Today, I’m going to hop on my soap box. There aren’t many things that I truly hate, but summer bass tournaments would be at the top of the list! 

Now why would this be? For several reasons that I’ll get into later, but the most obvious one –IT’S BLAZING HOT! It’s a time of year when anglers become babysitters, trying to keep their 5-fish limit breathing for eight hours in a live well.

Summer bass tournaments in the South are a grind for both anglers and the bass. The fishing is good the first hour, but can be horrendous the rest of the day. With daytime temperatures reaching the mid to upper 90s and humidity levels over 90 percent, it takes all the fun out of fishing, especially during the months of July and August.

A few tournament trails have or will drop their daily fish limit down from five to three which really helps in so many ways. For one, it allows for better survival rate, as there are less fish to manage in your live well and it means less bass being handled at the weigh-in. 

Some anglers hate the three-fish limit tournaments as they think it levels the playing field too much. They feel anyone can get lucky and catch three good fish. But if you go back and look at three-fish tournament results over the years, it turns out that the same guys who win with a five-fish limit are still at the top of the tournament standings with three fish. 

My personal reasons for hating summer tournaments would begin with the exhaustion you feel at the end of the day fishing in high temperatures. Fishing in 95 degree-plus temperatures drains the life out of an angler.

 Next gripe — I hate it when sweat is dripping off my nose or running down my butt! The heat just makes fishing difficult and unenjoyable.

But what I really look forward to the most is nighttime cramps that occur after fishing in the hot sun all day. There’s nothing more fun than waking up in the middle of the night as your calf muscles or hamstrings decide to tighten up like a guitar string. Thank the Lord above for pickle juice, as there’s pretty much nothing better for eliminating cramps! 

Another gripe — everything in your boat is blazing hot and will leave a mark on your butt if you sit on one of those latches that’s a part of the storage lockers. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up being branded like cattle at a stockyard. 

Then there’s the wear and tear on your electronics which are large investments, as these units can cost up to $5,000 each.  It’s also hard on your rods and reels and the fishing line spooled on each reel.  Nothing is harder on your equipment than the hot sun!

As anglers, we must take precautions to protect ourselves from the sun’s harmful UV rays. As a Melanoma survivor, I can attest to all the things I have to do in order to fish in high temperatures. These days, I always wear long sleeve UV protective shirts, a wide brim hat, long pants (most of the time) and plenty of sunscreen.

But my main reason for hating summer bass tournaments — it’s just not fun! It’s a miserable way to spend your day sweating to the oldies on the front deck of a bass boat! ZERO FUN!

The next issue (as if I need anymore) would be dealing with all the crazy recreational boaters like pontoon boats, jet skis and those awesome stupid wake boats that put out four-foot-high waves and disrupt everyone and everything on the lake! Sorry wake boaters, but there should be a limit to the size of the waves you all put out! 

One rule I would like to see implemented strictly for wake boaters would be that they are not allowed on the lake until after 2 p.m. This way there would be no conflict with bass boaters and wake boats being on the lake at the same time, as most summer bass tournaments are over by 2 in the afternoon. 

Now I know I’ll get some good fan mail over my wake boater comments, but at least I’ll know they read my article! Just kidding wake boaters, hope y’all have fun as well, but keep your wakes down please! 

‘Til next time, enjoy your hot summer days on the lake as I hope and pray you won’t see me out there very often. 

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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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Vickie Dianne Carter Robertson
August 21, 1954 – July 8, 2025
Service: Final services for Mrs. Robertson took place Saturday, July 12, 2025, 2PM at Southern Funeral Home in Winnfield. Interment will follow in Harmony Grove Cemetery.

Frances Jane Hines
October 24, 1939 – July 12, 2025
Service: Mrs. Hines will be cremated per her final wishes and no services have been planned. Thank you. 

While a tax election in the Calvin School District seems to be on track to be called at the School Board’s August meeting, it appears that a an election within the new Winnfield District which had been discussed is no longer on the drawing boards.

