A Keithville man was found guilty on May 13 in Caddo District Court of aggravated rape and indecent behavior with juveniles.
The two-man, 10-woman jury in District Judge Donald E. Hathaway Jr.’s court deliberated less than two hours before returning its unanimous verdict against Calvin Lewis, 62, for his acts against the victims, both under the age of 13 when assaulted. The trial began Monday, May 11, 2026.
Over the course of the trial, prosecutors called five witnesses to prove that the defendant inappropriately touched an 11-year old relative in 2022 and repeatedly raped another relative from 1990 to 1993, beginning when the victim was 9. In 2024, Detective Ray Saunders of the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s office commenced an investigation of Lewis in the indecent behavior case. In the course of that investigation, Det. Saunders discovered that Lewis had engaged in inappropriate sexual contact with another juvenile relative in the early 1990s. The victim in the earlier case had reported being raped to multiple family members, but authorities never were contacted. Lewis ultimately was arrested in May 2024 and indicted that August. Following Lewis’s arrest, an investigator with the Caddo DA’s Special Victims Unit discovered several jail phone calls Lewis made to his wife following his arrest. In the calls he can be heard asking his wife to pay the victim in the rape case $2,000 and give her a Chevy Malibu to get her to sign an affidavit saying she did not want him to be prosecuted.
There was no indication that Lewis’s wife ever attempted to act on that request; however, jurors were allowed to hear calls in which Lewis attempted to orchestrate a conspiracy to bribe the victim. Additionally, the jury heard him suggest to his wife that the rape victim needed to “forgive and let it go.”
When Lewis returns to Judge Hathaway’s court June 9, he faces a mandatory life term without possibility of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence for the aggravated rape conviction. He also faces up to 25 years in prison for the indecent behavior conviction.
Assistant District Attorneys Jason Waltman and Christopher S. Bowman prosecuted the case. Harry Johnson and Hillary Hileman defended Lewis.
Louisiana voters will head to the polls on May 16 to consider five proposed amendments to the state constitution. These proposals, passed during the 2025 regular legislative session, cover a range of issues including civil service protections, school district creation, educator compensation, and judicial retirement ages.
To be enacted, each amendment must receive a majority vote at the polls. Two of the five proposals seek to adjust Article VII, the “money section” of the constitution, which remains the most frequently amended portion of the document.
The following is a summary of the five amendments appearing on the ballot:
Amendment 1: Civil Service ReclassificationThis amendment would allow the Louisiana Legislature to remove specific state government positions from the classified civil service system through state law. Currently, such changes require approval from the State Civil Service Commission. Supporters argue this would provide agencies with the flexibility to manage workers like the private sector, while opponents fear it could lead to increased political patronage and corruption.
Amendment 2: St. George Community School SystemVoters are asked to authorize the creation of the St. George Community School System in East Baton Rouge Parish, separating it from the existing parishwide district. If approved, the new district would begin operations in July 2027 with the same authority as other parish school districts. Proponents believe a smaller district will increase local ownership and oversight, whereas opponents argue the fragmentation will lead to increased administrative costs and further segregation.
Amendment 3: Teacher Pay and Retirement DebtThis proposal seeks to dissolve three education trust funds—containing approximately $2 billion—to pay down a portion of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana debt. The resulting savings in annual retirement payments would be used to fund a permanent $2,250 raise for teachers and a $1,125 raise for support staff. Supporters note the maneuver would save the state an estimated $1 billion in interest over time, while opponents express concern over the loss of a protected, perpetual revenue stream for education programs.
Amendment 4: Business Inventory Property TaxesAmendment 4 would grant local governments the authority to reduce or eliminate property taxes on business inventory. Parishes that choose to permanently exempt inventory before July 2027 would be eligible for a one-time state incentive payment ranging from $500,000 to $15 million. Supporters argue the tax makes Louisiana uncompetitive for economic development, while opponents caution that losing this revenue could create financial gaps for essential local services like law enforcement and schools.
Amendment 5: Judicial Retirement AgeThe final amendment on the ballot proposes raising the mandatory retirement age for Louisiana judges from 70 to 75. Under the proposal, a judge who turns 75 while in office would be permitted to complete their current term. Proponents argue the change accounts for increased life expectancy and preserves institutional knowledge, while opponents contend that an age limit is necessary to maintain public confidence in the judiciary.
Louisiana has emerged as a national leader in academic recovery, becoming the only state in the country to surpass its 2019 pre-pandemic reading benchmarks. According to the latest Education Scorecard, a collaborative report from Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth, Louisiana also ranks 3rd in the nation for academic growth in math.
The report, which combines state test results from 35 million students nationwide with national assessment data, provides a high-resolution look at the state’s educational landscape between 2022 and 2025.
Key Statewide Findings:
Reading Leadership: Louisiana is the only state in the nation where students are performing above pre-pandemic levels in reading (+.29 grade equivalents over 2019).
Math Growth: Louisiana is one of only two states performing above 2019 math levels, ranking 3rd out of 38 states in growth.
Economic Impact: Gains in high-poverty districts were largely driven by federal pandemic relief (ESSER) funds, which provided roughly $6,000 per student.
Challenges Ahead: Chronic absenteeism remains a significant hurdle, rising from 18.8% in 2022 to 22% in 2025.
Based on the Education Scorecard reports from Harvard and Stanford, here is a combined summary of academic performance and recovery trends for Caddo and Bossier Parishes.
Academic Performance & Growth (2022–2025)
Both districts have shown resilience following the pandemic, though they differ in their baseline performance and growth trajectories:
Average Test Scores:
Bossier Parish students performed 0.14 grade levels below the 2019 national average.
Caddo Parish students performed 1.60 grade levels below the 2019 national average.
Performance Trends:
Caddo has shown significant upward momentum, with test scores improving at a rate of +0.10 grade levels per year since 2022, outperforming the state average of +0.06.
Bossier scores have remained stable (0.00 change) during the same period.
National Rankings:
Bossier ranks in the 53rd percentile for math and 62nd percentile for reading nationwide.
