Clean livin’, that’s what it is. 

What I thought was an email joke from the wealthy Amazon.com founder’s ex-wife was followed by a person wanting to give me a baby grand piano, followed by a couple of Powerball winners wanting to give me money and an elderly gentleman with maybe a bad conscious has turned into a miraculous reality for yours truly. 

Your writer buddy here is about to be rich, is the long and short of it.  

Years ago, a Nigerian prince emailed me to say he was “desperately” trying to smuggle his wealth out of his country. Bad guys were out to get it and all. 

He just needed my bank account number so he could send the dough to me, and I would hold it if I didn’t mind, and he’d show up and get it back and give me a nice gift for my troubles. A “nice gift” being some side-striped jackals, as many African elephants as I could stand, a herd of red river hogs and, don’t let me forget to mention, a couple million in United States dollars, which he could afford because two million Benjamins is couch change for your modern Nigerian prince. 

Figured it had to be a hoax. Moved on.  

But …  

A few months ago, I got another email explaining that a couple had “donated” $600,000 to me since they had just won the Powerball ticket of $316.3 million — that’s million with an ‘M’ — and all I had to do was reply to the mail. 

 Please, I was born at night, but not last night. 

 Hoax City. Moved on. 

 But y’all, things kept happening. Like a few weeks ago when my email box contained a “Yamaha baby grand” in the Subject Line and I discovered this, punctuation errors and all:  

 “How are you doing today? I am looking to give away my late husband’s Yamaha baby grand piano to a passionate instrument lover, Please let me know if you will take it or have someone who will care for it. 

“Regards, 

“Kate” 

Kate. One of my favorite female names. Plus, she’d started with wondering how I was doing, which was, I don’t know, kind. These are hard times. It was — what’s the word? — sweet. Thoughtful. 

I didn’t let the comma that was supposed to be a period confuse me; she’d lost her husband, for goodness sakes, was burdened by the baby grand that he used to play, probably singing Cole Porter to her, and she just needed help. And what could I get on today’s market for a baby grand? Probably a half-dozen car payments. 

I loved her immediately. 

But then Jerry wrote me. He was interested in “monthly donations.” While I appreciated Kate’s sentiment, the lure of a monthly stipend was hard to pass up. 

“I realize it takes money to run and operate the University and it costs money to help people every day. I get $1,060.21 in disability benefits direct deposit to my checking account on the third every month unless the third during the weekend deposit Friday. Please contact me if you feel my benefits would be useful. And thank you for your time.” 

I thought back to the email from MacKenzie Scott, the billionaire ex-wife of Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. She’d given, at the time, $4.2 billion — that’s billion with a ‘B’ — of her fortune to more than 300 organizations. Food banks. Rescue shelters. Needy folk. Me, maybe… 

And that’s when it hit me. The rich Nigerian prince and MacKenzie and the Powerball winners and even the piano widow were just other people posing as them and trying to milk me for money I didn’t have. But ….  

I still wrote the Nigerian prince. I know … I know … But what if? 

The joke is that one day, a Nigerian prince is going to die and in his room they will find a bucketful of diamonds and jewels and money and a note that reads: “I tried to give most of this away by email but …” 

If it’s true, great. The next rounds on me. If it’s a hoax?, fine.  But just know …  

I folded up like a one-egg pudding and sent him my bank account number Monday. If he wants the 346 dollars and change, I have in there, hope he has at it. The best Nigerian buffet in Port Harcourt is on me, along with a car wash and a night at the Maiduguri Inn & Suites.  

If the rest of you need money, just come to me. Don’t fall for this stuff. If you do, there’s a price to pay. 

Contact Teddy for loans and personal gifts at teddy@latech.edu 

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Austin, TX, September 1, 2022 – In recognition of his 20 years of service, Lesh Nettles Brown has been named a Senior NYLIC of New York Life.

Nettles joined New York Life on February 1, 2001. He began his career and continues to work out of the Shreveport General Office of New York Life.

