Residents have watched as Winn Community Health Center has grown from its 2,000 square foot building with a small client base in July 2009 to a multi-parish, nine-site health service with over 500 employees and last year surpassed its 1 million patient mark.

In the same way they’ve watched as ground was broken in spring 2024 on their Winnfield location between the 5-lane and East Lafayette St. and their spacious three-story building has slowly risen.  It’s an impressive structure that will house the multiplicity of services that will be handed there once opened as well as the management needs of all locations under the umbrella of Trinity Community Health Centers of Louisiana.

CEO Deano Thornton appeared before the Rotary Club of Winnfield and explained he cannot say for sure when the opening date will be, since finishing stages of any project always take longer than hoped.  “But this will be a proud part of this community for years to come.”  Looking at an edifice of this size and cost, he added that “people don’t know what WCHC has sacrificed through the years to get us to this point.”

Trinity opened clinics first in Winnfield then Colfax, Ringgold, Pollock, Ruston, Alexandria, Marksville, Dry Prong and Bossier, with others planned soon.  Their goal from the outset has been to provide quality professional healthcare to patients regardless their ability to pay.  This is vital in a low income area like north-central Louisiana, Thornton said, as some 63% of their 152,000 patients last year were Medicaid, while 11% were Medicare and 3% uninsured.

The speaker walked through a floor-by-floor slideshow of photographs and diagrams, showing what will greet patients as they enter the front door.  The lobby and the building as a whole will have “a very open feel to it.”  The health center is not simply primary care but many different specialty services as well, some of those varying from center to center throughout the Trinity organization.

The first floor will house general medical practices with 22 exam rooms, pediatrics, pharmacy, specialists, behavioral health, chiropractic, a spacious nurses’ station, radiology, labs, a warehouse and lots of office space.  It includes two elevators and an escalator to the second floor.  As big as the building appears from the outside, “it looks twice that size on the inside.”

Thornton explained that patients will be served through the same waiting area whether they arrive for an annual checkup, for behavioral services or other medical needs, thus eliminating worries of stigma issues.  For the children, a glass wall will separate the “sick” from the “well” patients, giving parents peace of mind.  Interactive boards are also installed to occupy the youngsters as they wait.

From the second floor, visitors will be able to look down from the common waiting area into the lobby.  That floor will include physical therapy as well as the dental and oral hygiene departments. 

The third floor will house support and administration for the entire Trinity organization.  Included will be offices for finance, IT, billing, records, company officials, board room, kitchen (there are more than 130 people in the building) plus an employee break room, as on each floor.  Thornton stressed that this does involve a number of people “but I’m old-school and want to hire local people who our clients can actually talk to rather than farm it out to businesses in other parts of the country.  It helps our people and helps our economy.”

There will also be a banquet room on the top floor large enough to seat 100 people banquet-style that can be used for Trinity functions and when the organization wants to host a community event.  He’s proud of the wood-look to many areas of the interior and exterior of the three-story.  “I wanted it to look like it belongs to the community where timber products are so important.”  He noted that TBA Studio is the architectural firm that made this happen, with Winn native Lisa Peddy Frontaura taking the lead role.

He also called attention to the center’s in-house 340D pharmacy serviced by pharmacists Steve Burnam and Chip Little.  The advantage to patients receiving prescriptions from Community Health Center providers is that costs will be based on household income.  He gave an example of a lady who had been paying $225 for one prescription who received the same for only $8 through the center’s pharmacy.

Be sure to watch the Journal for future details on the Grand Opening.

Winn Parish residents can expect a stretch of mild, springlike weather through midweek, with increasing chances for rain and thunderstorms heading into the weekend.

Wednesday will be partly sunny with a high near 77 degrees. There is a slight 20 percent chance of showers developing after noon. Winds will be light and calm early, becoming west around 5 mph by the afternoon.

Wednesday night will remain partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to around 52 degrees.

On Thursday, skies will stay partly sunny and pleasant, with highs near 76. Thursday night will turn mostly cloudy, with lows around 57.

Rain chances return on Friday, as mostly cloudy skies bring a 20 percent chance of showers after noon and a high near 79. Friday night, shower chances increase, with thunderstorms possible after midnight.

The overnight low will be near 60, with a 40 percent chance of precipitation.

The most active weather arrives Saturday, with showers and possibly a thunderstorm expected throughout the day. Highs will reach near 73, and the chance of rain increases to 80 percent. Showers and isolated thunderstorms may continue into Saturday night, with partly cloudy skies and a low around 51. Rain chances remain at 60 percent.

By Sunday, conditions improve, with mostly sunny skies and cooler temperatures. Highs are expected to reach near 66 degrees.

Residents are encouraged to monitor forecasts as the weekend approaches, especially for updates on thunderstorm potential.