Caddo ranks in the 16th percentile for math and 21st percentile for reading nationwide.
Learning Rates (School Quality Indicator)
Learning rates measure how much a student improves during a single school year. A rate of 1.0 represents one full grade level of growth.
Caddo Parish boasts a high learning rate of 1.09, meaning students are gaining more than a year of knowledge for every year spent in school. This ranks Caddo higher than 77% of districts nationwide.
Bossier Parish has a learning rate of 0.85, ranking it higher than 28% of districts nationwide.
Student Subgroup Success
Reading Recovery: Caddo Parish has seen remarkable growth in reading, with its recovery trend ranking in the 88th percentile nationally.
Equity Gaps: Both districts face challenges with performance gaps:
In Bossier, White students performed 1.01 grade levels above the 2019 national average, while Black students performed 1.82 below.
In Caddo, White students performed 0.87 grade levels above the national average, while Black students performed 2.67 below.
Economic Progress: In Caddo, students from low-income families are showing strong recovery, with a growth trend of +0.13 grade levels per year.
Chronic Absenteeism
Attendance remains a critical focus area for both Northwest Louisiana parishes:
Caddo Parish: The average chronic absenteeism rate was 31.1% between 2022 and 2025, a 10.5 percentage point increase from pre-pandemic levels.
Bossier Parish: The average rate was 21.5%, which is a 6.1 percentage point increase from pre-pandemic levels.
While the “learning recession” of the last decade has been severe, the recovery has officially begun in Louisiana. Harvard Professor Tom Kane, faculty director of the Center for Education Policy Research, noted that while a small group of state leaders have started “digging out” by changing how students learn to read, the work must continue.
With federal relief funds expiring, the report suggests Louisiana focus future school improvement dollars on middle- and higher-poverty districts that still trail their pre-pandemic levels.
MAJOR OPPORTUNITY: Calvary Baptist graduate Sam Burns hopes to continue his recent trend of contending in golf’s majors as the PGA Championship opens this morning in suburban Philadelphia.
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
NEWTON SQUARE, Pa. – Among professional golf’s four majors, the PGA Championship is the one with Louisiana flavor.
Sam Burns would love to spice that up this weekend at Aronimink Golf Club in the 108th renewal of the event.
Four Louisiana golfers have captured PGA Championship titles: Shreveport-Bossier’s David Toms (2001), Shreveporter Hal Sutton (1983), and Lafayette’s Hebert brothers, Lionel (1957) and Jay (1960).
Burns has put together his best finishes and rounds in major championships last year and in this year’s Masters, where he tied for seventh at 9-under par. He tied for 19th in last year’s PGA Championship, then held the lead during the weekend and onto the back nine Sunday at the U.S. Open before mishaps in heavy rain left him tied for seventh. He was 45th at the British Open, where his best finish is 31st in 2024.
The eight-year PGA Tour veteran, who has over $37 million in career earnings and five tournament titles highlighted by the 2023 World Match Play crown, embraces the opportunities major championships present.
“As a competitor, those weeks typically have the best fields and are the hardest weeks to win. It’s what we gear up for,” he said in a recent interview on SI.com’s Dan Evans Show. “With the majors, you only have four cracks a year, so it’s those weeks you look forward to, and try to gauge your schedule around so hopefully you’re playing well at those times.”
Burns, a 29-year-old Shreveport native who now lives in Choudrant and plays out of Squire Creek Country Club, is in one of the featured threesomes teeing off in Rounds 1 and 2 today and Friday on the 7,394-yard, par-70 layout just outside of Philadelphia.
His playing partners are both major champions – Gary Woodland (2019 U.S. Open) and Jason Day (2015 PGA). Golf Magazine’s Golf.com analysts have listed the threesome as one of the 10 “best groupings” for the first 36 holes. Woodland is 23rd in current year purse winnings at $3.1 million, while Burns is 35th ($2.4 million) and Day is 49th ($1.8 million).
Burns (35th) is highest among his partners in the Official World Golf Rankings, with Woodland at 47th and Day at 41st. The PGA Championship annually claims it has the strongest field in pro golf, and 97 of the OWGR top 100 are teeing off this week.
Burns’ group will go off the 10th tee this morning at 6:34 CDT, and Friday start on the first tee at 11:59 CDT in pursuit of the Wanamaker Trophy that goes to the PGA winner.
Burns has two top 10 finishes and six in the top 25 this season. He fired a 64, his second-lowest round of the year, Sunday in Charlotte, N.C., in his latest round at the Truist Championship.
American players have won the last 10 PGA Championships. Burns’ good friend Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked player, is the defending champion.
Television coverage begins with streaming on ESPN+ this morning and Friday morning from 6-11 CDT, with ESPN picking it up from 11-6. Weekend coverage is on ESPN in the mornings for the final two rounds and CBS has the contenders playing in its broadcast window from noon-6 Saturday and Sunday.
BRIGHT SPOT: Freshman Omar Serna Jr. has hit .353 in LSU’s last 18 games. (Photo by HUNTER HAAS, LSU Athletics)
By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – You can expect defending national champion LSU to play like it has nothing to lose in its final SEC regular series vs. No. 19 Florida here starting tonight.
Maybe that’s because the Tigers have already lost just about everything, like a school-record 18 SEC losses, including 12 of their last 15 games.
After LSU’s faint NCAA Tournament hopes were laid to rest last weekend at Georgia, where the 4th-ranked Bulldogs swept the Tigers and won the regular season SC title, LSU (29-24 overall, 9-18 SEC) plays the No. 19 Gators (34-18, 15-12), who won a road series this season at Georgia.
Georgia, college baseball’s home run leaders, launched nine against LSU’s overmatched pitching staff and .382 (39 for 102).
This weekend’s storyline matches Florida, whose pitchers are second in the SEC in earned run average (4.00), against LSU hurlers who are dead last in the SEC in ERA (5.49).
Florida will start sophomore Aiden King on the mound, someone LSU head coach Jay Johnson believes might be the best college pitcher in the country.
