The Vernon Parish School Board announced its selection on June 4 of Joseph Bartz as the next superintendent of Vernon Parish Schools.
After serving in the military, he worked as an educator before becoming principal of South Beauregard High School. He later served as principal of Rosepine High School.
He currently serves as the Director of Personnel for the Vernon Parish School Board and will succeed outgoing superintendent James Williams, who is set to retire on July 1.
The City of Leesville is notifying the public of the resignation of Police Chief Amanda Westmoreland.
In a statement from the mayor’s office, officials reflected on her time in the role and the impact she made during her tenure. The mayor praised Westmoreland’s compassion and dedication to the community, describing her as someone whose commitment to serving others stood out throughout her time as chief.
Officials also noted that while her time in the position was brief, they believe her leadership and the relationships she built will have a lasting impact on the department and the city.
The city did not immediately announce a timeline for selecting a replacement.
Soldiers from the Virginia Army National Guard’s Staunton-based 116th Mobile Brigade Combat Team are now on the ground at Fort Polk for a major training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC).
The unit recently unloaded vehicles and equipment from railcars at Fort Polk in preparation for the exercise, which brings the brigade into one of the Army’s most advanced and realistic combat training environments.
The 116th MBCT is the first Army National Guard brigade to participate in a JRTC rotation after transitioning from an infantry brigade combat team to a mobile brigade combat team in 2025.
The JRTC at Fort Polk is designed to prepare military units through large-scale, realistic training scenarios that include joint and combined arms operations, force-on-force engagements, and live-fire exercises intended to replicate complex battlefield conditions.
The rotation marks a significant milestone for the Virginia unit as it tests its new structure and capabilities in a demanding training environment.
The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs is celebrating a major recognition for two state veterans cemeteries, including the Central Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Leesville.
The Leesville cemetery, along with the Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Rayville, has received the National Operational Excellence Award. The honor is given to cemeteries that meet the highest standards in maintenance, operations, and care for veterans and their families.
State officials said the award reflects the daily work of staff who maintain the grounds and ensure the cemeteries remain respectful, well-kept spaces for remembrance.
Leaders with the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs said the recognition belongs to the teams on the ground who take pride in preserving the dignity of the sites and honoring those who served.
For Vernon Parish residents, the Leesville cemetery’s inclusion in this national recognition highlights the local connection to a statewide effort to honor veterans with care and respect.
Gov. Jeff Landry announced the signing of an executive order on June 2 that seeks to provide funding for teacher and support staff pay raises by reducing a portion of the state’s Minimum Foundation Program appropriation for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Under the order, the Minimum Foundation Program appropriation would be reduced by $168 million from what the administration describes as non-instructional spending. The funds would then be redirected to provide a one-time stipend of $2,000 for classroom teachers and $1,000 for support staff, along with associated employer retirement contributions, during the 2026-27 school year.
The proposal requires written approval from two-thirds of the elected members of both houses of the Louisiana Legislature before it can take effect.
“I promised Louisiana’s teachers a pay raise, and today we’re delivering,” Landry said. “For too long, teachers have been used as political pawns. That ends now.”
The executive order cites rising education spending despite declining student enrollment. According to the administration, Louisiana’s K-12 enrollment has decreased by more than 111,000 students since 1988, while inflation-adjusted per-student spending has increased from approximately $9,400 to about $16,500 per student.
The order also notes that many school districts maintain substantial unassigned fund balances and argues that educational funding should be directed more heavily toward classroom instruction and teacher compensation rather than administrative costs.
Landry pointed to recent academic gains as evidence that educators deserve additional compensation. The administration stated that Louisiana ranked first in the nation for reading growth and second for math growth for the second consecutive year. The state also reported being one of only two states performing above 2019 levels in math and the only state to exceed its pre-pandemic reading benchmark.
The governor’s office said approximately 51,000 public school teachers and 40,000 support staff could benefit from the stipend.
The order follows the failure of constitutional amendments proposed in 2025 and 2026 that would have dedicated savings from teacher retirement system debt reduction toward permanent salary increases for teachers and support staff.
If approved by the Legislature, the order would take effect July 1, 2026. The Louisiana Department of Education and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education would be responsible for identifying where the reductions would occur while working with districts to minimize impacts on areas such as school security, transportation and food services.
State officials said districts may be encouraged to use available unassigned fund balances, where feasible, to offset reductions in funding allocations.