Tuesday, February 11^th Brian Montgomery, Winnfield Fire Chief, spoke to Kiwanis. He brought Captain Charles Long and Captain Ben Murphy to the meeting with him. Montgomery started at the Fire Department as a volunteer in 1994 and was hired as employee in 1996. He became chief in 2015.

He was very happy to share the good news that the Fire Department has achieved a class 2 fire rating. This is a classification of the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana which evaluates fire departments based on a grading scale. The rating affects the fire insurance premium costs. The ratings are determined every 5 years. The rating is 1 being best to 10 being worst. The Winnfield Fire Department has had a class 3 rating for many years and a lot of work went into now being a class 2. They are well within the boundary between class 2 and class 3 so they should be able to maintain class 2. Once the 5 years is over and the rating is established the process starts all over again.

There are 3 categories that go into the rating. The first is dispatching. Dispatchers must have training and be certified. The time between when the 911 call is placed and the time help is dispatched is very important. The second category is the fire department. All structure fires require 2 engines and a ladder truck to respond. They also receive credit for reserve pumpers and reserve ladder trucks which they have. The ladder truck can pump 2000 gallons of water per minute. When fighting a fire the amount of water you can put on that fire matters. It cost $5000 to outfit one firefighter and when you add an air supply it goes up to $9000. They are also graded on deployment analysis which is the time from the call until they reach the destination. On-duty staff has increased to an average of 4. At the present time there are 10 full-time employees and they are looking for one more. There are only 5 active volunteers with a possibility of 3 more. The last category is water supply. There are a few areas in town where the water lines are too small (4 inch) so the Fire District 3 will send a water truck to back them up. But this is considered a deficiency.

Training is very important and they do a lot of it. They respond to all 911 emergency medical calls. Because they usually are there before the ambulance they have EMTs and Paramedics who can stabilize patient until the ambulance arrives.

The budget for the Winnfield Fire Department is between $700,000 and $725,000 per year. The last new fire truck purchases cost $635,000. Salaries make up 75% of the budget although firefighters do not make a great salary. They can increase their starting salary with different certifications. Most employees have a secondary job and they can do that because of their working schedule.

Montgomery was very gracious to answer questions and respond to comments throughout his presentation.

Kiwanis very much appreciates the work the Fire Department does and the benefit that the class 2 rating will have on insurance costs for the city.

Winnfield Primary School held its fifth 4-H meeting on Jan. 13. The meeting was called to order by President Laila E. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Zaylee B. and the 4-H pledge was led by Cecila C. The secretary read the minutes from the last meeting and the reporter read the news article.

There were two demonstrations. The first one was led by Ellie F. She talked about how to apply makeup: Step 1: Ask a grown up

Step 2: Washing your face

Step 3: Apply the make-up.

Ellie said to make sure to clean your brushes regularly and to remember that a little bit goes a long way. Pick soft colors for every day use and save the bright ones for parties. Lastly, it is important to wash your face off at night.

Della, the wildlife agent, did a demonstration on a place in Arkansas that rescues big cats. Many different cats get rescued by the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. There the cats get toys, water, food and many other things to keep them healthy and entertained. Each cat there has a name and story. We learned that big cats are not pets.

The educational program was conducted by our 4-H Agents Donny and Bethany. They taught members about how to put together a healthy plate of food using the “My Plate” as a guide. Each plate meal should include grains, fruit, dairy, and protein. Members shared ideas with each other of what they could put on a healthy plate for each category.

The club supported the local food pantry during the month of January by collecting 45 packs of spaghetti and 28 cans of pork and beans. It also added 11 more cans of spaghetti sauces.

4-H clubs are sponsored by the LSU AgCenter Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service.

By Annie Goods, Winn Parish Dart Advocate

February is recognized as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, a time to highlight the impact unhealthy relationships can have on young people and to promote prevention through education and awareness.

Teen dating violence can have lasting effects on a young person’s health, opportunities, and overall well-being. Experts note that unhealthy relationship patterns often begin early and, if unaddressed, can continue into adulthood. While the issue is serious, prevention efforts show that dating violence is not inevitable and can be reduced when young people are equipped with the right tools and support.

Many teens perceive behaviors such as teasing, name-calling, or controlling actions as normal parts of a relationship. However, these behaviors can escalate into emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Fear of judgment or consequences often prevents teens from reporting unhealthy relationships to family members, teachers, or friends.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicates teen dating violence remains a significant concern. Among U.S. high school students who reported dating in the 12 months prior to the survey, approximately one in 12 experienced physical dating violence, while about one in 10 experienced sexual dating violence. Female students reported higher rates of both physical and sexual dating violence than their male counterparts.

The effects of teen dating violence can be both immediate and long term. Victims are more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, engage in unhealthy behaviors such as tobacco, drug, or alcohol use, and exhibit antisocial behaviors including lying, bullying, or physical aggression. Research also shows an increased risk of suicidal thoughts among youth who experience dating violence. These early experiences can influence future relationships, increasing the likelihood of continued unhealthy or abusive dynamics later in life.

