The following report displays all bookings made at the LaSalle Parish Jail between the dates listed. These arrests were made by LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Office and surrounding local and state agencies. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Students from across LaSalle Parish had the opportunity to explore future career paths during Career Day 2026, held at LaSalle High School.
The event, hosted in partnership with the LaSalle Parish School System, brought together high school juniors and seniors from both LaSalle High School and Jena High School. The day focused on helping students prepare for life after graduation by connecting them with professionals from a variety of fields.
Representatives from LaSalle General Hospital were among those in attendance, engaging with students and sharing insight into careers in the medical field. Professionals present included Jordan White, Director of Radiology; Haley Poole, Speech Therapy Assistant; Kelli Tant, Medicare Swing Bed Coordinator; and Amanda Jean Parker, Director of Therapies.
Throughout the event, students had the chance to ask questions, learn about career pathways, and gain valuable advice as they begin planning their futures.
Organizers expressed appreciation to the school system for the invitation and praised the students for their engagement and enthusiasm.
With strong participation and meaningful interactions, Career Day 2026 highlighted the bright future ahead for LaSalle Parish students.
Residents across LaSalle Parish can expect a stretch of beautiful, sunny weather through the end of the workweek, followed by a noticeable cool-down just in time for the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Wednesday will bring mostly sunny skies with a high near 85 degrees. Winds will remain calm early before shifting from the south around 5 mph in the afternoon. Clear conditions continue into Wednesday night, with temperatures dipping to around 58 degrees.
The sunny trend holds steady on Thursday, with another high near 85. Skies remain mostly clear Thursday night, with a low around 59.
By Friday, temperatures inch up slightly, reaching a high near 86 under sunny skies. Friday night will be mostly clear, but cooler air begins to move in, dropping temperatures to around 51.
A noticeable change arrives for the weekend. Saturday will still be sunny, but much cooler, with a high near 70. Overnight lows fall to around 49 under mostly clear skies.
Temperatures begin to rebound on Sunday, with sunshine and a high near 78. Sunday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 55.
Looking ahead to Monday, conditions remain pleasant with mostly sunny skies and a high near 82.
Overall, LaSalle Parish can look forward to a dry and sunny stretch, with a refreshing break from the heat over the weekend before warmer temperatures return early next week.
LaSalle Parish School System is inviting students, parents, and employees to take part in its annual Culture Survey, aimed at gathering valuable feedback to help strengthen the district.
Each spring, the school system conducts the survey to better understand how it is performing and identify areas for growth.
Officials say the feedback plays a key role in shaping decisions and ensuring the district continues striving toward excellence.
The survey focuses on several key areas, including academic expectations, behavioral standards, communication, student opportunities, and overall safety and security across campuses.
School leaders emphasized that while they are proud of the district, there is always room for improvement—and community input is essential in that process.
Participants are encouraged to take a few minutes to complete the survey before the deadline of Friday, April 24 at 4:30 p.m.
District officials expressed appreciation to those who take part, noting that every response helps contribute to a stronger future for LaSalle Parish students.
A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement leader serving multiple parishes across Central Louisiana has completed advanced training through the FBI National Academy.
Capt. John Volentine graduated from the 297th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, on March 18. He was among 253 law enforcement officers selected from across the United States and internationally to participate in the program.
Volentine serves as captain over enforcement operations across a large region that includes Sabine, Vernon, Natchitoches, Grant, Winn, LaSalle, Avoyelles, Rapides, Catahoula, and Concordia parishes. He has been with the LDWF Enforcement Division since 2005.
The FBI National Academy is known for its intensive 10-week training program focused on leadership, communication, and physical fitness. Participants are chosen based on their experience and leadership within their agencies.
During his career, Volentine has played a role in emergency response efforts during multiple major hurricanes, including Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, and Harvey. He has also received recognition for his work in wildlife enforcement, including being named Waterfowl Officer of the Year in 2013 and 2014.
In addition to his enforcement duties, Volentine serves as an adjunct instructor at LSU of Alexandria, where he teaches criminal justice courses.
Officials say his completion of the FBI National Academy highlights continued investment in leadership and public safety across Central Louisiana.
With over 30 years of bass tournament experience, I know that every bass angler that wets a hook has one goal in mind when they enter a tournament — win! While we all strive to bring winning sacks to the scales, the stars do not always align and allow that to happen.
My background as an athlete has proven to be beneficial when it comes to the mental side of tournament bass fishing. The “never give up” mentality is so important as a tournament angler.
