By PATRICK MEEHAN, Centenary Assistant AD for Communications 

Centenary’s softball team is home for a three-game Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series with Dallas beginning today after posting a doubleheader sweep earlier this week.

The Ladies took two from the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets by identical 4-1 scores Tuesday evening at the Centenary Softball Complex.

The Ladies improved to 9-11 overall and 7-2 at home while the Yellow Jackets fell to 2-12 and lost their ninth game in a row. Centenary lost two of three SCAC games to LeTourneau last weekend in Longview, Texas.

Centenary welcomes University of Dallas for an SCAC twinbill starting at 4 today. The teams wrap up the series Saturday with a single game at noon. The Crusaders are 1-10 overall and 1-10 in SCAC play as all 11 of their contests this season have been in league play. 

GYMNASTICS: The Ladies and their fellow conference counterparts will compete in the annual Midwest Independent Conference Championships tonight in Normal, Ill. and hosted by Illinois State University.

The Ladies posted a 188.750 team score last Sunday afternoon to finish second in a non-conference dual meet against Bowling Green State in Bowling Green, Ohio. 

The Falcons won the meet with a score of 193.575. Centenary, which finished second to Greenville University with a 187.900 on Friday in Greenville, Ill., has completed its regular season.

Senior Amy Foret had an impressive weekend for the Ladies as she won on beam against the Panthers on Friday, was runner-up on vault, and tied for fourth place on floor with a season-high tying 9.60. In Sunday’s meet at BGSU, she earned two more top-five finishes as she tied for fourth on floor with a season-best 9.80 and tied for fourth on vault (9.525).

WOMEN’S GOLF: Sophomore Amber Shaw was named the SCAC Women’s Golfer of the Week on Wednesday after leading the Ladies to a fourth-place finish on Tuesday in their annual home tournament, the Hal Sutton Invitational, at The Golf Club at Stonebridge in Bossier City. Shaw finished eighth at 24-over par 168 as she recorded her first career top-10 finish. Shaw posted back-to-back 84’s to card a two-round total of 168 and finish as the top SCAC athlete in the field. 

LACROSSE:  The New Jersey Athletic Conference is adding Centenary and Colorado College as affiliate members in t men’s lacrosse beginning in the 2026-27 academic year.   

The NJAC will begin sponsoring men’s lacrosse as a conference championship sport for the first time. The conference will feature six lacrosse teams including Kean University, Montclair State, Stockton and SUNY New Paltz, in addition to the two new affiliates.  

With six sponsoring institutions, the NJAC will be on track to secure an automatic qualification to the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship Tournament beginning in the 2028 season following a one-year waiting period as mandated by NCAA legislation. 

NJAC men’s lacrosse will be comprised of two divisions – a three-team Gold Division and a three-team Blue Division. Centenary and Colorado College will always remain in the Gold Division, while the third Gold Division team will be based on a rotation that will feature one of the NJAC core member programs rotating into the Division for a two-year period.

The two divisional winners will advance to the NJAC Men’s Lacrosse Championship Game which will take place annually on the Saturday prior to the NCAA automatic qualification deadline.

Contact Patrick at pmeehan@centenary.edu

Northwest Louisiana will mark its 43rd annual Holocaust Remembrance Service at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 19, at First Methodist Church Shreveport, with a cello performance, a survivor family story, choir music, and recognition of student artwork.

The free ecumenical observance is open to the public regardless of faith background. Eleven candles will be lit in memory of the approximately 11 million lives lost during the Holocaust, and prayers will be shared in memory and solidarity.

Event Chair Laura Popper Crawford, director of the Centenary Suzuki School and a Centenary College faculty member, has direct family ties to the Holocaust — her father escaped Nazi persecution while her grandparents and other relatives perished.

“If these stories are not passed down through generations, there is a real danger that they will be forgotten,” Crawford said.

The program includes cellist John-Henry Crawford performing on his grandfather’s 200-year-old cello — smuggled out of Nazi Austria before Kristallnacht by Dr. Robert Popper — along with slides recounting Dr. Popper’s escape. The Centenary College Choir, led by David Hobson, will also perform.

Winners of the annual Northwest Louisiana Holocaust Remembrance Literary and Arts Project will be recognized. This year’s competition drew more than 250 submissions from middle and high school students in categories including poetry, essay, visual art, and musical composition.

The service has been held annually since 1984. It falls five days after Yom HaShoah — Holocaust Remembrance Day — observed this year on April 14.

Registration is available at HolocaustRemembranceService.org. For information, contact Barbara Joseph at 318-868-1200 or barbara@jewishnla.org.

Funeral services for Opal Francis Cox Wells, 95, will be held on Friday, March 20, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at the Methodist Church in Hurricane, Louisiana. A visitation will be held from 12:00 p.m. until the start of the service. Burial will follow in Hurricane Cemetery where she and her beloved pet, Bendi, will be laid to rest next to her late husband, Robert, and her other pet, Taft. Officiating the service will be Pastor Tommy Davidson. A visitation will be held on Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2500 Southside Dr. in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Opal was born on July 27, 1930 to Jim Ed and Esther Cox. She passed away on Monday, March 16, 2026 at The Guest House Nursing Home with her children by her side. The Guest House had been her home for the last three years where she received excellent care from her nurses, Amanda, Lacy, Kristie and CNA, Rose. They made sure her RC or pop would be on time.

Opal is survived by her daughter, Rita Ledbetter and husband, Danny; son, Ryan Wells; granddaughter, Brenda Rinaudo and husband, Andy; and sister, Eva Merle Hammond. She is preceded in death by her parents; her late husband, Robert; brother, James Olin Cox; and sister, Oneida Hayes.

Opal graduated from Athens High School in 1952. She moved to Shreveport and worked for the Credit Bureau. Rita came to live with Big Mama and Uncle James but Opal never missed a weekend coming to the Hurricane to see her riding that old Greyhound bus.

Opal married Robert later and had Ryan. Opal retired from the workforce to be a stay-at-home mother to Ryan and grandmother to Brenda and later neighborhood day care.

