Early voting for the Oct. 14 state and local election will begin this Saturday, Sept. 30, reported Winn Registrar of Voters Bryan Kelley.

Early voting in the Registrar’s Office, Winn Parish Courthouse, will continue through the following Saturday, October 7, from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. daily.  The office will be closed Sunday, Oct. 1.  Sample ballots are posted on the wall outside the office.  The registrar also suggests that residents may wish to download the Secretary of State’s GeauxVote app to view their sample ballot and monitor Election Night results.

Kelley pointed out that changes have been made in some ward/precincts due to recent redistricting  which may affect some polling places or police jury districts of votes.  Voter ID cards were mail to affected voters but anyone with questions is invited to call the Registrar of Voters Office at 628-6133.

Local races will be top interest to Winn voters.  Leading that group will be the race for Sheriff.  Three candidates are incumbent Cranford Jordan, Josh McAllister and Dylan Womack, all listed as “No Party.”  Seeking the Assessor’s office are Chet Atkins and incumbent Lawrence Desadier, both also shown as “No Party.”

Of the three state senatorial districts that share Winn Parish, only the western District 31 will see a race between challengers Mike McConathy and Alan Seabaugh, both registered as Republican.  Seeking the District 4 seat on the BESE board are Paige Hoffpauir (Republican), Stacey Melerine (Republican) and Emma McKnight (Democrat).

Four of the seven Police Jury seats are on the Oct. 14 ballot.  Contenders for the District 3 vacancy are Darrell Franks, Kevin Pharr and Bryan Price, all registered Republicans.  In District 4, Stanley Garrett will challenge incumbent Tammy Griffin, both as Republicans.  District 5 contenders for the vacancy are James Jones (No Party) and Kyle Potts (Republican).  In District 6, Larry Glenn (No Party) will challenge incumbent Author Robinson (Republican).

In a crowded field of candidates racing for statewide offices, there are 15 hopefuls seeking the governorship.  Of those, eight are Republican, two are Democrat, four claim Independent while one is No Party.  In the contest for Lieutenant Governor, three are Republican while one each are shown as Democrat, Independent and No Party.

Eight will seek the post of Secretary of State, with five as Republican, two Democrat and one as Other.  Five hope to become Attorney General.  Three of those are Republican and two Democrat.  Of three candidates seeking the State Treasurer’s post, two are Republican and one is Democrat.

There will also be four constitutional amendments on the Oct. 14 ballot.  Watch for more details on those plus an early voting update in next week’s Journal.

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The Winn Parish Police Jury certified the 2023 parish tax roll (taxable value) at $86.7 million, up from $81.4 million last year, following a presentation by Assessor Lawrence Desadier at their Sept. 18 meeting.

Desadier explained that during the 15-day period in August when the rolls were opened for public viewing, there were six inquiries concerning assessed values but the Police Jury secretary/treasurer received no appeals.  He pointed out that the total assessed value of Winn properties is $104.5 million, up from $99 million in 2022 but that total is reduced through homestead exemptions totaling $17.8 million, up from $17.6 million last year.

Road Supt. Perry Holmes informed lawmakers that FEMA-funded road repairs related to Hurricane Delta (October 2020) has been completed on the three Sikes-area roads, Rabbit, Fire Tower and Peppers.  Work is now under way on the Hurricane Laura-affected roads which could include up to 40 roads across the parish.  Currently, McGinty Road work has been completed while work on the Campground Road and Old Alexandria Road are about 80% complete.

Holmes explained that while Delta came hit later, FEMA declared that damage “minor” so funding to the parish was up-front, though not speedy in arriving.  Assessment of Laura, on the other hand, took some time and help from Baton Rouge before FEMA declared damage here “major” (in the $6 million range).  This federal funding is on a reimbursement basis requiring the parish to perform repairs before the money is provided.

Due to the extended dry spell, the superintendent reported that work on parish roads has been active over the past few months, bushhogging along roadsides has made the complete rounds of the parish and pothole patching is going as quickly as it can.

