Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Congratulations to our longtime friend Sabine District Attorney Don Burkett on being inducted into the Louisiana Judicial Hall of Fame on Friday, June 2. It was the 18th annual event and was held in Baton Rouge.
DA Burkett holds the honorable distinction of being the longest serving district attorney in Louisiana and the elected official with the most tenure in Sabine Parish. He was first elected District Attorney in 1984 and is currently in his seventh term.
When DA Burkett was sworn into office again back in 2015, he credited others for his longevity in public service, noting, “Any success that I have enjoyed as district attorney is due in large part to the support staff and assistant district attorneys with whom I’ve had the privilege of working with throughout the years. I have been blessed to have been surrounded by competent, dedicated people who work tirelessly for the good of the parish. It is definitely a team effort,” he said.
The District Attorney has seen a lot of changes over his almost 40 years of service, having started in an office dependent on paper with no computers or cell phones, and progressing to digital records, immediate electronic communications and participating in virtual court during the recent pandemic.
Over the years, DA Burkett has been actively involved in the Louisiana District Attorney’s Association, serving as president and a member of the board of directors. He has also served and been appointed to various law enforcement boards and commissions, including years of service to the North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory Commission.
Don and wife Virginia live in Many. They are the parents of Caleb Burkett (wife Maegan) of Many and Stephen Van Sickle (wife Jessica) of Natchitoches. Don and Virginia are the proud grandparents of Elliana and Griffin Van Sickle and Cash Burkett.
Congratulations again to District Attorney Don Burkett on this well-deserved honor.
Wyatt Bennett of Many, the 4-year-old son of Daniel and Lacy Bennett, finished 1st Place in Round 4 of the Stacyc World Championship in Dallas, TX. The sanctioned event was held at Desoto BMX on June 3 and included stiff competition from all over the nation, including last year’s national championship 2nd place finisher.
The first qualifying race of the event saw Wyatt get out front and lead the race until he had a hard crash just before the finish line. Wyatt shook it off and was able to finish. From there on out, Wyatt led every race start to finish. Wyatt was dubbed the “Crazy Cajun” by the Texas announcer for his competitive tenacity after coming back from a first round crash to win the event.
Stacyc World Championship series holds eight race events across the nation. Riders must finish in the top three at two events to qualify for the national championship race. Wyatt’s 1st place finish in Texas puts him one podium finish away from qualifying for the national championship in Tulsa, OK in September.
This was Wyatt’s first sanctioned race but not his first win. Wyatt won his first race ever at the Lone Star Night Series at Swan MX in Tyler, TX on May 20. Wyatt races in the 12eDrive 4-year-old category.
Wyatt is the grandson of proud grandparents Travis and Darlene Bennett of Many and Randy and Peggy Merrill of Monterey.
We thought we had seen it all until we ran into the “Smithville Cow” in Tennessee last Thursday.
Laurie was driving as we came into Smithville, TN from the northwest on a four-lane highway. There was a black, midsize SUV in the left lane with something strange and large sticking out of the rear passenger window. Laurie thought at first it looked like a miniature horse’s head, but thought surely it couldn’t be.
I told her I thought it looked like the end of a big roll of carpet flapping in the breeze.
The vehicle put on its left blinker to turn into Dollar General, and Laurie sped up so we could get a better look. Lo and behold, it was a cow – a real, honest to goodness full grown cow riding around in an SUV with its head sticking out the rear passenger window just watching the world go by.
Later that day, we were having dinner with our friend Anna Allison Burgess in Cookeville, TN, and told her about seeing the cow. She thought we were joking.
After a big laugh and trying to convince Anna the strange tale was the truth, a lady seated at the table behind us spoke up and said she had also seen the cow. The lady, Danielle Crabtree of Cookeville, shared that a post first appeared on social media back in March referencing what has come to be known as the “Smithville Cow.”
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you find out you haven’t.
And by the way, Ann Stuckey Davis, who lives in Florien with husband Randy, used to live in Smithville. Wonder if she ever saw the cow?
I have three great-grandfathers buried in the Joe Bob Allison Cemetery near Baxter, TN. Last Saturday was Decoration Day at the cemetery, and Laurie and I attended for the second year.
Daughters Angela Collins and Jody Gentry and granddaughter Alyssa Collins Zambrano of Tega Cay, SC joined us there.
When Laurie and I first visited the cemetery about five years ago, it was overgrown and had not been maintained.
About three years ago, a very nice lady, Ms. Anna Allison Burgess, stepped in and neatened and began to maintain the cemetery.
She is very interested in genealogy and has relatives buried there. She is a retired educator who is still educating. The author of two books, pianist at her church and a community servant, she is a good lady. We appreciate her hard work at Joe Bob Allison Cemetery very much.
Congratulations to Mr. Allen Walker, 11-year-old son of Sabine Chief Deputy Brad Walker and wife Laura. He placed 1st in the NRA Louisiana Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC) in their Jr. Shotgun Event. Allen also placed 2nd in the YHEC Jr. Archery Division.
The competitions were held Saturday, June 3, at the Terrebonne Parish Rifle Range in Houma, LA.
The YHEC is a family-oriented program that provides a fun environment for youth aged 10-18 to improve their personal ethics, self-control, firearm safety, marksmanship and outdoor safety skills through simulated hunting situations, live fire exercises, education and responsibility activities. The YHEC helps build upon skills learned in basic hunter education courses to encourage safer, lifelong hunting habits.
Congrats again to Allen on his impressive wins.
Carl Derrick is a native of Converse and son of the late Coleman Derrick. Carl just keeps on keeping on. He hosted a group of past graduates of Converse High School on Saturday, May 28, at Derrick Family Farms near Converse. About 30 attended.
Carl reported everyone had a great time, and the group will do it again next year on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.
And another gathering is planned by Carl for a group from Cypress Baptist Church in Haughton that went to Israel together. It is set for Sept. 16.
We passed through Robeline on Memorial Day and were very impressed by the wonderful American flags on display. Hats doffed to Mayor Gordon O’Con and members of the Robeline Council for making that a priority. It is good to see proud patriots who love our country.
Mike Webb of Hohenwald, TN, is shown holding a big bass he caught from the pond behind his house that had successfully eluded a hook until last Thursday.
In our travels last week we got to see our good friends, Mike and Samantha Webb and their son Carter, in Hohenwald, TN. Mike is Lewis County Trustee and plays dobro with the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band. In the last election for Trustee, Mike ran unopposed. His wife Sam is a Lewis County middle school principal and their son, 14-year-old Carter, is already quite the musician and an all-around good guy.
Laurie likes to give little Sabine Parish gift baskets to friends along the way, and for the Webbs she picked out some fishing lures from Nichols, including some amazing watermelon flukes, said to guarantee the catch of “big bass all day every day” on Toledo Bend.
Mike and Carter enjoy fishing, and Laurie was thrilled to get the photo above of a nice bass Mike caught the day after our visit using a fluke from Nichols.
As we traveled onward to the Carolinas, Mike and Sam were headed to Baton Rouge and New Orleans for a long weekend.
We look forward to their return to Louisiana, some fishing on Toledo Bend, and introducing them to special spots in Sabine, Natchitoches and along Cane River.
Mike and the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band performed two great shows of Old-Time music at Sabine Theater in Many back in 2019.
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