Opal was a plain spoken woman. If she thought it, she said it. Her favorite saying was, “I got news for you. You kids are going to drive me to the moon,” or “I am driving this bus!” Her flyswatter was always handy where they could see it but never used.

Opal’s hobby was gardening. If she had a spare moment, she was digging in the dirt as she called it.

We appreciate Francis Duron for making sure mama got her place reserved in heaven.

Honoring Opal as pallbearers will be Michael Hartman, Ken Ritter, David Diffy, Hank Jett, David Ray Cox, and Ronnie Allen. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Eddy Driskill and Louis Christian.   

With heavy hearts and deep gratitude for a life beautifully lived, we celebrate the life of Sharon Teel Bennett, who passed away on March 18, 2026 at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy of creativity, compassion, and quiet strength.

Sharon was born in Nacogdoches, Texas and her life’s journey carried her across the state – from Carthage to Brownsville, each place adding to the story she would later tell with joy and a touch of mischief. She often shared memories of her time in Brownsville with a twinkle in her eye, recalling nights spent dancing along the banks of the Rio Grande. It was in south Texas where she met a dashing young airman, Lee Bennett, who would later become her beloved husband.

Life with Lee carried her beyond Texas, including time spent in the Dakotas during his service in the United States Air Force. His orders to Barksdale Air Force Base eventually brought them to the Shreveport-Bossier area. Being close to her parents in San Augustine, Sharon, a Texas girl at heart, chose to put down roots in Shreveport, creating a home and community that would remain central to her life for decades.

An acclaimed artist and devoted advocate for the arts, Sharon lived a life defined by creativity, resilience, grace, and a deep appreciation for beauty. As Chair of the Hoover Watercolor Society, she played a pivotal role in fostering a vibrant artistic community, encouraging expression and connection through her leadership. Her work as the Arts in Education Artist Coordinator for the Shreveport Regional Arts Council reflected her deep commitment to ensuring that the arts continued to inspire and shape future generations.

While she was a talented artist in her own right, her gifts extended far beyond her work. At her core, Sharon was a caregiver, a steady and compassionate presence in the lives of so many. She was the friend who showed up without being asked, the one who made sure others were cared for, often driving loved ones to appointments, tending to their needs, and offering comfort in ways both quiet and deeply meaningful. Her generosity of spirit left a lasting imprint on everyone she touched.

Sharon’s love of art carried her far beyond home. An avid and independent traveler, she explored Europe on her own, wandering through museums and galleries and soaking in the beauty and culture that inspired her work. She also pursued her passion through residencies at art schools in New York, always seeking to learn, grow, and create.

Her devotion to family was unwavering. After the passing of her beloved husband, Lee, in 1994, Sharon carried forward with remarkable strength, remaining a steady source of love, guidance, and support to their three children, Cari, Beth, and Michael. In later years, she once again embodied selfless devotion as she lovingly cared for her daughter Cari throughout her illness, remaining faithfully by her side until Cari’s passing in 2021. Her life reflected a depth of love and resilience that cannot be measured.

Sharon also had a tender and generous heart for animals, especially those in need. Her home was a place of refuge and care, shared with her beloved special needs dogs, Candy and Tex, and her cherished orphaned cats, Bunny, Chang, and Mia. She saw worth and beauty in every living thing, offering patience, kindness, and unconditional love.

To those who knew her, Sharon was a source of warmth, strength, and unwavering compassion. She had an extraordinary ability to care for others in both big and small ways, making people feel loved, offering comfort, and bringing laughter that could brighten even the hardest days. Her legacy lives on in the countless lives she uplifted and the love she gave so freely.

She is survived by her children, Beth (Jimbo) Herring and Michael (Carole) Bennett, and her son-in-law, Pete Bollinger; her grandchildren, Nicolas Bollinger (Sarah), Megan Russell (Rod), Melissa Herring, Ashlie Alexander (Josh), Katie Sippola (Tucker), and Brandon Bennett (Connor); her great-grandchildren, Eli Russell (Gendeling), Mikaela Wilson (Ken), Mercie, Silas, Titus, Zeke, and Zoey Russell, Bryton, Sawyer, Laylah, and Liam Huffty, and Eleanora and Arlo Sippola; her great-great-grandchildren, Daniel and Mikenna Wilson; and special friends Ardis, Deanie, Jacque, Lynn along with a multitude of others. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lee Bennett; her daughter, Cari Bennett Bollinger; and special companions, Al and John.

A celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, March 25th at 10:00 a.m. at Aulds Funeral Home in Shreveport, Louisiana. In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to Pet Savers Shreveport, honoring Sharon’s lifelong dedication to creativity, compassion, and care.

Her life was a masterpiece, painted with love, shaped by resilience, and forever reflected in the lives she so deeply cared for.

Phonetic: /se·nes·cence/

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition

Sharon Teel Bennett
January 31, 1940 – March 18, 2026
Service: Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 10am at Aulds Funeral Home, Shreveport.

Troy E. Bain
September 9, 1936 – March 16, 2026
Service: Monday, March 23, 2026, 11am at Osborn Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Pastor Barry Keith Joffrion
October 4, 1961 – March 16, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at Stonewall Baptist Church, Bossier City.

Goodwin “Butch” Heil
June 3, 1946 – March 15, 2026
Service: Friday, March 20, 2026, 11am at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Sybil T. Patten
April 8, 1937 – March 14, 2026
Service: Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 10am at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Shreveport. 

Shirley VanDyke-Ashley
June 21, 1949 – March 14, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at the St. Rest Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

Alex Harris
February 4, 1957 – March 13, 2026
Service: Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 10:30a, at Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Keithville.

Linda Lurana Reese
December 30, 1948 – March 13, 2026
Service: Monday, March 23, 2026, 10:30am at Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Keithville. 

Hattie Mae Walker
March 14, 1947 – March 13, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 12pm at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Shreveport

Velma L. White
July 16, 1949 – March 13, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 1pm at the New Bethel Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

Herron Clayton Etue
October 22, 1936 – March 12, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 2pm at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Shreveport. 

