With the Winn Parish Fair just weeks away, exhibitors are being urged to get their entries in before the deadlines close. LSU AgCenter agent Donny Moon said early submissions are essential to keeping the event on schedule.

Horse show entries are due Sept. 12, and livestock entries are due Sept. 19, both to be turned in to the 4-H office. All other fair entries are due by Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. in the fair office at the fairgrounds. Moon stressed that these deadlines allow time to prepare the necessary show sheets for each class, ensuring a smooth start to the events.

Exhibitors must also secure an exhibition number before entering. Numbers are available by contacting Lindsey at the 4-H office at 318-628-4528.

Ag Awareness will take place Sept. 30–Oct. 2 at the fairgrounds, offering students hands on lessons in agriculture and food production. Groups will rotate through five stations led by 4-H and FFA junior leaders on forestry, livestock, plant science, ATV/UTV safety and food sources. Lunch will be provided after all participants have completed their rotation.

Beyond fair preparations, Moon also reminded 4-H families that “A Walk with Nature” is set for Sept. 11–12 at Caney Lake, introducing fourth-graders from Winn and Jackson parishes to forestry, its many careers, their surrounding environment and much more. Parent permission and a signed form are required for participation, as the event takes place during school hours.

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Celebrating Student Success

On August 21st, our 7th and 8th grade students (42 in all!) who scored Mastery or Advanced were treated to a fun-filled field trip to Surge in Monroe, LA.
Next up: our 5th and 6th grade students who reached Mastery or Advanced will celebrate with their trip on September 5th.
We are so proud of our students’ hard work—what an exciting way to celebrate success!

Football & School Spirit

Our WMS Tigers football team had a successful jamboree to kick off the season!
Thank you to our cheerleaders and spirit team, who brought the energy at the pep rally and the game.

We hope to see school board members, families, and our community out in full force to support our athletes.

Home Game Schedule
September 9 at 5:30 PM – Tigers vs. Grant
September 18 at 5:30 PM – Tigers vs. Montgomery
October 2 at 5:00 PM – Tigers vs. Caldwell

Come cheer on the Tigers!

4-H is Back!

Our first 4-H meeting of the school year will be held on September 2nd. We’re excited to see students get involved!

Community Service Project

During the month of September, WMS will be collecting 18 ounce jars of peanut butter for our local food pantry. Help us reach a record-breaking donation! Jars can be dropped off any day, any time at WMS

Character Counts at WMS-Our Character Counts trait for September is:
Trustworthiness – We encourage our students to practice honesty, reliability, and keeping promises both at school and in the community.

WMS is currently having a Little Caesars fundraiser. If you would like to support our students please scan the QR code below! We greatly appreciate your support!

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Winn Parish 4-H will host a lunch plate fundraiser on Monday, Sept. 29, at the livestock barn located on the Winn Parish Fairgrounds. The event is being held in memory of Emma Claire Gill, a former student and active 4-H member who passed away in 2021.

Proceeds will fund a scholarship created in Gill’s name, helping support future 4-H members and students in their educational pursuits. Organizers said the fundraiser allows the community to honor her life while investing in the next generation.

Plates will include barbecue chicken, green beans, potato salad and dessert. Preorders are encouraged and can be made by contacting the 4-H office at 318-628-4528.

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For high school juniors and seniors, transfer students, and parents alike, the journey to choosing the right university often feels overwhelming. Between deadlines, financial questions, and the desire to find a place that feels like home, the process can seem intimidating.

That’s why Northwestern State University is rolling out the purple carpet this fall. On Saturday, October 25, 2025, NSU will host its signature N-Side View Day, a one-of-a-kind open house designed to help future students imagine themselves thriving on campus in Natchitoches.

To reserve your spot, register today at nsu.la/nsideviewday.

“Your future is calling and it begins here,” says Emily Miller, Director of Recruiting. “We want students and families to see not just what Northwestern offers, but how it feels to be part of our community.”

Unlike traditional campus visits, N-Side View Day gives students a true insider’s perspective on university life.

