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.

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.

Elsie Marie DeWolf Allen
January 6, 2024
Service: Wednesday, January 10, 2024, 1pm at the Southern Funeral Home.

David Lee Wimsett, Jr.
July 11, 1960 – January 8, 2024
Service: Under the direction of Southern Funeral Home, Winnfield.

The 2024 resolution of the Winnfield Fire Department is community safety in effectiveness and efficiency through response to emergencies, Fire Chief Brian Montgomery said as the new year got under way this week.

“It’s the same goal we have every year:  to improve not just our capabilities but the possibilities in both fire suppression and EMS (emergency medical services) response.  Residents may not know that we respond to all 911 medical emergency calls in conjunction with the ambulance service.  Our entire staff is trained in the emergency medical field, that now being a requirement for employment here.”

The city’s fire department responded to 749 calls in 2023, of which 590 were EMS.  These could have been anything from heart attack to shortness of breath, unconsciousness, diabetic issues, lift assistance (falling), bodily injury, suicide attempts, drug overdose and more.

That doesn’t count response to traffic accidents, a category by itself, that saw the department called out 31 times.  “In some of those, we had to extricate the victim.  We carry two sets of extrication tools in vehicles smaller and swifter in response than our trucks,” the chief explained.

Montgomery went on:  “Our goal is to be as efficient and effective as we can.  We accomplish that through proficiency which comes through training.  We’ve got signs posted through the building as reminders that say ‘Every day is a training day.’  We train every day in some capacity.  In our job, we emphasize the preservation of life and property.”

During 2023, the department built up to its maximum staffing, more than any time in the past, with 10 fulltime firefighters, some part time and other volunteers who are on call.

Montgomery then pointed to two different aspects of fires, those being suppression and prevention.  “By working hard on fire prevention, we can reduce the need for fire suppression.  We strive towards fire prevention through education of the general public.  This starts as early as preschool and intermediate through fire prevention handout materials.  On the other end of the age spectrum it includes free installation of smoke detectors in the homes of the elderly or anybody, really.  In doing so, we use the opportunity to discuss fire safety tips, to advise on fire evacuation plans and to help identify potential fire hazards in the home.”

(Editor’s note:  Chief Montgomery has agreed to work with the Winn Parish Journal on periodic updates as the department works through 2024 towards a safer community and an improved fire rating.  This, he said, will require not just department activity but also community involvement).   

Courtesy of Brian Montgomery 

WINNFIELD FIRE DEPARTMENT
2023 ALARM CALL
DATA REPORT

FIRE ALARMS 50
(OF THAT 50, 12 WORKING STRUCTURE FIRES)
GRASS FIRES 19
TRASH FIRES 13
VEHICLE FIRES 5
EQUIPMENT FIRES 3
VEHICLE ACCIDENTS 31
NATURAL GAS LEAKS 11
HAZ MAT SPILLS 2
GOOD INTENT CALLS 6
ELECTRICAL POWER LINES DOWN 9
MUTUAL AID WITH WPFD #3 3
EMS- EMERGENCY MEDICAL CALLS 585

TOTAL CALLS AS OF 12-26-23—737

The information above is a generated summary of the aid and service the Winn Parish Fire Department has lended its community over the course of the past year. We thank our local firefighters and EMTs for their vigilance and protection of Winn Parish and all who call it home. 

Legal Notice

Winn Parish Council on Aging was established to render services to persons in Winn Parish ages
60 and older. Winn Parish Council on Aging is now hosting a drive for anyone 18 and older who
wishes to become a member, eligible to serve on the board of directors. The drive began today
and will continue through business hours from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. January 16 at the Winn
Council on Aging. The office is located at 211 East Main Street, Winnfield, LA 71483. To join
or request forms, call 318-628-2186.

Membership is free. 

The Village of Goldonna proudly announces the winners of the 2nd Annual Gingerbread House and Cookie Contest.

3 and under age group – Brayden Lawson
4 to 7 years old – Kennedy Johnson
8 to 12 years old – Jaxon Martin
13-18 years old – Rebekah Dupree
19 and up- Fonda Garner

The People’s Choice award was given to Rebekah Dupree. The Mayor and Council would like to thank all of the entries who took the time to participate. They would also like everyone to know this tradition will continue in 2024.

Goldonna Assembly of God Church is kicking off the new year with a revival. Evangelist Chris Klock will be ministering at the church from January 14th through January 20th. Services will begin at 6:30pm each night.

Goldonna Baptist Church will resume their Operation Christmas Child collections for 2024. January’s items will be Christmas cards, stockings, stationary, etc. What better time to collect these items than when they’re on sale? The OCC outreach program was a tremendous success with their sister churches’ help. “We would especially like to thank our brothers and sisters at River of Life for their generosity,” shared Pastor Dupree. Pastor Ben Dupree would like to formally challenge all of the area congregations to join them in this tremendous opportunity. The church will be posting each month’s theme to their Facebook page.

