The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office is accepting donations for its eighth annual Thanksgiving Food Drive benefiting the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana. Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. has set a goal of more than 4,000 pounds of nonperishable food to help families facing food insecurity in the region. Donations are accepted through Nov. 19 at seven CPSO locations, including the Caddo Correctional Center, the Caddo Courthouse/Tax Department, Sheriff’s Safety Town, the Regional Training Academy and three substations. Most-needed items include canned meat, peanut butter, dried beans and rice, pasta, canned vegetables and fruit, boxed cereal, oatmeal or grits, and flour or sugar in bags of 5 pounds or less. Glass containers are not accepted. For information, contact CPSO Media Relations at (318) 681-0666.
Speaker Johnson Makes Surprise Visit to Natchitoches Natchitoches Parish Journal
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson made a surprise visit to Natchitoches on Saturday, stopping at Merci Beaucoup to speak with supporters and civic leaders about national issues and the upcoming midterm elections. Johnson, who represents Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District, used the occasion to discuss national policy and add levity to his remarks. The visit is part of a broader tour of congressional districts ahead of the midterms. Johnson has made previous stops in Natchitoches, including a town hall appearance and a keynote address at a Community Memorial Day commemoration.
Shongaloo Man Killed; Suspect in Custody Webster Parish Journal
A Shongaloo man is dead and a woman is in custody following a Sunday evening shooting in Webster Parish. Earl Benson was killed at a residence in the 1300 block of Highway Alt. 2 in Shongaloo after shots were reported at about 5:53 p.m. Webster Parish Sheriff’s investigators arrested Lacy Mann, also of Shongaloo, approximately 19 minutes later. Early information indicates the two are family members. Sheriff Jason Parker said the investigation is in its early stages and charges will be filed after interviews with the suspect.
Shreve Memorial Library Kicks Off TeenTober Shreve Memorial Library
Caddo Parish teens are invited to discover library resources during Shreve Memorial Library’s annual TeenTober celebration throughout October. The nationwide program, hosted by libraries each October, promotes teen services, new skills and year-round library engagement. At the West Shreveport Branch, 4380 Pines Road, teens may visit any time in October to explore the Teen Section and add original stories to a branch display using more than 200 writing prompts spanning fantasy, humor, mystery and more. No sign-up or set program time is required. For information about TeenTober programs and ongoing teen services, visit shreve-lib.org.
Week 6 of the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s annual High School Football Pick ’Em contest is underway, giving local fans another chance to test their gridiron knowledge and win cash.
Each week, the contest features 10 selected matchups highlighting Bossier and Caddo high schools and marquee regional games. The second round of competition concludes Friday, Oct. 9, so make your selections before kickoff to get in the game.
Each weekly winner will take home $100 and be featured with a photo in the Journal.
Participants can submit their picks online through the SBJ platform throughout the season to see who truly reigns as the top football prognosticator in Bossier and Caddo Parishes.
Opens in a new tab.
Contest Rules & Details
Anyone is eligible to participate for free, and each week’s winning participant will win a $100 prize. Each week, the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 10 selected high school football games. Ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two designated weekly contests. The picker with the closest score, without going over, is the winner. All decisions by Management/SBJ are final. The contest can be modified and/or cancelled without notice to the public.
The only persons not eligible to participate are the publisher, the publisher’s immediate family, and regular content contributors to the Journal as determined by Management/SBJ.
There is no entry fee. All contest decisions by Journal management are final. Weekly winners will be notified on Mondays and must agree to have their photo published in the Journal.
Every participant receives a free subscription to the Journal, delivered directly to their inbox daily at 6:55 a.m.
BPCC Launch Internship-to-Employment Pathway for Criminal Justice Students Bossier Parish Community College
The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Bossier Parish Community College have launched an internship-to-employment program that places second-year BPCC criminal justice students at the Caddo Correctional Center. Students selected by BPCC remain enrolled in the college throughout the internship and receive a combination of in-person and online training, with CPSO providing orientation, supervision, and performance monitoring. The first course began Oct. 7. Students who complete the program, graduate from BPCC, and meet all hiring requirements are guaranteed employment as Caddo Parish corrections deputies, with a commitment of at least two years of service. Participants receive a stipend and partial tuition support, and hired graduates may later be assigned to patrol, investigations, or school resource officer positions. “We are looking for people who want to serve,” said Sheriff Henry L. Whitehorn, Sr. BPCC Chancellor Dr. Rick Bateman Jr. called the agreement “the kind of strategic partnership that strengthens education.”
Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office Offers October Youth Diversion Classes for Pre-Teens and Teens Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office
The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office is offering two free youth diversion sessions in October for pre-teens and teens who may face challenges including peer pressure, behavioral issues, substance abuse, or exposure to gun violence. Sessions run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Community Relations and Crime Prevention Office, 1501 Corporate Drive, Shreveport. The program uses education, discussion, and mentorship to teach responsible decision-making and positive relationships. Parents and guardians interested in enrolling a child may contact Deputy Vernita Williams at 318-681-0869.
Shreve Memorial Library Hosts Graphix Week for Youth Across Caddo Parish Shreve Memorial Library
Shreve Memorial Library is inviting children and teens to celebrate Graphix Week from Oct. 13 through Oct. 23 at branches throughout Caddo Parish. Free programs will give young people a chance to explore graphic novels, comic books and manga while creating their own comic strips and characters. Events coincide with Scholastic’s annual Teach Graphix Week, recognized Oct. 19–23. All programs are free and open to the public; supplies are provided. Registration may be required for some sessions. A full schedule of branch locations and program times is available through Shreve Memorial Library.
