Daniel R Kosior, 80, of Plain Dealing passed away peacefully on June 18, 2026 surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Sheila, and his two children Uriah Kosior and Eureeka Kosior as well as 3 grandchildren, Ryder, Jaydin and Harlee. He will be greatly missed by his brother in law and 4 sister in laws.
He was preceded in death by his parents Anthony and Lorraine Kosior as well as a brother James.
Dan was a machinist until his retirement in 2015. He had a great passion for riding Harley Davidsons and rode up until the past few years. He was known for his creativity in his ability to build unique motorcycles as well as many arts/craft work.
There will be no services/memorial service at the family’s request
Paula Jeanette Shaver Whittington, 81, passed away peacefully on June 16, 2026, in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Born on June 29, 1944, in Texarkana, Arkansas, Paula lived a life marked by creativity, faith, dedication, and love for her family. For nearly 50 years, she worked as a hairdresser, building lasting relationships with her clients and earning a reputation for her kindness, talent, and warm spirit. She loved making others feel beautiful and cared for, and many of those she served became lifelong friends.
Paula was a faithful member of the Church of Christ and found comfort and strength in her faith throughout her life.
Outside of her career, Paula enjoyed painting and crocheting. Her creativity was evident in everything she did, and she found joy in sharing her handmade creations and artistic talents with those she loved.
Paula was preceded in death by her late husband, Tyrone D. Whittington; her son, Justin P. Shaver; her mother, Pruda L. Brewer Shaver Luman; her father, James H. Shaver Sr.; her sister-in-law Fern Shaver; and her long time friend, Leon Chreene.
She is survived by her brothers, James “Jim” H. Shaver Jr., Roger “Buddy” Shaver and wife Linda Shaver, Bobby G. Shaver; daughters, Patti E. Whittington and Pamela J. Whittington; her grandchildren, Bailey E. Ebey, Shelby L. Franklin and husband Joseph “Brant” Franklin, Zoe G. Moncla, and Tucker W. Moncla; great grandchildren Caven W. Ebey and Case R. Ebey; as well as numerous extended family members and dear friends who will cherish her memory and carry forward the love she shared throughout her life.
The family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude to the medical professionals, caregivers, and hospice staff who provided compassionate care and comfort during Paula’s final days.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, June 21, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Auld’s Funeral Home in Shreveport, Louisiana.
A graveside service will be held on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Texarkana, Arkansas.
Paula’s kindness, creativity, and unwavering love for her family will be remembered always. Her legacy lives on through the lives she touched, the family she cherished, and the memories that will forever be held close by those who loved her.
A parking dispute between neighbors in Shreveport resulted in the arrest of a local man on a criminal mischief charge, according to the Shreveport Police Department.
Officers responded around 2:30 a.m. June 17 to a disturbance in the 3100 block of Fairfield Avenue involving neighboring residents.
According to police, investigators reviewed video footage that allegedly showed Michael Sides crawling across the hood of a neighbor’s legally parked vehicle after parking too close to open his own driver’s side door. The footage also allegedly showed Sides placing a sign containing derogatory statements over the victim’s license plate.
Police later made contact with Sides and arrested him on one count of criminal mischief.
The victim told officers the dispute had been an ongoing issue between the neighbors.
Authorities reminded residents that parking disagreements should be resolved through communication, property management or other appropriate channels and should not escalate into criminal activity. The incident remains under investigation.
The Bossier City Police Department is recognizing dispatcher Nicole Stevens as she retires after 25 years of service to the department and the community.
Stevens spent a quarter-century serving as a police dispatcher, providing communications support to officers and assisting residents during emergencies and other calls for service.
Department officials praised Stevens for her professionalism, dedication and commitment to public safety throughout her career. As a dispatcher, she served as a vital link between officers in the field and the community, helping coordinate responses to incidents across Bossier City.
The department noted that Stevens’ work behind the scenes played an important role in supporting law enforcement operations and ensuring residents received assistance when needed.
Police officials thanked Stevens for her years of service and wished her a happy retirement filled with good health and time spent with family and friends.
Her retirement marks the conclusion of a 25-year career dedicated to serving the citizens of Bossier City and supporting the mission of the police department.
The Shreveport Police Department announced it will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in West Shreveport on Saturday, June 20, as part of ongoing efforts to deter impaired driving.
The checkpoint is scheduled to begin at approximately 6 p.m. and continue through midnight.
Police officials are urging motorists to make safe transportation arrangements if they plan to consume alcohol, emphasizing the importance of preventing impaired driving crashes and fatalities.
The department also noted that Cpl. Corey Sullivan and Cpl. Darryl Council are expected to participate in the enforcement effort. According to the department, the two officers were recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving as Louisiana’s top DWI enforcement officers for 2025.
Authorities encourage drivers to use a designated driver, rideshare service, taxi or other alternative transportation if they have been drinking.
The checkpoint is part of the department’s ongoing traffic safety initiatives aimed at keeping roadways safe for all motorists.
When we were young whipper-snapper sports writers, it brought us great pleasure to mock the writing techniques of those who had come generations before us. They were good men, but they were never at a loss for a cliché.
“Ducats still available for Porker grid tilt” was one headline and “… toed the slap on the alien humpback” was part of an actual sentence in another Pulitzer Prize winner.
Gold. Pure gold.
(In case you need a translator, football tickets were on sale for an Arkansas Razorbacks’ game and in the other, a player for the visiting team was going to be the starting pitcher.)
Funny thing is, these writers (and it wasn’t just local ones) wouldn’t actually talk like that, and only used those terms when they sat down and banged out a story on their Smith-Corona.
And we loved to laugh at how outdated the terminology was because nobody talks like that.
Well, apparently they do.
