Well, here we go again! Only a month and a half into the new year and controversy prevails in the bass tournament world. After a 2025 season full of controversy and one disqualification after another, in the first tournament of the year on Sam Rayburn, once again we have another disqualified winner. As a tournament angler myself, I’m not even sure I can put this into words. 

Are you kidding me? Why and how does the BFL (Cowboy Division) season start off with someone breaking the rules? I would say I’m surprised, but with so many disqualifications this past season, I’m not. 

I’m beyond the shock value of someone getting caught cheating or failing a polygraph. This was something that basically never happened from when I started tournament fishing (1990) till 2020. But over the last six years, it’s becoming the norm, especially in 2025. 

So many anglers today either can’t read or they’re just plain dumb. Tournament bass fishing is not a difficult sport to understand. It’s really quite simple; as an angler all you have to do is READ THE RULES! 

I have been a part of the tournament bass fishing world for over 30 years and never have I seen so many rule breakers and cheaters! Anglers who are willing to do whatever it takes to get into the winner’s circle or cash a check.

The sport has acquired a “win at all costs” mentality. But what’s making me nervous is there seems to be a trend that’s taking place in ALL bass tournament circuits nationwide. Is this a reflection on our society or just the fact that so many anglers feel the odds are in their favor when it comes to NOT getting caught?

Some bass fishing trails offer random polygraphs to a handful of anglers in the tournament no matter what their place of finish. It’s normal for the first-place angler to take a polygraph while other anglers are selected at random by computer. 

There are some organizations that don’t offer polygraph testing due to the cost involved with paying an examiner. These are events that I tend to shy away from, as I’ve seen first-hand that there are anglers out there that will cheat even on a local weeknight three-hour tournament for a $200 first place prize. 

On a sadder note, one angler this past year got caught cheating in a Fisher’s of Men tournament! An organization that is basically an outreach program to bring anglers closer to Christ. 

If you asked those who have cheated why they did it, if they’re honest, I’ll bet it wasn’t just about the money, but more about being recognized as one of the best anglers in their region. Like so many other athletes in sports, it’s all about their ego!

Now understand this, there is a difference between a cheater and rule breaker. Not all violations fall under the category of cheaters. For example, all anglers are required to wear a lifejacket when the big engine is running or the boat is on plane so, if an angler forgets to put on his lifejacket while running from point A to point B, he’s not cheating, but rather he has broken a rule. 

Webster defines a “cheater” as someone who violates rules dishonestly. Bass tournament organizations define it as someone who knowingly decided to break a rule on purpose with the intent of gaining a competitive advantage.  

So, where are we in terms of getting rid of the cheaters in a bass tournament?  First, there must be severe consequences for those that choose to cheat instead of playing by the rules. 

Second, tournament organizations and judges must make examples out of these low-lifes by prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law. After all, once they walk across that stage and receive a check, they’ve just committed fraud.   

It’s also up the anglers themselves to help police these bass tournaments by reporting anything they see that would be considered breaking a rule or cheating during the tournament. 

If you see suspicious activity like an angler putting fish in a basket under a dock or you find bass that have been tied to a stump on a shallow flat, make sure to report all suspicious activity to the tournament director immediately. 

We can only hope that one day anglers will show more integrity and honesty by following the rules. After all, it’s only a bass tournament, not a matter of life and death.

February 18 marks the birthday of Toni Morrison, one of the most influential literary figures in American history and a towering voice in African American culture. Born in 1931, Morrison reshaped how Black stories were told, studied, and valued, leaving a permanent mark not only on literature but on pop culture, education, and national conversations about race and identity.

Morrison’s novels centered Black life with depth, complexity, and honesty at a time when those perspectives were often marginalized or excluded altogether. Works such as Beloved, The Bluest Eye, and Song of Solomon explored themes of history, trauma, love, and resilience, challenging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about America’s past and present.

While Morrison’s work is frequently studied in academic settings, her cultural influence extends far beyond classrooms. Her storytelling style, which blended folklore, realism, and lyrical prose, has inspired filmmakers, musicians, and writers across genres. References to her work appear in song lyrics, visual art, and modern television narratives that focus on generational memory and identity.