Two Shreveport Artists with Natchitoches Roots Accepted for French Artist Residency Shreveport Regional Arts Council
Documentary photographer Debra Roberson, a 1985 Natchitoches Central High School graduate, and her spouse, writer and poet Mary Dumars, have been accepted to the Chateau D’Orquevaux artist residency in Orquevaux, France, scheduled for July 22 through Aug. 4, 2027. Both are roster artists with the Shreveport Regional Arts Council. The residency, located in the Champagne-Ardenne region, accepts 20 artists from around the world for each session. Roberson plans to photograph structures, landscapes and people while also collaborating with Dumars on poems and short stories. Dumars plans to work on a themed poetry collection, short stories and a new novel drawing on research into an order of French nuns who traveled to Louisiana to open a school. Both artists maintain family ties to Natchitoches Parish. Following the residency, they plan to exhibit the work created in France at the SRAC Artstation in Shreveport, with Roberson also hoping to show at the NSU Hanchey Gallery. “I love Natchitoches and its history,” Roberson said. “I am honored to get this opportunity to represent Natchitoches on the other side of the world!”
Caddo Correctional Center Featured in Season 7 of JAIL, Now Streaming Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office
Season 7 of JAIL, produced by Langley Productions, the creators of COPS, premiered Saturday, Oct. 3, with an inside look at the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and the deputies and corrections staff who work inside the parish correctional system. The season is available simultaneously on several major streaming platforms including Roku, Prime Video, Sony PlayStation and VIZIO, as well as through free, ad-supported streaming services.
INSTANT IMPACT: Class of 2026 Airline product Kenny Darby has emerged as an SEC Freshman of the Year possibility with a breakout beginning for Kentucky, including an SEC season-best 12 catches in the Wildcats’ comeback win at South Carolina last Saturday. (Photo courtesy UK Athletics)
By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports
There were a lot of hacked off members of the Airline football community last year when LSU rescinded its scholarship offer to Vikings wide receiver Kenny Darby once Lane Kiffin took over as head coach.
You know who wasn’t one of those people?
Kenny Darby.
“I wouldn’t say I was crushed,” Darby said. “I just felt that God was taking me on a different path.”
That path ended up in Lexington, Ky., and not only is Darby a member of the Kentucky Wildcats football team, he’s become one of their top offensive weapons for a team off to a surprising 4-1 start.
A lot of people might be surprised by that. You know who isn’t one of those people?
Airline coach Juston Scogin.
“Not at all,” he said. “It may be a little surprising how quick it’s happened. I always knew he had the ability. I knew he was going to play soon but I didn’t think he’d have this much success so quickly.”
There’s certainly been plenty of it.
Darby caught a touchdown pass in his first college game, had another in front of 105,000 at Texas A&M and then took it up a few notches last week. Playing against South Carolina, Darby was a major part of a comeback from a 17-0 deficit as the Wildcats won 35-34 in overtime.
He had 12 catches – the most in a game by an SEC receiver this year – for 96 yards and a touchdown.
And look who is coming to town Saturday night – the LSU Tigers, the team Darby thought he would be playing for at this time last year.
Darby said he doesn’t give it much thought other than it’s the next game on the Wildcats schedule.
Scogin points to that as a sign of his former player’s maturity.
“He’s grown up so much in large parts to his family,” he said. “His mom is such a good person and she’s always been there for him. He has handled that (LSU’s decision) very well. Probably better than I did.”
Once LSU moved in a different direction, Darby didn’t waste any time in finding a new school due to his relationship with another LSU expatriate.
During the recruiting process, Darby had a strong connection at LSU with Joe Sloan. When Sloan was relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator in late October, he stayed in contact with Darby. When Sloan took over the same position at Kentucky, he reached out to the Airline star.
It may be a few hundred miles away from where the two thought it would be, but their relationship is just a strong as ever.
“He called me (after being informed by LSU) and asked if I wanted to come up here,” Darby remembered. “And I said ‘Hell yeah!’ “
“He could do a lot of things (in high school) that a lot of kids his age couldn’t do,” Scogin said. “He wasn’t the prototypical receiver like other people wanted. He’s not 6-4 and he’s not a 4.3 40 guy. But Joe Sloan saw some stuff in him that we all saw (at Airline). He did a really good job of evaluating talent and it’s something that’s lost on a lot of guys these days.”
“My relationship with Coach Sloan is great,” Darby said. “He’s always checking on me and calling my mom to see how the family is doing. I knew when he came up here he was going to do great things.”
Darby said there are some differences in how he plays now as opposed to how he played at Airline, where he was a consistent deep threat.
“Definitely my football IQ has gotten better in the way I read coverages and read a defense,” Darby said. “When I left Airline and came to Kentucky, my expectation was to just be the best player I could be and the best teammate I could be to my brothers up here.”
FLYING IN: Running back J.T. Taylor has added breakaway ability to the Loyola running game. (Photo by TOMI MIRANDA, Loyola Student Media)
By MATT VINES, Journal Sports
No district championship trophies will be handed out this week, but one district and arguably two could be all but decided by this week’s games.
District 1-3A’s opening week features a Loyola College Prep (3-2) trip to Sterlington (3-2) in what is surely the defacto district title game tonight.
Both the Flyers (No. 10 in the LSWA’s Top 10) and the Panthers (No. 4) are among the best in the state in Class 3A, and the rest of the district is looking for midseason answers and turnarounds (Bastrop and North Webster with other member Carroll suspended for the regular season).