When asked during discussion at the board’s July session Monday night, Supt. Al Simmons responded simply that he has received information that the issue does not have the support of the board.  

Under state law on tax elections, a proclamation had to be read at this meeting to announce that the Calvin tax issue would be called at the August 4 meeting.  At that time, details on the work that will be involved, the proposed bonded indebtedness and tax millage would be revealed.

While many view summer as holiday time, much of the work and planning for the new school year is happening at the central office during these months.  Witnessed was a punch list of taking-care-of-business items on Monday’s agenda.

The Winn Parish Enterprise was designated as the board’s Official Journal.  The Bank of Winnfield and Sabine State Bank with share responsibilities as the board’s Official depositories.

When food services supervisor Veronica Hardaway gave a report on school food services and supply, one member asked about bread.  Simmons observed “we can seek all the bids we want but with fewer and fewer vendors each year willing to sell to small markets like ours, it’s increasingly difficult.”  The item of janitorial supplies was also on the docket.

There was one item of good news Monday when under “Superintendent’s Comments,” Simmons observed that sales tax collections are up again this year.  Payment to employees who receive by direct deposit should be complete while those receiving by check should receive soon.  “I think they’ll be happy with the increase,” he said, praising the work of the financial officers for completing this work.

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It’s one of those great words you learn in English IV but rarely get a chance to use.  “Conundrum.”  That’s a difficult problem or a question with only a conjectural answer.  That’s what the Winn Parish School Board is facing as it looks ahead to fall.

In their July meeting held Monday, members wrestled with the always difficult task of approving a budget for the new year that they have to submit to the state before actual attendance numbers are known.  State MFP funding is tied to enrollment figures.  It’s always been a best guess scenario.  But this week the board was pitched another curve ball.

Supt. Al Simmons advised that due to administrative orders and court actions, funding that had been approved by congress has been put on hold. Winn was notified that funding for certain federal Title programs has not been released.  He explained that this is not a “yes or no” on if the money would be available.  But at the moment, the school district does not have access, making it difficult to move forward as usual.

“It’s under review.  More likely than not, it will eventually be released.”  But he said the district can’t make a commitment to spend when funding is uncertain.  Supervisor Bridgette Bartlett talked about Title II and Title IV programs, saying there is no way of knowing if the funds will be available.

Business manager Jennifer Vidrine reported that the ever-changing financial numbers show an $11,000 surplus for the consolidated budget for the 2025-26 year as it stands today.  Even though the board has until mid-September to submit this budget for state approval, they’d acted in recent years to make an earlier submission.

Member Lance Underwood observed he is glad the news of the hold on funding came through now rather than later.  President Joe Lynn Browning cautioned the members on early budget approval because “once it’s done, it’s done.”  Final action could be deferred until the August or even September meetings.  “Personally, I’d rather wait,” said member Lacey McManus.

“It’s crazy that our budget process is like this,” said Simmons.  “But it is what it is.”  He went on to question the likelihood of the board knowing the outcome of this current federal funding hold in the next 30 or even 60 days.

No action was taken Monday night.

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Courtesy of the Winnfield Fire Department 

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Gail Shelton’s trip to Egypt in March was the topic of her talk at Kiwanis on Tuesday, July 8. This was her first solo trip meaning she went with a tour but did not know the other people on the tour. She said she had been fascinated with Egypt from a very young age possibly because of all the great art and the immortality of Egypt. Also because of hearing about Egypt in the history of the Bible. She felt perfectly safe. Egypt is in Africa and a long way from Israel. However, they did have a guard from the hotel that went with them. 

She flew from New Orleans to London to Cairo. Their tour guide was a Muslim woman, dressed in western wear and an Egyptologist. She was very knowledgeable. The first day they went to see the pyramids. The bottom of the pyramid is 13 acres. There was a tomb in the pyramid but it had been robbed long years ago so it was empty. She also rode a camel. They also went to the New Egyptian museum which was near the pyramids. They are talking about making a walkway from the pyramids to the museum but the tour guide was against it because it would disturb ancient artifacts that are still in the area. 

