John Dillinger was one of the most notorious of the Depression Era criminals. His crime sprees included charges of desertion from the U.S. Navy, theft, auto theft, armed robbery, bank robbery, attempted murder, and murder. On January 25, 1934, Dillinger and his gang were captured in Tucson, Arizona. Dillinger was extradited to Crown Point, Indiana to stand trial on a host of charges including the murder of a police officer. Lake County officials claimed their jail where Dillinger was held was “escape proof.”
At about 9:30 on the morning of March 3, 1934, Dillinger and his cellmate, convicted murderer Herbert Youngblood, sat impatiently in their cell as a guard, Sam Cahoun, was making his rounds. As Sam peered into their cell, Dillinger aimed a pistol at him and ordered him under threat of death to open the cell door. Sam was unarmed and had no choice but to comply. Dillinger told Sam to remain quiet and to follow him. At Dillinger’s request, Sam called out for Deputy Earnest Blunk. As the deputy stepped out of the fingerprint office, Dillinger stuck the pistol against his side. Dillinger led Sam and Deputy Blunk back to the jail cell. After locking Sam in the cell, Dillinger had Deputy Blunk call out for Warden Lou Baker. As Warden Baker and three others stepped out of their offices, Dillinger aimed his pistol at them and forced them into the cell with Sam. Dillinger locked the cell door and headed for the warden’s office. Dillinger exchanged his pistol for one of the machine guns from the warden’s gun rack and told Youngblood, “Come on, quick. Get one of those guns there.” Youngblood took a machine gun from the same gun rack and followed Dillinger’s lead. Dillinger used Deputy Blunk in the same manner to disarm a total of six deputies and 16 guards, all of whom he locked in jail cells. Unable to find any car keys in the prison offices, Dillinger, Youngblood, and Deputy Blunk made their way out of the jail house where they met the warden’s wife. Dillinger told her, “Be a good little girl and we won’t kill you.” She let them pass. Dillinger, Youngblood, and their hostage made their way to the Main Street Garage where they located Edward Saagers, the garage mechanic. Dillinger ordered Saagers to give Deputy Blunk the keys to the fastest car in the garage, which happened to be a black police car. Then, Dillinger ordered Saagers to get in the car with them. At Dillinger’s order, Deputy Blunk slowly drove the escape car away from the prison as to not attract attention. Mrs. Baker alerted the sheriff, which set off a search for Dillinger by practically all of the law enforcement officers in Indiana and Northern Illinois. Two hours after their escape, Dillinger and Youngblood released Deputy Blunk and mechanic Saagers at Peotone, Illinois, 35 miles south of the Crown Point jail. Before driving off, Dillinger gave Deputy Blunk and Saagers a $4 tip and told them, “Good job!”
Newspapers reported that it was one of “the most spectacular breaks in the history of American crime,” partly because the pistol Dillinger used to set off the daring jailbreak was absolutely harmless. It was not loaded. It could not be loaded. You see, the pistol Dillinger used in that escape was one he had whittled out of a piece of wood.
Sources:
1. The Times-Picayune, March 4, 1934, p.10.
2. The Times (Hammond, Indiana), March 5, 1934, p.10.
On March 18, 1944, the romantic wartime drama Casablanca took center stage at the 16th Academy Awards, winning three Oscars including Best Picture.
Starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, “Casablanca” tells the story of an American expatriate torn between love and sacrifice in the shadow of World War II. Set in unoccupied Morocco, the film blended romance, suspense and patriotism at a time when global audiences were living through the war itself.
The film’s win for Best Picture cemented its place in Hollywood history. Director Michael Curtiz also took home the Oscar for Best Director, and the film earned a third award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Though not initially predicted to sweep the ceremony, “Casablanca” resonated with audiences and Academy voters alike. Its themes of duty over desire and moral courage struck a chord during wartime America.
The film’s dialogue has since become iconic, with lines like “Here’s looking at you, kid” and “We’ll always have Paris” embedded in pop culture for generations. Bogart’s portrayal of Rick Blaine transformed him into a lasting symbol of cinematic cool, while Bergman’s performance remains one of the most celebrated in classic film history.
