OIL CITY – The Caddo Parish Parks and Recreation has announced the completion of $1.1 million in improvements at Earl G. Williamson Park.

The upgrades include the addition of a new accessible floating fishing pier, a shaded picnic area, and 34 new shaded single shelters, aimed at enhancing recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.

To celebrate the improvements, parish officials are inviting the public to visit the park this weekend, March 28-29. Free snow cones will be available from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

Officials said the enhancements come just in time for the warmer months and are part of ongoing efforts to improve outdoor spaces across the parish.

LSU Shreveport graduate student Augustine Nwafor earned the best poster presentation award in the category of computer science/cybersecurity and information assurance/mathematics and statistics at the 100^th annual Louisiana Academy of Sciences meeting earlier this month.

The computer science student presented the project “SmartKnee,” a wearable system that monitors knee biomechanics in real time with the aim of preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

SmartKnee uses two small inertial measurement units mounted on the thigh and shin to capture three-dimensional knee motion at a rate of 100 times per second.

When the system detects dangerous movement patterns, specifically when the knee collapses inward by more than five degrees while in a vulnerable position, the system triggers both haptic feedback on the device and visual alerts on a mobile coaching dashboard.

This immediate feedback allows athletes and coaches to correct risky movements before they lead to injury.

An AI-powered assistant translates biomechanical measurements into advice for athletes and coaches.

“This was the moment when innovation meets real human need,” Nwafor said. “Winning this award validates not just my work, but the collaborative approach we have taken to tackle a real-world problem.

“With Dr. (Urska) Cvek’s continued support, I am excited to see where this research goes next and how many athletes we can help protect from devastating injuries.”

Nwafor demonstrated a wearable prototype of the system, providing a tangible product rather than just a concept.

“What made the presentation stand out was the live demonstration,” said Cvek, an LSUS computer science professor. “Conference attendees could strap on the lightweight device and see their own knee angles displayed in real time on the mobile dashboard as they performed simple squats.

“People were incredibly receptive to the technology.”

Nwafor led a team of students to be finalists in the DevDays HealthTech Challenge this past November, and continued research and tweaking has led to an improved system.

Cvek assisted that team in project development and research and continues to help Nwafor.

She also delivered a talk at the annual meeting about the art of visual storytelling in science.

LSU Health Shreveport’s Dr. Giovanni Solitro, the director of the biomechanics educational laboratory, also assisted with knowledge and product design.

More than 200,000 people in the United States injure their ACLs annually, with full-blown tears requiring up to a year or more of recovery to return to competitive play.

This system could supplement the monitoring of athletic trainers and physical therapists and the manual observation they perform, potentially identifying at-risk athletes before injury occurs.

The system also stores data to build historic trends, helping to establish an athlete’s baseline and alert to times in which the athlete is more at risk, like when an athlete is fatigued and knee movements change.

The school already boasting two of the biggest public opinion lightning rods in college sports has completed its trifecta.

Already possessing head football coach Lane Kiffin and women’s head basketball coach Kim Mulkey, LSU re-hired a men’s head basketball coach it fired four years ago for NCAA recruiting violations.

Will Wade, who has been in successful survival orbit since the LSU canned him in March 2022 as a human sacrifice to avoid serious sanctions for its cash-cow football program, confirmed in social media just before noon Thursday that he was leaving North Carolina State after one season to run it back with the Tigers.

Immediately, the level of hate from coast-to-coast for LSU sports just raised a couple of notches.

Ain’t it grand?

The immediate reaction of the sanctimonious national media was predictable.

Harump! Isn’t this the school that mouthy hussy Mulkey in April 2021?

Harump! Also, aren’t they the heartless orbs that stole Kiffin from Ole Miss this past December, just a few weeks before the Rebels made the college football playoffs for the first time?

Harump! And now they’re hiring Wade, who was heard on an FBI wiretap talking about “a strong ass offer” he made to allegedly buy a recruit?

Harump? Does LSU possess any morals about the way it does business?

Well, no.

It also had no college football playoff appearances in four seasons under former coach Brian Kelly, and didn’t sniff an NCAA Tournament invite in five seasons under Wade’s replacement and then predecessor Matt McMahon.

These days in college athletics, morals don’t rank high. It’s not even in “other receiving votes.”

If you want to win, there are no rules. You hire the person who not only can do that but also is attractive enough for NIL donors to open their wallets to buy players.

Just a quick reminder about Wade, who in 12 years as a head coach (Chattanooga, VCU, LSU, McNeese and North Carolina State) has never had a losing season while winning almost 70 percent of his games and earning eight NCAA Tournament bids in the last nine seasons (not counting the COVID-canceled 2020 postseason).

From 2017 to 2022 with the Tigers, he was 105-51 overall and 55-33 in the SEC. In the last four seasons, he won 48 regular-season SEC games, tying for the second-most of any league team over that period.

His tenure was the last time the Tigers’ program had a pulse and a palpable vibe. His 2018-19 team won the SEC regular championship and advanced to the Sweet 16. He had three 20-win seasons in his last four years.

Yes, he illegally bought players, probably at bargain-basement prices compared to now when athletes annually hold their head coaches for ransom.

But he purchased players with more talent illegally than the just-fired McMahon did legally. Four of them – Naz Reid, Cam Thomas, Tari Eason and Trendon Watford – are still in the NBA.

More than that, he coached with visible and genuine passion.

His players knew he always had their backs. The LSU fan base loved the way he never backed down from a fight.

In comparison, McMahon was almost invisible. That’s not a criticism. It’s just who he was, a low-key controlled guy, which didn’t fit well.

Neither did his 60-70 (46.2 percent) overall record, including 17-55 (23.6 percent) in the SEC.

In the end, it didn’t matter that the built-in excuses for McMahon of a lack of NIL money and injuries to key players were enough to overlook back-to-back 3-15 SEC records the last two seasons.

Meanwhile, Wade was 50-9 in two years at McNeese from 2023-25 and 20-14 this past season at NC State.

Truth be told, LSU should have hired Wade after last season. One of his final images as McNeese’s coach was hugging then-McNeese president Wade Rousse and athletic director Heath Schroyer.

At that time, those pieces weren’t in place for Wade to return to LSU.

Now, they are. Rousse was named LSU’s new president in early November. Schroyer, just a couple hours ahead of Wade officially announcing he’s reclaiming his Tigers’ hoop throne, said he has been hired as an LSU senior deputy athletic director.