Nettles was raised in Coushatta, LA, and attended Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA where he received a BS degree in Accounting and his MBA. Additionally, he has earned the CLU, ChFC, and LTCP designation from the American College.

Nettles is a Registered Representative with NYLIFE Securities LLC (member FINRA/SIPC) a Licensed Insurance Agency and a New York Life company and a Life Member of MDRT (Million Dollar Roundtable). He and his wife reside in Natchitoches, LA.

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Martindale-Hubbell, the leading worldwide legal information service, which has been providing background information on lawyers and law firms in the United States and other countries for over 150 years, has given The Harrington Law Firm and partner C. Rodney Harrington an “AV Preeminent Rating, the company’s highest possible rating.

According to Martindale-Hubbell, the AV Preeminent Rating, which is established by the company obtaining peer reviews from other attorneys in the same geographical area, recognizes law firms and attorneys for their strong legal ability and high ethical standards.

An elite group of approximately 10 percent of all firms and attorneys holds an AV Preeminent Rating, a designation recognized as “The Gold Standard” of legal ratings and recognized worldwide by buyers and referrers of legal services.

The Harrington Law Firm and C. Rodney Harrington are included in that elite group.

C. Rodney Harrington says the rating, while appreciated, is humbling.

“It is especially humbling and gratifying to know that our peers and colleagues, who we deal with on a daily basis, thought enough of us to give us this Preeminent Rating”, said Harrington, “To think that we’re recognized among the top 10 percent of all attorneys and firms in the nation is simply unbelievable.”

The Harrington Law Firm is composed of partners C. Rodney Harrington and C. Edward “Eddie” Harrington and is located at 459 Jefferson St., Natchitoches, La. 71457. Their areas of practice are Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Bankruptcy, Social Security Disability, Wills and Successions, and Divorces.

For more information about Martindale-Hubbell and their rating system, go to http://www.lawyers.com.

The Harrington Law Firm website is http://www.theharringtonlawfirm.com.

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WINN:
Richard Bryant Sanders
November 3, 1951 – September 8, 2022
Service: Thursday, September 15 at 2 pm at Southern Funeral Home

NATCHITOCHES:
Charles Henry Christopher
September 8, 1939 – August 26, 2022
Service: Saturday, September 17 at 11 am at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Isle Brevelle

SABINE:
Jo Ann Townsend Agnell
January 4, 1938 – September 11, 2022
Service: Friday, September 16, 2022 at Beulah United Methodist Church Cemetery in Marthaville

RED RIVER:
Gary Don Long
May 11, 1951 – September 12, 2022
No service information

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Our hospital was founded in 1948 by three physicians with a solid commitment to the well-being of the people of Winn Parish and the surrounding region. Those physicians were: Dr. John McElwee, Dr. George Rodgers and Dr. John T. Mosley.

At that time, Winn Parish Medical Center had 30 beds, an operating room, a delivery room and x-ray and laboratory services. It was the only hospital within a 50 mile radius of Winnfield.

In 1963, an addition was made to the existing hospital with 24 private rooms being added as well as a new laboratory and dietary department. Two years later, expansion was needed again. This included enlarging business offices, adding a medical records office, a new delivery room, labor rooms, recovery rooms, a doctor’s lounge, and a second emergency room.

In 1972, construction began on a new administrative wing and a two story addition which included a new lab, x-ray room, operating room, pharmacy, physical therapy section, a coronary care unit and additional patient rooms.

While over the years more physical ground changes have been made and names, faces, titles, technology, expectations and clinical outcomes have changed, our same solid commitment still remains.

Today, with more than 200 highly trained and dedicated employees, Winn Parish Medical Center provides a wide array of inpatient and outpatient services including: Cardiology, Intensive Care, Emergency Services, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Radiology, General Surgery, Physical Therapy and more.

Winn Parish Medical Center is committed to providing high-tech healthcare for the needs of today’s healthcare consumer and has emerged as a vibrant healthcare organization exhibiting warmth, concern and insight into the needs of patients, their families, and the surrounding communities.