Over the decades, “Casablanca” has consistently ranked among the greatest films ever made, frequently appearing atop lists from the American Film Institute and other organizations.
March 18 marks not only a major milestone for a beloved film but also a reminder of Hollywood’s enduring power to capture emotion, history and hope on screen.
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Why rural communities deserve facts and honest debate about carbon capture and storage
I am a small-business owner in Vernon Parish trying to keep my doors open and raise a family in the community I love.
Few issues facing rural Louisiana right now carry bigger consequences for communities like ours than carbon capture and storage.
Some see it as a dangerous experiment being forced on rural parishes. Others see it as an opportunity to bring jobs, stabilize struggling industries, and reverse the population decline many rural communities have experienced for decades.
Representative Charles Owen recently wrote that there are a “litany of unanswered questions” surrounding carbon capture and storage.
On that point, he is right.
There are important questions. But the reason many remain unanswered is not because answers do not exist. It is because the geologists, engineers, and industry professionals who understand the science are often shouted down before the conversation can even begin.
Major decisions that affect the future of our communities deserve more than headlines, rumors, or social media posts. They deserve careful review of the facts and the willingness to listen to people who actually understand the science and economics involved.
And when fear becomes the loudest voice in a discussion, something unfortunate happens.
The very voices we need to hear from become silent.
Representative Owen compared carbon dioxide to weed killer and suggested it should be viewed as a poisonous or carcinogenic substance.
That comparison deserves clarification.
Carbon dioxide is not classified as a poison, and it is not classified as a carcinogen.
It is also already woven into daily life. CO₂ is used in medical manufacturing, fire suppression, agriculture, refrigeration, welding, food preservation, beverage carbonation, and water treatment. It is part of the air in every breath we take; it helps preserve many of the foods we eat, and for many people it is literally in the soda they drink.
The United States has transported carbon dioxide by pipeline for more than 50 years. Today there are over 5,000 miles of CO₂ pipelines, and during those decades there have been no recorded deaths from CO₂ pipeline transportation or injection.
Even the well-known pipeline rupture in Satartia, Mississippi — while serious and deserving investigation — resulted in no fatalities.
Two concerns often raised are that a leak would contaminate soil or drinking water.
Drinking water protection is central to the regulatory process. Class VI wells inject CO₂ thousands of feet below drinking water sources into deep rock formations sealed by thick layers of impermeable caprock — essentially a natural underground lid that fluids cannot pass through.
These same formations have naturally trapped oil and gas underground for millions of years.
CO₂ also does not contaminate soil the way chemicals do. It is part of the natural carbon cycle that plants use to grow, and soil itself releases carbon dioxide as organic material breaks down.
Representative Owen has suggested enhanced oil recovery is acceptable, but sequestration is not. But enhanced oil recovery already works by injecting CO₂ underground — and after the oil is produced, much of that carbon dioxide remains trapped in those formations permanently.
If carbon capture were truly a scam, environmental groups would not oppose it so strongly. Many oppose it precisely because it allows industries like oil, gas, and LNG to continue operating while reducing emissions.
And Louisiana sits at the center of that debate. As one of the nation’s largest energy-producing states, what happens here matters. If carbon capture works in Louisiana, it strengthens the future of American energy.
I know these things not because I read a headline, but because I set aside what I thought I knew and started asking questions of the people who work with this science every day.
Growth rarely comes from a place of comfort. But discomfort forces us to learn and search for better answers.
I am a small-business owner in Vernon Parish trying to keep my doors open. I am also a parent with children in our local schools — one of which could face closure if population trends continue.
That is the math our parish is already living with.
Without the economic impact of Ft. Polk, nearly 58% of Vernon Parish households fall into the ALICE category — families who work hard yet still come up about $5,000 short of the cost of living here.
They earn too much to qualify for assistance, but not enough to make ends meet.
Those families are not statistics. They are our neighbors.
Programs like the federal 45Q tax credit are often criticized as government spending, but they work differently. Companies only receive those credits if they are operating, employing people, and safely storing carbon dioxide.