The Tigers’ pitching staff is so flummoxed with injuries and inexperienced players not ready for the moment that Johnson has yet to name a starting pitcher for tonight’s game.
That’s right. LSU starter is TBA (to be announced). When was the last time you saw that for an SEC series opener?
“I’ve tried to pare it down a little bit recently, more who’s actually getting on the mound and pitching to give us the best chance, as opposed to matching up,” Johnson said. “This weekend may be a little different because we’re gonna have to win five games in six days (at next week’s SEC tournament), so you’re gonna need more than eight pitchers to do that.
“We might get a couple guys on the mound this weekend that haven’t been on the mound a lot lately just to see if they can help next week.”
This weekend is the last home series for nine LSU seniors, all of whom are transfers. The most notable are two-year transfers relief pitcher Zac Cowan (Wofford) and outfielder Chris Stanfield (Auburn).
Both were huge contributors on LSU’s NCAA title run, and both have struggled this season.
Cowan had six saves and a 2.94 ERA in 22 appearances last season but has a 4.97 ERA in 15 appearances this year.
“No matter how this season went, I knew what this place was going to mean to me coming back,” Cowan said. “It holds a special place in my heart.”
A year ago, Stanfield batted .298 and was LSU’s leading hitter in SEC regular-season games, hitting .326. This season, Stanfield, slowed by wrist and hamstring injuries from the opening game of the season, has missed 23 games and is batting just .235.
“I have never been this hurt ever,” Stanfield. “The aspect of the game where you can help from the dugout changes you. The times when I was out there playing a little, I appreciated it a lot more.”
LSU (29-24 overall, 9-18 SEC) VS. NO. 19 FLORIDA (34-18, 15-12 SEC), Alex Box Stadium
UF – Jr. RH Russell Sandefer (3-2, 4.30 ERA, 46.0 IP, 16, BB, 50 SO)
LSU VS. FLORIDA SERIES
LSU has a 69-55-1 all-time record versus Florida, as the series began in 1971. . .The Gators holf a 12-10 lead in the 22 meetings between the teams since 2016.
LSU holds a 6-3 all-time advantage over Florida in College World Series games. The Tigers won two of three games over the Gators in the 2023 CWS Championship Series June 24-26, in Omaha, Neb, LSU won two CWS games over the Gators in both 1991 and in 1996 en route to national championships … LSU and Florida also met in the 2017 College World Series Championship Series, when UF posted two straight wins over the Tigers to claim the Gators’ national title.
A LOOK AT LSU
The Tigers are No. 8 in the SEC with a .283 batting average. They have 90 doubles, 7 triples and 84 homers. . . Sophomore centerfielder Derek Curiel is No. 2in the SEC in base hits (73), No. 7 in runs scored (58) and No. 8 in triples (2). . . Freshman catcher/DH Omar Serna Jr.has reached base safely in 18 consecutive games in which he’s batting .353 (24-for-68) with six doubles, five homers, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored. . . Junior shortstop Steven Milam has a current reached-base safely streak that has stretched to 30 games. He has committed just two errors all season in 195 chances, producing a .990 fielding percentage. . .LSU’s pitching staff is last in the SEC in ERA at 5.49 and has 613 strikeouts and 262 walks. The Tigers have allowed a .237 opponent batting average and 61 home runs.
A LOOK AT FLORIDA
The Gators are No. 12 in the SEC with a .271 team batting average. UF has produced 81 doubles, eight triples, 73 homers and 42 steals in 55 attempts. . .Outfielder Blake Cyr is hitting .329 with 13 doubles, 11 homers and 47 RBI and infielder Ethan Surowiec is batting .305 with 11 doubles, one triple, eight homers and 47 RBI. .Florida is No. 2 in the SEC with a 4.00 cumulative ERA, and the Gators have recorded 529 strikeouts in 454.0 innings while allowing 36 home runs and a .236 opponent batting average.
RUNNING WILD: Quaterrion Walton takes off for one of his three stolen bases Wednesday in a win over Oklahoma Wesleyan that gave LSUS a chance to play for a World Series berth. (Photo courtesy LSUS Athletics)
JOURNAL SPORTS
LSU Shreveport’s baseball season ended Wednesday with a high note followed by a bitter pill to swallow.
Last year’s unbeaten NAIA World Series champions are defending no longer. The 12th-ranked Pilots were knocked out of the 2026 postseason on their homefield, 7-4, by 18th-ranked Mid-America Christian, which will advance from the Opening Round Shreveport Bracket to Lewiston, Idaho, to begin the World Series on May 22.
The Pilots (43-14) flashed their best form and a continuing flair for the dramatic to reach the regional championship round, fighting off Oklahoma Wesleyan 6-5 in 11 innings in Wednesday’s losers’ bracket final in midday.
The Pilots got a fourth-inning RBI double from Dorien Jackson, scoring Quaterrion Walton, followed by a two-run single by Carlos Vega that boosted them up 4-2. Walton reached on an error and scored on another one in the sixth for a three-run edge.
The Eagles, who took LSUS down to the last pitch Monday night in a one-run Pilots’ walk-off win, got a game-tying two-run homer in the eighth inning by Brenden Poindexter.
It was Walton, again, making the difference. Having scored the winning run Monday night, he did it again, this time reaching on a wild pitch on a strikeout and scoring on Rodrigo Bravo’s sacrifice fly to provide the decisive run. He stole three bags in the victory.
The Pilots were tenacious in their second meeting with Mid-America Christian, which dumped LSUS 8-2 Tuesday. After the Evangels jumped to a 3-0 lead in the opening inning Wednesday, the home team posted a four-run second inning.
Walton – who else? – ripped a two-run triple to push LSUS even and Jackson drove him in with a single for a 4-3 lead.
But Mid-America Christian (42-13) flexed one more time in the sixth, plating four runs, three scoring on a double by Adam Hanan.
The Pilots brought in 30 new players to replace a huge graduation class from the 59-0 national championship team, and after not winning the regular-season Red River Athletic Conference crown for the first time in five years, swept through unbeaten to capture the conference tournament for the third straight season and 16th time overall.