It wasn’t long after that that Wade went to social media to finally confirm the lingering, poorly kept secret. He agreed to a 7-year, $30 million deal with a roster budget commitment exceeding $12 million.

“It’s a chance to go home to a place that means a great deal to me and my family,” Wade tweeted. “The opportunity to return to Louisiana State University is deeply personal.”

Of course, it is. Wade never should have been fired in the first place. He’s coming back to finish the job he started.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

We all love this time of year for college basketball, especially the first weekend when you get to discover all these players who are really good that you had four months to find out about them and didn’t.

Two weeks ago, you didn’t know Darius Acuff from Roy Acuff. Both are famous for various reasons in Nashville, but only one of them dropped 30 on Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament.

You’re making coaching decisions from your La-Z-Boy as if you invented basketball, though you haven’t watched a college game in 11 months.

Suddenly, however, you find yourself watching too much basketball in a compressed period of time and the fear of hoop overdose becomes a real possibility. Suddenly you can’t tell the difference between Iowa and Purdue (same colors, same conference, though Purdue is the one with the obscenely small uniform numbers).

That allows you to dig up historical nuggets like this: The last time North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA or Kansas didn’t make it to the Sweet 16 was 1954. Mainly because none of them even made it to the 24-team tournament.

But no matter who you are rooting for (bracket or no bracket), there some things we can all agree on that have overloaded our brains these last few weeks.

** Let’s start with the least important: The endless Capital One commercials. Nice try to get Jennifer Garner involved, but these ads have run their course. Once they were cute; now they border on non-sensical and tremendously unfunny. Tell the ad agency to come up with a new campaign.

** As long as we are talking about things that really don’t matter, let’s talk haberdashery. There’s no rule that says coaches must wear a coat and tie on the sideline, but there’s also no rule that says they must wear tailored quarter-zip sweatsuits either, but they do that anyway. Not all of them, but almost all.

Gotta tell you – that look doesn’t exactly scream “I’m in charge of this operation.”

This all changed after Covid-19 hit in 2020 and ever since then, hardly anybody plays dress-up anymore. As long as everybody else does it, they figure it’s OK. UCLA’s Mick Cronin, who probably doesn’t look all that great in a sweatsuit anyway, is one of the exceptions.

Rick Pitino, who is in the Basketball Hall of Fame, wears a suit. Famed UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian wore the short-sleeve shirt and tie combo – not exactly ripped from the cover of GQ – and Hubert Davis usually wore a suit at North Carolina and look what that got him.

Coaches will tell you that the comfort of the relaxed attire makes them more relaxed, but when you are a high-salaried, highly visible professional, you should look like it.

Maybe it’s because Nike and adidas don’t make custom suits that allow for their logos to be emblazoned on the front.

Pat Riley, another coach in the Hall of Fame (and probably a few fashion Halls of Fame), always wore a suit and has let it be known that he thinks NBA coaches should be instructed to get back to that look for one reason – it makes you look like a leader.

Instead, they look more like the ball boy.

** We all know that the call of traveling is a thing of past, but it’s now invaded more than just plays on the way to the rim. Is it just me or is everybody seeing a pass being made in the backcourt and the player catching the ball takes one, two, three and sometimes four steps after he catches it. Yes, he’s 30 feet from the basket but by anyone’s definition, that’s still travelling.

** Nate Burleson? Really?

** While you weren’t looking (or maybe you weren’t), the whole March Madness concept is starting to wear thin. There was hardly any madness at all in the first round and only a little bit in the second round. Been like that for a few years.

By the time we get to where we are now in the tournament, it’s basically a bunch of teams that most expected to be here in the first place. Some good games? Certainly, especially last night’s Purdue-Texas game. Madness? Hardly.

The dirty little secret is that fewer and fewer non-power conference schools are getting into the tournament to begin with. As conferences expand (and will continue expanding), there are fewer seats at the table for the little guys. Cinderella can’t seem to even find her shoes, much less wear them.

And when you get right down to it, that’s the Madness of the whole thing.

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarsll@yahoo.com

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

SACRAMENTO – For anyone not familiar with the personnel of the highest scoring team in women’s college basketball, let’s listen to LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson expound on her teammates.

“When Lay in the game, she’s going to get her hood strip and go, so you gotta be real fast,” Johnson said. “12, she’s butter from the middy, from the 3, wherever. Z, she’s just an athlete. Leap out of the gym. Grace, her energy, her tenacity. MyMy, when she’s having a game, you just gotta let her go.”

Translation: MiLaysha Fulwiley steals and runs like a blur, Mikaylah Williams is a shooting machine from mid-range and deep. Undersized guard ZaKiyah Johnson consistently outleaps taller players for rebounds, Grace Knox plays with a chip on her shoulder and definitely pass the ball to Amiya Joiner when she’s dealing inside.

Add them all together, along with Jada Richard, Kate Koval and Bella Hines, and you get the No. 2-seeded team in the NCAA Sacramento Regional 2 semifinal, providing No. 3 Duke (26-8) a stiff challenge here tonight at 9 p.m. CDT.

“Our offense doesn’t run through one player to make everybody else better,” said LSU fifth-year coach Kim Mulkey of her team that averages 95.3 points. “We run a style of play that allows all of them a little freedom to score.”

The Tigers (29-5) just about hit their average in a 93-77 victory at Duke on Dec. 4. While the Blue Devils managed to snap LSU’s streak of eight straight 100-point games, it was the most points Duke allowed this season.

The Blue Devils, playing a brutal non-conference schedule featuring five teams in this season’s NCAA tourney field, including No. 1 seeds UCLA and South Carolina, and second-seeded LSU, started the season 3-6.

Since then, Duke is 23-2, won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title and league tournament, and beat No. 6 seed Baylor 69-46 in last week’s Durham Regional second-round to avenge a season-opening loss to the Lady Bears.

“Obviously, with the start of our season, we understood that there was a lot of growth that needed to be done,” Duke senior guard Taina Mair said. “Getting here (to the NCAA Tournament) was obviously one of the goals that we had internally.” 

While Lawson has stuck with a seven-woman rotation, LSU’s dearth of talented newbies has resulted in a nine-woman rotation. It’s given Mulkey, who guided the Tigers to 2023 national championship, followed by two straight Elite Eight appearances, more lineup options than she’s had since taking over the program in 2021-22.

“The last time we played Duke, the two bigs played together on the floor,” Mulkey said. “Duke has two bigs. It’s a good match-up for me to have both bigs on the floor against Duke.