If Louisiana chooses not to pursue these opportunities, the credit does not disappear. Our tax dollars will still fund the program — the difference is that the jobs and investment will go to states like Texas instead of communities like ours.
At the same time, our forestry economy is under tremendous pressure. When markets disappear, forests go unmanaged, disease spreads, and wildfire risk increases as timber grows overcrowded.
The proposed Class VI well would allow projects like Highland Pellet and Beaver Lake Renewables to locate in our region, supporting more than 1,000 jobs while purchasing roughly 500 additional truckloads of timber each day from Central Louisiana’s timber basket.
Without healthy markets, landowners may eventually clear forests for other development or solar projects. But when timber markets exist, forests are thinned, land remains productive, and rural jobs stay local.
The real question for rural Louisiana is simple: which future makes more sense for our communities?
When jobs disappear, families leave.
When families leave, schools lose students — and the difficult conversations about consolidation begin.
We invest years educating our children, but when opportunity disappears, those same young people often must leave to build their careers somewhere else.
Louisiana helps educate them — and other states benefit from the talent we lose.
Representative Owen and I both care deeply about the future of our communities. We may not be as far apart as it sometimes feels.
But the stakes for rural Louisiana are too high to allow fear, rumors, or division to guide the outcome.
The future of our parish — and rural Louisiana — deserves to be decided by facts, careful consideration, and the shared desire to do what is right for the people who call this place home.
Robert Haymon is a small-business owner in Vernon Parish.
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.
The LaSalle Parish Assessor’s Office is reminding residents how property values are determined and assessed across LaSalle Parish.
According to the office, its primary responsibility is to determine the market value of property for assessment purposes, a process designed to ensure property values remain fair and consistent throughout the parish. Officials also noted that the next reassessment of residential properties is scheduled to take place in 2028.
How Property Assessments Wor
Market Value
Property values are evaluated based on several factors, including recent sales of comparable properties, property characteristics, location, and any improvements made to the property.
Assessment Percentage
Under Louisiana law, different types of property are assessed at a set percentage of their market value:
10 percent for residential property
15 percent for commercial property10 percent for land
Assessed Value
Once the market value is determined, the applicable assessment percentage is applied to calculate the property’s assessed value.
Officials emphasized that the Assessor’s Office does not determine the amount of property taxes residents pay. Tax rates are set by local taxing bodies, and tax collections are handled by the LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Residents with questions about their property assessments are encouraged to contact the LaSalle Parish Assessor’s Office for assistance.
Residents in LaSalle Parish should prepare for a round of showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday before cooler and sunnier weather moves into the area later in the week, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters say Wednesday will begin with only a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, but rain chances will increase significantly during the afternoon. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm are expected after 1 p.m., with temperatures reaching a high near 82 degrees. South winds of 5 to 15 mph are expected, with gusts up to 25 mph. The chance of precipitation is around 80 percent.
Rain and possible thunderstorms will continue into Wednesday night, mainly before 1 a.m., followed by a chance of lingering showers overnight. Temperatures will drop to around 48 degrees as winds shift from the southwest to the north during the evening.
Wind gusts could reach up to 25 mph, and rain chances remain around 80 percent.
Skies will clear by Thursday, bringing sunny but cooler conditions with a high near 64 degrees. Clear skies Thursday night will allow temperatures to dip to around 42 degrees.
Sunshine will continue into Friday with a high near 75 degrees and a clear overnight low near 49.
The weekend is expected to bring warmer temperatures and plenty of sunshine. Saturday will be sunny with a high near 81 degrees and a mostly clear night with lows around 57. Sunday will remain mostly sunny with temperatures climbing to about 84 degrees.
Clouds will begin to increase Sunday night with a slight 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms and a low around 51 degrees. By Monday, mostly cloudy skies are expected with a high near 65.
Meteorologists encourage residents to stay weather-aware Wednesday as storms move through the parish before enjoying the calmer and warmer conditions expected later in the week.
BATON ROUGE — State Representative Larry Bagley has introduced House Bill 838, legislation that would eliminate Louisiana’s requirement for annual vehicle inspection stickers.