LSUS made its 24th NAIA Tournament appearance, including the last 22 years in a row.
Dr. Trayvean Scott, vice president for intercollegiate athletics at Grambling, and other university officials are dealing with a substandard legislative audit report. (File photo courtesy GSU)
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
GRAMBLING – A state audit released this week cited a series of discrepancies in how Grambling State University’s athletic department operated its fiscal year 2025 budget, and found a multi-million dollar deficit.
The state Legislative Auditor’s office reported Monday it discovered a $5 million deficit for the 2025 fiscal year in Grambling’s athletics department. The finding was the result of a routine audit that in part provides information for NCAA rules compliance, and chiefly assesses how state financial policies are being followed.
Grambling’s Statement of Revenues and Expenses indicated total expenses for athletics were $14,314,410 for the 2025 fiscal year, compared to revenue of $9,234,936, resulting in a deficit of $5,079,474.
Auditors found the number of student-athletes who got a Pell Grant and the total dollar amount reported in the Financial Reporting System was different than the school’s financial aid records. The finding showed 62 students and $383,493 more than the school’s records.
Among other significant findings, the audit revealed Grambling understated severance payments to athletic employes by $105,022, overstated coaching salaries by over $96,000, and reported $36,555 more than the actual amount of ticket sales.
The University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, the governing body for Grambling, Louisiana Tech, ULM, Northwestern State and five more state universities, is expected to address the situation in its regular monthly meeting next week in Baton Rouge. Former Grambling president Dr. Rick Gallot is the ULS System president.
Dr. Martin Lemelle Jr. was named president at Grambling in February 2024. Dr. Trayvean Scott was hired July 1, 2021 as Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics.
Grambling said it was aware of the deficit and some of the other issues before the legislative audit was released, and had begun addressing the problem areas.
Grambling’s university news bureau issued a statement Tuesday addressing the situation. The full text:
“Grambling State University recently completed its FY2025 annual NCAA agreed-upon procedures review for athletics, a standard annual review required for Division I athletics programs. According to the NCAA’s 2024 Division I revenue and expense analysis, only one of 129 FCS athletics programs reported generated revenue greater than expenses, underscoring that athletics financial pressure is a national issue and not unique to Grambling State.
“The review showed three important things:
“First, Grambling Athletics reported $9.2 million in operating revenue and $14.3 million in operating expenses for FY2025, creating a revenue and expense gap of approximately $5.1 million.
“Second, the review identified accounting adjustments related to items such as salaries, severance payments, ticket sales, student-athlete aid, facilities rental fees, and other operating expenses. These types of adjustments are common during annual financial reviews. Grambling State made the necessary corrections as part of the process.
“Third, the review found no exceptions in several tested areas, including selected cash receipt procedures, major athletics disbursements, ticket safeguarding procedures, and procedures related to affiliated and outside organizations.
“College athletics is evolving rapidly. Across the country, universities are working to manage rising costs, NIL, revenue sharing, student-athlete support, and the imperative to remain competitive.
“Grambling State began addressing these realities before this annual review was completed. In 2025, the University engaged College Sports Solutions to conduct an external operational review of Athletics. That review found that Grambling Athletics was already generating revenue at a strong comparative level, with 42.7 percent of athletics expenses supported by departmental revenue. That placed Grambling at the 75th percentile of the SWAC, above the SWAC median of 30 percent, and seven percentage points above the 75th percentile of the peer group.
“The University has already started making improvements, including zero-based budgeting in Athletics, closer review of revenue opportunities, and continued evaluation of ticketing, sponsorships, multimedia rights, staffing, student-athlete support and operational controls.
“For generations, Grambling State Athletics has been a source of pride, possibility and national distinction. From championship teams to legendary coaches and student-athletes who carry the Grambling name around the world, athletics is deeply connected to the University’s identity and legacy. The University’s responsibility is to honor that legacy while building the financial model required to sustain it.
“Grambling State remains committed to fielding competitive programs, supporting student-athletes, engaging alumni and fans, and strengthening the business operations that allow athletics to thrive.”
By Cole Gentry, Chief Marketing Officer at Northwestern State University
The lesson began away from a classroom, where the road narrowed, the trees thickened and a group of Northwestern State University students stepped into the kind of outdoor laboratory that cannot be duplicated on a screen.
On a privately held tract of land near Natchitoches, students joined forestry professionals and conservation experts for a field experience focused on forestry, land management and wildlife habitat. The visit brought together representatives from the American Bird Conservancy, Echo Forestry, Walsh Timber and RoyOMartin, giving students a close look at how managed forests support healthy ecosystems, economic value and wildlife conservation in Louisiana.
The students in attendance, Nilah Pollard of Shreveport, Madysen Morgan of Bossier City, Katharyn Evans of Benton, Owen Stutzman of Gonzales, Vivian Montalvo of Forest Hill, Madelynn Misuraca of Natchitoches and Anastasia Douglas of Shreveport, came to the woods to learn. They left with a clearer understanding that forest management is a working science, shaped by biology, business, landowner goals, water quality, soil protection and the needs of wildlife that depend on changing habitat.
For Northwestern State, the trip reflected something the university works to build across disciplines, practical learning that puts students beside professionals and gives classroom ideas a place to land. In this case, the classroom had pine, hardwood and mixed forest stands. It had thinned areas, stream buffers and sections shaped by management decisions. It had birds overhead and, in the understory, some seen, some heard, all helping tell a larger story about the connection between people, land and conservation.
Emily Jo “EJ” Williams, vice president for North American Birds and Habitats and vice president for the Southeast and Atlantic Coast Region for the American Bird Conservancy, helped lead the experience. A retired wildlife biologist with a long career in conservation, Williams has spent decades focused on migratory birds and the forests they rely on across the Southeast.
“Every management decision that foresters make, or loggers make, results in some type of habitat response,” Williams said. “Different birds respond to different habitat outcomes.”
