As we approach Thanksgiving week it may do us all some good to take a deep breath and realize that although this past year was at times difficult, we have made it.  We have persevered through another year and that is commendable in and of itself.

I always try to remind myself of something I heard years ago (I don’t recall the author) regarding our blessings as Americans. When asked how he was doing, this man replied “well, I was born in America, and I have my health, so I feel like I’ve already won the lottery.” 

I thought it was a great response and perspective! 

Our recently passed Veterans Day makes me grateful not only for our current military heroes but also for those who were grievously wounded and those 1.1 million American service men and women since the Revolutionary War to the present day who died defending America, placing on the altar of freedom that “last full measure of devotion.”

And for what was this enormous sacrifice made?

For the defense and preservation of the freedoms and liberties we often take for granted.  These fundamental rights include the ability to speak out and peacefully express our opinions—to one another and to our government; to defend ourselves in court when we are accused of a crime; to arm ourselves under the 2nd Amendment so we may protect ourselves and our families against crime—and even, according to our Founders’ intent, from an unjust U.S. government; and to pray and gather as millions of us will do with our loved ones on Thanksgiving Day. 

We are thankful that our Declaration of Independence remains the “promise” of America and that through our Constitution, as simple as it is profound, we as a Nation also remain dedicated to the continued “fulfillment of the promise” of America.  The Declaration’s transcendent recognition of both our intrinsic human value and that our rights come not from government but from God: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights and that among them are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” 

It’s true America will continue to have to grapple with and solve many challenges that face our country. We will need to overcome the self-inflicted economic pain and international vulnerabilities directly caused by our government’s breathtakingly poor policy choices, along with other struggles.  Yet, I am encouraged at the thought of the tremendous talent and ingenuity of the American entrepreneur and the stunning ability of the free market and free people to adapt to tough times, as we have so many times in American history. 

In his Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789, President George Washington declared:

“…it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor … I recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.” (www.mountvernon.org).

Fast forward to 1981 and the first and second Thanksgiving Day addresses by President Reagan who echoed Washington’s beliefs. 

In 1981, in his first Thanksgiving Address to the American people, President Reagan, for whom my brother Tom worked in the White House at this time, reminded all Americans that God, not government, is the source of the multitude of national blessings bestowed upon all Americans, and that charity toward one another is engrained upon our national soul.

President Reagan pointed out that “Long before there was a government welfare program, this spirit of voluntary giving was ingrained in the American character.” 

In his second Thanksgiving Day message in 1982, President Reagan said that “I have always believed that this anointed land was set apart in an uncommon way, that a divine plan placed this great continent here between the oceans to be found by people from every corner of the Earth who had a special love of faith and freedom.”

This week I hope we are able to unplug from social media and other distractions and reconnect ourselves with our families, our faith, and personally and publicly reaffirm what should be our galactic gratitude for the abundant blessings that all Americans have received from above.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pictured above: Royal Alexander is an attorney, writer, and former politician in his native Shreveport, Louisiana. In 2007, he was the Republican candidate for Louisiana Attorney General. In addition to his law practice, Alexander is an opinion writer, a guest lecturer at public events and education forums, and a frequent guest on various TV and radio outlets.

The views and opinions expressed in the My Opinion article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Winn Parish Journal. Any content provided by the authors is of their opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

WINN:

Ronald Lee Preston
April 7, 1954 – November 18, 2022
Service: Friday, November 25 at 2 pm at Welcome Home Baptist Church

Judy Fay Conerly
February 24, 1945 – November 22, 2022
Service: Friday, November 25 at 2 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

Rose King Downs
May 4, 1940 – November 21, 2022
Service: Wednesday, November 23 at 10 am at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

NATCHITOCHES:

Alexander Ryan Nobles Jr.
July 29, 1949 – October 31, 2022
Service: Wednesday November 30 at 1 pm at Blanchard St. Denis funeral home in Natchitoches

Stephen Lane Stroud
October 26, 1959 – November 2, 2022
Service: Tuesday, November 29 at 10:30 am at Rosemary Beach Town Hall in Panama City Beach, FL

RED RIVER:

Joyce Council
August 18, 1941 – November 20, 2022
Service: Wednesday, November 23 at 11 am at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel

Date: 11-7-22
Name: Maurice D County
Address: Nachitoches, LA
Race: Black
Sex: Male 
Age: 22
Charge: Criminal trepassing

Date: 11-8-22
Name: Bradley Smilz
Address: Jonsboro, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male 
Age: 40
Charge: DUS , Carless operation

Date: 11-9-22
Name: Billy W Foster 
Address: Urania, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male 
Age: 39
Charge: Failure to appear 

Date: 11-11-22
Name: Dustin E Guilliams
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male 
Age: 40
Charge: Theft of utilities 