Bagley said the proposal has the support of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and is part of the governor’s legislative package for the 2026 session. Landry also highlighted the effort to eliminate inspection stickers in his opening remarks Monday during the joint session address marking the start of the 2026 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature.
Louisiana’s inspection sticker program was created decades ago when vehicles lacked the advanced safety systems and diagnostic technology common in modern automobiles. Today, vehicles are equipped with onboard diagnostic systems that continuously monitor engine performance, emissions systems, and other mechanical functions. When an issue is detected, the vehicle alerts the driver through dashboard warning lights so repairs can be addressed.
Modern vehicles also include a range of built‑in safety technologies such as anti‑lock braking systems, electronic stability control, tire pressure monitoring systems, and computerized engine management systems. Bagley said these advancements provide drivers with real‑time information about the condition of their vehicles, making the decades‑old inspection sticker program increasingly outdated.
“Vehicle technology has changed dramatically over the years,” Bagley said. “Cars and trucks today already have sophisticated onboard systems that monitor performance and notify drivers when something needs attention.”
Bagley also noted that Louisiana is among a shrinking number of states that still require annual vehicle safety inspections. According to national transportation data, 35 states no longer require annual safety inspections for passenger vehicles.
“This legislation simply updates Louisiana law to reflect today’s technology while removing an outdated requirement for drivers,” Bagley said.
HB 838 has been referred to the House Transportation Committee for consideration.
BATON ROUGE – The 2026 Regular Legislative Session convened on March 9 at noon as required by the State Constitution. Returning to Baton Rouge, lawmakers will tackle a variety of subjects including regulating Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly when it comes to protecting children, regulation of carbon capture activities here in Louisiana, and proposals to increase investment in public safety and education.
“We have made such great strides in the first two years of this term, when you look at how far we have come in areas like tax reform and beginning to see insurance rates come down here in Louisiana,” said Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier. “This year we want to build on those successes to encourage even more economic investment in our state and better prepare our workforce to take advantage of those opportunities.”
“As we carefully consider the proposed $47 billion state budget for next year, legislators want to fund the priorities that are important to Louisianans without committing our state to spending we can’t afford in the years ahead,” said Senate President Cameron Henry. “As we look ahead to next year when we want to bring down our state income tax rate even further, we’ll be looking to strengthen our long-term revenue sources so that whether it’s education, energy or public safety, we build revenue sources that our state can depend on going forward.
The House of Representatives welcomed four new members today. Chasity Martinez will serve District 60 in the parishes of Assumption and Iberville and has been named to the Education, Labor and Transportation committees. Ed Murray will serve District 97 in Orleans Parish and has been named to the Insurance, Municipal, and Transportation committees. Reese “Skip” Broussard will serve District 37 in the parishes of Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis and has been named to the Agriculture, Education and Transportation committees. Doyle Boudreaux will serve District 39 in Lafayette Parish and has been named to the Transportation, Administration of Criminal Justice and Retirement committees.
As of this morning, more than 1,360 bills have been filed by legislators, including the state budget, to be considered over an 85-day general legislative session.
To follow the legislative session in real time, the public can log into http://www.legis.la.gov to search for bills and watch live streams of committee room and floor debates. The legislative mobile phone app LALEGE can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play. This app includes a bill search and “find my legislator” function. Other key features include legislator profiles, Senate and House schedules and a visitor’s guide to the Capitol.
The 2026 Regular Legislative Session must adjourn no later than 6:00pm on Monday, June 1, 2026.
You know the moment. The meeting is wrapping up, chairs start shifting, and everyone thinks they’re about to head home. Then someone says the dreaded words: “Before we adjourn, I’ve got just one more thing.” Suddenly the agenda grows, the clock keeps ticking and what was supposed to be a quick meeting turns into a marathon. Around here, “one more thing” rarely means just one more thing.
Talent is common, but experience is rare. Here is how CAPA turns students into working professionals before they ever graduate.
