Dear Fellow Citizens, 

I’m John Fleming, your State Treasurer and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

This Saturday’s election is extremely important. DC lobbyists and Baton Rouge elites have poured millions into supporting their preferred candidate — NOT ME. 

At stake is the carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) industry’s push to use YOUR tax dollars to seize YOUR private land through eminent domain.  Estimates suggest that up to 75% of the nation’s CO2 emissions could be pumped beneath our lands, lakes, and rivers – ‘captured’ for eternity. The whole thing is a “Green New Deal” scam, which will make the elites wealthier at the expense of the rest of us.  I am the only candidate who is 100% opposed to this fraud and abuse.  

Don’t be fooled! The establishment and powers that be are trying to buy our Louisiana Senate seat. I can’t be bought, bribed, or bullied! 

Our future, and the future of our children and grandchildren, hangs in the balance. Please don’t sit this one out — vote this Saturday, May 16th.   Polls open at 7:00 a.m. 

Thank you,

John Fleming
Louisiana State Treasurer
Republican Candidate for the US Senate 

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BATON ROUGE — Louisiana families may qualify for SUN Bucks, a summer grocery assistance program providing a one-time $120 benefit for each eligible school-aged child to help purchase food during the summer break.

The program applies to children ages 5 to 18 and is designed to assist families while school meal programs are unavailable during the summer months.

Most eligible children will automatically receive the benefit and do not need to apply. Automatic eligibility includes children born between Aug. 20, 2007, and July 1, 2020, who received SNAP, FITAP, KCSP or income-based Medicaid benefits at any time between July 1, 2025, and Aug. 20, 2026.

Children may also automatically qualify if they attend a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and were approved individually for free or reduced-price meals.

Some families, however, will need to submit an application. This includes households with children attending Community Eligibility Provision schools where all students receive free meals but no meal application was completed. Families may also qualify based on household income even if they do not meet the automatic eligibility categories.

Applications for summer 2026 benefits will be accepted through Aug. 20, 2026. Approved applicants typically receive benefits within three weeks of approval.

Officials say SUN Bucks benefits will begin distribution in mid-May. Families already receiving SNAP or those who participated in SUN Bucks last summer will have benefits added to their existing EBT card. Other households will receive a preloaded EBT card by mail in a plain white envelope addressed to the child.

Families are encouraged to verify their mailing address information with Medicaid, FITAP, KCSP and their child’s school to avoid delays in receiving benefits.

SUN Bucks cards can be activated through the LifeInCheck app, by calling 888-997-1117 or online through the LifeInCheck EBT system. Cardholders will need the child’s Social Security information, birthdate and ZIP code to complete activation.

Officials also remind families to choose secure PIN numbers and avoid common patterns such as repeated or consecutive digits.

Residents across Winn Parish can expect several days of sunny skies and warm temperatures as a quiet weather pattern settles over the area through the upcoming weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters say daytime highs will remain steady near 89 degrees from Wednesday through Sunday, while overnight lows are expected to stay in the mid-to-upper 60s.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for sunny conditions and a high near 89 with calm winds throughout the day. Mostly clear skies are expected Wednesday night, with temperatures dipping to around 65 degrees.

Sunny weather continues Thursday with another high near 89. Thursday night is expected to be partly cloudy with lows once again near 65.

Friday will bring mostly sunny skies and warm afternoon temperatures approaching 89 degrees. Friday night is forecast to remain mostly clear with lows around 67.

The weekend forecast remains consistent, with mostly sunny conditions Saturday and Sunday and highs continuing near 89 degrees both days. Overnight temperatures are expected to fall into the upper 60s under mostly clear skies.

Meteorologists say no significant rain chances are currently expected during the extended forecast period, providing favorable conditions for outdoor activities across Winn Parish.

Residents are encouraged to stay hydrated and take precautions during the warm afternoon hours, especially those spending extended time outdoors.

The Winn Parish School System has announced the appointment of Brent Carpenter as the new principal of Winnfield Middle School.

School officials shared the announcement this week, welcoming Carpenter back to the campus and describing him as “a familiar leader” returning to serve the Winnfield Middle School family.

Carpenter brings leadership experience and familiarity with the school community as he steps into the role ahead of the upcoming academic year.

District leaders expressed excitement about his return, saying they believe his experience and commitment to education will help continue the school’s mission of supporting student success and academic growth.

