August 13, 2026 Steven Randolph, 40, of Robeline, was arrested on an arrest warrant. Derrick Rainey, 30, of Natchitoches, was arrested for aggravated kidnapping, armed robbery, and aggravated second-degree battery. Matthew Daniels, 41, of Natchitoches, was arrested for prohibited acts (Schedule II), obstruction of justice, evidence tampering, and prohibited acts. Deontay Driver, 26, of Natchitoches, was arrested for possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon by a felon. Blacina Santiago, 57, of Natchitoches, was arrested for failure to appear.
August 14, 2026 Alexander Brown, 17, of Little Rock, Ark., was arrested for possession of stolen things and theft of a motor vehicle. Clayton Pittman, 23, of Glenwood, Ark., was arrested for illegal possession of stolen things, theft of a motor vehicle, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
August 16, 2026 Corey Thomas, 37, of Winnfield, was arrested for driving under suspension, illegal tint, simple possession, and resisting an officer.
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.
8/14/26 Zion Johnson B/M 20- Possession of CDS Sch I With Intent to Distribute,. Possession of Firearm in Presence of CDS
8/14/26 Austin Denis W/M 24- Domestic Battery, Battery of a Police Officer, Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Aggravated Assault With Firearm, Simple Battery, Disturbing the Peace, Resisting Arrest
8/15/26 Daniel Lundey W/M 50- Fugitive
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.
WINN PARISH, La. — Winn Parish will face another stretch of intense summer heat this week, with temperatures reaching the triple digits before a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms arrives over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Wednesday will be sunny and hot with a high near 100 degrees. Southwest winds will be around 5 mph. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 77.
Thursday is expected to be the hottest day of the forecast period, with sunny skies and a high near 101 degrees. Thursday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 75.
Friday will remain sunny and hot with a high near 99 degrees. Friday night will be mostly clear with a low around 75.
Saturday will bring a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Otherwise, conditions will be sunny and hot with a high near 98 degrees. Saturday night will be mostly clear with a low around 73.
City of Winnfield leadership met recently with the Water Department to address growing resident concerns regarding utility billing accuracy and the condition of local water meters.
Mayor Gerald Hamms, Utility Clerk Stacey Fields, City Clerk Katina Smith and the Water Department convened to review meter-reading protocols and transparency measures.
City officials sought to clarify the technology used to track consumption, noting that the system utilizes “SmartPoint” meters. These devices allow the Water Department to capture data electronically via handheld units, meaning that visible surface dirt or debris under a meter lid does not necessarily impede a device’s ability to transmit an accurate reading.
During the meeting, however, officials acknowledged that some units have reached the end of their functional lifespan.
“We recognize that mechanical issues within our system have, at times, caused frustration and may have caused some customers to lose confidence in our utility system,” the city said in a statement. “We hear you, and we are working to address these concerns.”
In response to these findings, Mayor Hamms directed the Water Department to begin the procurement process for new replacement meters immediately. The city confirmed that crews are currently engaged in ongoing updates, system upgrades and equipment repairs to restore service reliability.
City officials stated that these efforts are intended to improve the accuracy of utility billing and reinforce public confidence in municipal infrastructure. The city encouraged residents to remain patient as the department works through the phased equipment replacement schedule.
WINNFIELD, LA — Leadership from Winn Parish Fire District 3 presented a comprehensive update on parish-wide fire protection, operational growth, and community risk reduction during the weekly Winnfield Kiwanis Club luncheon on Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
Fire Chief Dustin Parker and Captain John Fannin, Public Education and Fire Prevention Officer, outlined the department’s journey from its inception to its current status as a modernized, highly trained emergency response agency serving residents outside the Winnfield city limits.
A Legacy of Parish Service
The presentation was introduced by Kiwanian and former Fire Chief Troy Rogers, who reflected on the history of Fire District 3 and its deep ties to the community. Established in 1997 by the Winn Parish Police Jury under then-Police Jury President Lamar Tarver and Secretary Thelma Jarnigan, whose Grandson Kiwanian W. Bryan Price also served for several years as the President of the Fire District Board, the district was created to expand fire protection beyond municipal boundaries.