By Cole Gentry, Chief Marketing Officer at Northwestern State University
There is a moment of terrifying clarity that happens to every young artist. It usually strikes midway through a senior showcase or during the quiet drive home from an audition. It is the realization that raw talent, no matter how bright, is only a starting line. The world is full of people who can sing, paint, or write. The industry does not pay for potential. It pays for polish.
This is the hard truth of the creative life. The gap between having a gift and having a career is wide, and it is paved with rejection, technical demands, and the need for a relentless work ethic. Many young creatives hesitate here. They have the vision, yet they lack the professional-grade portfolio or the stage hours to make a casting director pause. They wait to start their careers until after graduation, only to find they are already years behind.
At Northwestern State University, inside the Mrs. H.D. Dear, Sr. and Alice E. Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), we operate under a different philosophy. We believe you cannot learn to be a professional by sitting in a classroom talking about it. You must do the work.
The halls of CAPA carry a specific energy. It is the sound of a piano practice room occupied in the early morning hours and the scent of oils in a painting studio late at night. Here, we do not view the arts as a hobby or a fragile dream. We treat them as a discipline.
This approach changes the trajectory of a student’s life.
When you walk through the doors of CAPA, you are not asked to wait for your turn. The hierarchy that exists at other institutions, where freshmen wait years to touch a camera or step into the spotlight, does not exist here. From your first semester, you are in the mix. You are auditioning for mainstage productions. You are hanging your work in gallery exhibitions. You are recording in professional studios and reporting for digital media outlets.
The faculty guiding this work are not retired observers. They are active artists, performers, and creators who understand the modern landscape of the industry. They know that a degree is necessary, but a reel is vital. They push students to build a body of work that stands up to scrutiny in New York, Los Angeles, or Atlanta.
Scott Burrell, Director of the Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts and Professor of Theatre, emphasizes that the curriculum bridges the gap between student and professional. “We don’t ask you to wait until graduation to become an artist,” Burrell says. “We hand you the tools and the stage on day one. By the time you leave, you’re not starting a career. You’re continuing one.”
The results of this immersion are etched into playbills and credit rolls across the nation.
Look at the numbers. Twelve alumni have landed on Broadway. Graduates have appeared in over 120 film and television productions. Thirty-two professional dance companies feature NSU-trained talent. Our alumni are defining the arts. They are the graphic designers shaping global brands, the journalists leading newsrooms, and the music educators inspiring the next generation.
This success stems from a curriculum that balances creative freedom with technical rigor. Whether it is the NASAD-accredited Fine & Graphic Arts program, the elite ensembles of the Department of Music, or the Department of Theatre & Dance, one of only 150 NAST-accredited programs in the country, the standard is excellence.
We understand that talent is the fuel, but training is the engine. From Theatre and Music to Art and New Media, Journalism, & Communication Arts (NMJCA), our programs are defined by cutting-edge collaboration rather than outdated instruction. We prioritize career training that is pertinent to the industry and vital to the student. For example, NMJCA students are currently producing nationally award-winning podcast series. The Department of Music routinely brings Grammy-nominated producers into the studio to work alongside faculty and students. The Department of Art’s Design Center for in-house internships was recognized as one of only twenty elite models in a 2025 study by the Louisiana Board of Regents.
When an NSU student walks across the graduation stage, they carry a resume. They have a network of peers and mentors who open doors. They possess the confidence that comes from having done the job a hundred times before the first paycheck ever arrived.
The creative world is competitive, but it is not impenetrable. It yields to those who show up prepared. If you are ready to stop dreaming about the work and start doing it, you belong here. The studio is open. The lights are on.
Whether you seek to command the stage or master the craft behind the scenes, you will find your place within CAPA’s professionally oriented programs. The invitation is open to join the Demon family. Apply to CAPA today, schedule your visit, and let’s get to work.
Through the whole season of Lent, I work on answering the question, “What am I giving up for Lent.”
A friend told me recently, “I’m simply frazzled.” Now, when a minister says “frazzled,” my imagination goes straight to cartoon mode. I pictured him with his hair standing straight up, soot on his face, clutching a smoldering Bible in one hand while trying to answer a phone call and a text message with the other. Ministry does that to us. Then I looked at my own calendar—those blank spaces I had optimistically filled in with “rest”—and I understood exactly what he meant.