The announcement was met with support and congratulations from faculty, staff, students, and community members across Winn Parish.

Winnfield Middle School serves students in the heart of Winn Parish and remains one of the district’s key campuses focused on academic achievement, student development, and school community engagement.

School officials say they look forward to Carpenter’s leadership and the continued progress of Winnfield Middle School under his direction.

The early voting period for the May 16, 2026, election has officially concluded in Winn Parish, with a total of 867 ballots cast through the final day on Saturday, May 9.

According to reports from the Louisiana Secretary of State, the majority of voters chose to participate in person, with 746 in-person votes and 121 absentee (mail) ballots processed throughout the week.

Voter Demographics

The demographic breakdown for the entire early voting period in Winn Parish is as follows:

• Race: 604 White voters, 257 Black voters, and 6 voters identified as Other.

• Sex: 516 Female voters and 350 Male voters.

Party Affiliation

Participation across party lines remained active throughout the week:

• Republicans: 401

• Democrats: 299

• Other/Other Parties: 167

Winn Parish Early Voting Recap

With the early voting period now complete, these totals represent the final count of ballots cast ahead of next week’s election.

Registered voters in Winn Parish who did not participate in early voting may cast their ballots at their designated precincts on election day, Saturday, May 16.

The Domestic Abuse Resistance Team (DART) is observing Mental Health Awareness Month by highlighting the non-linear nature of recovery and the importance of self-compassion for survivors. Serving the community since 1994, DART continues its mission to help keep families safe while providing resources for those navigating the emotional complexities of healing.

The organization emphasizes that healing does not have a fixed deadline and that “growth” can often be found in the simple act of surviving challenges that once felt insurmountable. During this month of awareness, residents are encouraged to practice patience with their mental health journey, acknowledging that some days will naturally feel heavier than others.

Key Messages for Mental Health Awareness:

• Healing is Individual: There is no “behind” in the healing process; it is a continuous state of becoming.

• Self-Compassion: Past versions of yourself deserve compassion rather than criticism.

• Persistence: It is vital to give yourself credit for the days you do not give up and grace for the days you are still figuring things out.

• Mental Resilience: Be gentle with your mind, as it is the tool carrying you through every life experience.

DART remains a steadfast resource for families in Winn Parish, offering support and safety for those affected by domestic abuse.

Registration is now officially open for the Winn Parish Library’s 2026 Summer Reading Program, giving children and families across the parish an opportunity to stay engaged in reading and educational activities throughout the summer months.
This year’s theme, “Plant a Seed, Read,” combines literacy with agriculture and outdoor-inspired learning as the library encourages students to continue building reading skills while school is out for the summer.

According to library officials, the Summer Reading Program will run from April 27 through July 13 and is open to participants throughout Winn Parish.

Families may register online from home and later pick up their program packets at a local library branch, or they can visit a branch location and complete registration in person with assistance from library staff.

The annual program is designed to promote reading, creativity, and lifelong learning among children and students during the summer break. Participants typically have opportunities to earn prizes, track reading progress, and participate in themed activities and events.

The Winn Parish Library encourages parents and guardians to sign children up early so they can take full advantage of the summer program offerings.

Additional information and online registration are available through the Winn Parish Library website.

The Louisiana Department of Health is urging residents to prioritize water safety as summer approaches, reminding families that strong safety practices can help prevent drownings and serious water-related injuries, particularly among children.

The reminder comes as Gov. Jeff Landry has proclaimed May as Louisiana Children’s Trust Fund Swim Safety Month.

According to recent data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the fourth leading cause of injury-related deaths among children ages 0 to 14 in Louisiana.

LDH officials said most drownings are preventable and often happen quickly and quietly. Between 2022 and 2024, 55 children drowned in Louisiana, according to the LDH Office of Public Health. More than half of those children were unsupervised, and 42 percent drowned in water areas without proper protective barriers. Most incidents occurred in swimming pools.

An additional 54 children were hospitalized due to nonfatal drownings or near-drownings, which health officials say can lead to lifelong disabilities and permanent developmental impacts.

State health officials are encouraging parents and caregivers to actively supervise children whenever they are near water, keep young children within arm’s reach and never leave children unattended around pools, lakes or other bodies of water.

The department also recommends enrolling children in swim lessons at an early age, installing protective barriers and self-latching gates around pools, ensuring pools and spas have compliant drain covers and teaching children to avoid pool drains.

