““How do I take our money off ‘subscription auto‑pilot’ and put it back under family control?”
 See what Ida says 

Lowell K. “Sandy” Robinson was a deputy for the Tulare County California Sheriff’s Department until he was elected Sheriff in 1951. From that election until the election in 1966, Sandy had easily defeated all others who vied for the office. The November 8, 1966, election day was a disaster for Sandy because he received only about half as many votes as his contender received. On January 1, 1967, he turned his office and the title of sheriff over to the incoming sheriff.

One of Sandy’s daily tasks was to retrieve his mail from post office box number 510 at the Visalia Post Office. It was a task that had become so routine that he performed it without much thought. It was just one of the routine details of his daily life such as putting on his shoes and grabbing his car keys. Soon after the election, Sandy decided to leave Visalia, California and move to Baxter Springs, Kansas to be near his parents and siblings. In the chaos of moving, Sandy forgot to return his post office box key. It remained on his keyring. Sandy was still getting things settled in Baxter Springs when a local hotel manager resigned and moved to another town. The hotel owner offered Sandy the hotel manager position and he quickly accepted. Sandy had not set up his new address in Baxter Springs when he was hired for his new job. When he visited the post office, he requested the same post office box which had been used by the previous manager just in case any mail intended for the hotel was delivered to that box. After completing the necessary paperwork, the postal clerk gave Sandy the box key. Stamped on one side of the key was the post office box number. Sandy was surprised when he looked at the key and saw it stamped with the number 510. Sandy had the same post office box number in Baxter Springs that he had in Visalia some 1650 miles to the west.

Sandy shrugged off the coincidence. He made sure the new key worked, retrieved a few pieces of mail from the box, then put the key on his key ring with little thought. Nearly two years went by, and checking his mailbox at the Baxter Springs Post Office became just another item on his daily routine. Then in August 1969, Sandy pulled out his keyring and opened box number 510. He retrieved the mail and was in the process of locking his post office box when he noticed that another key on his key ring was stamped “510.” That is when he finally realized that he had forgotten to return his key to the Visalia Post Office. Then, he wondered which of the two keys he had been using for nearly two years to get his mail. Other than normal wear, the keys were practically identical. Sandy tried both keys in each of the mailboxes in the Baxter Springs Post Office. Although they would not open any other box at that post office, both keys opened post office box number 510.

Sources:

1. The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kansas), August 25, 1969, p.5.

2. The Daily Item (Port Chester, New York), October 1, 1969, p.8.

3. “Lowell Sandy Robinson,” FindAGrave.com, accessed March 1, 2026, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28198671/lowell-sandy-robinson.

On March 11, 1970, the beginning of the end for one of the most influential bands in music history quietly unfolded. On that day, a press release tied to the upcoming solo album of Paul McCartney included a self-interview in which he confirmed he was no longer working with The Beatles.

Though tensions had been building within the band for months, McCartney’s public comments made what many feared official: The Beatles were effectively finished.

Formed in Liverpool in 1960, The Beatles — comprised of McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — had transformed popular music in less than a decade. From early hits like “She Loves You” to groundbreaking albums such as “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” the group reshaped recording techniques, songwriting standards and global celebrity culture.

By 1969, however, creative differences and business disputes had strained relationships within the band. Recording sessions for what would become “Let It Be” were famously tense, later chronicled in documentaries and studio footage that revealed the fractures behind the harmonies.

McCartney’s March 11 announcement did not immediately result in legal dissolution, but it signaled to fans around the world that the Beatles’ collaborative era had ended. The official breakup would follow in 1970 after legal actions were filed.

The news stunned fans and dominated international headlines. For many, the breakup symbolized the close of the 1960s themselves — a cultural shift away from the optimism and experimentation that defined the decade.

In the years that followed, each member embarked on successful solo careers, producing enduring hits and continuing to shape music independently. Yet the impact of The Beatles as a collective remains unmatched.

More than five decades later, March 11 stands as a pivotal date in music history — the day the world learned that the band that defined a generation was no more.