February 18 offers a moment to reflect on how Morrison helped redefine whose stories mattered. In 1993, she became the first Black woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, a milestone that elevated African American voices on the global stage. Her achievement wasn’t just personal — it signaled a broader recognition of Black literature as essential to understanding the human experience.

Morrison was also deeply engaged in popular discourse. Her interviews, essays, and public speeches were widely shared and quoted, especially during periods of heightened racial tension in the United States. She had a rare ability to speak with clarity and authority while remaining accessible, making her a cultural figure whose influence reached well beyond literary circles.

Even after her passing in 2019, Morrison’s presence in pop culture continues to grow. Book clubs, social media discussions, and film adaptations have introduced her work to new generations of readers. Quotes from her novels regularly circulate online, often used to frame conversations about justice, beauty, and self-worth.

As Black History Month continues, February 18 stands as a reminder of the power of storytelling — and of Toni Morrison’s role in ensuring African American stories were not only told, but honored.

In April 1964, Walter and Betty Roberts opened the Actors and Writers Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, “to provide younger talent in all fields with an opportunity to develop and showcase their talents, and to encourage an interest and participation in theater arts among young people, especially high school students.”  Walter and Betty met nine years earlier during the casting of a play.  Walter and Better were cast as husband and wife who bitterly hated each other, but in real life, it was love at first sight.  Three days after they met, Walter proposed and Betty instantly accepted.  As soon as the tour ended, they eloped.  They worked in theater together until they decided to form their own production company.  The A&W Workshop guided the young actors and writers by hosting various performances based on their talents.  In celebration of William Shakespeare’s 400^th birthday, they selected for their first touring production, “Othello.”  Walter directed and played the part of the jealous Moor who killed the tragic Desdemona, who was played by Betty.  Since it was a new venture with little capital, “Othello” was presented in modern dress.  Walter had an orchestra, which included three musicians from the local Briarcliff High School, prerecord the music for the production.  The announcement invited “Artists wishing to associate with the group [to] apply by letter.  No fees are involved.”

In 1965, Coretta King called the A&W Workshop and asked if her nine-year-old daughter Yolanda could join the troupe.  At just eight years old, Yolanda had written her first play, but she had been turned away from other theater groups because they did not accept black students.  Betty, who thought talent was colorblind, told Coretta, “Sure.  Come on over.”  Yolanda was welcomed into the A&W Workshop and was regularly cast as the lead female in productions.  By April 1966, Yolanda was one of two assistant directors of the company.  She was just 10 years old at the time.  Walter and Betty became close friends with Coretta and her husband, Martin. 

In the following year, 1967, Betty was pregnant with her second child.  Although the A&W Workshop had a full tour schedule, it was struggling financially.  In June, the young performers opened the summer season with “Joan of Arc,” followed by “Little Plays for Little People,” “Green Pastures,” and “Once Upon a Mattress.”  In September 1967, the A&W Workshop began its fall season and advertised that although it had already begun, they were still accepting applications for membership.  Walter and Betty were in a financial slump and needed more students.  On October 28, 1967, Walter and Betty welcomed their second child, a daughter, into the world.  It was a happy occasion, mostly.  Walter, Betty, and their son, Eric, were overjoyed with the new addition to their family, but Walter and Betty worried about the looming hospital bill which they were unable to afford.  When Yolanda’s parents learned about their financial difficulty, they remembered when Walter and Betty had accepted their daughter when everyone else turned her away.  Yolanda’s parents, Coretta Scott King and her husband, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., paid the full hospital bill for Walter and Betty.  You know Walter and Betty’s daughter.  Her name is Julia Roberts.   

