicken salad, I think chicken, a little mayo and hint of mustard, some ground pepper, a smidge of lemon juice, and you’re ready to roll. 

Remember when you were little and you got sick and had to go to the doctor, and your mom always tried to do a little extra something special for you to get you over the hump? 

Mine bought me a chicken salad sandwich at a pharmacy that had a grill in the same town that had a doctor. Spoiled me for life. David’s Pharmacy in Mullins, S.C. They had a sandwich press deal and it would toast the bread with your “chick sal” stuff already inside and it came out crisp and heavenly.

The word I’m looking for is succulent. So succulent. It was almost worth getting sick just to get one.

On the panini sandwich deal, they were 40 years ahead.

Forty YEARS.

So I had David’s when I got sick, and every other day I had my momma’s understated chick sal in a clear Tupperware bowl in the icebox at the house. You just snatched a bit, put it on a piece of white bread, fresh and lush, folded it over and went back to your bicycle. 

Sweet.

But today … cranberries and grapes and nuts in chicken salad? Apples? 

Seriously? Would you put pork butt roast in your jello mold?

No doubt there are different strokes for different folks. To each his own and to and fro and all of that but …

I’m on a campaign to get celery, whose popularity defies logic, out of tuna fish sandwiches and chicken salad and I know my work is cut out for me there, but grapes? Nuts? Really? I love trail mix. 

But not in chicken salad.

Where we error is when we think “adding stuff” makes things better. Not always.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Please send all non-profit calendar events to cpjnewsla@gmail.com

October 31

Halloween Party and Costume Contest – Haynesville Community Center

Elementary: 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Jr./High School: 7 – 9 p.m.

October 31 (3:30 – 5 p.m.)

Claiborne Memorial Medical Center Trick or Treat Trail 

November 1 (1:30 p.m.)

Early Dismissal for Haynesville High School 

November 8

Computer Workshops hosted by the Claiborne Parish Library

November 23 (10 – 4 p.m.)

Harvest Time Homer – Craft Festival at A Gracious Plenty

Notice of Death – October 29, 2024

Clarice Ann Edwards Madden

Jan. 28, 1931 – Oct. 25, 2024

Ringgold, La. 

Visitation: 12 – 2 p.m., Wednesday, October 30, 2024, Rockett Funeral Home, Ringgold, La. 

Service will follow immediately after visitation.

Burial will take place at Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Ringgold, La. 

Phillip Taylor McKenzie

April 21, 1948 – October 16, 2024

Homer, La. 

Graveside service: 2 – 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, Arlington Cemetery, Homer, La. 

Ramona Palmer

Jan. 07, 1977 – Oct. 16, 2024

Arcadia, La. 

Visitation: 1 – 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, Memorial Funeral Home, Arcadia, La. 

Funeral service: 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, Memorial Funeral Home, Arcadia, La. 

Vivian Lopo Jones

June 04, 1933 – Oct. 09, 2024

Homer, La. 

Visitation: 12 – 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 01, 2024, Memorial Funeral Home, Homer, La. 

Funeral service: 11 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 02, 2024, Springlake Church of God in Christ, Homer, La. 

Interment to follow at St. John Cemetery, Homer, La. 

Bettye Peterson

Jan. 04, 1956 – Oct. 28, 2024

Homer, La. 

Visitation: 1 – 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 01, 2024, Memorial Funeral Home, Homer, La. 

Funeral service: 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 02, 2024, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Homer, La. 

Jeffery Staples

Sept. 13, 1956 – Oct. 22, 2024

Arcadia, La. 

Graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 at Alabama Baptist Church.

Bobby G. Myers

Feb. 12, 1951 – Oct. 26, 2024

Castor, La. 

Celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2024 at Castor Community Center. 

Claiborne Parish Journal publishes paid complete obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or cpjnewsla@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are no charge.)

Local high school football scores:

Wednesday, October 23, at approximately 4:00 p.m., the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Bossier Field Office (LSP/BFO) arrested a Louisiana Department of Corrections, David Wade Correctional Center employee on criminal charges. The investigation resulted in the arrest of 48-year-old Helen Washington-Turner of Haynesville.

The investigation began in July 2024 when investigators learned Washington-Turner, while in her official position, sent unauthorized criminal history query results to an out-of-state agency. Also, she used her agency’s official letterhead to contest the validity of an active warrant for a family member.

