The sense of irony was sick, but Monday was World Kindness Day, and on that autumn morning, four people were stabbed outside Lambright Sports and Wellness Center on the Louisiana Tech campus, a random act of violence by a young man quickly taken into custody.

Outside of a big gym and workout center. A place where people swim and play.

And the night before in Shreveport, there was a shooting in the parking lot of the YMCA that left one victim dead and another in the hospital. 

Not exactly our kind of Kindness Day.

Kindness Day was established in 1998 with the obvious intent of highlighting the good and the positive, of bridging the gap between all our sorts of differences, and to recognize how much we are alike, to encourage unity.

Some of us aren’t getting the picture.

For lots of reasons, the Lambright Center is a special place to me. I remember it being built. I lived in one of the little houses where its parking lot is now. No telling how many hours we were having fun in there, 40 years ago.

The Shreveport YMCA on the parkway is 100 yards from the Little League fields, holy ground to me for about a decade 25 years ago. Sweaty boys and girls running around, eye black smeared, learning the game, making friends. Unbridled joy. Who pulls a gun 100 yards from a bag of baseballs and a concession stand filled with Frito Pies?

I know the people who run the Lambright. The gang who runs the YMCA are friends of mine, and for a long time. Good-hearted people. None of us are naïve enough to think that violence happens only in back alleys, but goodness gracious…  Instead of shooting or stabbing someone, why don’t these people just go work out?

Few if any habitual offenders will read this. So I’m preaching to the choir. But the rest of us are going to have to double-up on the kindness beat, it looks like, and cover for the ones who get their kicks by ruining the lives of people minding their own business. Have these people never held a baby? Played catch with a child? Petted a dog or provided a lap for a cat’s nap? Have they never laughed? Never lived?

We don’t get a pass from trying to make things better just because a fraction of the population is intent on making things worse.  Mark Twain is credited with saying that kindness is a language that the deaf can hear and the blind can see. Maybe some hate-filled soul will see your kindness and it will make a difference. 

He passed away several years ago, but Leo Buscaglia was a professor at USC who in the 1980s was called “Dr. Love” because of his popular books and talks on how and why we should connect. This was after a student’s suicide moved him to start a noncredit class he called “Love 1A.” Not a perfect class or a perfect man, I’m sure, but it started a conversation worth contemplating.

“Too often,” he said, “we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

An anonymous quote that has stuck with me is that “what you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”

So welcome to Kindness WEEK. Maybe we can pull some of the slack and get this turned around a bit. Keep plugging and not growing weary in doing good, that kind of thing, even though lately, the lunatic fringe seems to be winning more than their fair share of games.

Meanwhile at Tech, the University’s Counseling Services are available to students individually and in a group setting at no charge. Appointments can be made by visiting Keeny Hall 310, calling 318.257.2488, or visiting the website at latech.edu/counseling-services/

A campus blood drive is scheduled for Thursday outside Tolliver Hall from 9 until 3.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Breaking News

Wednesday, Nov. 8, at about 8:30 a.m., the Winn Parish Sheriff’s Office and Winnfield Police Department began receiving 911 calls concerning a shooting near the Winnfield Senior High School. The responding officer was notified that the shooter was at the Winn Parish Emergency Room while the victim was still on the scene.

According to City Police, upon arriving at the ER, the officer learned that the victim was being treated for gunshot wounds and the suspect was still on the scene. The officer quickly went to the scene and discovered first responders treating a white male subject. After the on-scene investigation and several witness interviews, the suspect was taken into custody. Several handguns and a rifle were seized from the suspect’s car.

According to witnesses, the incident started downtown close to Home Hardware where the offender allegedly contacted the victim and an argument ensued. The suspect then fled the scene while the victim and his brother attempted to follow him to get information to give law enforcement. 911 was called by both parties while they were driving.

At some point, the suspect began firing a handgun out of his window, striking the victim 4 times. The victim then collided with the rear of the suspect’s vehicle causing him to stop. The victim and his brother, in separate trucks, pulled ahead and stopped. The suspect got out of his vehicle and began firing at both the victim and his brother, striking both trucks in the back windshield. The victim and his brother drove off immediately and went to the ER.

The victim is identified as James R Williams, age 59, of Dodson. He was transferred to Rapides Regional Medical Center trauma unit. He is in stable condition currently.

