SIGNED LEASE: Silver Star owner David Alvis has signed a lease to occupy the building where a restaurant recently closed. (File photo)
By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services
The landlord of the building which until recently was home to Pepito XO Mexican Bistro will soon have a new tenant.
Jeff Fair confirmed to the Shreveport-Bossier Journal Tuesday afternoon that he has signed a lease with David Alvis, owner of the Silver Star restaurants. Fair said an opening date for the new restaurant has not been set, but he expects the restaurant to be in business by the holiday season.
Pepito XO recently closed, and as the Journal first reported September 17th, Fair’s LLC filed a lawsuit against restaurateur Pepito Munoz and Munoz’s LLC, for back and future rent totaling more than $800,000 dollars.
October is observed as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office will shine the spotlight on Domestic Violence once again. This year’s theme is “Too Close to Home: Undivided in the Fight against Domestic Violence.” “Too Close to Home” reflects how domestic violence is not a distant issue, and “undivided in the fight” expresses the need for collective action.
Activities to bring awareness to the issue takes place throughout the month, with public participation encouraged.
To kick off awareness the public is encouraged to wear the color purple and share a photo on social media with the hashtags #DVAM2024, #SUPPORTSURVIVORS or #UNITEDINTHEFIGHT starting Tuesday, Oct. 1, and every Tuesday during the month. Purple is the color chosen to represent those who have experienced abuse and violence at the hands of those they trusted the most, and symbolizes peace, courage, survival, honor and dedication to ending violence.
On Wednesday, Oct. 2, Ashley’s Tiers of Love, 420 Marshall St., in partnership with the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s office, kicks off its Domestic Violence Awareness campaign with cupcakes. The bakery will serve purple-icing cupcakes throughout the month. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Project Celebration, Inc. Everyone is encouraged to purchase cupcakes to highlight awareness.
On Friday, Oct. 4, Project Celebration, Inc. will host a Proclamation Ceremony at the Harbor at 3004 Knight St. from 10 to 10:30 a.m. The Purple Box Campaign will also begin that day. The Purple-Box Campaign offers a chance to fill a purple box with unused toiletries for victims of domestic violence. Boxes should be turned in to the Caddo Parish DA’s office, 525 Marshall St., during normal business hours by Monday, November 4. Donations will be delivered to Project Celebration, Inc.
The celebration will wind down with a Kickball Tournament on Saturday, Oct. 19. “Kick Against Domestic Violence” Kickball Tournament will take place at Bill Cockrell Park, 4109 Pines Road from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Caddo Parish DA’s Office has partnered with Shreveport Community Renewal, Shreveport Police Department, Shreveport Fire Department, Shreveport City Marshal’s office and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s office. Each agency will sponsor children from their assigned Friendship Houses for the tournament.
For more information about these activities, court cases and more, go to caddoda.com and follow the DA’s office on social media.
Chances are you’ve either hosted or bought from a lemonade stand in your lifetime. Lemonade stands are one of the first “jobs” kids have, that entrepreneurial spirit mixing well sugar and water.
I set up that card table in our driveway every summer for years and excitedly collected dimes and quarters as neighbors would stop by and buy a glass on a hot day. Receiving a dollar and being told to keep the change was winning the lemonade lottery.
People across the country set up their own stands this summer as part of St. Jude’s Lemonade Stand in July Facebook challenge. There was no age limit, meaning with parental permission, many kids were embarking on their first endeavor into philanthropy.
Teaching kids to make a difference and give back is one of the greatest tools a parent can give.
18,000 members joined the St. Jude Summer Lemonade Stand Challenge 2024 and raised much-needed funds for the hospital whose mission is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment without a cost barrier to the children who come from all over the world.
In 2024, St. Jude Lemonade Stands raised an incredible $306,157.36!!
Nathan and Olivia’s Lemonade Stand raised over $20,000 alone! The stand, hosted annually by the Pennington family of Peoria, Illinois since 2013, has raised over $150,000 over the years for St. Jude’s.
Julie Pennington, Nathan and Olivia’s mom, explains the deep meaning of the stand. “We started in 2013 when Nathan was diagnosed with medulloblastoma. He was 4 and Olivia was almost 3. Our neighbors helped Olivia sell lemonade in our front yard.”
St. Jude’s also hosts Annual Runs which go right past the Pennington’s home in Central Illinois. It made sense to coordinate the stand with the runs!
After Nathan died in 2017, Olivia, then 6, decided to keep the stand going in his memory. With help from friends and family, she has raised over $115,000 since then, a true testament of a sister’s love for a brother whose legacy lives on.
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
At a special public meeting Monday, the Caddo Parish School Board declared the District 7 seat vacant, established a process for selecting the district’s interim representative and announced plans for a permanent replacement.
The Board will accept letters of interest from residents of District 7 until 4 p.m. Oct. 14. Letters of interest must be addressed to the President of the Board. They may be accepted by hand delivery to the Superintendent’s office located at 1961 Midway Avenue or by email to dfeibel@caddoschools.org.
The letter of interest should include the applicant’s date of birth, address and how long they have lived in District 7. Letters also should include a short statement regarding why the applicant desires to serve as an interim Board member.
Following the application period, a special-called meeting of the Board will take place at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 15 to interview applicants.
The format of the interviews will allow each candidate up to 10 minutes to present information including why they desire to serve as an interim Board member, their special skills or experience to offer to the position and their perspective on the role of a Board member. Candidates will be allowed to make final summary statements and the Board is expected to vote after the interviews to name an interim. All interviews will take place in open session and interested candidate names will be released to the public before the session.
Once selected, the interim Board member will serve until a special election is held on March 29, 2025. Qualifying for the election will take place Jan. 29-31.
The District 7 vacancy comes after Darrin Dixon announced he would be stepping down from the Board.
Not a lot of football fun for Louisiana Tech so far this fall.
Been a hard-to-watch 1-3 through a slim September, this game and that one slipping away, some of those slips self-inflicted, some of them because the other teams have scholarship players too.
But if the Bulldogs are looking for some hope, they can step back with me to 2011, when things started 1-4.