Chief Parker, who began his career as a junior firefighter in 2003 and joined District 3 as a career firefighter in August 2014, took over as interim chief in September 2023 before being named permanent fire chief in December 2023. Parker noted that the district now operates 14 fire stations strategically located throughout the parish, housing 37 pieces of equipment ranging from specialized UTV brush rigs to an 8,000-gallon water tanker stationed at 8920 Highway 501.
“The fire district averages around 250 incidents per year,” Chief Parker stated, noting that call volume for 2026 is currently on pace to hit that average, with 127 incidents recorded year-to-date compared to 92 at the same time last year.
Major Milestone: PIAL Grade Improved to Class 5
A major highlight of Chief Parker’s report was the department’s recent achievement in improving its Property Insurance Association of Louisiana (PIAL) rating from a Class 6 to a Class 5. PIAL ratings directly influence residential and commercial property insurance rates, with lower numbers representing better fire protection capabilities and potential premium savings for property owners.
Achieving a Class 5 rating in a rural parish presents unique structural challenges, particularly regarding water supply and staffing credit:
Water Supply: Rural areas lack continuous high-capacity pressurized water grids. To overcome this, District 3 maintains 76,000 total gallons of “water on wheels” across its mobile fleet to supply large pumper operations.
Staffing Standards: PIAL evaluation standards calculate off-duty or volunteer responders as half a person, meaning 28 responders are required on-scene to receive maximum personnel credit for a call. District 3 currently averages 6.6 firefighters per call.
Training Expansion: Under Chief Parker’s leadership, the total number of specialized professional certifications held collectively across the department has climbed from roughly 15 to over 110 certifications. A major driving force behind this increase in professional qualifications was the creation of a dedicated Training Officer position, now held by Training Officer Matthew Harrell. Harrell, who is the son of former City of Winnfield Fire Chief Edward Harrell, leads the department’s structured instruction programs. Through his targeted training offerings within District 3, members of the department have been able to earn and maintain their certifications, directly contributing to the district’s operational readiness and improved PIAL standing.
Chief Parker also addressed the rising capital costs of maintaining emergency infrastructure, pointing out that a standard fire engine purchased for $160,000 in 1997 costs between $400,000 and $500,000 today. Furthermore, standard protective turnout gear and breathing apparatus now cost approximately $10,000 per firefighter. Despite these financial pressures, District 3 continues to operate on its original voter-approved millage.
Community Outreach & Fire Prevention Bureau
Captain John Fannin detailed the district’s proactive community education initiatives, which are tailored to reach every demographic in Winn Parish:
Elementary Students (K–5th Grade): School programs focus on 911 emergency calling, learning home addresses, recognizing smoke alarm sounds, “Stop, Drop, and Roll,” and match/lighter safety.
Youth & Teens: Safety presentations cover fire extinguisher operation, ATV safety, firearm safety, and the dangers of distracted or impaired driving.
Seniors: Outreach at the Council on Aging and local libraries in Dodson, Atlanta, and Calvin focuses on fall prevention, trip hazard removal, space heater safety, and bath safety devices.
Commercial & Industrial: On-site fire extinguisher and safety training provided for local industrial workforces, including wood products mills like Weyerhaeuser in Dodson.
Captain Fannin highlighted the success of the department’s free smoke alarm program, operated in partnership with the American Red Cross and the Louisiana State Fire Marshall.
Over the past two years, District 3 has installed 425 free smoke alarms in 123 parish homes, protecting more than 323 residents. Bed-shaker alarms are also made available for hearing-impaired residents upon request.
Looking to the future, District 3 is working to formally establish a dedicated Fire Prevention Bureau. This bureau will consolidate public education, fire origin and cause investigations, and commercial pre-planning under a single division. Pre-planning involves mapping access routes, utility shut-offs, sprinkler systems, and building egress points for local schools, churches, and businesses into a computer database, giving responding firefighters immediate tactical information during an emergency.
Captain Fannin concluded by recognizing the ongoing partnership between Fire District 3 and the Winnfield Kiwanis Club, including the annual “Toys for Kids” boot drive held every November at the high school traffic light.
Pictured (L to R): Bryan Price (Kiwanian & former Fire District 3 board president), Captain John Fannin, Chief Dustin Parker, Ethel Howell (Kiwanian), and Troy Rogers (Kiwanian & WPFD3 volunteer).
