Wednesday, October 4, 2023
It was a very special 31st Anniversary Marthaville Good Ole Days for us this year. My wife, Laurie, was honored to be Grand Marshal of their big Saturday morning parade and Festival Chair Randall “Fuzzy” Hennigan was honored with a beautiful, new permanent sign at the former Heritage Park downtown, which was dedicated as “Fuzzy Hennigan Park” last year. The theme for last weekend’s event was “Tuff Enough to Wear Pink” to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness month, which began Oct. 1.
There were wall-to-wall people for the parade, and everyone had a grand time catching throws and visiting with friends and neighbors. There was an antique car and truck show, music, food vendors, arts and crafts booths, and automobilia auctions among the attractions that drew a big crowd and kept them entertained. The automobilia auctions offered enthusiasts a unique opportunity to bid on rare automotive memorabilia, adding an extra layer of excitement for collectors and car lovers alike.
Pink Sisters of Sabine came from Many to ride in the parade and promote breast cancer awareness. Good Ole Days T-shirt coordinator Haley Kilgore announced that certain pink ribbon donations and a portion of t-shirt profits would benefit Pink Sisters, who serves area breast cancer patients with recovery resources.
As always, Fuzzy, his wife Shirley and their daughter Angela Hennigan Kelso, were the ultimate event hosts, opening the Hennigan home to special festival guests for Shirley’s gumbo, tamales, and Judy Winn Bridges’ homemade salads and sweet treats. Both ladies are excellent cooks.
At its front, the Hennigan residence encompasses the historic T. M. Middleton Store, which was owned by Shirley’s father. The former store is now a great room used for special gatherings by the family.
We especially enjoyed seeing former Marthaville resident Dr. Ronald Byrd, who traveled down from South Boston, VA to attend, our longtime friend Don Winn, and Robert Easley and wife, Judy, who traveled from Seabrook, TX for the event. Judy was raised in Bethany, a few miles from Marthaville, not far from where I was raised.
A big doff of the hat to the Good Ole Days Festival and parade committees, who ran everything as smoothly as silk. It’s a big undertaking, and they do it with much gusto.
Folks who worked especially hard on the event included Phillip Strahan, Greg Goings, Haley Kilgore, Bruce and Jan Tatum, Kerry Singletary, Ted Singletary, Karen Rawls, Sheila Noe, Butch Bruce and, of course, Fuzzy Hennigan. There are unsung heroes who also worked hard to make it all happen. Though we may not know their names, we recognize their good efforts, too. Job well done, folks!
There’s been a lot of interest about the altercation between Joy Scarborough, wife of Police Jury Dist. 5 candidate Pat Scarborough, and Linda Schmidt McCormic, wife of Dist. 2 Juror Mike McCormic. They tied up at the end of the Police Jury meeting on Sept. 20.
Last week, the Many Police Department filed charges of disturbing the peace against both women and the additional charge of battery against Ms. McCormic. There has been a lot of comment about the matter on Facebook. Some have even gone so far as to say that the Jury needs to pass a resolution that wives should be left at home.
The two women had been in a previous “cat fight” and District Attorney Don Burkett said charges against Ms. McCormic were dropped because what the Many Police Department brought to him was conflicting testimony.
Pat said of the latest conflict, “After the meeting ended, she and I were talking with Kelly Stewart [who is also running for Dist. 5 Juror] when Linda grabbed Joy’s tripod, grabbed for her cell phone and missed, then broke the leg off the tripod and threw it at Joy. In an earlier meeting, Linda threatened to break Joy’s cell phone and assaulted her by kicking a chair into her.”
The Scarboroughs have been livestreaming the Jury meetings for about a year now, thus the reason Joy has set up a tripod with camera.
Ms. Scarborough charged that Ms. McCormic reeked of alcohol and Juror-elect Bruce Taylor, Dist. 3, said she approached him, and he smelled the fragrance of “alcohol perfume.”
In a Facebook post, Ms. McCormic said, “The meeting was over and I was attempting to leave. The row I was sitting in was blocked by people standing and talking. In my effort to leave, I had to try to pass the area where Joy had a tripod setup. As I was attempting to go around the tripod, Joy picked it up and started pushing me back to the point where I stumbled and fell against the wall and windowsill. I did not go all the way to the floor, but had to be lifted to get up.”
Somebody ain’t tellin’ the truth!
Many’s Tackett Curtis, linebacker at USC, was named Pac-12 Freshman Player of the Week following his recent performance in the Trojans’ 42-28 win against the Arizona State Sun Devils. In just his fourth collegiate game, Tackett collected seven tackles, including the first two sacks of his career. The seven total tackles doubled the number he’d posted over the first three games of the season.