With obviously little to do, I have watched way too much college baseball in the last couple of weeks and let me assure you that, thanks to our buddies at ESPN, the cliches are flying around all over the place.
Though they aren’t using terms like “flannelclads” (baseball players) or “initial sack” (first base), there’s a whole new terminology at play at the College World Series.
There used to be the idea that you should present your broadcast so that a third grader could understand it, but I’ve never been one to want it to be dumbed down so much that it borders on absurd (“a force play occurs when…”).
But these guys are often speaking a different language.
To wit (see what I did there?) –
Let’s start with broadcaster names. Better pay attention when they first come on because otherwise you’ll think that Ravy, KP and Burkie are written on their birth certificates. Hey, we know y’all are bros. You don’t have to constantly prove it.
I missed the federal legislation that banned it from being called the pitcher’s mound. It’s now the bump and don’t you forget it. Same goes for home plate; dish will now suffice.
I promise I’d never heard this one a month ago and now it’s on every broadcast: “He has great bat-to-ball skills.” Maybe it’s just me, but I never remember anyone saying Tony Gywnn had “great bat-to-ball skills.” I do remember lots of people saying he was a good hitter. How about we just go with that instead of overtalking?
I’ve seen more than a few baseball games in my time and this “pull side” and “glove side” business is out of control. I gotta admit it’s a little confusing because It makes me stop for a moment to figure out which is which. If a left hander hits a ball down the right field line, I instantly know exactly what means. Tell me it’s “pull side” and I need a half-second to process that. Same deal when a pitcher misses “glove side”; I need a moment for a synapse to fire. You couldn’t just say the ball missed outside?
“They’ve had four free 90s” may not be a bridge too far, but I guarantee there aren’t a whole lot of third graders who can decipher that. In a recent game, one team allowed four players from the other team to reach base in ways that were preventable (walk, error, wild pitch, etc.). A “90” is the distance in feet from one base to the other and when the opposition can advance to the next base in that manner, it’s considered free. Now you know.
I’ve heard home runs called a lot of things (taters, trot shots, dingers, blasts), but I found out a player has three “pumps” in the tournament. I’m going to leave that one alone.
And then there was this, so good that I ran to write it down. In describing a relief pitcher who had just entered the game (and climbed the humpback!) it was said “every now and then he will give you a four or a five.” OK, hang on for a minute and let me think about this. It took me a while, but I finally figured out that it meant he often threw pitches in the low 90s but could get it up to 94 (a four) or 95 (a five) miles per hour. I felt like had just passed a bar exam after that one.
PAR SAVE: Sam Burns acknowledges cheers after sinking a 14-foot par putt Thursday on the par-3 17th hole, his eighth of the first round of the U.S. Open. (Photo by DUSTIN SETLOFT, United States Golf Association)
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Sam Burns entered Thursday’s opening round of the U.S. Open as one of the players expected to contend, and he quickly showed why.
Burns birdied two of his first four holes to jump into the lead among the morning tee times. But he slipped back with three bogeys, carding a 1-over 71 at Shinnecock Hills to stand in a tie for 29th in the 155-man field.
His threesome tees off in the afternoon today, at 12:51 CDT. Seven of the top eight players on the leaderboard played in the afternoon round Thursday, including five who were still on the course when play halted at dusk – led by Wyndham Clark, four shots clear of the rest of the field with a 6-under card and two holes left.
A two-hour fog delay Thursday kept Round 1 from being completed.
A look at his scorecard indicates Burns, the 29-year-old Shreveport native, had a lot going right and ran into trouble on three of the four toughest holes on the course.
He ranked second in the field by hitting 13 of 14 fairways. He found 12 of 18 greens in regulation, 27th overall. Burns stood fifth in strokes gained off the tee with his driving accuracy.
But he was 101st in shots gained on approaches, and 103rd on shots gained in the short game. Burns ranks fourth in putting this season on the PGA Tour, but Shinnecock’s notoriously challenging turtlebacked greens mitigated his strength Thursday. His 31 putts were 97th in the field.
Playing the back nine first, Burns laced his tee shot on the 155-yard 11th hole to six feet and drained the putt to get under par. On the 367th-yard 13th, he sank a 7-footer to get to 2-under.
His first bogey came on the 620-yard 16th, where he had his only three-putt, from 32 feet on a hole that was fourth-toughest to play Thursday.
Burns slipped to even par on the 474-yard fourth hole – the toughest for the field Thursday — after his only missed fairway of the round. He didn’t recover onto the green out of a fairway bunker and two-putted from 18 feet.
The last bogey came on No. 7, a 180-yard par 3 that was third-hardest Thursday, when his tee shot sailed over the green and he two putted from 21 feet.
Defending champion and tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler finished at 2-over 72 Thursday.
Today’s TV coverage is on Peacock throughout the day beginning at 6:30 a.m., with NBC picking up coverage at 1:30.
USA Network will have morning coverage on the weekend rounds with NBC and Peacock taking over at noon each day.
(artwork by CHRIS BROWN, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)
By RAYMOND PARTSCH III, Special to the LSWA
If not for a determined crop-dusting principal, Dewain Strother would have likely spent decades working in lumber mills, instead of becoming one of the winningest girls high school basketball coaches in United States history.
Despite being an all-district guard at Plainview High School for Louisiana High School Athletic Association Hall of Famer O.D. West and helping the Hornets claim the state championship in 1965, Strother had no intentions of going to college.
Raised in the Rapides Parish woods west of Glenmora, Strother firmly believed he was done with schooling upon graduation. Thankfully, Plainview principal Mike Irving had other plans.
“I had been in school for 12 years. That was long enough,” recalled Strother.