“Do what you’ve been doing all year. We throw it in there, finish, defend, run the floor, get back in transition defense. They’re playing with a lot of confidence.

“I think their (the Blue Devils’) confidence is out of the roof too. They didn’t change anything. Their identity and our identity is the same as it was last time we played. You just perfect what you do.”

Mulkey is 8-0 in her career when facing a team in the NCAA Tournament that she played earlier in a season.

LSU is an 8½-point favorite over Duke. The winner advances to Sunday’s regional final against the winner of today’s earlier game between No. 1 seed UCLA and No. 4 seed Minnesota.

The Tigers beat UCLA 78-69 in the 2024 Albany Regional 2 semifinals but lost to the Bruins 72-65 in last season’s Spokane Regional 1.

No. 2 seed LSU (29-5) vs. No. 3 seed Duke (26-8), NCAA Sacramento Regional, tonight, 9 p.m. CT (ESPN)

LSU NCAA Tournament appearances and record: 31, 58-29 (66.6 percent).

How the Tigers got here: Beat No. 15 Jacksonville 116-58 in Friday’s Baton Rouge Regional first round and No. 7 seed Texas Tech 101-47 in Sunday’s second round.

Head coach: Kim Mulkey 783-129 (85.8%) in 26 seasons overall, 151-25 (85.8%) in five seasons at LSU, 68-19 (78,2%) in 24 appearances in the NCAA tourney, including 53-16 (76.9%) in 19 appearances at Baylor, 15-3 (83.3%) in 5 appearances at LSU.

Series record: 3-3, last meeting was LSU’s 93-77 win in Durham earlier this season on Dec. 4.

Starting lineup: G Flau’Jae Johnson, 5-10, Sr. (14.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg), G Mikaylah Williams, 6-0, Jr. (14 ppg, 5.34rpg), G Jada Richard, 5-7, So. (9.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg), G ZaKiyah Johnson, 6-2, Fr. (10 ppg, 5.7 rpg), F Kate Koval, 6-5, So. (8.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg).

Top reserves: G MiLaysia Fulwiley, 5-10, Jr. (14.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg), Amiya Joyner, 6-2, Sr. (9.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg), F Grace Knox, 6-2, Fr. (8.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg), G Bella Hines, 5-10, Fr. (4.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg). 

DUKE 

NCAA Tournament appearances and record: 28, 93-64 (59.2 percent).

How the Blue Devils got here: Beat No.15 seed College of Charleston 81-64 in Friday’s Durham Regional first round, beat No. 9 seed Baylor 69-46 in Sunday’s s second round.

Head coach: Kara Lawson 123-49 (71.5%) in 6 seasons overall and at Duke, 8-3 (72.7%) in 4 NCAA tourney appearances.

Starting lineup: G Ashlon Jackson, 6-0, Sr. (11.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg), G Taina Mair, 5-9, Sr. (11 ppg, 5.9 rpg), G Riley Nelson (9.4 ppg, 3.4 ppg), F Toby Fournier, 6-2, So. (17.4 ppg, 8 rpg), F Delany Thomas, 6-3, Fr. (11.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg)

Top reserves: C Arianna Roberson, 6-4, RS Fr. (8.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), F Jordan Wood, 6-4, Jr. (4.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg), F Anna Wilkstrom, 5-11, Fr. (1.3 ppg, 0.6 rpg).

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports 

HOUSTON – Shreveport native Sam Burns had his recently erratic game in gear Thursday, carding a five-under 65 to take the early lead before finishing the opening round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open in a three-way tie for third, two shots off the pace.

Burns trails only Englishman Paul Waring (7-under 63) and former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland (6-under 64) entering the second round. After an early tee time Thursday, the Calvary Baptist graduate and former LSU All-American will play in the afternoon today.

Paired with world No. 5 Chris Gotterup, who has won the Sony Open and the WM Phoenix Open already this season, and 13-time tour winner and 2015 PGA champ Jason Day, Burns tees off today at 12:53. Coverage airs on ESPN+ all day and Golf Channel coverage begins at 2 o’clock. 

Burns carded seven birdies Thursday at Memorial Park Golf Course, including on three of his last four holes, maintaining momentum from a 13th-place tie in his last start at the Players two weeks ago. He did not play last week at the Valspar, which he won in 2021 and 2022.

“My game felt good coming into the week,” Burns said. “Today was just kind of trying to be patient and take my chances when I had them. With some of those hole locations, it was difficult to get the ball close at times, so just kind of trying to be patient out there and rely on my putter as much as I could.”

He has three top 27 finishes, including a sixth-place tie at the AT&T Pebble Beach, but has missed the cut in his other three tournaments this year. He is gearing up for The Masters in three weeks and is hoping to be fit to shine.

“I think for me right now, just trying to get healthy,” Burns said without citing a specific problem. “Try to make sure my body’s feeling good and trying to kind of build on that.”

Burns, 29, coming off a Ryder Cup appearance last season, is looking for his first PGA Tour win since 2023, although he had late final day leads last year three times, most notably at the Canadian Open and the U.S. Open. Burns stands 35^th in the early FedEx Cup standings and 33^rd in the Official World Golf Rankings.

After leading the tour in strokes gained putting last season, he sits 14^th in that stat for the season and sixth in the field this week.

Among other prominent players in the tournament’s top 20 starting today are Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau, and Adam Scott. Scottie Scheffler withdrew early this week to return home to Dallas for the anticipated birth of his second child. Five-time major champion Brooks Koepka, struggling in his return from the LIV circuit, shot 5-over 75 Thursday.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – LSU lost two of three games at Vanderbilt in its first SEC series of the season two weeks ago because its pitching staff had an 11.07 ERA.

The Tigers dropped two of three to No. 7 Oklahoma last week, hitting a frigid .202.

It’s not going to get any easier. Seven of LSU’s remaining 10 league series are against ranked teams, including four straight opponents, starting here in Alex Box Stadium tonight at 6 p.m. in the opener vs. No. 19 Kentucky (20-4 overall, 4-2 SEC).

“One weekend it’s this, then it’s something else,” LSU fifth-year head coach Jay Johnson said. “That shouldn’t happen if you’re a great team, but we’re not there yet. It doesn’t mean we won’t keep pushing towards that. We just keep attacking so that we can play complementary baseball.”

The defending national champions LSU (17-9, 2-4), are in an unfamiliar position of wallowing among unranked teams after going 6-8 in the last 14 games. But the team leaders still believe it’s just a matter of time before they break loose.