Tackett is 6 ft. 2 in., 225 lbs., and became the first true freshman to start at inside linebacker in a USC season opener since 2015. He is the first USC defensive player to win this since the award was created before the 2019 season.
He was a Many Tigers standout for four seasons. Tackett is the son of Moses and Leslie Curtis, and his grandparents are John and Pam Curtis and Warren and Ann Founds, all of Many.
Friday night’s Super Moon caused a lot of attention. Also called the Harvest Moon, the moon was extra-large because it was closer to the earth and was light orange in color as it rose. It will be the last Super Moon of the year.
The above photo is of Bree Lynn Martinez, daughter of Amber Lynn Gentry and DeWayne Martinez, and she is my granddaughter. Her Daddy made two photos and combined the pictures to make this fun photo. Bree is mighty proud of it, and so are we.
A Shreveport police officer has been arrested after being accused of arming himself with his duty gun during a fight in Sabine Parish recently. According to Sabine Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Walker, witnesses said that Shreveport Police Department patrolman Sgt. Matthew Welch Sr. knocked a cell phone out of the hands of a juvenile female who was filming the incident, which happened on Sept. 23 shortly before 11 p.m. at a Cypress Bend RV Park campsite where Welch was staying.
After SPSO officers were called about the disturbance, Welch was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and simple battery on a juvenile.
Nancy Jones says she is excited about coming to Many next month. The Autograph Party for her new book, “Playin’ Possum,” about her life with Country icon George Jones, will be here before you know it. It is set for Saturday, Nov. 11 from 10 a.m. until noon at Many City Hall. There will be refreshments and drinks, books available, and Nancy is looking forward to signing books and visiting with Northwest Central Louisiana folks. She calls Mansfield home, so it’s kind of a homecoming for her. The party is free, and all are welcome, so mark it down and plan to be there.
Nancy is busy working the promotional circuit right now to publicize her new book. She appeared on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday morning with host Ainsley Earhardt for a long interview about her late husband’s struggles, demons and his eventual turn to God. She described the final 15 years of their 30-year marriage as “absolutely the best marriage a person could have.”
Kresha Matkin is really good at calling things like they are, and we were happy to see she recently addressed something on social media that we’ve been noticing a long time. Last Homecoming season, in fact, we commented in Observations on an apparent “fabric shortage” in young ladies’ formalwear. The situation seems to now be more widespread than ever. From time to time, we hear concerned folks discuss the issue, and we think Kresha did a good job summing up the matter after attending the Sabine Parish Fair last week. Her thoughts follow:
“I’ve thought long and hard about this post… how to come across as non-judgmental, how to come from a place of love and concern, and maybe as someone with a little experience trying to protect a younger generation.
“Young ladies, please hear me. As I walked around the fair last night, I was so broken for you. [I] saw girls, maybe as young as 11-12, wearing bedazzled bras and [wearing] underwear as shorts. I saw young ladies with see-through tops with nothing on underneath. I saw entire buttocks hanging, ALL the cleavage and more. These are YOUNG girls, junior high age, some maybe in high school but barely.
“Ladies, you are worth SO much more than your bodies!!! You are valuable, you have a purpose, and it has absolutely nothing to do with how many ‘likes’ you can get on Instagram or Facebook. You are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made!’ It broke my heart to see so many dressed like this, and for what?
“These young men you are trying to impress don’t have the sense the good Lord gave a tick bird at this age. Their opinion does NOT and will NOT define you. Respect yourselves and your bodies. I promise you that you will be thankful you did!
“You may not have a momma or daddy at home to guide you in these decisions but, take it from someone that was young once, YOU have to put value on YOU. You are more than your butt and boobs. You are worth more than what you can give a boy. You are precious!!! You don’t have to sexualize yourself for popularity or approval.
“What you see on social media is a LIE! It’s not real. You are a daughter of the King. Your value lies in Him. And if anyone out there needs an adult they can come to for advice or to discuss anything like this, PLEASE know I’m here. You can message me anytime.
“Adults, we have to do better. We have an entire generation coming of age with no true identity, no guidance. This is on us.”
Last time we checked, her post had received 327 responses, 116 comments, all in favor of her thoughts, and her post had been shared 30 times.
Below are a couple of comments on Kresha’s post that caught our eye, two different perspectives:
Tammy Schamerhorn wrote, “One of the best posts I’ve seen in years. I see this all the time and I wonder ‘where are the parents?’ If these young girls only knew what they are saying without even opening their mouth. So glad you ‘couraged up’ and wrote this. It’s a major culture problem.”
