Editorial

Opioid crisis hit rural areas harder

The so-called heroin epidemic is not unique to major cities. In truth, rural areas have been hit harder by that opioid and another, fentanyl.

Opioids have devastated so many lives across America but some areas are worse off than others. In fact, the Center for Disease Control puts Louisiana as no. 19 when ranking states’ per capita overdose deaths.

How do you decide your vote?

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The runoff elections will soon be upon us. Afterward we should have a brief respite before we are bombarded with the next round of mudslinging, do-anything-it-takes-to-win group of political hopefuls promising us the moon for votes.

2020 Democrats need a star for their show

With President Trump raging like Shakespeare’s mad King Lear on the heath, it can be difficult for an entirely sane politician to get an audience. Assuming, that is, that any psychologically normal person would insert himself or herself into the bizarre spectacle that will be the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

Big plays, turnovers cost Dogs

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This Jennings Bulldog team is a tough bunch. There were hardhitting tackles and a nevergive-up attitude the entire game. One thing I will note is how hard they played. This just makes it more disappointing to come up on the short end of a 45-35 score against a talented and well-coached Lake Charles Christian Prep (LCCP) team.

Practice safety this Halloween

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau report found in 2010 that 9.2 percent of victimized children were sexually assaulted.

One in five girls and one in 20 boys are victims of child sexual abuse. Every state, territory and even Native-American tribes have a public sex registry.

Every jurisdiction’s registry includes information about individuals who have been convicted of a sex offense and are required to register as a sex offender in that jurisdiction, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Head to polls to make your voice heard

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TOWN CRYER

On Nov. 16, voters in Jeff Davis Parish will head to the polls to decide on a number of issues, many that were left undecided in a general election held Oct. 12.

There are several ways states run elections including plurality voting systems, majority voting systems and top-two primaries, according to ballotpedia.com.

Louisiana conducts majority voting system primary elections, so ours are a little different than in other states.

As he runs for governor, Rispone gives few details

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LOUISIANA SPOTLIGHT

Republican businessman Eddie Rispone is asking Louisiana voters to choose him in the November runoff election without telling them much about what he wants to do if he wins the job.

Founder of a Baton Rouge industrial contracting company, Rispone is running mainly as a conservative supporter of President Donald Trump. He thinks Democratic incumbent John Bel Edwards has done a poor job. And he suggests his experience as a “job creator” would make him a good leader of Louisiana.

Ask what he wants to accomplish, and Rispone gets vague.

Join us in recognizing veterans

A simple yet meaningful way to publicly celebrate veterans will make its annual appearance in the newspaper Nov. 10.

Each Veterans Day, generous business and individual sponsors team with Jennings Daily News to showcase area veterans. How is this done? The public is invited to submit images of veterans to be published at no cost in a special Nov. 10 edition. A veteran’s first and last name must be included with their picture. Optional information that can be included is branch, dates of service, rank and combat history.

Yogi, not Reggie, should be remembered as ‘Mr. October’

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In 1977, on one memorable October evening, New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson became “Mr. October.”

Playing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series’ sixth game, Jackson clobbered three home runs, all on first pitches. Three pitches, three baseballs propelled into the faraway seats. Broadcasting the game, the incomparable Howard Cosell exclaimed: “Goodbye! Oh, what a blow! What a way to top it off!”

I’m done with the Republican Party

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With so much happening in the world, you probably don’t want to read about my own personal dark night of the soul.

But at the risk of sounding narcissistic, I do think there is some value in examining why a person like me would feel compelled to leave the Republican Party.