“No one is hitting the panic button,” said sophomore center fielder Derek Curiel, who’s hitting .337 and leads LSU in doubles (8). “There’s a lot of games left, and we’re maybe three, four or five pitches away from being 5-1 (in the SEC). We trust each other and are very optimistic. I still think it’s going to be a great story to write at the end of the season.”

While LSU’s pitching was considerably better last weekend vs. Oklahoma – a 2.33 ERA thanks to a much-improved performance by Game 1 starter sophomore Casan Evans (15 strikeouts, one walk, one run allowed in 7.2 innings) – an injury has caused the Tigers’ first starting rotation alteration of the season.

Game 2 starter junior Kansas transfer Cooper Moore was pulled after he uncharacteristically threw his first pitch of the fifth inning in the dirt in Friday’s loss. He’s out for two to three weeks with triceps soreness in his throwing arm.

Johnson has moved Game 3 starter William Schmidt, a sophomore, to Moore’s Game 2 spot. But Johnson is waiting to name his new Game 3 starter.

“The first two games will determine that, so we’re not there yet,” Johnson said. “I do think we can cover (the loss of Moore). The pitching talent in our program this year is not a problem.

“We didn’t execute very good at Vanderbilt, but since then, we’ve gotten some things in order. The last five games that we’ve played, we’ve pitched plenty good enough to win all five of those games.” 

LSU (17-9 overall, 2-4 SEC) vs. No. 19 KENTUCKY (20-4, 4-2 SEC), Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge

Game 1: Today, 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network+) 

LSU – So. RH Casan Evans (2-0, 4.80 ERA, 30 IP, 13 BB, 50 SO) 

UK – Sr. RH Jaxon Jelkin (5-0, 2.94 ERA, 33.2 IP, 8 BB, 37 SO) 

Game 2: Saturday, 2 p.m. CT (SEC Network+) 

LSU – So. RH William Schmidt (3-1, 3.00 ERA, 30 IP, 9 BB, 46 SO) 

UK – So. RH Nate Harris (3-1, 4.97 ERA, 25.1, 12 BB, 28 SO) 

Game 3: Saturday, 12 p.m. CT (SEC Network+) 

LSU – TBA 

UK – Jr. LH Ben Cleaver (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 18.1 IP, 12 BB, 24 SO) 

LSU SERIES VS. KENTUCKY

LSU leads Kentucky, 60-30-1. This weekend is the first regular-season meeting between the teams since April 13-15, 2023, when LSU won two of three games over UK in Baton Rouge. The Tigers have won 14 of the past 20 SEC regular-season series against UK.  LSU and UK met in the 2023 NCAA Baton Rouge Super Regional, and the Tigers swept two games to advance to the College World Series where they won their first national championship under Jay Johnson. 

A LOOK AT LSU

LSU is hitting .253 with 46 doubles, four triples, 37 homers and 190 RBI. . .Right fielder Jake Brown is tied for first in the SEC hits (39) and RBI (39), is third in runs scored (33), tied for second in homers (11), and is seventh in batting average (.386) and slugging percentage (.712). . .. . .The LSU pitching staff has a 4.69 ERA (15th in the SEC) with 332 strikeouts and 115 walks in 222.2 innings while allowing a .215 opponent batting average and 19 home runs. 

A LOOK AT KENTUCKY

The Wildcats are batting .294 with 48 doubles, 10 triples, and 22 home runs. .Kentucky is led by infielder Hudson Brown, who is hitting .390 with seven doubles, two homers, 22 RBI and 22 runs. . .Outfielder Jayce Harnish is batting .347 with four doubles, two triples, three homers and 19 RBI. . .Infielder Ethan Hindle has team-highs of six homers and 27 RBI. . . .The Kentucky pitching staff has a 3.88 cumulative ERA with 233 strikeouts in 209.0 innings while allowing a .220 opponent batting average and 18 home runs.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications 

Centenary’s baseball team is home this weekend hoping to jump up in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference standings by winning a series with the Austin College Kangaroos. 

The Diamond Gents (11-14 overall, 6-9 SCAC) are halfway through their conference schedule and are aiming to work their way up the standings and get into position to earn a SCAC Tournament berth.

Centenary is tied for eighth place with the University of Dallas. The Diamond Gents won two of three games against the Crusaders over the weekend in Irving, Texas.

The Diamond Gents are home this weekend against Austin College (9-12, 9-9 SCAC) in a 6 o’clock single game tonight and a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday at Shehee Stadium.

SOFTBALL: The Ladies (12-11, 10-5 SCAC) completed a three-game series sweep over the University of Dallas in SCAC play with a 6-1 win in the series finale last Saturday at the Centenary Softball Complex. 

Centenary swept the Crusaders in a doubleheader on Friday, winning 8-0 in five innings and 4-1 in the nightcap. The Ladies have won a season-best six games in a row and are now 10-2 at home. The current winning streak is Centenary’s longest since winning eight in a row last season.

The Ladies are on the road this weekend at Austin College in Sherman, Texas and then return home April 2-3 to face Texas Lutheran. Centenary, which has completed half of its league schedule, is in fourth place in the conference standings. 

LACROSSE: The Gents (10-2) are enjoying their most successful season in program history and have garnered national attention for their high-powered offense, a multitude of individual accomplishments, and several broken records. 

The Gents have now scored a whopping 236 goals this season, tallied 142 assists, and 378 points. Centenary has led the country in nearly all offensive categories this season and entered play last weekend first in goals scored, assists, points, and face-off winning percentage and were top 12 in in clearing percentage and ground balls. Centenary has scored at least 13 goals in 10 of 12 games and 20 or more seven times. 

Centenary is off for two weeks before returning to the field for its home finale on April 11 against Rhodes College. The Gents will then finish their regular season at Colorado College on April 25.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The LSUS team of Heidi Tyler and Kaleb Schmidley captured a championship title in the Team International Public Debate Association format this past weekend at the Pi Kappa Delta National Speech and Debate Conference held at Missouri State University.

Tyler and Schmidley won a category that featured 50 pairs in the first year the TIPDA format has been offered at this national event that features a variety of formats and competitions.

The Pilot pair advanced to the knockout stage of eight teams and won three rounds in a row from there to claim the title.

“It was such a treat to watch these two debate in all of the rounds, and they executed really well as a team,” said LSUS Debate coach Lindsay Duede. “Kaleb is just 16 years old and will likely graduate at 17, so for him to win a national title on the way is extraordinary.