Date: 11-12-22
Name: Jenny R Lasyone 
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Female 
Age: 49
Charge: DWI (1st)

Date: 11-14-22
Name: Dustin E Guilliams 
Address: Dodson, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 39
Charge: Resisting an officer 

Date: 11-15-22
Name: Janson D Pollins 
Address: Nachitoches, LA
Race: Black
Sex: Male 
Age: 52
Charge: Entry on or remaining after being forbbiden 

Date: 11-15-22
Name: Mary Jane Calloway 
Address: Hodge, LA
Race: White
Sex: Female 
Age: 62
Charge: Theft (greater than 25,000)

Date: 11-16-22
Name: Alisha Danen Guillory
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Female
Age: 29
Charge:All drivers  must be licensed, Speeding, Improper child restrants

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.

On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, the Louisiana Department of Education released the 2021-2022 school performances for the state’s public K-12 schools and systems. The Winn Parish School system scored a “B” letter grade for 2022 with a DPS score of 75.2. See the table below for Winn Parish School performance.

For more information on Winn Parish performance scores click the link: https://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/performance-scores

Early Voting will be held in the Registrar of Voters office in the Winn Parish Courthouse Saturday, November 26 through Saturday, December 3 (closed Sunday, November 27) from 8:30 AM until 6:00 PM. Enter through the Main Street entrance. The election will be Saturday, December 10. On the ballot are School Board District 3 and three constitutional amendments.

Sample ballots are currently posted outside the Registrar’s Office and will be available online at http://www.sos.la.gov two weeks prior to election. Sample ballots are also available on the GeauxVote app which also allows you to monitor results on Election night.

School Board District 3

Amber Cox

Kristen Green

Constitutional Amendments

CA No. 1 (ACT 279,2022 – HB 178) Require U.S. citizenship in order to register and vote in Louisiana

CA No. 2 (ACT 281,2022 – SB 160) Requires Senate confirmation for gubernatorially appointed members of the State Civil Service Comm.

CA No. 3 (ACT 280, 2022 – SB 75) Require Senate confirmation of certain members of the State Police Comm.

Winnfield Middle School’s Beta Club sponsored a food drive for the Winn Parish Food Pantry. WMS faculty and students donated almost 1,000 items. In addition to the canned food items, Beta students also donated items to prepare 80 snack bags.

Winn Parish Master Gardeners will present a greenhouse tour outing on Nov. 22, including Mt Grace Greenhouse and LaTech Greenhouse. People wishing to attend are asked to meet at the Dodson Dollar General at 9 am. 

By: Glynn Harris

He’s a 22 year old stud muffin, invincible, with testosterone raging and a nothing-bad-can-happen-to-me attitude. He has the world by the tail with only good stuff lying ahead.

One year later, he’s a 23 year old paraplegic, destined to spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair.

What happened to cause such a life-altering change? He made a critical error in judgment while climbing into his deer stand. He hadn’t bothered to check the condition of the wooden steps he’d nailed to the tree a couple of years ago. He’d scooted up these steps to reach his deer stand dozens of times without mishap. Did he use a safety harness? Nah…he didn’t need that.

This time, though, was different. He reached for a step not taking the time to see that it had rotted during the off-season, it pulled free and he hit the ground a dozen feet below with a thud, his lower back landing on a root that protruded from the ground. A vertebrae was shattered and long story short, he’d never walk again.

Dr. Bobby Dale, a life-long hunter, is also an emergency room physician who practices medicine in his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. Visiting with Dr. Dale at a writer’s conference, we had occasion to talk about what is more likely to injure hunters while hunting. Dale noted that contrary to what many believe, it’s not the older and more fragile hunter who is more apt to be injured; it’s the strong, virile, younger guy.

“From what I’ve observed from patients I have seen in the ER where I practice, it’s the younger one more prone to suffer serious injuries while hunting. This is particularly true concerning falls from elevated deer stands. In fact,” Dale said, “I recently read a report that revealed the majority of bow hunters who fall from tree stands are in their 20s and 30s. Also, about 10% of these injuries are alcohol-related.

“While it is true that guys in their 50s and 60s and older have bones that are more easily broken, I don’t see nearly as many injuries from falling from a stand from this older group. It’s just a fact that the older guy is more cautious,” he added.
Dr. Dale noted that a fall, even one from just a few feet, can result in serious injury. Obviously, the further you fall, the more serious injuries become, he said.

“I’ve seen victims who fell from stands come to the ER with everything from closed head injuries, bleeding on the brain, spinal fractures with paralysis, broken arms, legs and ribs, collapsed lungs, ruptured spleens in addition to profuse external bleeding,” Dale said.