Throughout the day, guests will:

• Explore the historic NSU campus on guided tours that showcase everything from residence halls to state-of-the-art classrooms.
• Connect directly with faculty and students, hearing firsthand what it’s like to learn and live at Northwestern.
• Dive into academics, choosing from more than 100 degree programs tailored to career ambitions.
• Get real answers about admissions, scholarships, and financial aid.
• Every attendee receives a free ticket to cheer on the NSU Demon Football team.

Vanner Erikson, Director of Enrollment, explains “We’ve designed N-Side View Day to go beyond information. It’s an experience that inspires. Families leave with clarity, confidence, and excitement about the future.”

Set in Louisiana’s oldest city, Northwestern balances tradition with progress. Students engage in hands-on learning, collaborate with faculty, and take part in a campus culture that values creativity and leadership. Combined with the city’s historic charm, NSU’s affordable tuition and strong record of student achievement make it a destination for those who want both opportunity and community.

NSU President James T. Genovese shares, “We are committed to preparing students not just for jobs, but for meaningful lives of impact. N-Side View Day is a chance to experience that mission firsthand.”

Choosing a university is as much a family decision as it is a personal one. NSU understands this, which is why N-Side View Day includes tailored sessions for parents. Financial aid experts will break down scholarship opportunities, housing staff will explain residential life, and faculty will highlight career outcomes for graduates.

Parents often leave with as much excitement as their students. “The greatest relief for families,” says Miller, “is realizing that Northwestern offers the opportunities of a large university while providing the close-knit support of a community that truly cares.”

While many universities host open houses, Northwestern’s event stands apart for its personal touch. Every student who attends N-Side View Day is welcomed as an individual, with their goals and potential taken seriously from the moment they arrive.

“NSU is Louisiana’s best-kept secret,” says Erikson. “Once students step on campus, they feel it. They know this is where they belong.”

And with the event landing in late October, families can enjoy the beauty of Natchitoches in the fall, a season that showcases the city’s Southern charm and vibrant energy.

For prospective students, N-Side View Day transforms an ordinary Saturday into the beginning of something bigger. Whether you’re taking your first steps after high school or seeking a fresh start as a transfer, Northwestern State University invites you to experience a day that can help shape your future.

 

N-Side View Day

·         Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA

·         Saturday, October 25, 2025

·         Includes free campus tours, sessions, and Demon Football game ticket

Reserve your spot today at nsu.la/nsideviewday.

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Paid Editorial Feature – The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Winn Parish Journal

By Steve Webb, Board Chair, Louisiana Credit Union Association; CEO, Neighbors Federal Credit Union

Recent commentary suggesting that credit unions are “draining” Louisiana communities misses the larger truth: credit unions are not a burden on our state; they are one of Louisiana’s greatest assets.

Credit unions do pay taxes
Contrary to common misconceptions, credit unions are not tax-free. Louisiana’s credit unions collectively paid more than $100 million in state and federal taxes last year alone. We contribute through property taxes, payroll taxes, sales taxes, and more. The only tax credit unions are exempt from is income tax on profits because those “profits” are returned to the people who own us: our members and not distributed to wealthy shareholders.

Banks, by contrast, enjoy their own tax advantages. Many organize as Subchapter S corporations (45 in Louisiana), which allows them to avoid paying corporate income tax at the entity level. To single out credit unions for their long-established tax status while ignoring these bank exemptions presents an incomplete picture. Congress has debated the credit union tax exemption many times (most recently a few months ago) and they have agreed that credit unions should be allowed this tax exemption.

Member-owned means community-focused
Credit unions exist to serve members, not outside investors. Every dollar earned is reinvested in the form of lower fees, higher savings rates, and more affordable loans. Those benefits stay in Louisiana households and small businesses, circulating back into the local economy.

Preserving access where banks leave gaps
The decline in community banks has been stark: nearly half have disappeared nationwide over the last two decades. When banks consolidate or sell to out-of-state institutions, resources often leave the community. Shareholders of a bank have the ultimate decision on which institution they would like to sell to. When a bank sells to a credit union, it’s not a loss; it’s a commitment to ensuring residents continue to have a locally governed institution focused on people, not profits.