“Heidi had a great tournament individually and as part of the team. Everybody has come such a long way.”

Tyler reached the semifinals in the varsity division as an individual.

Those efforts led LSUS to a seventh-place team finish despite bringing only seven debaters on a team that pretty narrowly focuses on IPDA debate style.

The wide-ranging tournament featured 59 college teams, some of which fielded more debaters that competed in a broader range of styles and other similar competitions.

“We had debaters that were willing to try new things, like competing in categories like interviewing, extemporaneous speaking and impromptu speaking,” Duede said. “They were novices in these areas competing for the first time, but they put in the work with several being recognized in their categories.”

Lindsey Brown earned excellence recognition in both Interviewing and Extemporaneous Speaking to add to her fifth-place speaking champion honor in team debate.

Levi Grubbs walked away with an excellence recognition in Impromptu Speaking.

Competition on a national stage prepares LSUS debaters for the upcoming IDPA National Championship Tournament, which is April 10-13 at Middle Tennessee State University.

The 2025 LSUS bunch took home a Scholastic National Championship this past season, which measures LSUS’s performance in all undergraduate debate divisions.

LSUS won a total of six national titles at the 2025 tournament, three at the tournament itself and three for season-long performance.

Duede said this team has worked hard to put itself in a position to shine again on the national stage in its primary debate format.

“These students have worked specifically in areas like presenting evidence and monitoring time in their speeches, and they’ve made significant improvement since the beginning of the season,” Duede said. “But even more importantly, they had more fun at this last tournament than they have all season.

“They challenged themselves and proven themselves in different areas, and they are coming into the national championships motivated and refreshed. It’s easy to get tired in a season with nine or 10 tournaments, but we have a lot of life after this one.”

Mr. Kennon will lie in state for visitation on Friday, March 27, 2026, between the hours of 11:00 am. – 7:00 p.m., at Heavenly Gates Funeral Home in Shreveport, Louisiana.

The celebration of life will commence on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 11:00 am, in the sanctuary of Lake Bethlehem Baptist Church, Shreveport, Louisiana.

Celebration of Life services for Mrs. Dora B. Edwards, of Oil City, will be Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., at the Lake Zion Baptist Church, in Belcher, Louisiana. Pastor Robinson of the Mary Thomas Baptist Church officiating. Interment will follow in Lake Zion Cemetery, Belcher, Louisiana. Public Viewing will be Friday, March 27, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. – 5 p.m., at Washington’s & Smith’s Paradise Funeral Home, 1842 Barton Drive, Shreveport, Louisiana 71107. Flowers may be sent to or purchased at the Funeral Home.

Phonetic: /men·da·cious/

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition

Hayden Price
August 1, 2016 – March 25, 2026
Service: Friday, March 27, 2026, 3pm at Aulds Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Kevin Ferris Leblanc
September 27, 1970 – March 24, 2026
Service: Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 11am at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Mary Elizabeth McIntyre
November 12, 2012 – March 23, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11am at The Cathedral of St. John Berchmans, Shreveport. 

Augustine Houston Washington
June 24, 1935 — March 23, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11am at Winnfield Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Patricia Adams
September 22, 1833 — March 22, 2026
Service: Friday, March 27, 2026, 12pm at Rose-Neath Funeral Home Southside, Shreveport. 

Levert Louis, Jr.
August 1, 1962 – March 22, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 1pm at Good Samaritan Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Mary Brice Parker
August 7, 1922 — March 22, 2026
Service: Friday, March 27, 2026, 10am at Rose-Neath Funeral Home Southside, Shreveport. 

Alyne Shaw Watson
June 2, 1939 — March 22, 2026
Service: Thursday, April 9, 2026, 2pm at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Bossier City. 

N. Jean Wilson
July 29, 1950 — March 22, 2026
Service: Friday, March 27, 2026, 10am at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Bossier City.

Gary Stephen Couvillon
October 25, 1954 — March 21, 2026
Service: Friday, March 27, 2026, 2pm at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Shreveport. 

Aline S. Scott
July 2, 1930 – March 21, 2026
Service: Monday, March 30, 2026, 10am at St Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Shreveport. 

Minnie L. Frances
October 2, 1931 – March 20, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11am at Sunflower Baptist Church, Bossier City. 

Louise Cummings Methvin
May 4, 1936 — March 20, 2026
Service: Monday, March 30, 2026, 10am at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Kathleen Marie Holdaway Swain
May 5, 1928 — March 20, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11am at Plain Dealing Church of Christ, Plain Dealing.

Amanda Tucker
October 19, 1976 — March 19, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 12:30pm at Rose-Neath Funeral Home South Southside, Shreveport. 

Alfred Carter
September 10, 1957 – March 18, 2026
Service: Monday, March 30, 2026, 11am at Heavenly Gates Funeral Home, Shreveport.

Joseph Hunter, III
March 25, 1999 – March 18, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11am at Tabernacle Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

Machelle Tibbs
September 19, 1964 – March 18, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11am at St Luke Missionary Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

Carol Ward
March 11, 1962 – March 17, 2026
Service: Friday, April 17, 2026, 11am at Aulds Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Harry Scott, Sr.
October 10, 1930 – March 16, 2026
Service: Friday, March 27, 2026, 12:30pm at Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Keithville. 

Betty Taylor
August 27, 1947 – March 16, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11am at Heavenly Gates Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Timothy Lamont Mitchell
December 30, 1978 – March 15, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11am at Good Samaritan Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Harold Lynell “Nick” Nichols
November 16, 1947 — March 15, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 2pm at Rose-Neath Funeral Home Southside, Shreveport.

Sheriff Archie L. Kennon, Sr.
January 6, 1929 – March 14, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11am at Lake Bethlehem Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

Charles Lee Taylor
August 13, 1954 – March 10, 2026
Service: Friday, March 27, 2026, 11am at Zion Rest Cemetery, Shreveport. 

Mercedes Walker
May 15, 1922 – March 9, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11am at Lincoln Memorial Park, Shreveport. 

Walter Harold Buckmaster, Jr.
September 24, 1937 – December 21, 2025
Service: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 10am at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Shreveport. 

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced bid results for multiple statewide projects in March, including a traffic safety improvement project affecting both Caddo and DeSoto parishes.

The project involves signing upgrades along Interstate 49 between the Natchitoches Parish line and the Inner Loop. The work is aimed at improving visibility and navigation for motorists traveling through the corridor.

