Commentary

Centralizing State Public Defender Board in a New State Bureaucracy is IllAdvised

I strongly support and commend Gov. Landry’s efforts to address the crisis of violent crime in Louisiana. However, I respectfully suggest that one proposal is ill-advised and does nothing to advance that goal. Senate Bill 8 seeks to “create the office of the state public defender within the office of the governor for the delivery of indigent defense services.” My interest stems from the fact that roughly half of my current law practice is comprised of work I do at the Caddo Public Defender Office. In that capacity, I have witnessed firsthand what is required to manage a public defender office in one of our state’s largest parishes. My concern is twofold.

Jars. Our cabinets are filled with empty jars. Big ones, small ones. Plain ones, decor ative ones. So much of our food comes in jars.

If they are safe for canning, we wash them, then store them away until it’s time to fill them with delicious goodies from our gardens. If they come from the grocery store, they can’t be used safely for canning, so when they are emptied, we put them aside, hoping to find a use for them. Then one day, we realize those jars have begun to stack up to the point there isn’t room for one more, and reluctantly, we toss them all in the recycle bin or trash can.

But there’s another way you can ‘recycle’ jars by turning them into gifts! Gifts in a Jar are a perfect way to share with those who love to bake, cook, use spice blends, or do handcrafts.

Firefighters Join Together to Conduct Training

Spoon butter is one of my favorite ways to give a Gift in a Jar. It’s perfect to give as a single jar or tucked in a kitchen gift basket. It is also one of the most beneficial things you can have in your kitchen. Spoon Butter helps to keep your wooden spoons, cutting boards, and knife handles from drying out and splintering. When you make a batch, be sure to keep a jar for your own use!

Ingredients: (see the Notes below) 4 oz. Beeswax 16 oz. Neutral Oil Glass containers Directions: Put water into a pot and bring to a simmer. Put beeswax into a glass jar (a quart canning jar or mayonnaise jar will work), and place in the pot with the simmering water.

In a separate pot, add water and allow to simmer. Pour neutral oil into a second glass jar. Place the jar in the second pot of simmering water. When wax in the first pot is completely melted, remove from water and add the oil from the second pot.

by: Lareina Morgan

During this time, a man from the family called Levi married a woman. She was from the same family. Later, she was expecting a child. And she gave birth to a son. She saw that her baby was a beautiful child. So she hid him for three months. After that, she could not continue to hide him. So she obtained some plants that grow in water. And she used them to make a basket for her son. She covered the basket with a thick black substance so that water did not get into the basket. Then she placed the child in it. And she put the basket among the plants that grew along the edge of the River Nile. The baby’s sister waited at a distance and she watched. She wanted to see what would happen to the baby.

Dear Editor, Generosity throughout Winnfield contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child. Across the U.S., the project collected 10 million shoebox gifts in 2023. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2023, the ministry is now sending over 11.3 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide, including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster.

Through shoeboxes—packed with fun toys, school supplies, and personal care items—Winnfield- area volunteers brought joy to children in need around the world. Each giftfilled shoebox is a tangible expression of God’s love, and it is often the first gift these children have ever received. Through the continued generosity of donors since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 220 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.

Gifts in a Jar aren’t always about food. Sometimes, we want to offer a bit of fun, or even encouragement. If this is the case, consider a Daily Gift in a Jar.

These are jars that are filled with slips of paper which have ‘instructions’ or ‘encouragements’ written on them. Each day, the recipient will open the jar, remove a slip, and use that as their daily fun.

Daily Gifts in a Jar can also be a fun gift for kids. You can write riddles, jokes, or even a word puzzle on each slip. Here are some ideas that can get your started: Daily Fun in a Jar

Even now when I hear, see or write those words, my mind immediately goes back to the television show “Lost in Space” which aired between 1965-68 on CBS.

Inspired by the 1812 novel, The Swiss Family Robinson, the series followed the adventures of a family named Robinson, a pioneering family who struggled to survive in outer space.

But, long before there was A.I., the Robinsons had a robot, whose purpose was to assist them and let them know if danger was near by shouting

That show, which featured GuyWilliams, June Lockhart, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen, Angela Cartwright, Bill Mumy and Jonathan Harris, has long been off the air. However, the robot’s cry still needs to be heard today in world affairs, government, homes, schools, churches, etc.

And, what would the warning be? To turn to the one, true-and-living God: the Creator and Sustainer of all that is.

Ever since the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, sin (

Have you heard about the time someone had the bright idea of importing Hippos into South Louisiana? This happened back in 1910. The thought behind it was to use these mammoth beasts in part to help control water hyacinths which were taking over our swamps.

Unfortunately, a study was conducted, and it was discovered that hippos don’t really like the taste of water hyacinths. Considering Hippos are vegetarians, turning them loose could have destroyed our ecosystem, crops, and become a major problem in many other ways. This may or may not have been the reason the idea was dropped, but fortunately for us who live in Louisiana, the hippos got to stay home.

Dear Editor Operation Save a Kid would like to thank everyone for your donations and support of the Shop With a Cop program. The kind gifts that were received truly put a smile on the faces of the children that participated. It also put much Christmas joy in their hearts as well as the hearts of those that were a part of this special event. Your generosity will always be remembered. We look forward to the continued support for the coming years.

Thank you, Jessie Phillips, WPD Liaison Officer