Thomas “Tommy” Edward Sermons
Service: Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 11 am at Rosepine United Pentecostal Church
Christie Lanette Hardy
Service: Saturday, June 6 at 2 pm at Jeane’s Funeral Service in Hornbeck
Samantha Kristine Pierce
Service: Thursday, June 4, 2026 at 10 a.m. at Jeane’s Funeral Service in Leesville
Vernon Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access.
The City of Leesville is notifying the public of the resignation of Police Chief Amanda Westmoreland.
In a statement from the mayor’s office, officials reflected on her time in the role and the impact she made during her tenure. The mayor praised Westmoreland’s compassion and dedication to the community, describing her as someone whose commitment to serving others stood out throughout her time as chief.
Officials also noted that while her time in the position was brief, they believe her leadership and the relationships she built will have a lasting impact on the department and the city.
The city did not immediately announce a timeline for selecting a replacement.
The Vernon Parish School Board announced its selection on June 4 of Joseph Bartz as the next superintendent of Vernon Parish Schools.
After serving in the military, he worked as an educator before becoming principal of South Beauregard High School. He later served as principal of Rosepine High School.
He currently serves as the Director of Personnel for the Vernon Parish School Board and will succeed outgoing superintendent James Williams, who is set to retire on July 1.
Sheriff Sam Craft of the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office announces recent arrests made by VPSO.
May 31, 2026
Karhaunie Nekole Thompson, age 20, of Leesville, was arrested and charged with one count of Disturbing the Peace / Drunkenness. Bond was set at $ 881.00. Thompson posted bond and was released.
Henry Reeves, age 62, of Pitkin, was arrested and charged with one count of Criminal Trespass. Bond was set at $1295.00. Reeves remains in the VPSO jail.
Kristopher Glaze, age 33, of Leesville, was arrested and charged with one count of Domestic Abuse Battery with Child Endangerment. Bond was set at $100,000.00. Glaze remains in the VPSO jail.
ALL PERSONS ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW.
Vernon Parish Sheriff Sam Craft announced the May 29 arrest of Tyrone Marshall Jr., 36 of Leesville, following a long-term joint task force investigation into illegal narcotics activity.
According to the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office, task force agents executed a search warrant at a residence on Sunny Lee Lane. During the search, investigators reportedly discovered large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. Numerous firearms were also recovered from the residence.
Marshall was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine in excess of 400 grams; two counts of possession of a Schedule II narcotic with intent to distribute; possession of cocaine in excess of 28 grams; possession of Schedule I (MDMA); possession of a Schedule I narcotic with intent to distribute; possession of a Schedule I narcotic weighing 28 grams or more; possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor under Louisiana’s child endangerment law; possession or carrying of a concealed weapon by a felon; and illegal possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
Bond was set at $752,500. Marshall remains in the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office jail.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Vernon Parish Sheriff Sam Craft was recognized with the Spirit of Louisiana Award during a ceremony held May 28 in Bossier City.
The award was presented by Mike Johnson and recognizes Sheriff Craft’s dedication, leadership and service to the citizens of Vernon Parish and the state of Louisiana.
During the ceremony, Johnson highlighted the positive impact of the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office, praising the agency’s relationship with the community, proactive approach to law enforcement and ongoing commitment to training and preparedness.
The Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office congratulated Craft on the recognition, describing the honor as a reflection of his continued commitment to serving the community.
The Vernon Parish School Board will meet on Thursday, June 4 at 8 a.m. in the Board office, located at 201 Belview Road.
AGENDA:
CALL TO ORDER
PRAYER BY: Rhonda Morrison
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY: Rhonda Morrison
ROLL CALL
1. Motion to approve minutes of May 12, 2026 regular meeting and dispense with the reading of the minutes
2. Student Recognition
3. Head Start
4. Motion to introduce applicants for Superintendent position
5. Motion to enter Executive Session Pursuant to LA R.S. 42:17 for discussion of personnel matters (we will conduct interviews for Superintendent applicants)
6. Motion to recommend a name for new Superintendent
7. Adjournment
NOTICE: Anyone desiring to comment in connection with items listed on the agenda before a vote is taken on said item by the Board, should complete a Public Comment Card thirty minutes before the School Board meeting begins. The Public Comment Cards are located at the receptionist’s desk.
Warm temperatures and daily opportunities for showers and thunderstorms are expected across Vernon Parish through early next week, with the highest rain chances arriving over the weekend.
Wednesday will feature partly sunny skies with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing during the afternoon hours. High temperatures are expected to reach the mid-80s, with northeast winds of 5 to 10 mph. Rain chances are forecast at 50 percent.