WINNFIELD, La. — Members and guests of the Kiwanis Club of Winnfield gathered for a presentation by Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Mike Francis (District 4). While Winn Parish lies outside Commissioner Francis’s regulatory district (District 4), he traveled to Winnfield to speak as a personal favor to his long-time childhood friend, Dr. Bill Gaddis.
North Louisiana Roots & Local Stories
Introduced by host Dr. Bill Gaddis, Commissioner Francis shared stories of growing up together in nearby Jena, Louisiana. The two recalled attending Sunday school together and being baptized on the same day at First Baptist Church in Jena. Francis joked that during their baptism as young boys, he managed to “muddy the water a whole lot more than Bill did.”
Francis also recalled playing football for the Jena Giants high school team. He shared a lighthearted memory of coming to Winnfield for one of their final season games, where the Winnfield team put on a tough performance against a Jena squad that had been whittled down to very few players by that point in the year.
Reflecting on his college years, Francis drew laughs describing his early realization that he simply wasn’t “college material” at the time. After trying college for a brief spell, he decided to pack up his bags around Thanksgiving and head straight into the workforce. Years later, however, when sent to a specialized engineering school in Houston, Francis applied himself night and day, rising from a score of 27 on his first test to finishing at the top of his class as a drilling fluids engineer.
From Roughneck to Entrepreneur
At age 17, Francis hitchhiked to Morgan City to land his first job on an offshore drilling rig, sparking a lifelong career in the oilfield. At age 30, he founded Francis Drilling Fluids, Ltd. in Crowley, starting out as the sole driver of a single truck. Through hard work and strategic expansion, FDF grew into one of the largest drilling fluid supply companies on the Gulf Coast, eventually employing nearly 500 workers with a fleet of over 200 trucks and four airplanes.
In addition to his business ventures, Francis served six years as Chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana during the 1990s. First elected to the Louisiana Public Service Commission in 2016, he now applies his decades of private-sector business experience to overseeing electric, gas, water, and intrastate transportation utilities across his district.
Utility Discussion & Guests in Attendance
During the meeting, Commissioner Francis discussed current energy issues facing Louisiana, including grid capacity demands from expanding AI data centers, the potential for integrating local timber biomass into power generation, and balancing necessary infrastructure repairs with long-term rate stability for consumers.
Commissioner Francis was joined by his Chief of Staff, Eric Duplechain (retired Captain with the Louisiana State Police), as well as Murphy Chestnut, Regional Director & Advisor to U.S. Senator John Kennedy. Additional attendees in the room included John E. Atkins (candidate for PSC District 5), Shonna S. Moss (Executive Director of the Louisiana Political Museum & Hall of Fame), former Winnfield Mayor George Moss, Chief of Police Johnny Ray Carpenter, Winn Parish Sheriff Josh McAllister, Mayor Gerald Hamms, local librarian Priscilla Massey, and Victoria Guy representing the Winn Parish Enterprise.
Upcoming Kiwanis Pancake Supper
The Kiwanis Club of Winnfield reminds the community to mark their calendars for the annual Kiwanis Pancake Supper:
* Date: September 24
* Time: 5:00 PM
* Location: Presbyterian Church
Community members are invited to enjoy a pancake dinner, with proceeds directly supporting local youth projects and civic initiatives throughout Winn Parish.
Pictured at the recent Kiwanis Club of Winnfield meeting are (left to right): Eric Duplechain, Chief of Staff for PSC Commissioner Francis; Ethel Howell, Kiwanis Club of Winnfield; Murphy Chestnut, Regional Director & Advisor to U.S. Senator John Kennedy; Chief of Police Johnny Ray Carpenter; Public Service Commissioner Mike Francis, shown in the center alongside his high school friend and meeting host, Dr. Bill Gaddis of the Kiwanis Club of Winnfield; Mayor Gerald Hamms of Winnfield; Winn Parish Sheriff Josh McAllister; and John E. Atkins, candidate for PSC District 5.
Texas has a documented long-term water problem and is aggressively planning future supplies. Louisiana has major new industrial and data-center water demands of its own. Because the two states share interconnected river systems, Louisiana should conduct and publicly release a comprehensive study of the cumulative effects before major water commitments are made.