As a result of the investigation and information obtained, an arrest warrant was obtained through the 2^nd JDC, charging Washington-Turner with malfeasance in office and false personation. Washington-Turner turned herself in to authorities yesterday afternoon and was booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center on the above charges.

To report suspicious or criminal activity in your community, the Louisiana State Police online reporting system is available to the public through a convenient, anonymous, and secure reporting form that is submitted to the appropriate investigators. The form can be accessed by visiting lsp.org and clicking the Report Suspicious or Criminal Activity.

Contact Information:

Trooper Eddie Thomas           

Louisiana State Police
Public Affairs Section-Troop G

Office: (318) 741-7411                      
eddie.thomas2@la.gov

Reaching the MAIS State tournament has become the standard for Claiborne Academy Softball. After losing several seniors the last few years, the pressure was on for many young players to step up and fill some positions. These ladies rose to the occasion and not only made it back to the State tournament, but made it to the final day of the tournament and were just a few runs short of playing for a State Championship.

After splitting wins with Briarfield, the eventual state champion, in district play, the Lady Rebels competed in the South State Tournament in Sterlington, LA. They punched their ticket to the State Tournament with 3 big wins over WCCA and Tensas Academy. Then they traveled to Magee, Mississippi, to compete in the MAIS Class 2A State Tournament.

After going 1-1 on day 1, they came to play ball on day 2, with wins over Marvell Academy and Tallulah Academy. With a trip to the State Championship series on the line, the Lady Rebels fell to Calhoun Academy 6-4 to finish their season.

Members of the Varsity & JV Lady Rebels are Caydence Hardin, Claire Hays, Kinley Odom, Jaylee Baird, Mattie Nowery, Saydie Sims, McKinley Harris, Ali McKnight, Khloe Roberts, MK Hays, Avery Tanner, Emilee Ware, Lillie Smith, Emma Nelson, Katelynn McAdams, Adila Sherman and Mattie Odom. They are coached by Adam Robinson and David Ware.

In the past few weeks, I have attended a baptism at a local Catholic church and a baby dedication at a Pentecostal church with my family. Which has gotten my sister and I conversing about the topic of religion/denominations and how there are so many and why we think they came about.  

I feel like I have experienced numerous varying religions growing up and into adulthood. I was raised in a Southern Baptist church and that’s where I was baptized and attended youth groups, stuff like that, but I currently work at an Episcopal church.  

In high school my friend group was made up of a handful of beautiful girls that I will cherish for as long as I live, but most of us seemed to have grown up in different churches – Southern Baptist, Missionary Baptist, Pentecostal, Catholic, etc. We were pretty inseparable, even on Sundays, so we decided we would start going together as a group to the different churches around town, trying a new one each week.  

I can’t really remember how long that lasted, but it was a learning experience for sure. I also remember questioning then; how does one group do certain things and then another group does something different? Why do some believe you should pray this way? Why do some administer communion every Sunday while others do not? Why do some believe you should do this and not do that while others don’t really seem to care as long as you show up? Why are you supposed to be quiet in some churches, but allowed to be loud in others? Why do they believe it’s okay to dance, while this one does not?  

Who comes up with the set of rules for each of these religions? 

To be honest, I am not even close to getting a definitive answer, so I hope you’re not reading this in search of one, but while doing my own research I have gathered this much… 

Almost everyone at some point in their lifetime has asked this same type of questions and it is in search of those answers that religion is basically born. People have different beliefs, opinions, lifestyles, tastes, different family histories, etc. So, I guess it makes sense that there are different religions/denominations. 

But then comes the question: Who is right or who is wrong in what they believe or how they worship. In my opinion, as long as you are worshipping the One and Only True King – Jesus Christ then, who cares? 

To me religion isn’t only about beliefs. It’s about finding that group you fit in with the best and getting to experience community and friendship – people to help hold you accountable in your walk with the Lord. So, where do you personally feel the most comfortable and at home? There is no right or wrong answer. 

Sure, it would be nice if everyone could just agree, right? But I think the better goal would be shared understanding and acceptance. The ultimate goal is to experience and share the Word. How different religions go about that doesn’t really matter in the end does it?  