The apparent low bid for the project came in at $3,864,006.39. The project is part of a broader effort to enhance safety and efficiency on major transportation routes across the state.

Officials indicated that projects are selected based on factors including traffic volume, roadway condition, and safety needs.

Caddo Parish Public Schools has announced the appointment of Kathryn Ferguson as the next principal of Caddo Middle Magnet School, recognized as the top-performing middle school in Louisiana.

Ferguson brings a background in academic leadership and classroom excellence to the position, having previously been named Louisiana Middle School State Teacher of the Year. She currently serves as assistant principal of instruction at Youree Drive Middle AP Magnet, where she has focused on strengthening classroom instruction, supporting educators, and improving student achievement.

School officials also expressed appreciation for the leadership of Robin DeBusk, noting her lasting contributions to the Caddo Middle Magnet community.

Ferguson is expected to transition into her new role this spring, allowing time to support continuity for students, staff, and families ahead of the upcoming school year.

Students from Caddo and Bossier parishes pursuing degrees through Northwestern State University’s School of Education were recognized during an Apple Pinning ceremony held March 24, marking their acceptance into teacher candidacy.

The ceremony honors students who have demonstrated a commitment to careers in education and will now advance into upper-level education coursework.

Students from the area recognized include:

Aliya Green of Haughton, Music Education

Jozey Isom of Haughton, Early Childhood Education

Abigail Meador of Haughton, Secondary Education

Avery Phillips of Bossier City, Secondary Education

Jamya Thompkins of Shreveport, Elementary Education

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

When ULM announced veteran Division I assistant Ryan Cross as its new men’s basketball coach Wednesday morning, it bypassed LSU Shreveport head coach Kyle Blankenship.

He was a finalist for the job, and interviewed In Monroe while he once again guided the Pilots to the NAIA Tournament Sweet 16 in Kansas City. On social media Wednesday, Blankenship expressed his “hurt and gratitude” after ULM picked Cross.

“We love LSU Shreveport. We love the … NAIA. We absolutely have the best friends and people we call family right here in Shreveport,” he wrote. “But sometimes an opportunity presents itself and you think the timing is right.”

ULM apparently gave Blankenship reason to believe he was the choice in a search led by new athletics director S.J. Tuohy, but the job went to Cross – a former ULM assistant (2012-18) and associate head coach (2018-20), both under Keith Richard, along with roles as an assistant at Louisiana Tech (2003-06), Bossier Parish Community College (2011-12) and UAB (2020-23) then associate head coach at UAB for the last three seasons.

“We were hours away from reaching a dream that I’ve had for my entire life,” posted Blankenship. “It was in our grasp …. The timing just wasn’t my timing.”

He wrote, “Although crushed, devastated and disappointed, I will get up off the mat and continue to do my best, have fun and never quit. Only this time I’ll do it with MORE JOY!”

Blankenship, 43, is a Byrd graduate who has steered LSUS to the NAIA Tournament each of his 14 seasons as head coach. The Pilots have reached two NAIA Fab Fours, three Elite 8s, and captured six conference regular-season and four tournament championships as he has posted a career 356-118 record as men’s head coach, including 221-61 in conference play.

He is an eight-time Red River Athletic Conference men’s coach of the year. In a stunning oversight, Blankenship was bypassed for that honor on the women’s side in 2023-24, when he pulled double duty as interim women’s coach, tapped to fill that role two weeks before the season began while maintaining the men’s post. He ed the women to a 30-3 record and regular-season and tournament titles. The men’s team went 24-9. Both reached the NAIA postseason with the women notching their first-ever NAIA Tournament victory.

His rare, if not unprecedented feat did not go unrecognized. Blankenship won the Allstate Sugar Bowl Jimmy Collins Award for remarkable coaching achievement and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association women’s Coach of the Year honor for that feat and was the Shreveport-Bossier Journal 2024 Sportsperson of the Year, along with receiving an NABC Guardians of the Game award for leadership in 2025.

Blankenship is the career wins leader among all state men’s coaches. This year’s team finished 28-6 with a Sweet 16 berth.

He is serving as president of the 2025-26 NAIA-National Association of Basketball Coaches Executive Committee.

Cross comes to ULM after a 20-12 season with the Blazers, and UAB competing in the postseason in four of Cross’s six seasons on staff. He has junior college head coaching experience at Chipola College and Barton County, along with five seasons (2006-11) at Caldwell Parish High School south of Monroe.

Tuohy fired second-year coach Phil Cunningham after a 4-28 finish to the season.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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NATCHITOCHES — Time catches up with us all, even the biggest little boys like Sam Goodwin.

He knew that. It was frustrating enough that as he approached 82 years old, not only was his over-used, frequently surgically-repaired body creaking, but it was constricting. He grudgingly gave in to using a cane, then a walker, even though until a few weeks back, he did dozens of daily knuckle pushups. He kept getting around town, to church and ballgames and such. Like the lyric in the fight song he loved to lead, he refused to yield.

But that beautiful mind – his constantly joyful recall of people, of moments, of plays and play-calls – was not cooperating, either. During the holidays, he and son Jay decided to convene one final huddle, inviting his former Northwestern State football players, and coaches, staff colleagues, friends and anyone who might want to come on Friday afternoon, March 20, to Merci Beaucoup Restaurant in the heart of downtown Natchitoches, to visit and gently say thanks, and in most cases, farewell.

Some didn’t wait until then, including his predecessor in the Demons’ head coaching office, 92-year-old A.L. Williams, who traveled an hour-and-half from Ruston.

Goodwin didn’t realize he was out of timeouts.  Not long after his January birthday, the slide toward home steepened, and Jay painfully posted on Facebook saying he and his dad realized the March get-together was asking too much for the coach to manage.

That was true. Last Friday evening, March 20, back home from a hospital in Shreveport, he crossed the greatest goalline.

Probably not coincidence that he made it to that date, more than two weeks after things suddenly went from weak to worst. Hanging in for 16 days, after being resuscitated three times, was his final flash of Goodwin grit.

It’s generational. His granddaughter, Jaydyn “Shorty” Goodwin, is an All-SEC outfielder at Georgia, and one of the best players in the college game. Her Poppy loved traveling to watch her play just as he had followed her big sister Jaycee at Georgia State. When he was stricken after an outpatient procedure in Shreveport on March 4, the next day Shorty went 3-for-3 with a home run. Last Saturday, after Poppy passed away the night before, she ripped her sixth homer this season. She’s batting .344.