Season opener was lost 19-17 on a late field goal in a tropical storm at Southern Miss.
Tech beat Central Arkansas, 48-42, in overtime at Joe Aillet Stadium, then lost a four-touchdown lead and fumbled late to bow at home to Houston, 35-34.
Then a loss at Mississippi State, 26-20. In overtime. End zone interception.
Then a hat-handing at home against Hawaii, 44-26, to open the Western Athletic Conference season; the Bulldogs were so bad in that game, they didn’t even get to receive the kickoff in either half. I am not making that up. Bungled the coin toss. The officials should have righted the wrong and were the only outfit on the field worse than the ’Dogs that night, but still … That kind of night, and that kind of start.
1-4 overall, 0-1 in the WAC.
Now … you can stop what you’re doing and look it up if you want to, but I’m just saying that from there, Tech won seven straight, won the WAC outright, and finished the season with a 31-24 loss to TCU in San Diego in the Poinsettia Bowl, a game they probably should have won.
But the bowl loss did nothing to diminish what that team accomplished. It kind of helped set the table for 2012, when the Bulldogs led the nation in scoring average at 51.5 a game, the only team in the NCAA to average 50-plus.
True story.
If that’s not enough, me and the rest of the geezer crowd can take you back to our spry days of 40 years ago when the 1984 Bulldogs started 1-3, just like the current bunch. But when the dust had settled and the last flankers and nose tackles were tucked safely in bed in mid-December, the Bulldogs had won the Southland Conference and three games in the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs before falling at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C., to muscle-bound Montana State, 19-6, in the national championship game to finish 10-5.
I was there, a rookie sportswriter.
So was Doyle Adams, a senior safety who finished his career as the program leader in interceptions.
And so was Karl Terrebonne, a senior receiver who went from walk-on to all-conference, a steady hand good for about three or four first downs a game, mostly over the middle.
“I think what allowed us to recover from the 1-3 start and go on to play in the national championship game was the ability to literally focus on getting better each day despite not experiencing success on the field early on,” said Adams, a banker-turned-long-time Bossier Parish pastor, whose smile is no less bright now than it was when he was an all-league defensive back. “I know it sounds like typical ‘coachspeak,’ but it was true. There was incredible senior leadership on the team, led by Karl Terrebonne, that helped foster a mental toughness to go out there and work hard daily.
“Another big thing: throughout the course of the season, we had a variety of different players step to the forefront and lead the team statistically on Saturday,” he said. “From QB’s David Brewer, Kyle Gandy and Jordan Stanley to running backs Garland Powell and David Green, each had their chance to lead the offensive unit. Defensively, players like Aldon Kelly, Jon Paul Laque and Doug ‘Tank’ Landry helped lead the charge.
“But the key thing was, it didn’t matter to the team who was in the spotlight, so long as the job was getting done.”
After the team’s third loss, a 14-8 setback at Ole Miss, the third straight after a season-opening win, Coach A.L. Williams, a Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Famer now retired in Ruston, invited the seniors to his and Mrs. Sarah’s house for dinner.
“We talked for almost three hours,” said Terrebonne, who, naturally, went on to become a coach, “and that Saturday, we beat North Texas, a ranked team.”
The following Monday, Terrebonne walked into Williams’ office and asked his coach what the seniors were eating Thursday night.
“He laughed and said, ‘Tell the guys to come over,’” Terrebonne said. “That Saturday, we beat McNeese in Lake Charles, and they were No. 3 in the nation, and from then on, we went to A.L.’s house every Thursday.
“I’m not sure if that did it,” he said, “but we won 10 damn games.”
HOLDING HIS CARDS: Parkway will have a new starting quarterback for Thursday night’s matchup of unbeatens, and Panthers’ coach Coy Brotherton isn’t tipping his hand going into Byrd’s visit to Preston Crownover Stadium. (Journal photo by KEVIN SHANNAHAN)
By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports
Well, it’s all starting to make sense now.
You hear about people having to live up to their name, but Parkway coach Coy Brotherton is certainly living up to his. At least for this week
Go ahead – try to get him to tell you what the Panthers are going to do this week with their quarterback situation after two-year starter Kaleb Williams was hit on the third play of the game last week and will be out for the foreseeable future.
Ask the questions in any manner you like, but it’s not going to matter.
There’s only one way to describe how Brotherton is handling the situation.
He’s literally being Coy.
It could be this guy … it might be .. what if it’s …
“That’s what we are working on,” Brotherton said. “We have a couple of days to figure it out.”
There are candidates to be sure. Antonio Gladney, the Panthers’ do-it-all offensive weapon, filled in last week as the Panthers scored 40 points in a win over Natchitoches Central. Sophomore Ryan Plunkett is also listed as a quarterback on the Parkway roster.
“We are working on it,” Brotherton said again, this time with a laugh.
The best advice is just to wait until Thursday to find out. That’s when things suddenly become very straight forward when 4-0 Byrd travels to Preston Crownover Stadium to take on 4-0 Parkway.
Getting a district matchup of this magnitude at this time of year is pretty special. There are only three undefeated teams in Shreveport-Bossier and two of them will be facing off.
“Any time you have two undefeated teams facing off at this point in the season, that doesn’t happen too often,” Brotherton said. “It’s kind of cool.”
Being undefeated has not come as a surprise, especially considering the number of returning starters the Panthers have from last year’s team. “We kind of hoped for this, and here we are.”
Parkway got off to a similar 4-0 start last year before losing to Captain Shreve. The Panthers got to 7-1 but lost the final two games of the regular season and then got blasted in the opening round of the playoffs
Point being: Nobody’s won anything yet and there’s a lot of football still to be played. “I don’t think we are the hunted,” Brotherton said. “The teams in our district like Airline and (Captain) Shreve are still really good and we have added Evangel and Huntington. It’s pretty wide open for anybody and you always know that Byrd is going to be good. It’s a good district top to bottom.”
The Yellow Jackets were in the exact opposite position a year ago as they started 0-4. “To me, it’s their defense,” Brotherton said of what has impressed him about Byrd. “They are always sound on defense, but all 11 of them fly to the ball. They are big and physical.”
