The following arrests were made by local law enforcement officers from Sept. 14 through Sept. 20.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Two people were arrested Sept. 28 as part of an ongoing investigation into crimes against children involving the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Bryana Gaspard, 35, of Faith Baptist Mission Lane in Marksville, was arrested on one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile and one count of production of pornography involving juveniles.
The arrest stemmed from evidence uncovered during a prior investigation that began with the November 2021 arrest of John Randall Crooks. Continued investigation identified Gaspard as a co-conspirator in crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children and the production of child sexual abuse material.
Gaspard was booked into the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office. Bond information was not available.
John Randall Crooks, 41, of Q Stockman Road in Deville, was arrested on 882 counts of pornography involving juveniles and one count of sexual abuse of an animal.
The arrest stemmed from evidence uncovered during a prior investigation that began in November 2021. Continued investigation revealed that Crooks possessed additional child sexual abuse material and was receiving child sexual abuse material produced by a co-conspirator who was also arrested as part of the investigation.
Crooks was out on bond from previous charges in Rapides Parish and was booked into the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office. Bond information was not available.
The arrests were the result of a joint investigation involving the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation remains ongoing. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The City of Bunkie has addressed two more of the twenty-three (23) abandoned and dilapidated structures identified for demolition and removal under its “Operation Blight Fight” initiative.
Contractors demolished the two-story, burned home at 608 Lexington Ave. and a dilapidated structure at 905 MacArthur St., both long-standing eyesores and sources of neighborhood blight. After the projects are complete, crews will remove all debris from the properties.
These unsafe, unsightly, and property-devaluing structures are being eliminated through a $250,000 grant secured by Mayor Brenda C. Sampson and the Bunkie City Council. This initiative will improve neighborhoods, enhance public safety, and foster community revitalization throughout the city.
Since the “Operation Blight Fight” initiative took flight in July 2022, over seventy (70) such buildings have been removed. Additional structures have been identified for removal as the city continues to seek funding for further demolitions.
As September comes to a close, it leaves on a sunny note. However, October enters with clouds before giving way to rain and showers. Temperatures don’t reflect that autumn has arrived, thought temperatures are beginning to cool, with night-time lows in the 60s and daytime highs dropping from the lower 90s to the lower 80s. The highest chain of rain will be Saturday, with an 80% chance both day and night that will persist into Sunday before dropping.
Wednesday, Sept. 30: Sunshine and some clouds. Mostly clear skies overnight. High near 94, low around 69.
Thursday, Oct. 1: Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny skies. Partly cloudy overnight. High near 93, low around 71.
Friday, Oct. 2: Scattered thunderstorms in the morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely; chance of rain 70%. Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers; chance of rain 50%. High around 90 low near 71.
Saturday, Oct. 3: Thunderstorms; chance of rain 80%. Rain likely, with rainfall around a quarter of an inch; chance of rain 80%. High near 86, low around 69.
Sunday, Oct. 4: Showers and thunderstorms; chance of rain 80%. Thunderstorms during the evening followed by occasional showers overnight; chance of rain 60%. High near 81, low around 62.
Monday, Oct. 5: Overcast with rain showers at times; chance of rain 50%. Showers in the evening, then cloudy overnight; chance of rain 30%. High near 80, low around 62.
Tuesday, Oct. 6: Mainly cloudy. Mainly cloudy. High of 81, low of 63.
Avoyelles Parish will start this forecast window with some sun before the clouds roll in and give way to rain. The greatest chance for rain will be Saturday with an 80% chance both day and night that will roll over into Sunday before dropping to 60% Sunday night and continuing to drop. No storms are predicted to be severe. Temperatures start in the 90s before dropping to the 80s, with night-time temps mainly staying in the 60s several nights.
The Avoyelles Parish LSU AgCenter will host a Beef Quality Assurance Certification opportunity on Tuesday, October 13, 5:30-8:30pm at the Avoyelles Animal Clinic in Mansura.