✨ 𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊!! 👏🏼

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗜𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:
📍Address:
301 W Boundary Ave
Winnfield, La 71483
☎️ Telephone: (318) 648-3000
💻 Website: http://winnparishmedical.ahmgt.com

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Date: 8-31-22
Name: Christopher D Winters
Address: Jonesboro, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 38
Charge: Probation and parole violations 

Date: 9-1-22
Name: Jacob Kelly
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 31
Charge: Failure to appear 

Date: 9-1-22
Name: Allie Wilkerson
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White 
Sex: Female 
Age: N/A
Charge: Probation and parole violation 

Date: 9-1-22
Name: Casey Duana Estes 
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 36
Charge: Driving under suspension, Possession of schedule 2, Unauthorized use of vehicle 

Date: 9-2-22
Name: Roderick Sherman
Address: Monroe, LA
Race: Black
Sex: Male 
Age: 25
Charge: Warrant 

Date: 9-5-22
Name: Nancy E Hayes
Address: Johnson, LA
Race: White
Sex: Female 
Age: 30
Charge: Failure to appear

Date: 9-7-22
Name: Hilary Williams 
Address: Eros, LA
Race: White
Sex: Female 
Age: 42
Charge: Operation of vehicle while intoxicated, Prohibited acts, Schedule 2

Date: 9-8-22
Name: Chelita Lee Brewer
Address: Dodson, LA
Race: White 
Sex: Female 
Age: 47
Charge:  Domestic abuse battery, Cruelty to a minor 

Date: 9-8-22
Name: Kristohper Wigley
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male 
Age: 43
Charge: Failure to appear (x2)

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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The DHS cheerleaders are invited to the LSU Campus for a one day/one night stay that includes a tour of the campus grounds, meet & greet with the LSU Cheerleaders, Golden Girls & Mike the Tiger; along with a Half-Time performance at the LSU football stadium on September 24th.

This is an opportunity that the girls shouldn’t miss out on due to lack of funds! Please help them raise the funds to be able to take advantage of this amazing opportunity.

The Dodson Cheer Squad is having a Car Wash on Saturday, September 10th @ 10 AM and Sunday, September 11th at 1:30 PM at Ace Hardware in Winnfield. The fundraiser is sponsored by parents, family, friends, donations & sponsors…. it is not affiliated with Dodson School, only the Cheer Squad and Parents.

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Debra Hubbard, Rotarian of the day for September 7, 2022, introduced Rotary’s speaker for the day, Jacob Tinorello, trapper for the Dugdemona Soil & Water Conservation District. Jacob is a 2019 graduate of Winnfield Senior High School, and worked in the oilfield until the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the industry.

Jacob then began working for the Dugdemona SWC and is one of two trappers for the district. Jacob and his fellow trapper focus only on trapping feral hogs, which have become a serious problem for landowners in the district in the last several years. Feral hogs are very destructive because they find their food by rooting under the surface of the soil for various and sundry bugs, worms and other creatures to eat.

Trapping activities continue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and the two trappers for the district take turns being on duty through night. According to Jacob, the district has 15 traps available for trapping on private landowners’ property as well as surveillance cameras to check traps remotely.

Two different types of traps are used. One is called a “drop gate” trap, and consists of a metal enclosure with a panel which is left up off the ground until one or more hogs enter to eat the corn used as bait. The trapper receives a signal from the trap on his cell phone when wildlife enters the trap. He can then use the camera to see what’s in the trap, and send a signal to drop the panel when appropriate to capture the wild hogs in the trap.

The second type of trap is a net trap which is laid out on the ground and baited with corn to encourage hogs to root in the area of the trap. Once the hog roots under the net, it can’t get out, and the trapper goes to the site, kills the hogs and disposes of the carcasses according to the preference of the landowner on whose land they were captured.