That question matters because Louisiana citizens have watched enormous economic-development projects negotiated under NDAs, public authorities become major players in private industrial development, fights over eminent domain and permanent underground CO₂ injection, massive transmission projects, thousands of acres targeted for solar development, rapidly expanding data centers, and even discussions involving nuclear development and radioactive-waste disposal.
Researchers at the University of Texas reported in May 2026 that Texas data-center growth could eventually account for 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝟵% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟰𝟬 under a high-growth scenario.
Louisiana is facing many of the same questions as enormous data-center and industrial projects move into our state.
The Texas Water Development Board adopted its 2027 State Water Plan on July 23, 2026.
Texas estimates that implementing more than 3,000 recommended water-management projects through 2080 will require nearly $174 billion in capital investment.
Even if Texas builds all of those projects, its plan still projects approximately 𝟭.𝟲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟴𝟬.
Texas also warns that without the recommended strategies, roughly one out of every four Texans in 2080 could have less than half of the municipal water supply needed during a drought of record.
North Texas already takes water from 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗼𝗺𝗮 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿, and additional Texoma conveyance infrastructure is being developed.
Texas planning also identifies additional supplies involving 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 and the proposed 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗿 on the Sulphur River; 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗢’ 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, which feeds Big Cypress Bayou toward Caddo Lake; and 𝗧𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗱 on the Sabine River.
These are not all one project. Some are operating, some proposed, and some are long-range strategies.
But Louisiana should not look at each one in isolation and ignore the cumulative question.
The Sulphur River belongs to the larger Red River drainage system.
Lake O’ the Pines controls flows into Big Cypress Bayou toward 𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲, a Texas-Louisiana water system. The Corps of Engineers has documented that reservoir operations altered the natural downstream flow regime enough that special releases have been used to restore portions of that flow.
Texas planning identifies approximately 𝟳𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 from Lake O’ the Pines as a potential North Texas supply strategy and approximately 𝟭𝟮𝟮,𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 associated with Wright Patman.
𝗧𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗗𝗢 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗘 𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗞𝗘-𝗨𝗣 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟.
For decades, many Louisiana citizens probably would have laughed if somebody suggested Louisiana might someday discuss selling Toledo Bend water to Texas.
Then it became a real public-policy discussion.
Residents pushed back. Public meetings were held. Controversy followed.
Louisiana law expressly gives the Sabine River Authority power to enter contracts involving the sale, distribution, or consumption of water within or outside Louisiana, subject to required approvals.
Nobody has shown us a document saying Texas is going to reroute the Red River.
We are not claiming one exists.
But Texas already takes water from the Red River system and is planning or studying additional supplies from tributaries connected to that regional drainage.
So what happens when you add all of those withdrawals together?
What happens at Shreveport?
What happens at Alexandria?
What happens during drought?
And what happens underground?
The 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿 is hydraulically connected to the river in significant areas. When the river rises, water can move into surrounding alluvial sediments and contribute to groundwater recharge and bank storage.
If major upstream withdrawals materially alter river levels, flow duration, or high-water periods, Louisiana needs to know whether recharge could decline, groundwater levels could fall, hydraulic gradients could change, or poorer-quality groundwater could move differently.
If significant quantities of water are transferred from Toledo Bend or elsewhere in the Sabine system, the concern does not stop at the reservoir shoreline.
The Sabine continues south toward Sabine Lake and the Gulf. Freshwater flow affects salinity, wetlands, fisheries, ecosystems, municipalities, and industry.
Change the amount and timing of freshwater long enough, and downstream systems can change with it.
The Calcasieu is a separate basin, but southwest Louisiana’s water resources do not exist in isolation. If one source becomes less dependable, demand can shift elsewhere.
𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀.
𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬.
Louisiana officials may not like citizens asking these questions.
But they created the atmosphere that makes us ask them.
When citizens repeatedly watch public business conducted under NDAs, they stop assuming silence means nothing is happening.
When enormous projects are negotiated before communities understand them, citizens stop accepting:
“Don’t worry about it.”
Louisiana citizens have watched eminent-domain battles, permanent underground CO₂ injection, huge transmission projects, enormous solar developments, data centers beside rural communities, nuclear and radioactive-waste discussions, and actual discussions about sending Toledo Bend water to Texas.
