CLAIBORNE PARISH — The Louisiana Department of Education has named Macy Garner of Haynesville Jr./Sr. High School as a semifinalist for Louisiana Teacher of the Year.

The recognition is part of the state’s annual program honoring outstanding educators who make significant impacts on student achievement and learning environments.

The Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office recently recognized two dedicated public servants for their decades of service to Claiborne Parish during a special retirement celebration held at the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Sam Dowies, alongside deputies and invited guests, honored Civil Deputy Gwen Willis and Communications Supervisor Walter Johnson for their long-standing commitment to the community.

Deputy Willis served the parish for 20 years, while Johnson dedicated 23 years to the sheriff’s office, playing a vital role in communications and public safety operations.
Sheriff Dowies praised both retirees for their loyalty, professionalism, and the positive impact they made on both the department and the citizens they served.

During the ceremony, Dowies emphasized that public service requires significant personal sacrifice and unwavering dedication—qualities both Willis and Johnson demonstrated throughout their careers.
Officials noted that each excelled in their respective roles, contributing to the efficiency and effectiveness of the department. Their absence, the sheriff said, will be deeply felt within the agency.

The sheriff’s office is encouraging friends, colleagues, and community members to congratulate Willis and Johnson and thank them for their years of service.

As they step into retirement, both Willis and Johnson leave behind a legacy of commitment and professionalism that has helped shape public safety efforts in Claiborne Parish.

Officials say they wish both retirees the very best as they begin this well-earned next chapter.

By Tiffany Flournoy

HOMER, La. — A Homer police officer has been arrested following an investigation into allegations that he made an arrest outside his jurisdiction and without proper legal authority, officials said in a news release Monday.

The Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office said it opened a criminal investigation March 20, 2026, after receiving a complaint accusing Officer William Fitzpatrick of conducting an arrest outside the Homer city limits.

Investigators determined that Fitzpatrick did not properly obtain an arrest warrant for the individual he detained, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities also found that he did not secure a search warrant before entering the residence where the individual was taken into custody and failed to book the person into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center as required by law.

The sheriff’s office later obtained an arrest warrant for Fitzpatrick through Louisiana’s Second Judicial District Court. He was charged with simple kidnapping, false imprisonment and unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling.

Fitzpatrick surrendered to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center on March 28 and was booked before posting an $85,000 bond. 

Claiborne Parish Sheriff Sam Dowies said he is committed to enforcing the law and holding individuals accountable.

“All subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law,” the sheriff’s office said.

Claiborne Parish, LA — A changing spring weather pattern will bring a mix of warm temperatures, gusty winds, and increasing storm chances to Claiborne Parish through the upcoming weekend.

Wednesday: Warm and Breezy

Partly sunny skies will dominate Wednesday, with afternoon highs reaching near 86°F. Winds from the south at 5 to 10 mph could gust up to 20 mph, adding a breezy feel to the warm conditions.

Wednesday night turns mostly cloudy, with a mild low around 65°F and lighter winds.

Thursday: Storm Chances on the Rise

Rain chances increase Thursday, with a 60% likelihood of showers and thunderstorms—especially after 1 p.m. Skies remain mostly cloudy, and temperatures will be slightly cooler with highs near 80°F. A few showers may linger into Thursday night, with a 30% chance and lows around 64°F.

Friday: Spotty Afternoon Storms

Friday brings another opportunity for scattered storms, mainly after 1 p.m., with a 40% chance of precipitation. Expect partly sunny skies and a return to warmer temperatures near 86°F. A slight chance of storms continues into Friday night.

Weekend: Unsettled Then Cooler

Saturday remains active, with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms under mostly cloudy skies and a high near 81°F. Storm chances persist into Saturday night, accompanied by a notable drop in temperatures to around 49°F.

Sunday introduces cooler air, with highs only reaching the upper 60s and a 30% chance of lingering showers and thunderstorms. Overnight lows will dip into the mid-40s as rain chances begin to taper off.

Monday: Clearing Skies

By Monday, conditions improve with mostly sunny skies and a comfortable high near 70°F—marking a return to more stable weather.

Bottom Line:

Claiborne Parish will experience a typical springtime pattern—warm and breezy conditions early, followed by increasing storm chances late in the week, and a cooler, drier air mass arriving by the end of the weekend. Residents should stay weather-aware, especially during afternoon and evening hours when storms are most likely.

Warm-Season Vegetable Gardening

By John Monzingo, Assistant County Agent

As daylight hours increase and temperatures begin to rise, many people are inspired to spend
more time outdoors. Vegetable gardeners are no exception. This time of year, they begin
preparing for the season by collecting soil samples, determining nutrient needs, and monitoring
weather conditions to identify the optimal planting window for their crops.