Wednesday night will remain mostly cloudy with lows falling into the upper 60s. East winds around 5 mph will continue overnight.
Thursday will bring another mix of sunshine and clouds, along with a 50 percent chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures will remain in the mid-80s with east winds between 5 and 10 mph. Thursday night will stay mostly cloudy with lows in the upper 60s.
The pattern continues Friday with partly sunny skies and scattered afternoon thunderstorms possible. High temperatures will once again reach the mid-80s, while rain chances remain at 50 percent. Overnight lows Friday night will settle into the lower 70s under mostly cloudy skies.
Rain coverage is expected to increase Saturday. The day will begin with a chance of showers before becoming mostly cloudy with showers likely and a chance of thunderstorms during the afternoon. Highs will remain in the mid-80s, and rain chances climb to 70 percent. A few showers may linger into Saturday evening before skies gradually become partly cloudy overnight.
Sunday is expected to be one of the wetter days of the forecast period. Partly sunny skies during the morning will give way to increasing shower and thunderstorm activity during the afternoon. High temperatures will climb into the upper 80s, with rain chances holding at 70 percent. Sunday night will remain mostly cloudy with lows in the mid-70s.
Looking ahead to Monday, temperatures are expected to approach 90 degrees. Partly sunny skies will prevail, but another round of afternoon showers and thunderstorms remains possible. Rain chances are forecast at 50 percent.
Residents planning outdoor activities should monitor weather conditions closely, particularly during the afternoon and evening hours when thunderstorms are most likely to develop. While widespread severe weather is not currently anticipated, stronger storms could produce brief heavy rainfall, frequent lightning and gusty winds.
By Richard Searles
Education, infrastructure and economic development among top priorities
BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Legislature adjourned its 2026 Regular Session after approving a balanced $47 billion state budget focused on education, economic development, infrastructure improvements and debt reduction.
The budget includes approximately $4 billion in State General Fund support for K-12 education and $1.3 billion for higher education. Funding also includes $420 million for early childhood education and $30 million for tutoring programs.
Lawmakers approved more than $360 million in economic development initiatives, including incentives for higher-paying jobs, business site development and workforce recruitment efforts.
The Legislature also allocated more than $500 million for additional road and infrastructure projects, $33 million for Medicaid home and community-based services and $144 million to reduce state retirement debt.
Before adjourning, lawmakers approved a new congressional district map, eliminated vehicle inspection sticker requirements in most parishes, added $50 million to the fortified roof grant program and approved additional protections for minors online.
During the session, legislators considered more than 2,500 measures and sent more than 900 bills to Gov. Jeff Landry for consideration.
The 2026 Regular Session concluded with lawmakers approving major investments in education, infrastructure and economic development while advancing a wide range of policy measures affecting Louisiana residents.
Hundreds of kids who dream of playing in the pros – or, kids who just love to play – can get signed up for the free New Orleans Saints & Pelicans/Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Junior Training Camp on Saturday morning, June 27 on the Northwestern State campus in Natchitoches.
The JTC annually provides two hours of full throttle fun alongside Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame members and NSU coaches, and staff from the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans community relations department.
The clinic registration can be done quickly on the LaSportsHall.com website under the “events’ button. Or parents can call the LSHOF Foundation office at 318-238-4255 for registration help. The camp fills to its 300-kid capacity almost every summer.
The LaSportsHall.com website has the full schedule for the Induction Celebration June 25-27. The JTC is one of three free events, beginning with the Thursday evening Welcome Reception from 5-7 at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches. The biggest free ticket is Friday night, June 26 Rockin’ Riverfest concert from 6-10:30 on the downtown riverbank, featuring a fireworks show after the Class of 2026 is introduced at 9:15.
The Junior Training Camp runs from 9-11 a.m., starting with registration between 8-9 a.m. at the Webb Wellness and Recreation Center (WRAC) gymnasium on the NSU campus. It’s important for parents to get their campers checked in well before the fun starts at 9 a.m. Then, campers get introduced to the sports stars who will be coaching them for the next two hours, inside focusing on basketball skills, and outside at Turpin Stadium, with football and general sports skills instruction.
Every camper will bring home two free T-shirts, other items, and a coupon for a meal at Raisin’ Canes. Photos from the camp will be posted on the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Facebook page, and so will a highlight video.
The goals of the JTC are simple – a fun, and thrilling, experience for the kids, free of charge; skills instruction from some of the best to ever play, or coach, the games; and promotion of health lifestyles and positive life choices.