That idea sat at the center of the day. Forests are not all supposed to look the same. A thinned pine stand may open the canopy and allow understory plants to grow, creating food and cover for wildlife. A prescribed burn, carefully planned and carried out by trained professionals, can restore a natural process that supports forest health and creates conditions certain birds need. A shrubbier section of forest may support species that avoid open areas. Together, those differences create habitat diversity, and habitat diversity supports bird diversity.
Jesse Foshee of Provencal, a student majoring in communications with a concentration in broadcasting journalism and digital media production, said the experience changed how she understood forestry and conservation.
“Before this experience, I assumed cutting trees down mainly harmed wildlife habitats,” Foshee said. “However, I learned that when logging is done responsibly and strategically, it can actually improve forest health and create environments that support birds during migration, nesting and raising their young.”
Foshee said the trip also showed her the value of learning outside the classroom, especially through opportunities connected to the NSU Foundation and its supporters.
“As a Gallaspy Scholarship recipient during my time at NSU, this experience was especially eye-opening because it showed me another side of how the NSU Foundation connects students with educational opportunities,” Foshee said. “It was rewarding to see how support from industry partners and private sites can directly impact students through hands-on learning experiences outside the classroom.”
Enyart Mitchell of Echo Forestry said the tour helped students see how forestry decisions shape the land over time.
“We looked at the general aspects of how the forest comes together and what it takes to make something look a certain way,” Mitchell said. “When you have a healthy bird and wildlife population, generally you have a healthy forest.”
Mitchell said land management has to account for more than timber value alone.
“Our goal in management is, of course, to manage for monetary concerns,” Mitchell said. “But we also take into consideration what you want from the property and what it can give back in emotional value, recreational value and sustainability for the future.”
Joe Cooper, a forester with Echo Forestry, said the visit gave students a practical look at the science and planning behind responsible forest management.
“We tried to show the students the value of proper forest management and how it benefits not only wildlife, but the landowner economically,” Cooper said. “We talked about how we inventory timber, determine harvest planning and use statistics and sampling to determine timber volume.”
Cooper said healthy forests depend on careful decisions that protect the land while keeping it productive.
“We talked about management techniques to protect soil quality, water quality and wildlife,” Cooper said. “Proper forest management really makes all that come together.”
That blend of science and application matters for Northwestern State students. Prospective students often ask what they can do with a degree. Experiences like this answer in a direct way. They show how communication, science, conservation, agriculture, business, technology and public service intersect in real places, with real professionals, on land that carries both economic and environmental importance.
Louisiana’s forests are part of the state’s identity and economy, but they are also part of a larger conservation story. Many birds that use these forests spend much of their lives south of the United States, then return to places like Louisiana during breeding season. Williams said these forests are critical, especially in a region where land use continues to change and forest value can influence whether land remains forest at all.
A memorial service for Gay Lynn Bond, 76, will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Dr., Bossier City, Louisiana. A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Officiating the service will be Clint Davis and Dr. Torin Sanders.
Gay Lynn was born on June 16, 1949, to Raymond L. Bond and Lena McNeely Bond in Shreveport, Louisiana, and passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Gay Lynn was a proud graduate of Airline High School in Bossier City, Louisiana. She went on to earn both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, beginning a lifelong career in service, education, and advocacy. She worked in several roles across Louisiana before moving to Arizona, where she served on Governor Babbitt’s staff and later worked with Children’s programs. Her dedication to helping others eventually brought her back to Louisiana, this time to New Orleans, where she served as a Hospital Administrator at Charity Hospital. She later directed the Children’s Bureau, a nonprofit focused on adoption services, and helped launch Project LAST with Dr. Sanders, a program created to support families affected by homicide.
During her time in New Orleans, she met her husband, Daniel R. Tavlin, and the two went on to share 41 years of marriage. When her parents’ health declined, Gay Lynn returned to Northwest Louisiana to be closer to family. She continued her commitment to education and community by teaching at Grambling State University from 1995 until her retirement in 2013. Throughout her life, Gay Lynn was known for her intelligence, compassion, and unwavering dedication to the people and communities she served.
Gay Lynn was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond L. Bond and Lena McNeely Bond, and her sister‑in‑law, Yvonne Benezch. Left to cherish her memory are her loving husband, Daniel R. Tavlin of Haughton, LA; her stepson, Daniel R. Tavlin, Jr., and his wife, Jackie, of Gulfport, MS. She is also survived by many of Dan’s brothers and sisters and their families, along with numerous cousins on both her father’s and mother’s sides.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials may be made to the local animal shelter at http://www.bossiercity.org> animal services.
Gloria Catherine Merriman Edwards, age 98, of Shreveport, Louisiana and Austin, Texas escaped this mortal realm on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, leaving behind an enormous number of Shreveport friends, and acquaintances she met while under care in Austin.
Gloria is survived by her eldest child Ginger (Virginia Elizabeth) Jones and husband Kevin Ells, second daughter Pepper (Patricia Lee) and Hugh Daniel, and her son Thomas C Merriman.She is also survived by grandchildren Catherine Jones Lytle (Ed), Zach Jones, and Melissa Merriman Adair Lee (Justin) and great grandchildren Aiden Jones, Isabella Kennon (Brock), Sophia Lytle, Rylan Jones, Phoebe Lytle, Brady Adair, and Beckett Lee.
Gloria is preceded in death by her parents Dominic and Elizabeth (Natali) Mence, her former husbands Gene (Marvin E.) Merriman and Kenneth Edwards, and one grandson, Douglas Marvin Huddleston.
Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, she graduated from South Park High School in Beaumont, Texas, where she won a poetry writing contest and met her future husband.She became adept at writing, in 25 words or less, jingles that won her a good deal of money, a new stove, a new refrigerator, and a toy car for her son.When Gene moved his family to Shreveport, Gloria learned to carpool and play bridge.She soon became one of the best room mothers at Judson Elementary, sewed costumes for school plays, talked everyday with her friend Ruth, whom she called Rudy, cooked daily breakfast and dinners, and attended Mr. Lynn’s Modeling School, where she learned how to pose for cameras.She often called columnists for “The Shreveport Women’s Times” section of the newspaper The Shreveport Times to tell them what her family was up to: having babies, graduating college, wearing heirloom christening dresses, all of which were printed.After her first husband died, Gloria volunteered for the Luthern Braille Workers, supported her oldest daughter’s grad school education, her son’s business ventures, and her second daughter’s investments. She was introduced to Ken Edwards, who introduced her to RV travel and his large and close family, and flew with her on one of the last flights of the Concorde to London before he died.