Below are examples of warm-season vegetables commonly grown in Louisiana during the spring
and summer months:

Plant Planting Dates How to Plant Spacing Days to Harvest

Snap Beans 3/15–5/15 Plant seeds ½ inch deep 2–3 inches 48–55 days

Sweet Corn 3/1–5/15 Plant seeds ½ inch deep 10–12 inches 69–92 days

Watermelons 3/15–6/30 Plant seeds ½ inch deep 36–60 inches 90–110 days

Tomatoes 3/20–6/30 Transplants 1 inch deep 18–24 inches 60–75 days

Celery 3/1–4/15 Transplants 1 inch deep 18–24 inches 60–120 days

Peas 4/15–7/31 Plant seeds ½ inch deep 4–6 inches 70–80 days

Hot Peppers 4/1–6/15 Transplants 1 inch deep 12–18 inches 70–80 days

Bell Peppers 4/1–5/30 Transplants 1 inch deep 12–18 inches 70–80 days

Pumpkin 6/15–7/10 Plant seeds ½ inch deep 36–60 inches 60–120 days

Squash 4/1–8/31 Transplants 1 inch deep 24–36 inches 50–90 days

If you are concerned about not having enough room for a traditional in-ground garden, there
are easy alternatives. Raised beds, window boxes, and even 5gallon buckets offer excellent
options for growing many of the warm-season crops listed above. Numerous vegetable
varieties perform well in container systems, making gardening accessible even in limited spaces.

This list is not exhaustive—these are simply a few of my personal favorites to grow each year.

For additional recommendations on warm-season vegetables or variety selection, please
contact John Monzingo at 3189273110 or 3183711371.

Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service Disclaimer

It is the policy of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service that no person shall be subject to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability.

Students from Haynesville Jr Sr High School showcased their talents and leadership skills at the recent FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) State Leadership Conference, bringing home top honors and earning recognition at both state and national levels.

Two students earned second-place finishes in the Exploring Customer Service category:

Bree Bailey – 2nd Place
Jurnee Manning – 2nd Place

Additionally, two students secured third-place finishes in their respective events:

Kylee Johnson – Career Exploration

Cassady Hope Rogers – Advanced Accounting

These top performances qualify the students to advance to the national competition, highlighting the strength of Haynesville Jr./Sr. High’s FBLA program.

Beyond the national qualifiers, ten other students achieved finalist placements at the state level, including:

Kylee Johnson – Exploring Leadership (5th)

Ja’zae Lane – Career Exploration (6th)

Max Pratt – Exploring Agribusiness (7th)

Jaxson Sanders – Exploring Computer Science (7th)

Ariel Shelton – Interpersonal Communication (6th)

Thaddeus Williams – Exploring Technology (6th)

Khandence Woods – Exploring Professionalism (7th)

Madden Edwards – Intro to Parliamentary Procedures (7th)

Macie Brooks – Business Ethics (9th)

Aaliyah Abney, Alyssia Ziegler, Dakota Davis – Banking and Financial Systems (8th)

The school celebrated the students’ hard work, dedication, and commitment to leadership, professionalism, and academic excellence. Administrators praised the FBLA program for providing hands-on experiences that prepare students for future success in business and leadership roles.

With several students advancing to national competition, Haynesville Jr Sr High School continues to demonstrate a strong culture of student achievement and leadership development, marking what the school calls its “Golden Year.”

The community is encouraged to congratulate these students for their accomplishments and wish them success at the national level.

Claiborne Parish 4H recently hosted Camp Clover, a day camp designed for second- and thirdgrade 4-H Cloverbud members. The camp offered youth a fun, handson learning experience focused on exploration, creativity, and discovery.

Participants rotated through interactive sessions covering wildlife and fisheries, wetlands, Louisiana history, SeaPerch underwater robotics, crawfish house construction, and a set of fun outdoor activities. Each activity encouraged teamwork, problemsolving, and curiosity while introducing campers to new skills and careers.

Camp Clover is part of the LSU AgCenter 4H Youth Development program, which helps
youth build confidence, leadership, and life skills through experiential learning.

While I was growing up, my parents fully supported my athletic career. But they also believed in hard work and understood that free time for a teenage boy was not a good thing. To say my teenage years were structured would be an understatement.

While they never kept me from playing whatever sport I wanted to play, they had a rule that if I was not playing a sport, I had to get a job after school and on Saturdays. Note — our family was in no way desperate for money as my dad was superintendent for an oil drilling company.

They wanted me to understand the benefits of a good work ethic. At the age of 10 my first job outside the family ranch was picking up trash on the mornings following all the baseball games the night before.

They believed that many of life’s lessons were learned through working. Personally, I understood early in my childhood what a good work ethic was while growing up on a cattle ranch where there’s never a shortage of things to do.