Their dad, Jay, has become a very successful Kentucky racehorse breeder at Good Win Farm outside of Paris in the Bluegrass State. He was in the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs in May 2023 celebrating with his friend Ramiro Restrepo, proud owner of Mage, surprise champion of the 149^th Kentucky Derby.

Jay’s career traces back to many father-son trips up I-49 to Louisiana Downs in the 1990s, then over to Oaklawn Park when they moved to Arkadelphia in 2000. Jay was never going to be a college athlete, or a coach, like his dad, but he has that same competitive fire. So did middle daughter Angie, a guard on Natchitoches Central’s 1986 national championship team who played at NSU and Texas State. His oldest girl, Robbie, helped out in Goodwin’s football office.

As a teenager, their dad had rapidly returned from a broken ankle at the start of his junior season and led a 1960 state championship football team at Pineville High School. He walked on in football and track at Henderson State, and became one of the Reddies’ greatest and a three-time conference discus champion.

He started coaching junior high sports in Arkansas and only a few years later got hired as head coach of a start-up inner city program at Little Rock-Parkview. The Patriots won five state titles in his nine seasons, dynasty stuff. Several years later, a Little Rock sportswriter began a profile of an undersized but over-performing player this way:  “When Sam Goodwin had his Little Rock-Parkview teams dominating Arkansas high school football, he did it with players like ….”   The underlying fact: if you knew ANYTHING about Arkansas High school football, you knew who Goodwin was, and how powerful his Patriots were.

Beginning in 1983, for 17 years he was head coach at Northwestern, again defying the odds. His resume sparkles even more brightly 26 years after he left the Demons’ football offices in mid-summer to become AD at his college alma mater. He loved to lead the Demon fight song for his teams – especially in the locker room after his 102 wins – and at gatherings of NSU fans. It didn’t take much to coax him into a rendition of “Gimme That Old Reddie Spirit,” either.

Into his 50s, he’d head out to the Walter P. Ledet Track Complex across from his office in the Northwestern Athletic Fieldhouse, and practice throwing the discus. There were many years of staff shirts-and-skins basketball games. Nobody wanted to rebound against him. He coached youth league sports. He fed pitching machines, and put the ball on batting tees. He umpired little kids’ baseball and softball games because somebody had to, and because he loved doing it.

He was in the stands for every other Northwestern sport year after year, including this winter. While he was coaching, he and his late wife Janet made it to plays and concerts by NSU’s outstanding performing arts students. Goodwin and another NSU legend, band director Bill Brent, became fast friends and collaborators, doing a lot with not much at all in the 1980s.

Ten years apart, at the end of Southland Conference championship victories at Stephen F. Austin in 1988 and 1998, his players carried him out to midfield. They did it again when he won his 100^th game at Texas State in 1999. Try to recall the last time you saw a college team – any team – give their head coach a ride of love and respect.

After leaving NSU, Goodwin was proud and productive in his years as athletic director at Henderson, but soon ached to coach football again. He moved back to Natchitoches in 2009 and before long was volunteering as an assistant to his former player Robbie Martin at Pineville High School. In 2014, Alexandria Senior High had its third head coaching vacancy in four years, and Goodwin took the job at age 70. He had young Thomas Bachman as his offensive coordinator, and when Sam stepped aside after two seasons, the Trojans were back in the playoffs with a winning record. They’ve been a powerhouse under Bachman since.

Still, he loved being at practice, in games, and working with kids. He helped out, gratis, in stints at nearby Lakeview, St. Mary’s and Natchitoches Central until 2020. Biggest little boy as you’ve ever seen.

Hundreds of memories will be shared between now and his April 25 memorial celebration at Turpin Stadium. Goodwin’s coaching tree is full of branches to pro football, to Super Bowls, to LSU’s 2019 national championship, and much more football accomplishment – but it shines brightest with his lessons by example, master classes in yes, football strategy and technique, but most of all, integrity, sportsmanship, character, compassion, motivation, inspiration, modesty, gratitude, and fundamentally, faith – in the people around him, and the Lord he loved.

Let me offer one snapshot from a countless collection I have from serving Goodwin as his publicist at NSU from 1989 until his 2000 departure. It was the distressing finish of the biggest home game he ever coached, the 1998 Division I-AA semifinals. His Demons led 24-21 going to the fourth quarter, but U-Mass turned the outcome north in the last eight minutes. In the waning moments, the visitors were running out the clock with an insurmountable lead.

Bucking the mood, the Spirit of Northwestern band began playing. The student section, still brimming behind the Demon bench, started cheering, and came to their feet, applauding their coach and his men for what they had accomplished, how hard they competed, and how they represented their school.

Sam Goodwin turned around, on behalf of his Demons, and tipped his cap to the crowd.

Then his players applauded HIM as the clock wound away.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

NATCHITOCHES — According to social media posts by national women’s college basketball reporters Wednesday, North Alabama is hiring sixth-year Northwestern State women’s basketball coach Anna Nimz.

Talia Goodman of On3.com posted the report on her X-account Wednesday afternoon. Neither institution immediately confirmed it, and Nimz did not post on her social media accounts. Mitchell Northam of USA Today sports, an Associated Press Top 25 voter, later posted that “multiple sources” confirmed the anticipated hiring of Nimz.

Scott Whittle, general manager of the North Alabama men’s basketball program, posted on his X-account, “Welcome to Florence @CoachNimz. North Alabama is hiring Northwestern State head coach Anna Nimz to lead the women’s basketball program.”

Goodman wrote “Nimz increased or matched the program’s Southland Conference win total in each of her seasons, culminating in 2025-26 with the program’s most single-season wins in 10 years and its most Southland victories in 22 years.”

Nimz, a former assistant coach at UT-Rio Grande Valley, completed her sixth season in Natchitoches with three consecutive SLC Tournament berths, the best string since five in a row from 2014-17.

She led the Lady Demons to the 2025 WNIT, finishing at 16-16, then this season increased the win total by two to 18. It was NSU’s first winning record in women’s basketball since 2015-16.

Northwestern finished with an 18-14 mark, reaching the Southland Conference Tournament quarterfinals a year after getting to the SLC semifinals in 2025.

NSU went 26-16 in SLC play the last two regular seasons, earning SLC Tournament fifth seeds both times. This year, Nimz’ team posted wins over the league’s top four finishers, including regular-season champion McNeese in Lake Charles, and tournament finalist SFA in Natchitoches.

