SABINE:
Katherine M. Kezerle Sepulvado
January 22, 1928 – June 21, 2022
Service: Wednesday, June 29 at 10 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church
Winnie Ebarb Webb
April 4, 1921 – June 21, 2022
Service: Monday, June 27 at 10 am at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel
RED RIVER:
Bettie Jean Womack
May 28, 1944 – June 23, 2022
Service: Monday, June 27 at 11 am at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel
Casey LaCaze-Lachney and her attorney Randall T. Hayes met with the Winnfield Chief of Police Johnny Ray Carpenter on Tuesday, July 12, regarding an indecent exposure citation LaCaze-Lachney received while attending a festival in downtown Winnfield and took to TikTok to complain.
According to a Shreveport Times story, Hayes and LaCaze-Lachney met with Police Chief Johnny Ray Carpenter and Winnfield City Attorney Herman Castete on Tuesday. Hayes said both Carpenter and Castete acknowledged that LaCaze-Lachney did not violate the city’s indecent exposure ordinance.
“Mr. Castete said that he will have the citation officially dismissed,” said Hayes. “Both men told us that there is no body camera video of the incident. According to Chief Carpenter, the officers all failed to turn on their cameras.”
Hayes reports that Carpenter stated that Lieutenant Chuck Curry instructed the three police officers to issue that indecent exposure citation. Winnfield Police Communications Officer Doris Pailet confirmed one of the three officers was Lt. Curry’s wife, Angie Curry.
“This means that the ordinance was improperly enforced not just by three lower-level officers but by the police department’s lieutenant,” explained Hayes. “It also means that those officers failed to turn on their body cameras even though they were responding to a matter to which they had been directed by the lieutenant.”
Hayes said Carpenter found a video a bystander took at the festival showing part of LaCaze-Lachney’s encounter with the police officers. Carpenter confirmed that she was wearing the same outfit in the bystander video that she was wearing in the now viral TikTok. (Bystander video can be seen on LaCaze-Lachney’s TikTok as well)
“We are pleased that Casey is being officially exonerated,” said Hayes. “We appreciate Chief Carpenter’s gracious apology. We thank both Chief Carpenter and Mr. Castete for acknowledging the mistakes the department made in this situation. We are not completely satisfied, though. There are some serious problems, seemingly systematic ones, in how the Winnfield Police Department operates. I have to wonder how many times this city ordinance and others have been improperly enforced against people who were never vindicated because they were not as social media savvy as Casey.”
Following the meeting with officials, LaCaze-Lachney posted an update on her TikTok account where she commended Carpenter on his apology and filled in her followers on how the meeting went.
“The Chief of Police has full respect from me,” said LaCaze-Lachney in the video. “He looked me in the eye today and apologized on behalf of everybody and was like, ‘I am sorry you went through that; you shouldn’t have gone through that.’ He is not against me; none of them are against me.”
@kazzi112 Update on the citation you guys have been waiting so patiently for !! I’ll give you more as i know more! #wrongfulcitation #offendedyet #makeitmakesense #standforyourrights #update #victimshaming
♬ original sound – Casey
According to Hayes, he and LaCaze-Lachney are deciding how to move forward with the information they received at the meeting.
Read Shreveport Times Story here.
According to a message sent to the WPJ over the weekend, Attorney Randall T. Hayes, who represents Casey LaCaze-Lachney, has been in contact with Winnfield Police Chief Johnny Ray Carpenter. So far, Hayes’ request for the body cam footage of the three female police officers who gave the citation has not been fulfilled.
Assistant Police Chief Russell Jones clarified this was because the incident is still under investigation and advised Hayes to speak with City Prosecutor Herman Castete, who advises the department on what can be released.
Hayes said Carpenter has agreed to meet with him and LaCaze-Lachney next week to discuss the issue but still needs to speak with two of the police officers who were at the scene that day.
“I reminded the chief that I requested the body camera video from this incident early last week,” Hayes said. “I told him that I would like to know when the video will be provided. He said he and the city attorney will call me about that next week.”