Playing on a Texas state championship high school baseball team was one of my greatest accomplishments as an athlete. Twice during that special run in 1978, our backs were to the wall, but we never gave up and persevered on our way to winning it all.
We never panicked no matter what the situation was. We stayed strong and committed to each other, making sure things went our way. Tournament bass fishing is no different. There will be days when things just don’t go the way you thought they would.
But the guys who have a strong mindset, and the “never give up” attitude, seem to always find a way to put fish in the boat. Even if they don’t catch the winning fish, they still make a good showing.
One of my recent trips to Lake of the Pines brought me so much joy — eventually! It began when the fish I found in practice just did not pan out. Oh, I had lots of excuses as to why they did not bite, but to sum it up, I just did not catch them.
At 10:30 that tournament morning, I did not have a fish in the boat. I had caught a few, but none that would reach the 14-inch minimum. But I did not panic as I felt the fish would bite a little better in the afternoon due to the full moon we were fishing under.
I finally put three fish in the boat between 10:30 and noon and then decided to move out of the area where I had found quality fish during practice. There was so much fishing pressure on the lake, I was sure that a lot of the fish I had found the day before had been caught.
So, I pulled up on a point and made a long cast, and low and behold I caught a solid 3-pounder! I’m thinking, “hmmm, this is a good sign and maybe there’s a good school of bass on this point.” Sure enough, it was loaded with good keeper-size fish including a 5-pounder that threw my bait back to me on one particular cast.
I anchored down on this spot and for three hours I began to catch over 35 bass off this one point. It was a day you don’t have all the time as an angler and even though I did not catch the winning bag, I had an awesome day on the water and enjoyed a trip I will never forget!
I’m wondering if age has anything to do with how I think now as an angler. At 65 years old, winning tournaments is just not as high on my priority list as it used to be. Oh, I’m still competitive and want to beat the pants off all these young bucks, but then there’s reality.
But one thing I can say for myself, no matter how much longer I continue to fish bass tournaments, my desire to compete and win will never wane. I just have to remember; it’s not always about winning.
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com
When I was a little boy, keys were my thing. Not toys. Not marbles. Not baseball cards. Keys. Real, metal, grownup keys—the kind that clinked in your pocket and made you feel like you had access to the universe.
And I had a source.
My grandfather—Pop—was a policeman. And apparently in the 1960s, Americans were losing keys at a rate that can only be described as “biblical.” Pop would bring me bags of keys. Now, I’m sure it was only three or four at a time, but to my young eyes it looked like Fort Knox had sprung a leak.
I had a ritual. A system. A liturgy of keys.
House keys over here
Car keys over there
Mystery keys (the ones that looked like they opened secret government bunkers) in a special pile
Back then, every car company had its own key design. Ford keys looked like Ford keys. GM keys looked like GM keys. Chrysler keys looked like they were designed on a Friday afternoon. And because Ford also made Mercury, their keys were cousins—interchangeable in shape, though not in function. You could slip a Mercury key into a Ford ignition, but it wasn’t supposed to turn.
Supposed to.
One Friday night, Pop dropped off a fresh batch of keys. I sorted them with the precision of a jeweler. Then I grabbed a couple of Mercury keys and headed outside for what I can only describe as unauthorized field research.
I climbed into our 1961 Ford Galaxie—bench seat, steering wheel the size of a hula hoop, and an ignition switch that sat right on the dashboard like it was daring you to try something foolish.
I inserted a Mercury key.
It fit.
But it didn’t turn.
I inserted another Mercury key.
It fit.
It didn’t turn.
Then came key number three.
I slid it in, gave it a twist, and—VROOOOM—the Ford Galaxie roared to life like it had been waiting all day for a small child to hotwire it.Naturally, I followed the adult pattern I had observed:
I pulled the column shifter down into “D.”
“D” meant go.
And go it did.
The car lurched forward and traveled a majestic, triumphant five feet straight into the side of the house.
The dent remained for forty years, a permanent historical marker commemorating the beginning of my illustrious driving career.
The adults poured out of the house like a fire drill—Mom, Dad, and Pop the policeman.
“How did you start the car?” they asked.
I explained my keybased methodology. Pop immediately cut off my Ford key supply.
I still had a large collection of GM keys, though, and Pop owned a Chevrolet. I had a whole testing plan ready for that vehicle. Sadly, my research program was shut down before Phase Two.
Jesus has given us the keys to the Kingdom—and unlike my MercuryFord experiment, these keys actually belong to us, they always fit, and they never cause property damage.
