Winnfield Mayor Gerald Hamms, center, presents the service to community “Hammy Award” to residents Audrey Calhoun and Bob Holeman during the City Councils March 10 meeting.
During the Winnfield City Council’s March 10 session, Mayor Gerald Hamms recognized two longtime Winn Parish residents with the “Hammy Award” recognizing for their “outstanding dedicational service and unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in our community.”
The first recipient of the Hammy was Audrey Calhoun, the first African American woman in the United States to earn a bachelor’s degree in forestry. Calhoun credited her accomplishments to her roots in Winnfield, citing the people she knew, the schools she attended, and everyone who made a difference in her life. “I always knew that I’d come back to Winnfield,” Calhoun said. Her career with the National Parks Service, much of that in Washington, D.C., spanned from the start of the Richard Nixon presidency through Bill Clinton’s second term (including Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush).
Hamms then presented the award to Bob Holeman. His journalism career included a decade with the weekly Coushatta Citizen followed by a 25-year tenure at the helm of the Winn Parish Enterprise. Though he “retired” in 2008, he began a new journey with online reporting as owner of the Winn Parish Journal. Holeman stated that his work was not so much about the money, but about “providing a service to the community and the opportunity to be involved.”
Local Kiwanians join regional leaders for training, networking, and annual awards
Members of the Kiwanis Club of Winnfield joined fellow Kiwanians from across three states for the LaMissTenn Kiwanis Mid-Winter Education Conference held Saturday, March 21.
Approximately 180 attendees from Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Tennessee participated in the one-day conference, which focused on strengthening local clubs through leadership development, membership growth strategies, fundraising initiatives, and expanded networking opportunities.
Local attendees included Vice President Troy Rogers, Kim Futrell, Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Bill Gaddis, President Mary Lou Blackley, and Margaret Coon.
Throughout the event, participants attended a series of educational sessions designed to support Kiwanis clubs in their community service efforts. The conference also featured an inter-club meeting, where attendees shared ideas and best practices while enjoying a luncheon.
The gathering concluded with the presentation of awards recognizing achievements for the 2024–25 Kiwanis year, highlighting outstanding service and contributions among participating clubs.
Kiwanis International is a global organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and communities through volunteer service and leadership.
Picture left to right: Vice-President Troy Rogers, Kim Futrell, Secretary-Treasurer Dr. Bill Gaddis, President Mary Lou Blackley, and Margaret Coon.
March is widely recognized as Women’s History Month-a time set aside to celebrate the strength, resilience, and achievements of women across generations. It is a time to reflect on hard-won progress in education, leadership, and civil rights. But alongside that progress lies a difficult truth that cannot be ignored: domestic violence continues to impact millions of women every year, often in silence. For decades, women have fought to have their voices heard-not just in boardrooms or at the ballot box, but in their own homes. Historically, domestic violence was dismissed as a private matter, something to be handled behind closed doors. That mindset left countless women without protection or support. It wasn’t until the late 20th century that the issue began to receive the serious attention it deserved, leading to the creation of shelters, legal protections, and advocacy programs.
Today, the conversation has shifted-but the problem remains. Domestic violence cuts across every community, regardless of income, education, or geography. In rural areas especially, victims often face additional barriers: limited access to services, transportation challenges, and a lack of anonymity. These realities make it harder to seek help and easier for abuse to continue unchecked.
Women’s History Month is not only about looking back-it is about taking responsibility in the present. The same courage that fueled past movements must now be applied to protecting women in their most vulnerable moments. Awareness is only the first step. Real change comes from action: supporting local advocacy programs, strengthening community response systems, and ensuring survivors have access to safe housing and resources.
There is also a cultural responsibility. Families, schools, and communities must continue teaching respect, accountability, and healthy relationships. Preventing domestic violence starts long before a crisis occurs. It begins with how we raise the next generation and what behavior we are willing to tolerate.
The legacy of Women’s History Month is built on perseverance and truth. Honoring that legacy means refusing to overlook the realities women still face today. Domestic violence is not just a personal issue-it is a societal one. And until every woman can live safely and with dignity, the work is not finished.