Then they flew to Luxor which is on the Nile River. They went to the Karnak Temple. Then they took a 4 day cruise on the Nile River. The boats were small. On their boat there were only 2 tour groups, about 32 people. They had great food and the rooms were amazing. The Nile is emerald green and clear. It is the largest river in the world. After that they went to King Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. There have been around 60 tombs excavated out of about 100. King Tut’s tomb was the only tomb that was not robbed. There is controversy about moving King Tut from the old Egyptian museum to the new Egyptian museum. The last stop on the Nile cruise was the Aswan Dam. 

Cairo is not a clean city. There are 23 million people who live there. The downtown historic district is surrounded by ugly apartment buildings that just keep moving out. The farther out you are the poorer it is. They can’t keep up with infrastructure. There are many different kinds of transportation including wagons with donkeys, scooters, motorcycles, cars, etc. Water is a problem. The only green area is close to the river. They grow sugar cane, alfalfa, and papyrus. 

Gail then took the extension tour to Jordan which does share a border with Israel. This was their tour guide’s first tour group in 18 months, since Hamas. Amman is very modern because of oil money. It is much cleaner and there are fewer people. They went to Petra and stayed in an ancient village in the city of Petra. They saw Mt. Nebo where Moses died. There is a big church there. You could see the Jordan River, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem in the far distance. The Dead Sea water was oily and thick. You could not go under. At the Dead Sea there are many beautiful resorts but they are empty, no tourists. Tourism has been down in Egypt and Jordan for several years. 

She flew from Amman to London. The scenery from the plane was amazing, snow on the Alps and many other beautiful sights. The books that she creates from her trips are available to see at the Pea Patch.

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East Winnfield Baptist Church will hold a “Lava Lava Luau” Vacation Bible School for area youngsters nightly from July 21 through 25.  The event is open to all children ages Pre-K through Grade 12.

Pastor Jeff Shows explains that this VBS could as well be named, “Keeping Cool when Things Get Hot!” Promotional materials say, “Emotions are like a force of nature, but with God’s help, we can learn to take control of our emotions before a storm hits! In Lava Lava Luau 5-day VBS curriculum, kids will learn Biblical ways to express and deal with their emotions.”

This 5-day program puts a unique spin on the Hawaiian Vacation Bible School theme. During a fun week at the Lava Lava Luau, children participating in this EWBC Vacation Bible School will see what God’s Word says about anger, sadness, jealousy, developing a kind attitude, and frustration. They’ll also learn how to respond to others who may be feeling these emotions as well.

This exciting VBS is open to the community with nightly sessions from 6 until 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, July 21-25.  To allow family members and friends to see what the children have learned, a Commencement Night will be held Sunday, July 27 at 5 p.m.

A pre-registration will be held at the church from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, July 19.  For a little fun at that time, organizers announced that there will be a fire truck onsite and Shannan Chevallier from LSU AgCenter will be there with games.  

East Winnfield Baptist Church is located at 6584 Hwy 34 North, just past the flashing light on Hwy 84 East in Joyce.  For inquiries, call 628-5998.

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The hot days of summer are still with us yet the startup of the 2025-26 school year is not that far away.  To help families get ready, Caring & Sharing in Unity and Winn Healthy Initiatives Coalition will be holding their annual “Back to School Party” this Friday.

“We’re having a party and you’re invited,” announce organizers.  “We’re helping your get ready to begin a new school year.”  This year, the location of the fun event has been shifted to the gym of the Winnfield First Assembly of God which is located at 5693 Hwy 167 North (near the Calvin Road turnoff).

The party will begin at 11 a.m. and continue through 2 p.m.

Useful items provided through the efforts of service organizations and vendors on hand will include free school supplies, hygiene & toiletry items, snacks and information on educational and social services.

