Mrs. Bessie Magaline Wink Sullivan, age 93, of Sikes, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in West Monroe, Louisiana.

She was born on Tuesday, November 15, 1932, in West Monroe, Louisiana, to Benjamin Samuel Wink and Annie Mae George Wink.

Mrs. Sullivan was a longtime and faithful member of Sharon Baptist Church. She devoted her life to her home and family as a homemaker, finding great joy in caring for those she loved. She had a deep appreciation for simple, meaningful work—tending to her flower and vegetable gardens, sewing and quilting with care, and preparing meals that brought her family together. Among all her cherished recipes, her huckleberry cake was her signature favorite, remembered fondly by those who knew her best.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband of 46 years, John Winford Sullivan; an infant daughter, her siblings, Olla Mae Wink McGrew, Carolyn Sue Wink Sullivan, Sally Pauline Wink Joyner, and Mary V. Wink; her great-grandson, Thompson Taylor.

Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Betty Sullivan McDonald Trichell, Sharon Sullivan Taylor Portier and husband Mike, and Danny Joe Sullivan and wife Charlotte; her grandchildren, Lisa McDonald Jones and husband Raleigh, Kari McDonald, Nicholas Taylor and wife Tara, Justin Taylor and wife Lindsay, Scott Sullivan, and Aimee Buford and husband Jeff; as well as 15 great-grandchildren.
Grandsons and great-grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

Visitation was held at Southern Funeral Home on Sunday, March 22, 2026, from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM.

Funeral services followed at 3:00 PM at Southern Funeral Home, with Rev. Randy Roberson as officiant. Interment followed at Sharon Cemetery.

A Winnfield man is facing multiple felony charges after Winn Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators linked him to a residential burglary through security camera footage and a search of his vehicle and apartment.

On March 12, investigators responded to a reported burglary at 8497 La. 499. The homeowner told deputies he returned home from work at approximately 5:15 p.m. to find a broken window. Inside, he discovered items had been moved and that a Remington 700 .30-06 bolt-action rifle and an Apple Watch were missing.

Security camera footage showed a gray Chevrolet Impala pulling up to the residence and a male exiting the vehicle and approaching the home.

The investigation led deputies to the Flatland Apartments off La. 34, where they observed a male wearing clothing matching the security footage and working on a vehicle consistent with the one captured on camera. Investigators identified the man as LaAndrew Holden of Winnfield.

Holden denied involvement in the burglary but consented to searches of his vehicle and residence. Deputies found the stolen Apple Watch inside the vehicle’s center console. Holden was placed under arrest at that time.

During questioning, Holden told investigators he had sold the stolen rifle for $50 to a man he identified as “Uncle Terry” in Natchitoches. Investigators contacted the individual in Natchitoches Parish, who confirmed purchasing a rifle from Holden earlier that day. The buyer said he was unaware the firearm was stolen and voluntarily surrendered it to law enforcement.

Holden was transported to the Winn Parish Detention Center and charged with simple burglary, theft of a firearm, criminal trespass and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. All stolen property was recovered and returned to the homeowner.

Sheriff McAllister credited cooperation with the Winnfield Police Department for the swift resolution of the case.

Residents across Winn Parish can look forward to a stretch of sunny skies and gradually warming temperatures through the remainder of the week and into the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Wednesday will bring mostly sunny conditions with a high near 71 degrees. South winds are expected at 5 to 10 mph during the day. Wednesday night will remain mostly clear, with overnight lows dropping to around 48 degrees.

Sunshine will continue Thursday with a high near 79 degrees. Clear skies are expected Thursday night as temperatures fall to around 54 degrees.

The warming trend will continue Friday with sunny conditions and a high near 84 degrees. Friday night will remain clear with a low around 57 degrees.

Heading into the weekend, Saturday will be sunny with a high near 87 degrees. Clear conditions will continue Saturday night with lows around 59 degrees.

Sunday is expected to remain sunny and warm with a high near 88 degrees, providing ideal weather for outdoor activities across the parish.

Forecasters say the extended period of sunshine and warmer temperatures will give the region a taste of early spring conditions throughout the week.

Dr. Bob Jordan, chief technology officer for the Winn Parish School Board, was the featured speaker at the March 17 meeting of the Kiwanis Club.