You’re not locked out.
You’re not stuck in “Park.”
You don’t have to hotwire your way into grace.
The astonishing truth is this:
In Christ, you already hold the keys.
Keys to freedom.
Keys to forgiveness.
Keys to hope.
Keys to a life that actually goes somewhere.
And unlike that 1961 Ford Galaxie, you won’t crash into the side of the house when you use them.
Jesus hands you the keys and says, “Go ahead. Turn the ignition. Live. Move. Be free.”
That’s a Kingdom worth driving toward.
It’s barely spring, and it already feels like summer showed up early. Around here, people aren’t just noticing—it’s becoming the main topic of conversation.
Even the jokes are writing themselves. Crawfish might as well be saying they’re “boiling before the pot now.”
All humor aside, the early heat has folks doing double takes at the calendar and wondering what the rest of the season has in store.
March 25 marks the birthday of music icon Elton John, born in 1947 in Middlesex, England. Over the course of more than five decades, Elton John has become one of the best-selling artists of all time, known for flamboyant stage costumes, unforgettable melodies and deeply personal songwriting.
Bursting onto the international scene in the early 1970s, Elton John teamed with lyricist Bernie Taupin to create a catalog of hits including “Your Song,” “Rocket Man,” “Tiny Dancer,” and “Crocodile Rock.” His blend of pop, rock and theatrical performance redefined what it meant to be a global superstar.
Albums such as “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” cemented his reputation as a musical innovator. Known for his dynamic piano performances and larger-than-life persona, Elton John became synonymous with arena-filling concerts and extravagant tours.
Beyond music, he has been a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and HIV/AIDS awareness through the Elton John AIDS Foundation, using his platform to promote philanthropy and social change.
In 2019, his life and career were dramatized in the biographical film “Rocketman,” introducing his story to a new generation. He also completed a multi-year farewell tour, closing a historic chapter in live performance history.
As fans celebrate his birthday each March 25, Elton John’s influence remains undeniable. From chart-topping hits to cultural impact, his legacy continues to sparkle as brightly as the sequined jackets he made famous.
It was the most elaborate presidential inauguration in the history of our country at the time. An estimated one million people witnessed the peaceful transition of power in person. There was a 10-mile, two-and-a-half-hour inaugural parade which escorted incoming president Dwight D. Eisenhower from the Capitol to the White House. The parade was comprised of about 22,000 servicemen and women, 5,000 civilians, 50 state and organizational floats which cost a total of about $100,000, 65 musical units, 350 horses, three elephants, an Alaskan sled dog team, and the first public showing of our military’s most devastating piece of artillery at the time, an 85-ton atomic cannon called “Atomic Annie.” Overhead, a continuous stream of aircraft including 1,100 jet fighters and a fleet of super bombers flew over the parade route. To handle the huge crowds, two formal balls were held simultaneously at opposite sides of the city with President Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower having to be shuttled back and forth between the two for maximum effect. While at previous inaugurations, one or two film stars made appearances, at least 40 stars of film and stage entertained or were guests at the inauguration, more than at any previous inauguration. Newspapers around the world reported that it was the “biggest show ever staged in Washington.”
Hotels charge premium prices, and many desperate people had to pay a “black market bonus” of $100 just to make a hotel reservation. Adjusted for inflation, that would be over $1,200 in today’s money. Some of Washington’s “old families” rented out their luxury homes to millionaires and their friends for up to $3,000 for the week. That would be nearly $37,000 in today’s money. 60 special trains set up “Pullman Cities,” named after the 600 Pullman parlor and sleeper train cars which accommodated about 10,000 visitors. Forty steam locomotives kept constant “full heads of steam” to provide heat and hot water for the Pullman cities. The accommodation committee set up for the purpose of housing the influx of visitors to our nation’s capital referred to it as Operation Headache.
Rather than paying exorbitant fees and fighting the maddening crowds, most people chose to watch the inauguration from the comfort of their own homes. It was broadcast on all three major television networks: ABC, CBS, and NBC. An estimated 29 million people tuned in throughout the day for at least part of the inauguration.