One week after facing a Calvary Baptist squad that pressured the Flyers out of rhythm, Loyola will see a Sterlington bunch who lifted the Division III Non-Select state championship trophy each of the past two seasons.
It’s not been all smooth sailing for the Panthers in losses to Jena (repeat of last December’s title game) and reigning Non-Select Division I champ Ouachita Parish, but Sterlington still has great wins over Franklin Parish and Oak Grove.
Loyola has dominating offensive performances against Captain Shreve and Northwood with a near miss against Parkway, but Sterlington will stretch and test the Flyers defense.
District 1-4A features an undefeated clash between North DeSoto (5-0, 2-0) and Minden (5-0, 2-0) Friday night in Stonewall.
The Crimson Tide nearly stumbled to Woodlawn (0-5) in Independence Stadium, dodging an upset that would have demolished the matchup of unbeatens, but Minden’s defense held the Knights on the goal line in the final minutes before a failed snap pushed Woodlawn out of the red zone.
Minden also has one-score wins against North Webster (1-4) and Homer (1-4).
North DeSoto has had no such trouble.
Freshman quarterback Mason Smith appears to be another four-year starter after the graduation of four-year starter Luke Delafield, and the Griffins have won four of five games by at least 30 points. North DeSoto’s closest game was a 38-20 decision to Byrd (0-5).
The Griffins hammered Woodlawn (55-0), Northwood (56-13), Natchitoches Central (56-21) and Union Parish (52-7).
Booker T. Washington (4-1) is looking like a factor in the district title race. North DeSoto could at least plant itself firmly in the driver seat by topping Minden.
BTW-Northwood part of busy Thursday night
You might notice school busses galore this evening as the area has a jam-packed five games on the docket.
It’s the busiest Thursday of the local 2026 football schedule. After tonight, local teams are scheduled to play just five games combined on the four remaining Thursdays.
Arguably the local headliner tonight is a BTW team looking to climb the traditional District 1-4A pecking order as the Lions (4-1, 1-0) head to Northwood (1-4, 0-1).
The Falcons are rebuilding after heavy graduation by a group that garnered two straight top-10 playoff seeds in Division I Select, while the Lions are rising fast and might just be the top challenger to favorite North DeSoto.
BTW is a two-point conversion away from possibly being undefeated this year in an emotional last-minute 20-18 loss to Green Oaks (still undefeated at 5-0) in the Soul Bowl in Week 3.
A win can help keep the Lions (No. 9 in Division II Select) in line for a second straight home playoff game while the Falcons (No. 35) are likely in must-win territory to continue their postseason standard.
Haughton (5-0) shouldn’t have much trouble heading east to a St. Frederick squad (2-3) that lost to West Ouachita by 40 points and Cedar Creek by 22. But Monroe-area teams have held an edge over Shreveport-Bossier this season, and anything can happen on the road.
Huntington (0-5, 0-1) and Byrd (0-5, 0-1) square off tonight at Lee Hedges Stadium in a matchup of teams looking for their first wins and who are also better than their records. Both fell in the final minute last week on the road.
The Yellow Jackets got their running back room intact with the return last week at Benton of fullback Collin Deere, who rushed for 178 yards to add to Christian Maxie’s 134. Maxie’s fourth 100-yard rushing output of the season leaves him needing just 214 yards to become the school’s all-time leading rusher.
The Yellow Jackets couldn’t hold off Benton in the final minutes and lost a two-touchdown second-half lead in a 31-28 loss.
Huntington nearly scored a huge upset in a 38-36 loss to Franklin Parish, ranked No. 5 in the LSWA Class 4A poll.
The Raiders got back on track offensively after scoring just 28 points combined in their first two games.
Despite the 0-5 records, No. 23 Byrd and No. 24 Huntington would still be in the Division I Select playoffs if they ended today. Tonight’s loser may just be on the outside looking in come the end of the regular season.
Bossier (3-2) at North Webster (1-4) has intrigue after the Bearkats got their first win without stud quarterback Montrevell Lewis in a 34-12 win over Southwood this past week. Lewis has been out since Week 2 with a season-ending knee injury.
The Knights are dangerous with three losses by one score, including losing a lead late to Cedar Creek in a 22-21 affair. Add undefeated Minden and St. Frederick to that mix, and the Knights have some juice once they experience winning close games.
Plain Dealing with another chance to end state’s longest losing streak
Plain Dealing has a chance to end the state’s longest losing streak when Pine Prairie visits Friday.
The Lions and their 49-game slide collide with the state’s second-longest streak among active programs in Pine Prairie’s 22 straight losses. Bolton Academy, which has 32 straight losses, isn’t playing football this season.
Plain Dealing, relying on several eighth-graders, has been shut out in four of five games while Pine Prairie did tally 42 of its 54 points scored this season in a shootout loss to Gueydan last week.
Southwood, Woodlawn battle in search of first wins
Friday also has a matchup of winless teams when Southwood and Woodlawn lock horns in Independence Stadium.
Woodlawn (0-5) very nearly knocked Minden from the ranks of the unbeaten, building a late third quarter lead in a 21-14 loss.
It was Woodlawn’s second one-score loss (Week 1 to Carroll).
Southwood hasn’t been as close with every loss coming by 20 points or more.
But after being shutout in the first three games, the Cowboys have scored 20 points total in their last two.
While No. 38 Woodlawn seems buried in the playoff conversation, No. 25 Southwood is just spot out of the race in Division II Select.