While mishaps using home-made deer stands are more likely to result in serious injuries, manufactured stands can also cause falls if not used properly.

“Manufactured stands have to meet a safety code and the vast majority of these stands are safe when properly used. However, they still have to be secured to the tree in the proper manner to be completely safe. Climbing stands are quite safe but when care is not taken in using them, they can result in twisting or slipping when not correctly secured to the tree. The result can be disastrous,” he added.
I’ve deer hunted from elevated stands for years fortunately without incident and I want to keep it that way. Therefore, I have developed a personal rule-of-thumb in my deer hunting.

The older I git, the closer to the ground I sit.

Today I’m writing this article based on my personal experience as a tournament angler. Over the years, I’ve come across a lot of anglers who have always talked about how they should be fishing tournaments because they “ALWAYS” catch fish every time they go fishing. All I have to say to these anglers….”You’re a liar!” These same people will try and tell me how good they are as a bass fishermen and that if they fished in tournaments, they would probably be standing in the winner’s circle at the end of the day. To these same anglers, I say, “Put your money where your mouth is!”

I came across one such angler one day on Toledo Bend, who in his mind, was the best angler on the lake or maybe even the greatest angler of all time! During one of my practice sessions on the Bend, this guy came up to me at the boat ramp. While loading my boat he eased over to me and proceeded to talk about how many fish he caught that day and that he quit counting at 100. I’m not sure why, but for some reason, some anglers feel the need to exaggerate how they caught 100 fish in a day. In reality, they probably really caught about 30 to 35….not 100. If you think about how many casts you make in a day, to catch 100 basses in a day is about 1 bass every 4 casts. That would be an awesome day by anyone’s standards and a day all anglers dream about.

Now during my conversation with this angler at the ramp, he asked me if I was getting ready for a tournament. My answer was yes, and he said that he would probably win it if he decided to fish it. My response to him, with a sense of sarcasm of course, was that if he was on that many fish, he’d be crazy not to fish the tournament. And, that I might as well just give him my entry fee! This is what we call baiting someone!

Well, low and behold he showed up Saturday morning and put up his money (donated). I was a little surprised he showed up because most of these “great” anglers never show up. He actually pulled up beside my boat before takeoff that morning and began to tell me how many fish he had caught the last two days and put in the freezer. It was at this point; I knew he was in trouble. After a tough day of fishing, as the fish did not bite very well at all, I pulled up beside him at the dock and asked how he did. Let me go ahead and state the obvious; he was not a happy camper (angler) due to the expression on his face. I was the last guy he wanted to talk to since he had talked so much trash about how he “always” catches fish every time he goes fishing. He finally answered me by saying how he just couldn’t understand what had just happened. He’s never gone fishing in his life and not caught fish! He was very confused and had that bewildered look (so many anglers have had before) as to what just happened.

It was at this time with a smirk on my face and a wink, I said, “Welcome to tournament fishing!” It just proves that no matter how good an angler you are or think you are, there will be days that you just don’t figure them out. Oh, and with a slight chuckle, I reminded him that the fish he caught the last two days and put in the freezer won’t bite on tournament day after they’re frozen. That’s why tournament anglers practice catch and release. I never saw this guy at a tournament ever again! Guess you could say he got humbled; tournament fishing will do that to an angler. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget your sunscreen. Take it from me, Melanoma does not discriminate!

Steve Graf
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show & Tackle Talk Live

By: Royal Alexander

History has shown that the party of the president typically loses seats in the midterm elections and that has occurred in the U.S. House of Representatives although we don’t yet know how large the Republican majority may be.

Regardless, Republican control of the House—the Chamber in which the Constitution requires that spending bills originate—will be enough to block the Biden Administration’s legislative agenda and reckless spending spree. That is why winning the U.S. House of Representatives is a galactic victory for all Americans and Louisianans.

At the time of this writing, it appears that Democrats have won the Senate races in Nevada and Arizona. If these results hold under scrutiny, the December runoff in Georgia between Herschel Walker and his socialist democrat opponent won’t determine Senate control but would return the 50-50 split that has been in place for two years, and since the last Georgia runoffs of 2020.

In terms of the interminably long ‘vote counting’ process, I always find it inexplicable that in such a technologically advanced age in which most information is instantly available at one’s fingertips, where we’ve gone to the moon and are now returning to space, we cannot seem to count votes more quickly for an election we know for certain will occur every two or four years. Perplexing and suspicious, in my view.

In the U.S. House, the new majority could be from plus 15-25 seats. Regardless, it will be a Republican House Majority which certainly bodes well for Louisiana. U.S Rep. Steve Scalise will likely become the 2nd ranking Republican in the U.S House while our very own U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson will also hold one of the top Republican leadership spots.