Texas is identifying reservoirs, pipelines, interbasin transfers, drought strategies, and future supplies while planning for population growth, industrial expansion, and data-center demand.
Where is the cumulative analysis combining Lake Texoma, the Red River, Wright Patman, Marvin Nichols, Lake O’ the Pines, Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend, the Sabine, the Red River alluvial aquifer, the Chicot, industrial growth, data-center demand, and drought?
Maybe Texas can develop all of these supplies without materially harming Louisiana.
Fine.
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁.
Model it.
Put the numbers on the table.
Show us what happens to the Red River at Shreveport and Alexandria, Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend, the Sabine, the Red River alluvial aquifer, and the Chicot.
Show us what happens under drought conditions.
And model it while accounting for the unprecedented growth in AI data centers, power generation, and industrial development across both states.
Because Louisiana citizens should have learned one lesson by now:
Region C Water Planning Group — North Texas water-management strategies, including Lake Texoma, Lake O’ the Pines, Wright Patman, Marvin Nichols, Toledo Bend, Red River off-channel storage, and other potential supplies:
North Texas Municipal Water District — Texoma Two-Step program; additional pipelines designed to add approximately 90 million gallons per day of Lake Texoma conveyance capacity:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Big Cypress Bayou / Caddo Lake Sustainable Rivers Program; documents the downstream connection between Lake O’ the Pines, Big Cypress Bayou, and Caddo Lake:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Lake O’ the Pines / Ferrells Bridge Dam Water Control Manual and environmental-flow information for Big Cypress Bayou and Caddo Lake:
U.S. Geological Survey — Relation of water levels in the Red River alluvial aquifer to the Red River, documenting river/aquifer hydraulic relationships:
U.S. Geological Survey — Louisiana groundwater withdrawals dataset; approximately 960 million gallons per day, or about 51% of Louisiana groundwater withdrawals, came from the Chicot aquifer system:
Can an abuser truly change? According to advocates at the Domestic Abuse Resistance Team (DART), the answer depends entirely on whether an individual is willing to confront ingrained patterns of power and control and actively choose accountability.
Founded in 1994, DART provides support and resources to domestic abuse survivors while working to address the root causes of relationship violence. Advocates emphasize that lasting behavioral change is not driven by affection, promises, or temporary reprieves, but by sustained accountability over time.
Excuses vs. Root Causes
In examining domestic violence, DART notes that public perception often mistakenly links abusive behavior to external factors such as mental illness, substance abuse, combat trauma, or childhood abuse. However, advocates clarify that these circumstances are excuses rather than root causes.
While issues such as alcohol or substance dependency can elevate the risk of abuse, resolving addiction does not eliminate abusive tendencies on its own. As DART points out, treating substance abuse in an abusive individual simply results in a “sober abuser,” as most people facing similar life challenges never abuse their partners.
Instead, abusive behavior stems from a belief of entitlement to power, control, and discipline over a partner.
The Role of Intervention Programs
A common path toward accountability involves Batterer Intervention Programs (BIPs). However, the vast majority of participants enter BIPs under a court order following an arrest for domestic violence, often utilizing the program as an alternative to jail time.
Because many domestic violence offenses occur privately and are never reported to law enforcement, advocates warn that relatively few abusers are subjected to court-mandated intervention. Voluntary enrollment in BIPs remains exceptionally low, leaving many abusers outside the reach of formal accountability measures.
Guidance for Survivors
DART offers three core reminders for survivors and the community:
Accountability over affection: Abusers do not change simply because they are loved enough; change occurs only when they choose personal accountability.
Actions over words: Promises are not proof of reform. Lasting change is demonstrated only through consistent behavior over time.
Trust instincts early: Survivors do not need to wait for abuse to escalate again before trusting their instincts or seeking assistance.
Resources and Assistance
Individuals seeking support or guidance regarding domestic abuse can contact the DART Winn Parish Office:
Address: 301 W. Main St., Suite B 216, Winnfield, LA 71483
LOUISIANA — Louisiana State Police is reminding motorists that the state’s expanded Move Over Law is now in effect, extending protections to disabled, immobilized and nonoperational vehicles displaying hazard lights, flashing lights or another emergency warning device.