The same could be said of the Parkway defense.
“Defensively, we are getting big stops,” Brotherton said. “We are putting a lot of stress on opposing offenses, especially with pressuring the quarterback. All year, our offense has clicked and have been able to do it in multiple ways. It’s been a fun team to watch.”
The strength of the defense has been up the middle with tackles D.D. Oliver and Corde Sharp and linebackers Mark Copenhaver and Christian Harris. “Those four guys in the middle have been able to slow teams down running the ball and in pass situations, they can get to the quarterback,” Brotherton said.
But how the offense will handle it will be the question. “You lose the ability to do the things that Kaleb does, like read defenses and try to pick a secondary apart,” Brotherton said. “That gameplan is out.”
Williams, by the way, is scheduled to see a shoulder specialist later in the week. The prognosis is uncertain, but it doesn’t appear that he will be back any time soon. “It’s not like a broken bone when you can put a cast on it,” Brotherton said. “We will just have to see what the timeline is.
Sometimes it’s a shrewd strategic move in a game. It might be a considered decision, changing gears to confuse the opponent. Or often, it’s changing the role of a player to maximize his impact on the team.
For this week’s Shreveport-Bossier Journal Coaches Roundtable, we asked local high school football coaches about changes they’ve made (or been involved with) that worked out really well.
CHASE THOMPSON, North Caddo: “In 2022 we played 5A West Ouachita and we won the game on a goalline stand. WO ran four plays inside of the 5-yard line and couldn’t score. On 4th-and-1 on the goalline we put Omarion Miller, our four-star receiver, right behind our nose tackle. On the snap we had Omarion jump over the line of scrimmage and snatch the quarterback backwards when they ran a QB sneak play. That won us the football game.”
STACY BALLEW, Byrd: “There’s lots of halftime adjustments, or even adjustments between series, that have worked. You change and show a different look and it helps.
“The best was the 2013 state semifinal game in New Orleans against Holy Cross (Ballew was Byrd’s defensive coordinator). We had it ready, and we gave them a different look in the second half. There’s no doubt that helped us win. We got an interception out of it, and they weren’t ready for it.
“When you talk about the schematic stuff, the coaches know the game. They have experience and they know how to adjust. It’s how much can your kids learn, and have you taught them. When you have smart kids, you can adjust to different things. That season, we had some really smart kids. We had it built in, we showed it in the second half, and that helped us win.”
COY BROTHERTON, Parkway: “This stands out: In 2021 we played ASH in the first round of the playoffs, and we stayed in unbalanced the entire game. That caught them off-guard and helped us win.
“Most of the time if we have a scheme or position change, it’s due to an injury.”
REYNOLDS MOORE, Benton: “I think our biggest adjustment or change has been rearranging the practice schedule. There are some years that our guys really love the routine and familiarity of knowing what to expect every Tuesday or Wednesday, etc. — but we’ve found most teams really need a change up at some point.
“Just this week, we moved a period of competition from the end to the beginning of practice to try and get our guys more energized earlier in practice.”
RODNEY GUIN, Calvary: “In midseason 2020, we inserted Aubrey Hermes into the lineup as a freshman receiver. His career exploded and he had big catches that helped us win the 2020 state title game, and a lot more games since. His last game was last year’s state championship.”
CLINT WALKER, Plain Dealing: “We had a fullback that was pretty good but we were lacking a defensive end. We asked the kid to move over to the end and it made a world of difference and we were able to find somebody to take his spot on offense.
“He was a selfless kid who wanted more for the team than himself.”
GARY COOPER, Booker T. Washington: “We’ve made a couple of position moves this season that have been beneficial for us to this point. We moved our strong safety to inside linebacker and moved a defensive tackle to the offensive line. Those two guys have been doing a great job in their new positions.
STEPHEN DENNIS, Huntington: ”Last year due to some injuries, we moved a three-year starter on the defensive line to guard, and allowed him to play both ways.
“Seeing how his athleticism impacted the O-line really led us down the road to get to where we are now with our OL. There is a culture of physicality and athleticism in that room that can be traced back to that decision last year!!”
MATTHEW SEWELL, Haughton: “In 2017 when I was playing here, offense and defense were sharing a player we had, Lavonta Gipson. He was a great athlete but was splitting time at running back and linebacker. After Week 3 he became a fulltime running back. We went on a 5-2 run and he was named District Offensive MVP.”
JEREMY WILBURN, Captain Shreve: “I’ve been involved with many over the years. Quarterback changes in-season have to be up there. Some years, two guys may have different styles of play but the rest of the kids around them play at a higher level with one of the two QBs in the game. In multiple years, that guy was absolutely not the best ‘QB’ of the two but he was the best for our team that particular season due to his ability to elevate the performance of the other 10 guys around him on the field.”
JAMES BRADFORD JR., Green Oaks: “I’ve been a part of many in-season adjustments over the years. The most memorable have been changing of coaches who are on field vs. in the press box. It’s hard to make big schematic changes midseason but position changes can be a big help. I remember a few years back, we switched a linebacker to offense and that made a world of difference.”
JUSTIN SCOGIN, Airline: “The biggest change we made here was moving Cameron Jefferson to tailback his senior year (2022, Scogin’s first season) and moving Tre Jackson to the other back. We felt like this gave us a chance to get the ball in two dynamic playmakers’ hands. They were both really good that year for us.”
AUSTIN BROWN, Northwood: “Too many to name (LOL!). This is how it goes: by Week 3, we realize our preseason thoughts were wrong, but Week 7, we realize our Week 3 thoughts were wrong. Hopefully in Week 11 we finally get them right!”
FRESHMAN PHENOM: True freshman running back Caden Durham scored on the game’s first offensive snap last Saturday and sparked LSU’s blowout of visiting South Alabama at Tige Stadium. (Photo by BRENDAN BALDWIN, LSU Athletics)
By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – LSU true freshman running back Caden Durham is on fire.
