Rotarian of the Day Bob Holeman introduced Dr. Troy Bell, Winn Parish School Board’s new superintendent, as Winnfield Rotary Club’s guest speaker at their Sept. 24 meeting.

Bell spent many of his formative years in Alexandria before his family moved to West Monroe, La., when he was 14. He said he was always interested in sports, playing baseball at Louisiana Tech and golf at Northeast Louisiana University.

His first career was in business management with Entergy. Several years in, he realized it was not fulfilling and felt called to coaching and education. At age 38, Bell returned to college to pursue a degree in education.

After completing that degree, Bell taught and coached in middle school and then in high school. He moved from teaching to assistant principal and then principal, later serving as assistant superintendent, a progression that led to his role as superintendent of Winn Parish Schools.

Bell taught and worked in Ouachita, Caldwell and Franklin parishes, which he said is an advantage in Winn Parish because the size and demographics of those parishes are similar. He said he is meant to be in Winn Parish at this stage of his career.

Bell said he is grateful for the orientation he is receiving from the current superintendent and staff. He has visited cafeterias in each parish school and is meeting as many staff and teachers as he can. He rode a school bus route to familiarize himself with transportation in the parish and has spent much of his time asking questions and meeting people.

Bell’s three primary goals are to increase student enrollment, keep and recruit the best teachers and improve communications between the School Board, schools and the community, keeping residents informed about what is happening in the schools.

Bell and his wife will continue to live in Kelly, La., in Caldwell Parish, which is near Columbia, La., where his wife works, and not far from Urania, La.

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Mothers and families are invited to the “Well Mom, Well Baby” community baby shower on Friday, Oct. 17, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Winn Parish Library, hosted by Humana and Allegiance Health.

With a focus on maternal health, the event will provide resources and activities for mothers and families, from onsite mobile maternal health visits through Allegiance Health and a doula table from Cenla Healthy Start to car seat safety checks, demonstrations and additional information from participating community partners.

Attendees can also expect baby shower-style fun with games, raffle prizes, giveaways and family-friendly activities. Playstreet equipment from the LSU AgCenter, along with representatives from Winn Parish WIC and Winn Parish Medical Center will also be on hand.

Vendors are invited to take part in the event. Those interested are asked to bring their own tables, chairs and booth supplies. Set-up begins at 11 a.m. and should be completed by 11:30 a.m.

For more information, contact Anna Barrett, community management professional for Region 6/5, at ABarrett25@humana.com or 318-308-3279.

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The Juanita Pharr Cancer Support Group will host a gala for Winn Parish cancer survivors on Feb. 7, 2026, to recognize the men and women who fight this disease each day, celebrate those who have won their battle, and remember those who are no longer with us.

This event will consist of a dinner, entertainment and motivational speakers. Rhonda Pharr, support group director, says the goal is simple: treat every survivor like the stars they are and create a celebration worth remembering. Pharr asks cancer survivors to contact the group to be added to the event’s list of honorees. Each honoree will receive two tickets to attend. Funds raised will stay in Winn Parish to continue assisting local patients who are undergoing treatment.

The support group thanks First United Methodist Church, Winn Parish Medical Center, Arclin and the many volunteers helping plan the event. If you’re a survivor or would like details, email juanitapharrcsg@gmail.com or call 318-332-4713. More details will be shared in the coming weeks. “In Winn Parish, no one fights alone.”

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The Winnfield Historic Preservation Commission will meet Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. at the Louisiana Political Museum, 499 E. Main St., Winnfield, Louisiana.

The commission is responsible for preserving and protecting Winnfield’s historic character and ensuring that changes within designated areas align with the city’s heritage and architectural significance.

Agenda items include discussion of the Historic District map and other matters related to local preservation efforts.

The public is encouraged to attend, provide input and stay informed about ongoing work to protect Winnfield’s historic identity.

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As cooler weather approaches, New Zion and Caring and Sharing in Unity are teaming up for a community coat drive to help local families.

Donations of new and gently used coats, jackets and sweaters for children and adults are welcome. The drive runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, and anyone in need may attend.

To coordinate donation drop-offs or for more information, contact Mary Lou Blackley at 318-481-0227.

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By Rhonda Pharr

As I sat in my classroom, lights off, not a sound to be heard in the whole building but the beat of my own heart, an uneasiness came over me, even though I knew it was just a drill. We can all remember those days of the fire alarms blaring and all of us quickly moving in a straight line to our designated place of safety, most of the time welcoming the short break in our day. 

Tornado drills are another memory many of us in Louisiana can relate to: hunkering down on your knees, hands covering the back of your head, hoping and praying it would end soon because of the sharp pains radiating through your knees. As adults, we can picture those drills in our minds and remember taking part in them ourselves. Now, however, your children are coming home telling you about lockdown drills, something many parents cannot relate to.