In an email to the Winn Parish Journal Casey LaCaze-Lachney’s attorney Randall T. Hayes issued the following statement:
“I don’t ever want another person to feel the embarrassment I felt in front of my children.”
On June 11, 2022, a young woman named Casey was attending a summer festival with her family in Winnfield, Louisiana, when she was approached by three police officers. Those officers issued Casey a citation for violation of the city’s Indecent Exposure ordinance.
The ordinance says that it “shall be unlawful for any person to wear pants, trousers, shorts, skirts, dresses, or skorts in any public place or place open to the public which either intentionally exposes undergarments or which intentionally exposes any portion of the pubic hair, cleft of the buttocks, or genitals.”
There are two elements to this crime that Casey is alleged to have committed. One: The undergarments or one of the body parts mentioned must be exposed. Two: The exposure must be intentional.
Neither of these elements was met. There is no evidence that Casey even unintentionally exposed herself in any of the ways covered by the ordinance. The claim that Casey intentionally did anything like that while attending a festival with her husband and her children in downtown Winnfield is not believable.
With the hope of bringing this matter to a close, on Monday, June 20, we requested the body camera video of Casey’s encounter with the police. I faxed a written request to Winnfield Police Chief Johnny Ray Carpenter’s office. I confirmed by telephone that the fax had been received. I made repeated telephone calls to the police department. I have been told that the chief, then the assistant chief, then the lieutenant would call me back. I am still waiting for those calls. Well over 48 hours after we made the request, we still do not have the video which could resolve this matter, nor have we gotten an explanation for why we have not gotten the video.
Casey is not looking for money. She is not asking that anyone be fired over one mistake.
When I asked Casey what resolution she wanted, she said, “I don’t ever want another person to feel the embarrassment I felt in front of my children.”
Casey wants an acknowledgment that this citation should have never been written. She wants an apology from the police officers for how they handled this incident. She wants a commitment from the City of Winnfield that its police officers will have proper training on how to enforce the city’s Indecent Exposure ordinance. She wants to make sure that in the future a woman will be able to attend a festival in Winnfield without being harassed simply because of how she is dressed.
Read the original story from June 15, 2022 here –
Winnfield Police Department Responds to Social Media
The IMPaCT Team hosted its 3rd annual Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 18, 2022, at Winn Parish Fairgrounds.
This year’s theme was “Dream But Stay Woke.” The celebration was a family oriented event that promoted the recognition of African American freedom that took place in 1865.
Juneteenth 2022 kicked off with a parade that concluded at the fairgrounds where the remaining activities took place. The fairgrounds were filled with tents, good food, water slides, vendors, games, entertainment and a lot of positive energy from the community.
The IMPaCT Team is beyond grateful to the donors, vendors and community for helping make the event a success.
For more information on upcoming events hosted by IMPaCT please follow our Facebook Juneteenth In Da Field.
The Conservative Caucus stands in support of the people of Louisiana and all Republicans in the House and Senate in calling for a veto override session.
BATON ROUGE, June 23 – In a show of support for all Republican legislators and their legislation, the Louisiana Conservative Caucus is calling for a veto override session to correct the Governor’s unilateral actions. This year, the Governor has vetoed legislation ranging from religious freedom and personal liberty to criminal justice reform and special needs education.
The members of the Conservative Caucus are asking all of our House and Senate colleagues to join us in calling a veto override session, and we are asking the public to encourage your members of the House and Senate. “The legislature represents the will of the people of Louisiana,” said Representative Rhonda Butler (R – Turkey Creek), a founding member of the Conservative Caucus. She added, “Overriding the vetoes is not about politics; it’s about checks and balances and serving the people who elected us to be their voice in Baton Rouge.”
“The Conservative Caucus has always supported and defended our Republican colleagues,” said Representative Jack McFarland (R – Winnfield), Chairman of the Conservative Caucus. He continued, “And if the majority of Republicans in the House and Senate thought these bills were worthy of becoming law, then we should all band together to ensure that becomes reality.”