In his last three games, he has 370 yards on 30 touches (24 rushes for 240 yards, 6 pass receptions for 130 yards) and 5 TDs (3 rush, 2 receiving).
That’s 12.3 yards per play and a TD every sixth touch.
So, the question during the 13th-ranked Tigers’ (4-1 overall, 1-0 SEC) open date week as they await an Oct. 12 showdown vs. No. 12 Ole Miss (4-1, 0-1 SEC with a game this Saturday at South Carolina) at 6:30 p.m. in Tiger Stadium: why isn’t Durham a lock to start every game the rest of the year?
The nation’s No. 8 running back as a high school senior for back-to-back Class 6A state champ Duncanville (Texas) High, Durham lit the Tigers’ fuse in his first college start last Saturday in a 42-10 win over South Alabama.
He became the first Tiger since Dalton Hilliard in 1982 to score on the game’s first play from scrimmage when he roared for a 71-yard TD on a perfectly executed swing pass from Garrett Nussmeier.
Then on LSU’s first snap of the Tigers’ second possession, he ran 86 yards to the 1-yard line, setting up Nussmeier for a TD QB sneak.
Durham’s first two snaps covering 157 yards started his 217-yard (128 rushing, 89 receiving), 2-TD performance limited to the first half after a Tigers’ offensive lineman fell on one of Durham’s ankles on his 8-yard TD run late in the first quarter.
Kelly said in a Tuesday afternoon press conference that Durham “is doing great” when asked if Durham would be healthy and ready to play vs. Ole Miss.
But does that mean he’ll start? Not necessarily.
“It’s a freshman that’s working through that transition of understanding the playbook, the nuances of playing the game, and just feeling more comfortable in everything that we do,” Kelly said of Durham. “He is competent at pass protection, but he has to think about it so sometimes he’s a click behind as he’s processing.
“We want it to be kind of an unconscious competence, which means he doesn’t have to think about it. He would just naturally do it, kind of like a (sixth-year senior) Josh Williams. He (Durham) is working towards that next level.”
Why did Durham start against South Alabama and not Williams? Was it something Kelly and his offensive coaches discussed beforehand?
“I’m much more about the player matching the kinds of plays that we want to run,” Kelly said. “And the play that we ran on the first play was a swing pass that required great speed. You don’t want to swing that back out to the back out to the field and not have the kind of speed. That was a play that was designed for a guy like him (Durham).
“On the second play, he read the counter (play) very well. He stepped inside the pulling guard and made that happen on his own.”
Kelly also praised LSU’s improved special teams featuring a returner ranked 1st in the SEC in kickoff returns and 5th in punt returns, a kickoff specialist with 24 touchbacks in 25 kickoffs, a placekicker who’s 5 of 6 in field goals and 21 of 21 extra points, two punters who’ve combined to have 6 of 14 punts downed inside the 20.
“We haven’t hit the big one (on kickoff or punt returns),” Kelly said, “but (Mississippi State transfer) Zavion Thomas is a steady guy back there who is a playmaker. Regarding kickoffs, (true freshman) Aeron Burrell (of Bossier City Parkway) has made a huge difference, we’ve hit virtually every ball out of the end zone.
“(Placekicker) Damien Ramos is money, that guy is solid like last year. In terms of punts (from Peyton Todd and Blake Ochsendorf), we’re doing really well in knocking down punts inside the 10 and in positionally punting.”
Kelly addressed his sideline explosion vs. South Alabama after Nussmeier’s second interception of the game. When Nussmeier came to the sideline, he was met by a screaming, raging Kelly.
“For me, you have to be able to talk to a lot of guys at different levels,” Kelly said. “I’ve got a great relationship (with Nussmeier) where you know he responds well if he’s leaned on in some instances. You can’t lean on him like that all the time, but there are times you need to lean on him.”
On the LSU’s next offensive series after Nussmeier was the subject of Kelly’s rath, he guided the Tigers on a 99-yard TD drive on which he completed 6 of 7 passes for 98 yards and four first downs.
By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director
There’s plenty of home action for Centenary athletics this weekend, with the focal event Saturday evening when the Gents’ football team plays its second official intercollegiate homefield contest since the 1940s.
The Gents (1-3 overall, 1-1 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) end a three-game string of road games and host Lyon College (1-3, 0-2) with kickoff set for 6 p.m. Saturday at Atkins Field.
Three of the next four games are at home. The Gents fell 47-8 to the East Texas Baptist University Tigers last Saturday in a non-conference game in Marshall, Texas.
MEN’S SOCCER: The Gents (5-2-1) host a SCAC contest Friday against the St. Thomas Celts in a match set for 5 p.m. at Atkins Field.
Centenary freshman goalkeeper Sebastian Lutin was named the SCAC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Lutin shared this week’s honor with Colorado College sophomore goalkeeper Alex Wolter.
Lutin went the distance in goal for the Gents in their 1-0 victory over Ozarks last Friday to open SCAC play. He corralled three saves in securing his second shutout of the season.
The Maroon and White have secured five wins in their opening eight matches for the first time since the 2019 season and opened SCAC play with a win for the first time since the 2020-21 COVID-19 season.
WOMEN’S SOCCER: A three-game homestand for the Ladies (3-4-2, 1-0) concludes on Friday with another SCAC contest against St. Thomas at 7 p.m.
Centenary opened conference play with an impressive 2-0 shutout victory over the University of the Ozarks Eagles on Tuesday evening at Atkins Field. It was the third time the Ladies have not allowed a goal this season.
Centenary won for the second night in a row after posting a 15-0 rout on Monday night over Tougaloo College. The Eagles fell to 2-5-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Centenary won its conference opener for the first time since the 2020 season and recorded its first conference win since Oct. 7, 2022 when the Maroon and White defeated Austin College 5-1 at home.
Centenary set a Division III era (2011-present) program record for most goals scored in a match on Monday. The two wins improved the Ladies to 3-1 at home this season
The Ladies took a 1-0 lead on Tuesday as senior midfielder Aubrey Burkhardt, a Parkway product, scored her second goal of the season in the 10th minute. Burkhardt buried a beautiful high-arching ball off of a free kick into the top of the net.