It is a sad reality that lockdown drills have become part of the new normal in schools. They are not meant to scare your children, but to prepare them should there ever come a time when those skills are needed. Parents, it is important that your children know these drills are serious and that they should pay close attention to instructions. Practice them at home with your children: lock doors, lights out, move away from the door and windows, get low to the floor, and take cover behind a desk, backpack, or whatever you can find. 

The most important part is that students stay completely quiet, for their safety and the safety of their peers. Stress that they are not to open the door for anyone during a real lockdown. They are to remain in position until building administrators or police officers enter the room and give further instructions. We need to make this second nature so they immediately know what to do. Remember, this is not done to frighten your kids; it is to prepare them so they are confident in knowing what to do.

What should your child do if an assailant enters the classroom? Fight back with whatever they have: desks, book bags, chairs, and more. Twenty-five students against one assailant stand a shot if they band together and fight with everything they have. It is not something we like to think about or to have our kids think about, but in today’s world it is better to be safe than sorry. We have seen far too many times that it can happen and does so very often.

It is also helpful, as a family, to have a plan to ensure your safety when you attend an event like a football game or concert. What will you do should trouble arise? Do your kids know the plan? Can they act quickly? Even everyday events like going to the store or to church now require us to think ahead and be prepared for anything. Working together as a family ensures that you all know what to do and can immediately put that plan into place.

My prayer is that no child is ever put into a situation where they have to resort to any of these practices. I pray for a world like the one I grew up in, where we could go about our everyday lives and not worry about the threat of violence. Prayers are answered daily. Maybe this one will be, too.

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President Trump never changes or equivocates and “political speak” remains foreign to him.  He plows ahead and did so again this past week when he addressed the United Nations in New York City.

He endured audio problems, a teleprompter malfunction, and an escalator mishap before he delivered his speech, irregularities that are under FBI investigation.  Undaunted, he gave one of the most impactful and historic speeches ever delivered in the United Nations. 

One topic Trump hammered repeatedly as a threat to every nation was illegal immigration.  Illegal immigration “is destroying your country, and you have to do something about it!”   “Uncontrolled migration” is a great danger and “your countries are being ruined.” 

He directly criticized the UN stating, “not only was the UN not solving problems it was (actually) funding an assault on Western countries and their borders.”  He noted “in 2024, the UN budgeted $372 million in cash assistance to support an estimated 624,000 people illegally coming into the United States.” He pointedly stated that the “mass trafficking of children is evil but that’s exactly what the globalist migration agenda has done.”

Trump continued, “the UN is supposed to stop invasions, not create them or finance them.” In America, “we reject the idea that mass numbers of people from foreign lands can be permitted to travel halfway around the world to trample our borders, violate our sovereignty and cause unmitigated crime while depleting our social safety net.” 

He asserted that “just as America belongs to the American people, I encourage all countries to take their own stand in defense of their citizens as well.”  He blamed the illegal invasion on “political correctness” and, pointing to London, said “your migrants now want to go to Sharia law.”  Rather, he urged, every nation is “unique,” and you have “the right to control your own borders” and should do so!

One of my favorite parts of the speech was when Trump looked out at the huge assembly of leaders from across the world and, after enumerating the seven wars he has recently ended worldwide, said, “… it’s too bad I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them … and sadly in all cases the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them.”  And then he eyed that weak and sterile body and stated, “I never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help.”  

He concluded his scathing critique by asserting “all the UN does is write really strongly worded letters and then never follows up on those letters. They’re only empty words and empty words don’t solve war.”

He emphasized the need for unity against the greatest threat—the “nuclear” threat—and recalled his destruction of Iran’s nuclear capability.  “The world’s number one sponsor of terror (Iran) can never be allowed to possess the most dangerous weapon.”  Trump explained he attempted to negotiate with the Supreme Leader of Iran to halt that country’s nuclear program but was ignored.  He then ordered seven American B-2 bombers to drop fourteen bombs on Iran’s key nuclear facilities, “totally obliterating” all of them.

He then powerfully recalled the slaughter of Oct 7th in Israel and addressed the issue of a ceasefire in Gaza, chastising the nations present who, “as if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body are seeking to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state” which would “only reward the horrible atrocities of Hamas, which has repeatedly rejected reasonable offers to make peace.”  He then demanded that Hamas “release the hostages now!”

He also explained he is using the American military to destroy drug cartels he has designated as terrorist organizations, indicating we are “blowing drug boats out of the water.” 