Nolan Griffin, age 23, also of Dodson, has been charged with Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Illegal Use of Weapons or Dangerous Instrumentalities and 2 counts of Hate Crimes. He is currently in the Winn Parish Detention Center awaiting judicial hearings.

• Innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The success of Northwestern State University is vital to Northwest Louisiana.

My wife, Mrs. Laura, is a 1991 Graduate of NSU and nearly 50 of our close family members are graduates of NSU including three of our four parents. Our great grandparents, grandparents, parents, numerous aunts, uncles cousins and siblings were students, athletes, professors, cheerleaders and graduates of NSU.

The beautiful N that lights the night on top of Turpin Stadium was placed in honor of Mrs. Laura’s grandfather E.H. Gilson. He was the Quarterback for the 1939 undefeated Football Team, her Uncle played in the 1960s and her brother played in the 2000s. Her grandmother was the first band majorette for NSU.

Laura worked for several years in the Admissions office, both as a student and in her first post graduate job. She traveled the state recruiting students to attend NSU. She was also on the original founding team of “Freshman Connectors” for incoming NSU students and helped develop the program.

Our families are from Natchitoches for several generations back. I proposed to Mrs. Laura on Front Street.

Our family has bled purple since it was the Normal School, and before the color orange was added.

In this campaign, our opponent’s supporters are spreading ugly rumors that we are somehow anti-NSU. Nothing could be further from the truth!

We are not naive or blind to the current situation at NSU. Changes must be made if we are going to return NSU to the status it deserves as a top regional university. We are committed to making those changes. Most importantly, we have the experience, insight and team ready to make it happen!

It is time for change. I am asking for your vote on Saturday!

WE ARE NORTHWESTERN! 🤘🏻💜🧡

Alan Seabaugh

With the recent drop in temperatures, it has made us realize that the first day of fall is just around the corner. With fall weather comes lots of outdoor events and festivals, the cooler temps make it much more bearable!

The Christmas in the Park Committee is announcing their intent to have the festival become an all-day event. The committee is having a Pulled Pork Fundraiser on Sunday, October 8th from 11:00am until they are sold out. The plate includes a sandwich, baked beans, chips, dessert and a drink for the cost of $10.00.
More details in the coming weeks! In the meantime if you wish to assist with any of the planning please reach out to Mayor Gayle Cloud.

There will be a political forum held at the Goldonna School on Thursday, September 28th at 6:30. Candidates for Senator, Sheriff, Parish President and Parish Council have been invited. Please make plans to attend this important event.

The Goldonna Baptist Church is busy serving the youngest population of Goldonna. Well, actually they are busy serving the youngest population in the world. Pastor Ben Dupree shared with me that there is only one month left before their packing party for Operation Christmas Child. There is still time to turn in your donations to fill shoe boxes that will be sent globally to various youth. Kingdom Kids kicked off on Wednesday, September 13th. Kingdom Kids will operate every Wednesday along with the Natchitoches Parish School calendar. If school is in, chances are Kingdom Kids is in session enjoying a full meal, a Bible lesson and singing.

The River of Life Family Worship Center will be holding a Men’s Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, October 21st at 8:00 in the morning. Mark your calendars for a delicious meal and fellowship with friends.
If you are looking for a reason to be thankful, Pastor Tim Harris and Pam Harris shared that they are in the early stages of planning for a revival. Gerald Crabb; minister singer songwriter, will be visiting the church November 17-19. More details to come about this exciting revival weekend near Thanksgiving.

The 2nd Annual “Josh Feirn Memorial Cornhole Tournament” will be held this weekend. September 23rd beginning at 10:00am until 10:00pm at the Grand Bayou Resort. Live music will begin at 5:00 with Spencer Brunson and Deep Water Rehab. Please contact Morgan Feirn or Jade Burke.

If you have news to share please email Reba Phelps at jreba.phelps@gmail.com

Northwestern State University’s School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics announces three upcoming events in which prospective students can explore career opportunities in STEM fields, meet faculty and fellow students and learn about degree programs.  The School of STEM includes the Department of Biology and Microbiology, the Department of Engineering Technology, the Division of Mathematics, the Department of Physical Science and the Department of Veterinary Technology.