During his senior year, Strother wanted to take shop class, but the school had him in English 4. So Irving made him a deal. He could take shop class, but if he messed up, then back to English he would go.
“I left school without permission one day,” Strother said. “I think they were watching me under a magnifying glass. I was put back in that English class. (Irving) then helped register me for Northwestern State, flew me up there in his little four-seat Cessna plane to take a test, and that is how I got up there.”
That would set into motion a storied career, as Strother would lead Florien High School to six state championships, five runner-up finishes, and 21 semifinal appearances. His 1,235 victories are the most by any girls basketball coach in state history, and the second most in the nation.
“It ain’t about me,” Strother said. “It’s about those girls on the floor. They put the work in. They bought into what they needed to do. All the players who have gone through my program are successful. Nurses, police officers, teachers. I am amazed. I am just amazed. They are successful in society.”
Many will be in the audience watching Strother in the spotlight next Saturday evening, June 27, culminating three days of activities celebrating him and the rest of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s 12-person Class of 2026. For participation opportunities and more information, visit LaSportsHall.com or call 318-238-4255.
“It is well deserved,” said former longtime NSU women’s coach James Smith. “I have been hollering for a long time. It is really hard to believe. He can go back to the first game he coached. He still has a scorebook. He still has every book. That’s amazing to me. He is a special coach and a good guy. He gave himself to Florien and girls basketball for a long time.”
Like many young boys in rural Rapides Parish during the 1950s and 60s, Strother fell in love with basketball.
“I always loved the game of basketball,” Strother said. “At home, when we finished our chores, I would go outside and play basketball until mama hollered about supper.”
That love would carry over as he would go to play for West at Plainview, first as a bench player and then as the starting point guard. The lessons that he would utilize in his own coaching career are rooted in the time spent in the small gymnasium at Plainview.
“He basically made sure that we were well-behaved kids, and made the grades, and in the gym, he made sure we were fundamentally sound,” said Strother.
Those lessons were also done in a condensed amount of time, due to the school’s rural location.
“We didn’t practice after school,” Strother said. “We had 30 minutes during gym to work on fundamentals. We didn’t have any way to get home if we practiced after school.”
His on-court career came to a close upon graduation in 1968, but thanks to his principal, he would return to the hardwood in a different capacity, but not before one more detour.
In 1970, Strother married and stepped away from his studies at NSU to provide for his family. It didn’t take long to realize the plywood mill wasn’t for him after all.
“I realized that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in the mill,” Strother said. “My late wife, Charlotte, got a job at Ft. Polk, and her pay took care of everything. She said, ‘Go back and finish school.’ With her support, I went back.”
After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1974, Strother would be hired as an elementary physical ed teacher at Florien, located roughly 40 miles southwest of Natchitoches. He would keep books for the boys team before being asked to begin the girls basketball program in the early 1980s.
It didn’t take long for Strother to mold the Black Cats into one of the state’s best programs. In his second season, the team won the district championship, and then in 1986, they advanced to the semifinals, losing to Starks. Then came a state runner-up finish in 1987 to Starks.
The girls at Florien had bought into his style of “90-foot basketball.”
“The girls saw what we were doing,” Strother said. “It was exciting. The goal for the next year was to get back to state. We went back and made it to the finals. That started everything for us.”
“He was very intense at the time,” said Florien coach Angela Anthony, who played for Strother. “Kids nowadays could not have played for him. We had a good time, but we took care of business. All the girls were 100 percent bought in, and our parents were bought in.”
The seeds had been planted for one of the greatest runs in girls’ basketball history in Louisiana.
Florien claimed its first state championship under Strother in 1989 by rolling Chatham, but the next year lost the title game to Sabine Parish rival Zwolle, 47-35. That championship loss would be the last one for more than a calendar year.
In 1990-91, Florien went 48-0, defeated Holden for the state crown, and was ranked No. 13 in the nation — the perfect season.
Florien would repeat in 1992 by beating Pitkin for the state title, then win the title again in 1993 over Zwolle, and defeat Doyle for the crown in 1994.
In six years, Florien went to six consecutive title games, hoisting the title trophy five times.
“It was amazing,” said Strother’s daughter, Jessica Caroline, who played for her dad. “Florien, it was on the map. Everybody knew about Florien. Everybody knew Dad. Everybody still knows Dad. They will say, ‘he is so amazing, and I wish we had a coach like him.'”
“They always had great players,” James Smith said. “Dewain’s kids were well coached. You weren’t getting kids who were raw and had to teach them everything. They were disciplined and fundamentally sound. They had so many games and practices, and it showed. They just wanted to win. No one intimidated them.”
The key to Strother’s coaching success was humility, as the coach never stopped trying to learn and improve.
“After my first year as head coach, I thought I knew basketball, but I didn’t,” Strother recalled. “You have to find out who the five best players are playing together, not the five best overall. That summer, I went to Bobby Knight’s coaching clinic. I wrote in pad after pad of notes.”
Strother added, “Anytime I got a chance, I went to clinics. Jody Conradt, Dean Smith, Jim Calhoun, and Geno Auriemma. I have seen all of them and listened to them. I educated myself on the game and never looked back.”
“He was always wanting to learn something new,” daughter Caroline said. “The coaches these days are not like they used to be. Even through all of his fussing or screaming on the floor, he was still teaching us something. You don’t get that nowadays.”
Strother retired after the 2022-23 season following a storied career filled with a gym full of accomplishments and even more memories. The legendary coach imagined spending his days playing golf, but that first year, he didn’t play at all due to knee replacement surgery. It didn’t take long for him to have the coaching itch.
This past year, Strother returned to Florien to help his former player, turned assistant coach and then head coach. The Black Cats won 18 games and earned a playoff berth.