This is in addition to the committees U.S. Rep Johnson already serves on, the Judiciary Committee, as well as the Armed Services Committee, including specifically the Subcommittee on Readiness as well as the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems. These important committee assignments allow Rep. Johnson to continue to protect Barksdale Air Force Base as well as Ft. Polk and other military interests throughout Louisiana.

The larger point to feel positive and encouraged about is that for Louisiana, as small as we are comparatively, to hold two of the top leadership spots in the U.S. House is remarkable!

Further, in northeast Louisiana, U.S Rep. Julia Letlow of the 5th Congressional District will be serving on the House Appropriations Committee which is invaluable to our state. She will be uniquely positioned to address and protect key funding issues across our whole state. She will also serve on the House Agriculture Committee, including specifically the Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development, which is so very important to our rural, heavily agricultural state. This also means when the next national Farm bill comes up, she will have direct input into the development of the legislation.

Still further, U. S. Rep Clay Higgins of Lafayette will become a high-ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security Committee. This will allow him to have direct input regarding the invasion on our southern border of illegal aliens. He can directly address the issue of illegals and the drugs (fentanyl is killing hundreds of Americans daily across the country), theft, crime, terrorists, and human trafficking that accompanies them. As we know, states like Texas and Florida, in particular, have been burdened with the enormous financial and social costs of a flood of illegals into our country.

Additionally, U.S Rep. Garret Graves of Baton Rouge currently serves on both the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as well as U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. Both of these committees provide Rep. Graves with the ability to directly influence policy regarding flood control, hurricane protection, and coastal restoration, all critically important needs for our state given the extreme weather events with which our beloved Louisiana annually battles.

U.S Senator John Kennedy was also overwhelmingly re-elected and has been serving on the Appropriations Committee—and crucially important to Louisiana, he serves as the top Republican on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.

As we conclude a challenging and yet successful year there is much for which to be grateful in the new Congress. With all of our prayers and best efforts, our state and our country will continue to move forward through our brilliantly constructed governmental structure and under the watchful eye of our Founders who gave us what President Lincoln described as this ‘last best hope of earth.’

Pictured above: Royal Alexander is an attorney, writer, and former politician in his native Shreveport, Louisiana. In 2007, he was the Republican candidate for Louisiana Attorney General. In addition to his law practice, Alexander is an opinion writer, a guest lecturer at public events and education forums, and a frequent guest on various TV and radio outlets.

The views and opinions expressed in the My Opinion article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Winn Parish Journal. Any content provided by the authors is of their opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

JOB VACANCIES: Head Football Coach

SCHOOL: Lakeview High School

QUALIFICATIONS: Louisiana Teaching Certificate

SALARY: According to the parish school salary schedule

DEADLINE: Tuesday, December 20, 2022; 4:00 p.m.

WHERE TO APPLY: Linda G. Page, Personnel Director
Natchitoches Parish School Board
P. O. Box 16
Natchitoches, LA 71458-0016
Phone: (318) 352-2358
Fax: (318) 352-8138

APPLICATION WEBSITE: http://www.npsb.la

EOE

NATCHITOCHES:

Geraldine (Gerri) Foster
November 17, 1933 – November 11, 2022
Service: Friday, November 18 at 10 am at Blanchard – St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches

Alexander Ryan Nobles Jr.
July 29, 1949 – October 31, 2022
Service: Wednesday November 30 at 1 pm at Blanchard St. Denis funeral home in Natchitoches

Margo Haase
January 21, 1952 – October 23, 2022
Service: Saturday, November 19 at 11:30 am at St. Charles Borromeo Chapel in Bermuda

Stephen Lane Stroud
October 26, 1959 – November 2, 2022
Service: Tuesday, November 29 at 10:30 am at Rosemary Beach Town Hall in Panama City Beach, FL

The Winn Parish Industrial Board will meet Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 1:00 PM in room 112 of the Winn Parish Courthouse located at 119 West Main Street in Winnfield.

AGENDA

I. Call to Order.
II. Adoption of Agenda.
III. Motion to Adopt Minutes of August 17, 2022 and September 13, 2022
IV. Announcements & Comments:
V.  BUSINESS:
      (1) Follow up discussion with Ms. Lacey Bacchus of Retail Strategies on revitalization of Winn Parish.
VI. Adjourn.

The Winn Parish Industrial Board members are: President Larry Bates, Owner of RYCA Energy, LLC, Vice President Robin Cummings Owner of Six C Fabrication, Secretary/Treasurer, Jason Tarver Senior Vice President and Regional Business Development Manager at Sabine State Bank, Joe Evans, Financial Advisor at Edward Jones, Tony McManus owner of McManus Timber.

The board was created in 2006 to promote industry and develop trade by inducing manufacturing, industrial, commercial and other enterprises to locate in Winn Parish.