Kingdom Kids will resume on January 10. A full meal, transportation to and from GBC and an opportunity to learn about our Lord Jesus will all be provided. Everyone is welcome! Dr. Wiley Cole’s “Walk through the Bible” lessons will resume on January 7th at 5 pm, followed by supper, and are these lessons are always available on YouTube. We are currently in the book of Acts. Our wild game cook-off will be on January 21st at 6 pm. $5/entry fee and the winner gets their name published in the weekly bulletin as well as our Facebook page. All proceeds will benefit the Operation Christmas Child shipping costs.

Goldonna Elementary Junior High children will return to school on January 9th. Muffins with Mom will be held Friday, January 26th from 9:00 until 10:00am. Please RSVP and pay the fee of $3.00 by Friday, January 19th. Forms will be sent home after the holiday break.

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

The Louisiana Political Museum & Hall of Fame, located in the railroad depot on Main Street in Winnfield, is in the process of mailing out its annual membership letters.

Now in its 30th year operation, the museum was launched August 30, 1993, in conjunction with 100th birthday of Winnfield-born Huey P. Long. Winnfield has been recognized as the birthplace of Louisiana politics, the birthplace of not only Long but also his brother Earl K. Long and a third governor, Oscar K. Allen.

“Our purpose at the Louisiana Political Museum is to curate information and resources on the political history and affairs of Louisiana,” said director Shonna Moss. The local facility annually draws upwards of 3,600 visitors from all over the country. Since its inception, 209 individuals have been showcased in the Hall of Fame, making the 499 E. Main Street building a worthwhile stop of anyone with any historical inkling.

Through these three decades, funding for the museum’s operation has ebbed and flowed. This past year, money was significantly reduced due to other state needs, Moss said, making community support which is always good, even more vital. The museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3), making donations tax-deductible.
Donations to “Friends of the Louisiana Political Museum & Hall of Fame” will make a “tangible difference,” said the director. Contributions may be returned in the envelopes that should be arriving in the mail soon or called in at 318-628-5928.

Cool Old Dude and Tons of Fun guys like me went to bed at a slick 7:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve. Didn’t mean to stay up that late but had forgotten to start the grill and the dead chicken and sausages were later getting done than I had planned. 

Hate it when that happens. Especially on a holiday.

Some of us are old enough to remember when we were crazy enough to actually stay up to watch the ball drop in Times Square — “10, 9, 8… !” —  or when we would be out somewhere with other sickos (meaning other “normal young people”) waiting for midnight to ring in the New Year.

Festive and whatnot. Mainly awake.  

But I was another kind of sick this New Year’s. Something is “going around” and I hate it when that happens too because it usually gets around to me and you. Stuffy head. Ribs hurt. No energy.

On the bright side, New Year’s night I made it to 8 and to the end of Michigan’s win over Alabama. Old-school game, my opinion. Woke up in the middle of the night for bathroom duty — another elderly issue — and saw that Washington had beaten Texas in another thriller. 

“For entertainment purposes only,” the early line has No. 1 Michigan as a 4.5 favorite over No. 2 Washington in Monday night’s College Football Playoff National Championship game from NRG Stadium in Houston at 6:30 (I might can stay up!) on ESPN. I like Washington to cover.

So take Michigan. Because … 

As recently discussed, I can pick winners in games like Germany could pick winners in World Wars. Sleep was easy for me by the time Washington teed it up with Texas New Year’s Night because my hopes of winning the ESPN BowlFest Fantasy competition were as gone as the clouds in yesterday’s sky. An 8-0 start in mid-December was followed by a whirlwind of pitifulness, as predicted, that left me in the 50^th percentile of pickers, which included real people but also included turtles, stumps, and some fish. I couldn’t spell ‘win’ if you spotted me the “w” and the “i.”

But this predicted ineptness did not keep me from enjoying, immensely, BowlFest. My favorite bowls, strictly because of names and present company excluded (we’re looking at you, Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, always No. 1 in our hearts), were these:

The Tony the Tiger Bowl in El Paso, because I love Sun Bowl Stadium and because, well, Frosted Flakes. Notre Dame was ggggggreat and beat Oregon State, 40-8, for the record;

The Cheeze-It Citrus Bowl because Cheeze-Its should be its own food group, and more on that another time. Tennessee beat Iowa 100-2 or something like that. The Vols might still be scoring;

The Duke’s Mayo Bowl because this advertises a Carolina staple I grew up with. West Virginia out-condimented North Carolina in this year’s bowl in Charlotte. Of course, I foolishly had the Tarheels;

The Avocados From Mexico Cure Bowl in, oddly enough, Orlando, where every other bowl game is now played. For some reason, I felt healthier after watching it;