MAX MAGIC: Aiming for his 10th straight 100-yard performance, senior Christian Maxie is 214 yards shy of Byrd’s career rushing record and has averaged 242 yards this season, topped by a city record 429 in the season opener at Ouachita. (Journal file photo by GAVEN HAMMOND, landgphoto.com)
JOURNAL SPORTS
Byrd and Huntington barely missed postgame celebrations last Friday. Tonight is the night for one of them.
The Yellow Jackets and Raiders have identical 0-5 records, 0-1 in District 1-5A, heading into their meeting at Lee Hedges Stadium.
Both lost in the final minute on the road last week, Byrd bowing 31-28 when Benton completed a fourth-quarter rally, and Huntington beaten 38-36 at state Class 4A power Franklin Parish.
There’s a District 1-4A status check tonight in Blanchard when a rebuilding Northwood team hosts Booker T. Washington. The Lions are 4-1, aiming to emerge as the top challenger to North DeSoto in the league. The Falcons put up 53 points at home two weeks ago in a wild loss to Loyola but were drilled at North DeSoto last Friday in their district debut.
Two local stalwarts travel a couple hours east on I-20 tonight. Unbeaten Haughton steps out of District 1-5A and visits Class 1A St. Frederick. Loyola plays its first game in District 1-3A at Sterlington, which is the two-time defending Non-Select Division III state champion.
TONIGHT’S GAMES
Huntington (0-5, 0-1) at Byrd (0-5, 0-1), Lee Hedges Stadium
Haughton (5-0) at St. Frederick (2-3)
Loyola (3-2, 0-0) at Sterlington (3-2, 0-0)
Booker T. Washington (4-1, 1-0) at Northwood (1-4, 0-1), Jerry Burton Stadium
Bossier (3-2) at North Webster (1-4), Baucum-Farrar Stadium
FRIDAY’S GAMES
Parkway (3-2, 1-1) vs. Captain Shreve (2-3, 0-2), Lee Hedges Stadium
Benton (3-2, 1-1) at Airline (4-1, 1-0), M.D. Ray Field, Airline Stadium
Natchitoches Central (0-5, 0-2) at Evangel (3-2, 2-0), Rodney Duron Field
Southwood (0-5, 0-1) at Woodlawn (0-5, 0-1), Independence Stadium
Calvary (5-0, 0-0) at Homer (1-4, 0-0)
Magnolia School of Excellence (0-5, 0-0) at Green Oaks (5-0, 0-0), Jerry Burton Stadium
Remember six years ago, when the sports world did previously unthinkable things to keep playing?
Empty gyms and arenas for basketball games. Heck, the NBA played a short season in a quarantined bubble in Orlando.
No galleries at major golf tournaments.
MLB played a shortened season with neutral sites for the playoffs and World Series (of course, the Dodgers won).
High school sports found ways to make it work, too. New Orleans was a pandemic hotspot, so Northwestern State provided Turpin Stadium and the LHSAA pivoted to present the best possible experience for teams that included Byrd and Calvary.
Regular season games were scheduled with very short notice. Opponents had too many positive COVID tests? Adjust. They went off fine. The idea was to overcome obstacles and let the players play. There were bold steps taken to make that happen.
We saw it could. Now, we’re seeing that unselfish approach didn’t stick around, at least not at some high schools within driving distance of Shreveport.
Loyola’s homecoming football game next Friday was collateral damage last week when the LHSAA rightfully suspended Carroll’s football team for the season after some Bulldogs brawled with fans in Napoleonville after a loss at Assumption High on Sept. 25. Wednesday, having given Carroll a three-hour hearing in the appeals process, the LHSAA stood firm.
Carroll’s season is toast. Loyola has no opponent on Oct. 16.
There are teams who have open dates then. The Flyers’ Hoco is right now, a NoGo. So far, nobody is willing to change plans and come to Messmer Stadium to play a football game.
Some coaches have used the excuse that it’s fall break for their schools, and families and coaches already have plans for that weekend.
Bless their hearts. The boys on those teams started working in January’s offseason programs and went through summer workouts and a month of preseason practice to play this season. They thought they would only get to play nine games, not the full 10.
You’re telling me there’s not kids out there who wouldn’t jump at the chance to add a game?
Actually, what this tells me is that there are coaches and other adults who don’t care enough to adjust on the fly – yes, to help out another school, but also, to give their own players the chance to tee it up under the Friday night lights an extra time.
What this tells me is that spending next Friday at the house, or on the lake, or in the woods, or wherever else is more important to these supposed leaders than what they, too, have spent all year working toward.
I think about these schools whose coaches are unwilling to take this opportunity, and it makes me even more proud of the coaches and players at Plain Dealing and Magnolia School of Excellence.
The win-starved Lions and Mariners keep plugging away, giving it everything they’ve got, against all odds, week after week. They crave celebrating postgame for the first time in what feels like forever, hoping the next game might finally be their night.
I guarantee if either coach, Jerry Byrd at Plain Dealing or Magnolia’s Kelly Yancey, was suddenly faced with an open date, they’d be scrambling like Loyola’s John Sella and his staff have been to fill it.
They know, perhaps better than any of their peers, how precious each game is.
So, Coach Sorry, We Can’t Play, yes, you can. If your heart is in the right place, if you’re doing this for the right reasons, sure you can.
Not for Loyola. No, it’s for those young men who have looked up to you all year long.
October is the centerpiece of the high school football season and for many schools, the time to host Homecoming festivities.
That’s this week’s Shreveport-Bossier Journal Coaches Roundtable topic. Whether it’s memories from their playing or coaching days, or other considerations, local coaches responded to our request to share their take on Homecoming week.