President Eisenhower’s inauguration should have been the highest rated program on television during that era, but it was overshadowed by a regularly scheduled television sitcom shown the night before which depicted something that has happened to every living human being—a child was born. More than 70% of American households, some 44 million people, 15 million more than watched the inauguration, watched the 30-minute sitcom which aired on CBS, a single network. It remains one of the most watched sitcoms in television history. The episode was filmed two months earlier and starred an actress who was really pregnant, a first for television. This comedy showed the fictional chaos that happened leading up to the actress having a baby. The actress in the sitcom went into labor and had a son, named after his father, on the day the episode aired. The episode was titled “Lucy Goes to the Hospital” and starred Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
Sources:
1. The Mail (Adelaide, Australia), January 17, 1953, p.23.
2. Press-Telegram (Long Beach, California), January 20, 1953, p.3.
3. The Roanoke Times, January 21, 1953, p.18.
4. “Inaugurations: 1953 Inauguration,” Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, National Archives, accessed March 15, 2026, https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/eisenhowers-presidential-years/inaugurations.
5. “Lucy Goes to the Hospital,” IMDb.com, accessed March 15, 2026, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0609259/.
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The following report displays all bookings made at the LaSalle Parish Jail between the dates listed. These arrests were made by LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Office and surrounding local and state agencies. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
LaSalle Parish families can begin preparing for the 2026–2027 school year as registration opens soon for the parish’s Pre-K, Head Start, and Early Head Start programs. Informational parent meetings are set for March 18 and March 24, followed by official registration days in late April.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming informational meetings to learn more about eligibility, required documents, and program details. The first session will be held March 18 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Jena Elementary School for families with students attending FES, JES, NES, or Head Start/Early Head Start. A second session will take place March 24 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Olla Elementary School, for those whose children will attend OES or Head Start/Early Head Start.
Registration will officially take place on April 23 and April 29. Families may bring required documents at any time during the scheduled hours for enrollment.
April 23 (8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.) — Registration for students attending FES, JES, or NES will be held at Jena Elementary School, while Head Start and Early Head Start registration will occur at Head Start/Early Head Start sites.
April 29 (8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.) — Registration for OES students will be held at Olla Elementary School.
Students enrolling in Early Head Start or Head Start must be between 6 weeks and 4 years old on or before Sept. 30, 2026. For
LaSalle Parish Pre-K, children must have a birthdate between Oct. 1, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022.
For more information, contact LaSalle Parish Head Start and Early Head Start at 318-992-2034 or visit 1465 School Road, Jena. Families may also reach Jennifer Farris with LaSalle Parish Pre-K at 318-992-2161 or email.
Residents in LaSalle Parish can expect a stretch of sunny, pleasant weather through the remainder of the week and into the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
Wednesday will bring mostly sunny skies with a high near 70 degrees. South winds are expected between 5 and 10 mph.
Wednesday night will remain mostly clear, with temperatures dropping to around 47 degrees.
Sunny conditions will continue Thursday with a high near 78 degrees. Clear skies are expected Thursday night with a low around 53 degrees.
The warming trend will continue Friday as temperatures climb to near 83 degrees under sunny skies. Friday night will be mostly clear with overnight lows around 57 degrees.
Heading into the weekend, Saturday will remain sunny with a high near 86 degrees, followed by a clear Saturday night with lows around 59 degrees.The pleasant weather is expected to continue Sunday with sunny skies and a high near 87 degrees across the parish.
Forecasters say the extended stretch of sunshine and gradually warming temperatures will provide ideal conditions for outdoor plans as the region moves closer to spring.
Students from Jena High School are being recognized for their academic excellence following strong performances at a recent Literary Rally competition.
Multiple students earned top placements across a wide range of subjects, highlighting the school’s commitment to academic achievement and student success in LaSalle Parish.
Among the top performers, Shelby A placed 1st in Agriscience 3, Emma H earned 1st in English IV, and Emma P secured 1st Spelling 11, leading the group with first-place finishes.
Several other students also achieved impressive results, earning 2nd place honors in their respective categories:
Olivia L – Advanced Math (Functions and Statistics)
Dalen M – Biology
Laurel P – Civics
Aaron N – Environmental Science
Rylie M – Government
Seth R – Spanish I
Gabriella R – Spelling 9
Gracie M – Spelling 10
Dru D – U.S. History
School officials praised the students for their dedication and hard work, noting that their accomplishments reflect both individual effort and the strength of the academic programs at Jena High School.
The Literary Rally results serve as a testament to the students’ commitment to excellence and their ability to compete at a high level across multiple academic disciplines.
Congratulations to all of the Jena High School students on their outstanding achievements.
The Jena High School Drama Club is inviting the community to enjoy a lively stage production of the hit musical “Mamma Mia!” this April.