Afterall, God judges the intention of the human heart alone, not by which denominations or religion you belong to.

(Paige Gurgainers is a mother of three girls, publisher of Bienville Parish Journal and Claiborne Parish Journal and a digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal.)

It’s getting close to time to move plants inside. When you bring them in, you usually have to fight the bugs you bring in with them. Be sure to spray them good a week or so before moving them. Cynara is a great chemical to use.  It’s safe and labeled for this.  

House plants have made a great comeback. They don’t need a lot of attention. You might want to use a little fertilizer every other week.  Fertilome makes a Houseplant Hero plant food, it is a 10-10-10. It mixes a 1/4 teaspoon to a quart of water. Avoid over watering and using water that has passed through a water softening unit. Water when soil is dry. Re-pot once per year into a larger pot of appropriate size and use a premium potting mix. I like the Baccto potting soils. Make sure the plants have plenty of light.

So as not to have to spray the plants for insects while they are inside, you can use sticky traps.  Sticky traps capture fungus gnats, fruit flies, leaf miners, thrips, and aphids.  They will also trap spiders.  Sticky traps are not expensive and will do a  good job for you.  

(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)

At 63, I’m still a work in progress. If you’d asked me at 30, I’d have told you I’d have life and business all figured out by now, with nothing left to do but coast. How wrong I was. Back then, I thought I’d cracked the code of my 20s and that my 30s and 40s would just be about riding the wave. When I hit 40, I was sure I’d have it nailed by 50. By 50, I started wondering if anyone ever really has it figured out. Now, in my 60s, I’ve learned to embrace the fact that I’m never going to have it all sorted. And you know what? I’m kind of excited about that. Maybe that’s what aging does—it humbles you, but it also gives you permission to keep getting better, to keep striving. Wisdom doesn’t mean you have all the answers; it means you’re smart enough to know there’s always room to grow.

This year, I’m focusing on just two things: one in my personal life, and one in my business life. I used to try to take on everything at once, thinking I could handle the whole apple in one bite. But I’ve learned that if I focus on just a couple of key areas, I can make real, lasting changes. So, this year, the apple is split in two. In my personal life, I’m working on gratitude. In my business life, I’m laser-focused on candor. And not just any candor—I’m talking about what I call respectful candor.

Gratitude isn’t a new concept for me. I first learned it at 21 years old when I went to rehab. Back then, I didn’t feel like I had a damn thing to be grateful for. Life felt like it was falling apart, and the idea of making a daily gratitude list seemed like a joke. But as I worked a 12-step program and surrounded myself with people who had been where I was, I started to see things differently. Even in the darkest moments, there were still things—small things, maybe, but real things—that I could be thankful for. That daily gratitude list became a lifeline.

Now, I don’t make a physical list every day anymore, but I think about gratitude constantly. My faith, my family, my friends, and my team—those are the things that keep me grounded. The older I get, the more I realize that it’s not the material stuff that matters; it’s the relationships and the spiritual connections. I’m blessed beyond measure in that regard, and it’s something I never want to take for granted.

I make phone calls these days. They’re usually out of the blue and go something like this (this was an actual call), “Hey Cliff, I’ve reached an age to when I think of something I go ahead and say it. I just want you to know how much I have always admired you and the way you fathered your children. You might not have known it, but you set a great example for me to follow.” Sometimes it takes them aback. But it’s just as much for me as it is for them. I have lost too many friends to early to let life’s important things go unsaid.

But here’s the thing: even after decades of practicing gratitude, I’m still learning how to better express it. I used to read the daily manager logs from our restaurants—the reports that tell me how the restaurants did the day before—and see moments where one of my team members had gone above and beyond. Every time, I’d think to myself, “I need to thank them when I see them.” But guess what? I’d forget. Nine times out of ten, that moment would slip away, and I’d miss my chance to show them how much I appreciated their efforts.

Not anymore. Now, when I see something worth acknowledging, I send a text right away. A quick show of gratitude such as a “thank you” takes less than a minute, but it lets them know that their work matters. It connects us in a way that’s immediate, and I’ve seen the impact it has. Gratitude isn’t just something you feel—it’s something you show, and that’s what I’m focusing on now.