Mary Gorum
December 10, 1926 – March 12, 2026
Service: Friday, March 20, 2026, 12:30pm at Forest Park Cemetery, Shreveport. 

Janice Lynette Johnson
September 12, 1967 – March 11, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at Heavenly Gates Funeral Home, Shreveport.

Ronnie Lee
February 11, 1950 – March 11, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at Good Samaritan Funeral Home, Shreveport.

Billy Charles Payton
January 16, 1948 — March 11, 2026
Service: Friday, March 20, 2026, 12:30pm at Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Keithville. 

Athalean Calhoun Archie
November 29, 1936 – March 10, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Shreveport.

Charles Taylor
August 13, 1954 – March 10, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 1pm at Zion Rest Cemetery, Shreveport.

Ben Earnest Lee Wheeler, Jr.
March 23, 1976 – March 9, 2026
Service: Sunday, March 22, 2026, 10am at Eddie D. Jones State Park, Keithville. 

Doris Jean Murphy
May 19, 1952 — March 8, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 1pm at Winnfield Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Hill Smith
August 5, 1939 — March 7, 2026
Service: Monday, March 23, 2026, 11am at Winnfield Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Ruby Carrie Daniels
December 23, 1929 – March 6, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at From Bondage To Freedom Church, Shreveport. 

Carolyn Hardy Van Norman
April 12, 1944 – March 3, 2026
Service: Saturday March 21, 2026, 11am at Osborn Funeral Home, Shreveport.

Joe Louis
May 7, 1936 – March 1, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 12pm at New Boggy Baptist Church, Bethany.

Brenda Janzen
February 10, 1967 – February 24, 2026
Service: Friday, March 20, 2026, 2pm at Western Hills Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

Jerry Kennedy
August 10, 1940 – February 11, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at Ellerbe Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

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

Shreveport Police Department officers responded to the 2700 block of West 70th Street, outside of O’Reilly Auto Parts, on March 17 around 8:30 pm in reference to a reported shooting.

Upon arrival, officers discovered a chaotic scene where an adult male had been struck multiple times by gunfire. The individual was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The individual who discharged the firearm remained on scene and fully cooperated with responding officers. Initial information was provided through a 911 call made by the shooter, who stated that the deceased had attempted to rob him.

As the investigation progressed, detectives learned that the two individuals were known to one another and had a history of prior verbal disputes, which escalated into a physical confrontation on this date. According to the preliminary investigation, the deceased reportedly threatened the shooter with a firearm and discharged multiple rounds. The shooter then retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and returned fire, resulting in the death of the other individual.

Detectives with the Shreveport Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit responded to the scene and have been actively investigating the incident. Firearms and shell casings were recovered from the scene as detectives worked to piece together the sequence of events.

While the investigation remains ongoing, preliminary findings indicate that the claim of self-defense may be valid. However, detectives continue to conduct interviews, review surveillance footage, and gather additional evidence. This incident marks the fourth homicide in Shreveport in 2026.

The investigation remains active, and no further information is available at this time. Updates will be provided as they become available.

A former Caddo Parish man who raped and impregnated a female family member, then was convicted in Caddo District Court late last year, was sentenced Tuesday, March 17, 2026, to life plus 50 years in prison.

District Judge Chris Victory sentenced Larry Darby, 61, who on December 18, 2025, was found guilty of aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated incest and sexual battery. The charges stem from prolonged abuse that began in 2005 and led to the birth of a child. The case was reopened after new corroborating evidence came to light years later. The life term was for the rape, and the 50 years were for the other crimes, totaled. The terms are to be served consecutively.

During sentencing, the victim delivered a statement describing years of abuse, including being beaten and strangled into submission. She detailed lasting physical and emotional trauma, including the loss of most of her teeth and a diagnosis of PTSD.

Darby, convicted in Texas in 2022 for assaulting a stepchild, most recently lived in the Lone Star State. But he lived in Caddo Parish at the time of the crimes for which he has been convicted; he also lived in Bossier City earlier.

“This defendant is a serial sexual predator who caused devastating harm over many years,” Caddo Parish District Attorney James E. Stewart said. “This sentence ensures he will never again have the opportunity to abuse another victim.”

Assistant District Attorneys Ron Christopher Stamps and Britney A. Green of the Caddo District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit prosecuted Darby. 

The case was docket No. 396478.

When does art and theatre become something more?

That’s the underlying theme of a special edition of a German peer-reviewed journal that LSUS instructor Dr. Katherine Pollock edited, centering around the work of theatre director Christoph Schlingensief.

The German academic journal “Colloquia Germanica” focuses on special topics in German literacy and cultural studies.

Schlingensief, who also directed films, was known in the theatre world for starting a play in a theatre and then moving the program outside, taking the audience with him.

One of his more famous performances was “Chance 2000, Vote for Yourself” in which he formed the Last Chance Party where anyone could be a candidate in the German federal election in 1998.

“They actually got votes in the German elections,” Pollock explained. “His performances became something that the public couldn’t ignore and something that became real.

“It’s an example of art being transformed into something else. Understanding art as political action is what motivated me to pursue this line of work.”

Schlingensief’s performances also frequented churches, town halls and areas where homeless people gathered, carrying on conversations about art and politics while preparing food and eating with the audience.

This edition (volume 58, book 2) of “Colloquia Germanica” published in December, but it’s a project a long time in the making.

Pollock became part of a German contemporary drama community through her attendance of annual German Studies Association conferences.

She began participating on panels in 2020 as a graduate student and organizing panels in later years, which is where she connected to the majority of scholars who would contribute to the Colloquia Germanica edition.

Pollock wrote a piece about Schlingensief beyond the theatre, co-wrote the journal’s introduction with co-editor Jack Davis (Truman State University) and organized and edited the rest of the journal.

“I’ve been aware of the publication for a long time, and it’s an honor to be able to participate in this way,” Pollock said. “I first started working on this project in 2022 and asked Jack Davis to help.