A landowner within the Dugdemona SWC district whose property is being damaged by feral hog activity should call the conservation office at (318) 628-4438 and ask to consult with a trapper. One of the trappers will contact the landowner, go out and view the property, determine the best location for a trap and set one up. When hogs are captured, a trapper goes out to the trap and kills the hogs, which are then disposed of by the landowner. There is no charge for the trap or the service provided by the SWC district. However, the landowner must see to the disposal of the carcasses of the hogs captured.

Traps may be placed on property used for hunting, according to the desires of the landowner or lessee. Generally, traps are placed on hunting property in the off season, and taken up during hunting season.
A trap is usually left in place as long as hogs are being captured in it. If it has no activity for two weeks or so, the trap will be moved. The district currently has 15 traps, and a couple of traps are available for placement at this time.

Mr. Tinorello reported that the greatest number of hogs he has caught in a single trap at one time is 26. The largest hog he has ever trapped was over 300 pounds. The count per month is quite variable, but is often as many as 50, and the trappers go through 10-15 sacks of corn per week. The population doesn’t seem to be increasing as quickly as in the past. A single sow generally has between two and three litters per year, the same as in years past. However, the litters in the past were between 10 and 20 piglets, whereas now they seem to only produce an average of 5 or 6 per litter.

Mr. Tinorello was unable to pinpoint any particular hotspots for wild hogs in the parish because they are causing problems parish-wide. In Natchitoches Parish, there is a helicopter program for controlling the wild hog population. The landowner selects the acreage of open—farming or grazing—property to be cleared of hogs, and a helicopter with aerial gunning capability hovers over the property and shoots any hogs visible from the air.

Such a program is not available in the Dugdemona district because it is not feasible to spot or shoot wild hogs in forested land.

The trap before which Mrs. Hubbard and Mr. Tinorello are pictured is located off Highway 84 East across from Lynda’s Country Kitchen where damaging activity by feral hogs has been taking place recently.
The Rotary meeting was then adjourned with the Rotary International motto, “Service above self!”

Pictured above from left: Rotarian Debra Hubbard and Jacob Tinorello

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Laurel Gunter is the Outreach Street Ministry director for Adult & Teen Challenge Louisiana. She spoke to the Kiwanis club about the upcoming WALK-A-THON to be held September 17th beginning at the Mount Grace Thrift Store. There will be food, fellowship and music after the walk which begins at 10 AM. Registration begins at 9 AM. This is their biggest fund-raiser. Adult & Teen Challenge is an 18 month faith-based program and no one is turned away because they can’t pay. There are many ways to contribute to Teen Challenge including student sponsorships and monthly donations. There are also sponsorships available for the Walk-a-Thon. There is also a program in Minden for mothers with children and pregnant women. The Teen Challenge program has a high success rate and has been around for many years.

Laura Frederick from Winnfield and a participant in the Teen Challenge program shared her testimony with the club. She has 3 children and is learning how to be a good mother. One reason the program is so effective is that the leaders have been through the program and are examples for those who are going through the program. She credits going to Teen Challenge with saving her life.

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By: Dr. James Lee

Last week I discussed some background on the opioid crisis, their effect, and its contributing factors.  This week, we will explore the numbers, what is being done, and what you can do to help overdoses. 

The numbers are staggering.  In Louisiana, between 2012 and 2018, the number of overdose deaths tripled.  During the pandemic, overdose death rates rose another 56%.   Compared nationally, Louisiana is ranked fifteenth in the nation with 27.5 overdose deaths/100,000 (U.S. average 21.5/100,000 people).  Over half of these deaths in Louisiana involve Fentanyl or other synthetic opiates.  In 2020, there were 982 opioid involved deaths.  An astonishing 74 opioid prescriptions were written per 100 people here in Louisiana in 2020.  This is down from 2016 when we had the fifth highest prescription     rate in the nation at 98.1 prescriptions per 100 patients.  Financially, the opioid crisis accounts for $35 billion in health care costs, $14.8 billion in criminal justice costs, and $92 billion in lost productivity. 