Gloria was known for her pleasant sense of humor.She loved telling jokes, passing around her Uncle Joe Natali’s homemade wine, and reminding her children that she could play the piano and they could not. Neighborhood teenagers used to visit Gloria, share their secrets, and leave smiling, believing she was the one adult they could trust. She was a lifelong Catholic, attending Sacred Heart Church and then St. Mary of the Pines in Shreveport.
She enjoyed people, especially babies, old black and white movies, the trip to her father’s village in Calabria, Italy, and when she was no longer a licensed driver, eating out with her driver Pam.She adored big and formal family dinners, Wedgewood crystal, expensive jewelry, St. John’s suits, Neiman Marcus catalogues, and her grandchildren, whom she called Weesie, Zachy, Bo, and Missy. She was proud of her step grandchildren too, who knew her as a special grandmom. She treated the Cislaghi, Kamps, and Ward families with love, and thoroughly enjoyed hosting high school graduation, birthday and Christmas parties.
Gloria also loved putting hot sauce on most of the foods she ate.
After Pepper moved Gloria to Austin in 2017 and sold the house Gloria had lived in for over 50 years (with the same phone number for all of those years), she adjusted to a new church and a new way of life with caregivers before being sent to a Memory Care unit where she lived for 3 years in a world that seemed to confuse and sometimes irritate her.Still, she loved to smile for any camera available, to say, “I love you” and to hold hands.
There was no funeral. She is buried in Forest Lawn West in Shreveport.
Louisiana State Police detectives are investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred late Tuesday night in the Cedar Grove area of Shreveport.
The shooting took place at approximately 10:45 p.m. on West 77th Street. The Shreveport Police Department requested the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations to lead the inquiry, as is standard protocol in officer-involved shooting cases.
One subject was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were injured during the incident.
The investigation is active and ongoing. Additional details will be released as they become available.
Anyone with information, photos, or video related to the incident is asked to contact Louisiana State Police detectives. Tips may be submitted anonymously online at lsp.org or by calling the LSP Fusion Center Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.
The Shreveport-Bossier Journal will continue to monitor this developing story.
Source: Louisiana State Police Public Affairs Section — Troop G
The Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office has identified a mailing issue that affected notices of court appearance dated between March 30, 2026, and May 8, 2026.
Office records show that while the notices were deposited in a timely manner with the United States Postal Service, some envelopes bear delayed postmarks, causing late delivery.
The District Attorney is taking remedial action to ensure that defendants’ due process rights are protected for any failure to appear that might have resulted from such notices not being received in a timely manner.
People who receive or have received a notice to appear after their scheduled court date should immediately contact the District Attorney’s Office at (318) 226-6826.
The Natchitoches Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance with identifying a suspect that removed several items from a retail store in the 500 block of Front Street.
Officers were able to review video surveillance and observed an unknown white male remove the items.After the individual removed the property he remained in the Historic District for several hours.
If you recognize or know this person please contact the Natchitoches Police Department at (318) 352-8101 or Detective John Greely at (318) 238-3914.Remember all information given shall remain confidential.
How to report an anonymous tip via Natchitoches Crime Stoppers:
You can also report a tip anonymously by downloading the P3 Tips app on your smart phone or by calling Natchitoches Crime Stoppers at (318) 238-2388.All tips remain confidential and the caller can receive a cash reward up to $5,000 for the arrest of an offender.
Residents in Caddo and Bossier parishes can expect a stretch of warm temperatures and mostly dry conditions through the weekend before rain chances begin returning early next week.
Sunny skies are forecast Wednesday with afternoon highs reaching the upper 80s across both parishes. Winds will remain light and variable before becoming north around 5 mph during the afternoon. Clear conditions Wednesday night will allow temperatures to cool into the lower 60s.
Thursday will bring mostly sunny skies and continued warm weather, with highs once again reaching the upper 80s. Southeast winds around 5 mph are expected throughout the day. Thursday night will remain partly cloudy with overnight lows in the upper 60s.
Partly cloudy skies move in Friday as temperatures climb to around 90 degrees. Mild overnight conditions are expected Friday night with lows remaining in the upper 60s.
Saturday is expected to begin mostly cloudy before gradually becoming partly cloudy during the afternoon. Temperatures will stay warm with highs in the upper 80s. Saturday night will remain partly cloudy with lows falling into the lower 70s.
Rain chances begin increasing Sunday as mostly cloudy skies develop across the region. Forecasters are calling for a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon hours while highs remain in the upper 80s.
Partly cloudy skies are expected Sunday night with overnight lows in the mid-70s.
By Monday, unsettled weather becomes more likely as mostly cloudy conditions continue throughout the day. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms is expected during the morning before rain chances increase during the afternoon. High temperatures will remain in the upper 80s with a 50 percent chance of rain.
Overall, Caddo and Bossier parishes are expected to see several days of warm, summer-like weather before scattered thunderstorms return at the start of the new week.
LSU Shreveport is hosting the first BBQU Competition on its campus Saturday, an event to celebrate with graduates, alumni and the Shreveport-Bossier community at-large.
Attendees will sample food from a range of competitors who are battling for big cash prizes (top prize is $3,000) thanks to the LSUS Foundation, which organized the event.
The family-friendly event features a Kids Zone with bounce houses, games, and tethered hot air balloon rides.
Adults can enjoy the beer garden complete with giant Jenga and cornhole.
A Cool-Off Zone will be playing the premiere of the documentary “Impossible Season,” which chronicles LSUS Baseball’s 59-0 record and the first-ever undefeated college baseball season in the sport’s history. Melissa Goslin, editor and producer of the top prize at Louisiana Film Prize, spearheaded the documentary in conjunction with PrizeFest founder Gregory Kallenberg.