Scott Self said, “It’s horrible. I see it all of the time – young girls dressing provocatively. I think what’s worse for me is the parents allow it. I’ve heard things like ‘they look good, they look beautiful, they look sexy,’ I’m sorry, as an adult male, as a father, I don’t want to think of a teenage girl as ‘looking good’ or ‘sexy,’ and I’m sorry/not sorry but there are other ways for a young lady to look beautiful. Now, I’m not a prude and don’t think ruffles and frills are the answer, but how about not letting all the goods hang out.”
Sunday, Oct. 1, marked the Rev. Billy Gibbs’ first official Sunday in the pulpit of Alford Heights Baptist Church, where he is now pastor.
We were honored to attend and hear him preach and visit with all the friendly folks there.
Joining in worship for the special day were several of Pastor Gibbs’ family, including wife Mandy, who teaches at Florien, some siblings, their spouses, children and more.
We are mighty proud to have the Gibbs family serving in ministry in Many now. Pastor Billy and wife Amanda have a son, Tyler.
The Sabine Parish Tourist Commission (SPTC) recently facilitated their quarterly Power Hour event on Thursday, Sept. 21, at Cypress Bend Resort’s Golf Clubhouse. Power Hour was designed by the SPTC to bring communities together to learn about different tourism and hospitality related topics and their economic benefits. This Power Hour event
included William Bloom and Griffin Clark, representatives of Sports and Outdoors Tourism with the Louisiana Office of Tourism, who spoke to attendees about the importance of bringing sports and outdoor tourism to Sabine Parish and its economic impact. The event was a success, providing opportunity for attendees to network with one another, share ideas regarding ways to bring sports tourism to Sabine Parish, and learn what the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission does in partnership with Louisiana Office of Tourism to continuously bring economic growth to the area while enhancing the quality of life for locals of all ages.
Louisiana State Representatives Rodney Schamerhorn and Larry Bagley were in attendance, along with Sabine Parish Tax Assessor Chris Tidwell and First Lady of Many Crystal Hable. Among the audience was a variety of local business owners, regional tourism partners, and Sabine Parish Tourist Commission Board Members. Rep. Schamerhorn and Rep. Bagley were highly engaged in sharing their ideas of ways to bring sporting events to the area that they felt would be achievable and beneficial.
William Bloom encouraged attendees to share their ideas with the Louisiana Office of Tourism, touting an open-door policy and commitment to working with the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission to bring big events to the area. He also shared their marketing plans for the year and gave insight into the national conferences and expos they attend on behalf of the state to promote rural areas such as Sabine Parish. A key takeaway from his presentation was that the Louisiana Office of Tourism strongly believes Toledo Bend Lake Country has a lot to offer locals and visitors, and continuing to invest into the tourism opportunities at hand will benefit the area now and in years to come.
The next Power Hour event is set for January 2024; the exact date and topic have not yet been decided. Power Hour is an open event, and all are welcome to attend. If you’d like to receive
notice about upcoming events, please contact Kelsi Horn at the Sabine Tourist Commission at kelsi@toledobendlakecountry.com or (318) 256-5880.
(Thank you to SPTC Marketing and Events Manager Kelsi Horn for the above release.)
EARLY VOTING IN PROGRESS FOR THE OCTOBER 14 ELECTION
Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin reminds voters that early voting is in progress for the Oct. 14 Gubernatorial Primary Election and continues through Saturday, Oct. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office or at other designated locations. In Sabine, visit the Courthouse at 400 S. Capitol St. to vote at the Registrar of Voters Office.
Voters are encouraged to utilize Louisiana’s award-winning, free smartphone app, GeauxVote Mobile, to locate parish early voting locations, Election Day voting site, or view their sample ballot. GeauxBot, the virtual voter assistant, is also available to access pertinent election information such as registration deadlines, election dates, polling locations, and hours. GeauxBot is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by visiting voterportal.sos.la.gov or by selecting Elections and Voting on sos.la.gov.
Voters should bring an ID with them to vote (Louisiana driver’s license, Louisiana Special ID card, a generally recognized picture identification card with name and signature such as a passport, or a digital license via LA Wallet). Complaints involving possible election code violations should be reported to the Secretary of State’s Elections Compliance Unit at (800) 722-5305.
For more information, or to report potential polling place accessibility issues, please call the Elections Hotline at (800) 883-2805 or with TDD/TTY access at 711.
(Thank you to Sec. Ardoin’s Chief of Staff and our longtime friend Joe Salter for the above report.)
Morris Davenport Jr., age 66 of 703 South Front St. in Converse, is wanted by the Sabine Sheriff’s Department for three counts of Distribution of Schedule II (Methamphetamine.)