A product of the Winn Parish school system, Jordan graduated from Winn Parish High School in 1990. He spoke about changes in today’s school environment — technology concepts such as cloud computing, streaming and tablets that either did not exist or had entirely different meanings when he was a student. Teachers now have technology integrated into their classrooms, and most students carry more computing power than was available to anyone in 1990. Jordan noted the state is working to establish a full computer science curriculum beginning in first grade.

Jordan was a member of the Winn Parish High School marching band, which earned him a scholarship to what was then known as Northeast Louisiana University. There, he said, he discovered the difference between liking something and loving it. He earned a degree in psychology and went to work as an analyst for the food stamp office in Natchitoches.

His wife, a teacher who would later earn her doctorate, was working in Natchitoches at the time. While there, Jordan completed a degree in school guidance counseling and was hired as the guidance counselor at Atlanta School. When his wife joined the faculty at Northwestern State University, Jordan took a position in Northwestern’s testing center, where he evaluated a quality enhancement program focused on experiential, hands-on learning.

Northwestern State was offering a doctorate program in adult education and instruction, which Jordan pursued. His doctoral thesis focused on a mentorship program for students in need of financial aid.

Seeking to put his doctorate to use, Jordan applied for a position with the Winn Parish School Board that aligned with his combination of experience and credentials. In that role, he oversees school information systems — ensuring that all figures reported to the state are accurate, since school funding depends on them. He is also involved with the district’s truancy program.

The Winn Parish school system is rated Tier 2 by the state — neither the lowest nor the highest tier. Jordan noted that attendance has become a statewide problem, particularly in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the state provides guidance to districts in managing truancy.

The Kiwanis Club thanked Dr. Jordan for an informative and well-received program.

Northwestern State University hosted over 1500 high school students, faculty sponsors and families from 38 schools from throughout the region for the Northwest Louisiana Literary Rally, Saturday, March 14. The Louisiana High School Rally, an academic competition held throughout the state since 1909, with the regional competition being held at NSU since the 1960’s, is an academic competition in which high school students compete by taking exams in a variety of subjects taught in high school. The Northwest Louisiana Rally held at NSU features different tests ranging from Agriscience to Calculus. Winn parish was ably represented by students from Winnfield, Calvin, and Dodson High Schools.

Winnfield High School earned a Third-place finish in the Rally’s always competitive Division III. Individual students who earn qualifying scores on their test or performance will advance to compete at the state literary rally at LSU in Baton Rouge on April 18.

Hard working teachers raising our young people’s sights and encouraging academic excellence are an integral part of our schools’ mission that all too often goes unrecognized. Thank you ladies and gentlemen for the hours of hard work, dedication and belief in your students’ abilities. Lastly, the Winn Parish Journal wishes all the best to our parish’s students who will go on to represent Winn parish at the state rally in Baton Rouge.

Life has so many variables out of our control that makes navigating our daily situations difficult. But in some instances, there are a few things we can control and it’s up to each of us to make it happen.

One thing we have zero control over is who our parents are. We as individuals have zero say on the DNA we are blessed with, nor the people it came from. Even though we are who we are, we do have the ability to become the person we truly want to be. In most cases, we can pave our own path to success or failure with the skills we have been blessed with.

Even with bad DNA flowing through our bodies, we still have the task of shaping our lives into whatever we want to be. But only if we as individuals take control and ownership of who we are will our direction in life be confirmed.

I learned at a very early age that the good Lord above had blessed me with good athletic abilities. I figured out before the age of 10 that it would be through sports, with hard work and determination, that I could possibly have some success. Sports gave me a purpose!

That’s what we’re all looking for … a purpose! Even if it goes against the beliefs of the people who raised us, we have to take control of our own destiny at some point.

Even when the odds are against us, there are also times when we have to accept the consequences of our actions. We have to make decisions that not only affect ourselves, but those around us.

Sometimes this means hurting the ones we love the most because the direction they want us to go may not be the same as the destination we had in mind.

By the time we reach 17 or 18 years old, most people know who they are and possibly what direction or path they might want to take. They start to see things in a different light than, say, their parents. But as parents, we must recognize that even though we think we know what’s best for our children, that may not always be the case. We must allow them to spread their wings and continue to grow even if they make a few mistakes along the way. It’s called growing up!

I’ve always heard the excuse that he or she was a product of the environment in which they were raised. Sometimes this can be true, but it doesn’t always have to be that way.