There’s an old saying: “I’m so busy I don’t know if I’ve found a rope or lost a horse. “Some days, that feels less like a saying and more like a spiritual condition.
Our culture practically demands frazzled, frenetic activity. If we’re going to play the game, we’re expected to check email, Facebook, Instagram, and X like we’re on some sort of digital scavenger hunt. I left Facebook, I never tweeted, and my computer only checks email a couple of times a day. I do peek at Instagram—because that’s where my family hangs out—but even that can feel like a part-time job.
Maybe a good Lenten discipline would be to give up the tyranny of the immediate. If it doesn’t get done today, I’ll get to it tomorrow. And if it’s still sitting there tomorrow, maybe it didn’t need doing in the first place.
Now, I’m not suggesting you shirk your responsibilities. I’m suggesting we learn something about living for the long run, something our souls have been trying to tell us while we’ve been too busy checking notifications.
God took the seventh day off. You, however, will not—because I know you. So let me offer a substitute: two peace pockets a day.
A peace pocket is a ten-minute break where you turn off the phone, turn off the computer monitor, close the door, and do absolutely nothing. If anyone asks, tell them you’re about to “work very hard for the next ten minutes on doing nothing.” Only we could turn rest into a job description.
If you can’t take a day off, take two peace pockets and call me later.
We spend so much time ruminating over trifles. The disciples once “lost” Jesus—not because He was lost, but because they were. They finally found Him praying alone. Breathless, they announced, “The whole town is looking for you!” Jesus calmly replied that He had other places to go. In other words: “I’m not ruled by your urgency.”
Jesus had priorities. He didn’t let the trivial masquerade as the essential.
If God rested and Jesus set priorities, maybe we should take the hint. Maybe Lent is the perfect time to let go of the things that make us feel frazzled, frantic, and spiritually threadbare.
Then, perhaps, we can finally decide whether we’ve found a rope or lost a horse.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced that the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has adopted a Notice of Intent (NOI) to modify current crappie and black bass fishing regulations at the Saline-Larto Complex.
If approved, the proposed rule changes would establish new daily limits and minimum length requirements for anglers fishing in the Saline-Larto Complex.
Proposed Regulations
Crappie Daily limit: 25 fish per person Minimum length: 10 inches
Black Bass Daily limit: 8 fish per person Minimum length: 14 inches Current Regulations
At present, the Saline-Larto Complex follows Louisiana’s statewide limits, which allow: 50 crappie per day 10 largemouth bass per day No minimum length restrictions for either species
Wildlife officials say the proposed changes are intended to help manage fish populations and maintain a healthy fishery for anglers who frequent the area.
Public Comment Period
The commission is currently accepting public input on the proposed rule changes. Comments will be accepted through May 27, 2026.
Written comments can be submitted to: Shelby Richard 1995 Shreveport Highway Pineville, LA 71360 Email: srichard@wlf.la.gov
The full Notice of Intent outlining the proposed regulations is available through the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries website. Officials encourage anglers and residents who utilize the Saline-Larto Complex to review the proposal and provide feedback during the public comment period.
Residents in LaSalle Parish will soon have an opportunity to purchase spring garden plants while supporting local students as the Jena FFA prepares to open its annual spring plant sale.
The sale will officially begin March 17 in Jena and will operate Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Community members are encouraged to stop by and browse a variety of vegetable plants and flowers grown through the FFA program.
This year’s plant selection includes several popular garden varieties:
Tomatoes Cherry Lemon Boy Better Boy Celebrity Big Boy
Peppers Serrano Orange King Bell Red Ghost Banana
Cucumbers Sumpter Marketmore
Flowers Petunias Marigolds Coleus Geraniums
Plant prices include 6-packs for $5, 3-inch cups for $3, and hanging baskets for $20.
Organizers say the sale helps support agricultural education and provides hands-on experience for students involved in the FFA program. Community members are encouraged to come out, support local students, and pick up plants for their spring gardens.