Recent recruiting successes include signing 2025-26 Southland Player of the Year Vernell Atamah, last year’s SLC Freshman of the Year, and 2024-25 SLC Newcomer of the Year Mya Blake.

They were the Southland scoring leaders in the past two seasons, the first time Northwestern has had the league’s top scorers in back-to-back years.

Nimz rebuilt a program that lost its first 19 games in her first season, then won the season finale in a COVID-shortened schedule. Since then, Northwestern was 68-81 overall and 45-47 in conference games.

UNA is currently in the Atlantic Sun Conference, but is moving to the reconfigured United Athletic Conference that includes former SLC members Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas and UTA, along with Tarleton State, Eastern Kentucky, West Georgia and Austin Peay.

Nimz, who turns 40 next month, is a Kansas native who has eight prior seasons of head coaching experience at the junior college level.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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Linda Kay Perry born in Sherman, TX on January 3, 1954, to Hershel (Pops) Stanley and Mary Janice Curtis Stanley, Linda Kay Stanley often bragged that she was the perfect child, being the seventh of her mother’s ten children. She died unexpectedly of a heart attack on March 23, 2026. Family relocations in her childhood years took Linda from Sherman to McKinney and to Michigan before returning to Sherman and then Shreveport. Living life’s complexities beyond her control Linda was one of several siblings who were adopted by her mother’s second husband and carrying the Shellnut name until marriage. By Linda’s teens the family had settled in Shreveport, where she graduated as a proud Woodlawn High School Knight in 1972. Linda’s most cherished youth era experience was as a member of the Youth Choir under the direction of Price Harris, Music and Youth Director at Calvary Baptist Church, Shreveport, growing an unwavering faith in God and building cherished friendships that lasted throughout the rest of her life.

The later 1970s found Linda exploring career fields in electronics, working at Shreveport’s Southwestern Bell facility, then returning to Sherman to work in the Transformer Assembly Line at Texas Instruments before transitioning to one of Grayson County’s pioneering Home Health Care businesses created by her mother. This era brought an introduction to members of the Young Singles Ministry of Calvary Baptist Church, and one person in particular. That introduction to James Perry grew from a casual friendship over the next year, into a bond that became a dating relationship in late 1979.

Linda and James married in April of 1980 with plans of growing a family together, when life took an unexpected turn a couple of years later, in the way of an urgent surgical procedure to save Linda’s life. Through a commitment to persevere against all odds, adoption processes were initiated, bringing an adorable 3-year-old into their lives in late 1986. While Linda and James may have allowed their friendship to grow cautiously over time, the introduction to this precious child was love at first sight and Jack Wespy Perry was accepted with open arms and loving hearts.

Linda’s career path moved to the field of campus and corporate Dining Service when a part-time position in the Austin College Snack Bar led to a promotion to Cash Operations and Catering Manager for Aramark Dining Services. There, Linda flourished professionally and the company continued to promote her into more challenging environments, allowing her to fill Dining Service Management positions at UTA, SMU, Alcatel, Dr. Pepper, Sherman ISD and Texas Instruments over the next fifteen years. As Sodexho began to grow their operation into the southwest region of the country, Linda was again recruited, and she took on the unique role of Intentional Manager, using her expertise to audit and streamline operations and train new managers to be able to grow profits and solidify bonds with the various corporations under contractual commitments with Sodexho. A job-related accident in 2002 led to Linda’s early retirement due to disability. In retirement, Linda became Nana to three adorable highlights in her life, Jaylor, River and Salem Perry.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents, and by siblings, Bobby Joe Stanley, James Donald Stanley, Judy Carolyn Walker, Mary Anne Stanley (who drowned at the age of 16), Charles Gene Stanley, Michael Tracy Shellnut and Bennie Glenn Shellnut. Linda is survived by her husband, James; her son, Jack; daughter-In-law, Shawnee; their three wonderful children; brother, Kenneth Ray Stanley; sister, Edna Marie Fletcher and her husband David; and Sister-In-Law, Christine Stanley (Charles) along with numerous nieces and nephews, and finally, a host of families who, though not related, have considered us as family.

Family night will be held on Monday, March 30, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Waldo Funeral Home. Linda’s funeral service will be held on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Waldo Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Friendship Cemetery in Sherman, TX.

In lieu of flowers, financial donations to Price Harris Evangelical Ministries, Shreveport LA, Shriner’s Hospital for Children or your favorite non-profit would be greatly appreciated.

Hayden Niklaus Price, age 9, of Louisiana, passed away on March 25, 2026. Born on August 1, 2016, in Natchitoches, Louisiana, Hayden was a bright light in the lives of all who knew and loved him.

Hayden was full of life, laughter, and curiosity. He found joy in the simple and sweet moments—riding his bike, enjoying his favorite meals, and making homemade s’mores in the microwave. He had a love for Harry Potter, often immersing himself in its magical world. Hayden loved school and embraced each day with enthusiasm and a kind spirit.

Above all, Hayden’s greatest love was his family. He cherished his siblings more than anything in the world and found his happiest moments surrounded by those he loved. Summers spent with family in South Louisiana/ Mississippi were especially dear to him, filled with warmth, laughter, and treasured memories that will live on in the hearts of those who shared them with him.

Hayden was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Philip Tramontana, Jr.; maternal great-grandfather, Philip Tramontana, Sr.; maternal great-grandmother, Diane Tramontana; and great-grandmother, Cynthia Smith.

He is survived by his loving mother, Diane Tramontana and husband Joseph Hull, Sr.; his father, Kendrick Price; his grandparents, Leola Dunn (“Grammie”), Chad Dunn (“PopPop”), Jessica Wren (“MiMi”), Robert Hull (“Poppy”), LaShonda Pikes (“Grandma”), and Raymond Price (“Grandfather”); and his beloved siblings, Deylihla Johnson, Joseph Hull, Jr., and Aaliyah Hull.

He also leaves behind many loving aunts and uncles: Rebecca Brock (“BecBec”), Justin Brock, Rita Marshall (“RiRi”) and James Marshall, Earnestine Seals, Philip Tramontana, III (“Uncle Bubba”), Shelby Pikes, Michael Pikes, and Jason Garlington, Amber Terrance-Hull(Aunt Sissy), Dillion Terrance-Hull (Uncle Nemo) along with extended family and friends who will forever cherish his memory.

A visitation will be held on March 27, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at Aulds Funeral Home, with a funeral service to follow at 3:00 p.m.