Today, February 27, is National Retro Day, a time to celebrate the best of the past—from vintage fashion and classic cars to iconic movies and beloved toys. It’s a day dedicated to nostalgia, encouraging people to embrace their favorite throwback trends.

Why We Love Retro Culture

There’s something comforting about looking back at the past. Whether it’s the music of the ‘70s, the neon styles of the ‘80s, or the sitcoms of the ‘90s, retro culture offers a glimpse into the moments that shaped generations.

Ways to Celebrate

• Dress the part: Pull out your vintage band T-shirts, high-waisted jeans, or bell-bottoms.
• Watch classic movies or TV shows: Revisit Back to the Future, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, or old-school cartoons.
• Listen to retro tunes: Make a playlist featuring hits from Elvis, The Beatles, or early hip-hop legends.

The Everlasting Appeal of Nostalgia

As trends from past decades continue to resurface, National Retro Day reminds us why we love revisiting the good old days. Whether you’re flipping through old Polaroids or dusting off your vinyl collection, today is all about celebrating the timeless charm of the past.

Gov. Jeff Landry visited Northwestern State University on Feb. 25 to meet with community officials, legislators and leaders in business, industry, education and economic development to address the pending closure of the International Paper mill in Campti and its projected negative impact for Natchitoches Parish. 

“There is no one who understands the economic impact of the loss of these jobs more than me,” Landry said, referencing the closure of multiple Fruit of the Loom facilities in south Louisiana in the 1990s and early 2000s. “It’s not only the jobs that are leaving the Campti facility, but the downstream effect of what it does to the small businesses that are attached. While I don’t have all the answers today, I can tell you that we will continue to work towards building economic opportunities throughout central and north Louisiana.”

“I think that the greatest opportunity that we have for economic development is actually central and northern Louisiana,” he said, referencing the selection of Richland Parish as the site of Meta’s $10 billion artificial intelligence data center.

The governor said a proposed constitutional amendment on the March 29 ballot to reform the state’s tax code could open new opportunities to bring jobs to north and central Louisiana. He has also tasked higher education administrators with shaping Louisiana’s universities and community college systems to support jobs and industry.

“I think it’s evident from the governor’s remarks that his intention is clearly to bring the full force of the government to do whatever we can do to mitigate the reality of this decision by IP,” said Susan Bourgeois, secretary of the Department of Louisiana Economic Development. “One of the things I started out talking about in my role was that we really had to take the whole of government approach to economic development. It’s not just a government solution to the challenges or the opportunities that we face. It really does have to be the private sector, the education sector, the public sector, all of us pulling on the same rope.”

Bourgeois said her office is currently working with five active wood-related projects in north Louisiana.

“We’ve announced 21 wood-related projects in the last seven years that our team is now going to focus on seeing about placement of employees, placement of product and how we can redeploy some of the Louisiana resources that were used at the Campti facility in those projects,” Bourgeois said.

Susie Schowen, secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, said she has engaged a rapid response team, the team that responds to layoffs, who can offer services specifically for IP workers.

“The IP workers are getting services in career counseling, envisioning where their career could go and how to connect with training. We can help offset the cost of that training with the focus of getting people jobs right here in this area.”

“We want to do as much as we can to backfill, to give back, what the closure is going to cause,” Landry said. “We will work as hard as we can and the good news is you’ve got other areas of the state that are performing, and a high tide has a tendency to lift all boats. We are focused on this area, not only Natchitoches but the central and north Louisiana area. We are hyper focused on opportunity because I think that there are opportunities out there.”

Landry said there are companies around the country and around the world are looking for investments in the U.S., which aligns with President Donald Trump’s agenda to boost American manufacturing.

“Right now, that is being driven primarily by the president’s agenda and we want to be able to capture as much of that as we can. You see this great team and we have worked hard and I don’t know anyone who isn’t trying to soften the impact,” he said.

The Louisiana Workforce Commission has resources available at laworks.net/. Information on the Louisiana office of Economic Development is available at opportunitylouisiana.gov/.

We all have lots of lists.

My favorite is top secret: it’s The List of People I’m Gonna Have to Kill One of These Days. The bad news is that it’s not a very nice list. The good news is that you’re not on it. Yet.

But the one I think of most is The List of Love Letters I Want to Write One of These Days.

Some would be to people. But like your list, my list would have places on it, and places within places.

Thought of this the other night at the Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce’s 105th Annual Awards Banquet. I’d missed the previous 104 so figured, you know, why not?

Didn’t know what I was missing.