The Dr. Jerry Williams Memorial Book sale, sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Winnfield, has been extended until Thursday, April 2, 2026. This sale features the personal library collection of Dr. Williams, comprising over 2,000 books. The collection contains many mystery novels by Lee Child, James Patterson, Stuart Woods, and other bestselling authors. Also featured are rare children’s titles, WWII and Civil War history, and Louisiana history books. The Kiwanis Club encourages the community to check out this unique collection! All proceeds from this sale will be donated to the Winn Parish Library, where Dr. Williams served as Library Board President until his passing.
With over 30 years of bass tournament experience, I know that every bass angler that wets a hook has one goal in mind when they enter a tournament — win! While we all strive to bring winning sacks to the scales, the stars do not always align and allow that to happen.
My background as an athlete has proven to be beneficial when it comes to the mental side of tournament bass fishing. The “never give up” mentality is so important as a tournament angler.
Playing on a Texas state championship high school baseball team was one of my greatest accomplishments as an athlete. Twice during that special run in 1978, our backs were to the wall, but we never gave up and persevered on our way to winning it all.
We never panicked no matter what the situation was. We stayed strong and committed to each other, making sure things went our way. Tournament bass fishing is no different. There will be days when things just don’t go the way you thought they would.
But the guys who have a strong mindset, and the “never give up” attitude, seem to always find a way to put fish in the boat. Even if they don’t catch the winning fish, they still make a good showing.
One of my recent trips to Lake of the Pines brought me so much joy — eventually! It began when the fish I found in practice just did not pan out. Oh, I had lots of excuses as to why they did not bite, but to sum it up, I just did not catch them.
At 10:30 that tournament morning, I did not have a fish in the boat. I had caught a few, but none that would reach the 14-inch minimum. But I did not panic as I felt the fish would bite a little better in the afternoon due to the full moon we were fishing under.
I finally put three fish in the boat between 10:30 and noon and then decided to move out of the area where I had found quality fish during practice. There was so much fishing pressure on the lake, I was sure that a lot of the fish I had found the day before had been caught.
So, I pulled up on a point and made a long cast, and low and behold I caught a solid 3-pounder! I’m thinking, “hmmm, this is a good sign and maybe there’s a good school of bass on this point.” Sure enough, it was loaded with good keeper-size fish including a 5-pounder that threw my bait back to me on one particular cast.
I anchored down on this spot and for three hours I began to catch over 35 bass off this one point. It was a day you don’t have all the time as an angler and even though I did not catch the winning bag, I had an awesome day on the water and enjoyed a trip I will never forget!
I’m wondering if age has anything to do with how I think now as an angler. At 65 years old, winning tournaments is just not as high on my priority list as it used to be. Oh, I’m still competitive and want to beat the pants off all these young bucks, but then there’s reality.
But one thing I can say for myself, no matter how much longer I continue to fish bass tournaments, my desire to compete and win will never wane. I just have to remember; it’s not always about winning.
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.
Name: Shannon Farmer Address: Homeless Race: Black
Sex: Male Age: 37 Charge: Criminal Trespassing
Date: 3-11-26 Name: Martavious Johnson Address: Winnfield, LA Race: Black Sex: Male Age: 18 Charge: Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Simple Possession
Date: 3-11-26 Name: Ja’Nae Thomas Address: Winnfield, LA Race: Black Sex: Female Age: 18 Charge: Simple Criminal Damage to Property
Date: 3-15-26 Name: John Baswell Address: Winnfield, LA Race: White Sex: Male Age: 43 Charge: Simple Burglary, Domestic Abuse Battery, Battery of Someone with Infirmities
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.
Arrest Report 3/10/26 Reginald Ford B/M 50- Transfer from Serenity House
3/11/26 Aaron Long W/M 44- Speeding, Aggravated Flight, Left of Center, Exp MVI, Exp Plate, Improper Passing, Resisting Arrest, Careless Operation
3/12/26 Johnathan Hill W/M 46- Warrant- Violation of Protective Order
3/12/26 Earl Simmons Jr W/M 40- Violation of Protective Order
3/12/26 Stephanie Knapp W/M 39- Fugitive from Justice
3/12/26 Devon Simmons W/M 21- Fugitive from Justice
3/14/26 Cynthia Bergeron W/F 60- Illegal Possession of Stolen Things(Vehicle)
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.
Dr. Bob Jordan, CTO at Winn Parish School Board and Ethel Howell, Kiwanis President Elect.
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.
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
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Connect with an FPS Operational Specialist for a custom risk assessment:
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.