RSVP by Oct. 9 to Brittany Zaunbrecher at 318-964-2245 or bzaunbrecer@agcenter.lsu.edu. Alternatively, scan the QR code above or visit https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/XyHm24Ztqs
There’s no better place to celebrate Dolly Parton than the Louisiana town where one of her most beloved characters came to life.
This October 9–11, Natchitoches invites visitors to spend a weekend celebrating Dolly with Truvy’s Blush & Bashful Weekend: A Dolly Parton Celebration. Inspired by Dolly’s unforgettable role as Truvy Jones in Steel Magnolias, the three-day celebration brings together music, movies, local businesses and plenty of pink for a weekend in the heart of Louisiana’s oldest city.
Natchitoches has long held a special connection to Steel Magnolias. The beloved film was shot in and around the city, and decades later, visitors still come to Natchitoches to experience the places that made the movie so memorable. This October, that connection takes center stage as the community celebrates Dolly’s legacy in true Natchitoches fashion.
The celebration begins Friday, October 9, with Dolly Bingo at the LSHOF at 5:30 p.m. Later that evening, channel your inner Dolly and head to Mama’s Blues Room for karaoke beginning at 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, October 10, start the morning with Books & Butterflies from 8 a.m. to noon at the Natchitoches Farmers Market. The celebration continues throughout the day with Truvy’s Downtown Traipse, inviting visitors to explore Natchitoches’ historic downtown and experience Truvy’s Specials offered by participating businesses.
Saturday evening, tease up your hair and get ready for Truvy’s Big Hair Affair at Parkway Cinema 6 at 7 p.m. It’s a fitting way to celebrate a character, a movie and a little bit of Southern style that have become part of Natchitoches history.
The weekend wraps up Sunday, October 11, with a Blush & Bashful Brunch at Flying Heart Brewery beginning at 9 a.m.
While you’re here, make a weekend of it. Stroll the brick streets of the Natchitoches Historic District, shop local boutiques, enjoy Louisiana flavors, take in the beauty of Cane River and discover the filming locations that helped bring Steel Magnolias to the big screen. As Louisiana’s oldest city, Natchitoches offers the perfect backdrop for a weekend filled with history, Southern charm and plenty to explore.
Whether you’ve loved Dolly for decades, can quote Steel Magnolias from beginning to end, or simply need an excuse for a girls’ weekend in Natchitoches, Truvy’s Blush & Bashful Weekend is your invitation to celebrate friendship, Southern charm and the legacy of a woman whose talent and spirit have touched generations.
Pack something pink, bring your best big hair and join us October 9–11, 2026, in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
For complete event information, updates and weekend details, visit Truvy’s Blush & Bashful Weekend: A Dolly Parton Celebration at Natchitoches.com. Visitors can also explore Natchitoches.com for lodging, dining, attractions and everything needed to plan a weekend getaway.
Lodging link: natchitoches.com/stay/
Calendar link: natchitoches.com/calendar/
Embedded event link: https://natchitoches.com/
The special nine-day Louisiana black-bellied whistling duck season will begin Saturday (Oct. 3) and run through Oct. 11, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced.
The daily bag limit for the season will be four with a possession limit of twelve. All hunters participating in the season will be required to have a free black-bellied whistling duck hunting permit from LDWF and are required to report effort and harvest within 15 days of the black-bellied whistling duck season closure.
One major difference to note from other duck seasons is that shooting hours will be sunrise to sunset.
All license requirements normally required for hunting waterfowl apply to this season as well including Harvest Information Program (HIP) registration and the federal duck stamp. Before hunting the species in October, hunters should familiarize themselves with species identification as only black-bellied whistling duck harvest will be legal during this time.
Both hunter effort and harvest must be reported between Oct.12-26. Go to the LDWF website black-bellied whistling duck reporting page to report effort and harvest.
For more information, go to the LDWF website page on the special black-bellied whistling duck season or contact LDWF Waterfowl Program Manager Jason Olszak at jolszak@wlf.la.gov.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has announced the rules, timeframe and subject species for the 2027 Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp, or Louisiana Duck Stamp, competition. In its 39th year, the Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp will feature the wood duck.