The jury also agreed to a recommendation by Frank McLaren to appoint Mrs. Penny Stangle to serve as Constable for Ward 6 to fill the vacancy of Ricky Vines who has moved.  The jury then adopted a proclamation calling for a special election to be held Nov. 5, 2024, to fill that post.

Jury members took the opportunity for two special presentations.  Josh McAllister read a presentation describing how 2019 WSHS graduate Justin Lawson played baseball here four years.  He went on to Bossier Parish Community College, then to North Carolina State where he made 46 appearances pitching for 108 strikeouts.  On July 11, Lawson signed in the 15th round of the MLB draft with the New York Mets.  The lawmakers declared July 11, 2023, as “Justin Lawson Day.”

A second photo opportunity came when Keith Reichardt of Wooden Life presented flags to the jury, explaining that apart from insurance, goals of the organization include scholarships and presentations of American flags for public places.

Kirk Miles also won approval by fellow lawmakers to assist the Village of Dodon by grading and road repairs to the gravel section of E. Gresham Street.

 

 

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By: Daniel Simmons

Photos Courtesy Justin Coody Photography 

After a win over Cedar Creek in the home opener, the Winnfield Tiger football team returned to Stokes-Walker Stadium for a matchup with the Jena Giants in their second home game of the season and fourth game overall. The Tigers made it an interesting game, but the Giants would ultimately prevail 32-20.

The Tigers won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half, giving Jena the ball to start the latest chapter in a long-standing rivalry. Jena found early success on their first offensive possession, with their big offensive line and talented running backs getting the ground game firing on all cylinders right away. The Giants converted two fourth downs on their opening drive, including a 4th and goal from the 2-yard line that capped off the drive with a touchdown. The two-point conversion was good, making the early score 8-0 Jena. Winnfield went 3 and out on their first offensive possession, punting the ball right back to the Giants. The Tiger defense stepped up on their second time out, including a sack by defensive end Jeremy Mamon in his first game back on the field after knee surgery in the offseason.

However, the offense could not capitalize on the defense’s success. The Tigers punted it back to Jena, and the Giants took over at their own 10. They drove 90 yards for another touchdown and 2-point conversion, with the drive once again almost entirely consisting of run plays. This gave Jena a 16-0 lead that they would take into halftime. It was a mostly uneventful first half for the Tigers and Tiger fans, but the third quarter proved to be anything but uneventful.

The Tigers received the second half kickoff and made a strong return, and got an extra 15 yards added to the end of the return when the Giants were penalized for a facemask. On the first play from scrimmage, Jaylon Jackson took a handoff up the middle and rumbled 33 yards to the end zone for a touchdown. The 2-point conversion was no good, but Jena’s lead was cut to 16-6. On the Giants’ next possession, they drove to midfield but then fumbled, and the Tigers recovered. However, they did not convert the fumble recovery into points. They punted it away, then the defense forced Jena to punt. The Giants’ punter rolled to his right for about 3 seconds, then booted the ball downfield with a rugby-style punt. The punt landed and rolled downfield, and appeared to be slowing down with several Giant defenders closing in on the ball. At this moment, the Tigers’ Jaylon Jackson made the risky and aggressive decision to pick up the ball and run. Jackson’s gamble paid off, as he returned the punt all the way down to the 1-yard line, where he was pushed out of bounds.

Jeremy Mamon came in at fullback on the next play, taking the handoff and running it in for a 1-yard touchdown. The Tigers lined up for a 2-point conversion afterwards, but were penalized for a false start, pushing their 2-point try from the 2-yard line to the 7-yard line. Jaylon Jackson would not let that stop him, running it in from 7 yards out for 2 to bring the score to 16-14. So after a slow struggle of a first half, the third quarter was nothing short of electric for Winnfield.

Unfortunately, the fun would stop for the Tigers shortly after. The next three possessions consisted of two long Jena touchdown drives and a Winnfield interception, making the score 32-14. Jena was 4-for-4 on two-point conversions for the game, giving them a 3-score lead at that point, despite having only two more touchdowns than the Tigers. The Tigers managed to score one more touchdown on the night on a pass from Damascus Lewis to Ryan Davis, arriving at the score of 32-20 which would be the final score.