The score remained that way until the 57th minute when sophomore midfielder Sarah Crenshaw scored her second goal of the season with double assists credited to Burkhardt and freshman forward Jenevieve Willis, a Benton graduate. Crenshaw found the net for the second night in a row after scoring her first career goal Monday. Willis, who recorded a hat trick on Monday, tallied her first assist of the season.
Sophomore Kaniyah Hill went the distance in goal for the Ladies and made four saves in her 90 minutes while recording her first solo shutout this season after combining with sophomore Zoe Keller in Monday’s win.
VOLLEYBALL: The Ladies (1-11, 0-3 SCAC) were swept by Austin College last Saturday at home in their most recent match. Centenary, now 1-4 on its home court this season, are home for three conference matches this weekend as they will face Colorado College on Saturday at noon and host St. Thomas on Sunday for a doubleheader at noon and 2:30 p.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Matthew Graham and Lynnette Taylor, two young coaches with deep local ties, are new volunteer assistants.
Graham and Taylor will assist head coach Paul Reed and first-year assistant coach Chrys Jackson this season. Graham, who has 12 years of experience in education, most recently served as the head girls’ coach at Bossier High School. He was previously the head girls Basketball Coach at Rusheon Middle School from 2021-23 and held four other coaching posts.
Taylor, a native of Logansport, will assist Reed and first-year assistant coach Chrys Jackson along with fellow volunteer assistant Matthew Graham this season. Taylor began her coaching career as an assistant at her alma mater Southern- Shreveport where she also played for the Lady Jags. She earned an associate degree from there, a bachelor’s from Northwestern State University and a master’s in educational leadership from LSUS.
here is absolutely no better feeling for an angler than when he puts a plan together and it becomes reality.
Tournament bass fishermen spend countless hours fishing and scouting in order to try and formulate a game plan that he hopes comes to fruition. Hopefully this plan will either put him in the winner’s circle or in position to cash a check. Today we’ll wrap up and put a bow on the 2024 Texas ABA Pro League Series.
This time of year (September and October) is when so many bass tournament organizations schedule their championships. ABA (American Bass Anglers) held their two-day championship Sept. 14-15 on Lake Sam Rayburn. This was a tournament where only anglers who qualified could fish this event, and I was eligible.
Let’s start with how practice went Thursday and Friday before the tournament began on Saturday. Thursday and Friday’s fishing was not too bad but was pretty much hit and miss as it was difficult to put any kind of pattern together. But one thing I felt I could count on was where I was catching most of my fish, which was on main lake points.
The lake level was pretty much pool level or about three inches low while the bass were very shallow and could be caught with a couple of techniques — flipping a soft plastic trickworm or casting a spinnerbait. Turns out, every fish I weighed for both days actually came on one particular spinnerbait. This played right into my hands as I consider myself a shallow water angler.
I was able to catch a lot of bass on the trickworm, but catching quality was an issue. I just wasn’t able to get a big bite when flipping cypress trees or anything else. They were good solid keeper fish (two pounders), but not fish that would get me a check. On Day 2 of practice, I spent most of the day with one specific spinnerbait in my hand.
My blade of choice (as some anglers call a spinnerbait) was one that I have had great success with especially on the Red River and Sam Rayburn. This is a quarter-ounce white Hummdinger with a small gold willow leaf blade and a small silver Colorado blade. But I think the real magnet for this spinnerbait was the three-inch paddle tail trailer I used in a ghost shad color. Turns out, it matched the baitfish the bass were feeding on perfectly.
Not only did it catch fish, but every bass I brought to the scales both days came on this one spinnerbait. So many fish were caught on it, that I had to put on a new one for Day 2. Twice I had to replace the back blade on this spinnerbait because they were breaking off as the wire got so weak from all the fish I caught on it.
I finished seventh overall with over 28 pounds of bass during the two-day competition, with 16 pounds on Day 1 and 13 more on Day 2. Of course, there’s always the one that got away; I broke off a bass over five pounds on Day 1 on of all things, a topwater bait called a Zara Spook.
Turns out, it was my own fault as the line on this reel was over a year old. This is why fresh line is so important on tournament day! This one mistake cost me leading the tournament after Saturday and left me with a Day 2 deficit of just over two pounds.
But in the end, it was all good as I wrapped up the 2024 ABA Pro League as runner-up for Angler of the Year. At the age of 63, I proved that even without being a forward-facing sonar expert, you can still compete with those that are. Chalk one up for the older guys!
‘Til next time, good luck and good fishing. Take the time to enjoy some of the best fishing of the year as bass start their fall migration feeding period.
The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office announced that its new website went live Monday. The web address remains the same as the old website: caddosheriff.org.
The website has many new features compared to the old site, and we will continually improve it as the Sheriff’s Department implements a crime mapping feature that allows the public to view any reported crimes in their areas or any locations within Caddo Parish.
Additionally, CPSO is adding a chain of command page where the public can see a picture of the deputies in charge of each division. Sheriff Whitehorn is dedicated to serving the citizens of Caddo Parish and aims to keep them informed about the events in the Sheriff’s Office and the parish.
Back “in the day” I was a small boy attending Vacation Bible School. I remember one of the thrills was learning how to say the name of the book, “Deuteronomy.” When you can say, “Deuteronomy” you are a big boy! I also remember making crafts for my mother. If you take four small boxes of matches, put them in a square pattern, glue two old fashion school bathroom tiles to them, you have a matchbook holder, and your mom will be pleased. We made that on Monday and then on Tuesday, we actually made “ash trays” for our parents. Remember this was Vacation Bible School, 1960’s style.
Fortunately, we don’t make ashtrays in Vacation Bible School anymore. Come to think of it, we don’t even sell ashtrays in stores anymore. That was one whole “section” of the W.T. Grant stores. Ashtrays and cigarette lighters have vanished from cars too. Things have changed for the better I suppose. I do have memories of filling my dad’s cigarette lighter with fluid and then testing the lighter. Do you know what happens to flannel pajamas soaked in lighter fluid? I do!