“It’s a pretty small world of scholars who study in this area, particularly Schlingensief himself.”

Pollock arranged peer reviewers and other authors to contribute feedback as well as assist native German speakers who wrote their pieces in English.

The journal publishes pieces in both English and German with two pieces in this edition written in German.

“Schlingensief has a disparate body of work that’s fragmented and confusing, but we wanted to produce a volume that examined throughline and used modes of analyses that connected his work instead of just a collection of individual pieces,” Pollock said. “We wanted to identify layers and trends.”

Pollock, who teaches English composition and Spanish classes in her third year at LSUS, will take over German classes this coming fall and add a contemporary drama class.

She’s working on a book project centered around humor and sovereignty which will include Schlingensief.

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

DAYTON, Ohio – When he was leading the state with a 30-point scoring average as an Airline High School senior almost 40 years ago, Byron Smith was known to get on a streak.

Now in his ninth full season as head coach at Prairie View A&M, he’s on another, and this time it’s reached the national stage.

Smith’s Panthers clamped down on Lehigh Wednesday night in a 67-55 NCAA Tournament First Four triumph at UD Arena.

Prairie View A&M (19-17) won its eighth straight, including a 72-66 victory as the SWAC’s eighth seed upsetting second-seeded Southern in the conference tournament final last Saturday.

That eight-game streak is better than anything the Panthers did all of last year, when they finished 5-27 on the heels of a 10-win season in 2023-24. Smith hit the transfer portal and lately, the team has come together at just the right time.

“Losing sucks,” Smith said. “Everything is better when you win, just life is better. Everybody would like to be Coach [Nick] Saban — seven, eight national championships and be No. 1 preseason and in the final poll every year — but that’s just not realistic. When you have seasons like we did the last two years, it really tests you as a coach and how much you really want to be doing this thing.”

Prairie View’s defense was decisive. The Panthers forced 16 turnovers, recorded 12 steals and blocked nine shots while limiting Lehigh’s leading scorer, Nasir Whitlock, to five points.

“Definitely gratifying,” said the 1987 Airline graduate. “A heck of a basketball game. We’re definitely excited to survive and advance and move on to the first round on Friday night.”

Prairie View, a 16-seed, advances to face No. 1 seed Florida in a first-round South region matchup Friday in Tampa.

As for the daunting challenge of meeting the Gators, and in their home state, Smith embraced it.

“They’ve got probably about four or five guys that are going to be playing on ESPN here in about nine months,” Smith said. “But in life, no test, no testimony, right? We’re going to be tested going into the game in Tampa, but we look forward to it.”

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

By RON HIGGINS, Journal Sports

BATON ROUGE – There’s a top 10 nationally ranked baseball team playing in Alex Box Stadium this weekend.

That’s not unusual for eight-time and defending national champion LSU.

Except it’s not the Tigers, losers of six of their last 10 games as the nation’s preseason No. 1 team has dropped out of the DI Baseball Top 25 after losing two of three in their SEC opening series at Vanderbilt.

No. 8 Oklahoma (17-4, 2-1), fresh off a league series win over now No. 21 Texas A&M, opens its trio of battles vs. the reeling Tigers (15-7, 1-2 SEC) here tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPNU.

LSU fifth-year Jay Johnson has more questions than answers after his pitching staff gave up more runs (33) and earned runs (31) and issued more walks (26) than any other staff in the SEC last weekend.

The Tigers are ranked last in the 16-team league in earned run average in conference play (11.07) and for the season (5.04).

The most baffling performances to date have been authored by sophomore Casan Evans, elevated to LSU’s starter for the opener of each three-game series.

His standout relief work on last season’s national title team (5-1 record, 2.05 ERA, seven saves, 71 strikeouts, 19 walks, .228 opponent batting average, 52.2 innings in 19 appearances) has not yet translated to becoming an effective starter.

He’s given up two runs or more in all five of his starts and hasn’t pitched more than 5.1 innings. In LSU’s opening loss at Vanderbilt, Evans was pulled after giving up six runs in three innings. He allowed 10 of 21 batters he faced (five hits, five walks) to reach base.

Johnson has a vastly different view of Evans’ largely unimpressive outings.

“We won the first four games he pitched and we were down to two strikes to win the last game (Vandy’s ninth-inning walk-off homer in last Friday’s series opener),” Johnson said. “Every game that he pitches, and we won the first four, and we were down to two strikes to go to win.

“A job of the pitchers is to give your team a chance to win the game, and he’s doing a great job of that. I think sometimes that gets lost.”

Besides Evans (1-0, 6.25 ERA, 22.1 innings), Kansas transfer Cooper Moore (3-2, 3.21 ERA, 28 innings) and sophomore William Schmidt (3-1, 3.12 ERA, 26 innings) haven’t found their stride yet as Game 2 and Game 3 starters in the pitching rotation.

The starters have put the Tigers in insurmountable holes. In its seven losses, LSU has been outscored 43-7 in the first six innings, including 29-2 in the first three innings.

The offensive firepower the Tigers enjoyed a year ago has yet to develop.

Last season, even with newbies such as transfers Daniel Dickinson and Luis Hernandez in the starting lineup at shortstop and catcher, there were no weak links from top to bottom in the batting order.

This year, after the top of the order featuring returning starters right fielder Jake Brown, center fielder Derek Curiel, shortstop Steven Milam and centerfielder Chris Stanfield, the offense drops off dramatically.

That foursome, even with Stanfield finally healed from a hand injury and back in the lineup, has combined so far to hit .329 with 70 RBI, 13 home runs and 19 doubles.

The back half of the order, mostly featuring transfers Zack Yorke (Grand Canyon), Trent Caraway (Oregon State), Seth Dardar (Kansas State) and Brayden Simpson (High Point), is hitting a combined .254 with 47 RBI, eight homers and 14 doubles.

“This team was maybe a little underprepared for adversity,” Johnson said. “They didn’t have a whole lot (adversity) last year with (all) the returning players.

“Our new players are experiencing a different level of adversity at a place like this.”