This Friday, September 29, The Tigers will host the Bunkie Panthers at Stokes-Walker Stadium for their third of four consecutive home games. Bunkie is seemingly always a challenging opponent for the Tigers, and they look to be challenging again this season. They are currently 4-0 on the season, most recently defeating Avoyelles by a score of 48-0.

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An extra spark of fun was brought to Friday night’s football game between WSHS and Jena when participants of the recent Little Girl Cheerleader Clinic performed a little of what they’d learned in front of the Winnfield home stands.

The clinic was held at the high school on Saturday morning, Sept. 16, from 9 until 11 a.m.  Girls from the grades of preschool through 5th Grade worked by age group with WSHS cheerleaders under the direction of cheer sponsor Lindsey Griffin, meeting with active high school cheerleaders and learning from them how to perform several cheers.

Their coaches then picked one particular cheer that the young ladies would perform during the second quarter of Friday night’s game.  Some cheers with the older girls even included tumbling and pyramids.

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Photos Courtesy Winn Parish Library

In today’s internet environment, “Are libraries now obsolete?” Parish Library Director Priscilla Massey was recently asked by a patron.  She responded to the Winn Parish Police Jury in her annual report Sept. 18 that the answer might be both “Yes” and “No.”

It could be “Yes” in terms of the old standard bricks & mortar library when people come just to check out books.  But it’s a resounding “No, we’re a vital element within this community” in terms of its role to patrons in a model of service that continues to change.

Lost, if you will, is the old standard of checking out reference books since most of that information is provided digitally, she said.   This is enhanced as the state library even offers tutoring services where students interact with certified tutors.  Some new reference books are still acquired by the local library but it is a smaller portion of the budget.

Another cut has been in the area of hand-held paper fiction books.  But the highly popular alternative is the patron access to the library’s “Libby” system which gives digital access to an enormous selection of books via iPhone, iPad or reader.  While there are still many traditional books to check out, Libby’s e-books and periodicals make up 23% of the library’s circulation.

Still “old fashioned” yet popular is the library’s reading room where many of the library’s regulars find a magazine or newspaper in the room or bring in a book for quiet reading.  Others simply find the quiet a good place to study.  The librarian added that there is also a separate study room in the back which patrons may reserve.  And there’s a public meeting room up front that is often pressed into service.

As patrons change the ways they use the library, the library has adapted to the way it serves.  Before the times of COVID, it seemed the parking lot remained busy and students came after school to take advantage of available equipment and online access.  That all closed down during the COVID era.  “Slowly and surely we’re building back up,” explains Miss Massey, “through patron use and physical visits.”  For 2022, the most recent full year of data, there were 24,000 visits through all of the branches across the parish.

The report stressed that its services to the people of Winn justify parish expenditures.  Services are not just at the main branch in Winnfield but also the rural branches in Calvin, Dodson, Sikes and Atlanta.  “We have a good working relationship with the schools which don’t have their own librarians so students are dependent on teachers at help them access their school and branch libraries.  We are remaining open in Atlanta and expect to work well with Magnolia Bend Academy which has opened in the area.”  Branch libraries are open three or four days a week in hours dependent on community needs.

Programming is another way that their service model has changed with special programs now a large part of the library’s operations.  Over 100 hands-on, real-people programs each year take place on-site in Winnfield and the branches.  Included are arts & crafts, story hours and monthly book clubs but the most popular is the summer reading program that brought in over 1,000 participants this year.  Some 74% of that programming promoted literacy.

Recently the Winn Parish Library added a youth literacy specialist to its staff to create and maintain literacy programs with a focus of conducting regular community and school literacy needs assessments. 

Overall, the report pitched the Winn Parish Library as a valuable community service.

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Local young artist, Samuel Vidrine, recently achieved acceptance of two of his pieces in the 2023 Bosque Art Classic in Clifton, Texas, just west of Waco. At age 20, he is the youngest artist to have his work accepted for the show. 