I wanted to make the point that it isn’t a long journey from ubiquitous to extinct. (I wrote that sentence just to prove I actually attended graduate school.) Think of all the things we used to have around all the time that are gone. Rotary dial phones, cars without shoulder belts, typewriters, mimeograph machines, chalkboards, hymnals (they are vanishing), pure heroes and heroines, and Sunday mornings with nothing happening but church.
Even the mysterious thing called a relationship has changed as “perfumed loved letters” have given way to “text messaging.” Keeping up in a changing world has become ever more challenging, especially in church life. One of the great mantras of church life is, “we have never done it that way before.” I think we should say over some of the things we do, “we should never do it that way AGAIN.”
So, what do you miss that is gone? Do you really miss outhouses or restaurants where there were smoking and non-smoking sections? Do you really miss a humid non air conditioned living room and sitting by the old Victrola. I didn’t think so.
Change is the only constant in life. You are either changing (metabolism) or you are dead. My hope for you is that you are always changing in God’s direction!
Doug de Graffenried is Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston.
Naming your boat is practically a requirement before you hit the open seas but what about your vehicles? Do you give them a name before you take them onto the open road?
National Name Your Car Day on October 2nd encourages a special commitment to your wheels.
#NameYourCarDay
Remember Herbie the Love Bug, Lightning McQueen from Cars, Kit from Knight Rider, General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard or Bandit from Smokey and the Bandit? These famous cars forged their own identity in the pop culture universe.
I got my 2006 Pontiac Montana during the height of Hannah Montana’s popularity so naturally she became Hannah as I drove her off the lot.
My first Buick Enclave received her name after a couple of months: Abby. Much like naming a child after birth to find a moniker that suits, Abby just fit.
I didn’t name my first car, a 1982 Chevy Camaro, but if I had it’d have been something like Dodge, as in let’s get the heck out of dodge. No moss grew under those tires!
According to a 2019 poll conducted by autowise.com, 40% of people name their cars.
In the same study, researchers found that 53% of those people identify their car as female vs male.
So pick out a name for your car if you haven’t already. Take your Chuck, Baby, Betsy, or Sam out for a spin then share the name and story behind it with photos using #NameYourCarDay to post on social media.
Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at
David John Werner October 7, 1938 – September 27, 2024 Services: Friday, October 4, 2024, 3:30pm at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Shreveport.
Chester Anthony “Buzz” Wojecki February 18, 1948 — September 28, 2024 Service: Saturday, October 5, 2024, 11am at Rose Neath Funeral Home, Bossier City.
Jason Fairchild January 9, 1961 – September 19, 2024 Service: Saturday, October 5, 2024, 1pm at Osborn Funeral Home, Shreveport.
Celia Diane Hassell January 30, 1954 — September 24, 2024 Service: Saturday, October 5, 2024, 3pm at Rose Neath Funeral Home, Shreveport.
The Shreveport-Bossier Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or SBJNewsLa@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to SBJNewsLa@gmail.com)
RELIGION AND SO MUCH MORE: Reverend Patrick Fertitta, behind the counter at Fertitta’s Delicatessen, has many interests beyond ministry. (Photo by Tony Taglavore)
Each week, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s Tony Taglavore takes to lunch a local person – someone who is well-known, successful, and/or influential, and asks, “What’s Your Story?”
By TONY TAGLAVORE, Journal Services
He was eight years old and barely awake on that July morning in 1989. The young boy walked out of his bedroom and saw the church pastor sitting in a red chair, waiting on the child, and his sister, who a day earlier had celebrated her seventh birthday.
“The pastor read from Ecclesiastes,” the now-almost 45-year-old remembered. ‘There’s a time to be born and there’s a time to die.’ He explained that yesterday, it was my dad’s time to die – to go home and be with Christ.”
The son, whose mother owned a Shreveport delicatessen, would live the rest of his life without a father. At least without his biological father. Not long after the boy’s father passed, his grandfather died.
“I was angry at God – very angry at God. There were times when I would weep in my bed, and yell, and even curse at God. I would ask, ‘Why did you do this?’ I never seemed to get any sort of answer.”
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t being heard.
“God likes to be silent a lot of times because he’s working on us when he is silent.
25-and-a-half years later, the young boy who “hated” God became an ordained minister.
“God wanted me to have these experiences because what he was building up in me was empathy. He was building up in me a facet of my life that would be beneficial in ministry that I would not have otherwise had if these experiences had not happened. He was very much being a father to me.”
Reverand Patrick Fertitta told me that story, and his story, during lunch at Fertitta’s Delicatessen, a place Patrick helps his mother run. Patrick had the Godfather sandwich, loaded with Alligator Italian Sausage which he created, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese, all on muffaletta bread. I went with the Original Muffy, which was developed by Patrick’s grandfather in 1960. It had Cotto salami, Danish ham, mozzarella cheese, mustard, and olive mix.
“I remember riding my Big Wheel trike into the customer’s shins,” Patrick said of growing up in the restaurant. I remember my grandfather always yelling at me to stop running in here. Either I was going to get hurt or I was going to hurt somebody.”
Patrick began school at Kerr Elementary in Bossier City, then transferred to Evangel Christian Academy. Despite his size, and despite Evangel’s reputation as a football school, Patrick chose to play in the band.
“I think that broke (head football coach) Pastor Denny’s heart quite a bit. You see my size. I’ve always been a big guy. He wanted me on the offensive and defensive line. I wanted my knees.”
Patrick’s knees were safe while he played the trumpet, and in his senior year, Patrick became a drum major. He graduated from Centenary College with an Economics degree, and hopes of becoming a stockbroker. But fear got in the way.
“What’s it called? Imposter Syndrome? When you know you know the material and you’re good at it, but you feel like you’re inadequate? I was always terrified to take the exams.”
So, Patrick tried his hand as a landman, and an insurance salesman.
“I was miserable. I was running from my calling.”