General admission tickets are $15 with separate $25 tickets for the tethered balloon ride.
Upgrade to a VIP package ($90), which includes an air-conditioned tent with a full bar and hors d’oeuvres to compliment the barbecue tastings, special access to the balloon rides, VIP parking and BBQU swag.
Tickets can be purchased through the BBQU ticket portal.
Gates open at 11 a.m. with judging awards, including the People’s Choice Award, announced at 6 p.m.
The event will take place on the back side of campus in the grassy area by the Pioneer Heritage Center and the Health and Physical Education Building.
The BBQU Competition consists of local and regional participants organized through Pork and Fork BBQ. Aside from the People’s Choice awards, barbecue judges like barbecue podcaster Patrick Netherton (The BBQ Hound) will be on hand.
Interested in cooking? There’s still time to register your team to compete for nearly $10,000 in total prizes awarded for best ribs, chicken, and brisket.
Your college softball and baseball teams didn’t win as many games as you’d have liked. Just short of a title. Or maybe just barely out of last place.
Yuck.
But … all is not lost.
There are conference tournaments. And if your bad or sort-of-good team snuck in, even through the back door, that team you root for could STILL win the conference tournament and STILL get into the national tournament for a shot at the World Series.
The conference tournament means a new opportunity. Didn’t win half your games? Well, that was then. You could win your conference tournament and win the World Series next month.
The regular season was a Laurel and Hardy routine? Forget it. You start the conference tournament with a clean slate.
It’s a bit like Opening Day in the big leagues. You can lose opening day and still finish 161-1. Not bad. Opening Day won’t decide your fate.
You can strike out four times on Opening Day and still lead the league in hitting by season’s end. Make three errors and still earn a Golden Glove during the long summer ahead.
Opening Day reminds you that it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish.
On a smaller scale, conference tournaments are the same thing. You can forget what’s behind and concentrate on what’s ahead.
Jeremiah knew what it was like to lose. Of all the Old Testament prophets, Jerry might have had it the worst, at least on the surface. Jerusalem lost a lot more than its season. It was practically booted out of the league. Babylon was in the middle of a dynasty, and everyone else was playing for second.
But …
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
Jeremiah had faith in tomorrow because he knew who held both today and tomorrow — and his hand.
It could be that you’ve booted things around long enough. But what was true for Jeremiah is true for us. God is faithful. His mercies are not new on just Wednesdays or every other weekend. His mercies are offered to us each morning.
God is not good at giving up on people. If you are in a losing streak of Biblical proportions, if you need hope, He is the author of it. He is crazy over you. If you need a new Opening Day, another shot in the postseason, He is a man you should meet.
NOT OFTEN ENOUGH: Despite piling up 16 hits Tuesday, LSUS scored only twice, including Spencer Sullivan giving the Pilots their second run on a double by Quaterrion Walton. (Photo courtesy LSUS Athletics)
JOURNAL SPORTS
It’s do or die day for the defending national champion LSU Shreveport Pilots baseball team in its bid to return to the NAIA World Series.
LSUS must win twice today, at 11 a.m. against Oklahoma Wesleyan and at 2:30 against Mid-America Christian, to reach a possible Thursday championship game in the NAIA Opening Round Shreveport Bracket.
It’ll take three straight wins over the next two days for the Pilots (42-13) to get back to the World Series. Mid-America Christian (41-13) needs only one more victory to advance to Lewiston, Idaho later this month.
Mid-America Christian, ranked 18th nationally and seeded second in the regional, knocked off 12th-ranked and top-seeded LSUS by 8-2 Tuesday afternoon at Pilot Field.
The Evangels are in the championship round, which will begin with the 2:30 game today and continue, if necessary, Thursday morning at 11 with a final contest if Mid-America Christian falls today.
In Tuesday afternoon’s loss, the Pilots rapped 16 hits but couldn’t convert on the scoreboard, leaving 12 runners on base. It came on the heels of scoring the winning run on a strikeout in Monday night’s 5-4 walk-off over Oklahoma Wesleyan.
Those teams meet again today at 11. Fourth-seeded Oklahoma Wesleyan (38-18) eliminated 2025 World Series participant Loyola 8-2 in Tuesday night’s game.
The Pilots trailed the Evangels 3-0 before getting on the board in the bottom of the third. Quaterrion Walton, who scampered in from third base for the game-winner Monday night, scored again on a double by Carlos Sanchez to draw LSUS within two runs.
Mid-America Christian put up three runs in the sixth on four hits, and again, LSUS responded but with only one run. Spencer Sullivan singled and scored on a Walton double.
Nick Hill cracked his second home run of the game for Mid-America Christian an inning later to lift the Evangels ahead by six.
The Pilots are aiming for their fourth World Series appearance this decade and are trying to avoid falling short on their home field for the third time in the last four seasons.
By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications
(First in a weekly series)
Competition in the 2025-26 sports year for Centenary is done, but not soon forgotten. As we head into the summer, time to take stock of the good things that happened this spring for the Gents and Ladies.
LACROSSE: The Gents finished their season with a 10-4 record, their most successful one in program history.
Sophomore Gamble Harvill, a former Airline star, made history on Feb. 7 as he scored an NCAA single-game record 14 goals in Centenary’s 21-11 victory over the Hendrix College Warriors at home.
Harvill stands alone in NCAA history across all three divisions (DI, DII, and DIII) for goals in a single game, as the previous mark was 13 accomplished four other DIII players and one D2 player. No Division 1 player has ever scored more than 11 goals in a game, accomplished four times.
Sophomore Noah Walsh set a new program record for points in a game with 15 with his whopping eight goals and seven assists in Centenary’s 27-10 victory over LaGrange College on Jan. 31.
Walsh then notched a single-game record 11 assists against Hendrix, the sixth-most in a single game by a DIII player in NCAA history.