I know, I know. Chamber of Commerce Banquets are boring. Long speeches about taxes and civic improvements and per diem and e pluribus unum, and tacky jokes about the die-hard crew in accounts receivable.

While this can at times be as unavoidable as cottage cheese on pear halves at the church picnic, we think it wise to remember that — as Broadway’s Gershwin brothers insisted — it ain’t necessarily so.

Yours truly has been fortunate to visit, at least once, the Chamber banquets in many places where my love letters are due. These include Caddo and Bossier, Webster and Claiborne, Bienville and Jackson and DeSoto.

Some were held in high school gyms, some in church rec halls, some in civic centers. I remember, specifically, pieces of each. And every one, in ways sentimental and homespun and sincere, was meaningful.

Even if one or two went longer than it maybe should have, each counted. Each meant the world to somebody, to some civic soldier running below the radar, bringing home the goods, day after day after day.

Being a bit of a different animal, Lincoln Parish and the Chamber folk there basically threw a wild party that was over by 8. Who knew “wild” and “done by 8” could co-exist?

Doors opened at 5, dinner was a buffet at 6, the program started at 7 and was over by 7:50. That means that although it was a long day, hundreds of friends and families who do business with each other got to hang around and eat and talk, enjoy a short program highlighted by a few professionally done videos, honor and applaud wildly for the most recent of a bevy of over-achievers among us, count their blessings, and skedaddle home.

I’m told the wildest of the bunch hung around until 8:20 or so. And on a Thursday night!

Support your local Chamber? We sure hope so. What I know about business is nothing more than trying to mind my own. Chambering? No clue. Commerce? Please. BUT …

I see loyal friends and families taking chances, investing in their communities, investing in each other, embracing the challenges of the day and, in doing so, pouring their hearts into the hope of tomorrow.

They’re making our local world go around.

How can you help but write love letters for that?

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry announced new voter list maintenance data sharing agreements with Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas. These agreements will help ensure the further accuracy of Louisiana’s voter rolls by detecting duplicate registrations within neighboring states.

“I am thankful to Secretary Nelson of Texas, Secretary Watson of Mississippi, former Secretary Thurston and current Secretary Jester of Arkansas for working with our office to help keep our voter list accurate and up-to-date,” Secretary Landry said. “Election integrity is my highest priority as Louisiana’s Secretary of State. These agreements underscore how focused my office is on maintaining safe and secure elections, while also safeguarding voters’ sensitive data.”

Secretary Landry previously announced a similar agreement with Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen in July 2024.

By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Sports Information Director

Basketball season is over at Centenary but as temperatures finally rise, there’s lots of sports action to enjoy – including home baseball this evening at Shehee Stadium — and several local high school products are playing prominent roles.

GYMNASTICS: The Ladies posted a season-high team score of 189.00 at home on Saturday in a Midwest Independent Conference dual meet against the Texas Woman’s University Pioneers and recorded season highs on both bars (47.800) and beam (46.650).

Junior Claire Flores is this week’s recipient of the Coaches’ Choice Award, the MIC announced on Wednesday. Flores earned one of the four individual honors that the conference chooses on a weekly basis and received it for the first time in her career. She is the fourth Centenary gymnast to win the award this season.  Flores scored a season and career-high 9.775 on bars on Saturday at home against TWU to earn a tie for second place.

Centenary is back on the road this weekend to face host Illinois State, Central Michigan, and Bowling Green in a quad meet in Normal, Ill.

LACROSSE: Centenary won its second in a row on Sunday dumping the Huntingdon Hawks 17-9 in Montgomery, Ala.

The Gents (2-1) completed a perfect weekend after recording a 13-10 win on Friday against LaGrange (Ga.) College.

Freshman Gamble Harvill, an Airline product, scored a game-high five goals to lead the Centenary offense, senior Jordan Cook scored three, and sophomore Ethan Hewett, a Parkway graduate, sophomore Gibson Harvill (Captain Shreve) and senior G’Colby Spivey each scored two. Senior Dylan Miller (Captain Shreve) went the distance in goal for the Gents and made 13 saves.

Centenary will return to action on March 5 at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa.

BASEBALL: The Diamond Gents split a SCAC doubleheader on Monday evening with the Austin College ‘Roos, winning 12-1 and falling 9-3 in the nightcap at Baker Field in Sherman, Texas. Centenary (4-5, 2-4 SCAC) won the series over the ‘Roos (1-8, 1-5 SCAC) after an 18-6 romp in the series opener on Saturday. 