“This is the fourth time the wood duck has been the focus of Louisiana’s duck stamp art selection,” said LDWF Waterfowl Program Manager Jason Olszak. “It was first featured in 1991 when there was not an art competition. In 2008, it was the duck species depicted when it accompanied a golden retriever as a part of the “Retrievers Save Game” series. A few years later in 2011, when species submissions were open to artists’ choice, it was again selected as the top artwork.’’
The 2027 contest will be restricted to designs with the wood duck(s) as the focal species. Artists are reminded of the requirement for associated habitat representative of Louisiana wetlands.
“The primary objective of this program is to provide revenue to create, enhance and maintain habitat for waterfowl and associated wetland wildlife,” Olszak said, “so a habitat component, representative of Louisiana, is required in each entry and is one of the five judging criteria.”
To enter, an artist must submit an original, unpublished work of art, along with a signed and notarized artist’s agreement and a $50 entry fee. Entries should be addressed to:
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Attn: Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp Program
2000 Quail Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
Entries will be accepted from Oct. 19-Oct. 26, 2026, with the contest to be held in the Joe L. Herring (Louisiana) Room at the LDWF Headquarters building beginning at 10 a.m. on Oct. 28, 2026. The public is invited.
Click here to fill out the 2027 Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp competition artist agreement and see the full list of rules.
The wood duck is classified in the waterfowl subfamily Anatinae. It is in the genus Aix, which it shares with only one other species globally, the mandarin duck of eastern Asia. Wood ducks are common in the eastern United States and Canada, especially so in geographies that contain extensive flooded bottomland forest, common along major river courses and deltas.
Wood ducks occur in every parish in Louisiana but they are most abundant in the Mississippi River alluvial valley and inland swamps of the Atchafalaya Basin. This woodland habitat preference is due to their obligatory cavity nesting strategy. Not only does this necessitate intermittently flooded forest, but a subset of trees within the forest must accommodate a cavity, either natural or excavated by another species, large enough for a hen wood duck to occupy and create a nest.
Most locally breeding wood ducks are year-round residents, and contribute substantially to annual harvest, but Louisiana also provides wintering habitat for migratory wood ducks from the north. From 2014-2023, Louisiana’s average annual harvest of wood ducks was 66,000 firmly making it the fourth highest harvested species in the state behind gadwall, blue-winged teal and green-winged teal.
The 2026 contest was restricted to designs featuring the Ross’s goose. Tim Taylor, of Watertown, South Dakota won last year’s competition with his submission of a single Ross’s goose in an emblematic Louisiana setting, among grubbed wetland grasses accented by a single stalk of rice. The Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp bearing that design will go on sale June 1, 2026. Click here to purchase stamps or send a request form that can found by clicking here.
The Louisiana Legislature authorized the Louisiana Waterfowl Conservation Stamp program in 1988. The program was created to generate revenue for conservation and enhancement of waterfowl populations and habitats in Louisiana. During the last 38 years, more than $17 million has been generated for wetland conservation with approximately $6 million spent on land acquisition. In addition, revenue has supported wetland development projects on Wildlife Management Areas and the Louisiana Waterfowl Project, a cooperative endeavor between LDWF, Ducks Unlimited, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide habitat for waterfowl and other wetland birds on private lands.
Judging for the art competition will be based on the following criteria:
A panel of judges with experience in waterfowl biology and/or artistic method will select the winning design. The competition is open to all artists 18 years of age and older. Employees of LDWF and members of their immediate families are ineligible.
For more information, contact Jason Olszak at 337-735-8687 or jolszak@wlf.la.gov.
The Louisiana squirrel and rabbit hunting seasons begin Saturday (Oct. 3) in all parts of Louisiana and run through Feb. 28, 2027, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) announced. Squirrel and rabbit hunting are both enjoyable and a good way to introduce youth to hunting.