Governor Edwards recently signed into law Senate Bill 315, also known as Millie’s Law, which took effect on August 1, 2022.  The purpose of this law is to increase the penalty for those distributing drugs laced with fentanyl.  This has unfortunate roots here in Northern Louisiana.  Lillie Camille Harvey was a 28-year-old who died in City Park in Alexandria with her fiancé by her side.  She had snorted heroin unaware it was laced with fentanyl and overdosed.  Her mother, Lilly Harvey from Jonesville, played a central role in the passage of this legislation that increases the sentence for distribution of fentanyl laced drugs to 10 – 45 years and a fine up to $100,000.

What can you do to help with opioid overdose?  Learn the signs of overdose; victims cannot be woken up, have shallow or no breathing, do not respond to anything including painful stimuli.  They can be snoring or making gurgling sounds when they breath, appear blue (for fair skinned people) or ashen grey (for darker skinned people) in their lips and fingers.  They may have small, “pinpoint pupils” as well as cold and clammy skin.  They may appear to be sleeping, but do not assume so.  If you come across someone like this, carefully check the area for dangers such as needles, call for an ambulance, and try and shake them to get a response.  If no response initially, a sternal rub (rubbing your knuckles firmly over the sternum or breastbone) to arouse them.  If there is still no response, but they are breathing, put them in the recovery position.  The recovery position places a person on their side with the top leg bent 90 degrees at the hip.  The bottom arm is placed in front of them and the top hand against their cheek.  If they are not breathing apply rescue breaths and follow CPR.

Narcan or Naloxone is a lifesaving medication that reverses opioid effects by blocking the opioid receptors.  It can restore normal breathing that results from opioid overdose within 2-3 minutes.  It is available in both injection and nasal spray.  It is easy to administer and requires very little training.  It is important to know, that Narcan will only temporarily reverse an overdose, it does not take the place of calling an ambulance and getting the victim to the hospital.  If you suspect an overdose, do not leave the person alone and do not give them anything to eat or drink, nor try to induce vomiting.  If Naloxone is available, it should be given once, and followed by a second dose 3-5 minutes later if there is no response.  It is important to realize when administering Narcan, the reversal of opioids can result in a startled, confused, and even violent response from the victim. 

In Louisiana, there is a standing order for the distribution or dispensing Naloxone (Narcan) or other opioid antagonists.  This allows laypeople to obtain naloxone from a pharmacist and requires them to give training on its use.  The cost is about $100.00 for two doses of the nasal spray.  It is recommended to have at least two doses available because the first dose may not be enough to reverse the effects of the opioids.  No exam or office visit to your doctor to get the prescription is required.   In addition, Narcan and the training for its use can also be obtained from our local health unit.  There is no charge for this service from the Winn Parish Health Unit.  For more information about this, the Health Unit can be contacted at 318-628-2148.

If you or someone you know is at increased risk for opioid overdose, especially those with opioid use disorder, you should carry naloxone and keep it at home.  People who are taking high dose opioids prescribed by a doctor, those who use opioids and benzodiazepines together, and those who use illicit opioids like heroin should carry Narcan.  It is important to let others know you have it and how to use it in case you experience an opioid overdose as you will not be able to use it on yourself.   Carrying Narcan is no different than carrying an EpiPen for someone with allergies.  It simply provides an extra layer of protection for those at higher risk for an overdose. 

There are multiple resources available if you or someone you love is facing this challenge.  Louisiana Department of Health has a recovery resource page on their website.  Other resources are available at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website SAMHSA.gov.

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.

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By: Glynn Harris

Anniversaries, I’ve had a few. As of this past July 11, Kay and I have been married 38 years, On November 24, it will have been 55 years since the morning I downed my first buck. This past April 13 marked the 30th anniversary of my bagging my first wild turkey gobbler. Anniversaries are sort of special.

Fifty years ago this month, a 35 year old fellow did something he had wanted to do for a long time but lacked both know-how and intestinal fortitude to see it happen. He picked up a copy of the Guardian Journal, Homer, LA’s weekly newspaper and nervously flipped over to find an article under the heading “Hunting and Fishing with Uncle Zeke from Beaver Creek”.