The Diamond Gents take a break from league play to host Vermont State Castleton today at home at 6 p.m. and then return to conference action this weekend at home versus St. Thomas with a single game on Friday at 6 p.m. and a pair Saturday at 1 and 4 p.m.

SOFTBALL: The Ladies were swept by the visiting St. Thomas Celts in a conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

The Ladies (2-4, 0-2 SCAC) fell 6-1, 10-2 to the Celts (6-3, 5-0 SCAC). The series finale was rained out on Sunday and a makeup date is TBD.

Centenary will be on the road this weekend in SCAC play to face the University of the Ozarks Eagles. The series begins on Friday with a doubleheader at 4 and 6 p.m. and concludes on Saturday with a single game at noon.

STUNT: The team was tested over the weekend in the Southern Nazarene Tournament as the Ladies played several tough matches inside the Sawyer Center.

In four matches, the Ladies fought hard to improve their performances and accomplish several goals which Centenary head coach Kaylee King considered “non-scoreboard wins” for the first-year program.

Centenary’s challenging schedule includes a mix of junior colleges, NAIA, and teams from all three NCAA divisions. The Ladies’ season is set to conclude on March 16.

MEN’S GOLF: Centenary finished 10th at the Space City Classic on Tuesday as the Gents opened their spring season in the event held at Gus Wortham Park Golf Course in Houston. Senior Andrew Bennett, an Airline product, led the way for the Gents as he shot a 9-over par 222 to finish 17^th.

Centenary will return to action in the FST Pinecrest Invitational March 10-11 in Longview.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: The Ladies capped their season last weekend on the road with Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference losses at Austin College and the University of Dallas. Centenary finished 2-22 overall and 1-15 in SCAC play but one of the bright spots of the season was the play of freshman Shyanne Phillips.

Phillips closed her sensational rookie season with a pair of double-doubles last weekend and with her 14 rebounds in each game, she became the all-time program single-season leader in rebounding average (12.0, 14^th this season in NCAA Division III). In 29 seasons of the program’s existence, Phillips stands alone above all other players whether Division I or Division III in the category. 

Phillips reached double figures 14 times this season, had 13 double-doubles (20^th nationally), and recorded 14 double-digit rebounding performances. She is the second-leading rebounder in the conference and ranks in the top 10 in scoring (14.1 PPG) and was the Ladies’ season leader in both categories.

She scored 20+ points three times, shot 43.6 percent from the floor, 73.3 percent from the free-throw line, and was in the top 15 in the conference in blocked shots, shooting aim from the field and free throw line.

Phillips’ 277 rebounds are the second-most in by a Centenary player in the Division III era (2012-present) and she scored 324 points to rank 10^th in the program’s D3 era.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: The Gents’ season ended with an 88-68 loss to the Dallas Crusaders on Saturday evening in league play in Irving, Texas. The Gents finished 6-19 overall and 4-12 in SCAC play.

The Gents, the defending conference tournament champions, were picked fourth in the SCAC preseason poll but uncharacteristically struggled and finished the season on an 11-game losing streak and will miss the SCAC Tournament for the first time in the D3 era. Centenary suffered its first losing season under eighth-year head coach Chris Dorsey.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

JOURNAL SPORTS

In an exciting doubleheader on opening weekend in Region 14 play, Bossier Parish Community College split at Navarro College, showcasing both offensive power and pitching prowess.

In the first game last Saturday, Bossier Parish notched a 9-6 win. Andy Roman led the offensive charge with three hits, including a powerful home run. Hayden Stringfellow also contributed a homer, adding to the Cavaliers’ impressive display at the plate. Daniel Pinkerton chipped in with two hits.

On the mound, Ben McKinnon started strong, going three innings and allowing just two runs while striking out four. The bullpen, featuring Jaden Bahl, Zander Bretza, and Brandon Levy, played a crucial role in securing the win, shutting down Navarro’s offense in the later innings.

However, the second game proved to be a tougher challenge for Bossier Parish in a 6-0 loss.  Tyrus Hall had a standout performance at the plate for BPCC, collecting three hits. Andy Roman, Gianluca Montanaro, Parker Gwyn, and Dylan Biddick each contributed a hit, but the Cavaliers’ offense struggled to generate runs. 

Garett Blanchard started on the mound, pitching three innings and allowing four runs. Jake Skelly provided solid relief to keep the game within reach. Bryson Menard and Cameron Williams each pitched an inning of relief, but Navarro’s pitching staff managed to keep Bossier Parish scoreless.

Tuesday on the road at UA Rich Mountain in Mena, Ark.,, the Cavaliers fell 9-5 with the home team scoring five in the bottom of the seventh and adding an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.