Under the expanded law, motorists approaching a roadside vehicle on a highway with two or more lanes traveling in the same direction should safely move into a lane away from the vehicle.
If changing lanes is unsafe or impossible, or if a motorist is traveling on a two-lane highway, drivers should slow to a reasonably safe speed and maintain a speed appropriate for road conditions.
The law applies regardless of whether motorists encounter blue emergency lights, amber warning lights or the flashing hazard lights of a stranded motorist.
Louisiana’s Move Over Law also continues to require motorists to yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles using audible or visual warning signals unless otherwise directed by a police officer.
Louisiana State Police emphasized that the law is intended to provide additional space for first responders, roadside workers and stranded motorists to remain safe.
“Different lights. Same responsibility,” Louisiana State Police stated. “Move over. Slow down. Give them room.”
Louisiana has a long history of officials cutting deals with private interests at the public’s expense. During the oil and gas boom, the state left severance tax revenue on the table while enforcement gaps let industry pollute our air, water, and land for decades. Governor Jeff Landry has accelerated that pattern faster than any of his predecessors. He installed an unqualified Secretary of Environmental Quality, then reorganized the Department of Natural Resources into something even statehouse reporters can’t fully explain. This year the legislature signed off on tax breaks and NDAs for AI data centers, keeping voters in the dark about what those companies are getting and what they’re using.
Now it’s SpaceX’s turn, and it’s the biggest giveaway yet.
The Landry administration is negotiating to hand over roughly 130,000 acres on Pecan Island, in Vermilion Parish, for a rocket blast pad, not a research facility, the kind Boca Chica, Texas is still fighting over. That land is reportedly tied to Exxon’s punishment, part of a coastal damages settlement for decades of polluting our marshes, though the settlement itself is sealed by court order. If that reporting holds up, instead of restoring the land, the state is routing it straight to Elon Musk.
Pecan Island is about the worst possible place for this. The coast there has been sinking and washing away for decades, and hurricanes are speeding it up. The site borders two wildlife refuges and some of the best hunting and fishing water left in this state, the kind “Sportsman’s Paradise” was supposed to protect. If this goes through, we can stop pretending coastal restoration is a real priority in Louisiana.
The legislature already greased the wheels this session, passing tax breaks and liability shields for unnamed “aerospace” companies and exempting them from public records requests. So, when something goes wrong, and something eventually will, Louisianans may not have the right to sue, and may not even have the right to know. Now Trump’s FAA wants to waive thirteen federal environmental and health laws, including the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, so Musk doesn’t have to deal with “regulatory burden.”
We don’t even know the full extent of what Musk stands to gain. We know the eligibility thresholds in the tax break bills, not the actual value of what’s being handed over. Given how this Republican-controlled legislature has handled every other corporate giveaway this year, there’s little reason to think this deal is any different.
Local officials keep telling us we must accept this to “compete.” I don’t buy it. A state that can only land these deals by throwing out the rule of law and hiding negotiations behind NDAs is giving Louisiana away, one 130,000-acre parcel at a time.
Most Louisianans haven’t been told what this deal actually involves. That’s worth being angry about. Ask your legislators what they voted for this spring, and whether they’ll say so publicly.
As an angler who has fished it all: BFL’s, Toyota Series, ABA Solo 150’s, ABA Pro League, Bassmaster Opens, Fisher’s of Men, Media Bass, Angler’s Choice and too many others I just can’t remember, I can say that some of these were great tournament trails and some were just OK.
Now don’t get me wrong, there’s never been a circuit that I didn’t enjoy, but there’s an issue I would like to address. Major League Fishing (MLF) is taking the BFL’s from a pro/am draw format and making it a team/solo trail, hoping they can get their numbers up.
Do we really need another team trail? I think I speak for a lot of anglers who still like to fish solo/individual trails and the last thing anglers need is another team trail as we have too many already! Since the demise of ABA dropping the Solo 150 and the Pro Leagues, the only remaining individual trails are the Bassmaster Opens and the Toyota Series.
Both of these are very expensive with the Toyota’s costing an angler on the pro side $1,700 per event while the B.A.S.S Opens will cost you $2,000. The BFL was considered an entry level circuit designed for the working man but will now cost you $500 per event as a team/solo entry.