Jobs included, but were not limited to, building barns, vaccinating cattle, building fences and hauling hay. Owning a cattle ranch is a seven day a week job that requires a lot of commitment and dedication. It’s like raising kids; every day someone must do a head count while making sure they are fed.

My last three years of high school, I had a job that I really enjoyed, working at Foxworth-Galbreath Lumber Yard. While I played three sports — football, baseball and track — it was during basketball season that I worked at the lumber yard after school.

I learned a lot from that experience, like how important it is to be on time. It was good that I answered to someone who held me accountable. I learned about the different grades of lumber and plywood as well as inventory control and how a lumber yard is managed.

This also gave me a sense of independence as the job provided money for dating and gas. It taught me how to be responsible and how important people skills are in order to work with others. It also motivated me to continue my education and get a degree.

These are lessons that many of today’s younger generation have not mastered. Many of today’s youth have no idea what it’s like to work for what they have. To answer to someone else who doesn’t accept excuses for being late or not doing the job right.

Every job I ever had, and I’ve had my share, taught me something. In high school and college, I not only worked at a lumber yard, but I also worked construction with Brown & Root, unloaded box trucks for a shipping company at 4 a.m. each day, lined fields and kept the books for Dixie Youth games every night and was an engineer’s assistant for the Texas Highway Department.

Each one of these job opportunities taught me a lot. But the most important lesson I learned was accountability, which is an important ingredient for being successful in life. So, if you’re looking for a purpose in life, maybe you need to get a job!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

Pulling up to the gas pump has started to feel less like a routine stop and more like a scene straight out of a horror movie. You swipe your card, start fueling up, and suddenly—there it is—the total climbing faster than you can look away. At $100 and still rising, it’s the kind of moment that makes you question every decision that led you to that pump. The real twist? No jump scare soundtrack needed—just the quiet panic of watching the numbers roll. And honestly, the caption says it best: “Based on a true story.”

Language is an art—and marriage is the gallery where half the paintings are hung upside down. Words have two lives: denotation (the dictionary version) and connotation (the emotional baggage they bring to the party). The trouble starts when two people bring different baggage handlers.

“Five minutes.”

In the male dictionary, that phrase is a stopwatch: exactly 300 seconds. In the female dictionary, it’s a flexible time zone that expands to accommodate eyeliner, the perfect earrings, and a last-minute dishwasher triage. So when the husband asks, “When will you be ready?” and the wife says, “Five minutes,” the husband hears a sprint; the wife hears a scenic detour. Either way, the car ride will include an argument about whether “on time” is a suggestion or a felony.

“Nothing.”

When a man says he’s thinking “nothing,” he’s not being evasive—he’s blissfully blank. His mental whiteboard is clean; life is a hammock and the brain is on vacation. When a woman says “nothing,” it’s a covert operations briefing: plans, feelings, timelines, and a five-year contingency plan all wrapped in two syllables. If your wife says “nothing,” consider it a red flag, a smoke signal, and a call to the nearest counselor—preferably one who accepts emergency margaritas.

The sigh.

A man’s sigh is a victory horn: lawn mowed, fish filleted, deer rack admired—mission accomplished. A woman’s sigh is a forensic report: it catalogs your idiocy, timestamps it, and files it under “Do Not Repeat.” Keep making her sigh and you’ll graduate from “nothing” to “we need to talk” faster than you can say “remote control.”

“Go ahead.”

For men, “go ahead” is a green light, a verbal thumbs-up. For women, it’s a dare wrapped in sarcasm:“Go ahead—explain why buying that thing is a brilliant idea.” If she says “go ahead” about the expensive  purchase, treat it like a landmine: do not, under any circumstances, step on it.

Words trip us up because we’re using the same language with different subtitles. That’s why marriage counselors get paid—either that or they’re masochists who enjoy listening to couples argue about the semantics of socks.

And then there’s the one place where subtitles aren’t needed: the message of love and forgiveness. The Bible puts it simply: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Even in the messiest gallery of human communication, that message hangs in plain view—no translation required.

Each year on April 1, pranksters around the world embrace a day dedicated to practical jokes, hoaxes and harmless mischief. While the exact origins of April Fools’ Day remain debated, historians trace its roots back several centuries.

One popular theory links the tradition to 16th-century France. When the country shifted from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar in 1582 under Pope Gregory XIII, New Year’s Day moved from late March to January 1. Those who continued celebrating the old New Year in early spring were reportedly mocked as “April fools.”

Over time, the tradition of playful deception spread across Europe and eventually to North America. Newspapers, radio stations and television networks have long joined the fun, publishing elaborate hoaxes on April 1.