“He came back with a vengeance,” Anthony said. “He had rested up for two years, and he was raring to go. They (our girls) got something they weren’t expecting to get.”
“I truly enjoyed it,” Strother said. “My whole demeanor had changed because I felt useful again. It is great to be back.”
Strother is back where he was destined to be — on the hardwood of a small high school gymnasium.
John Brennan Hussey died peacefully on June 15, 2026, after a brief illness.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 26th at Osborn Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church on Saturday, June 27, 2026, with John’s nephew, Fr. Robert “Bob” M. Hussey, SJ officiating. Burial will follow at Forest Park Cemetery. Honorary pallbearers will be Roger N. Ennis, F. Dean Griffen, M.D., Charles C. Grubb, Don E. Jones, John M. Madison, Jr, Keith “Dee” Peterson and Mandel C. Selber, Jr.
John B. Hussey was born on May 29, 1934, and was a lifelong Shreveport resident. He was a lawyer since 1958. Before becoming Mayor, he was a partner in Smitherman, Lunn, Hussey & Chastain law firm. He served two terms as the Mayor of the City of Shreveport from 1982-1990 and was a member of the first Shreveport City Council from 1978-1982 and served as Chairman of the City Council in 1980.
John was predeceased by his wife, Emily “Mimi” Wile Hussey, with whom he was married for 54 years; his parents, John B. and Inez D. Hussey; his brothers, Robert Gregory (Greg) Hussey and Dennis M. (Denny) Hussey. John is survived by his sons, D. Brennan Hussey (Ellen) of Shreveport and John E. Hussey of El Dorado Hills, CA and grandchildren, Duncan J. Hussey, Edward B. Hussey (Haley), Emily H. Hitscherich (Andrew), J.T. Hussey and Tyler B. Hussey; his sister, Katherine (Kay) H. Frederickson, brother, Roger E. Hussey and sisters-in-law, Siesel W. Maibach (Howard) and Sandra M. Hussey, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
John’s friend, Mayor Tom Arceneaux, who served on the Shreveport City Council during Mayor Hussey’s two terms as Mayor, recently stated:
“Mayor Hussey’s time in office stands as a testament to the importance of civic leadership grounded in compassion, vision, and a genuine desire to improve the lives of citizens. He leaves behind a legacy of service and lasting reminder that public office is a calling to serve others and strengthen the community we call home.”
Some of John B. Hussey’s accomplishments as Mayor are as follows. He initiated one of the largest construction programs in the city’s history, in spite of the area’s lagging economy. Major street construction included the Fant Parkway North and South, Pines Road, Kingston Road, and many others. Extensive drainage improvements were constructed during his administration. During his time as Mayor, many park improvements were made including Betty Virginia Park, Southern Hills Park, David Raines Park, C.C. Antoine Park, East Kings Highway Park, Bickham Dickson Park, and others. He constructed major water and sewer facilities, including the expansion of the Amiss Water Treatment Plant and the Lucas and M.L. King Wastewater Treatment Plants, as well as the Woolworth Landfill and Fair Grounds Field. He began the 911 Emergency telephone system and initiated the city’s Emergency Ambulance System. He instituted the economic development program known as the Mount Auburn Study, which led to creation of the Biomedical Research Foundation and the Government Procurement Program, which assists local small businesses.
Under Mayor Hussey’s direction, the City of Shreveport hosted its 1985 Sesquicentennial. On July 1, 2025, he was the Grand Honoree at the Celebrate Downtown Legacy at the Chamber of Commerce, hosted by his friend, Cedric B. Glover, Executive Director of the Shreveport Downtown Development Authority and former Mayor, and emceed by his friends, Mark and Mike Mangham of Twin Blends.
John served as President of the Louisiana Council of Mayors and was a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Economic Development, the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry, and the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Municipal Association.
John attended Sewanee Military Academy for the last three years of high school where he was a standout diver; he won the 1-meter diving (national) title at the 1951 and 1952 AAU Championships. He attended the University of North Carolina, where he was the Atlantic Coast Conference Diving champion (1-meter) in 1954 and 1955, and sports editor of the Daily Tar Heel newspaper. He was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He graduated from LSU Law School in 1958, earning a J.D. degree. At LSU he was managing editor of the LSU Law Review.
John was active in community activities. He was elected to the Southfield School Hall of Fame. He served on the Board of Directors of numerous local civic associations, including the Biomedical Research Foundation, Christus Schumpert Hospital, the Catholic Diocese of Shreveport, the River City Repertory Theater, the Shreveport Bar Association, the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, Shreveport Association for the Blind, Southfield School, and others. In 1999 he was named recipient of the Humanitarian Award presented by the National Council of Christians and Jews; his wife, Mimi, had previously received the same award.
John served as an officer in the U.S. Infantry and was a Captain in the Army Reserves. He held a private pilot’s license and was a member of the Civil Air Patrol.
John was a voracious reader, and loved golf, playing from his teens until he was in his eighties. Most of all, John cherished his family and the time he spent with them.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of William “Bill” Gene Fann, age 83, who passed away peacefully on June 5, 2026. Born on January 15, 1943, in Gurdon, Arkansas. Bill was the son of the late Earl and Gladys Fann (nee Angle) of Gurdon, Arkansas.
Bill was a devoted husband, loving father, caring stepfather, proud grandfather, and cherished great-grandfather. He was known for his honesty, kindness, strong work ethic, and unwavering love for his family. His gentle spirit and generous heart touched the lives of all who knew him.
A proud veteran, Bill served his country honorably in the United States Air Force. Following his military service, He dedicated 35 years of service to General Motors before retiring. Throughout his career, he earned the respect of his coworkers through his dedication, integrity, and commitment to excellence.