But one afternoon, Patrick’s calling caught up with him. Patrick was alone in the deli. “I was sitting right there at that table,” he said, pointing. “I had this thought come to me that I had never thought of before. It was the answer to all those prayers, all those angry tirades I had at God while growing up. That thought was that God took my dad when he did because (God) wanted to be my father. He wanted me to go through the things I was going through because he was preparing me for what he wanted me to do. He was preparing me with heartache. He was preparing me with being around death.”
A week later, Patrick had a chance meeting with a vicar, a holy representative of the Lutheran church. They talked for four hours.
“I had so many questions, and he had answers.”
Patrick eventually became a Lutheran. Five years later, the amount of time a new Lutheran must wait, Patrick was off to Seminary school in St. Louis. Fast-forward another five years, and Patrick was ordained, fulfilling his cousin’s prophecy the day Patrick was born.
“She told my mom, ‘Patrick has a call on his life. He’s going to serve the Lord in some way, and I believe it’s going to be in ministry.”
That “call” led Patrick to six and a half years as pastor of a church on the University of Alabama’s campus. “An LSU fan, of all people…Like (the apostle) Paul, you’re going to be all things to all people.”
But during Covid, Patrick got two calls – one from his mother, and one from the heavens.
“I could see God was preparing me for some sort of move, but I didn’t know what.”
Patrick’s stepfather had become ill and could no longer help at the deli. Faced with his mother having to close the eatery which had been in the Fertitta family since 1927, Patrick resigned from his pastor position and came home.
“God took me back to the 10 Commandments – Honor your Father and Mother.”
Patrick told me his decision was easy. But he still has questions.
“There are times when I feel very, very beaten up. Sometimes I do question God. ‘Why did you take me out of ministry and put me right here again?’ Then, I have to pull myself back and realize God is in control of all this.”
So, these days, instead of preaching to a congregation, you will find the reverend making Muffy’s. But you will also find a self-described renaissance man. How many clergymen do you know who are an author of three (and soon to be four) books, a striving-to-be-expert in artificial intelligence, a racehorse owner (One of his horses won the 2023 Kentucky Derby, and another horse won almost $15 million before being retired), occasional gambler, online seller of food products under the name Padre Fertitta, and is happy to have a Scotch and Soda with you? (By the way, Patrick recently took and passed the investment advisor exam of which he was so afraid.)
“Luther (founder of the Lutheran church) believed God gives us everything in this world as gifts for us to enjoy. To honor God with, as well . . . . As long as you do not take those things and make them Gods to you.”
I wondered if Patrick was content behind a food counter instead of a pulpit. So, I asked him.
“I won’t be content with life until I am in the arms of my savior. Until then, whatever God wants me to experience, whatever God wants me to do, however God wants me to approach that . . . . I may learn something that literally I have no use for except that I want to learn it.”
With the lunch crowd gone, and assuming Patrick had scheduled a lesson on how to fly a plane (which he would like to do), or had something else to do that you wouldn’t expect from a reverend, I asked my final question. As always, what is it about his life that could be inspirational to others?
Patrick answered as quickly as the time it takes for one of his horses to break from the starting gate.
“Trust in God and be curious. It doesn’t matter what it leads to. As long as it leads to you exploring this wonderful world and this wonderful creation that God has given us, and you explore it with him.”
Bossier Parish Police Jurors Glenn Benton, District 2, and Pam Glorioso, District 9, attended the Walter O. Bigby Carriageway ribbon cutting and opening ceremony in Bossier City.
The Walter O. Bigby Carriageway is touted as the last piece for the unobstructed route connecting north and south Bossier. Motorists can now travel from north Bossier down to the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, bypassing railroad traffic in Bossier City.
The carriageway has been under construction for the past two years, and the initial planning began more than twenty years ago.
In the wake of the tragic loss of Officer Matthew Rhoden, I want to take a moment to express our city’s deep gratitude for his service and reflect on the impact he made on our community. Officer Rhoden was a dedicated member of the Shreveport Police Department, and his commitment to protecting and serving our city will always be remembered.
While words can hardly ease the pain felt by his family, friends, and colleagues, I want them to know that our entire community stands with them during this difficult time. Officer Rhoden exemplified the values of courage, honor, and selflessness, and we are forever grateful for the sacrifices he made as a Shreveport Police Officer.
The loss of Officer Rhoden is a profound reminder of the risks our law enforcement officers face every day. It is a time for all of us to come together in support of those who serve and to honor the memory of a man who gave so much for our safety and well-being. We must come together now, not only to mourn this loss but to support one another and stand united as a city.
Officer Rhoden’s legacy of service and sacrifice will live on in our hearts, and we will forever be grateful for their contributions to our community.
Congratulations to Caddo Parish District 3 Commissioner Victor L. Thomas for his recent recognition by the Girl Scouts of Louisiana Pines to the Gulf.
Commissioner Thomas was the recipient of the “Man Enough To Be A Girl Scout”’Award at the organization’s annual Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon. Women of Distinction is a unique event that highlights and honors the outstanding accomplishments local leaders have achieved through family, career, and community service.
The king was dead. The date was February 6, 1952. People all across Great Britain and around the world were shocked and saddened by the news. King George VI, better known as Bertie to those close to him, had been king of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms since 1936. The king’s oldest daughter, Elizabeth, next in line to the throne, was heartbroken. She was in Kenya on a royal tour when she learned of her father’s death. She immediately returned to London. At the moment of the king’s death, Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II.
When the king died, the government began planning for Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. Planning and arranging the coronation was a logistical nightmare. Leaders of countries and territories around the world were expected to attend. One detail was certain from the beginning. Queen Elizabeth would ride in the horse-drawn coronation coach from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey where every coronation had taken place since 1066, nearly 1,000 years. Finally, the date of the coronation was set for June 2, 1953.