Years ago, the BFL’s would draw a full field of 200 boaters (which used to be the case) due to the low entry fee, but their payback was the worst of any circuit out there as they took part of BFL’s money to help support its upper-level circuits, therefore shorting the anglers supporting the BFL’s.
Another issue has been that ever since the “Live Scope” controversy started, BLF participation has gone down dramatically as so many anglers refuse to participate in events where this technology is allowed. Boaters and co-anglers walked away faster than a hook set.
So, after a few years of low turnouts for the BFL’s, Major League Fishing (MLF) will be taking this circuit in a totally different direction. I hope they thought this through as it has just eliminated the last remaining pro/am circuit for the lower level of tournament bass fishing.
As an angler who loves fishing a solo/individual circuit, I really wish MLF would have put the same amount of guaranteed first place money of $10,000 and kept the original format of a pro/am circuit. Anglers would have flocked for this kind of guarantee!
The next issue is the fact that there will be no limit on using forward-facing sonar (FFS) for 2027 when fishing the BFL Team Trail. This will bring out many of the younger anglers who have grown up using FFS. But one thing I wish MLF would adopt for 2027 is only allowing the use of FFS every other tournament like Bassmaster does with their schedule.
This would help to level the playing field especially with the older generation of anglers particularly on lakes where local anglers tend to dominate. As far as what to do with forward-facing sonar in the long run, we may not have a choice as some states, starting with Florida, are looking to ban FFS altogether.
If this happens, other state organizations will follow suit and implement the same rule. Then FFS will no longer be an issue for tournament organizations to deal with.
I’m so tired of talking about it and yet no matter what decisions are made from ANY organization, everyone has their own opinion if this technology is good or bad, as the division continues nationwide on this topic.
It appears this year’s three-hour FFS rule for the BFL’s and the Toyota Series has been the most popular and if that’s the direction they want to go, so be it … I DON’T CARE! Even if they choose to take it away completely… I DON’T CARE! Just make a decision, stick with it and move on!
I know this article will draw some comments and I welcome everyone’s opinion. We have enough team trails nationwide and need more solo or individual circuits to help balance things outs and give anglers another option.
Good luck, good fishing, stay cool and be safe out there if you’re going to brave the heat to wet a hook.
More than a century before commercial air travel became routine, Orville Wright was born Aug. 19, 1871, in Dayton, Ohio.
Orville Wright would go on to become one of aviation’s most important pioneers alongside his brother, Wilbur. The Wright brothers developed and flew the first successful powered airplane in 1903, changing transportation and opening a new chapter in human history.
Their achievement did not come easily. The brothers spent years studying flight, building gliders and conducting experiments before successfully controlling a powered aircraft.
Orville’s Aug. 19 birthday is also shared by another name associated with groundbreaking technology: Gene Roddenberry, creator of “Star Trek,” was born on the same date in 1921. Former President Bill Clinton was also born Aug. 19, 1946.
Aug. 19 has been the date of several other notable moments in history, including the 1812 battle in which the USS Constitution defeated the British ship HMS Guerrière and earned the nickname “Old Ironsides.” In 1960, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 5, carrying two dogs that became the first animals to survive an orbital flight and return safely to Earth.
But for aviation, Aug. 19 carries a particularly fitting connection: it marks the birth of the man who, with his brother, helped turn the dream of human flight into reality.
It is a little early for Christmas music, but that old Christmas song has been running through my mind this morning.
I am sitting in my new little 4-by-6-foot office, practicing my pastor emeritus skills. Apparently one of those skills is sitting still long enough to notice what is going on around you. After years of meetings, sermons, phone calls, hospital visits, committee reports, and somebody always needing to know where the extension cord is, sitting quietly feels almost suspicious.
But this morning, I am listening.
Right now, the church building is silent. That will change soon.
Today is the first day of school for our preschool children. We have 104 children enrolled, which means that in a little while this silence is going to disappear. I expect to hear laughter, crying, little feet running down hallways, teachers giving instructions, parents saying goodbye, and perhaps one child announcing loudly that he absolutely does not intend to participate in whatever has been planned for him.
In other words, I expect to hear life.
And I cannot wait.
While I sit here listening for those sounds, another question occurs to me:
What are we listening for? And who are we listening to?