The production will be held at the Jena High School Auditorium, with three opportunities for audiences to attend:
Friday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 19 at 2:00 p.m.
Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International, “Mamma Mia!” features music from the iconic pop group ABBA and tells a heartwarming and humorous story set to a beloved soundtrack.
Organizers say the production will showcase the hard work and talent of student performers, crew members, and directors, while providing a fun and engaging experience for audiences of all ages in LaSalle Parish.
Tickets are priced at $10 for general admission and $15 for reserved seating. Attendees can purchase tickets online or by scanning the QR code available on the event flyer.
Community members are encouraged to come out and support the arts at Jena High School while enjoying an entertaining musical performance.
Don’t miss this exciting production from the JHS Drama Club.
Life has so many variables out of our control that makes navigating our daily situations difficult. But in some instances, there are a few things we can control and it’s up to each of us to make it happen.
One thing we have zero control over is who our parents are. We as individuals have zero say on the DNA we are blessed with, nor the people it came from. Even though we are who we are, we do have the ability to become the person we truly want to be. In most cases, we can pave our own path to success or failure with the skills we have been blessed with.
Even with bad DNA flowing through our bodies, we still have the task of shaping our lives into whatever we want to be. But only if we as individuals take control and ownership of who we are will our direction in life be confirmed.
I learned at a very early age that the good Lord above had blessed me with good athletic abilities. I figured out before the age of 10 that it would be through sports, with hard work and determination, that I could possibly have some success. Sports gave me a purpose!
That’s what we’re all looking for … a purpose! Even if it goes against the beliefs of the people who raised us, we have to take control of our own destiny at some point.
Even when the odds are against us, there are also times when we have to accept the consequences of our actions. We have to make decisions that not only affect ourselves, but those around us.
Sometimes this means hurting the ones we love the most because the direction they want us to go may not be the same as the destination we had in mind.
By the time we reach 17 or 18 years old, most people know who they are and possibly what direction or path they might want to take. They start to see things in a different light than, say, their parents. But as parents, we must recognize that even though we think we know what’s best for our children, that may not always be the case. We must allow them to spread their wings and continue to grow even if they make a few mistakes along the way. It’s called growing up!
I’ve always heard the excuse that he or she was a product of the environment in which they were raised. Sometimes this can be true, but it doesn’t always have to be that way.
For example, my stepdad was a wife beater and treated women like they were worthless. Even though I witnessed many of these incidents first-hand at a young age, I always knew in my heart that this was wrong, and I made a conscious decision to never be that kind of person.
I always felt that God instills in each of us the ability to know right from wrong when we are born. He gave all of us a brain and the ability to reason when we see things that are not right.
Just because you grow up in a house with little to no guidance doesn’t give you the excuse to ignore what is right. Subconsciously we still know right from wrong and it’s up to each of us to make good decisions and do the right thing.
We all need direction in our lives, which was lacking early in my childhood. Hopefully, we have those we can turn to for advice like a parent or maybe a grandparent, aunt, uncle, preacher, teacher or maybe a coach. No matter who it is, it should be someone we trust. A person who has our best interest at heart.
Bottom line is this — at some point in our lives we must take control over our destiny no matter what our background is. But when we make a decision, we must accept the consequences for our actions. This is what we call accountability!
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com
If your current security team’s primary strategy is to “observe and report,” you are essentially paying for a professional witness.
By the time an unarmed guard observes a threat, dials 911, and waits for local law enforcement to arrive, the damage to your property, your people, and your corporate reputation is already done. In the high-stakes worlds of energy infrastructure, commercial real estate, and industrial logistics, minutes of downtime cost millions of dollars.
Waiting for an incident to escalate is no longer just an outdated strategy; it is a massive corporate liability.
The End of Reactive Security
Across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, enterprise-level businesses are waking up to a harsh reality: standard security is failing them. The new mandate is proactive deterrence.
Fidelis Protective Services, an elite risk management firm headquartered in Louisiana with a massive four-state operational footprint, is actively replacing the outdated “observe and report” model with specialized, high-impact capabilities designed to neutralize threats before they paralyze your operations.
The Ultimate Deterrent: Specialized K-9 Teams
You can argue with a standard security guard. You cannot argue with a highly trained K-9 detection team.
Fidelis achieves a higher standard of safety by deploying specialized K-9 units alongside highly disciplined security personnel. These elite teams provide mission-critical advantages that standard guards simply cannot match:
[ WATCH: The Fidelis Standard in Action ] See exactly how the FPS K-9 Division executes proactive threat deterrence and rapid environmental stabilization.