More than anything, Bill treasured time spent with his family. He took great pride in the accomplishments of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and enjoyed creating lasting memories with those he loved. Bill loved to play pool, fish, hunt, gardening and never missed a chance to root on his favorite teams-the St. Louis Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints. Bill enjoyed going to the American Legion Post 14-the camaraderie there was so great and they always had his special place to sit.
He leaves behind his beloved wife, Adele B. Fann; his children, Sally J. (Bob) Kelley and Jackie A. Cayton and stepchildren Kara R. (Duke) Lowrie, James L. (Elizabeth) Herriage, Heath R. (Christina) Herriage, Joel “Sonny” Fann, and Callie;13 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends who will miss him dearly. He was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings Donald Fann, Louis Fann, Robert Fann and Barbara Anderson.
Though our hearts are heavy with loss, we find comfort in the love he shared, the values he instilled, and the countless lives he touched. His memory will remain in our hearts forever. A Memorial service will be held at The American Legion Post 14 on Sunday, July 12, 2026 from 2-4 P.M. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation The American Legion Post 14. https://post14.org
“Those we love don’t go away; they walk beside us every day.”
“Well, I found myself seated in a horrid little private box … I looked out from behind the curtain and surveyed the house. It was a tawdry affair, all Cupids and cornucopias, like a third-rate wedding-cake.” —Oscar Wilde
Any trip there carries with it more than its share of drabness, tawdry hotels and second-rate service, all of which tax the forbearance of the most patient traveler. —John F. Burns
morally sordid, base, or distasteful
a tawdry scandal a tawdry love affair a tawdry attempt to smear his opponent
Setting aside the tawdry manner in which his marriage had (publicly) unraveled, the mayor’s combative style had begun to grate on many New Yorkers. —Jonathan Mahler
The Caddo Parish Grand Jury returned a single indictment during its session that concluded Tuesday, June 16.
Jonathan Wesley Rachal, 38, of Shreveport, was indicted on one count of first-degree rape and two counts of molestation of a juvenile.
Rachal is currently being held at the Caddo Correctional Center, where he was booked on March 6. Bond has been set at $1 million on the first-degree rape charge and $500,000 on each of the molestation charges.
Due to the nature of the allegations, the indictment has been filed under seal. No additional information has been released.
An indictment is a formal accusation and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Caddo Parish School Board approved a 6 percent across-the-board pay raise for district employees as part of its 2026-27 budget during its meeting Tuesday night.
The salary increase will take effect July 1 and applies to employees across the district, including teachers, support staff, administrators, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, maintenance personnel, office staff, and other district employees.
School officials said the raise represents an investment in the workforce that supports students and school operations throughout Caddo Parish.
The pay increase was included in the district’s 2026-27 operating budget, which received approval from the board during the meeting.
District leaders noted that the increase is intended to recognize the contributions of employees who serve students and families across the parish each day.
Shriners Children’s Shreveport has been awarded a $50,000 Competitive Grant from the Community Foundation of North Louisiana, with funding made possible in part through the Rubye Moss Ratcliff Fund.
The grant will support the hospital’s Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS) department, which provides custom braces and prosthetic limbs for children receiving specialized care.
According to the Community Foundation, the award is part of its 2026 competitive grant cycle and reflects ongoing philanthropic efforts made possible through donor-established funds. The Rubye Moss Ratcliff Fund honors the legacy of Shreveport native Rubye Moss Ratcliff, an artist whose estate has contributed millions in charitable support to organizations across the region.
Shriners Children’s Shreveport noted that the funding will help enhance services that directly impact children and families in need of orthopedic and prosthetic care.
The grant continues a long-standing partnership between the Community Foundation and local healthcare providers working to expand access to specialized pediatric treatment across Northwest Louisiana.
IN FOCUS: Calvary Baptist graduate Sam Burns is among the golfers expected to contend beginning early this morning at the U.S. Open.
Burns appears primed to contend at U.S. Open
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
He was right there last year, leading on the back nine in the final round of the U.S. Open.
After a rotten ruling from a U.S.G.A. rules official forcing him to play from apparent standing water on the 15th fairway, fortune turned for Sam Burns.
He struggled home on a soggy Oakmont Country Club course, shooting 3-over on the last four holes, in rainy conditions, and wound up tied for 7th.
The top 10 was no fluke. In 2024, the former LSU All-American finished tied for ninth at the national championship.
Today he tees off in the 2026 edition, at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, N.Y., hoping to be in the mix again.
Burns, 29, is in the very early wave of starters, going off the 10th tee at 6:41 a.m. with Englishman Tyrrell Hatton and Si Woo Kim of Korea.
The native Shreveporter is among a group of players who many golf analysts expect to contend – not only based on his recent play at the Open, but his recent play this season.
He has two top 10 finishes in the past couple months, in strong fields: seventh at The Masters, his best showing at Augusta, and fourth two weeks ago at The Memorial, when he was tied for the lead on the 17th tee.
Burns, who now lives in Choudrant and plays out of Squire Creek Country Club there, has five top 20 finishes in his last 10 starts. He is 29th in the Official World Golf Rankings with $3.5 million in 2026 earnings.
Golf Digest writer Keith Stewart ranked the entire 156-man field and put Burns at No. 7. The only players ahead of him: Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Young, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, and Scottie Scheffler – who turns 30 Sunday and can complete the career Grand Slam if he wins.
“If you know ball, then you’re aware of his recent success at the U.S. Open. One of two guys in the field with back-to-back top-10s in our national championship, Burns had a slow weekend in Canada, but I wouldn’t take that as an alarm. Instead, I would be looking at the T-7 at Augusta, a T-13 at TPC Sawgrass and a solid showing (T-26) at the PGA,” wrote Stewart.