GARY COOPER, Booker T. Washington: “My senior year (at BTW) I was the homecoming king. We were playing Minden and I fumbled right before the half. Our head coach, Coach Corey Parham, would not let me go out during the halftime ceremonies. I laugh about it — now!
“I love that players I have coached over the years have been involved in homecoming in various ways, but I hate it as a coach. With our schedule, we’re playing a district opponent. But the kids deserve to be involved in as many school activities as possible. High school is about the memories they create.
“The extended halftime really doesn’t make a difference; it flies by.”
RODNEY GUIN, Calvary: “My youngest daughter was on the court at Haughton her senior year. It was coming a flood at halftime and they gave the girls the choice to wait and get presented at the next week’s game. They said no and just took their shoes off and got presented barefoot in the storm.”
JOHN SELLA, Loyola:(The Flyers’ homecoming celebration next Friday is uncertain because as of last week the opponent, Carroll, has been suspended by the LHSAA.) “I guess this will be my most interesting homecoming to date.
“Last week we had a huge game vs. Calvary and I’m having to spend most of the week answering questions and being stressed about trying to figure out what are we going to do for homecoming two weeks from then.
“I completely get it too. We have alumni and parents trying to make plans to be at the game or come in from out of town and then, all of the sudden we’re in limbo. We’re calling around to see if we can find a replacement (for Carroll) and all hands are on deck for ideas in case we can’t find a replacement. It’s been kind of crazy.”
JUSTIN SCOGIN, Airline: “Leesville (where he was offensive coordinator before taking over five years ago at Airline) basically shuts down for homecoming. They have a three-hour-long pep rally in the auditorium. Every class comes back and does skits on stage. The motto is “Leesville doesn’t lose homecoming.” They drive cars on the grass field at halftime escorting the court around. It’s an absolute wild time.
“The homecoming parade at Airline is one that I’ve really come to love followed by the pep rally and the lighting of the VIKES letters at the stadium. It’s a really cool experience getting to see how much the community really loves Airline High School.”
STACY BALLEW, Byrd: “It’s always good to see former players and students at homecoming, and find out what they’re doing. I’ve been here for a long time now, and some of those kids have their own kids, which is neat to see.”
STEPHEN DENNIS, Benton: “I think homecoming is just a special time of year. I think we learn to appreciate it a little more the older we get, too!
“I’ve always enjoyed in my coaching career watching the groups come back and cheering on the team at the game, seeing how the school has changed. They want to know what’s different? What’s the same?
“Seeing the kids in school decorating floats, it’s just football in the fall and nostalgia. Those two things go together very well.”
Week 6 of the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s annual High School Football Pick ’Em contest is underway, giving local fans another chance to test their gridiron knowledge and win cash.
Each week, the contest features 10 selected matchups highlighting Bossier and Caddo high schools and marquee regional games. The second round of competition concludes Friday, Oct. 9, so make your selections before kickoff to get in the game.
Each weekly winner will take home $100 and be featured with a photo in the Journal.
Participants can submit their picks online through the SBJ platform throughout the season to see who truly reigns as the top football prognosticator in Bossier and Caddo Parishes.
Opens in a new tab.
Contest Rules & Details
Anyone is eligible to participate for free, and each week’s winning participant will win a $100 prize. Each week, the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 10 selected high school football games. Ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two designated weekly contests. The picker with the closest score, without going over, is the winner. All decisions by Management/SBJ are final. The contest can be modified and/or cancelled without notice to the public.
The only persons not eligible to participate are the publisher, the publisher’s immediate family, and regular content contributors to the Journal as determined by Management/SBJ.
There is no entry fee. All contest decisions by Journal management are final. Weekly winners will be notified on Mondays and must agree to have their photo published in the Journal.
Every participant receives a free subscription to the Journal, delivered directly to their inbox daily at 6:55 a.m.
Red River Revel to Welcome More Than 5,000 Students for 50th Arts Education Week Red River Revel Arts Festival
More than 5,000 students — including every fourth-grader in Caddo and Bossier Parishes — will attend the Red River Revel’s Arts Education Week, running Oct. 12–16 at Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport. The event is part of the festival’s 50th anniversary celebration. Since the Revel’s founding in 1976, more than 265,000 schoolchildren have participated in arts education programming. AT&T is providing $50,000 in additional funding to support fourth-grade programming and technology access for foster care students in grades K-12. “Welcoming every fourth grader in Caddo and Bossier in our 50th year is the best way we know to honor the people who built this festival,” said Executive Director Logan Lewis.
Bossier Parish Man Dies After Being Struck by Front-End Loader at West Shreveport Work Site Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office | Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office
Antonio Harper, 40, of Princeton, Louisiana, was killed Monday evening after being struck by a front-end loader at an industrial work site in the 2700 block of East 70th Street in west Shreveport. Emergency responders pronounced Harper deceased at the scene at 7:48 p.m. The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office identified him. The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the heavy machinery accident.
Bossier City Marshal’s Deputies Complete 60-Plus Hours of Training on Online Crimes Against Children Bossier City Marshal’s Office
Bossier City Marshal’s deputies have completed more than 60 hours of specialized training on online investigations and crimes against children, including AI-generated child sexual abuse material, sextortion, grooming, swatting and violent extremism. The curriculum covered updated investigative tools, legal changes and victim interview techniques. The Marshal’s Office has maintained a focus on child online safety since 2006. “We all share the common goal of keeping children safe. That is the priority!” said Bossier City Marshal Jim Whitman.
