Body Discovered In Trunk Of Burned Car

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            The skeletal remains of a man    was found in the trunk of a burned  out car in south Claiborne Parish in the woods off Old Arcadia Road about one mile from the Bienville Parish line last Saturday. The Claiborne Parish Sheriff's Office received a call around 4:26 PM Saturday, September 10 from Bienville Parish deputies after they received a 911 call about the discovery.

            Two men, one from Bossier, one from Shreveport, had been in the area checking on their hunting lease. They had noticed the vehicle two weeks earlier but decided after the two weeks to check it out. The vehicle had apparently been set on fire and was so badly burned inside, the men could see inside the trunk through what had been the back seat. They noticed what appeared to be a skeleton.

            According to Chuck Talley, investigator with the Claiborne Parish Sheriff's Office, the remains has been sent to Little Rock to forensic pathologist Dr. Frank Peretti to determine the cause of death. The case is being investigated as a murder-arson. No other details in the case are being released at this time.

NEW ADDITIONS AT CAMP HARRIS

Michael Wayne Abreu Jr. (left) and Ronald Ventura Diaz Jr. were born at Minden Medical Center. Both are staying at Camp Harris with their parents who evacuated from South Louisiana to escape Hurricane Katrina. Michael is the son of Michael Wayne Abreu and Andrea Stewart. He was born at 11:08 p.m. on Tuesday, August 30, 2005 and weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces.  Ronald is the son of Ronald Wayne Diaz Sr. and Everada Saenz. He was born Wednesday, September 7 at 7:05 p.m., weighing 6 pounds, 9 ounces.

Haynesville Police Foil Burglary

            Haynesville Police officers responded a burglary in process at Haynesville High School over the past weekend, a fight at the Haynesville-Magnolia football game last Friday, and were involved in a traffic stop that led to a high speed chase and an arrest.

            Chief Anthony Smith asks any person with information on burglaries at Hamaker Timber or Hill OIl Company, or information on any other crime to contact the Haynesville Police Department at 624-1311. Persons providing information can receive a reward from the Haynesville Crimestoppers Program. All persons providing information will remain anonymous.

Board Rescinds Name Change

For Homer Junior High

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            Linda Mozeke, acting as spokesperson for the Homer Junior High staff and faculty, parents and some members of the community, asked the Claiborne Parish School Board to reconsider changing the name of Homer Junior High To Mayfield Junior High. She said, "I attended Mayfield and I loved Mayfield. I work for Homer Junior High, I love Homer Junior High, and. I would like to see the school remain Homer Junior High."

            Mozeke, who serves as librarian and social studies teacher, told the Board the faculty fully understands the need to show respect for Rev. Mayfield for his efforts to educate children, but they do not think renaming the school is the way to do it. If there was going to be a change in the school name, that change should have taken place when schools were first combined in 1970, when the campuses were located at two different locations, not when all the schools will be on the same campus. Renaming the school once all 12 grades are on the same campus is a form of segregation. It will be segregating the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades from the rest of the school.

            The HJH staff also opposed changing the mascot and school colors. She asked if board members had considered the expense involved, or the burden purchasing new uniforms would put on low-income families. Mozeke said a  survey of students at Homer Junior High showed, by far, the majority of students do not want to change the name of the school. She said, "We strongly feel the name should remain Homer Junior High School."

            Mozeke said renaming the school was never mentioned by then Superintendent Gary Jones at any of the public meetings. Had she known that was a condition for approving the bond issue, she would have voted against it and believes the proposition would have failed. She has also polled a large majority of people in the community, and none of them were aware of plans to rename the school.

            School Board Vice-President Vera Meadors would like to see the school name stay the same_Homer Junior High, simply because of unification. She said "We need unity in this parish, not separatism." Meadors said she does not want her son to be brought up in an environment where there is separatism and not unity. We do everything together in the workplace; that is what I expect. "We need to come together as a whole," she said.  "Unification is the right thing. Separatism is the wrong thing."

            Griffin's motion to table the item failed by a vote of 7-2. The motion to rescind the previous motion to change the name of Homer Jr. High to Mayfield Junior High and to not change mascots and colors was approved unanimously with the understanding the new library and the present junior high campus would be named for Rev. Roy Mayfield..

BUCK TRUSSELL, Dora Ann Hatch, Gurvis Vines, John D. Caruthers, and J. T. Taylor presented lots of great information on economic development projects in the parish at the Claiborne Chamber's annual luncheon held last week. Caruthers and Taylor gave updates on the status and financing situation for I-69.

Claiborne Chamber Hosts Informative Meeting

BY JIMMY DEAN, Feature Writer, The Guardian-Journal

            Following musical entertainment by Patrick Gladney and Dick Dorrell, the Claiborne Chamber of Commerce had a noon meeting at the Claiborne Electric Coop Meeting Room Wednesday, September 7.

            Dennis Butcher of the local Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) reported on the status of relief activities on behalf of Katrina evacuees. Butcher said about 800 have taken up temporary residence in the parish, about 400-500 being at Camp Harris. Those not at Camp Harris are either out at Lake Claiborne State Park or have made other arrangements with private families, motels, etc.

            Expenses for those at Camp Harris are being met by donations from members of the public, not tax dollars. Some funds have come from as far away as New Jersey.