Growth doesn’t change our mission
Some critics argue that credit unions have grown too large for their tax status. But size does not change structure. A credit union with 500 members and one with 500,000 members share the same cooperative foundation: not-for-profit, member-owned, and community-driven. Growth simply enables us to provide modern services and compete in a marketplace dominated by trillion-dollar megabanks.

The real bottom line
The real story is simple: when credit unions succeed, Louisiana families succeed. We help people buy homes, send kids to college, start small businesses, and build savings. That is exactly why Congress created credit unions in the first place.

Far from draining our communities, credit unions preserve their strength. We keep financial decision-making local, return millions of dollars in value to members, and invest in the places we call home. That’s not a loss for Louisiana; it’s a win.

Paid Content

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Although the Trump Administration has been focused diligently on shrinking the size of the federal government, news this week of the rare creation of a new office is hopeful and encouraging.  The new office will be based in the State Department and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated the “Office of Natural Rights” was created “in order to reclaim America’s founding principles against globalist ‘rights.'”

Global, Leftist elites have always misunderstood or ignored the most important tenet of American government: our fundamental rights don’t come from government, they come from God.  In connection with this principle, it is critically important to remember that whatever rights the government arbitrarily gives, it may also arbitrarily take away.  That is why our Founding Fathers and the Framers of our Constitution made very certain that our fundamental rights are grounded solidly and irrevocably in natural law.  

Thomas Jefferson couldn’t even complete his first sentence in the Declaration of Independence without affirming that this new American country and its citizens would take the places to which they were entitled by and through the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.”  Jefferson’s very next sentence was one that is as memorable as it is eternal: “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, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” 

If Jefferson had stopped writing at this point, he would have adequately defined the purpose and aspiration of the new nation.  He had made clear that our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—and all they entail—did not derive from an act of earthly government.  They were endowed to us and instilled in us by our Creator.   

In fact, Jefferson underscores this point by stating that the only legitimate government was one that exercises its powers with the “consent of the governed.”  That is why no earthly government may legitimately deprive us of them.  On the contrary, we may “alter or abolish” with force any attempt to do so and then put in place a new government that ensures our safety and happiness.   The Declaration concludes with the signers pledging their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor (and many of them paid dearly) to uphold this principle of natural, God-given rights of which we simply cannot be divested.  And they called upon the protection and reliance of Divine Providence to do so.

So, for the U.S. State Department to highlight and project worldwide the fundamental nature and sacrosanct importance of natural rights is critical, both as a reminder to our own American government and as an example to the world.   

I also think the speech of Vice President, J.D. Vance, in Munich, Germany in February of this year contributed to the creation of this new office. 

One of the main things VP Vance emphasized in his speech regarding our “shared values” with European countries was the infringement by some European governments of those very values.  These include freedom of speech, expression, religion, conscience, association, and autonomy all being indispensable underpinnings of our inalienable, God-given right to liberty.  VP Vance highlighted several stark abuses of these rights by European nations.  

These included everything from digital and other censorship when government officials arbitrarily deem communication “hate speech,” to “European courts canceling elections or the backsliding in the UK away from conscience rights placing the basic liberties of religious Britons in the crosshairs, when the British government charged Adam Smith-Connor, a 51-year-old physiotherapist and an army veteran, with the crime of standing 50 meters from an abortion clinic and silently praying for three minutes—not obstructing anyone, not interacting with anyone—just silently praying on his own on behalf of the unborn son he and his former girlfriend had aborted years before; Or, the Scottish government threatening citizens whose houses lay within so-called “safe access zones” to abortion clinics warning them that even private prayer within their own homes may amount to breaking the law.

This is chilling and insane. 

VP Vance asserted that when other nations, who claim to hold mutual “shared values” with the United States, act in this way they have nothing in common with us and we are going to challenge those derelictions.

The fact that an office in the State Department has put the imprimatur of the U.S. federal government on such an endeavor is very important and powerfully symbolic. 

Royal Alexander

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Have you ever wondered how many people there are in the world with the same name as yourself? That thought ran through my head one day and gave me the idea to Google my own name. Don’t ask me why I decided to act on the idea to search my own name because I have no idea! But probably due to boredom and curiosity, I took the time to look myself up on the world wide web.