LA 160 Closed at Union Pacific Railroad Crossing in North Bossier Parish Today Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
Louisiana 160 at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing in north Bossier Parish — immediately east of the intersection with LA 3 — is closed today, Wednesday, Oct. 7, from approximately 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to allow the railroad company to make track repairs. All vehicles must use an alternate route; DOTD advises that detour signage will be in place. The closure is weather-permitting. Motorists are asked to drive with caution near the work zone.
LSUS Foundation Hosts Second Annual Balloon Glow Fundraiser Louisiana State University Shreveport
The LSUS Foundation held its second annual Balloon Glow festival Monday evening on the back of the LSUS campus along East Kings, featuring tethered hot air balloon rides, food trucks and a kids zone. General admission was $5; LSUS students and children under 10 entered free. The event raises funds for LSUS scholarships, professorships and campus activities. SWEPCO served as the VIP tent sponsor with a $7,500 contribution. “The hot air balloons have become synonymous with LSUS because of the generosity of alumni and balloonist Pat Harwell,” said Foundation Executive Director Laura Perdue.
Oil and gas leasing, rights of way and drilling continued across several areas of Natchitoches Parish during September, even as the number of new filings declined slightly.
The Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court’s office recorded 53 oil and gas-related filings during September.
Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court David Stamey said the office remains busy both in person and through its online records system.
“We continue to have abstractors in the office daily and working online,” Stamey said.
The continued presence of abstractors is an important indicator of industry interest. Abstractors research property ownership, mineral interests and title history as companies evaluate land for leasing, drilling and other development.
Geographically, leasing continues across a broad portion of Natchitoches Parish.
Leases continue to be recorded east of Interstate 49, west toward the Sabine Parish line and south of Robeline. The Ashland area also remains active, with recent interest extending south of Ashland.
The expanding footprint follows the pattern seen throughout 2026 as oil and gas interest has moved beyond the original areas and into additional portions of the parish.
Drilling also continues.
Stamey noted that the Clerk of Court’s office does not receive information concerning production from individual wells. However, the office does provide residents with another way to follow potential future drilling. (See Pictures Below)
The Clerk’s office posts notices from the Louisiana Department of Conservation on the bulletin board outside its office concerning upcoming meetings and proposed drilling unit maps.
Those proposed unit maps can provide an early indication of where companies are seeking authorization for future drilling and development.
The combination of continued leasing, title research, rights-of-way filings and drilling shows that oil and gas development remains strong across Natchitoches Parish.
Landowners approached with mineral lease offers, rights-of-way agreements, pipeline easements or other oil and gas documents should understand the complexity and potential long-term consequences of the agreements they are being asked to sign.
Those who are not experienced in oil and gas matters should strongly consider consulting a qualified oil and gas attorney or other specialist before signing an agreement. Mineral leases and related agreements can affect royalty payments, mineral rights, surface access and the future use of property.
Professional guidance can help landowners understand proposed terms and protect their interests before entering into a long-term agreement.
Bulletin Board just outside the Clerk of Court’s Office – Natchitoches Parish
Maps provide to the public by the Clerk of Court
The September filings bring the 2026 year-to-date total to 624, continuing a pace well ahead of the 405 filings recorded during all of 2025.
Total filed in calendar year 2025: 405 Total filed in calendar year 2026: 624
The Natchitoches Parish Journal will continue following leasing, drilling and related oil and gas development across the parish.
A review of Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court records confirms the leases filed in September 2026. The NPJ obtained this information directly from the parish’s online Public Records system.
The inaugural festival brings 10 artists and two nights of country music to Natchitoches as Northwestern State University launches an annual event with ambitions to become North Louisiana’s premier music festival. Get your tickets now at topofthebootmusicfest.com.
By Cole Gentry, Chief Marketing Officer at Northwestern State University
On Oct. 16 and 17, Northwestern State University will welcome country music fans, alumni, students, families and visitors to Natchitoches for the inaugural Top of the Boot Music Festival. The two-day event will bring established country stars, rising artists and Louisiana talent to the NSU campus for a fall weekend centered on live music, good times and the people you want beside you.
Friday, Oct. 16, opens with co-headliners Lee Brice and Louisiana native Dylan Scott.
Brice brings a catalog that includes eight No. 1 country singles and songs such as “I Drive Your Truck,” “I Don’t Dance,” “Hard to Love” and “One of Them Girls.” Scott returns to his home state with four No. 1 songs on the U.S. Country Airplay charts, including “My Girl,” “New Truck,” “Can’t Have Mine” and “This Town’s Been Too Good to Us.”
Lanie Gardner, Jackson Wendell and Clay LaBeff complete Friday’s lineup.
Saturday, Oct. 17, features Flatland Cavalry as the night’s headliner. The Texas Country and Americana group has earned three ACM Group of the Year nominations from 2024 through 2026. Ian Munsick, Rodney Atkins, Laine Hardy and Bottomland round out Saturday’s lineup.
Across two nights, 10 artists will take the stage at Northwestern State.
The reach of Top of the Boot extends well beyond Natchitoches. Marketing for the festival stretches across a multi-state region from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Jackson, Mississippi, south to New Orleans, Louisiana and west to Houston and Dallas, Texas.
That reach reflects the scale of the vision. Top of the Boot is being built as an annual destination event with the goal of becoming North Louisiana’s premier music festival, bringing country music fans from across Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas to Natchitoches each fall.
The festival will take place behind the NSU Soccer Complex along Tarleton Drive. Food trucks, vendors and two nights of performances will create a place for friends, families and loved ones to spend a fall weekend together.