STEM Day:

• September 29, 2023
• 8:00am – 12:00pm
• For high school students in grades 9-12, Northwestern State University’s School of STEM is offering an exceptional opportunity to dive deep into their fields of interest. Through engaging and interactive hands-on demonstrations, students can gain valuable insights into the exciting worlds of STEM. Participants will have the chance to choose from several specialized tracks, in biomedical/microbiology, natural science/ecology, veterinary science, chemistry and physics or mathematics/engineering.
• Registration is available at nsu.la/StemDay

“Simple words can be come clever phrases,
And chapters could turn into books.
Yes if I could just get it on paper,
But it’s harder than it ever looks.”

— If I Could Just Get It On Paper, Jimmy Buffett, 1982

Was out of town this weekend and had trouble sleeping in a hotel as usual so I saw when the cell phone lit up with an alert at 2 a.m.

Jimmy Buffett, dead at 76.

Great way to start a weekend — if you want the weekend to be crummy.

It was autumn of 1979 and a friend said to come with him to a casual party on a weeknight, just a couple blocks from Louisiana Tech’s campus, off Spencer Street in someone’s yard. Maybe 50 students hanging around with Solo cups and a record player was spinning “The Great Filling Station Holdup,” my first exposure to Jimmy Buffett. I was about six years late to the party that wouldn’t end until early Saturday morning when Jimmy Buffett, a musical Boy of Summer, passed away from a rare form of skin cancer, holding on, fittingly, through the final day of the Unofficial Summer.

I backtracked and caught up. Scraped together loose change and when possible bought “A1A” and “Havana Daydreamin’” and “Changes in Latitudes” and “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” each an album or cassette when there were such things.

Loved Jimmy. Appreciated he could laugh at himself and find the humor in his fellow travelers and share it. We are, after all, an odd bunch.

Saw him twice in concert. I never recall anyone saying anything about going to a Jimmy Buffett concert to hear Utley on keyboards or Fingers on harmonica or even to hear Jimmy Buffett sing. It was all about going to have some fun.

In all the obits I’ve read, there were no stories of him being a big shot or a crazed rock star. They are all about his humor and generosity and blanket kindness. He sang about Margaritaville, but he didn’t live there.

He was a singer and a guitar player but mainly he was an entertainer and mostly he was a writer. And a great one. He was at his best writing short stories, so short that they could be three-minute songs.

Paul Simon and Paul McCartney, no less than titans in the art, have said this week that Jimmy Buffett was not only one of their best friends but also one of the best songwriters in the business. They know how hard it is.

You want silly, fun songs? Listen to “Margaritaville” or “Pencil Thin Mustache” or “Cheeseburger in Paradise” or “The Weather is Here, I Wish You Were Beautiful.” “Fins” and “Volcano” and “Fruitcakes.”

Women and men songs? “Miss You So Badly.” “Distantly in Love.” “Come Monday.” “Cuban Crime of Passion.” “Who’s the Blonde Stranger.”

Want to make some quick trips? “Jamaica Mistaica.” “Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season.” “One Particular Harbor.” “Tampico Trauma.” “Boat Drinks.” “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”

You want to meet some unforgettable people, read/listen to some textured short stories? Try “African Friend,” “Havana Daydreamin’,” “He Went to Paris,” “Somewhere Over China,” “The Captain and the Kid,” “Last Mango in Paris,” or “Cowboy in the Jungle.”

There’s some good stuff on those old albums.

If you are aware of him at all, you can hardly think of him and not smile. I appreciate that he had such a fascination with life, and that he wasn’t selfish about spreading the love. Secretly, that took a lot of work behind the scenes; all we saw were the beaches and the boats.

 “… Yeah if I could just get it on paper,

I could tell you what I think I did.”

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Some things are plain stupid. No gray area.

3-D Dumb.

Some people I know where robbed recently, but in his haste the robber dropped a piece of paper that was, unfortunately for him, a personal reminder of his upcoming court appearance. It included his name and address.

Oops.

And then there was the story out of Opelousas this week of the gentleman who stuck a handgun in his waistband. The gun was loaded, a live round in the chamber. It went off. Now, the man from Opelousas —and I use the term “man” loosely here — is not as loaded as he once was – although the story did contain the phrase “underwent reattachment surgery” and “Police had not determined why (stupid man’s name) was walking around with a pistol in his pants.”

Easy. No brain in his head.

Stupid move.

There are lots of ways to say that a guy’s parents don’t have to worry about the Yale Admissions Department clogging up the family doorway to offer their kid a scholarship. For no other reason than they make me laugh, I’ll offer my Top 10.

He’s a few crumbs short of a biscuit.

Somewhere, a village is missing its idiot.