LSU (15-7 overall, 1-2 SEC) vs. No. 8 OKLAHOMA (17-4, 2-1 SEC), Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge

Game 1: Today, 7 p.m. CT (ESPNU)

LSU – So. RH Casan Evans (1-0, 6.45 ERA, 22.1 IP, 12 BB, 35 SO)

OU – Jr. LH Cameron Johnson (3-0, 3.04 ERA, 23.2 IP, 12 BB, 34 SO)

Game 2: Friday, 6:30 p.m. CT (SEC Network+)

LSU – Jr. RH Cooper Moore (3-2, 3.21 ERA, 28.0 IP, 7 BB, 35 SO)

OU – Jr. RH LJ Mercurius (4-1, 1.59 ERA, 28.1 IP, 8 BB, 41 SO)

Game 3: Saturday, 2 p.m. CT (ESPN)

LSU – So. RH William Schmidt (3-1, 3.12 ERA, 26.0 IP, 7 BB, 39 SO)

OU – Fr. LH Cord Rager (2-1, 4.71 ERA, 21.0 IP, 7 BB, 28 SO)

LSU SERIES VS. OKLAHOMA

LSU leads Oklahoma, 12-5, in a series that began in 1959. LSU swept a three-game SEC series from the Sooners last season in Norman. In the 2013 NCAA Super Regional in Baton Rouge, LSU won two straight over the Sooners to advance to the College World Series. Three other LSU-OU matchups have been in the NCAA tournament, all of which LSU won in Baton Rouge. 

A LOOK AT LSU

LSU is hitting .285 with 41 doubles, four triples, 32 homers and 167 RBI. . .Right fielder Jake Brown is hitting a team-high .400 this season with seven doubles, 11 homers, 37 RBI, 26 runs and six steals. . .The LSU pitching staff has a 5.04 ERA (last in the SEC) with 280 strikeouts in 187.2 innings while allowing a .217 opponent batting average and 18 home runs. 

A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA

Left-hander Cameron Johnson, OU’s game 1 starting pitcher, was a member of LSU’s 2024 team. He pitched 9.0 innings for the Tigers over 13 appearances, recording 16 walks and 13 strikeouts. . . The Sooners are hitting .306 with 44 doubles, eight triples, 23 home runs and 65 steals in 70 attempts. . . Catcher Deiten Lachance is batting a team-high .358 with eight doubles, one triple and 22 RBI. . .The Oklahoma pitching staff has a 3.60 ERA with 223 strikeouts in 175.0 innings while allowing a .209 opponent batting average and 13 home runs.

Contact Ron at ronhigginsmedia@gmail.com

JOURNAL SPORTS

HOUSTON – It’s not the Big Dance but it’s a chance to play postseason basketball, and two regular-season champions upset in their conference tournament finals last weekend will square off tonight trying to get some satisfaction in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.

Louisiana Tech, the Conference USA champion, visits Tudor Fieldhouse to face American Athletic Conference winner Rice in a first-round WBIT matchup.

Regular-season champions that don’t win their leagues’ automatic NCAA Tournament berths with conference tournament titles, and are bypassed for an NCAA at-large invitation, get automatic berths in the WBIT, which is administered by the NCAA.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and the game can be seen on ESPN+.

Louisiana Tech (26-6) enters the postseason after a 17-1 run through Conference USA play, winning 19 consecutive games during the year — its longest streak in more than two decades. The Lady Techsters were stunned by a 43-38 loss to sixth-seeded Missouri State in the conference tournament championship.

Paris Bradley and Joy Madison-Key were named to the Conference USA All-Tournament Team. Bradley averaged 17.7 points on 54.1 percent shooting during the tournament, including 59.1 percent from 3-point range, while also recording 14 rebounds and five steals. Madison-Key led the tournament with 16 assists, including nine in a semifinal win over Delaware.

Louisiana Tech is making its first appearance in the WBIT and its 38th postseason appearance overall, including 27 NCAA Tournament berths. The Techsters managed to score only 12 points after halftime in the Missouri State loss.

The Lady Techsters lead Conference USA in scoring (73.2 points per game), scoring defense (58.3), scoring margin (14.8), field goal percentage (44.3) and assists (16.1). During the conference tournament, Louisiana Tech held opponents to 44.6 points per game — nearly 14 points below its season average allowed.

Rice (28-5) enters under similar circumstances after finishing 17-1 in American Athletic Conference play and reaching its conference tournament championship game. The Owls fell to UTSA 54-40 in the title game, shooting 27.1 percent from the field and 21.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The Owls rank among the top teams in the AAC on both ends of the floor, finishing fourth in scoring offense (70.0) and second in scoring defense (59.5).

Rice leads the nation in free throw shooting at 81.6 percent, with six players converting better than 80 percent from the line.

JOURNAL SPORTS

Caddo Parish Schools superintendent Keith Burton has added another prominent local role in 2026, moving up to chair the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Foundation as the local bowl celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Burton, a longtime educator who officiated high school football and basketball for over 30 years before being named superintendent in September 2024, succeeds the Foundation’s 2025 chairwoman, Sarah Giglio.

“It is a tremendous honor to serve as chairman of the Independence Bowl Foundation during such a special year. The 50th anniversary is an opportunity not only to celebrate the incredible legacy built over five decades, but also to position the Independence Bowl for an even stronger future,” said Burton. “I look forward to working alongside our outstanding staff, volunteers, and Foundation members to deliver another great bowl experience for our community and college football fans.”

The entire 2026 Executive Committee and Board of Directors slate includes some of Shreveport-Bossier City’s most influential leaders and citizens. The executive committee and board members collaborate  with the full-time board staff, led by veteran executive director Missy Setters.

Burton leads one of Louisiana’s largest school systems and works closely with educators, community leaders, and business partners to improve educational outcomes and expand opportunities for students. Prior to becoming superintendent, Burton served the district in several leadership roles, including chief academic officer and school principal.