The campers are separated into two groups. One stays inside for the first hour for basketball instruction, while the other is next door at Turpin Stadium, having football fun. The groups switch locations in the second half of the camp.
Parents can follow their favorite campers and watch all the fun from the stands in the gym and on the east side of Turpin Stadium – where it will be sunny, and hot, watching some really cool memories being made.
What a relief. There’s a big Congressional hearing Wednesday on the “Protect College Sports Act of 2026.”
“Supporting Student-Athletes, Restoring Fair Competition and Saving the Games Fans Love” is the stated mission of Senator Ted Cruz and colleagues.
“We cannot allow college athletics to morph int o a mini-NFL or NBA,” said Cruz in an official statement announcing the hearing.
Senator, you’re late. By decades.
Some of it is fine by me. Absolutely if coaches are raking in mega-million dollar salaries, as they have been on the top shelf of the NCAA for this century, then the players ought to be cut in on the pie.
These seven-figure NIL deals we hear recruits and transfers are getting are no more excessive than the eight-figure contracts that are going to head coaches. Neither should exist, but …
We’re never going back to college sports as we thought they were. That will happen right alongside peace in the Middle East and admitting a messy CIA-Mafia conspiracy took out JFK.
You’ll get a lot more clarity June 12 when Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” hits movie screens and we find out Bigfoot uses UFOs to get away from prying eyes.
Ridiculous? So is the idea that Congress can solve this mess. We know the high level university presidents and conference commissioners can’t. Their first priorities are their own bottom lines. And it’s their second and third priorities, too.
The presidents punted on this long ago. It’s great that the former Ohio State president testifying Wednesday, Gordon Gee, is the same bold leader who offered these gems discussing an NCAA scandal staining the Buckeyes’ football program:
He will no doubt show up at the hearing in his trademark bow tie. Looks academic. Here’s the clown Congress will hear from Wednesday: he ran up thousand-dollar luxury hotel bills on university expense accounts, got Ohio State to pay for $500 shower curtains for his university-provided house, and his marketing aces spent over $64,000 on bow ties, bow tie cookies and bow tie lapel pins for Gee and others to distribute over four years, according to reporting by the Dayton Daily News.
Surely he knows what’s good for the future of college sports.
Nick Saban will testify. He DOES know what’s good for the future of college sports.
He’s been telling anybody who will listen since the day he called it a coaching career, in part because their NIL package was the first and primary topic raised by practically every one of the first 20 or so players who he met with to discuss their futures with the following season’s Crimson Tide.
Listening to sages like Saban, and doing something about what you’ve heard, is where the disconnect exists with the presidents who make up the NCAA hierarchy and lead the Power 4 conference schools.
They are hoping Congress will impose its will where they would not. The Hatfields and McCoys have been sniping at each other across conference lines for decades instead of collaborating for the common good.
Now a group of presidents, board members and donors calling itself “Saving College Sports” – there’s even a snazzy letterhead – has presented Cruz and pals with a letter of support signed by dozens. New LSU president Wade Rousse’s name is on the letter. He told Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports he didn’t authorize his name to be included. Now that’s a reform-minded group, randomly claiming converts to its cause.
Know what’s missing from Wednesday’s festivities? Anyone not at the top tier. There are more than 360 NCAA Division I athletic programs. The issues discussed under the Capitol Dome tomorrow are so far out of scale for almost 300 of them that the eventual outcome for the non-Gucci schools is painfully predictable.
We saw it last month when the NCAA basketball postseasons, men and women, were padded to 76 teams – strictly a money grab for the biggies to get more teams in March Madness.
It doesn’t matter what’s good for the masses. It just comes down to what’s best for the masters of the college sports universe.
And they’re counting on a blow-hard heavy Congress, dripping in money from PACs and lobbyists that dwarf their actual salaries, to make it better?
Odds on that rank right up there with Jimmy Kimmel playing a round of golf with President Trump.
The ultimate solution to this mess will be when it crashes, drained of cash from disillusioned donors. Then we can hope that with nearly divine intervention, or desperation, university leadership from across the far-reaching landscape gets real and sorts it out into authentic tiers of economically-sound competition with real oversight and rules that get enforced.
As likely as Fox News and CNN merging.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) invites you to take part in its annual Free Fishing Weekend on Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7. Louisiana’s Free Fishing Weekend allows residents and visitors to fish Louisiana waters without an otherwise required fishing license.