It’s almost like he has a small piece of brain lodged in his head.

Dumb as a bag of hammers/sharp as a bowling ball.

He has a room temperature (or shoe-sized) IQ.

He’s a regular “Elbert” Einstein.

He’s lost all contact with the mothership.

He doesn’t have both oars in the water.

He fell out of the Stupid Tree and hit every branch on the way down.

My favorite: The wheel is turning but the hamster’s dead.

We all swallow a Stupid Pill from time to time.

But then there are things more along the lines of bad ideas. We call them mental muscle spasms. Brain cramps.

A boss buddy of mine found out the hard way this week that the letters T and G are very close to each other on the keyboard. For this reason, he will never be ending a work email with the phrase “Regards” again.

Muscle spasm.

I was told of a funeral in which the preacher, who kept candy in his desk, said that each Sunday morning the deceased would come into his office and, with a “Good morning!” and a smile, “go through my drawers.”

Brain cramp.

Finally, the worst idea I’ve heard of in a long time happened last week in Detroit, where Hall of Fame voice of the Detroit Tigers Ernie Harwell passed away at 92. A public viewing was held at Comerica Park, where the Tigers play. I am not a big “lying in state” guy to start with, but a casket on the warning track is off base on several levels. I didn’t like the picture of Ernie lying there, flowers all around, his statue by him, velvet ropes marking “foul ground,” for lack of a better term.

“Hey dad, remember when you took me to the ballpark and we saw Mr. Ernie dead?”

“Those were great times son!”

At least there was no danger of him being hit by a foul ball. At least the ballclub didn’t lay their humble, summer-sweet play-by-play guy out during a game. Thankfully, the Tigers were on the road.

As was, I guess, Ernie.

(Originally published May, 2010)

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

The Dog Days of Summer have come and gone but they are trying to linger into September! The Village of Goldonna, although hot and scorched, is ready to usher in the cooler days and nights of fall.

The Assembly of God Church will have a special guest minister at 10:00 on Sunday, September 3, 2023. Barbara Fairchild. Barbara Fairchild Ministry travels the nation sharing the gospel and sharing her love of beautiful music. You do not want to miss this opportunity.

Lakeview Junior Senior High School announces the following: All students who drive to school will park on the Junior High side, softball field area. All parents who drop off students will drop them off in front of the cafeteria. School uniform colors are forest green and khaki/navy pants for high school. The junior high will be wearing orange tops and khaki/navy pants. No hoodies, the school wants to be able to see your beautiful face.

The Lakeview Gators had an unintended day out of school on Monday, August 28th. The power has since been restored and all of the Gators reported back to school on Tuesday.

Goldonna Elementary Elementary Junior High School would like to remind everyone that Fall Pictures will be taken on Monday, September 11th and they will have a makeup day on September 25th. They will also celebating Grandparent’s Day with a scavenger hunt on Friday, September 8th. Pre-K thru Second grade will be at 9:00.Third thru 8th grade will be at 1:00. If you are interested in becoming a substitute teacher please call Anita at the school office. 318-727-9449.

Goldonna Baptist Church is still getting ready to deck the halls with Operation Christmas Child boxes. The church has a goal of packing three hundred boxes. I heard from a little birdie that they are very proud of the Pastor and his lofty goal. If you want to be on Santa’s Nice List get your donations in today. They are still collecting items leading up to the community packing party that will take place in November.

If you have news to share please email Reba Phelps at jreba.phelps@gmail.com

We at Journal Services, LLC are pleased to welcome our newest publication, Vernon Parish Journal. This online publication joins 12 others across Louisiana. Join us in welcoming Rick & Mary Lou Barnickel, publishers of the new Vernon Parish Journal.

“We feel the people of Vernon Parish – Leesville, New Llano, Anacoco, North Fort Johnson and South Fort
Johnson, and surrounding towns – deserve their own publication,” said Bill Vance. “At Journal Services LLC, we pride ourselves in covering local parishes with high-quality news and advertising to keep our readers up to date on what’s happening in their communities.”

All Journals cover local news, features, and sports. Subscriptions are – and always will be – free. Please visit www.vernonparishjournal.com and sign up today – CLICK HERE.

Click to visit any of our journals:

Bienville Parish Journal
Claiborne Parish Journal
DeSoto Parish Journal
Jackson Parish Journal
Lincoln Parish Journal
Natchitoches Parish Journal,
Sabine Parish Journal
Shreveport-Bossier Journal
Rapides Parish Journal
Vernon Parish Journal
Red River Parish Journal
Webster Parish Journal
Winn Parish Journal

This was the text message:

“My Lone Ranger lunchbox lunch every day for 5 years.