As soon as news of the king’s death spread throughout the realm, people began creating all sorts of items to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s upcoming coronation. There were teacups, coffee cups, plates, figurines, thimbles, spoons, coins, books, and a myriad of other items. Just northeast of London, Jack Odell and Leslie Smith owned and operated a small shop called Lesney Products & Company Limited where they sold handmade metal miniature road-building equipment. Although their business was struggling to survive, they began working on a miniature replica of the ornate gilded Gold State Coach which had been used to transport the sovereign to and from every coronation since 1821. Their finished product had “eight painted metal horses and four riders leading a coach that was either painted or plated in gold or silver.” The miniature was an instant hit. Jack and Leslie produced a smaller replica, just a few inches long, and it was a bigger hit than the larger version. Jack and Leslie sold over a million of the tiny coronation coaches. Keep in mind that this was decades before the electronic age, where advertisements bombard you each time you look at your phone. People wishing to purchase one of the tiny coronation coaches had to go looking for them.
Jack and Leslie realized that they were onto something big, but they were unsure what product to make next. Compared to the coronation coaches, their miniature road construction equipment was a failure. After another long day of seemingly endless discussions about what to produce next, Jack and Leslie left their shop and went to their respective homes. That evening, Jack’s daughter lamented that she wanted a toy that she could take to school but the school had a policy that all toys had to be small enough to fit inside a small container of a precise measurement. All of their miniatures were too large to fit in the container. Then, Jack had an epiphany that they create miniatures on the same scale as their wildly successful coronation coach. The next day, Jack rushed to the shop and shared the idea with Leslie. They quickly agreed that they had found their next product. Their new miniatures were a huge hit, and they still continue to sell well. The miniatures that Jack and Leslie began creating, which were based on the scale of the coronation coach, took the name of his daughter’s school’s small container policy. That is how Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation led to the beginning of Matchbox Cars.
Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser are pleased to announce the 2024-2025 grant recipients of the KLB Healthy Communities Grants (HCG) program. KLB has awarded $98,049 in grants to 12 organizations in 10 parishes for projects focused on reducing litter and waste, educating citizens, increasing recycling, and/or strengthening litter enforcement.
“The people of Louisiana don’t want to live in a dirty state. We are proud to fund Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s grant programs, which lead to cleaner, greener communities for residents to enjoy and thrive in,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.
“Since 2004, Keep Louisiana Beautiful has awarded over $5.95 million in grants for community improvement projects in Louisiana,” said Susan Russell, KLB Executive Director. “Thanks to the hard work of our grant recipients, communities throughout the state are experiencing a reduction in litter, improved recycling, and increased public awareness around the issues of litter and waste.”
The HCG program provides funding for local projects and programs bringing about behavioral changes needed to improve the appearance of communities in Louisiana. Organizations are awarded up to $10,000 in reimbursement grant funds.
2024-205 Grant recipients by parish:
Beauregard Parish
Beauregard Parish Police Jury: Beauregard Parish Police Jury will host an event for waste collection and engage K-12 schools with litter and waste education.
Bossier Parish
Keep Bossier Beautiful: Keep Bossier Beautiful will use the funds for a marketing and media campaign bringing awareness to roadside litter and ways to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Lafayette Parish
City of Carencro: The City of Carencro will use the funds for an educational campaign about curbside recycling to increase citizen participation.
Livingston Parish
Livingston Parish: Livingston Parish will use the funds to support a litter abatement program, which will promote litter prevention, cleanup, and school education.
Orleans Parish
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL): CRCL will implement a volunteer kayak cleanup program in Bayou Bienvenue.
Glassroots: Glassroots will use the grant funds to continue and expand their existing glass recycling program in the Lower Ninth Ward.
Ouachita Parish
Ouachita Green: Ouachita Green will use the funds to support a Household Hazardous Waste event.
Tangipahoa Parish
City of Hammond/Keep Hammond Beautiful: Funds will be used to purchase liners for public trash receptacles and trash bags.
St. Tammany Parish
Keep Abita Beautiful: Keep Abita Beautiful will use the funds for anti-litter signage, glass recycling events, and recycling event supplies.
Keep Covington Beautiful: Keep Covington Beautiful will use the funds for litter collection devices in local waterways.
Terrebonne Parish
Terrebonne Parish: Terrebonne Parish will purchase a supply trailer, receptacles, and signage to address litter and recycling challenges during and after community events.
Washington Parish
Washington Parish: Washington Parish will implement a litter and waste initiative incorporating litter clean up and education for K-8 schools.
Grant projects are subject to change.
About Keep Louisiana Beautiful Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) is a state program under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Department of Culture, Recreation, & Tourism promoting personal, corporate, and community responsibility for a clean and beautiful Louisiana. KLB supports local communities through programs and resources for litter education, prevention, removal, enforcement, beautification, recycling, waste reduction, and sustainability initiatives. KLB is affiliated with the national organization, Keep America Beautiful, and is supported by a robust statewide network of Community Affiliates and University Affiliates. Learn more at KeepLouisianaBeautiful.org.
Officials with the Bossier Parish Consolidated Water Sewer District #1 are informing customers living on HWY 80, near the Webster Parish line, of a scheduled temporary interruption of water service Sept. 30, at 9 p.m.
Customers living in homes from Boomers Lounge, 7521 HWY 80, heading east to Goodwill Road, are advised that their water service will be unavailable while work crews repair a 4-inch service line. Officials expect service to be restored by 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 6 a.m.
The service interruption will also require a mandatory boil advisory for customers after the service is restored. Officials say the advisory will be in effect until water samples clear testing by the Louisiana Department of Health Lab in Shreveport.
The Louisiana Department of Corrections is currently seeking an Adult Education Instructor’s Aide at Bossier Parish Medium Security. The person hired will be required to function as the instructor in a classroom of approximately 20 offenders as well as perform administrative duties associated with student files.
Pay range is based on applicant’s education level and ranges between 16 and 21 dollars/hour. Pay for this position is paid hourly through a contract with Department of Corrections and Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office. (20 hours/week by each entity)
An associate’s degree or higher is required.
Unfortunately, due to the contract portion of this position, any potential hire cannot have paid into or be receiving teacher’s retirement.
Will be required to pass a background check and drug screen.
For more information, please contact Stormy Gay with Dept. of Corrections at 225-400-2667.
BOM is a proud sponsor of the Haughton High School soccer team. Pictured left to right: BOM’s Henry Burns, Maddox Marston, Coach Michael Marston, BOM’s Melinda Williams and Sam Marvin.