The Conservative Caucus can be found on Facebook @LaConservativeCaucus and online at http://www.LaConservativeCaucus.com.
Louisiana Adult & Teen Challenge exists to provide men and women with an effective residential, biblically-based solution to life-controlling problems. Our purpose is to produce graduates who function responsibly and productively in society, and who have healthy relationships in the workplace, family, church and community.
Adult & Teen Challenge is one of the largest and most successful accredited programs of its kind with over 1000 residential locations worldwide. Louisiana Adult & Teen Challenge was founded by Greg and Abigail Dill in 1987. Over the last 35 years, we have grown to 8 campuses statewide, with the ability to accommodate men, women, and women with their children.
Students often come into Louisiana Adult & Teen Challenge with little or no hope in life. They have burned every bridge and lost almost everything due to drug abuse and other crimes. Most times, they have little outside help supporting them during this time; therefore, we do not charge a monthly tuition. If you would like to help offset these costs, you can sponsor a student for as little as $35 a month. You can also sponsor a child that is enrolled here with their mother for an additional $15 per child. Your sponsorship means that they have someone who cares and is invested in their success!
For more information about becoming a sponsor visit https://www.louisianateenchallenge.com/sponsorship/
SaveCenla, a nonprofit organization focused on providing the public with information and events that will promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention, is hosting a two-day Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) interactive workshop on August 22-23, 2022 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM day 1 and 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM day 2 at CLTCC in Winnfield located at 5960 US-167, Winnfield, LA 71483. There is no cost to register.
ASIST is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognize when someone may have thoughts of suicide and work with them to create a plan to support their immediate safety. Although healthcare providers widely use ASIST, participants don’t need formal training to attend the workshop—anyone 16 or older can learn and use the ASIST model.
Since its development in 1983, ASIST has received regular updates to reflect improvements in knowledge and practice. As a result, over 2,000,000 people have taken the workshop. In addition, studies show that the ASIST method helps reduce suicidal feelings in those at risk and is a cost-effective way to help address the problem of suicide.
Thoughts of suicide are surprisingly common. At any given time, around 1 in 25 people is thinking about suicide to some degree.
For most people, thinking about suicide isn’t about wanting to die. Instead, it’s the tension between their reasons for staying alive and their desire to escape from the pain that feels unbearable.
Within this tension lies the risk of death and the possibility of intervention, hope, and life. This is where someone with the right skills can help tip the balance and change a life forever. This is where LivingWorks training comes in.
For more information on the ASIST two-day training, click here.
By: Dr. James Lee
A hospital director catches up with a patient running barefoot from the building.
“Why did you escape from the operating room and run away?” asked the director.
The patient replies, “Because the nurse was saying, ‘It’s okay be brave, it’s just an appendicitis, it’s a simple operation.’
The director says, “So what? She was just trying to reassure you.”
The patient says, “She was talking to the surgeon!”
Haha, a little humor to start off never hurts! But, now on to the serious matter of Acute Appendicitis.
Appendicitis is the inflammation of the appendix. The appendix is a small, hollow, worm-like organ that is attached to the first part of the colon (large intestine) called the cecum. The cecum is usually located low in the abdomen on the right side. The exact function of the appendix is debatable. Most accept that it may have some immunoprotective function, like a lymphoid organ, others argue that it is a developmental remnant that has no real function. Regardless, appendicitis is diagnosed in approximately 300,000 people each year in the U.S. Males are slightly more likely to get appendicitis than females, with 8.6% of men and 6.7% of women developing appendicitis in their lifetime. Appendicitis can occur at any age but is most common between the ages of 10-45. The incidence of appendicitis is highest among patients 10-19 years of age and lowest in children 9 or under.
Appendicitis happens when the lumen of the appendix gets blocked, either by fecal material, foreign bodies, or the lymphoid tissue inside the appendix swells up. The result is that mucous production inside the appendix has nowhere to drain and pressure builds up. The pressure exerted on the wall of the appendix blocks off the lymph drainage first, then the venous drainage next. This results in a further build of pressure on the wall of the appendix. When the pressure inside the appendix exceeds the pressure of the arteries delivering blood to the appendix, the blood supply to the appendix is cut off. When this happens, the wall of the appendix begins to weaken and that is when perforation or rupture occurs.