And my favorite of all the bowls, the Pop-Tarts Bowl (from, guess where?, Orlando!), even though Kansas State beat N.C. State, 28-19, and I had (naturally) the Wolfpack. Didn’t matter because:

One of the mascots was edible. True story. The winners ate a giant Pop-Tart after the game. To the winners go the spoils. In light of this development, would you rather play in the prestigious Cotton Bowl or the Pop-Tarts Bowl? That’s what I thought;

Speaking of giants, the non-edible mascot who ran around the sidelines of picturesque Camping World Stadium most of the game showed up by being popped out of a huge toaster on the field. Yes, this is next-level mascot stuff;

The mascot tried to catch a missed field goal with a net. We’re talking about a fruit scone with a net chasing a ball;

And finally, the winning players dumped a couple of coolers filled with Pop-Tarts onto the winning coach as he made his way to midfield to shake hands with the losing and thus non-Pop-Tarts-eating coach immediately after the game. The only other thing this bowl needed was some milk.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Winn Council on Aging, both members and staff, enjoyed a Christmas party held at the Main Street location on December 21.  No one went home without some gifts, prizes and a smile on their face.

With a backdrop of Christmas music, those attending ate cupcakes and ice cream, chips and dips.  Everyone received a ticket for door prizes and those door prizes turned out to be non-stop as prizes were given out until everyone had something.  Additional gift bags included an apple, orange, candy, ornament and a gift.

Bingo, always a popular game at Council on Aging, offered bigger prizes that normal, some donated by supporting individuals or businesses, some provided by the council.

There were 21 in attendance, as well as council staff members.  Some of the guests were picked up by the council while most came on their own.

The next big event at Council on the Aging will be Easter.  

The council building is open weekdays from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. where local residents are invited to come and fellowship.  The council aims itself at persons 60 and older but involvement by all is welcome.  Lunch is served from 11 until noon with a suggested donation of $1.75 (though the lunch cost for younger attendees is not “suggested” but “required”).  Bingo is played Tuesdays and Thursday around 10:15 a.m. 

It is often necessary to adjust the game plan at halftime when a football team is engaged in an important game. If the defensive backs are locked in on the receivers every play, consideration is given to a few quick-hitters into the line by the running backs. Conversely, if the defensive linemen are clogging up the middle expecting a run, it’s time to air it out to receivers. 

By the same token, as deer season reaches its final weeks, it’s often necessary for hunters to adjust their game plans. Why? Because the bucks are making adjustments and if hunters don’t figure out what’s going on, they’re left wondering what the heck happened.

What happens during the latter days of hunting season after the rut is over? Bucks aren’t chasing does, unless the few does not bred during the first estrous cycle are still available for breeding. Basically, it becomes a rather difficult game to play as the bucks, exhausted and worn down from breeding and fighting other bucks, become rather difficult to pattern. For many hunters, if they don’t get their deer early, they hang it up after the rut and head for the lake where the bunched-up crappie are more predictable.  

David Moreland, who retired from the Deer Study Leader position with LDWF several years ago, offers suggestions as to the best way to hunt bucks late in the season.

“In Area 2, northwest Louisiana, December generally marks the end of the rut. However, bucks may be looking for a few does that have not bred, but generally by mid-January, it’s over,” Moreland said.

This time of year in this part of the state, a game plan change is necessary to improve your chances at a good buck, according to Moreland.

“This is the time of year where hunting between the feeders may pay off as bucks move around looking for does. In late December, the trails through the woods leading to food plots and feeders are generally quite distinct and visible and this should be areas hunters ought to check out, determining where the deer are coming from and then locate a stand to catch the deer as they come to feed late in the evening,” Moreland added.

Another tactic that can work on tagging a late season buck, according to Moreland is to move the feeder.

“I like to change a feeder location or hang a bucket feeder in an area where you have seen deer but not hunted. Keep in mind that prevailing winds this time of year are generally from the north-northwest so your stand location should be in the south-southeast corner of the area. Again, hunters should stay on their stands until last light,” he added.

Moreland also suggested that hunters might want to freshen up their food plots toward season’s end. 

“With bucks going back to the feeding mode after the rut, you might want to consider adding some nitrate to the grass patches and keep them attractive. Also if the weather is good; clear and cold with high pressure, plan to stay on the stand longer than normal.”

What about native brows plants? Hunters should plan to utilize what Mother Nature has already put there.

“Since many of the woody shrubs and trees lose their leaves, the focus will be on those that still have them. Blackberry, privet and honeysuckle would be three to look for since these will tolerate the cold temperatures and put out new growth on warm days. I have especially seen heavy use of honeysuckle in northwest Louisiana during late winter,” said Moreland. 

Want to be on the winning team when it comes to getting a late season deer in your sight picture? Be adaptable. Change your game plan to correspond to what the deer are doing

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.

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.