2 PB&J’s wrapped in tinfoil and thermos of sweet tea.

No snacks or exotic stuff from my mom.

That was it.”

Felt like getting a message in a bottle from a castaway, and knowing it was much too late to help him. “If I could have just gotten the guy some Fritos, or a Bite-Size Milky Way,” I’m thinking …

But what really got me was “lunchbox.” Had never thought about it much, but I missed the entire “lunchbox” cycle of a kid’s life. I was a ride-the-bus, eat-in-the-cafeteria kid.

Old school.

Never had a lunch box. (Except one time on Halloween when Mrs. Alice in second grade let us dress up and have a party and our parents could come for an outside picnic lunch so I packed one and my lunch box was called “a paper sack.” No idea why I’ve always remembered that. Dressed up like a pirate. Wonder if I packed fish and chips and something to keep me from getting scurvy and rickets?)

In the ignorance of rural youth, I never knew there were Lone Ranger lunch boxes, because surely I would have wanted one. Would have coveted one. A little tin box with a matching thermos, filled with peanut butter and jelly or maybe even “round steak” (bologna) on fresh white bread. What was in it wouldn’t have mattered much. I suspect the box itself was the thing.

I’ve studied and found there were Gomer Pyle lunch boxes. Gilligan’s Island. The Hulk. Happy Days. The Six Million Dollar Man. And — are you kidding me? — Superman.

Ignorance is bliss, thank goodness. I was lucky for what I didn’t know. I hope if I’d have had a lunch box that it would have been The Lone Ranger or Batman and not something stupid like The Waltons or Little House on the Prairie.

“Hey, which one of you losers belongs to this Partridge Family lunch box?!,” the kid with the Evel Knievel lunch box was wanting to know.

Sometimes I wonder what Lunch Box Life would be as a grownup.

“Hey TA, let’s go eat a gourmet burger or some enchiladas. I’m buying.”

Me: “Y’all go ahead. I’ll just eat this deviled ham and some moldy Ritz from my Wonder Woman lunch box.”

It would be all about the lunch box for me.

But things happened for me as they were supposed to, because one of the best memories of my wasted youth was the smell of a certain food baking each mid-morning at Lake View Elementary. That aroma was the portal to olfactory heaven. We’re talking — and I shouldn’t even have to write this — yeast rolls, the smell of hope and comfort and joy.

I love the smell of elementary school yeast rolls in the morning.

Mrs. Erline Perritt was the magic behind the memory. Black hair pulled back tight and under a hair net to showcase a round face always smiling. The yeast rolls she made on those giant sheet pans were things of fluffy goodness that could keep you battling through spelling class, knowing that if you could hold out a little while longer, she’d be putting a couple of those on your tray, maybe sneaking you one for dessert.

What smelled better to a little kid back then? A cheerleader’s perfume, maybe? But I doubt it.

Mrs. Erline Perritt. I didn’t need a lunch box. She was my real-life Wonder Woman.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

(This is the second and final guest column by Kenneth Sean “Ken” Carson, better known as The Ken Doll, who co-stars in the Barbie movie along with—duh! — Barbie.)

Yes, yes, for all that’s pink and blonde, go see the movie. Everyone else has.

Everyone but me.

I’m done.

No hard feelings. I’m just tired of being arm candy. Since I was born/created in 1961, the toy makers have put me in more goofy outfits than you’d see on a runway at any New York City/Tokyo/Milan fashion show.

Sure, I’m plastic. I’m a doll. But I have feelings too.

At heart, I’m a redneck. A lunch pail guy. The common clay. I’m not Fashionista Ken or Travel Ken or Tennis Ken or any of the other silly things Mattel has made me out to be over the past 60 lonely years. And I’m definitely not Dreamcamper Ken; the most primitive I like to get is a Motel 6.

I’m been enough idiotic things for Mattel the past 60 years to last several pretend lifetimes.

I mean, it’s a job. I get it. I do. And I appreciate it. And it’s been fun hanging with Barb, an absolute peach.

And yes, the plastic money’s been good.

But I’m retiring. Tired of living a lie.