For example, my stepdad was a wife beater and treated women like they were worthless. Even though I witnessed many of these incidents first-hand at a young age, I always knew in my heart that this was wrong, and I made a conscious decision to never be that kind of person.

I always felt that God instills in each of us the ability to know right from wrong when we are born. He gave all of us a brain and the ability to reason when we see things that are not right.

Just because you grow up in a house with little to no guidance doesn’t give you the excuse to ignore what is right. Subconsciously we still know right from wrong and it’s up to each of us to make good decisions and do the right thing.

We all need direction in our lives, which was lacking early in my childhood. Hopefully, we have those we can turn to for advice like a parent or maybe a grandparent, aunt, uncle, preacher, teacher or maybe a coach. No matter who it is, it should be someone we trust. A person who has our best interest at heart.

Bottom line is this — at some point in our lives we must take control over our destiny no matter what our background is. But when we make a decision, we must accept the consequences for our actions. This is what we call accountability!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

If your current security team’s primary strategy is to “observe and report,” you are essentially paying for a professional witness.

By the time an unarmed guard observes a threat, dials 911, and waits for local law enforcement to arrive, the damage to your property, your people, and your corporate reputation is already done. In the high-stakes worlds of energy infrastructure, commercial real estate, and industrial logistics, minutes of downtime cost millions of dollars.

Waiting for an incident to escalate is no longer just an outdated strategy; it is a massive corporate liability.

The End of Reactive Security

Across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, enterprise-level businesses are waking up to a harsh reality: standard security is failing them. The new mandate is proactive deterrence.

Fidelis Protective Services, an elite risk management firm headquartered in Louisiana with a massive four-state operational footprint, is actively replacing the outdated “observe and report” model with specialized, high-impact capabilities designed to neutralize threats before they paralyze your operations.

The Ultimate Deterrent: Specialized K-9 Teams

You can argue with a standard security guard. You cannot argue with a highly trained K-9 detection team.

Fidelis achieves a higher standard of safety by deploying specialized K-9 units alongside highly disciplined security personnel. These elite teams provide mission-critical advantages that standard guards simply cannot match:

• Unmatched Visual Deterrence: The physical presence of an FPS K-9 and a disciplined handler provides an undeniable, non-verbal statement of capability. It forces bad actors to immediately de-escalate or abandon their target.
• Rapid Post-Incident Stabilization: Whether responding to a bomb threat at a corporate campus, an arson risk at a petrochemical plant, or targeted violence at a distribution hub, a FPS K-9’s advanced detection skills allow for the rapid, precise clearing of an environment.

[ WATCH: The Fidelis Standard in Action ] See exactly how the FPS K-9 Division executes proactive threat deterrence and rapid environmental stabilization.

K-9 Tactical Breakdown  “A stabilized environment, when it matters most, requires specialized capabilities,” says Fidelis Protective Services CEO, Lee J. Taylor. “We aren’t just placing a uniform at a desk. By deploying proactive teams across the region, we are actively assessing threats and stabilizing high-risk scenarios so our clients can keep their businesses running.”

Protecting the Infrastructure of the South

From the relentless operational tempo of Oil and Gas facilities in Texas to the complex access control required at major shipping ports in Tennessee and the Gulf Coast, your security strategy must match your operational footprint.

Stop paying for a reactive presence. Invest in a partner that brings elite deterrence, specialized capabilities, and a multi-state standard of excellence to the facilities that power the South.

ABOUT FIDELIS PROTECTIVE SERVICES

Fidelis Protective Services is an elite, multi-state security firm specializing in high-level asset protection, tactical K-9 deployments, and comprehensive risk management solutions. Operating across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, Fidelis sets the standard for proactive security operations in the commercial, healthcare, and energy sectors.

Connect with an FPS Operational Specialist for a custom risk assessment:

• Phone: 833-257-3888
• Web: fidelisprotectiveservice.com
• Email: info@fidelisgroupla.com
• Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/fidelis-protective-services-la
• Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/FidelisProtectiveServices
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@FidelisProtectiveServices

Across Louisiana, spring weather often feels like a roller coaster. Residents can wake up to thick fog, enjoy warm sunshine by midday, and then find themselves watching storm clouds roll in just hours later. Sudden thunderstorms and severe weather alerts are not uncommon during this time of year, sometimes followed by clear skies again before the day ends.