A longtime resident of the Shreveport-Bossier area, Burton has been actively involved in numerous civic, nonprofit, and community organizations. His service includes leadership roles with the Committee of 100, the Rotary Club of Shreveport, the Norwela Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Community in Schools/Volunteers of America (CIS-VOA), and the Shreveport-Bossier Military Affairs Council.

Burton has been a member of the Independence Bowl Foundation for many years and currently serves on its Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Selection Committee. As chairman for the 2026 game, he will help lead the organization during the Bowl’s milestone 50th anniversary season, working alongside staff, volunteers, and board leadership to strengthen conference relationships, enhance the bowl experience for participating teams and fans, and position the Independence Bowl for continued success in the evolving landscape of college football.

The 13-member Independence Bowl Foundation Executive Committee for 2026-27, with their professional affiliations in parenthesis:

• Chairman: Keith Burton (Caddo Parish Public Schools)

• Vice-Chairman: Greg Lott (Progressive Bank)

• 1st Vice-Chairman: Tim Wilhite (Wilhite Electric)

• 2nd Vice-Chairman: Doug Bland (Shelter Insurance – Bland Agency, Inc.)

• Treasurer: Jayce Simpson (Community Bank of Louisiana)

• Secretary: John David Person (WIELAND)

• Immediate Past Chairwoman: Sarah Giglio (Gilmer & Giglio)

• Three-Year Term: Crystal Wooldridge (Raymond James)

• Three-Year Term: Bert Schmale (Home Federal Bank)

• Two-Year Term: Tyler Williams (Edward Jones)

• Two-Year Term: Victor Mainiero (Caddo Parish Public Schools)

• One-Year Term: Taylor Jamison (NextEra Energy Resources)

• One-Year Term: Lee Holmes (U.S. Air Force Reserve)

• Title Sponsor Ex-Officio: Jerry Skievaski (Radiance Technologies)

The Independence Bowl Foundation has a total of 89 active members of the Board of Directors. The entire board roster can be found at IndependenceBowl.org/team/#board. 

JOURNAL SPORTS

Freshmen standouts Tony Montgomery and Drew Cooper of the Bossier Parish Community College basketball team have collected All-Region XIV postseason recognition.

Montgomery, a point guard, was one of only two freshmen in the conference to earn first-team status. The 6-1 sparkplug led Region XIV in both scoring (19.5 points per game) and assists (4.9 average).

Montgomery added averages of 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 42 percent from the field, 32 percent from three-point range, and 77 percent from the free throw line.

“Every game he faced double teams, all-out traps, full denial, and box-and-one defenses,” said BPCC first-year coach Jeff Moore. “But it didn’t stop him from scoring. That tells you everything about his toughness and ability.”

Cooper was among seven Region XIV freshmen who received honorable mention. The 6-8 forward contributed 15.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Cooper ranked third in the region in free throw percentage at 84 percent and shot 41 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc.

“Drew made huge 3-point shots and post plays for our team all season,” Moore said. “He stepped up in big moments and gave us a strong inside-out presence.”

As a team, the Cavaliers led the conference in three-pointers made (311 total) and shot 34 percent from beyond the arc. BPCC led the region at the free throw line, converting 75 percent of its attempts.

“This group competed every game and continued to improve,” Moore said. “We leaned on a young core that didn’t back down from any challenge, and that experience is going to pay off moving forward. I’m proud of the way they represented BPCC all season.”

Approaching 77 years old, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame coach Charles Smith of Alexandria’s Peabody Magnet High School won another state championship over the past weekend, but this one was different than any of the other nine his Warhorses claimed during his 40 years as their head basketball coach.  

“My past state championship teams kind of built into that over a two-or three-year period,” Smith said the day after his second-seeded Warhorses whipped 12^th-seeded Northside of Lafayette, 82-61, in the Division II Select finals at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles. “It usually took two-to-three years to mold a team that was championship caliber. But nobody from this team was on the ’24 team when we won our last title.”

His starters this year often included two freshmen, including 6-foot point guard Corey Blake Jr.,  a remarkable team leader as a freshman.

“He’s the best point guard (at Peabody) to ever come in as a freshman and start from day one,” said Smith. “He was an 8^th-grader last year, and this year he’s been leading the team. He’s an exceptional talent. He took the team on his shoulders, showed up and showed out.”

Smith coached in the championship contest against his former player Troy Jones, who just completed his first season as Northside’s head coach. Jones played for two state championship teams at Peabody in 2010 and 2012.

“I talked to him after the game and gave him a big bear hug,” said Smith. “I told him, ‘You should be proud of your accomplishments as a first-year coach, taking your team to the state championship game.’”

Smith will be 77 on May 15, but looked 27 as he ushered his team toward center court to receive their championship trophy last Saturday afternoon.

The Warhorses finished the season with 30 victories (with three losses but only one that counted as an LHSAA game because two were out of state and one was an exhibition). That gives Smith 1,266 career victories, which puts him just nine wins away from overtaking legendary Morgan Wooten, who logged 1,274 victories in 46 years of coaching  (1956-’02) at DeMatha in Hyattsville, Md.

That would put him third overall on the national high school coaching career victories chart behind Ft. Worth prep coaching icon Robert Hughes (1,333) and Gary McKnight, who has 1,306 victories and is still coaching at Mater Dei in Santa Anna, Calif.

Along with his 2019 induction in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches, Smith was inducted in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in 2004. It was the first year he appeared on the ballot.

Shreveport-born Natchitoches Central graduate Joe Dumars, also in the Naismith and LSHOF halls, presented him for induction into what is essentially the world’s basketball hall.

Smith, by the way, has a master’s in education from Northwestern State, and in January 2025, NSU president Jimmy Genovese attended a Peabody home game to present the coach with an elite “Nth Degree” award given to people who have brought credit to the Natchitoches university by their accomplishments.

Smith, married for 51 years to the former Rosa Bynog, is showing no signs of slowing down, and he wants to keep coaching.