Acute appendicitis often begins with vague discomfort around the belly button or upper center of the abdomen. Over time, usually 6-12 hours, it travels to the right lower abdomen. After the pain has localized to the right lower quadrant, the point of maximum tenderness, where it hurts the patient most, is located 2/3 along a line between the belly button and the right hip pointer (anterior-superior iliac spine). This point is called McBurney’s point after the doctor who first described it. This pain is constant and associated with nausea and sometimes vomiting. Most people with appendicitis want to lay quietly and do not move around easily. The pain is worse with movement, and it hurts to walk. A low-grade fever is common, but high temperatures are usually not seen unless the appendix ruptures. Patients usually have a low-grade white blood cell count, but a high white count can indicate perforation of the appendix. Many patients are not hungry or interested in eating. Diagnosis is usually suggested by history and physical examination. Confirmation of the diagnosis is usually made with a CT scan or Ultrasound.
The treatment for acute appendicitis traditionally is surgery. The first recorded successful appendectomy was done in 1735 by Claudius Amyand. This involved an 11-year-old boy with acute appendicitis located in an inguinal hernia. However, it would be 150 years before appendectomy would be more widely described. It was in 1887, that the first successful operation deliberately performed for appendicitis would be done by Thomas Morton. Interestingly, Dr. Morton’s brother and son both died of acute appendicitis.
Other interesting historical cases of appendicitis include Dr. Walter Reed, whose work on yellow fever identified the mosquito as the vector of this deadly virus and allowed the completion of the Panama Canal. He would not see this as he developed acute appendicitis in 1902 and initially declined surgery, only to undergo surgery later and die from perforated appendicitis. Prince Albert Edward was set to be coronated King after his mother Victoria’s death in 1901. He developed abdominal pain 12 days before his scheduled coronation. After 10 days of symptoms and refusing to delay the coronation, he relented to have his appendiceal abscess drained and delay the coronation by six weeks. Prince Albert Edward was reported to have been told by his physician that if he did not delay his accession, “Then Sir, you will go as a corpse.” Brigham Young and Harry Houdini also died of acute appendicitis.
Today, appendectomy for acute appendicitis is one of the most common emergency abdominal surgeries, with excellent outcomes. Today this can mostly be accomplished with three small incisions using the laparoscopic approach. This results in less time in the hospital and less post-operative pain over the open technique of a single larger incision.
Recently there is interest in the non-operative management of appendicitis, where patients are given antibiotics alone to resolve appendicitis. This was initially studied by the U. S. Navy, during the Cold War, on submariners. As you may imagine, given the incidence of appendicitis in young men, there was a need to evaluate treatment options as it was difficult to get sailors to surgery before rupture from a deployed submarine. Currently, non-operative treatment is possible for patients who show no signs of peritonitis or sepsis, have stable vital signs, do not have compromised immune systems, are pregnant, or have other bowel diseases. The disadvantage of non-operative treatment of appendicitis is the recurrence rate. 10-20% of patients will recur within 30 days, 30-40% recur at 1 year and 40-5-% at 5 years.
So if there is one thing to impart about appendicitis, it is that if you or someone you know has persistent pain in the lower right side of the abdomen, do not wait to go to the doctor. Get seen right away. Risk of perforation increases with the amount of time from the onset of pain. After 24-36 hours of pain risk of rupture increases dramatically.
Dr. James Lee serves as the Coroner of Winn Parish. He is a General Surgeon and Surgical Oncologist who has been practicing in Winnfield for over ten years. Dr. Lee attended the University of Colorado for his medical degree. He completed his residency in Surgery at the University of Oklahoma before completing a fellowship in Surgical Oncology and Endoscopy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. Dr. Lee and his wife Scarlett live in Winnfield with their son and are active in the community.