The rapid shifts are a familiar part of life in the state, where warm Gulf air, cold fronts, and seasonal storm systems frequently collide. For many Louisianans, keeping an eye on the forecast—and being prepared for just about anything—has become a routine part of the spring season.

Have you ever wanted to use prescribed fire on your property for wildlife or forest management? We’re hosting an interesting meeting to kick off a Prescribed Burn Association in Winn Parish and other surrounding areas!

March 24, 2026
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Winn Parish Library
200 N St. John St, Winnfield, LA 71483

Prescribed burning is a commonly recommended land management tool, but can present challenges for landowners with limited experience and confidence to carry out without professional help. Prescribed burning associations (PBA’s) consist of landowners and other concerned citizens creating partnerships to conduct prescribed burns – Neighbors Helping Neighbors Getting Fire Back on the Ground. Through the sharing of knowledge, equipment, time, and experience the PBA can reduce risk, safely increase burned acres and help landowners accomplish their habitat management goals.

If you’re passionate about wildlife habitat, forest health, wildfire risk or overall land management, this is for you. Let’s work together to use good fire safely and effectively. 

The Winnfield Kiwanis Club will hold its annual scholarship fundraiser lunch Monday, April 13, at the Farmers Market.

The menu features Boston butt steak, green beans, potato salad, bread and dessert. Tickets are $10 and are available from any Kiwanis member. The event is takeout only, with pickup available from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Proceeds fund scholarships awarded to graduating seniors from Winnfield Senior High School, Calvin High School and Atlanta High School. Scholarship applications are available at each school.

The Kiwanis Club appreciates the community’s continued support of this annual tradition.

It really does take less square footage to be a kid now than it did back in the olden days—by which I mean the 60s, 70s, and 80s, when dinosaurs did not roam the earth, but teenagers with giant stereos certainly did.

Back then, if you were a teenager, your bedroom looked like the back room of a Radio Shack. You had a stereo system that took up half the wall. Not a cute little Bluetooth speaker—no, no. This thing had a turntable, an amplifier, and speakers the size of end tables. If you turned the volume up, the windows rattled, the dog hid under the porch, and your mother yelled your full name from three counties away.

And the music collection? Albums were thin, yes, but they were the size of pizza boxes. And every album had a jacket, and the jacket slid into a cover, and some artists released double albums, which meant you needed a forklift to move your collection. Then came eight-tracks (which lasted about as long as a snowball in July), then cassettes, which required their own storage system—usually a shoebox with the lid missing.

If you were lucky, you had a phone in your room. It was attached to the wall by a cord, and the receiver was attached to the base by another cord. If you were really lucky, you had the long cord, the one that let you walk around the room, change albums, and still talk to your best friend about absolutely nothing for two hours.

You also had an alarm clock—or a clock radio—because you needed something to wake you up so you could enjoy that magical sleep between the alarm going off and your parent entering the room to announce, “I said GET UP.” Today we call that the snooze button. Back then we called it “living dangerously.”

Some studious kids had a desk with a typewriter on it. If you had a Pica typewriter, your term papers looked longer, which felt like cheating but wasn’t. And there was almost never a TV in the bedroom. The TV lived in the den, a 25-inch RCA color set that weighed more than a small car. The whole family gathered around it, and since there was no remote, the youngest child served as the official channel changer. It built character.

Fast-forward to 2026. Kids don’t need a whole room anymore. They need a pocket. Their music, alarm, computer, TV, telephone, camera, calculator, flashlight, and speakers are all in one device. Pull out your phone and look at everything it does. It’s a miracle of modern engineering.

There’s a tool that lets us do things we never dreamed possible.

iPhone.

But here’s the thing: for all the problems life throws at us—grief, illness, broken relationships, guilt, confusion, decisions that keep us up at night—there is no app for that. There’s no setting to toggle, no update to install, no notification that says, “Your peace has arrived.”

When you don’t know what to do…

When you’ve lost something or someone…

When the doctor is puzzled…

When your child or parent won’t listen…

When you’ve messed up and don’t know how to make it right…

When you need direction and can’t find the map…

There is one place to go.

Jesus.

He doesn’t fit in your pocket.

He doesn’t need charging.

He doesn’t go out of date when the next model comes out.

And He’s the only One who can hold everything your phone can’t—your fears, your hopes, your grief, your sin, your future.

Kids today may need less space to grow up. But all of us—no matter our age—need the same Savior to grow into the people God calls us to be.