Officials say extra caution should be used in open water environments such as lakes and beaches, where conditions can include low visibility, changing depths, currents and underwater hazards.

Families are also encouraged to use U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets during boating and water recreation activities, avoid alcohol while swimming or supervising children and learn CPR and basic rescue skills in case of emergencies.

Additional water safety information, swim lesson resources and CPR class information are available through the Louisiana Department of Health.

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) approved a Notice of Intent (NOI) for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to conduct a recreational alligator hunting season from Oct. 1-31, 2026. The action came during the LWFC’s May meeting Thursday (May 7) in Baton Rouge.

“We are proud to increase recreational opportunity for Louisiana sportsmen and women across the state with this exciting new season,” said LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth. “The American Alligator is a true conservation success story, and by being able to have a recreational season, we are able to further promote this success and the rich hunting heritage that makes up the Louisiana way of life.”

The recreational season would be separate from the commercial season. Properties already issued commercial harvest tags are excluded from recreational eligibility. Alligators, hides, meat and parts taken under a recreational hide tag may not be sold, bartered or commingled with commercial-tag alligators.

The recreational season would be conducted by lottery. Only Louisiana residents may apply. A total of 5,000 participants would be selected with two recreational alligator hide tags issued to each participant. Immediate tag attachment upon harvest and tag validation within 72 hours via department portal, LA Wallet, phone, or LouisianaOutdoors.com, is required.

Method of take is restricted to hook and line, or snatch hook only — anchored, tethered, or originating from immovable eligible property with written landowner permission. Pole hunting and free shooting is prohibited.

There would be eight zones statewide with recreational opportunity in each zone. Zones B and C would have 1,250 participants, Zone A 500 participants and zones D, E, F, G and H 400 participants each.. A recreational alligator hunter must possess a basic hunting license, the recreational alligator hunting license, valid recreational hide tags and written proof of land ownership or permission.  A recreational alligator hunting license would be $25 for residents and $150 for non-residents.

To see the full NOI, visit the LDWF Alligator Hunting webpage.

Public comment on the NOI will be accepted through June 26. Comments may be submitted to LDWF Alligator Program Manager Jeb Linscombe at LDWF, 200 Dulles Drive, Lafayette, LA, 70506, or by email at jlinscombe@wlf.la.gov.

I’ve always heard the saying that “some things never change,” but that would not be the case for bass tournaments. When you look back at tournament participation over the last 10 years, one thing is very apparent; anglers have walked away from bass tournaments. 

Let’s look at some of the reasons that might explain why participation is down. But understand this, you can’t point your finger at just one reason. First and foremost, we are living in a different time as compared to the hay day of tournament bass fishing that was the 1990s and early 2000s.

After the conclusion of the COVID outbreak in 2021, for some reason tournament participation has gone south. Tournaments were at full strength during COVID as anglers were looking for an escape from isolation. Bass boat sales were out the roof nationwide with people retreating to the outdoors. 

All the major tournament trails were filling up with a maximum number of entries anywhere from 200 to 300 boats or more. But a couple of years after COVID, for whatever reason, anglers quit showing up. 

That was about the time forward-facing sonar became an issue. Nothing in the last 40 years has had as much controversial impact than forward-facing sonar. 

Now I’m not pointing the finger at this alone because it may be just a coincidence that anglers were dropping out of tournaments. But for the last five years, anglers have come up with other reasons for not fishing competitively. 

Some say it’s the economy, but I’m not totally buying into this idea. One thing about bass tournament anglers, they will do whatever it takes to make sure they can still compete even if it means selling their youngest child or their wife getting a second job in order to save enough money for them to fish the next tournament. 

While I’m joking about them selling their youngest child, there is one thing that seems to be a common variable to anglers not showing up: gas prices! Back in 2014 when a tank of gas cost you an arm and a leg ($4 a gallon), anglers decided to park their high-dollar bass boats.

While gas prices can have an influence on whether anglers fish or not, presently we are once again on the verge of anglers parking their boats as gas prices continue to rise due to the war with Iran. 

Here’s a major concern of mine that I think is having a negative effect on tournaments … cheaters! Over the last two years, there have been more anglers disqualified for rules violations and more people who have been caught cheating. 

This has given the sport a black eye and is just another reason anglers are thinking twice before entering a tournament. They just don’t trust that someone is not cheating! Even on local weeknight shootouts, there have been anglers caught cheating just to win a couple hundred dollars. 