            The local OEP has been operating 24 hours a day since August 27. Their tier of 6 phones have been operating 8 hours daily. He said that OEP has progressed to the point that they will be "scaling that back." He says that if anyone becomes aware of a need on the part of evacuees that is not being met, they should contact OEP who will do whatever needed to handles the problem.

KARL MALONE stands with Malone Properties Business Manager Thayne Fisher (left) and Claiborne Chamber President J. T. Taylor (right) in front of the new holding pond at the MTI Wet Yard. This pond won't be drying up anytime soon, since during construction a natural spring was discovered on the 1.2 acre, 15-feet deep pond. Nearby several office buildings, packing areas, and walkways are under construction, as well as landscaping. Trees will be thinned to beautify the area. Future projects include a restaurant on Hwy. 79 between Industrial Rd. and Wireline Services to service truck drivers and the public. Tests recently conducted by DOTD on shoulders of Hwy. 79 at Industrial Road showed need for reinforcement, estimated cost $100,000. The Jury recently submitted a request for a $50,000 grant. So far, all improvements on Industrial Road including prime oil applied August 16 by the parish road crew has been paid for by Malone.

Senior Expo Canceled

            The S.A.L.T. Council, Claiborne Parish TRIAD and the Claiborne Parish Sheriff's Office have announced that the Senior Expo scheduled for Saturday, September 24 has been canceled due to circumstances involving the local relief effort for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

STATE SENATOR ROBERT ADLEY spent several hours Sunday visiting with South Louisiana evacuees staying at Camp Harris and Lake Claiborne State Park. Above, he visits with Philip A. Lapara (seated). Keith "Shorty" LaGrange, Sr., deputy sheriff and evacuee from St. Bernard Parish (left rear), volunteer Rose Butcher, evacuee Randy Delise, and OEP Director Dennis Butcher listen as Adley assured evacuees the State would be there for them.

Evacuees Need To Register For FEMA Benefits

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            As of the first of the week, there were about 150 evacuees at Camp Harris and less than 200 at Lake Claiborne State Park. Dennis Butcher, director of the Claiborne Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness, met with a FEMA housing representative Monday., who toured the shelter at Camp Harris and facilities at Lake Claiborne State Park.

            Butcher expressed his appreciation for the wonderful outpouring of the community to provide food and basic needs for the South Louisiana residents staying at our shelters. The generosity of the parish has been extraordinary. He said, "It is obvious why Claiborne Parish is a great place to live." He hears those same sentiments from many of the evacuees at the shelter, some who have expressed the desire to relocate to this area.

Butcher would like to urge all evacuees living in the parish to register with the OEP office by calling 318-927-9118, so they can compile a more complete listing. Evacuees who have not already registered with FEMA need to do so as soon as possible. The OEP office can assist you in registering. You can go on-line at www.fema.gov to register, or call 1-800-621-FEMA.

            To sign up for FEMA, you will need a current address or bank account number. Addresses can be updated at the Homer Post Office on North Main in Homer. If you do not have a bank account, you can open one at Hibernia Bank in Homer with a $1.00 deposit. This will allow electronic transfer of FEMA benefits directly into your bank account.

            According to Sen. Robert Adley's office, FEMA expects to have Debit Cards to issue to every evacuee who is in a certified shelter very soon. Debit cards will be used to secure private housing for evacuees. FEMA does not expect any shelter to be operating after 60 days. All evacuees are expected to be in more permanent housing using their debit cards within 60 days. Rumors that evacuees must leave hotels in 14 days is not true. Red Cross is supposed to cover the first 14 days and the State or FEMA will pick up the balance. Governor Blanco has issued an Executive Order that requires hotels to keep evacuees. Local authorities and State Police are authorized to intervene to force hotels to comply.

            If you do not have access to a computer, you can go to the Claiborne Parish Library on Edgewood Drive. Call 927-3845 for more information. It is VERY  important to register with FEMA to receive benefits.

            According to Cynthia Steele, secretary-treasurer for the Claiborne Parish Police Jury, FEMA representative Scott Leimer was in town this week looking for property that landowners would be willing to lease for up to two years. Mobile homes will be set up on the property at FEMA's expense to be used as temporary housing for Hurricane evacuees. Anyone who may be interested can contact Leimer at 540-273-6384.

            This and much more information is available through the local OEP office located in the Police Jury Complex on the town square in Homer, or by calling 318-927-9118. Operators are standing by.

All Hurricane Evacuees Urged To Register With OEP

            The Claiborne Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness is urging evacuees from South Louisiana who are staying outside designated shelters in Claiborne Parish to call their office to register at 318-927-9118. This will allow the OEP to have a complete listing of all evacuees in the parish who are staying in private homes, at the Homer Housing Authority, or at motels. OEP Director Dennis Butcher said this would allow his office to better distribute important information to evacuees from FEMA, Red Cross, Salvation Army and other government agencies as well as information on unemployment, food stamps, retirement checks, etc.  OEP continues to accept monetary donations and other items for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Make your checks payable to the Claiborne Parish O.E.P. and deliver to the Police Jury Complex, as Claiborne Parish expects to receive no funding from Red Cross or the Salvation Army. For more information, call 318-927-9118.

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