“This weekend there is no need to purchase a fishing license, so please bring your families and friends to enjoy one of our state’s most beloved pastimes,” says LDWF Secretary Tyler Bosworth. “Please take this opportunity to make memories with your loved ones and introduce them to the great sport of fishing.”
While a fishing license is not required, all fishing regulations, including size, season, catch limits, and gear restrictions, will remain in effect during Free Fishing Weekend.
In addition, a free Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP) is still needed during Free Fishing Weekend when possessing tunas, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, hinds, cobia, wahoo, dolphinfish, and gray triggerfish. When registering online at wlf.louisiana.gov, anglers should choose the “Free Fishing Weekend” option for the license type. Anglers can skip the “LDWF Fishing License Number” field. A Free Fishing Weekend ROLP will be valid only on Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7. An annual ROLP is still needed if possessing offshore species outside of Free Fishing Weekend.
LDWF reminds the public that, at any time outside of Free Fishing Weekend, anglers 18 and older must possess a Louisiana fishing license to fish in any Louisiana public waters. Anyone who decides to continue fishing for the remainder of the year must purchase a state fishing license.
Right now, the world of tournament bass fishing has reached a crossroads. If the powers that be (tournament organizations) do not address the key issues that have created this massive drop in tournament participation, the entire bass fishing industry is on the verge of collapse.
Now this may sound a little harsh, and maybe a little overblown, but the time has come to save an industry that needs saving. Bass tournaments, no matter how you look at them, are a necessary avenue for product invention and promotion.
This is how the fishing industry gets the word out about a new lure, or any product related to bass fishing. No other group has the power of promotion more than tournament anglers all across the country, and even around the world, simply by word of mouth.
Look at Japan and how this crisis has impacted the bass fishing community. Nobody has been more creative and responsible for new lures and techniques than the Japanese. They have sent their best anglers to America for the sole purpose of promoting their market and the products they produce.
How have they done it? By winning tournaments here in America. It seems like every year a new Japanese angler arrives on one of the high-level tours and has an immediate impact either by winning or finishing very high in every tournament.
But getting back to the problem at hand, why has tournament participation dropped like the stock market crash of 1929? It hasn’t just fallen off a little, it has plummeted! Anglers have literally walked away overnight with zero signs of them coming back.
So how can we fix the problem? First, we must recognize the problem before we can figure out how to correct it. It’s similar to an alcoholic’s dilemma; they have to realize they have a problem before they can fix it.
Anglers leaving the sport they’ve loved so much basically started right after the COVID 19 pandemic. But during this time tournament participation was high with most events running full fields of 200 boats or more. Today those same events are drawing less than 100 boats while others have lost over two-thirds of their participation.
Also boat sales during COVID exploded to the point that there were one-year waiting lists for all major bass boat brands. Manufacturers struggled to build bass boats fast enough to satisfy the demand.
So, what happened after COVID and why did tournament anglers load their high dollar bass boats and go home, never to return? Well, there’s only one thing that’s had a major impact on the bass fishing world – the invention of Forward-Facing Sonar (FFS)! Bingo!
This hit the bass fishing market like nothing else ever has. Just like American politics, it has also divided us as consumers! Not just a little bit either; anglers around the country continue to argue over the negative impact FFS has placed on our bass fisheries. Some issues have been substantiated, and others are now considered myths.
Most anglers will agree that forward-facing sonar has been a tremendous invention that has totally changed the bass fishing world. But the true anglers who are considered to be purist believe that this new technology has no place in bass tournaments.
The PGA Tour has faced similar technology issues lately with better golf clubs and golf balls that are flying farther than ever before. These adjustments have caused major concerns for the PGA Tour and even have resulted in some golf courses becoming obsolete, or at least, not suitable for pro tournaments.
So, the PGA Tour decided to implement new restrictions on manufacturers and how far golf balls can fly. They did this for the good of sport and the future of the sport. Maybe B.A.S.S. and Major League Fishing (MLF) need to take a page from the PGA Tour.
Let’s take away FFS for all bass tournament competitions and get back to using acquired skills anglers need to have in order to compete at the highest level. You don’t have to eliminate it totally; allow anglers to use it for practice only. But it has no place on the professional level and should be banned on tournament day.
The biggest concern at this time is with the lower entry-level tournaments like the BFL’s, Toyota Series and the Bassmaster Opens. Is it too late to make changes or eliminate FFS for tournaments on the lower levels?
Not really. Every year tournament organizations make changes to their rules, and this would be no different. I just hope the powers that be (B.A.S.S. and MLF) wake up and do the right thing for 2027 in order to save a dying industry — tournament bass fishing!