Neil Parker of Covers cites Burns’ recent play and particularly improvement in his play on approaches and around the green. Burns leads the U.S. Open field in true strokes gained putting, and Parker notes “elite work on the greens will be (a) Shinnecock separator.”
Today’s TV coverage is on USA Network beginning at 6:30 a.m.
Friday, coverage shifts to Peacock throughout the day beginning at 6:30, with NBCSN streaming from 6:30-1:30 and NBC picking up coverage at 1:30.
USA Network will have morning coverage on the weekend rounds with NBC and Peacock taking over at noon each day.
Burns made his U.S. Open professional debut at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, finishing in a 41st place tie.
WEIGHING OPTIONS: Thomas Allen has attracted immediate interest from top college baseball programs after announcing his departure from Louisiana Tech after an outstanding freshman season. (Photo courtesy Louisiana Tech Athletics)
Benton’s Allen will parlay spectacular freshman season at Tech into portal dollars
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
Good news and bad news can be the same thing in college sports.
Thank the new paradigm of the transfer portal. Your player gets recognized for a very good season? Wonderful. The other extreme? Whether prompted from other schools, or a sudden recognition of possible new opportunities that would logically include NIL potential for quite significant money, the player decides to try to climb the ladder.
The latest case with local interest unfolded when Benton product Thomas Allen announced he was leaving Louisiana Tech and was shopping for a new college baseball program on X, a couple of days before he received second-team Freshman All-America honors Monday from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Allen’s post caught Bulldog fans by surprise – “shock” was a word bandied about in media reports.
In this instance, Allen was on the radar of Power 4 programs before the Freshman All-America news broke. Wednesday, reports indicated a visit to Arkansas is already booked, doubtless with more to follow.
The right-hander swiftly rose as one of Tech’s top bullpen arms in his first season. He made 19 appearances, 18 in relief, posting a 3.54 ERA and a 5-3 record through 48.1 innings on the mound. He punched out 49 batters and opponents were held to just a .195 average at the plate. His five saves were the second-most on the team and tied for the sixth-most in Conference USA.
Allen’s .192 opposing batting average against CUSA opponents is the lowest average by a Bulldog pitcher since Tech joined the conference. His four saves in league play tied for the sixth-most by a Bulldog against league opponents, along with his 24 hits in CUSA play being the second-least recorded by a Tech pitcher.
“I want to thank the coaching staff, my teammates, and everyone at Louisiana Tech for giving me the opportunity to grow as a player this year,” Allen posted on social media. “I am incredibly grateful for my time in Ruston and appreciate all the support I have received. After much thought, prayer, and conversations with my family, I have decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal with three years of eligibility remaining.”
Tech coach Lane Burroughs had previously stated plans to move Allen into his weekend rotation for 2027. Now he’ll have to replace him.
Much the same scenario unfolded after this season at Northwestern State, where left-hander Brody Trosclair was named Southland Conference Freshman of the Year, then entered the portal. He visited Arkansas, Auburn, Florida and LSU before picking Tennessee. He told Baton Rouge radio host Matt Moscona he was going to the highest bidder.
Trosclair shined for the Demons with a 5-1 record and a 1.89 ERA in 10 appearances and four starts. The Thibodaux High product struck out 55 in 38 innings of work, walking 11. Opponents tallied a .222 batting average against him. He allowed just eight extra base hits.
Trosclair made the All-Southland Conference first team after he was unscored upon in his first five relief appearances and did not allow an earned run in 13.2 innings of relief work.
He suffered a season-ending injury in April and had elbow surgery, and is anticipating a return to the mound next March.
Like Allen, he’s moved on from a solid mid-major program into the big-time NIL world.
Oh Henry! An incomparable track & field coaching career is only part of former LSU coach’s legacy
Texas A&M announced the retirement of legendary track coach Pat Henry Wednesday.
I first met Coach Henry in the Provo, Utah airport. I think it was the summer of 1987. I was in Provo for the Junior Olympics. Henry, who had just been hired by LSU, was there recruiting for the Tigers. He would spend the next 17 years of his coaching career in Baton Rouge.
During that time, Henry-coached LSU teams won 27 NCAA championships and 16 SEC championships while producing dozens of Olympians. The peak Henry years at LSU were in 1989 and 1990 when Henry became the first coach in history to lead both men’s and women’s teams to NCAA championships in the same year — 1989. He did it again next season.
The dynasty he built in Baton Rouge earned him induction in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. As he ends a 54-year coaching career, Henry is on anybody’s Mount Rushmore of collegiate track coaches, having done great things at three programs – Blinn Community College, LSU and with the Aggies.
He left LSU for Texas A&M saying that he wanted a “new challenge.” While I don’t remember the details of the departure, I know that Henry wanted championship facilities and the leadership at LSU was not willing to give the program (or Henry) the resources or compensation he desired and deserved. So he left.
During his tenure at Texas A&M, Henry won 10 more NCAA championships. Six of those national championships came in 2009, 2010, and 2011 when–once again–Henry led his teams to both the girls and boys NCAA titles in the same year.
Most major college track and field teams concentrate on winning championships — as they should, but Henry also used his platform in College Station to grow the sport. One of the ways he did this is by hosting track and field camps at Texas A&M.
I took my daughter to these camps where she was coached by Texas A&M throws coaches like Juan De Le Garza and Texas A&M athletes. When we went to leave, I took Caitlin to meet him.
He told her how instrumental her grandfather was to the sport of track and field in Louisiana.
When longtime LSU Track & Field Officials Association member — and C.E. Byrd 1960s track star — Stewart Blue was dying of cancer a few years ago, Henry took the entire Texas &M track and field team on a bus to Blue’s house in Lafayette to pay him a visit. Special stuff.