But what would a party be without fun and there will be lots of that.  Organizers promise fun and games, water slides and door prizes.  There will also be live music by Franklin Williams and snacks to include nachos, popcorn and show cones.

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Summer is a time most people associate with lightened moods, relaxation, and fun.  Yet for people who experience abuse from their partners, the warm months can be worse than the darkest days of winter, says Winn’s DART advocate Annie Goods.  “Intimate partner violence and domestic abuse rates increase by about 12% in summer compared with other seasons, although there is often also a spike in incidents during the winter holidays.”

The advocate suggests that various factors contribute to this troubling phenomenon.  Although domestic violence and intimate partner violence can never be blamed on any season, they worsen during these months.  Understanding these reasons can help in developing strategies to mitigate the risks.

Why Does Domestic Violence Increase in the Summer?  The reasons for spikes in the summer are complex and multifaceted.  Following are some of the season’s risk factors for domestic violence:

Heat and Aggression:  Research indicates a clear correlation between hot weather and violence.  The physiological effects of heat can lead to irritability and heightened stress, which can escalate into aggression and violence.  Heat can also cause sleep deprivation, which is linked to increased irritability and lower impulse control.  This can add fuel to other heat related drivers of violent behavior.

Increased Alcohol Consumption:  Summer is the peak season for parties, barbecues, weddings, vacations, and other social gatherings where alcohol is likely consumed.  This is the case not only for adults of legal drinking age but adolescents as well. Excessive drinking can impair judgment and, in some people, increase the likelihood of aggressive behavior.  Alcohol consumption and abuse as a whole is a significant factor in adult and teen intimate partner violence incidents, with summer gatherings creating more opportunities for both.

Childcare Responsibilities and Routine Disruptions:  The structure and routine provided by the school year often helps to maintain a degree of order in households with children, especially since school provides childcare for much of each day.  During the summer, children are home and require supervision, especially if they aren’t participating in a structured program such as summer camp.  This can create increased disruption and stress for parents who must find ways to keep children safe and occupied.  Chaotic home environments and disrupted schedules can, in turn, trigger short tempers and violence in abusive partners.

More time with Family (and More Family Conflicts):  Summer often means more families are home and spending time together.  Although, this can be a positive thing in a healthy family, the increased interactions between family members can also give a rise to more tensions and conflicts.  This increased proximity can lead to more frequent and severe violent domestic altercations, a fact that became all to clear during the pandemic.

Greater Financial Stress:  While summer can be ideal time for fun and recreational activities, it also comes with financial stress for many families, especially those in lower-income households.  The costs associated with summer vacations, childcare, and cooling homes can strain household budgets.  Financial stress is a well-known trigger for domestic violence.  When financial pressures mount, the likelihood of conflict and violence can increase.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, please reach out to your local DART advocate Annie Goods at 318-209-8903 or email annie.goods@dartla.org.

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The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) of Natchitoches is proud to announce the launch of its new “Rooted in Faith, Driven by a Mission” Church Outreach Program — a dynamic initiative designed to partner with local churches to support women and families facing pregnancies and parenting challenges.

Grounded in the love of Christ and guided by the belief that every life has purpose and value, this outreach program will empower congregations to actively engage with WRC’s life-affirming mission.

Through presentations, partnership opportunities, and volunteer engagement, WRC seeks to build a network of faith communities committed to offering hope, support, and practical help to women and families in our communities.

“We believe that every local church is a vital part of the mission to serve and support women with compassion, truth, and grace,” said Nicole Woods, Executive Director of the Women’s Resource Center. “This outreach is more than just a program — it’s a movement to unite the Body of Christ in making a real impact in our community.”