A basic hunting license is needed for those 18 and older to hunt squirrels and rabbits. Squirrel and rabbit hunting are relatively inexpensive and there are many LDWF public lands on which hunting opportunity is available. Hunting on an LDWF WMA requires a WMA access permit and you must check in and out of the WMA.
All visitors to LDWF WMAs 18 and older must have either a WMA Access Permit, Senior Hunting/Fishing License, Louisiana Sportsman’s Paradise License or Lifetime Hunting/Fishing License. Go to the LDWF WMA Access Permit webpage for more information.
For a complete list of WMAs and public lands open to squirrel and rabbit hunting and more information on WMA squirrel and rabbit hunting, go to the LDWF seasons and regulations webpage.
See the LDWF licensing webpage to purchase a hunting license.
For more information on squirrel and rabbit hunting in Louisiana, go to the LDWF small game webpage or contact LDWF Small Game/Wild Turkey Program Manager Cody Cedotal at ccedotal@wlf.la.gov.
I started tournament fishing in the spring of 1990 and can remember it like it was yesterday! A friend of mine who was known as a very good angler asked me to fish a tournament with him. While I balked at first and did not have much interest in fishing tournaments, I gave in after several phone calls and a lot of begging.
To say I was hooked after this event would be an understatement. This took place at a point in my life when I was no longer playing minor league baseball and was looking for another avenue where I could go out and compete.
Tournament bass fishing has filled that niche and provided the opportunity to satisfy my competitive fire. But during the early ‘90s, there were not a lot of tournament trails like there are today.
Angler’s Choice and the old Redman Series, along with a few charity tournaments, were all that were available at that time. Then in the mid ‘90s the FLW organization (named after Ranger Boats owner Forest L. Wood) was formed and they introduced several lower-level trails that allowed young up- and-coming anglers to learn and master fishing skills.
It was an organization that offered grass roots anglers the chance to compete, get better and move up to the higher levels that FLW offered like the Everstart’s (now Toyota Series), FLW Series, and the original FLW Tour (now the MLF Bass Pro Tour), the highest level of professional bass fishing.
FLW also introduced what is now called the BFL Tour (its lowest level) which stands for Bass Fishing League and was designed for the weekend warrior or what many called the working man series.
I fished a ton of these starting out and it was not uncommon for the BFL and Toyota Series events to draw 200 to 250 anglers for both the pro and co-angler divisions. It was so hard to get into these that if you did not sign up for all the events on the schedule, you did not get in.
The best decision I ever made was in 2004 when I decided to sign up and fish as a co-angler on the FLW Tour, the highest level of FLW. This experience was invaluable for my development as an angler.
I drew some of the best professional anglers to ever wet a hook with former FLW Cup and Bassmaster Classic Champion Dion Hibdon, former FLW Champion and three-time Angler of the Year Clark Wendlandt.
Spending time in the boat with this caliber of angler will make you better. I learned so much, not just in terms of technique, but time management and scouting. I learned even at the highest level these guys do not over complicate the issue of catching and locating bass; they keep it simple.
I was really surprised how simple pro anglers keep their tournament preparation. It’s attention to detail that makes the highest level of anglers stand apart.
Making sure their hooks are sharp is very important. Anglers will take the time to change out both sets of treble hooks on a crankbait if they have been fishing around wood or rocks.
Sharp hooks equal bass in the boat, and bass in the boat equals paychecks! They also make sure they have fresh line spooled on each reel the day before the tournament starts.
The great anglers are fanatics on tackle storage organization. Being able to put their hands on whatever they are looking for in a timely manner is very important. They can’t afford to waste time on tournament day looking for tackle. No detail is overlooked by anglers who fish for a living.
Overall, I have enjoyed and learned so much during my 30-plus years of tournament bass fishing. I’ve met and made so many friends through tournament fishing. Some of my best friends today have come from the bass tournament world.
Anglers are like a coaching fraternity; there’s a unique bond that you just can’t find anywhere else. If there’s one thing I will miss when I decide to quit competing and lay my rods down for the last time, it’s that infectious comradery you have between anglers.
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com