Samuel spoke to the Winnfield Rotary Club about his art and his experience at the Bosque Art Classic at their meeting on September 20. Although he was not awarded one of the prestigious prizes, the entry of his work in the show was an honor, especially for someone so young. The Bosque Classic is an annual juried and judged art show and sale which draws entries from all over the world.

Samuel has been involved in art lessons and making art throughout his school years, and has taken lessons with local artist Gail Shelton for several years. Mrs. Gail encouraged him to submit some of his art for entry in the Bosque Classic, which is open to all artists who create realistic/representational art, this year. 

Samuel’s favored medium is pointillism done with black and gray pens by placing different sized dots on the paper to create an image as it appears in real life, almost like a tattoo. He begins with the darkest part of the image and progresses to the lighter portions of the image, ending with the lightest. The white portions of his images are simply the art paper. 

Some of the original images Samuel brought for the viewing of the Rotary members were his representations of log trucks and heavy equipment, as well as images of pretty girls. These pictures take an enormous amount of concentration, and a great deal of time. Samuel estimates that he spends between 150 and 200 hours on each piece.

He has also begun to make his own prints of his work, some of which are on sale at Gail Shelton’s Pea Patch Gallery.

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We’d seen lions and elephants and the like in Botswana’s Chobe National Park.  But no leopards.  Our guide Leslie assured us that we’d see some when we returned to South Africa on safari in Kruger National Park. 

We were ready.  We’d taken two days off from our safari routine to drive to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.  Some of the adventure was getting through the red tape of border security but seeing the same waterfall that David Livingston discovered and named in honor of Queen Victoria in 1855 was worth any delay.  It’s twice the height and width of Niagara Falls so really impressive, even during the dry season.  They told us that when the Zambezi River is fully swollen during the summer wet season, you can’t see too much due to the mist and spray from the falls.  (In their local language, the people there had called the falls “The Smoke that Thunders”).

It took a plane and a bus ride to get to the Inyati Lodge on a private preserve adjacent to Kruger National Park, South Africa.  There we’d take an early morning (6:30 a.m.) open-air safari that ended back at the lodge for a late breakfast, then an afternoon trip (3:30 p.m. that wrapped up at nightfall and dinner).

I mentioned that our drivers kept in radio communication to report exciting finds they’d come across.  We were informed only that “We have something” as the vehicle accelerated.  One of our early treats was our first leopard sighting.  This was a beautiful female, lying on a boulder among some trees.  A closer look, as pointed out by our driver Diff, was a cub playing with the mother’s tail.

As the cub moved, climbing over the resting adult, it had a noticeable limp.  Diff speculated the youngster was injured while jumping.  We’d come across the same leopard and cub several more times during our four days at the preserve and each time, the cub’s mobility seemed a little improved.

Note that while we were parked near this mother and child, her eyes were like one of those photos where her intense stare never left us.  We’d also watch a pair of male leopards making their parallel paths through the savannah woodlands, apparently in a territory-claiming maneuver.

Our final viewing of the female found her on a different boulder between two trees.  She came down towards our vehicle, then turned to look back towards that resting spot.  She called out in a mewing plea and after a moment, the cub appeared on the boulder.  Our driver told us that she’d killed an impala and after she and her cub had eaten their fill, the male carried the prey into a tree for his share and to keep it from scavengers.  

Diff pointed behind us where we hadn’t been looking.  Maybe 30 feet away, 15 feet up straddling a tree limb, was that male, the impala beneath him.  With a full stomach, his stare was more sleepy than intense.  We drove even closer for a better look.

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Campaign Announcement

 

My name is Author Robinson, lifelong resident of Winn Parish. 

I have worked in the timber industry for all my adult life and been a minister for over 30 years. I have served as Police Juror for District 6 in Winn Parish for the past 8 years and humbly ask for your vote again. 

The promise I made 8 years ago still holds true today in doing the best I can to serve District 6 and Winn Parish. I would ask you to consider re-electing me, Author Robinson #59 for Police Juror District 6

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On Wednesday October 4, 2023, Winnfield native Mike Crawford will visit with the Winnfield Rotary Club at noon at Mama’s Iron Skillet. 