“I still feel able to help young boys get to a higher level,” said Smith, who was an assistant coach for 10 years at Peabody under Ernest Bowman before becoming head coach, “and I’m not talking just basketball. I didn’t get into (coaching) to win awards or state championships (11 total with one as Bowman’s assistant). I wanted to move young boys to higher levels in life.

“I’m privileged to have gotten my two seniors college scholarships,” he said. “I tell people all the time what matters most to me is what the kids go on from college to do: work for and be vice presidents of Fortune 500 companies, be lawyers, doctors, engineers, airline pilots and all points in between.”

In the meantime, Smith has built such a fan base spread across the region and even America that he said fans traveled from Houston, Dallas and one alumnus even came from Seattle to cheer on the Warhorses in the semifinals and finals in Lake Charles.

He was told if he needed any inspiration for longevity as a high school basketball coach, there is Harold Mulhearn, who has coached for some 70 years for several schools and is now an assistant coach for Fairchild High School in Osseo, Wisconsin. He is 91 and he’s not ready to call it quits.

“I won’t be coaching that long,” Smith said. 

Sybil Tyrrell Patten died Saturday, March 14, 2026. She was born on April 8, 1937, in Philadelphia, PA to David Christie Tyrrell and Katherine Sample Tyrrell.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral. Officiating will be the Very Rev. Alston Johnson, the Dean of the Cathedral. Inurnment will be in the cathedral’s columbarium. A reception will follow in the parish hall.

Sybil was preceded in death by her husband, J. Frederick Patten, her parents, her brother, David Christie Tyrrell Jr., and her son, Geoffrey Tyrrell Jenkins. She is survived by her son, Oliver Geoffrey Jenkins and wife Anne Selber; her brother William S. Tyrrell and wife Marie of Washington, D.C.; her daughter-in-law, Andra Jenkins; three grandchildren, Arthur Tyrrell Jenkins, Frances North Jenkins, and Caspar Davis Jenkins.

Sybil attended Broadmoor Junior High and Byrd High School. After graduation, she went to Hollins College and received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Sophie Newcomb College (Tulane University).

After college, she moved to San Francisco to work in a research lab and to explore new horizons. There she met her first husband and started a family. Always eager to broaden her sons’ exposure, she enrolled them in the French American Bilingual School and engaged them in a variety of cultural pursuits. It was in California that she developed an enduring passion for snow skiing and tennis; two activities she continued well into her 80s. During her twenty years out west, she made life-long friends both in the city and at Lake Tahoe, her much adored second home.

In 1980, Sybil married Fred and returned to Shreveport where she immediately immersed herself in the cultural, philanthropic and social life of the city. A consummate fundraiser and true patron of the arts, she served on many boards to include the Shreveport Symphony from 1980-2010, as President for two and a half years; the Shreveport-Bossier Opera Board and Guild since 1990, as President from 2003-2005; the National Symphony Board; the LSUS Foundation; and the LSUS Health Science Foundation. In 2006, Sybil and Fred were honored as Pilots of the Year for the LSUS Foundation and endowed an undergraduate scholarship and a professorship for Excellence in Teaching in Liberal Arts. In 2020, she was honored as the Junior League of Shreveport-Bossier’s sustainer of the year.

Sybil was a founding member of the Shreveport Garden Study Club, a member of the Cotillion Club and its Queen in 1957, the Shreveport Club, the Demoiselle Club, the St. Francis Yacht Club, the Colonial Dames and numerous tennis clubs. A music enthusiast, she started and devoted many hours to the Musicale, further enriching the cultural fabric of Shreveport.

Sybil was a legendary traveler; a penchant passed down from her mother, visiting more than a hundred countries and every state. However, when home, there was nothing she enjoyed more than entertaining and visiting with her family and countless friends of all ages.

Sybil was “such a dynamic and irrepressible force for good things” in our community and she will be sorely missed by many.

The family extends its heartfelt thanks to Dr. Richard Michael and her primary caregiver, Deborah Johnson, as well as her devoted secretary Donna Burns.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Shreveport Opera, Shreveport Symphony, St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral or a Shreveport charity of the donor’s choice.

Ben Earnest Lee Wheeler, Jr., passed away on March 9, 2026, at the age of 49. He was born on March 23, 1976, in Abilene, Texas.

Ben was a man who found joy in the simple pleasures of life. He loved spending time outdoors, especially horseback riding and fishing. Known for his easygoing nature and kind spirit, he was deeply loved by his family and will be missed by all who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Ben and Dorothy Wheeler; his maternal grandparents, James and JoAnn Ash; his cousin, Keith Wheeler; and his niece, Anna Wheeler.

Left to cherish his memory are his loving parents, Ben and Virginia Wheeler of Keithville, Louisiana; his uncle, Bill Wheeler of Norman, Oklahoma; and his aunt, Linda Dorman of Bay City, Michigan. He is also survived by his brothers, Charles Wheeler and wife Samantha of Tampa, Florida, James Wheeler and wife Stephanie of Blanchard, Louisiana, and Matthew Wheeler and wife Amanda of Benton, Louisiana.

Ben is further survived by his nephew, Bryan Wheeler; nieces, Melissa Williams, Brooklyn Puckett, Kaitlin Wheeler, Abag Wheeler, and Abbi Sasser; and his great-nephew, Jameson Williams. He also leaves behind his beloved companion, his “fur baby,” Lucy.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Eddie D. Jones State Park, located at 8400 Mike Clary Road, Keithville, Louisiana 71047.

Troy E. Bain
September 9, 1936 – March 16, 2026
Service: Monday, March 23, 2026, 11am at Osborn Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Pastor Barry Keith Joffrion
October 4, 1961 – March 16, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at Stonewall Baptist Church, Bossier City.

Goodwin “Butch” Heil
June 3, 1946 – March 15, 2026
Service: Friday, March 20, 2026, 11am at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Sybil T. Patten
April 8, 1937 – March 14, 2026
Service: Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 10am at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Shreveport. 