My daughter’s senior year at Byrd, she qualified for the Texas Relays. We were sitting in the stands watching the meet and Henry just walked past us and down to the rail to coach one of his athletes from the stands at Memorial Stadium. I didn’t say anything to him while he was coaching, I just watched and listen. I knew that I was in the presence of greatness. When he was done, I went up and said hello.
When Henry talked to you, he had a way of making you feel like you were the most important person in the world. I know that was the case with every encounter I’ve had with him over the years — from that very first brief introduction in the Provo airport.
If you look up Class Act in the encyclopedia, I have no doubt you will find a picture of Pat Henry there.
(Portrait by CHRIS BROWN, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)
LSU’s John Brady was making connections for his future before he even knew he had one
By GLENN GUILBEAU, Written for the LSWA
Former LSU men’s basketball coach John Brady wanted to be a coach back when he was at McComb High in the early 1970s.
But little did he know that the contacts he would make by chance would lead to the promised land of the 2006 Final Four, induction into the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame last fall, the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame last May and now, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches.
Brady is part of a 12-member Class of 2026 going into the LSHOF to culminate three days of festivities Thursday, June 25-Saturday, June 27, with seven events (six in Natchitoches, bowling in Alexandria). For participation information, visit LaSportsHall.com or call 318-238-4255.
For example, how would he have known that the Hattiesburg High guard who defended him in high school games and in junior high – Tim Floyd – would become a college head coach and one day hire him?
Or how he happened to catch on with Mississippi State basketball coach Kermit Davis as a graduate assistant and become friends with Kermit Davis Jr., who would later become his top assistant coach at LSU and a lifelong friend.
Or that one of his best friends in his early 20s would happen to be the son of Joe “String Music” Dean of SEC basketball television fame, a Converse shoes marketing executive who would one day become LSU’s athletic director — and would hire Brady as the Tigers’ basketball coach.
“I’m telling you, the dominoes were falling, and I didn’t even know what was going on,” Brady said. “I had no idea. It’s crazy now.”
There were also coaching mentors he would learn from, such as his McComb High coach, Bobby Nelson, and his college coach at Belhaven in Jackson – Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame coach Charlie Rugg.
And the head coaches he would learn more from as an assistant – like Kermit Davis as a grad assistant at Mississippi State (1976-77) and as an assistant under Bob Boyd at Mississippi State (1982-86), Richard Williams at Mississippi State (1986-90) and Floyd at UNO (1990-91).
From each, he learned similar old school fundamentals.
“Bobby Nelson is a great guy and had a big influence on me,” Brady said. “Charlie Rugg was at Belhaven and had a huge influence on me. I always thought about coaching when I was playing, because it was the only thing I really felt comfortable as far as what I was going to do.”
But he had to get the jobs first.
So, after graduating from Belhaven with a business degree in 1976, Brady enrolled at Mississippi State for a master’s degree in education to coach. He sent a resume and letter to coach Kermit Davis, who hired him. There he met Joe Dean Jr., who had just finished playing at State and was a graduate assistant.
“Joe Dean Jr. and I became best friends,” Brady said. “I used to go home with Joe on weekends to Baton Rouge and hang out at his house with his dad. It’s amazing how that all worked.”
Soon, Joe Dean Sr. was the star of Brady’s resume.
“It changed my life,” Brady said. “Joe Dean was the Converse shoe man. He knew everybody. My connection with Kermit and his dad changed my life, too. That all played a huge part in me coming to LSU.”
But first, Dean helped Brady land the coaching job at Crowley High in 1977. Brady won at Crowley and was named the Louisiana Sports Writers’ Association Class AAA coach of the year in 1981.
“He embraced a collegiate blueprint as though we were in college,” said James Moore, who played on Crowley’s 1980-81 team. “He put Crowley on the map. He promoted his teams all over Crowley at grocery stores, churches, businesses.”
Brady also attended many LSU basketball games as coach Dale Brown took the Tigers to an SEC title in 1979, the Elite Eight in 1980 and the Final Four in 1981.
Brown recruited Crowley, and so did that Hattiesburg guy, Tim Floyd, a Don Haskins assistant at Texas-El Paso who recruited Crowley forwards Jerome Batiste and Greg Lazard.
“I went over there for players and ended up finding one of the greatest hires I ever made,” Floyd said. “I suggested to coach Haskins we hire him.”
But Brady instead returned to Mississippi State to coach under Boyd, who was USC’s coach from 1967-79 and a nemesis of UCLA legend John Wooden. The two players came with Brady to State. Neither stayed, but Brady did and learned with fellow assistants Richard Williams and Larry Eustachy, who would become head coaches.
“Bob Boyd taught me how to communicate the game to players,” Brady said. “Bob was the best communicator I’ve ever been around in terms of details in his teaching. And he held players accountable.”
When Boyd retired in 1986, Williams replaced him and kept Brady. Brady later moved to UNO to coach under Floyd in 1990-91.
“Tim reiterated what I always believed in — defending without fouling, rebounding, taking care of the ball, getting a quality shot,” Brady said.
After one season with Floyd, Brady got the head coaching job at Samford in Birmingham, Alabama, over bigger names like Mark Gottfried and Matt Doherty. Why? Dean.
“Joe Dean helped me get every job I ever had,” Brady said.
Brady quickly turned around Samford, which was coming off six straight single-digit-win seasons. Brady went 17-10 in his first season and won back-to-back Trans America West titles in 1996 and ‘97.
“That place was asleep,” then-Birmingham News columnist Kevin Scarbinsky said. “I remember John counted the number of people at his first game. It was in the low hundreds. He vowed that he was going to fill the building, and eventually he did.”