Eugene Franklin Edmonds, affectionately known as Gene, passed away on February 3, 2026, at the War Veterans home in Jackson, Louisiana. Born on February 19, 1944, Gene was a long-time resident of Winnfield, Louisiana. He graduated from Winnfield High School and attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

Gene was the son of Eugene Earlin (Bill) and Mae Juanita Edmonds. He spent the majority of his life as a master carpenter, known for his exceptional skill and infectious laugh. Gene had a passion for riding his Harley on sunny days and enjoyed watching LSU football on Saturdays.

He is survived by his daughter, Natalie Jeanne Mixon and her husband Lucien, and his son, Ty Eugene Edmonds and his wife Kathryn, all of Geismar, Louisiana. Gene was a proud grandfather to five grandchildren: Ensign Braddock Russell Lord, Officer Jackson Kenneth Lord and his wife Kiarra, John Champion “Champ” Edmonds, Reagan Lynn Jinks, and Hadley Kate Edmonds. He also leaves behind three great-grandchildren: Alaska Rainn Lord, Maverick Carter Lord, and Paxton Kenneth Lord.

Gene was preceded in death by his father Bill Edmonds, mother Juanita Edmonds, sister Dorothy Lynn Edmonds Gates, and nephew Roger Gates. His unwavering devotion to his Heavenly Father and his dedication to family and friends are the legacies he leaves behind.

A Graveside Service will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2026, in Garden of Memories Cemetery under the direction of Southern Funeral Home. Friends may express messages of condolence to the family online by visiting southernfuneralhome.com.

Residents of Winn Parish can expect warm springlike temperatures through the week, with increasing chances of showers and thunderstorms heading into the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Wednesday will bring partly sunny skies with a slight 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms developing after noon. High temperatures are expected to reach near 85 degrees with south winds between 5 and 10 mph. Overnight, skies will remain mostly cloudy with lows around 64 degrees.

Thursday is forecast to remain partly sunny and warm, with highs climbing to near 86 degrees. Mostly cloudy conditions will continue Thursday night with overnight lows around 66 degrees.

Rain chances begin to rise Friday, with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms developing after noon under partly sunny skies. Highs are expected to reach near 87 degrees. A slight 20 percent chance of storms will linger after midnight Friday night as temperatures fall to around 68 degrees.

The weekend forecast calls for more unsettled weather across the parish. Saturday is expected to bring likely showers and thunderstorms with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 85 degrees. Rain chances increase to 70 percent during the day and remain elevated Saturday night, with a 60 percent chance of continued storms and lows around 65 degrees.

Sunday will remain cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely throughout the day. High temperatures are expected to cool slightly to near 79 degrees, with rain chances around 70 percent.

Residents are encouraged to stay weather-aware, especially this weekend when storms may become more widespread across the region.

March is Disability Awareness Month and people with disabilities and domestic violence intersect in many ways. We know that disability covers a wide range of identities and communities, and the ways in which they intersect with domestic violence appear in different forms. That’s why it’s important to know specific challenges they face, why it’s important to understand their unique experiences, and ways to help.

What Does Domestic Violence Look Like for a victim with a Disability?

• Verbal and psychological abuse
• Unwanted sexual contact
• Threats and intimidation
• Neglect
• Withholding medications
• Physically harming service animals
• Isolating victims
• Withholding or destroying assistive devices such as wheelchairs
• Financially exploiting victims and misusing victim’s money

Four Facts About People with Disabilities and Domestic Violence

• People with disabilities have a higher lifetime prevalence of experiencing abuse than people without disabilities
• People with disabilities experience violent crimes at twice the rate of people without disabilities
• In 2008, intimate partners perpetrated 27% of violent crimes against women with disabilities and 1% of crimes against men with disabilities
• Police are less likely to respond to reported violence against victims with disabilities than they are to reported violence against victims without disabilities

About DART
The Domestic Abuse Resistance Team (DART) has served families since 1994, providing advocacy, education, and support services to victims of domestic and dating violence.

Contact:
Annie Goods
Winn Parish DART Office
301 West Main Street
Winnfield, LA 71483
Phone: 318-648-0559

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. 

BATON ROUGE — State Senate President Cameron Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier have both expressed concern about a spate of bills that might give communities veto power over carbon capture projects in their areas.

The push for a local option follows growing concerns of residents, landowners and environmentalists in Louisiana about the possible health implications of having the carbon capture and storage projects nearby.