By Steve Graf
Now let’s take a look at the impact of the 1980’s and 90’s, just to see how big bass fishing has become. Ray Scott (who passed away this past May) was the man who had the greatest impact and should be given the credit for everything professional bass anglers have today. Ray, from the very beginning, had a vision and wanted the sport to be on the same level as professional baseball or golf. He wanted anglers to have a career and be able to make a living while providing for their families. It was during the 80’s and 90’s that the sport of bass fishing progressed the most.
In 1980, an Oklahoma boy by the name of Jimmy Houston kissed his first bass and, according to his wife Chris, she got used to smelly kisses from that point on. Jimmy, of course, became a household name with his successful fishing career and the TV host of “Jimmy Houston Outdoors,” still airing today as one of the longest running outdoor TV programs ever. But in 1985, there was a shakeup at the top of which was America’s favorite fish to pursue. After a national survey by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife, it was determined that the largemouth bass was now the most popular fish to catch, dropping panfish to number two.
In 1987, working from his garage, Herb Reed created a new bass lure that took the fishing world by storm and created a whole new category for soft plastic stick baits with his creation of the Slug-Go. This was the first of its kind and would later be followed by another bait that just might be the greatest bass lure of all time…the Senko. This one was created from the mold of a Bic Pen by the legendary Gary Yamamoto. This bait has many tournament wins to name. It’s a bait that when professional anglers are asked if they could take a bait from today and go back in time, what bait would it be? Ninety five percent will say a Senko. This versatile bait catches fish all year long, in all types of conditions, and has become a staple for all serious bass fishermen.
Moving into the 90’s, Berkley Bait Company introduces the “Power Worm” with a built in scent that fish will bite and won’t let go. The success of their scented worm encouraged other companies to do the same. It’s also a time when scent became all the rage that some thought, and still think today, is a key to catching fish. Some anglers think it’s a hoax and others believe it really works and won’t fish without adding it to their baits in some form or another. One day I asked Michigan’s Kevin Van Dam, who many consider the greatest angler of all time if he thinks scents work. He told me, “It doesn’t matter what others think, do you believe it works?” I told him “Yes” and he said, “Then that‘s all that matters. Anglers should always fish with confidence and with things they believe in. This is what makes an angler great….confidence.”
In 1992, Arkansas’s Larry Nixon, the greatest worm fisherman ever, became the first pro angler to earn over $1 million in B.A.S.S. events. To compare, Kevin Van Dam has won over $6 million since the late 1990’s. The closest angler to Kevin is California’s Skeet Reece who is #2 on the “All Time Money List” at a little over $3 million in winnings.
Next week, we’ll look at how the TV cable station, ESPN, changed the landscape of professional bass fishing forever. This one move to primetime TV changed the lives of professional anglers forever and exposed Americans to the sport in a way never seen before. Till next week, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!
Steve Graf – Owner/Co-host
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show
& Tackle Talk Live
By: Glynn Harris
The frightening commentary about feral hogs around much of the country today is this – if you don’t have hogs on your property now, just wait; they’re coming.
So, what is the problem with having feral hogs on your property? Aren’t they just another species of wildlife that have a right to compete for living spaces? Not exactly – wild pigs not only can but do horrific damage to the landscape, rooting up food plots and fouling water sources.
They’re worse than that. Feral pigs also are disease carriers of up to 37 parasites with at least 30 diseases that can be transmitted to people, pets, or wildlife. The case is thusly made that wild pigs need to be eradicated or their numbers reduced.
But how do you go about that? You can try to shoot them but when harassed just a bit, they become as wary as deer and start doing their damage under the cover of darkness.
Trapping efforts thus far have only a margin of success as when some are caught, the others become wary of traps. In wide open spaces like south Texas where they present a serious problem, hiring a team of shooters firing from helicopters has been somewhat successful.
The use of poisoned bait will take out hogs, but more species than pigs are attracted to the bait. Surely there must be some method that has promise of working.
According to Union Parish resident Peyton McKinnie, there is a way that can put a damper on feral hogs, but it only works in one area at a time, unless the general public gets behind the effort and coughs up the dollars necessary to get it done.