And when I think about the bigger picture—like the fact that 670,000 people in Mississippi don’t have enough food to lead a healthy life—it hits me just how fortunate I am. I have no business complaining about anything. I’m blessed beyond belief, and with that comes a responsibility to help those who don’t have the same privileges.

If gratitude is something that comes naturally to me, candor has always been my Achilles’ heel. Always. I’ve spent most of my career avoiding tough conversations, thinking that sparing people the hard truths was the kind thing to do. But what I’ve learned is that avoiding those conversations never helped anyone. It breeds confusion and resentment. People can’t fix what they don’t know is broken, and as a leader, I wasn’t doing anyone any favors by staying quiet.

Then I came across Radical Candor by Kim Scott. She talks about giving feedback with care—being direct, but also being empathetic. It was a game changer for me. I realized that candor isn’t about being harsh; it’s about being honest in a way that helps people grow. In 2022 I shared a stage at the Lincoln Center in New York with Gary Vaynerchuck at Will Guidara’s Welcome Conference. I started following Gary’s podcasts. Vaynerchuck avoided being candorous, too, but now he embraces it as a way to build stronger teams. He calls it “kind candor.” 

Though I needed something that felt like me. I toyed with “polite candor” because my mother was always my “manner monitor,” but that didn’t quite fit. What I settled on was respectful candor—the idea that you can be completely honest without being unkind. It’s about getting straight to the point while showing the person that you respect them enough to tell them the truth. It’s not sugarcoating; it’s delivering the message in a way that they can actually hear it and use it.

I’m working hard to bring respectful candor into my business life. I’ve seen the damage that comes from avoiding tough conversations, and I’m committed to not letting that happen anymore. My team knows that when I sit down to talk with them, they’re going to get the truth—but they’re going to get it with respect. It’s already made a difference in how we operate. People feel more empowered, more connected, and more aligned with the vision.

Candor has changed my business life.

What I’m realizing is that gratitude and candor aren’t opposites. They work hand in hand. Gratitude without candor can lead to complacency. Candor without gratitude can feel cold. But when you balance the two, you create something powerful—a culture where people feel appreciated but also know where they stand. It’s a culture where growth is constant, and relationships are stronger because they’re built on both respect and honesty.

At 63, I know I’m still learning. I don’t have all the answers, and I probably never will. But that’s okay. Actually, I don’t want all of the answers. I want to keep growing. I’m excited about the work I’m doing this year—on myself, on my business, and on the relationships that matter most to me. If I can master gratitude in my personal life and respectful candor in my business life, then I’m moving in the right direction.

Onward.

Panna Cotta

I always prefer a lighter fruit finish to a meal to a heavy chocolate finale. This recipe meets both criteria. 

1 (¼ oz.) Package gelatin
2 cups Heavy cream
1 cup Half and half
1/3 cup Sugar
½ TB Vanilla extract
1 recipe Strawberry puree

Place 2 TB water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin across the surface and allow to bloom for at least 5 minutes. Heat just enough to dissolve the gelatin.

Combine remaining ingredients in a 2 quart sauce pot and bring just to a boil.

Remove from heat and allow to cool to 160 and add gelatin mixture.

Pour ½ cup of mixture into 8 ceramic ramekins and allow to set overnight.

 Strawberry Puree

1 pint Fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced
¼ cup Sugar
2 TB Water

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pot over medium heat just until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and puree in a food processor until smooth. Strain through a chinois and allow to chill completely.

To serve:

Remove the panna cotta from the ramekins by running a paring knife around the edge and turn upside down onto a small plate.  Tap the bottom of the ramekin slightly to release the panna cotta onto the plate. Finish each with about ¼ cup of the strawberry puree.

(Robert St. John is a chef, restauranteur and published cookbook author who lives in Hattiesburg, Miss.)

Please send all non-profit calendar events to cpjnewsla@gmail.com

October 26 (6 – 7 p.m.)

Haynesville Quarterback Club – Fish Plates $10/each

October 29 (Noon)

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Celebration – Memorial Funeral Home in Homer

October 31

Halloween Party and Costume Contest – Haynesville Community Center

Elementary: 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Jr./High School: 7 – 9 p.m.

November 8

Computer Workshops hosted by the Claiborne Parish Library

November 23 (10 – 4 p.m.)

Harvest Time Homer – Craft Festival at A Gracious Plenty