What would I find? Would I be impressed or disappointed with my findings? Would I be jealous or envious of others with the same name?

If you’re not sure who you are, just Google your name and see not just who you are, but how many of YOU there are! What I found was that there are many Steve Graf’s around the globe, but surprisingly I have yet to run into myself at any point in time. I came across 100 plus people with the same name as myself. But one good thing I did discover, it appears that no one with my name is an inmate anywhere! 

Here’s what I did find. Steve Graf is a dentist, a banker, a doctor, vice president of sales, a consultant, and a neuroscientist. He’s also an engineer, retired educator/coach, and a YMCA CEO! Wow, I was very impressed with myself and the “brothers” that carry the same name.

Others with the same name were also a bridge operator, a veterinarian, an athletic director, a senior programmer, a maintenance coordinator and a pilot for Delta Airlines. So, the next time you fly Delta, poke your head into the cockpit and make sure it’s not THIS Steve Graf at the controls.  

But surprisingly, I found another Steve Graf that played professional baseball! He played for the Cardinals and Pirates organizations at the same time I was playing in the Montreal Expos minor league system. Small world!

It is amazing that after seeing how many Steve Graf’s there are, I have never come across myself. There are several versions of me that live in California, New Jersey, New England, Kansas, Denver and Wisconsin. There’s more SG’s in Massachusetts, Indiana, Minnesota, South Carolina, South Dakota and Ohio along with one in Oregon, Iowa and Nevada just to name a few. 

I was always told as a youngster growing up, that the only thing you have that’s truly your own in this life is your name. Well, I guess that’s not true, but don’t ruin or tarnish your name by doing something stupid. This Steve Graf wants to be remembered for the good things I’ve done in life and not for the bad.

After doing this Google search, I thought how cool it would be to start a Steve Graf Club! Have an annual get together of everyone that shares the same name, or would that be a little weird? 

After reviewing a lot of these fine folks, turns out that if you are a Steve Graf, be proud! The one thing we all want in life is to be the best version of ourselves that we can be. We all want to be content with what we do and who we are. 

So, no matter how many people there are with the same name as yourself, there’s only one YOU. Be proud of who YOU are and do things that will make people remember YOU as a good person.  

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Goldonna News has been on hiatus for a while but we are back with lots of Fall and Christmas updates!

The Goldonna Christmas in the Park Commitee would like to announce they are selling raffle tickets for a Savage Axis II 270 with a scope. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased from Mr. Eugene Garner. He can be reached at 318-533-5044. They are also hosting one of their famous Fish Fry’s on September 7, 2025. All proceeds will benefit the Christmas Festival that are held every December.

The community will also host a town-wide rummage sale on Saturday, November 8th. Start gathering your items to sell and wait for more details will be released soon.

Goldonna Baptist Church will be kicking off their “Kingdom Kids” on September 10, 2025. These classes cater to children of all ages beginning with Pre-K all the way to 12th grade. The church will also have their Operation Christmas Child monthly cook-off on September 14, 2025. The theme for this cook-off will be sweet! It will be a delicious dessert themed contest. Dr. Wiley Cole will continue his teaching of the the book of Joshua every Sunday evening at 5:00.

The Goldonna Assembly of God Church will host Louisiana Teen Challenge Women’s Ministry on September 7, 2025 at 10:00am. They also have a women’s bible study every Tuesday at 6:00pm at the church and a men’s bible study every Tuesday at 6:00pm at the Stand.

If you have news to share please email Reba Phelps at jreba.phelps@gmail.com

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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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Janette Honeycutt Cash Clark
December 22, 1935 – August 24, 2025
Service: Graveside services for Mrs. Clark took place Friday, August 29, 2025 at Garden of Memories. 

Ronald Wayne Griffin
April 2, 1948 – August 24, 2025
Service: Services for Mr. Griffin took place Thursday, August 28 at Beech Creek Baptist Church. Interment followed in the Beech Creek Cemetery.

Michael Clayton Sharp
June 1, 1959 – August 27, 2025
Service: Services for Mr. Sharp took place Monday, September 1, 2025, at Hart Assembly of God Church in Sikes, Louisiana. Interment followed in the church cemetery under the direction of Southern Funeral Home.