“Feral pigs began showing up on our hunting club over the past few years,” said McKinnie. “We did some research and learned that there are an estimated 700,000 feral hogs in Louisiana. We felt we had to try and do something about those in our area.”
Contacting a company headquartered in Sterlington, he and some of his hunting club members invested in a product manufactured by Hog Boss, a system that utilizes a pen and gate that can be triggered remotely when hogs enter the pen.
“You can purchase the whole package for around $4,000 but if you build your own pen with panels that can be purchased at several area businesses along with t-posts, you can purchase the gate from Hog Boss that includes a control system with a remote camera that can be activated by a cellular phone,” added McKinnie. “We built our own pens and purchased the gate and control system for about $1,300.”
Does it work? Consider that since deer season ended this year, McKinnie and his friends have trapped and disposed of 145 feral pigs, and they trapped these on just two hunting clubs in Union Parish, plus another area they had permission to trap.
In a statement on the Hog Boss website (hogbossgates.com) the owners said, “In just a few nights, feral swine can decimate lawns, native habitats, and pasture lands. Common feral swine damage includes rooting, wallowing, and trampling of sensitive vegetation totaling an estimated $1.5 billion in damage annually.
“Hog Boss gates are the most effective cellular-controlled hog trapping system on the market. The gate includes a cellular control unit, long range antenna, and solar panel. It requires cellular activation that can be operated for about $100 a year. The gate requires a 12-volt battery and cellular trail camera, and our system will work with any cellular trail camera.”
We inquired of McKinnie as to what happens to the pigs that are trapped.
“All the meat is donated, and we have had no problem finding individuals or groups who are happy to make use of the meat,” he said. “We have been pleased with the way it has worked for us and encourage any group to invest in the system to help in reducing the numbers of these destructive animals.”
For more information, contact Hog Boss Gates at 800-726-9930 or email hogbossgates@gmail.com.
WINN:
Larry E. “Eddie” Bridges
July 30, 1945 – June 23, 2022
Service: Saturday, June 25 at 10 am at the Temple Baptist Church in Jena
NATCHITOCHES:
Rodney D. Vinzant Sr.
June 25, 1958 – June 22, 2022
Service: Friday, June 24 at 10 am at The Pentecostals of Cloutierville
Isabel Sylvie Delphin Arceneaux
May 7, 1927 – June 20, 2022
Service: Saturday, June 25 at 11 am at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Iberville
Virginia Lou “Gingie” Trieschmann Pierson
February 6, 1922 – June 16, 2022
Service: Saturday, June 25 at 1 at First United Methodist Church in Natchitoches
SABINE:
Doyle Jennings
May 26, 1938 – June 21, 2022
Service: Saturday, June 25 at 2 pm at Jennings Chapel Congregational Methodist Church in Marthaville
Winnie Ebarb Webb
April 4, 1921 – June 21, 2022
Service: Monday, June 27 at 10 am at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel
In this episode, your host Jodi Taylor speaks with Trinity Community Health Centers, Patient Care Coordination Nurse Mary Green to discuss how the Patient Care Department keeps a personal connection with Trinity Community Health Center patients.
Date: 6-14-22
Name: Nicholas C Jordan
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 22
Charge: Cruelty to infirmed, Illegal use of weapons, Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Aggravated assault
Date: 6-15-22
Name: Lamarcus D Thirs
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Age: 32
Charge: Second-degree battery
Date: 6-16-22
Name: Johnny L Ross
Address: Coushatta, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 28
Charge: Warrant (Identity theft, Theft)
Date: 6-17-22
Name: Russell C Jone
Address: Sikes, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 46
Charge: Battery
Date: 6-17-22
Name: Robert Lewis Snelling
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 33
Charge: Theft of a vehicle
Date: 6-17-22
Name: Robert Alexander Coonce
Address: Dodson, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 46
Charge: Possession of a stolen firearm, Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Date: 6-18-22
Name: Logan Webb
Address: Ruston, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 21
Charge: Second-degree battery
Date: 6-20-22
Name: Brittany M Perritt
Address: Sikes, LA
Race: White
Sex: Female
Age: 33
Charge: Failure to appear, Domestic Abuse/Battery
Date: 6-20-22
Name: Joanie M Foster
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Female
Age: 39
Charge: Domestic violence, Resisting arrest, Battery of an officer
Date: 6-21-22
Name: Dustin D Thompson
Address: Natchitoches, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 39
Charge: Failure to appear
Goldonna Elementary Junior High School has opened their School Spirit store for the upcoming school year. Orders can be made online until July 6th. You can visit https://poseys.chipply.com/GoldonnaSpirit2223/
There will be short sleeve and long sleeve t-shirts, and sweatshirts available in royal, black or gray. There is also a fleece jacket available in royal blue.