Jesus talked a surprising amount about listening.
Again and again he said, “Let anyone with ears listen.” He told his disciples to pay attention to what they heard. And in John’s Gospel Jesus described his relationship with us this way: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”
Apparently discipleship involves more than talking.
That includes prayer.
We usually think of prayer as talking to God, and certainly it is. We bring God our worries, hopes, fears, families, decisions, illnesses, disappointments, and dreams. We pray because we believe God listens and responds because God loves us.
But here is the harder question:
After we finish talking, do we listen?
Sometimes my prayers resemble leaving a voicemail for God.
“Lord, here are the problems. Here is what I need. Here is what I think you ought to do. Thank you very much. Amen.”
Click.
And then I am off to the next thing.
Maybe prayer occasionally needs a little silence at the end.
“Speak, Lord. I’m listening.”
Perhaps God’s answer will come through Scripture. Perhaps through another person. Perhaps through an unexpected thought, a nudging of conscience, a door opening—or closing. And sometimes God may simply give us the quiet assurance that we are loved and that we do not walk alone.
Soon the hallway will be filled with 104 little reminders that silence does not last forever.
But for this moment, it is quiet.
So I am listening.
Listening for children.
Listening for life.
Listening for God.
There is great joy in discovering that amid all the noise of this world, the Shepherd is still speaking.
The question is not only, “Do you hear what I hear?”
Rachel lived on the island of Saint Croix in the Caribbean. She married Johann Lavien and they had a son named Peter, but Johann was such an abusive husband that Rachel left for her own safety. In retaliation, Johann had her imprisoned for adultery. Upon her release, Rachel sailed from Saint Croix to another island in the Caribbean called Saint Kitts. There, she met a Scottish trader named James. Shortly thereafter, Rachel’s father died and left her a seaside lot on the nearby island of Nevis. She and James moved there together but could not marry because she was still technically married to Johann. Rachel had two sons with James, James Jr. and Alex. After a little over ten years together, James abandoned Rachel and his children. Some historians argue that James left to protect Rachel and their illegitimate children from legal action brought on by Johann. Whatever the reason, Rachel and her two sons sailed back to Saint Croix. Three years after James left, Rachel and Alex contracted yellow fever. Alex made a full recovery, but Rachel did not. She died at the young age of 39.
Things went from bad to worse. James Jr. and Alex became orphans. Because she was still married to Johann at the time of his death, he had control of her estate. Johann sold all of Rachel, James Jr., and Alex’s possessions in an auction. For a few months, James Jr. and Alex lived with their cousin, Peter Lytton, until he died by suicide. James Jr. became an apprentice to a carpenter and Alex became a clerk at an import/export company on the island. Alex was not yet a teenager.
On one hot August day, a powerful hurricane devastated Saint Croix and changed the course of Alex’s life. Well, not the hurricane itself, but a letter Alex wrote which described the hurricane. Alex wrote the letter to his father. Alex’s mentor, a minister and newspaper editor, was impressed with the letter and published in the local newspaper. “Honoured Sir,” Alex Wrote, “I take up my pen just to give you an imperfect account of one of the most dreadful Hurricanes that memory or any records whatever can trace, which happened here on the 31st ultimo at night.” Ultimo was short for “in the previous month.” As he neared the end of his letter, Alex wrote, “I am afraid, Sir, you will think this description more the effort of imagination, than a true picture of realities. But I can affirm with the greatest truth, that there is not a single circumstance touched upon, which I have not absolutely been an eyewitness to.” When the people of Saint Croix read the article, they were also impressed. Those who knew Alex knew he was illegitimate and uneducated, but they knew how hard he worked. They paid for Alex to come to North America for a proper education and to give him a chance at a better life. Alex did not squander the opportunity. While in college, war broke out and Alex joined the military. Within a short time, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel because of leadership abilities and became the chief staff aid to the general in charge of the whole war. After the war, Alex became a delegate to Congress, practiced law, and founded a bank. When the general he served under became President of the United States, he chose Alex as his Secretary of the Treasury. Because of this position, those of us who still carry cash can see him on our $10 bills. Alex, that illegitimate orphan who achieved the American dream, who was a signer of the U.S. Constitution, was Alexander Hamilton. And it all started because of a letter to his father.