Judge Crawford is currently the Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, and the only Winnfield native within our historical knowledge to receive an appointment to a federal judgeship.

The meeting is open to members of the public who wish to attend and hear Judge Crawford speak. Anyone who wishes to join us for lunch should contact Mary Lou Blackley at (318) 481-0227 or blackleym0227@gmail.com. 

The lunch charge is $12 per person and the kitchen needs to know how many to expect.

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The Winnfield Rotary Club is celebrating the opening of the 2023 Winn Parish Fair with its 5K Fun Run Fundraiser. The Fun Run will be held this Saturday, September 30.. The staging area will be the old Coon Hunters’ Pavilion on Country Club Road. Check-in and registration begin at 7:00 a.m. 

There will be a one-mile Fun/Color Run for children ages 1 through 9 with no entry fee beginning at 7:30. Each child receives a 5K T-shirt.

The 5K Fun Run/Walk begins at 8:00 a.m. The entry fee is $20. Teams of 3 or more receive a $5 discount per person on the entry fee. Each entrant receives a 5K T-shirt. The course distance is 3.1 miles along Country Club Road, Oak Ridge Drive and Hickory Ridge Drive, and the run/walk will be timed.

Rotary uses the funds generated by this annual event for local projects including providing school uniforms, senior scholarships, dictionaries for third graders, literacy support and scharships for the Rotary Youth Leadership Award camp.

Contact Mary Lou Blackley, fundraiser coordinator, with questions or to obtain am entry form, at (318) 481-0227, email blackleym0227@gmail.com.

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There’s something about the deer we hunt. They’re sharper than we are and the blink of an eye or a slap at a mosquito may be all it takes to cause a deer to turn tail and run. As a result, it’s more to the hunter’s advantage to hunt from elevated positions as deer usually are looking for danger at eye level or lower. Sitting 16 feet up a tree gives the hunter an advantage and when it comes to waylaying a wily buck, we need all the advantages we can get.

When I started deer hunting years ago, there were no tree stands on the market. If you hunted from an elevated position, it meant gathering up a bunch of two-by-fours, hammer, nails and saw to construct something that would keep you above a deer’s line of vision.

Some of the first ones I constructed were not only weird looking contraptions, they were also unsafe. Switching your Red Man from one jaw to the other was often all that was needed to flip you out and send you to the ground.

 
 Years later as climbing stands and ladder stands came on the market, these proved safer than the man-made contraptions. Because they were so heavily used, news began filtering in of accidents resulting in falling out of stands.  

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 the annual conference of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association in Johnson City, TN several years ago, 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.

With deer season rapidly approaching – archery season begins October 1 – make sure your tree stands are in top notch working order and that you practice all the safety rules having to do with elevated deer stands. It takes only one moment of lapse in judgement or one misstep to make looking for a big buck the least of your concerns.

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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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Date: 9-16-23
Name: Brittney Tolbert
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Female 
Age: 25
Charge: Direct contempt of court (x2)

Date: 9-22-23
Name: Jessica Brouilette
Address: Dry Prong, LA
Race: White 
Sex: Female 
Age: 22
Charge: Theft 

Date: 9-23-23
Name: Donnie W Folden
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White 
Sex: Male 
Age: 46
Charge: Direct contempt of court, Failure to appear 

Date: 9-23-23
Name: James Sabata
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White 
Sex: Male 
Age: 41
Charge: Direct contempt of court 

 

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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Ms. Alicia Rene Davis
February 26, 1982 – September 21, 2023
Service: Saturday, September 30, 2023, Noon at Abundant Life Church, Natchitoches.

Johnnie Louise Porter
August 25, 1934 – September 23, 2023
A private graveside service will be held at Garden of Memories.

Michael Stuart Varnell
August 20, 1954 – September 25, 2023
Service: Friday, September 29, 2023, 5 pm at the Southern Funeral Home, Winnfield.

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