The “Rooted in Faith, Driven by a Mission” program will include:
Sunday church visits and presentations
Educational materials and outreach resources
Opportunities for church members to volunteer or give
Ongoing updates on WRC services, needs, and success stories

With an ever-growing client base, the WRC is currently serving women from ten different parishes. With just three full-time staff, our outreach efforts during business hours are limited. That’s why we’re calling on the Body of Christ to come alongside us — together, we can serve more women and families with the love of Jesus. Churches interested in scheduling a visit or learning how they can get involved are encouraged to contact WRC directly at 318-357-8888 or visit the website at http://www.wrcnatchitoches.org.

Together, we can be the hands and feet of Christ to those who need it most — because every life matters, and every woman deserves hope.

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I am encouraged by a couple of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions handed down in our noticeably more pro-family, pro-parent legal culture, newly-created by the Trump Administration. These decisions are important because a Supreme Court decision enshrines a precedent that may last decades or generations.

Before I address those two decisions, I would be remiss not to briefly note another recent, enormously important Supreme Court decision.  This third decision directly addresses the nationwide injunctions that have been arbitrarily and partisanly entered against the Trump Administration by Leftist federal district court judges who are trying to dictate national policy. The Supreme Court has now held that a given ruling by a district court judge will be limited—as the Constitution and our Separation of Powers require—to only the parties before the court in that specific case.  Not the whole nation. More about this later.

The first of the two decisions I address today involves parental rights, allowing parents to opt their children out of the cesspool of transgenderism in public schools. The second involves requiring porn sites to simply use reasonable age verification measures to screen out minors. 

The parental rights case was brought by parents hailing from diverse religious backgrounds, including Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox who opposed the effort of a Maryland school their children attend to add storybooks with gender messaging into its elementary school reading lessons.  Specifically, the school introduced a variety of “LGBTQ+-inclusive” texts into the public-school curriculum, approved for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, which have story lines focused on sexuality and gender.

It appears that school administrators did not even notify families in advance when the materials would be used even though they had first indicated they would provide an opt out for parents who objected.  However, less than a year after the Board introduced the books, it rescinded the parental opt out policy. Among other things, the Board said that it “could not accommodate the growing number of opt out requests without causing significant disruptions to the classroom environment.”

The case is Mahmoud v. Taylor, and the Supreme Court held that this action of the school “burdens the religious exercise of parents.” The Court further stated that “a government cannot condition the benefit of free public education on parents’ acceptance of such instruction.” The author of the opinion, Justice Samuel Alito, reasoned that reading such books puts a young student in the awkward position of having to believe both that “it would be seriously harmful to deny a gender transition and that transitioning is a highly positive experience.”

No dice, the Court made clear.  Parents do not have an obligation to provide limitless deference to school administrators whose view of appropriate moral and educational formation may be antithetical to that of the child’s loving and nurturing parents who—as the first and last authority over their children’s development—possess a compelling government interest in shaping their child as they see fit.

The second case, Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, requires, as noted above, porn sites to use “reasonable age verification methods” to screen out minors.  Unsurprisingly, this Texas state law was challenged on the grounds that it infringed upon the First Amendment rights of adult Texans because, supposedly, requiring adults who were accessing porn sites to provide identification information over the internet caused “privacy and security risks.” 

In response, Justice Clarence Thomas observed that Texas requires age verification to buy lottery tickets, get a tattoo or obtain a handgun license.  Neither obscenity nor the internet are different.  “No person—adult or child—has a First Amendment right to access speech that is obscene to minors without first submitting proof of age,” he wrote.

What we are seeing in these two decisions is adherence to our constitutional system of co-federalism and the 10^th Amendment guarantee of state sovereignty.

Our U.S. Constitution, and every state one as well, puts the determination of issues of this kind in the hands of the states and their state legislators.  Texas, in the porn case, voted 164-1 to require this age verification to access porn sites in that state.  Perhaps New York and California will choose to allow every single one of their residents with a pulse and a smartphone unrestricted access to pornography.  Texas, and 21 other states, have said “no.” 

As President Trump returns the education and protection of minors to parents and families, I applaud the Court’s rulings to restore our Republic to its constitutional framework.

Royal Alexander

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