So, even with all the reasons we’ve mentioned, one angler recently summed it up as to why tournament participation is down nationwide: “It’s just not fun any more!”

Very few of us fish for a living. We love tournaments because we enjoy the comradery and the competition. Most guys are perfectly happy if they just get a check to help cover their gas, hotel and food. 

But it’s sad that we live in a world today where there will always be a couple of bad apples that can ruin it for everybody. I just hope that one day anglers can look forward to fishing a tournament and not have to worry if someone is cheating. 

Hopefully the heyday of tournament bass fishing is not over. But it’s going to take time for some anglers to return to the sport they love. Tournament organizations are in a pickle today trying to figure out the formula that will encourage tournament anglers to return.

Every tournament trail is always attempting to get more anglers to enter their events. Their dilemma is trying to figure out who should be their target demographic group. Should they cater to the younger generation (18 to 34) or try to get the 35 and older anglers back? 

There’s one key component they’ll need to factor in when getting more anglers to return; they must gain their trust again.   

SHIRLEY’S OBITUARY

Shirley went to her Heavenly Home on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. On a Monday the 12th of January, 1931 in Alexandria, La. Shirley Ray Lewis was born to parents Rayford Earl and Ninon Shirley Lewis. This beautiful child grew up to love life, her Lord and God’s creations especially flowers, birds, bees, butterflies and animals. She went to high school in Winnfield, Louisiana and graduated in 1948. She graduated college in 1952 from Texas State College for Women in Denton TX and worked for a year in Kingsville TX as a PE teacher. She also worked as a counselor for Heart of the Hills camp in Texas and Camp Nacanowa in Crossville TN.

She enjoyed being a Girl Scout leader for many years and taught us girls so many things from athletics to crafts to swimming and even a little cooking. She was a lifeguard and used her skills to save a friend’s life in Saline Lake many years ago. But most of all she enjoyed family. She participated in Bible Study Group, Home Demonstration Club and worked at the Food Pantry. Shirley supported the Winn Parish Fair by working in the Home Demonstration booth. She entered and won awards for the submission of many types of flowers, canned food items and photography entries.

She was a lifelong member of First United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women’s group and sang in the Choir. For many years, she prepared the flower arrangements for the altar at the Methodist Church.

She may have borrowed some flowers but she said that was for the Lord’s use so it was allowed.

Her passions, aside from her family, were helping children, serving her church, appreciating nature and recognizing our military servers. She was an excellent seamstress and cook. She was also skilled in scrapbooking, metal art work, decoupage, canning and stained glass art. She was “born to play” ( her choice words). Photography was a hobby she enjoyed. She had a few of her photos accepted for publication in “Birds and Blooms” magazine.

Shirley was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years Donovan Hearn Walsh and her parents Ninon Watson Lewis and Rayford Earl Lewis.

She is survived by her daughter, Susan Walsh Skains,(Terry) her grandchildren Allison Harrison (Matt), Michael Etheridge(Krystal), grandchildren by marriage, Jennifer Skains Finkelson (Keith) and Dennis Skains. She is survived by seven great grandchildren: Shelby and Patrick Harrison, Logan, Luke and Lex Etheridge and Hunter and Austin Finkelson. She is also survived by her favorite brother, John Ford Lewis and wife Judy of Navarre Beach, Florida.

Visitation will be Friday, May 15, 2026 from 4-7 p.m. at Southern Funeral Home of Winnfield. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 16, 2026 in the First United Methodist Church of Winnfield. There will be a visitation prior to the service starting at 10:00 a.m. Internment will be following at the Winnfield

Cemetery under the direction of Southern Funeral Home of Winnfield.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the organization or church of your choice, the Community Food Pantry at P. O. Box 302 Winnfield, LA 71483; St. Jude, Gary Sinese Organization that were some of her favorites.

Messages of condolence and sympathy may be extend to the family online by visiting http://www.southernfuneralhome.com

Graduation season is officially here, which means students across Louisiana are preparing for one of life’s biggest milestones… and one of its longest ceremonies. Between the packed auditoriums, nervous sweating, endless speeches, and the fear of tripping on stage, every graduate knows survival requires a few essentials: graduation cords, a portable fan, sunglasses for hiding tired eyes from cramming for finals, and a fully charged phone ready for photos the second it’s over.