There was no name of the columnist and here’s the explanation of the mystery surrounding the writer. In case the column flopped, he didn’t want his name associated with it, so for several months, this phantom outdoor columnist hid behind the name of Uncle Zeke.

The mystery of the identity of Uncle Zeke continued on for several months until the identity of the writer became obvious. Homer is a relatively small community and the secret couldn’t remain hidden forever. How do I know so much about Uncle Zeke? That columnist was yours truly.

Fifty years have passed since that first column went to press and there have been very few weeks when I didn’t have a column somewhere in some weekly newspaper, and I owe it all to the folks at the Guardian Journal for giving a nervous “green as gourd guts” guy a chance. They were even willing to pay me for my articles; $2.50 a week plus a free paper.

Once I was given the go-ahead to write a weekly column for the Guardian Journal, I had to do it nights and weekends because I had a regular job. What was my system for writing a weekly column 50 years ago? A yellow tablet and a number two pencil got it started; I wrote the column long hand.

Next, I had to use my old manual typewriter to transfer what I had written on the tablet to typing paper. My main stand-by I couldn’t have gotten by without was a bottle of White Out and I probably used a gallon of it over the years to cover my miscues.

I had some readers of the Guardian Journal that took notice of my columns and they mentioned that the Shreveport Journal didn’t have an outdoor writer. I got up the courage to talk to editor Stan Tiner who agreed to let me write weekly columns for that big city publication, something I did for several years until the Journal folded.

In the meantime, another friend referred me to editor Tom Kelly at my home-town newspaper, the Ruston Daily Leader, and on March 1, 1974, Kelly hired me as outdoor columnist for the Leader.

Eventually I laid aside my yellow tablet and number two pencil and decided to write directly to the typewriter which was somewhat nerve wracking at first but I eventually became comfortable with it, although my bottle of White Out was right next to my key board. Then when the Internet came along, what a blessing it was because I could edit and delete without the need for White Out.

Today, I am blessed to still be able to write; I continue to write weekly columns for the Guardian Journal, the Ruston Daily Leader and several other weekly publications. I eventually was able to place my articles in magazines and I still do some magazine writing today.

To sum it up, I am a blessed man. God has given me the ability to not only write but to absolutely love sharing my columns with my readers for these past 50 years. My prayer is that as long as these fingers work and my brain doesn’t quit on me, I’ll keep on doing it.

Thanks to all my readers for sticking with me over this half a century.

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Today we’ll take a serious look at what bass fishing might look like 100 years from now. How will anglers of tomorrow look at anglers of today? Will they question our ethics? Will they question our techniques? Are we the pioneers of the bass fishing world of tomorrow? Will bass fishing even exist 100 years from now? These are just a few of the questions that I’ll try to answer from my perspective as one of today’s avid anglers.

As people, it’s human nature that all of us want to be liked or admired in some shape or form. All of us want to leave a legacy, whether it’s for our family or maybe a particular interest we had growing up. For some it might be a civic organization, job, or maybe a hobby that was near and dear to our heart. I hope anglers of tomorrow sit around a fire pit one day and talk about how innovative and creative our generation was in breaking down some of the barriers of bass fishing…how skilled and dedicated we were with techniques, baits, and tackle…how we spent hours and days on the water preparing for tournaments. They’ll laugh at how much fuel we ran through our trucks and boats just to find and catch largemouth bass…how we fished for 8 to 10 hours on a tournament day and competed not just against each other, but the elements of Mother Nature. Fishing in rain, sleet and even snow, nothing stopped us from chasing those big green fish known as bass.

Tomorrow’s anglers will either question or admire the creativity we had when it comes to tackle and lures. They will admire the color schemes and all the options we had in terms of soft plastic baits or worms. But they’ll wonder what the purpose was of all the many different colors, when 100 years from now, a handful of colors is all you’ll need. They will figure out that 75% of the baits and color options created were actually designed to catch anglers, not necessarily bass. They’ll be amazed at the technology we had that allowed us to actually see fish swimming on a small screen the size of a notebook. Our bass boats will be legendary in terms of the power we had with 250 horsepower engines that would push a bass boat in excess of 75 MPH. They’ll wonder how in the hell did those anglers ride in those fiberglass boats in three- and four-foot waves compared to the boats they’ll be driving, that will be like hovercrafts.