Carbon capture is the process of capturing carbon dioxide at emission sources, transporting it and then storing or burying it in a deep, underground location.

DeVillier, R-Eunice, said more than 20 bills have been filed in the House that he would consider “anti-carbon capture.” DeVillier said he wants to ensure that the new technology is handled safely but also in accordance with guidance from the Supreme Court, “that says states nor local governments should interfere with interstate commerce. I mean, that is exactly what local option is,” he said.

Henry, R-Metairie, said that “when you’re talking about an industry that’s going to come in and change not only a parish but could possibly change the face of Louisiana, I think having a group of five people go in and say, ‘Under no circumstances will I ever allow this here,’ that’s not practical,” Henry said.

The lawmakers made those comments at a lunch at the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday.

You ever notice how life has a way of barging in like a neighbor who doesn’t bother knocking? One minute you’re minding your own business, sipping coffee, feeling almost in control of your day—and the next, life taps you on the shoulder and says, “Scoot over, I’m sitting here now.” Around here, we treat interruptions the way we treat seagulls at the beach: we try to enjoy the view, but we keep one eye on the sky because we know something unpleasant might fall at any moment.

But what if we’ve been misreading the interruptions? What if the things we label as nuisances, delays, and potholes are actually holy things—God’s way of nudging us, slowing us, or getting our attention before we wander too far down the road of selfimportance and illusion of control?
We usually treat interruptions as spiritual speed bumps—annoying, jarring, and always arriving at the worst possible moment. But have you considered that the interruptions in your life might be holy things?

They might be God’s gracious way of getting your attention, redirecting your steps, or opening a door you didn’t even know was there.

Lent is a season of selfimposed interruption, if you observe it. It disrupts our usual habits and routines. Asking someone what they gave up for Lent is a bit like asking about New Year’s resolutions—we don’t always want to admit how fragile our commitments are. We resist resolutions and Lenten disciplines because they interrupt the normal choices we make. They threaten the illusion that we are in control.

But Lent brings us the gift of holy interruption. By intentionally letting go of our triedandtrue rhythms, we make room for new life to spring forth in the garden of the Resurrection. Lent is a minorkey season that unsettles the usual. It prepares us for the massive interruption of human history called the Resurrection.

Everything about Jesus was an interruption. His life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and reign as Lord and Savior interrupt human selfishness and sinfulness. Following Him certainly changes the course of your wellplanned life. He steps into our stories not to tidy them up but to transform them.

So, the next time you are interrupted, be encouraged. God may be allowing you to put aside your need to control and opening up an opportunity to experience His love and grace. God often shows up when we are not looking for Him. His love and grace can be found in holy interruptions.

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now — writing emails, generating art, passing professional exams, and promising to “revolutionize” just about every industry. Depending on who you ask, it’s either the greatest productivity tool ever created or the beginning of the robot takeover. But for all the headlines about automation replacing human jobs, there’s a quieter truth we don’t talk about enough: some skills just can’t be downloaded. This week’s cartoon plays with the gap between tech-world hype and real-world reality, reminding us that while algorithms may be impressive, there’s still plenty of value in good old-fashioned hands-on know-how.

All 4th-6Th grade Winn parish 4-H members are invited to STEM Day on March 16 at South Winnfield Baptist Church from 3:00-4:30!

On this day students will learn all about STEM careers, engineering design, and will have the chance to use their knowledge of engineering design to create a leprechaun trap using only the materials provided. To sign up for the event, you may stop by the 4-H office and register or visit the following website to sign up online. https://forms.office.com/r/RE8AcF51m5

The cost is $5. Cost includes materials needed and snacks.

Agenda for STEM Day:
2:45-3:00-Check in, assign groups
3:00-3:15 Rotation 1*
3:15- 3:30 Rotation 2*
3:30-3:40- Short Break
3:40-4:10- Design Challenge (Leprechaun Trap)
4:10-4:20- Test Leprechaun Trap
4:20-4:30- clean up and exit survey
*The two rotations are STEM careers and engineering design

Should you need ADA accommodation, please contact our office at (318)628-4528 no later than 2 weeks prior to the event. The LSU AgCenter and LSU provide equal opportunities in programs and employment.