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com
Celebrate the Louisiana Peach Festival’s 76th year with free admission, a wide range of entertainment and activities, and plenty of peachy events to enjoy leading up to the festival. Browse our guide below and start planning your trip to Downtown Ruston for the weekend of Saturday, June 6.
EAT:
From June 1-6, enjoy Peach Culinary Crawl, a weeklong tasting tour featuring over 20 local restaurants. Each participating location will offer special peach-inspired items. From peach BBQ and burgers to peach cocktails and desserts, there’s something to satisfy every craving. The full Culinary Crawl menu is available on the Peach Fest website.
SEE:
Get a preview of all the arts of the festival with the 39th Annual NCLAC Peach Art Exhibit. Check out the display of local artist of all ages in the Lincoln Parish Library Events Center happening all through July.
– Peach fest hack: After visiting the exhibit, take the quick drive to explore downtown Ruston, scope out the festival grounds, and snap a picture at one of the colorful murals!
EXPERIENCE: There’s plenty to enjoy Friday before the festival:
Saturday June 6: Festival Day!
Festival activities start at 9:00 AM and there’s plenty to eat, see, and experience—all located on the festival grounds.
EAT:
Festival Eats
Local Eats
Feeling like a sit-down meal? Check out these local restaurants that are walkable from the festival:
SEE:
EXPERIENCE:
SUNDAY:
After a busy Saturday, sleep in, take Sunday slow and enjoy Ruston’s cozy charm:
EAT:
SEE:
While you’re at the festival Saturday, you will likely spot a few of Ruston’s unique bulldog statues scattered throughout downtown. In total, there are 22 bulldogs placed around the city—each with its own charm. Stretch your visit a little longer and turn your Sunday into a scavenger hunt to track down the ones you missed.
EXPERIENCE:
Wind down with a peaceful visit to Lincoln Parish Park. This park offers mountain biking and walking trails, kayaking, fishing, and a playground for the kids. It’s the perfect way to soak in the natural beauty of Ruston and cap off your Peach Festival weekend.
From peachy treats and live music to charming shops and peaceful parks, the 76th Annual Louisiana Peach Festival is the perfect way to kick off your summer. Soak up the fun, explore Ruston, and celebrate 76 years of sweet traditions and unforgettable memories!
To learn the insider tips and tricks all seasoned festival goers know, read up on our How to Peach Fest blog.
It may not feel romantic, but having honest conversations about money, family, and the future before marriage can make all the difference once real life begins.
See what Ida says
I’ve been pondering one of life’s great mysteries: what happened to hats? Real hats. The kind men used to wear when they went to work, went to town, or went anywhere except the shower. Once upon a time, a man wouldn’t leave the house without a fedora, a trilby, or something with a brim wide enough to shade half the county. Now the only folks still wearing real hats are cowboys—and even they take them off indoors, which is more than I can say for the baseballcap crowd at Walmart.
I watch Perry Mason before bed most nights. Not for the suspense—there isn’t any. We all know Perry’s client didn’t do it. I watch to see how much the world has changed. In the 1957 episodes, everybody wears a hat. Even Perry. The only hatless soul is Paul Drake, the detective, who apparently needed full cranial ventilation to solve crimes. And have you noticed? Nobody has a television in their living room. They’re sitting around talking to each other like it’s normal. Wild times.
Do y’all know what happened to hats? Should we start a new fad here in Ruston? On second thought, no. I’d rather someone start a movement to make neckties disappear. That’s the one part of my calling I’ve never understood. Why wrap a decorative noose around my neck and cut off blood flow to my already overworked brain? I’m trying to preach the gospel, not pass out in the pulpit. Someone please start a necktie revolt. I’ll sign the petition.
And while we’re talking about things that vanished—what happened to CB radios? That was the first social media. You could make friends for a solid five miles. Longer if you were driving 55 on the interstate, which we all were back then, unless we weren’t, which is why we needed the CB in the first place. “Breaker onenine, where’s Smokey hiding?” Then radar detectors came along and CBs went the way of the eighttrack.
Some things I’m glad disappeared. Felt boards in church. I never trusted those things. One wrong move and Moses would fall off Mount Sinai. Typewriters? Good riddance. I used more liquid paper than ribbon. I’m surprised they didn’t sell it by the gallon.
But here’s something I hope doesn’t vanish: you.
So go to church on Sunday—before someone starts wondering what happened to you.