Today we have GPS for navigation and locating brush tops and underwater structures. But in the future, they will have boats that will be programmed to drive themselves. Their trolling motors will be built into the hull and will automatically deploy once the main engine has been turned off. Anglers will wear glasses that control the trolling motor by site, so that wherever they look, the trolling motor will head in that direction. Also with these special glasses, anglers will be able to cast a lure and place it in a one-inch square at 30 yards, allowing for precision casting like never seen before. One hundred years from now, boats will have touch screens to move from one section of the lake to another. The anglers simply touch the map screen, and the boat will automatically drive itself to that location, avoiding all the underwater stumps due to their Debris Avoidance System or DAS technology. This technology will allow future anglers to never worry about destroying a lower unit ever again!!!

Today, we are the true pioneers of the sport of bass fishing, and one day generations from now, anglers will look back with admiration and amazement at how dedicated and committed we were as bass fishermen. The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame will be full of guys from this generation that built an industry not just here in America, but worldwide. But as with anything in the future, there is the possibility that bass fishing may not even exist. With today’s political circles and the far-left, anti-outdoorsmen, there’s reason to believe that the pleasures we so cherish and value in the great outdoors might be a thing of the past, a past that future angler’s will only be able to dream about. The rights of all outdoorsmen may be taken away whether it’s fishing or hunting.

These anti-hunting and fishing groups are gaining momentum and support from government activists who can’t wait to save Bambi from the big bad hunter. I hope future anglers and hunters understand the importance of taking game and fish as a form of conservation management. Otherwise, these populations will explode and create an unbalanced ecosystem. But in reality, who knows what the future may hold?. So, till next week, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget your sunscreen. Melanoma doesn’t discriminate; it can create life-threatening issues if precautions are not taken.

Steve Graf – Owner Co-Host
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show &
Tackle Talk Live

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WINN:
Margaret Poisso Jordan
June 20, 1958 – September 6
Service: Friday, September 9 at Standard Baptist Church, located at 263 Standard Church Road in Olla

Glynda Gail Boren
February 23, 1964 – August 30, 2022
Service: Saturday, September 10 at 11 am in the chapel of Southern Funeral Home in Winnfield

NATCHITOCHES:
W L Vercher
January 28, 1931 – September 7, 2022
Service: Saturday, September 10 at 10 am at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Cloutierville

Sadie Maggio Dark
November 22, 1921 – September 2, 2022
Service: Friday, September 9 at 10 am at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Church

Dorothy “Dot” Williams
Service: Saturday, September 10 at 11 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches
Interment: Pentecost Baptist Church Cemetery on Old River

Charles Henry Christopher
September 8, 1939 – August 26, 2022
Service: Saturday, September 17 at 11 am at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Isle Brevelle

RED RIVER:
Donnie Ray Wren
February 1, 1949 – September 6, 2022
Service: Monday, September 12 at 1 pm at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel

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The DHS cheerleaders are invited to the LSU Campus for a one day/one night stay that includes a tour of the campus grounds, meet & greet with the LSU Cheerleaders, Golden Girls & Mike the Tiger; along with a Half-Time performance at the LSU football stadium on September 24th.

This is an opportunity that the girls shouldn’t miss out on due to lack of funds! Please help them raise the funds to be able to take advantage of this amazing opportunity.

The Dodson Cheer Squad is having a Car Wash on Saturday, September 10th @ 10 AM and Sunday, September 11th at 1:30 PM at Ace Hardware in Winnfield. The fundraiser is sponsored by parents, family, friends, donations & sponsors…. it is not affiliated with Dodson School, only the Cheer Squad and Parents.

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