The Goldonna High School will be having their High School reunion on July 9 at Goldonna Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. Tickets are $20 and include a catfish dinner with all of the trimmings. Tickets need to be reserved by July 1, you can pay the day of the event. Please contact Linda Dupree for more information.
There will be a Co-ED Softball Tournament on June 25, 2022 at Parc Natchitoches to benefit Jamie Roberts who is battling Stage 3 Lymphoma. The cost is $20 per person or $200 for a team. The tournament is guaranteeing two games. For more information or to register a team please contact Wade Strother at 318-465-0306.
River of Life Church honored the men in the church with a Father’s Day breakfast this past Sunday. They will also be hosting their First Annual Morning of Hope Ladies Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, July 9, 2022. The speaker for the morning will be Mrs. Sondra Walker from Atlanta Baptist Church. A coffee bar will be open at 8:30 and the program will begin at 9:00. There will be music, fellowship, breakfast and door prizes. For more information please contact Reba Phelps at 318-332-4260.
Goldonna Assembly of God will be having a Mission Trip Fundraiser on Friday June 24 from 11:00am until 2:00pm at the Winnfield First Assembly of God located at 5693 Highway 167. If you would like to place an order please contact Tim Harris at 318-481-7197 or Pam Harris at 318-229-8766. The church is also offering Tuesday night Bible Study in a relaxed atmosphere at their fellowship hall. It begins at 6:00pm and includes coffee. Wednesday night Bible Study is in the sanctuary and also begins at 6:00pm and also youth services. Personal prayer services are on Thursday night from 7:00 until 8:00pm. Of course, do not forget about Sunday morning services that start at 10:00, nursery provided and Sunday night services that start at 5:00pm.
If you have news to contribute please email Reba Phelps at jreba.phelps@gmail.com
By Brad Dison
On the morning of November 10, 1980, Daniel Irvin Jr.’s plane landed at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. With no one to pick him up from the airport, Daniel hailed a cab driven by 38-year-old Gene Phillips. Daniel asked Gene if he was familiar with Castlewood Terrace. Although Gene had been a taxi driver in Chicago for a dozen years, he replied that he did not know the street. In fairness, Castlewood Terrace was a block-long street in the prestigious Lakefront district. Daniel gave Gene directions to the location. “Go down the Kennedy [Expressway] to Lawrence. Go east on Lawrence, and Castlewood would come in between Marine Drive and Sheridan Road. They stowed Daniel’s luggage in the trunk and set off.
Gene followed Daniel’s directions – Kennedy Expressway to Lawrence, east on Lawrence, past Sheridan Road. As he passed Sheridan Road, Gene began looking for Castlewood Terrace. Daniel said it would be between Marine Drive and Sheridan. When they reached Marine Drive, Gene asked Daniel if he had seen the road. Daniel replied that he did not. Gene drove around the area looking for Castlewood Terrace. Finally, Gene said, “Look, I’ve got to be in the garage by 1 p.m. I’m not going to be able to drive around all day looking for it.” Gene’s leased cab had to be returned to the cab company by 1 p.m. or he would have to pay a penalty. Daniel asked Gene if he was trying to put him out of the cab. Gene explained that he was not putting him out but said he had limited time. As they drove, Daniel spotted a police car. Daniel said, “There’s a policeman. I think I might get out and just get in the police car.” Gene responded, “Do what you please, as long as you pay the fare.”