Prevention efforts focus on promoting healthy relationship skills during the preteen and teen years, when young people are forming expectations about relationships. Teaching communication skills, emotional regulation, and mutual respect can help reduce the risk of dating violence. Studies emphasize the importance of targeted prevention strategies that address the needs of teens who are at higher risk.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month serves as a reminder that families, schools, and communities all play a role in helping young people build safe, respectful, and healthy relationships that can positively shape their futures.

Everyone’s racing to hit the Assumptions button like it’s a reflex… while the big red FACTS buzzer just sits there, untouched.

Cue the game show music. Cue the dramatic pause.

Wrong answer, but thanks for playing.

In real life, jumping to conclusions doesn’t win prizes — it just spreads confusion. Accountability starts when we slow down, check the facts, and resist the urge to react first and think later.

The Goldonna Assembly of God recently announced service time changes for their church. Sunday morning service will now take place at 10 am. Sunday night service has been moved to 5 pm. Wednesday night service is now at 6 pm. They also announced visiting ministers for the rest of the month of February.

February 15th Chris Plant
February 21st Teen Challenge Street Ministry
February 22nd Teen Challenge Men

Goldonna Baptist Church is continuing their Operation Christmas Child Ministry for 2026. The month of February they will be collecting wash clothes and loofahs for their boxes. Donations can be dropped off at the church.

River of Life Family Worship Center has pledged their support of the Operation Christmas Child Ministry of the Goldonna Baptist Church by collecting items monthly that coincide with the GBC schedule.

The Goldonna Area Fire Protection District 2 will have a Board Meeting on February 12, 2026 at 7 pm at the Central Fire Station Office located on Vine Street in Goldonna. They will discuss plans to accept volunteers and review the requirements to volunteer as well as discuss community updates and upcoming plans for future development.

For news to share please email Reba Phelps at jreba.phelps@gmail.com

Lately, during the extremely cold weather that we experienced a couple of weeks ago, I took some time to watch a few fishing podcasts. There are a handful of programs that I follow from top anglers within the world of professional bass fishing.

One of these is “After the Cast” with Major League Fishing pros Andy Montgomery, Edwin Evers and Ott DeFoe, strong personalities and great reputations for not only being outstanding anglers, but good Christians.

Their podcast is a behind the scenes look at the daily rigors that tournament anglers go through from the travel they face, to practice and tournament days.

But they’ll also sit down and talk about hot topics going on in bass fishing. They’re not afraid to voice their opinions and share their thoughts which makes the podcast very interesting to watch.

Another podcast I follow is “Zaldangerous,” also known as “The Bilge,” a program with Elite Series angler and Texas pro Chris Zaldain and his wife, Trait. These two do not shy away from controversial topics and are not afraid to challenge the establishments of B.A.S.S. or Major League Fishing (MLF) when it comes to rules violations or recent decisions that have been made with regards to a tournament organization.

Both podcasts, “After the Cast” and “Zaldangerous,” are programs that anyone would enjoy. They’re both great at shedding light on the hot topics in professional bass fishing while discussing possible solutions.

These are people “living the dream” by fishing for a living. They travel like gypsies and caravan across the country, fishing the best fisheries in America. They discuss today’s anglers and how to navigate the demands of professional bass fishing.

But their biggest concern is trying to provide for their families as a pro fisherman. So many of today’s anglers face obstacles that previous generations did not. First and foremost, how to navigate social media. This is a problem the older generation of anglers never had to deal with.

All three professional bass tournament organizations require that all anglers participate in social media. This can be in many forms like a podcast, Facebook page, YouTube videos, Tik Tok or maybe an Instagram account.

In today’s business world, it’s important that anglers have a social media presence as a way of promoting sponsor product and themselves as well. Of course, we all know that social media can be a place of controversy with people who are looking to discredit or cast blame on others for a particular situation.

Having a great social media presence is all about how many “clicks” or “likes” you’re getting with the posts you’re making. A really good account can translate into valuable dollars. It’s also another avenue where anglers can make money to help supplement their income.

But here’s a question — can the average angler make it as a professional bass fisherman today? The biggest issue facing anglers today are with sponsors; there just are not enough to go around. Sponsors are a critical part of how anglers make a living and provide for their families. Tournament winnings are just a bonus for anglers and are not factored into their annual budgets.

The fishing industry in general is just not big enough to support all the anglers looking to fish professionally. Most are stretched very thin with regards to how many anglers they can afford to sponsor.

The industry is short on sponsorship dollars with there being three major professional bass fishing organizations — Major League Fishing (MLF), B.A.S.S. and the new National Professional Fishing League (NPFL).