Sources:

1.     The Atlanta Journal, April 12, 1964, p.10-D.

2.     The Atlanta Journal, April 23, 1964, p.71.

3.     The Atlanta Journal, May 10, 1964, p.104.

4.     The Atlanta Journal, July 31, 1964, p.26.

5.     The Atlanta Journal, April 22, 1966, p.29.

6.     The Atlanta Journal, June 29, 1967, p.79.

7.     The Atlanta Constitution, September 9, 1967, p.37.

8.     Caitlin O’Kane, “Julia Roberts reveals Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King paid for her parents’ hospital bill when she was born,” CBS News.com, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/julia-roberts-martin-luther-king-jr-and-coretta-scott-king-paid-birth-hospital-bill/, accessed February 8, 2026.

Residents have watched as Winn Community Health Center has grown from its 2,000 square foot building with a small client base in July 2009 to a multi-parish, nine-site health service with over 500 employees and last year surpassed its 1 million patient mark.

In the same way they’ve watched as ground was broken in spring 2024 on their Winnfield location between the 5-lane and East Lafayette St. and their spacious three-story building has slowly risen.  It’s an impressive structure that will house the multiplicity of services that will be handed there once opened as well as the management needs of all locations under the umbrella of Trinity Community Health Centers of Louisiana.

CEO Deano Thornton appeared before the Rotary Club of Winnfield and explained he cannot say for sure when the opening date will be, since finishing stages of any project always take longer than hoped.  “But this will be a proud part of this community for years to come.”  Looking at an edifice of this size and cost, he added that “people don’t know what WCHC has sacrificed through the years to get us to this point.”

Trinity opened clinics first in Winnfield then Colfax, Ringgold, Pollock, Ruston, Alexandria, Marksville, Dry Prong and Bossier, with others planned soon.  Their goal from the outset has been to provide quality professional healthcare to patients regardless their ability to pay.  This is vital in a low income area like north-central Louisiana, Thornton said, as some 63% of their 152,000 patients last year were Medicaid, while 11% were Medicare and 3% uninsured.

The speaker walked through a floor-by-floor slideshow of photographs and diagrams, showing what will greet patients as they enter the front door.  The lobby and the building as a whole will have “a very open feel to it.”  The health center is not simply primary care but many different specialty services as well, some of those varying from center to center throughout the Trinity organization.

The first floor will house general medical practices with 22 exam rooms, pediatrics, pharmacy, specialists, behavioral health, chiropractic, a spacious nurses’ station, radiology, labs, a warehouse and lots of office space.  It includes two elevators and an escalator to the second floor.  As big as the building appears from the outside, “it looks twice that size on the inside.”

Thornton explained that patients will be served through the same waiting area whether they arrive for an annual checkup, for behavioral services or other medical needs, thus eliminating worries of stigma issues.  For the children, a glass wall will separate the “sick” from the “well” patients, giving parents peace of mind.  Interactive boards are also installed to occupy the youngsters as they wait.

From the second floor, visitors will be able to look down from the common waiting area into the lobby.  That floor will include physical therapy as well as the dental and oral hygiene departments. 

The third floor will house support and administration for the entire Trinity organization.  Included will be offices for finance, IT, billing, records, company officials, board room, kitchen (there are more than 130 people in the building) plus an employee break room, as on each floor.  Thornton stressed that this does involve a number of people “but I’m old-school and want to hire local people who our clients can actually talk to rather than farm it out to businesses in other parts of the country.  It helps our people and helps our economy.”

There will also be a banquet room on the top floor large enough to seat 100 people banquet-style that can be used for Trinity functions and when the organization wants to host a community event.  He’s proud of the wood-look to many areas of the interior and exterior of the three-story.  “I wanted it to look like it belongs to the community where timber products are so important.”  He noted that TBA Studio is the architectural firm that made this happen, with Winn native Lisa Peddy Frontaura taking the lead role.

He also called attention to the center’s in-house 340D pharmacy serviced by pharmacists Steve Burnam and Chip Little.  The advantage to patients receiving prescriptions from Community Health Center providers is that costs will be based on household income.  He gave an example of a lady who had been paying $225 for one prescription who received the same for only $8 through the center’s pharmacy.

Be sure to watch the Journal for future details on the Grand Opening.