For alumni, it is a reason to come home. For prospective students and families, it is another way to experience Northwestern State. For visitors, it is an invitation to spend time on campus and in Natchitoches while enjoying one of North Louisiana’s largest new entertainment events.
Northwestern State Athletics also has a direct stake in the festival’s success. The event was created to benefit NSU student-athletes while showcasing the university and Natchitoches to visitors from across the region.
Every annual tradition has a first year. For Top of the Boot, that year is 2026. Bring your friends. Bring your family. Come back to NSU or experience our campus for the first time. Spend two nights with some of country music’s biggest names and be there at the beginning of something built to return year after year.
Top of the Boot Music Festival Oct. 16-17, 2026 Northwestern State University Natchitoches, Louisiana
Week 6 of the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s annual High School Football Pick ’Em contest is underway, giving local fans another chance to test their gridiron knowledge and win cash.
Each week, the contest features 10 selected matchups highlighting Bossier and Caddo high schools and marquee regional games. The second round of competition concludes Friday, Oct. 9, so make your selections before kickoff to get in the game.
Each weekly winner will take home $100 and be featured with a photo in the Journal.
Participants can submit their picks online through the SBJ platform throughout the season to see who truly reigns as the top football prognosticator in Bossier and Caddo Parishes.
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Contest Rules & Details
Anyone is eligible to participate for free, and each week’s winning participant will win a $100 prize. Each week, the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 10 selected high school football games. Ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two designated weekly contests. The picker with the closest score, without going over, is the winner. All decisions by Management/SBJ are final. The contest can be modified and/or cancelled without notice to the public.
The only persons not eligible to participate are the publisher, the publisher’s immediate family, and regular content contributors to the Journal as determined by Management/SBJ.
There is no entry fee. All contest decisions by Journal management are final. Weekly winners will be notified on Mondays and must agree to have their photo published in the Journal.
Every participant receives a free subscription to the Journal, delivered directly to their inbox daily at 6:55 a.m.
National Night Out Brings Shreveport, Bossier Together Tonight Shreveport Police Department | Bossier City Police Department
National Night Out kicks off across Shreveport and Bossier City tonight. In Shreveport, a downtown block party runs 4:30–9 p.m. on the 700 block of Texas Street, featuring live music from Winston Hall & The Highway 80 Revue and Soul Grooves Live, food vendors, children’s games, and booths from local organizations. Nearly 100 registered neighborhood block parties are set to follow throughout the city. Bossier City’s observance runs 6–9 p.m. through decentralized neighborhood cookouts and block parties, with BCPD officers and firefighters rotating through registered sites. “Downtown Shreveport is the place where our community comes together to commemorate what makes our city unique,” said Cedric B. Glover, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority.
Shreveport Police Arrest Second Suspect in Mass Shooting That Killed 13-Year-Old Shreveport Police Department
Shreveport Police have charged Alonzo Abbott, 19, as a second suspect in the shooting death of Shamichael Russell, 13, which also wounded a 17-year-old and a 2-year-old. Abbott faces one count of Principal to Second-Degree Murder and two counts of Principal to Attempted Second-Degree Murder. Investigators said the case remains active: “This investigation is not over,” and indicated additional arrests may follow as detectives continue evaluating evidence.
BPCC, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office Create Internship-to-Employment Pathway Bossier Parish Community College | Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office
Bossier Parish Community College and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office have formalized a partnership giving second-year criminal justice students supervised hands-on experience at the Caddo Correctional Center, with a guaranteed job offer upon graduation and meeting all hiring requirements. Participants will receive a stipend and partial tuition support, complete training through a mix of in-person and online instruction, and commit to a minimum two-year post-hire term with the sheriff’s office. Career paths may extend into patrol, investigations and school resource officer positions. The first cohort begins Oct. 7. “We are looking for people who want to serve, and this partnership is how we recruit them, train them and keep them in Caddo Parish,” said Sheriff Henry Whitehorn Sr. “This is how we build the next generation of this office.”
Since Calvary manhandled a shaky Huntington team in the season opener, the highly-regarded Cavaliers faced no challenges in their next three games until Loyola’s high-scoring Flyers rolled into Jerry Barker Stadium last Friday night.
By halftime, they had established control, leading 21-8 on the way to a 52-24 victory which moved Calvary to 5-0, and kept them as the unanimous No. 1 in the Shreveport-Bossier Journal and LSWA Class 2A top 10 polls.
“We thought we needed to control the clock with our run game, which we did, and get some pressure on the quarterback, which we did, and we tackled very well, too, so they didn’t get a lot of big plays on us,” said a raspy-voiced Calvary coach Rodney Guin.
The Cavs’ performance has earned them Week 5 SBJ Team of the Week recognition as they tune up hoping to stretch their 71-game district winning streak Friday night at Homer.
Calvary’s run to last year’s Select Division III state championship game was a surprise considering significant graduation losses. While some valuable Class of 2026 seniors departed after last season, a trip back to the Prep Classic has unquestionably been within reach since January’s offseason workouts kicked off.
But that success is not something that can be spoken into reality. It’s got to be earned. Halfway through the regular season, Guin likes the Cavaliers’ trajectory.
“We’re pleased. We’ve actually gotten a little better every week,” he said. “That’s what you want to do.”
Calvary’s physicality was the overwhelming factor in taking command against Loyola. The Cavaliers were superior up front.
“Defensively, I knew we were gonna be good. We’ve got four new starters on the O-line, so we’re really, really pleased with that group, the way they’ve progressed,” he said.