Why didn’t they create me like Oppenheimer, the star of that other movie, maybe let me split the atom instead of being created as a gigolo for capitalism? Even if Barbie, my female bestie, is quite fetching, well … there’s more to me than just molded-to-perfection plastic alloys!

Oh, the humanity!

So there you have it. I tried to be Ken. And failed. Tried to go to the galas and keep up the crunches so I wouldn’t look like a Whale Doll at pool parties. Tried the surfing and the hairdos and even got a face scrape (Mattel paid for it).

Years ago I asked to be a farmer and what’d they do? They put me in a checked shirt and an apron. An APRON! And check this sales pitch for Farmer Ken from what Mattel calls Sweet Orchard Farm: “Ken doll has an adorable piglet that kids can help him tend for role-play and storytelling fun.”

What? They gave me a piglet? I’ve been on the farm on castration day more times than I’d like to remember and that’s no fun for ANYbody, especially the pigs.

You want role play? Let me be a real farmer with a hayloft and some corn and a pony. I can be a farmer/rancher. Ditch the piglet. At least give me a tractor.

Oh, and here’s the ultimate indignity for Farmer Ken, according to the box I come in: “Doll cannot stand alone.”

You see what I put up with? What am I supposed to do, sit and milk all day? That’s gonna be a hard pass for me, dog.

And the asking price? A salty $34.95. I wouldn’t pay that for me and I AM me!

Mattel said “Fine. We’ll make you a … (get this, gang) … writer. You know, with a little snapbrim hat and a trench coat and a typewriter.”

Said they’d even “throw in a piglet, like with the Farmer Ken deal.”

What’s with these people and piglets, for heavens sake?

Good grief. Please, just … no. Writers are either rail thin and alcoholic or have a pot belly and smoke a pipe and think they invented the vowels and use big words like pubescent and eschew and ebullient. I learned to write in second grade and moved on. Please just … no.

Think I’d rather be a piglet.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

The Village of Goldonna gathered at the Assembly of God Church on Friday, August 11th. The special guest preacher was Brother George Procell of River of Life Church. Almost every pew was filled with residents who gathered to hear the beautiful worship music provided by area residents. The night ended with a powerful prayer service and a hot meal that was enjoyed by everyone.

Lakeview Junior Senior High School announces the following: All students who drive to school will park on the Junior High side, softball field area. All parents who drop off students will drop them off in front of the cafeteria. School uniform colors are forest green and khaki/navy pants for high school. The junior high will be wearing orange tops and khaki/navy pants. No hoodies, the school wants to be able to see your beautiful face.

Goldonna Elementary Elementary Junior High School would like to remind everyone that all backpacks must be clear of mesh. For the safety of your children, students may not be dropped off prior to 7:20am. The carline gate is not open until that time.

The theme for the 2023-2024 school year is “My story starts here.” Everyone has a story and Goldonna Elementary Junior High is part of it.

Goldonna Assembly of God will be hosting Johnathan Bond on August 17-18th at 6:30 in the evening. Mr. Bond is a singer and published author who will be sharing his testimony as well as leading worship. The night of the 17th will consist of group grief counseling with Jonathan Bond. Mr. Bond is a 25 year experienced counselor with Emory Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He specializes in cognitive behavior, acceptance and commitment, and bereavement.

August 18th services will consist of Mr. Bond’s testimony and worship. For more information you may call 318-471-7191.

Goldonna Baptist Church is still getting ready to deck the halls with Operation Christmas Child boxes. The church has a goal of packing three hundred boxes. I heard from a little birdie that they are very proud of the Pastor and his lofty goal. If you want to be on Santa’s Nice List get your donations in today. They are still collecting items leading up to the community packing party that will take place in November.

If you have news to share please email Reba Phelps at jreba.phelps@gmail.com

Make sure you never miss a game by claiming your own FREE Football schedule magnet.

A few years ago The Harrington Law Firm started making football magnets. Ever since then, they’ve become very popular.

“I can’t tell you how many people tell me they see me every morning when they go to their fridge, which I am truly sorry about,” said Rodney Harrington. “I even had a friend send me a picture at an Airbnb in Branson, Missouri showing they had one of the magnets on the fridge there! They’re everywhere. Get them while you can!”

The magnets can be picked up at The Harrington Lae Firm office, located at 459 Jefferson Street in Natchitoches.

You don’t live in Natchitoches? No worries! Just fill out the form online at theharringtonlawfirm.com/2023-football-magnet and a magnet will be shipped to you right away!