Shirley VanDyke-Ashley
June 21, 1949 – March 14, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at the St. Rest Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

Travis Camp
July 24, 1943 – March 13, 2026
Service: Thursday, March 19, 2026, 2pm at Centuries Memorial Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Linda Lurana Reese
December 30, 1948 – March 13, 2026
Service: Monday, March 23, 2026, 10:30am at Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Keithville. 

Hattie Mae Walker
March 14, 1947 – March 13, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 12pm at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, Shreveport

Velma L. White
July 16, 1949 – March 13, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 1pm at the New Bethel Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

Herron Clayton Etue
October 22, 1936 – March 12, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 2pm at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Shreveport. 

Mary Gorum
December 10, 1926 – March 12, 2026
Service: Friday, March 20, 2026, 12:30pm at Forest Park Cemetery, Shreveport. 

Janice Lynette Johnson
September 12, 1967 – March 11, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at Heavenly Gates Funeral Home, Shreveport.

Ronnie Lee
February 11, 1950 – March 11, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at Good Samaritan Funeral Home, Shreveport.

Billy Charles Payton
January 16, 1948 — March 11, 2026
Service: Friday, March 20, 2026, 12:30pm at Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, Keithville. 

Athalean Calhoun Archie
November 29, 1936 – March 10, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Shreveport.

Charles Taylor
August 13, 1954 – March 10, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 1pm at Zion Rest Cemetery, Shreveport.

Ben Earnest Lee Wheeler, Jr.
March 23, 1976 – March 9, 2026
Service: Sunday, March 22, 2026, 10am at Eddie D. Jones State Park, Keithville. 

Doris Jean Murphy
May 19, 1952 — March 8, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 1pm at Winnfield Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Hill Smith
August 5, 1939 — March 7, 2026
Service: Monday, March 23, 2026, 11am at Winnfield Funeral Home, Shreveport. 

Ruby Carrie Daniels
December 23, 1929 – March 6, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at From Bondage To Freedom Church, Shreveport. 

Carolyn Hardy Van Norman
April 12, 1944 – March 3, 2026
Service: Saturday March 21, 2026, 11am at Osborn Funeral Home, Shreveport.

Joe Louis
May 7, 1936 – March 1, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 12pm at New Boggy Baptist Church, Bethany.

Brenda Janzen
February 10, 1967 – February 24, 2026
Service: Friday, March 20, 2026, 2pm at Western Hills Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

Jerry Kennedy
August 10, 1940 – February 11, 2026
Service: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 11am at Ellerbe Baptist Church, Shreveport. 

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

(Editor’s note: This week and the next two, a visit from three people with three very different and distinct views of Easter… Today, Simon, a Cyrenian, who stood on the Via Dolorosa on the day the Lamb passed by.)

 “Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac . . . Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, . . .. ‘. . . but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’  Abraham answered, ‘God himself will provide the lamb . . ..’” — Genesis 22:6-8 (NIV) 

“And they compelled one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross.” — Mark 15:21 (KJV)

Jesus always does the hard part.  It might not seem that way in our human moments of trial or suffering, but it is a reality crystal clear when we view our lives through His.

Simon could not have known when he woke up that day that his life would, in mid-morning, change forever.  After all, he was just passing through.  By divine circumstance, his path crossed the path of the beaten and bleeding Savior.

A scared and timid step forward, a shove, and Simon was in an unwanted spotlight, “compelled” by a soldier’s whip and an order into a moment that would capture his life in God’s Word for eternity.

But it would also capture his heart.

Few people run toward the cross.  Most of us must be compelled by the soldier of misfortune, suffering, disease, and any of a thousand pains and problems.  Even then, we pick it up kicking and screaming.

But I hope we can be like Simon.  Surely . . . after looking into Jesus eyes that day, after seeing up close Christ’s shredded back, His crown of thorns, surely . . . Simon knew that, in comparison, the yoke was easy.  Jesus always does the hard part.

How could Simon look at that and not be changed forever?

In the days and weeks after, as news of the Resurrection spread, I imagine Simon’s horror of that day turned into an overwhelming feeling of honor.  I imagine him on his knees and, through tears, gazing toward Heaven, arms extended, awed, overcome.  I imagine his arms around his sons, his grateful whisper in their ears: “I walked with that Man . . . .”

Have I stood on the Via Dolorosa on a day when the Lamb was passing by?  Have I heard bloodthirsty calls from the crowd and seen a virgin’s son, an innocent man, bearing a cross toward the most important, galvanizing, meaningful moment in history?  Have my eyes met His on that Way of Grief?  Does my back yet feel the wood?  Do I cherish the Old Rugged Cross?

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Residents in Caddo Parish and Bossier Parish can expect a steady warming trend and mostly sunny conditions through early next week, with temperatures climbing from the upper 50s into the upper 80s by the weekend.

For the remainder of today, mostly sunny skies are expected with highs in the upper 50s. Winds will remain light, becoming southerly at around 5 mph this afternoon.

Conditions will warm on Wednesday, with skies starting mostly cloudy before clearing later in the day. Highs are expected to reach the lower 70s, with southwest winds between 5 and 10 mph and gusts up to 20 mph.

Sunny conditions return Thursday with temperatures climbing into the lower 80s and light southwest winds continuing.

By Friday, highs will reach the mid-80s under sunny skies, with clear conditions continuing into the night.

The weekend will bring even warmer temperatures, with highs in the upper 80s both Saturday and Sunday under mostly clear skies. Overnight lows will range from the upper 50s into the lower 60s.

Looking ahead to Monday, partly cloudy skies are expected with slightly cooler highs in the lower 80s.

The extended forecast shows a stretch of dry, sunny weather across both parishes, providing favorable conditions for outdoor activities.

Bossier City recently welcomed Clerks of Court from across the state for the 80th Louisiana Clerks of Court Convention.

Mayor Tommy Chandler greeted attendees and recognized the important role Clerks of Court play in supporting the judicial system and serving their communities.

The event is being hosted by Bossier Parish Clerk of Court Jill Sessions and her office, who are overseeing the conference activities.

The convention brings together clerks from throughout Louisiana for meetings, collaboration, and professional development.