He also mocked Green energy as “windmills that don’t work” and UN participation decades before in climate hysteria that has never come to pass.  “Climate change is the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.”

He concluded by observing America’s 250th anniversary next year and invited the world to come for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics as “great celebrations of liberty and human achievement.”  He then defended Christianity and encouraged each nation to treasure and protect its own heritage and citizens, and closed with “God bless the nations of the world.”

Trump is a rare and historic leader, and we should pray for his health and safety.

Royal Alexander

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Why would anyone walk away from fishing for a living? Who in their right mind would want to give up this lifestyle? Well, if you sit down and visit with any one of several anglers who have lived “the dream” and fished professionally, you’ll understand the trials and tribulations that go with the job. 

It’s truly a lifestyle very much like those we call gypsies. Traveling the country like a circus from town to town or in the fishing world, lake to lake. Anglers traverse the United States from the south with Florida’s Lake Okeechobee to as far north as the Great Lakes. From Lake Murray, South Carolina, in the east to as far west as Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas. 

Nothing ages a person more than travel and stress. It’s hours upon hours of lonely windshield time. Each tournament can mean anywhere from 15 to 18 hours of travel time one way depending on where they choose to call home. 

But some anglers have tried to make their drives much shorter by uprooting their families and moving to the southeastern part of the United States since the majority of the tournaments are in this part of the country. 

Many anglers who have grown up on the west coast looking to pursue “the dream” of a professional bass fishing career have made a career move to Alabama, Georgia, or Tennessee just to help cut down on road time in between events.

This life-changing move is not just about the angler, but their families as well. Talking to several pro anglers over the years, time away from family is the hardest part of pursuing the life of a professional angler. 

Sacrifices are made like missing birthdays, Mother’s Day, Easter and many more events that are considered family time. Many tears have been shed by anglers as they leave their driveways headed for the next event as they look into their review mirror and the wife and kids are waving goodbye, wondering when dad will return.  

This is the emotional sacrifice ALL professional anglers endure. Like so many other jobs, it takes a toll on the angler himself and the family. Many divorces have been had over an angler chasing this so-called dream. 

It takes a special wife who is strong and can handle the challenges of raising kids, running a household and dealing with everyday life while the man of the house is gone for several weeks straight.  A conversation I had with pro angler Shaw Grigsby revealed that he figured up that he had slept in his own bed only three days out of the month of April one year. 

This time away from home is the norm and not the exception. That’s why so many successful touring pros give all the credit to their wives for their success because she is the one holding down the fort while they as anglers try and do their jobs. 

So, what’s the attraction to be a professional angler? Is it the fancy truck and boat wraps? Is it the cool looking logoed shirts the anglers wear? Yes, to both of these, and the same as any other high-profile job, the fame and fortune and a lifestyle that’s like no other. 

But if you think “going fishing” everyday sounds like fun, understand this. While you’re going to the office for your job, their office as professional anglers is at the lake. Their job requires them to back their boats in the water every single day in all types of weather. 

Their office is outdoors and very seldom do they get days off just because it’s raining, cold or hot. They still must find fish and figure out how to compete and catch bass in all types of weather conditions. Their day starts at sunrise and ends at sunset! 

While we see these anglers at an expo or the weigh-ins, what we don’t see are the number of hours they put in researching their next body of water, tackle preparation, social media postings, and sponsor meetings. 

To be a professional angler is a full-time job that not just anyone can do. It takes a person with special talent who is committed and dedicated to being a professional angler. It also takes a team to make an angler successful. In most cases it’s the wife/business manager that helps to make these pros successful in the bass fishing world.

I hope you now have a better understanding of what it’s like to be a professional bass fisherman. So, if you think this is the life for you, good luck because you’re going to need it. 

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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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Vernon R. Jones
Passed-September 27, 2025
Services: Services for Mr. Jones will take place at Greater Neal’s Temple Church in Winnfield, LA,11:00 a. m. Interment will follow within the Winnfield Cemetery. 

James Donald “Donnie” Wise
June 5, 1943 – September 22, 2025
Service: Services for Mr. Wise took place at Grace Baptist Church on Saturday, September 27, 2025, 11 a.m.

Patricia Ruth Sutton Godwin
December 28, 1942 – September 23, 2025
Services: Services for Mrs. Godwin will be held in the Southern Funeral Home Chapel in, Winnfield, Louisiana, on October 18, 2025, at 2 PM, with a visitation from 12 -2 p.m. 

Willie Frances Hall Walker
September 17, 1937 – September 24, 2025
Services: Services for Mrs. Walker took place Monday, at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist of Winnfield. The internment will follow at the Garden of Memories Cemetery under the direction of the Southern Funeral Home.