Brady never took Samford to the NCAA Tournament, but he did become Cinderella on Dec. 2, 1996. Boyd was an assistant on LSU’s staff at the time and had warned Brown.
“You better be ready,” Boyd said. “That SOB could come in here and cut us up.”
And Samford won, 53-50.
Brown had announced before the season that the 1996-97 season – his 25th – would be his last. And Brady struck while the victory was still hot. He called Dean the next day.
“I want to be the next basketball coach at LSU,” he said.
“John, I love you like a son,” Dean said. “But I can’t hire you at LSU from Samford.”
Brady said to keep him in mind anyway.
At this time, the NCAA was investigating LSU over its recruitment of star Baton Rouge forward Lester Earl. And one-by-one, the top candidates removed themselves. It came down to Ole Miss coach Rob Evans or Brady.
“If Rob doesn’t take it, I’m sending the plane to pick you up,” Dean told Brady.
“I was pumped. I didn’t care if they were going on 10-year probation,” Brady said. “And I got the call.”
But Brady took over a program coming off four straight losing seasons, too.
“I talked to him the night before he went down there,” Scarbinsky said. “And he told me he could get LSU to the Final Four. He had such confidence.”
But not many players. He inherited seven, but three quit during his first team meeting.
“Any ideas?” Brady asked assistant coach and old friend Kermit Davis Jr.
“Yeah,” Davis said. “Let’s not have any more team meetings.”
Brady had losing seasons in 1997-98 and 1998-99. Then the NCAA sanctions hit and LSU lost six scholarships through 2002. Still Brady and assistants Butch Pierre and Davis signed one of the top players in the country in Shreveport forward Stromile Swift. As a sophomore in 1999-2000, he led LSU to the Sweet 16 with a 28-6 finish and first SEC title since 1991 at 12-4.
“I appreciate you coach,” Swift told Brady at a 25-year reunion of that team in Baton Rouge as both choked up. “I needed a coach like you. He was a tough coach, and he made us better.”
Once the sanctions stopped, LSU returned to NCAA Tournaments in 2003 and ’05 before a magical 2005-06 when the Tigers won another SEC title at 14-2 and reached the school’s first Final Four since 1986 and finished 27-9.
“I didn’t like John Brady at first,” Brown said just recently. “But I grew to admire and respect him as a coach and a man. He did a wonderful job with his Final Four team and really should’ve got to coach longer. I’m proud of him.”
Floyd felt the same way.
“I always respected his journey. He didn’t take any shortcuts,” he said. “His greatest strength was holding great players to a standard and making them accountable.”
He got that from Boyd.
“He was not afraid to be direct with his players. He coached with his gut. And accountability was everything to him,” Floyd said.
The magic quickly ended, though, as Brady fell to 17-15 and 5-11 in the SEC in 2006-07. He was fired midway through 2007-08 at 8-13 and 1-6 in the SEC. Never mind that his best player – forward Tasmin Mitchell – was lost for virtually all of the season with a leg injury. Center Chris Johnson also missed seven games with a broken hand.
“And 18 months before he was at the Final Four? You’ve got to be kidding me,” Floyd said, still angry 18 years later. “His best player was out. I didn’t agree with the firing at all.”
Brady quickly got another job at Arkansas State for the next season and won two Sun Belt Conference West titles before retiring in 2016.
He received a third SEC championship ring from LSU a year after he left in 2009. Trent Johnson, the coach who replaced him at LSU, thought it only fair as Johnson won the SEC
in his first season with Mitchell, Johnson and other top players left by Brady, such as guard Marcus Thornton and Temple, playing major roles.
“Tasmin and Garrett might have asked him to do that, but he did it,” Brady said. “And I really appreciated it.”
Brady would get one more SEC title ring when coach Will Wade won the league in 2019 with Brady as the LSU Radio Network game analyst, where he remains as Wade returns.
“So, I got four and only won two,” he laughed. “I didn’t leave LSU all mad. And coming back to do radio helped my legacy by people seeing me in a different light. It’s helped me go to this nice place with LSU people now, which I’m blown away by. I’m just so humbled by it and these Halls of Fame. I’m a lucky guy.”
Debra Sue Farmer, 73, of Shreveport, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on June 8, 2026.
Born on April 3, 1953, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Debra was a lifelong resident of the city she loved. She was the fifth of seven children born to Mary Tew and V.L. Alwhite. Debra attended Fair Park High School, where she later met and married Phillip Farmer.
She is survived by her son, Paul Jones; her daughters, Kendall Farmer and Stephanie Farmer; sisters Vicky Wooley and Terry Shaw; and many other loving family members and friends who will cherish her memory. She was preceded in death by her son, Greg Farmer; her sister, Patricia Alwhite; her sister, Shirley Mayo; her brother, Jack Alwhite; and her sister, Cindy Tew.
Debra enjoyed spending time fishing whenever she could and never met a stranger. She was known for her caring heart, often helping those who were sick or in need. She loved cooking for family and friends and was frequently heard singing old hymns that reflected her deep faith. Debra never turned anyone away and lived life on her own terms with strength, independence, and determination.
Her faith in Jesus Christ was the foundation of her life. She knew Him as her Lord and Savior and held firmly to a faith that could move mountains. Those who knew Debra will remember her kindness, loyalty, honesty, and unwavering love for others.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, June 19, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at Aulds Funeral Home, 7849 Kings Highway, Shreveport, Louisiana.
Debra was a kind and hardworking woman who left a lasting impression on everyone she met. Though she could be fiercely loyal and candid in her opinions, her love for family and friends was undeniable. When remembering Debra, may we hold close the laughter, love, and special moments she shared with us. She would have wanted it that way.
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