Gene pulled up alongside the police car and asked the policeman if he was near Castlewood Terrace. The policeman explained that they were just two blocks away from the location. Daniel had given Gene bad directions. Daniel decided to continue riding in the taxi with Gene. Within a couple of minutes, they arrived at the requested address. Daniel reached for his wallet and noticed that the driver’s cab license, which was required to be on display and visible to passengers, was missing. “Driver,” Daniel asked, “Where’s your license?” “Mister,” Gene replied, “will you give me my money? The fare is $12.55. Will you pay me?” Daniel said, “I’m not going to give you a thing until you produce a license.” “I’m going to ask you one more time,” the cab driver said, “Give me my money and get out of this cab.” Daniel replied, “I’m not going to pay you until you produce a license.”
Gene was fed up with Daniel. “I got a ticket, mister, and that’s really none of your business,” Gene explained, “but that’s why I don’t have the license there.” The policeman who gave Gene the ticket took his license to ensure that he would pay the fine. The ticket allowed Gene to continue driving his cab. Gene’s explanation was not good enough for Daniel. “I’ll tell you what,” Daniel said, “I’m not paying you. I’m getting out right now. Get my luggage.”
As Daniel reached for the door handle, Gene slammed on the gas pedal. “You won’t pay me?” Gene quipped, “When we stop a squad car, you’re gonna pay me.” The taxi sped down the luxurious street. The only recourse Gene, or any other taxi driver, had against people who refused to pay was to drive until he found a police officer. Taxi drivers could face charges if they physically confronted the person, kept the luggage, or followed him into a residence. As Gene sped through town looking for a policeman, Daniel stuck his head and shoulders out of the window of the car and yelled that he had been kidnapped. He threatened to jump out of the moving car. “Ok,” Gene said, “Jump and you don’t have to worry about paying the fare.” “This is kidnapping,” Daniel yelled. “I’ll make sure you never drive a cab again.” Daniel continued screaming out the window that he had been kidnapped.
Finally, Gene found a policewoman. He pulled the car over and tried to explain the situation. He assumed the policewoman would arrest the man just the same as other police officers had when the same scenario happened. To Gene’s surprise, the policewoman reached out and shook Daniel’s hand. People walking by stopped and did the same thing. Everyone seemed happy to meet Daniel. A passing ambulance saw the cop car, the taxi, and the large gathering of people, and pulled over because the ambulance crew thought someone had had an accident. Other officers arrived and greeted Daniel in the same manner. Gene was puzzled by their actions toward Daniel. Finally, a policeman asked if Gene was the cab driver. Gene only had enough time to reply “Yes,” and they placed him under arrest.
As Gene sat in a jail cell, he learned that Daniel was at the police station and wanted to pay the fare. Danial was adamant, however, that he would do everything in his power to ensure that Gene never drove a cab again. A spokesman for Daniel said, “It certainly is not [Daniel’s] intention for anyone to lose their job, but he is concerned that a similar incident may happen to someone else.”
In April of 1981, Daniel dropped charges against the Chicago cabbie. Throughout the entire event, Gene never recognized Daniel because he said he rarely watched television. Millions of people around the world knew and trusted Daniel. It was he, Daniel, who reported from Dallas in November 1963 on the John F. Kennedy assassination, gave regular reports on the Vietnam War, Richard Nixon’s presidency, the Watergate scandal, and Nixon’s resignation. The man who claimed Gene had kidnapped him when he refused to pay the $12.55 fare, was CBS news anchor Daniel Irvin “Dan” Rather.
Sources:
1. The Daily Chronicle (De Kalb, Illinois), November 12, 1980, p.12.
2. Washington Post, November 13, 1980. washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/11/13/cabbie-no-fare/0acc8cb6-0bd5-4101-b693-993571770466/
3. Globe-Gazette (Mason City, Iowa), April 8, 1981, p.7.