Bossier Parish (9-4) is back in action today continuing conference play with a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Panola College.

Times sure have changed here on Walton’s Mountain as bass tournaments have become a magnet for anglers looking to cash a check and make some money — illegally. In a few cases, it’s just about fulfilling their ego by being the so-called “best” angler on their designated lake. These are anglers who want you to think that they are the best fisherman on the planet! Let’s look at why cheating has become the preferred technique when it comes to tournament bass fishing. 

If I had to speculate on why this has become a problem nationwide, I would first look at the money involved. Bass tournaments today are offering some big money and prize packages. For example, the Bob Sealy Big Bass Splash Series offers a prize package valued at over $100,000 for the biggest bass caught in their event. THAT’S $100,000 FOR JUST ONE FISH!

Numerous trails with both team and individual formats are offering anywhere from $10,000 up to $75,000 for first place. But the cheaters aren’t just showing up at these major tournaments, they’re also backing their boats in the water at your local Thursday night three-hour shootouts, which is really sad! 

If it’s not for money, then what other reason would someone have to cheat? For guys that like to race, it’s the need for speed that’s the addiction, but for bass anglers fishing for a couple of hundred dollars on a three-hour event in the middle of the week, I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the reason for cheating.  

Once you’ve been labeled a cheater in the bass tournament world, your reputation is gone, and everyone knows the kind of person you really are. It’s just not worth losing your pride and dignity. 

Are the anglers who cheat just a sign of the times and the world we are living in? A lot of people today are looking for a shortcut and don’t want to earn their keep. Not many people want to work for what they have! They either want it given to them or they will cheat to get what they think they deserve. 

I’ve even witnessed, first-hand, guys who thought it was OK to cheat in a golf tournament by turning in a score that wasn’t a true reflection of their actual score. This was all for a $200 gift card to the local pro shop! This seems to be especially prevalent with the younger generation, which is very disturbing to me. 

Where have we gone wrong with raising kids that think it’s OK to cheat or stretch the truth, or is it a “social media” thing?  Now we just might be onto something here, as both young and old people love to post their accomplishments on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. I guess they think it gives them instant fame and credibility on their ability to achieve success. 

All I know is this — IT HAS TO STOP! People who fall into the “cheaters” category need to be taken out behind the woodshed and taught a lesson. I’m wondering when the day will come where tournament anglers take a page from the NASCAR guys and hold kangaroo courts in the parking lot. 

The next thing that must happen is when these guys get caught cheating and committing fraud: judges need to come down harder on them with automatic jail time and a lifetime ban from fishing tournaments. All fishing tackle including rods and reels, their bass boat and any other equipment needs to be forfeited. 

I’m personally tired of going to tournaments and asking the question, “did they cheat or was their catch legitimate?” The problem is that no event is immune from someone cheating. Even the Fishers of Men Tournament Trail, a Christian anglers tournament trail, has delt with this issue lately. How sad is it that someone thinks it’s OK to cheat in a Fishers of Men event!

Besides the issues with forward facing sonar, cheating is just another reason honest anglers are walking away from bass tournaments and refusing to pony up entry fees. They’re tired of worrying about that two percent of anglers out there that don’t want to play by the rules. Both issues are having a negative effect on tournament organizations trying to provide a reputable bass fishing trail.

Here’s my concern. One day something bad is going to happen to one of these low-life cheaters when they show up at an event and anglers decide to take matters into their own hands. I just hope they have good medical insurance! 

‘Til next time, keep your boots dry and your hooks wet. And remember, if you must cheat to win, you’re really a loser!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

On this day in history, February 26, 1932, one of America’s most iconic musicians was born—Johnny Cash. Known as “The Man in Black,” Cash’s music transcended genres, blending country, rock, blues, and gospel into a sound that resonated with generations of fans.

A Life in Music

Born in Kingsland, Arkansas, Cash grew up during the Great Depression, an experience that deeply influenced his storytelling style. His breakthrough came in the 1950s with hits like I Walk the Line and Folsom Prison Blues, which showcased his deep voice and signature boom-chicka-boom rhythm.

Over his decades-long career, Cash recorded over 1,500 songs, won 13 Grammy Awards, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame—a rare and prestigious honor.

His Legacy Lives On

Even after his passing in 2003, Cash’s influence remains strong. His music continues to inspire artists across multiple genres, and his story is immortalized in the 2005 film Walk the Line. On this special anniversary of his birth, fans around the world are revisiting his greatest hits and reflecting on the legacy of one of music’s greatest storytellers.