Anglers today are having to think outside the box and look at nonendemic companies that may have never had a presence in the bass fishing market.

Back during the old FLW days (2000 to 2012), there was Walmart, Land of Lakes, Kellogg’s, Snickers, Castro Motor Oil and many more that sank huge amounts of money into many of the old FLW Tour anglers.

But ever since the demise of the FLW Tour around 2012, these sponsors have chosen to walk away and are no longer interested in this market, leaving a huge sponsorship void for anglers to pursue.

Less sponsors means a bigger strain on anglers’ budgets as they try to navigate the costs involved with making a living as a professional.

Bottom line is this: with a shortage of sponsors it makes it very difficult for the average angler to participate on the professional level. It’s sad but it’s starting to look like only those anglers who have money, have a good financial support system like mom or dad, or wealthy grandparents will be the anglers who can compete on bass fishing’s highest level.

As the old saying goes, “money can’t buy happiness,” but it can buy you a spot on a bass pro tour!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

Every so often, Scripture taps us on the shoulder and whispers a truth we’d rather not admit out loud—especially not in front of the church council. It’s this: if there’s a polished saint on one side of the room and a repentant rascal on the other, the Lord tends to wander over to the rascal. And He does it with a kind of divine twinkle that says, “Watch what grace can do.”

This is not a minor theme. It’s practically the Bible’s greatest hits album.

Take Jacob. If your church had a background-check policy, Jacob wouldn’t even get to hand out bulletins. He lies, cheats, manipulates, and still God says, “That one. I’ll build a nation from that one.” Esau is out there doing CrossFit and being responsible. Jacob is stirring soup and plotting. And God chooses him anyway.

Or Rahab—whose résumé would not get her anywhere near the nursery sign-up sheet. Yet she becomes the hero of Jericho and ends up in Jesus’ family tree. God seems to delight in saying, “Your past doesn’t disqualify you. It’s the very place My grace shines brightest.”

And then there’s David. A man after God’s own heart… and also the star of several episodes that would make Dateline blush. Yet God keeps restoring him, using him, singing over him. Meanwhile, Saul—tall, impressive, polished—gets sidelined for trying too hard to look holy.

Peter is the apostle who could derail a committee meeting in under thirty seconds. He denies Jesus, misunderstands half the parables, and once cut off a man’s ear. Jesus hands him the keys to the kingdom anyway.

Zacchaeus? A professional cheat. A man who would overcharge you for your own tithe envelope. Jesus sees him and says, “Lunch at your place.” The crowd is scandalized. Jesus is delighted.

And the woman at the well—five husbands, a complicated story, and a reputation that made her the talk of the town. Jesus chooses her as the first evangelist of Samaria. The disciples are baffled. Jesus is not.
God consistently gravitates toward: the messy over the manicured, the repentant over the respectable, the hungry over the holy-looking, and the honest sinner over the polished saint

Why? Because saints tend to bring their résumé. Scoundrels bring their need.

Saints say, “Look what I’ve done for You.”

Scoundrels say, “Lord, have mercy.”

And God has always been drawn to the sound of mercy being asked for.

If you feel like a spiritual overachiever, God loves you—but He may ask you to scoot over so a tax collector can sit down.

If you feel like a spiritual disaster, God loves you—and He’s probably already pulling up a chair.

The gospel is not “God helps those who help themselves.”

The gospel is “God helps those who can’t even pretend to help themselves.”

And thank the Lord for that, because most of us are one bad day away from enrolling in Jacob’s School of Holy Mischief.

Angela Denise Wall, age 56, of Winnfield, Louisiana, passed away on Thursday, February 5, 2026, in Ruston, Louisiana. She was born on Monday, May 19, 1969, in Winnfield, Louisiana.

Angela was a devoted member of Bethlehem Baptist Church and was well known for her warm, outgoing personality. She found joy in crafting, reading, working with flowers, and especially in babysitting, where her nurturing spirit shone brightest. Angela had a natural way of connecting with people, and her presence brought light, laughter, and comfort to those around her.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Betty Sue Yelverton Wall; her sister, Robin Luther; and her nephew, Duggan Hood.

Those left to cherish her memory include her father, Robert C. Wall, Sr.; her brother, Robert C. Wall, Jr.; her sisters, Renee Fitzgerald of Winnfield, Louisiana, and Rebecca Beaubouef; and her beloved nieces and nephews, Amy, Dewayne, Dustin, Joshua, and Logan.

Pallbearers will be Tim Lang, Bobby Beaubouef, Bentley Hood, Dustin Beaubouef, Theron Wall, and Dale Lang. Honorary pallbearers will be Corey Vernor and Angel Martinez.

Visitation was held at First Baptist Church of Calvin on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church of Calvin on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with Rev. Lamar Carpenter and Rev. Eugene Beaubouef officiating. Interment will follow at Bethlehem Cemetery.

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