K-9 Tactical Breakdown “A stabilized environment, when it matters most, requires specialized capabilities,” says Fidelis Protective Services CEO, Lee J. Taylor. “We aren’t just placing a uniform at a desk. By deploying proactive teams across the region, we are actively assessing threats and stabilizing high-risk scenarios so our clients can keep their businesses running.”
Protecting the Infrastructure of the South
From the relentless operational tempo of Oil and Gas facilities in Texas to the complex access control required at major shipping ports in Tennessee and the Gulf Coast, your security strategy must match your operational footprint.
Stop paying for a reactive presence. Invest in a partner that brings elite deterrence, specialized capabilities, and a multi-state standard of excellence to the facilities that power the South.
ABOUT FIDELIS PROTECTIVE SERVICES
Fidelis Protective Services is an elite, multi-state security firm specializing in high-level asset protection, tactical K-9 deployments, and comprehensive risk management solutions. Operating across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee, Fidelis sets the standard for proactive security operations in the commercial, healthcare, and energy sectors.
Connect with an FPS Operational Specialist for a custom risk assessment:
It really does take less square footage to be a kid now than it did back in the olden days—by which I mean the 60s, 70s, and 80s, when dinosaurs did not roam the earth, but teenagers with giant stereos certainly did.
Back then, if you were a teenager, your bedroom looked like the back room of a Radio Shack. You had a stereo system that took up half the wall. Not a cute little Bluetooth speaker—no, no. This thing had a turntable, an amplifier, and speakers the size of end tables. If you turned the volume up, the windows rattled, the dog hid under the porch, and your mother yelled your full name from three counties away.
And the music collection? Albums were thin, yes, but they were the size of pizza boxes. And every album had a jacket, and the jacket slid into a cover, and some artists released double albums, which meant you needed a forklift to move your collection. Then came eight-tracks (which lasted about as long as a snowball in July), then cassettes, which required their own storage system—usually a shoebox with the lid missing.
If you were lucky, you had a phone in your room. It was attached to the wall by a cord, and the receiver was attached to the base by another cord. If you were really lucky, you had the long cord, the one that let you walk around the room, change albums, and still talk to your best friend about absolutely nothing for two hours.
You also had an alarm clock—or a clock radio—because you needed something to wake you up so you could enjoy that magical sleep between the alarm going off and your parent entering the room to announce, “I said GET UP.” Today we call that the snooze button. Back then we called it “living dangerously.”
Some studious kids had a desk with a typewriter on it. If you had a Pica typewriter, your term papers looked longer, which felt like cheating but wasn’t. And there was almost never a TV in the bedroom. The TV lived in the den, a 25-inch RCA color set that weighed more than a small car. The whole family gathered around it, and since there was no remote, the youngest child served as the official channel changer. It built character.
Fast-forward to 2026. Kids don’t need a whole room anymore. They need a pocket. Their music, alarm, computer, TV, telephone, camera, calculator, flashlight, and speakers are all in one device. Pull out your phone and look at everything it does. It’s a miracle of modern engineering.
There’s a tool that lets us do things we never dreamed possible.
iPhone.
But here’s the thing: for all the problems life throws at us—grief, illness, broken relationships, guilt, confusion, decisions that keep us up at night—there is no app for that. There’s no setting to toggle, no update to install, no notification that says, “Your peace has arrived.”
When you don’t know what to do…
When you’ve lost something or someone…
When the doctor is puzzled…
When your child or parent won’t listen…
When you’ve messed up and don’t know how to make it right…
When you need direction and can’t find the map…
There is one place to go.
Jesus.
He doesn’t fit in your pocket.
He doesn’t need charging.
He doesn’t go out of date when the next model comes out.
And He’s the only One who can hold everything your phone can’t—your fears, your hopes, your grief, your sin, your future.
Kids today may need less space to grow up. But all of us—no matter our age—need the same Savior to grow into the people God calls us to be.
Across Louisiana, spring weather often feels like a roller coaster. Residents can wake up to thick fog, enjoy warm sunshine by midday, and then find themselves watching storm clouds roll in just hours later. Sudden thunderstorms and severe weather alerts are not uncommon during this time of year, sometimes followed by clear skies again before the day ends.
The rapid shifts are a familiar part of life in the state, where warm Gulf air, cold fronts, and seasonal storm systems frequently collide. For many Louisianans, keeping an eye on the forecast—and being prepared for just about anything—has become a routine part of the spring season.