Guin cited ninth-grader Jackson Coffey, starting at right tackle, who “probably played his best game of the year Friday. He did really, really well.”
Sophomore center Grayson Powell is in his first year of football and quickly earned his spot in the lineup, also excelling against Loyola.
The Cavs’ defensive front is led by DeLancey Street and Braylen Wesley, and “all those guys just been very good,” said Guin.
Special teams play has been another strength, with newcomers stepping in. Soccer player Preston Walton joined the football squad this season and handles kickoffs and punts. Jackson Abraham is the scoring kicker on extra points and field goals and “is having a great year, too,” said Guin.
“We’ve been lucky to fill in with some good guys,” he said.
They knew what they had to spark the offense – some prime-time skill position talent.
The Cavaliers have a collection of offensive weapons headed by big-play receiver Braylun Huglon, explosive running back Z’Ryan Miles and strong-armed quarterback Hudson Price, who has several other targets to consider in an offense that carries a 54-point average.
“They’ve gotten better,” said Guin, “and they’re so unselfish. They don’t get the ball as much as probably they should, or I know what they would like, but they have done a good job catching the football and running routes and blocking for each other, blocking for the run game, especially,” said Guin.
What makes the Cavaliers progress in district play, sandwiched around a Week 8 trip to New Orleans and a matchup with last year’s Select Division II state runner-up Archbishop Shaw?
“We just gotta keep adding stuff to the offense and having the defense keep tackling well and playing hard. I don’t really worry about them a whole lot,” said Guin.
“Offensively, we just gotta stay consistent running the ball, and Huddie’s gotta keep getting better like he is,” said the winningest coach (223-79, 26 seasons) in local high school football history. “I think we’ll have a chance.”
There’s one shortcoming he can’t influence — coach getting his full-throated voice back from its recent lull.
“That would be nice, for me anyway,” he said, chuckling ruefully. “I don’t know if the kids will like it or not.”
RISING TO THE OPPORTUNITY: Third-team running back Stacy Gage ran for 110 yards and scored on second-half runs of 46 and 39 yards in LSU’s rout of McNeese Saturday. (Photo courtesy LSU Athletics)
By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
BATON ROUGE – There were no stumbles to nitpick at Lane Kiffin’s Monday media session, not following as dominant a win as LSU has recorded since the Tigers wore leather helmets.
Saturday night’s 63-14 rout of Southland Conference member McNeese was more lopsided than on the scoreboard. The Tigers set school offensive records and played second- and third-teamers after a 35-0 halftime lead.
The first-year coach didn’t face a barrage of questions about shortcomings. He knows what his Tigers are facing, a barrage of Southeastern Conference games that will test them much more than all four of their wins have.
They begin Saturday night at No. 25 Kentucky, at 4-1 off to its best five-game record since Paul “Bear” Bryant was coaching a Wildcats team loaded with World War II veterans and future NFL great George Blanda.
With the SEC hierarchy taking shape at this stage of the 12-game season, Kiffin sees LSU (4-1) perched on the verge of the league’s best. He was asked to assess the Tigers’ status heading into seven conference games.
“I think I’d feel really good if it weren’t for the injuries,” he said.
Those would be the long-term consequences of losing defensive back Dashawn Spears (knee, done for the season) and the two Tigers awarded the prize No. 7 jerseys for their leadership and value, linebacker Whit Weeks (broken leg) and tight end Trey’Dez Green (knee sprain). Monday, Kiffin said both could be back during the season but didn’t offer any timetables, except to say Green was out of a knee brace.
Nobody thought he was bemoaning the touchy hamstring of quarterback Sam Leavitt. He played a half against McNeese, restricted to handing off and staying in the pocket, but steered the offense to 20 first downs and 352 yards in two quarters against the outmanned Cowboys.
Leavitt’s status is a very real factor for LSU at Kentucky. Kiffin discussed how the quarterback is being treated by the team’s sports medicine staff, and factors that go into his workload at practice, but didn’t elaborate on what range of capabilities he expects from Leavitt on game night.
Without losing Green, Spears and Weeks, Kiffin said, “I think I’d feel really good. But still feel good. A lot of times, we’ve played as well as anybody in the country.
“Our first defense has given up one touchdown in the second half all season long with losing two players who I think were on pace to be All-Americans. Having those guys as you go on the road and into the meat of the schedule, I’d feel really great about our program.
“And I feel great about the future,” Kiffin said. “I know what that is if we put together this team in that short amount of time without any background with them. I know what next year and the year after will look like. And that has nothing to do with how this season’s going.
“I just know that it’s a great combination of all these things coming together. That’s why we came here. Hopefully, Whit and Trey’Dez will be back at some point. That will make us feel a lot better.”
Kiffin said he thought the Tigers’ only loss, 32-24 at Ole Miss, provided his team with experience that could be beneficial at UK.
“To go on the road like last time at night in that environment will help. The first time you go into a road hostile environment is the first time. And also I just hope that they learn that it doesn’t matter how the first and second quarters go. You’ve still got to play the game and win the game in the fourth quarter, which we had a bunch of opportunities to and didn’t (at Ole Miss).”
The 6 p.m. contest Saturday will air on ESPN. The Tigers opened the week as 10.5 point favorites over the Wildcats, who had to overcome a 17-0 deficit last Saturday at South Carolina to win 35-34 on a two-point conversion.
Both teams played Texas A&M in successive weeks. Kentucky upset the Aggies 31-21 in College Station before LSU blasted them 35-6 in Baton Rouge.
