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.

The 2026 turkey hunting season begins Saturday and Sunday (March 28-29) for youth (17 or younger) and physically challenged-wheel chaired confined hunters. The season opens statewide in areas A, B and C on April 3 for all hunters, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced.

Turkey hunting in Area A runs from April 3-May 3, Area B from April 3-26 and Area C from April 3-19.

Turkey hunters are required to have a basic hunting license and wild turkey license, or an equivalent combination. A youth hunting license and turkey tags are required for those 17 or younger hunting turkey. Click here to purchase a hunting license.

Prior to hunting turkey, all turkey hunters, regardless of age or license status, must obtain turkey tags. They must have the tags in their possession while hunting turkey, and immediately after harvesting a turkey, tag the turkey before moving it from where it was killed. Hunters must record required information for tagged turkeys and validate tags within 72 hours of harvesting a turkey. Click here to obtain turkey tags.

Click here for a complete list of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) open to turkey hunting and more information on WMA turkey hunting.

All visitors to LDWF WMAs must have either a WMA Access Permit, Senior Hunting/Fishing License, Louisiana Sportsman’s Paradise License or Lifetime Hunting/Fishing License. Click here for more information.

Click here for more information on turkey hunting in Louisiana or contact LDWF Small Game/Wild Turkey Program Manager Cody Cedotal at ccedotal@wlf.la.gov.

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.

“Are you a homeowner who feels stuck because you don’t have enough equity to sell, but still need to bring your monthly housing costs down?”

 See what Ida says 

Mark those calendars for the 4th annual Springtime Market at the Hessmer Gym on Saturday, March 28, from 9am to 3pm. 

This family-friendly event will feature food, crafts, gifts, and Easter portraits. 

Interested in being a vendor? Vendors fee is $25. Booth sizes are 10×10. No garage sale items; goods on offer must be new or handmade items. Indoor vendors can setup Friday, March 27, from 4pm-9pm or Saturday starting at 6:30am. Canopies allowed for indoor booths. No electricity provided. Vendors fee and vendors form are needed to secure spots. All spots are on first-come basis.

Disclaimer: outdoor spots are subject to weather conditions, and vendors accept the risk. The Mayor and Council reserve the right to reject any vendor based on products being offered. All vendor fees are non-refundable. 

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/.