In 1957, the BBC famously aired a segment about Swiss farmers harvesting spaghetti from trees — a prank that reportedly fooled thousands of viewers. Tech companies have also embraced the tradition, occasionally announcing outlandish fake products to entertain audiences.

While April Fools’ Day is generally lighthearted, experts advise keeping pranks safe and harmless. The best April 1 jokes are those that leave everyone laughing — not confused or hurt.

Today, social media amplifies the reach of April Fools’ jokes, allowing pranks to travel worldwide in seconds. From fake celebrity announcements to imaginary product launches, April 1 continues to blur the line between fact and fiction.

So as the calendar turns, readers may want to double-check headlines, confirm surprising announcements and approach the day with a healthy dose of skepticism.

After all, on April 1, not everything is quite what it seems.

People have dreamed about coasting back to Earth from great heights from at least the 1470s when Italian Francesco di Giorgio Martini designed a cone-shaped canopy parachute. It is the oldest known design for a parachute. In 1485, Leonardo da Vinci designed a pyramid-shaped parachute. For the following 300 years, several inventors, including Frenchman Louis-Sebastien Lenormand in 1783, jumped from trees to test their own parachutes, but none of their designs really worked as expected.

In 1797, André-Jacques Garnerin attached a parachute he designed to a hydrogen balloon in a test in Paris, France. When the balloon reached an altitude of about 3,200 feet, Garnerin parachuted safely back to the ground and became the first person to design and test a parachute capable of slowing a person’s fall from a high altitude. Two years later, his wife became the first female parachutist. In 1802, Garnerin made a safe parachute jump in a demonstration in England from an altitude of 8,000 feet. 101 years later, in December 1903, the Wright Brothers made history with the first powered, controlled, and sustained flight in a heavier-than-air machine at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. In the following years, human flight became popular. Pilots were seen as heroes and daredevils. Pilots understood that if their airplanes failed during flight, the chances of survival were slim. They recognized the need for a way to escape from a doomed aircraft and saw the life-saving potential of parachutes. On March 1, 1912, during an exhibition in St. Louis, Missouri, parachutist Albert Berry jumped from an airplane flown by another pilot at an altitude of 1,500 feet. He made a safe landing and became the first person to successfully parachute from a moving airplane.

Parachutes eventually became standard equipment for airplane pilots after World War I. They worked well for pilots of propeller driven aircraft and jet aircraft up to a point. On October 14, 1947, Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager flew an experimental Bell X-1 jet around 785 miles per hour and became the first human to break the sound barrier. Eight years later, in February 1955, test pilot George Smith was flying an experimental jet over the Pacific Ocean when the jet malfunctioned. Unable to regain control, George had to bail out. The only problem was that he was flying faster than the speed of sound and no one had ever ejected from an aircraft traveling at that speed. George knew that staying in the jet meant certain death, so he made the split-second decision and ejected. The force of the wind hitting him knocked him unconscious, but his parachute automatically opened. He landed in the water near a fishing boat crewed by a former U.S. Navy rescue expert. George remained unconscious for five days. When he awoke, he was blind in both eyes. George’s recovery required numerous surgeries and a seven-month hospital stay.

The U.S. Air Force immediately began working to solve the problem of parachuting from a supersonic jet. After seven years of testing, Air Force scientists created an escape capsule for a supersonic jet. On March 21, 1962, a flyer with the call sign “Yogi” ejected from a jet flying at about 870 miles per hour, 1.3 times the speed of sound. The parachute on the capsule opened as expected. Yogi landed successfully and became the first flyer to safely parachute from a jet traveling at supersonic speed. But Yogi was no ordinary human. He was not human. The flyer with the call sign “Yogi” was a two-year-old black bear.

Sources:

1. “First parachute jump is made over Paris,” March 4, 2010, History.com, accessed March 22, 2026, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-22/the-first-parachutist.

2. “March 1, 1912, This Day in Aviation, accessed March 22, 2026, https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/albert-berry/.

3. “February 26, 1955,” This Day in Aviation, accessed March 22, 2026, https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/george-franklin-smith/.

4. “March 21, 1962,” This Day in Aviation, accessed March 22, 2026, https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/21-march-1962/.

5. David Cenciotti, “A bear named ‘Yogi’ was ejected from a USAF B-58 to test the Hustler’s escape capsule on this day in 1962,” March 21, 2016, The Aviationist, accessed March 22, 2026, https://theaviationist.com/2016/03/21/b-58-ejects-yogi-bear/.

Kimberly Kay Langheld Lewis
December 25, 1968 – March 29, 2026
Visitation: Wednesday, April 1 from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the church
Services: Wednesday, April 1st at 11:00 a.m. at the Haynesville Community Church

Claiborne Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or billvance.erg@gmail.com. (Notice of Deaths shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to billvance.erg@gmail.com