Anyone who knows Davenport’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at (318) 256-9241 or to share a tip through the free Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office app “Submit a Tip” portal.
(Thanks to Det. D. W. Seegers for the above information.)
It’s big news when Dr. Ronny Byrd of South Boston, VA comes to town for a visit. He was a star basketball player at Marthaville High back in the day, coached there in 1958-59, and taught at Northwestern and LSU-Shreveport, among other places. He has more degrees than a thermometer.
Ronny was in Marthaville Saturday for the Good Days Festival and saw some of his friends. That afternoon he visited Bonnie Collins Matthews, and they held a 73rd Class Reunion of sorts in a nursing home where Bonnie now resides. They are about the only ones who remain of their graduating class.
Monday morning, Ronny came to Many where he met with a group of friends for coffee at the Gulf Station Café. The servers up there did a wonderful job of taking care of a group of “unruly men.”
Steve Birdwell of Marthaville brought with him a 1950 Marthaville yearbook that had belonged to his mother, the late Virginia Bruce Birdwell. The book contained many of her classmates’ autographs, as Virginia was very popular at school. The yearbook did not have an inscription from Ronny, so Steve asked him if he would autograph the book for his mother, and Ronny was very touched to do this.
Also in the group of visitors were Sheriff Aaron Mitchell, Chief Deputy Brad Walker, Coach Mike McConathy, candidate for State Senator; Don Winn, John Curtis, Tedd Dumas, Bruce Gandy and Pete Abington.
The three candidates for Sheriff in Sabine Parish have filed their financial reports with the Louisiana Ethics Administration for the period from Jan. 1 until Sept. 4, 2023.
Sheriff Aaron Mitchell received contributions totaling $54,378.84. His total disbursements were $45,823.23, leaving a balance on hand of $5,482.93.
Sheriff Mithcell had a total of 186 contributors.
Candidate Jeffrey L. Evans had contributions of $18,900.00, which included a personal contribution of $10,000.00. His disbursements for the period totaled $18,207.65. His balance at the close of the reporting period was $292.35. He had 19 contributions, including his own.
Coby Lang received contributions of $11,008.00, plus a personal loan of $6,920.75, making his total receipts $17,928.75. His disbursements totaled $14,341.94, leaving a balance of $3,586.81 at the close of the reporting period. He had a total of 19 contributors.
To see the complete financial report for any candidate, go to: https://ethics.la.gov/CampaignFinanceSearch/SearchByName.aspx.
Early voting is currently going on in the office of Registrar of Voters Zach Faircloth in the Sabine Courthouse.
As of Tuesday morning, 530 persons had voted early, and 259 mail ballots had been received for a grand total of 789.
Early voting continues through this week.
The Registrar of Voters Office is inside the Sabine Parish Courthouse at 400 S. Capitol St. in Many and is open from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. each day through Saturday.
It was perhaps the largest Sabine Parish Fair and Rodeo ever. It ended with a huge crowd Saturday night. And there was another big crowd Friday night.
Sheriff Aaron Mitchell reported that everything ran smoothly, with no problems. Chief of Police Cheryl Wooley reported the same.
We understand a new fair company was used this year, and everyone bragged on the increased number of rides and food vendors, and how clean and well-run everything was.
Kudos to the Town of Many Fair Committee for organizing a good one.
McEvers Arrested for Drug, Gun Charges
On Tuesday morning, Sheriff Aaron Mitchell reported the arrest of Rufus Jasen McEvers, age 32, of Many on the evening of Oct. 2.
McEvers was arrested following about a three-month investigation by the Sabine Parish Sheriff Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT) into illegal methamphetamine sales of McEvers. Several “controlled buys” of methamphetamine were made from McEvers. As a result of their investigation, Lead Agent T. Beason was able to obtain a search warrant for McEvers’ current home at 1769 San Antonio Ave. in Many.
During the search TNT Agents discovered and seized approximately 10 grams of suspected methamphetamine, almost two pounds of marijuana, Hydrocodone and Lortab pills, measuring scales and baggies, over $1,600 cash, a .223 AR pistol, a .44 mag revolver, and a full auto sear for an AR-style weapon.
McEvers was arrested and booked into the Sabine Parish Detention Center for Possession with intent to distribute Schedule I (Marijuana), Possession with intent to distribute Schedule II (Meth), Possession with intent to distribute Schedule II (Hydrocodone), Possession with intent to distribute Schedule II (Lortab), Possession of firearm while in possession of CDS, Possession of drug paraphernalia, and charges are pending for Possessing the full auto sear.
As of press deadline, no bond had been set.
(Special thanks to Det. D. W. Seegers for the above report.)
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