Freshman Gavin Ferrington, a former Parkway star, recorded a program-best 95 percent Faceoff Winning Percentage against Hendrix.
Four Gents were named to the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association 2026 Division III Men’s Lacrosse Team of the Week during the season, earning spots on the prestigious national team.
SOFTBALL: The Ladies played in their 10th-straight SCAC Tournament this season and their 14 conference wins are the most in a single season in the Division III era (2012-present).
Six Ladies were named All-SCAC with each earning honorable mention recognition: sophomore Kaitlynn Alello, senior Morgan Dawson, senior Abigail Hodgson, junior Noelle Sandmann, senior Catherine Stokes and senior Jaeden Thrasher.
BASEBALL: The Diamond Gents appeared in the SCAC Tournament for the 12th time in the Division III era this season. Ten Diamond Gents earned All-SCAC honors.
Centenary rebounded from an 0-3 start to conference play to go 16-11 the rest of the way including winning five of its final six conference series. Centenary stood at 4-8 in league play after losing a home series to LeTourneau March 13-14 and then took two of three at the University of Dallas, won two of three at home against Austin College, and then won consecutive series on the road at regular season champion Texas Lutheran and McMurry.
After losing a home series to the University of St. Thomas, the Diamond Gents finished strong by sweeping the University of the Ozarks last weekend at home to clinch a berth to the postseason tournament held in Cleburne, Texas.
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.
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.
After 22 years of shared finances, a new disagreement puts one couple at odds: should they help an adult son with car payments, or protect their retirement?
Several years ago, a radio station in San Francisco conducted a nonscientific listener survey. Sixty-eight percent of the people surveyed were for it. Twenty percent were against it. The remaining twelve percent had no opinion on the matter. So the radio station concluded from this nonscientific survey that the vast majority were in favor of it. The funny part is that the radio station never asked a question. It was an illustration of the bandwagon effect. If you get enough people walking down South Trenton Street in the same direction at nearly the same time, a parade is likely to break out.
I could go on one of my rants about people not thinking critically about political, educational, existential, or spiritual matters — but I won’t. I will say this: you need to read more than just the headlines on the website. You need to read the article. And you need to read more than one verse of the Bible if you want the whole picture. We often form opinions based on emotion rather than actually thinking something through. (I know — shocking.)
I talk about this because when people find out I’m a minister, they usually ask a question that goes something like this: “Do Methodists believe in drinking wine and playing cards at the dance held on Sunday afternoon at the movie theater?” This is not a serious question, but the ones people ask me are just as funny. When someone asks me about a specific “sin,” I usually ask them what they think. You might be surprised to know that people are looking for direction and validation in their lives. I’m amused that they mostly want to know if I’m AGAINST the same things they’re against. Often, in seeking direction and validation for our spiritual position, we join a church where people “think like we do.”
Nonchurch folks define the congregation of Trinity Methodist in two ways: by who attends our church, and by what we are AGAINST. I have a list of jokes to prove my point, but space doesn’t allow me to share them. (You’re welcome.) In church life, the bandwagon is joined as much for what a church is against as for what the church believes. But do you really want anyone defining you by what you’re against?
Now here’s what I want you to hear — and I want you to hear it louder than any bandwagon rolling down the street. I am FOR YOU. I believe God loves you just the way you are — not the “improved,” “cleanedup,” “Sundaybest” version of you, but the real you, the one who sometimes burns the biscuits, loses their patience, and wonders if they’re getting any of this right. You don’t have to do one single thing to earn God’s love. Not one. I believe God wants the best for you — and your “best” doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. God loves you so much that He sent Jesus into the world to show us that love with skin on.
And if you’ve never heard anyone say this plainly, let me be the first: you matter, you are loved, and heaven is not rolling its eyes at you. God is not waiting for you to get your act together — God is already cheering for you, believing in you, and walking with you.
Dr. Kathryne Louise Weferling Rettelle of Shreveport passed away on May 10, 2026, entering into eternal rest in the loving arms of her Savior, Jesus Christ.
Kathryne was a faithful believer whose life was centered on her relationship with the Lord. As a long time member of Rose Park Baptist church, she loved God deeply and lived her life guided by His Word. Her faith was evident in the way she loved her family, extended kindness to others, and carried herself with grace, humility, and strength. She believed in the power of prayer and held firmly to the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Kathryne was deeply gifted in music. She was a violinist with the Shreveport Symphony, the Longview Symphony, the Marshall Symphony, and the Four Seasons String Quartet, sharing her talent and love for music with countless audiences throughout her life. She also taught dance for many years, inspiring and encouraging students through her love of the arts and performance. Kathryne dedicated her professional career to education, first as a teacher, and later as Supervisor of Music for the Caddo Parish School Board, where she influenced and mentored generations of young musicians. She was a woman of dignity, quiet strength, and unwavering devotion. Kathryne dedicated her life to her family and her faith, leading by example and instilling values of respect, discipline, and love. Her presence brought comfort, wisdom, and peace, and her legacy will continue through all who were blessed to know her. She found joy in her church, her family, and the beauty of music and life’s simple blessings. She will be remembered for her gentle spirit, strong faith, and unconditional love. Kathryne was preceded in death by her parents, Walter H. Weferling and Marie Weferling. She is survived by her loving husband, Keith Rettelle; her children, Lisa Davis (Vicki) and Brea Holladay (Jamie); her grandchildren, Ryan Herrington (Kendra), Nathaniel Rettelle, and Trey Zagone; her brother, Walter Weferling; nephews, Trey Weferling and Jason Weferling; and numerous great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
Honoring Kathryne as pallbearers will be Jacob Ezell, Ryan Herrington, Jamie Holladay, Nathaniel Rettelle, Jason Weferling and Trey Zagone. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Blake Johnson, Ty Kirkland and Trey Weferling.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr., Shreveport, Louisiana. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2026 at the funeral home. Burial will take place at Forest Park West Cemetery in Shreveport, Louisiana. Officiating will be Dr. B. J. Maddox.
Kathryne Louise Weferling Rettelle will be deeply missed, forever loved, and eternally remembered.