Oh, how times have changed in the tournament bass fishing world. In the last 20 years, tournament bass fishing has had several things that have taken the sport to another level. The first being the most obvious, electronics and forward-facing sonar. But there have been a few other things like how anglers get information today.
“Back in the day” as we old timers would say, getting information was sitting down with another angler and a paper lake map. You would use a highlighter to mark spots on the map where either he had caught bass before or places you might want to check.
Anglers would spend hours staring at a waterproof paper map like it was the Holy Grail. We brought them along with us in the boat to make sure we hit every spot marked. We made notes on the map as to what we caught, what time we caught fish, what bait we caught them on and what depth the fish were. We made notes on the water temperature as well as wind direction.
Maps were our main source of information on how a lake would set up for how we wanted to fish. Maps today are still very important, but now they’re on a screen, on our I-pads, cell phones and electronic units on our boats.
But there were also other ways anglers got information just like they do today. Who has more information than an angler who guides on a particular body of water? It’s that guy that spends every day of the week taking people out fishing. This person is full of information that can be a real asset to a tournament bass fisherman.
Also back in the day, we would meet a friend for lunch who maybe fishes a certain body of water frequently. He would tell you about spots that he knew about or had caught fish before. So, word of mouth was also a way we got information.
Fast forward to 2026, and the information highway is insane. Today, there is so much information that the younger generation has grown up with that it’s mind blowing. Someone asked me before, “Can you get too much information?”
Yes, too much information can create confusion and sidetrack you on what you need to be doing in order to compete in the tournament. Also, information is only good for so long, as bass fishing can change daily or even hourly.
All anglers process information differently, and personally, I don’t like talking to a lot of anglers about what, how and where I need to fish. Over my 30-year career, I can only think of maybe twice that information actually paid off with either a win or cashing a check.
To this day, I feel confident in my ability to find fish on my own. One of the first lessons I learned was that it’s hard to go and catch another angler’s fish. Even with good information about a certain spot, you still have to figure out boat positioning and the best way to approach the spot.
A lot of people complain that today’s anglers are networking together and forming their own little information group, especially the rookies on tour. The young anglers today have come up through the ranks with college and high school fishing teams, where they communicate a lot.
This is nothing new. Ever since professional bass fishing started, anglers have been forming partnerships with other anglers. That’s why anglers form small groups that travel and eat together, while developing true friendships and trust.
But the younger generation of anglers today are doing some things that I feel may not be in good spirit of the sport. They have budgets they use to purchase weigh points or dots as they call it.
That’s infringing on the integrity of the sport. This, in my opinion, is going too far and should not be allowed in tournament competition.
Of course, just like so many other things today, money is a factor along with how much you have. Some of the younger anglers have budgets of $30,000 plus (provided by parents) to spend each season for weigh points.
This is an unfair advantage whether you want to admit it or not. It’s proving the point that if you have money, you can compete for the win rather than just trying to cash a check.
It’s really hard to make it as a pro on your own. Today, you need that support system of information and money because it’s so difficult to fish against the best anglers on the planet on your own. It’s a different game today than it was 20 years ago.
Lowell K. “Sandy” Robinson was a deputy for the Tulare County California Sheriff’s Department until he was elected Sheriff in 1951. From that election until the election in 1966, Sandy had easily defeated all others who vied for the office. The November 8, 1966, election day was a disaster for Sandy because he received only about half as many votes as his contender received. On January 1, 1967, he turned his office and the title of sheriff over to the incoming sheriff.
One of Sandy’s daily tasks was to retrieve his mail from post office box number 510 at the Visalia Post Office. It was a task that had become so routine that he performed it without much thought. It was just one of the routine details of his daily life such as putting on his shoes and grabbing his car keys. Soon after the election, Sandy decided to leave Visalia, California and move to Baxter Springs, Kansas to be near his parents and siblings. In the chaos of moving, Sandy forgot to return his post office box key. It remained on his keyring. Sandy was still getting things settled in Baxter Springs when a local hotel manager resigned and moved to another town. The hotel owner offered Sandy the hotel manager position and he quickly accepted. Sandy had not set up his new address in Baxter Springs when he was hired for his new job. When he visited the post office, he requested the same post office box which had been used by the previous manager just in case any mail intended for the hotel was delivered to that box. After completing the necessary paperwork, the postal clerk gave Sandy the box key. Stamped on one side of the key was the post office box number. Sandy was surprised when he looked at the key and saw it stamped with the number 510. Sandy had the same post office box number in Baxter Springs that he had in Visalia some 1650 miles to the west.
Sandy shrugged off the coincidence. He made sure the new key worked, retrieved a few pieces of mail from the box, then put the key on his key ring with little thought. Nearly two years went by, and checking his mailbox at the Baxter Springs Post Office became just another item on his daily routine. Then in August 1969, Sandy pulled out his keyring and opened box number 510. He retrieved the mail and was in the process of locking his post office box when he noticed that another key on his key ring was stamped “510.” That is when he finally realized that he had forgotten to return his key to the Visalia Post Office. Then, he wondered which of the two keys he had been using for nearly two years to get his mail. Other than normal wear, the keys were practically identical. Sandy tried both keys in each of the mailboxes in the Baxter Springs Post Office. Although they would not open any other box at that post office, both keys opened post office box number 510.
Sources:
1. The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kansas), August 25, 1969, p.5.
2. The Daily Item (Port Chester, New York), October 1, 1969, p.8.
On March 11, 1970, the beginning of the end for one of the most influential bands in music history quietly unfolded. On that day, a press release tied to the upcoming solo album of Paul McCartney included a self-interview in which he confirmed he was no longer working with The Beatles.
Though tensions had been building within the band for months, McCartney’s public comments made what many feared official: The Beatles were effectively finished.
Formed in Liverpool in 1960, The Beatles — comprised of McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — had transformed popular music in less than a decade. From early hits like “She Loves You” to groundbreaking albums such as “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” the group reshaped recording techniques, songwriting standards and global celebrity culture.
By 1969, however, creative differences and business disputes had strained relationships within the band. Recording sessions for what would become “Let It Be” were famously tense, later chronicled in documentaries and studio footage that revealed the fractures behind the harmonies.
McCartney’s March 11 announcement did not immediately result in legal dissolution, but it signaled to fans around the world that the Beatles’ collaborative era had ended. The official breakup would follow in 1970 after legal actions were filed.
The news stunned fans and dominated international headlines. For many, the breakup symbolized the close of the 1960s themselves — a cultural shift away from the optimism and experimentation that defined the decade.
In the years that followed, each member embarked on successful solo careers, producing enduring hits and continuing to shape music independently. Yet the impact of The Beatles as a collective remains unmatched.
More than five decades later, March 11 stands as a pivotal date in music history — the day the world learned that the band that defined a generation was no more.
LaSalle Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or billvance.erg@gmail.com. (Notice of Deaths shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to billvance.erg@gmail.com
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 Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, in collaboration with the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute (SDMI) at LSU, invites residents throughout the entire LaSalle Parish planning area to attend a public meeting to learn about the LaSalle Parish Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan and the planning process for the 2026 plan update.
The meeting will take place on Thursday, March 5 at 1 PM at the LaSalle Parish Police Jury Meeting Room, located in the LaSalle Parish Courthouse at 1050 Courthouse St. in Jena.
The purpose of the meeting is to inform residents about the Hazard Mitigation Plan update process and gather valuable community input on natural hazards affecting the parish. The Hazard Mitigation Plan outlines strategies to mitigate risks from natural disasters, aiming to safeguard lives, reduce property damage, and enhance community resilience. Residents are encouraged to participate in a brief web-based survey to share their perceptions and opinions regarding natural hazards in LaSalle Parish
LaSalle Parish values community input in an effort to develop a robust Hazard Mitigation Plan that reflects the needs and concerns of our residents. Your participation is crucial in shaping our efforts to create a safer and more resilient LaSalle Parish.
For more information about the public meeting or the Hazard Mitigation Plan update process, please contact Dana Chapman by calling the LaSalle Parish OHSEP at (318) 992-0673.
