Homer Police Confiscate Weapons From Juveniles
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Due to the
number of calls regarding juveniles on Friday, March 17, Homer Police officers
were out in force this past weekend in an effort to curtail any further
problems. Officers have responded to a number of calls dealing with gangs of
juveniles in the area of Pearl Street and Martin Luther King Drive. Several
weapons were confiscated, including one gun and a knife. "The Homer Police
Department has stepped up its patrol in these problem areas due to the number
of juveniles roaming the streets and the number of complaints that have been
received the past two weeks," said Police Chief Russell Mills. "Homer
officers will be out in full force monitoring the activities of juveniles for
the safety of town residents and in hopes of preventing any further injuries."
On Friday,
March 17, Homer Police received four 911 calls, most from the Pearl St./MLK area. Calls ranged from fights to shots being fired.
The first call came in at 10:07 PM regarding a large crowd gathered on Pearl
Street. At 10:11 PM, another call came in about a crowd
of youth fighting in the MLK area. The third call at 10:33 complained of
a crowd making a lot of noise on Martin Luther King Dr. At 11:03 PM, a call
came in of shots being fired and a group of juveniles with guns were in front of
Homer Junior High on Pearl Street.
Homer Police
officers Jimmy Hamilton and Roger Smith responded to every call and broke up
several crowds. A fight between two young men on Pearl Street, led to one
14-year-old male being transported to Homer Memorial Hospital with injuries to
the back of his head and lower left jaw, both requiring stitches. Travis Smith,
17, of Homer was also injured with a gash to the head. He was taken to Homer
Memorial where he was treated and released. Apparently the two were fighting
when the juvenile dropped a gun he was carrying and it went off. The next day
Smith turned in a gun he said he picked up during the scuffle.
Homer officers
Ken Wood, Thomas Davis, Roger Smith; reserve officers Rickey Bearden, John
Bailey and Matt Simmons, and Police Chief Russell Mills were out in force
patrolling from 9 PM-12 AM on Friday, March 24 and from 9 PM-1AM on Saturday,
March 26. At approximately 9:45 PM, Mills and Smith observed two juveniles
walking on Pearl Street toward Homer Junior High. They stopped to talk to them
and checked them for weapons. One 14-year-old male was found to be carrying a
Mossy Oak hunting knife in his front jacket pocket. The knife was confiscated
and the juvenile was transported to his residence.
Around 10:15
PM, Wood, Davis, Bearden, and Bailey approached a group of about seven male
juveniles walking at the intersection of Pearl and MLK. All were checked for
weapons. One 14-year-old was found with a bat hidden down the sleeve of his
coat. Officers took the bat, then drove the youth
home.
Mills and Smith
then noticed two young boys, age 9 and 11, walking with sticks along Martin
Luther King Drive between Hill Street and Pearl Street..
The boys told officers they found the sticks on the side of the road. One was a
3/4" stick with finishing nails drove in one end. The other was a mop
handle. Both sticks were confiscated.
Police Chief
Mills said, "All parents should advise their children to refrain from this
type of activity. If a child is stopped and found to be carrying a weapon, he
will be escorted home, and the parents could possibly be fined."
Parents can be
fined for violating state law LA R.S. 14:92.2 for the improper supervision of a
minor by a parent or legal custodian for certain activities. Some of these
activities include curfew violation; being a member of a known criminal street
gang as defined in R.S. 15:1404(A); possessing an illegal firearm, weapon or
explosive; habitual truancy from school with no valid excuse; or entering
premises with sexually indecent activities, underage drinking or gambling, or
illegal drug use or distribution activity. No parent or legal guardian will be
guilty of violation if they seek assistance from law enforcement, school, or
social services officials to lead the child to modify his or her behavior.
Town curfew
will be strictly enforced. Juveniles, under the age of 17, shall not be on any
public street or in any public place between the hours of 11 AM and 5 AM Sunday
through Thursday nor between 12 AM-5 AM on Friday and Saturday.
Other arrests
include Deborah Casey, 19, of Homer who was arrested March 24 for disturbing
the peace by fighting. Bond was set at $500. On March 25, Homer officers
arrested Demarcus Harper, 22, of Homer for criminal trespass and unauthorized
entry of inhabited dwelling. His bond was set at $1,000. Kentanio Aubrey, 10,
of Haynesvlle was arrested March 27 for disturbing the peace by fighting. He
was released on $500 bond.
AGAPE CONSTRUCTION of Stonewall worked over the weekend to remove boat clarifiers from the north basin at
the Wasterwater Treatment Plant, in preparation for converting to a sequencing
batch reactor. Plans were developed by Balar Associates through a $860,900 LCDBG grant awarded the Town in 2004.
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THIS AERATION SYSTEM installed less than two years ago at a cost of $15,000 will be removed
and replaced with a completely new system as part of the LCDBG grant awarded to
the Town of Homer in 2004. Work on the plant is expected to be completed by the
end of June. |
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SEWER PLANT OPERATOR J. R. Holt points to the concrete slab recently poured beside
drying beds at the sewer plant. New sludge filter equipment will be installed
as part of the overall plan to rehabilitate the existing plant
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Renovations Underway At Sewer Plant
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Bill Jarrett,
owner of Agape Construction, expects to complete work on renovation of the
Wastewater Treatment Plant in Homer by mid June. His company located in
Stonewall is the subcontractor for McInnis Brothers Construction of Minden, who
was awarded the low bid of $866,900 on the project by the Homer Town Council in
July 2005. Crews began working to dismantle and remove the old boat clarifiers
over the past week. Huge piles of scrap metal now sits
beside the north basin of the plant.
Jim Hagan,
Vice-President of Balar & Associates, the engineering firm who developed
the plans, said the present system is being replaced with a sequencing batch
reactor. It is the same type treatment except it is all done in the same basin.
Instead of the continual flow in the boat clarifier, the sludge will flow in,
be treated, then be released. The sequencing batch
reactor is a more reliable and consistent treatment, one that will meet state
discharge permits. For the most part,
the existing system will be gutted and replaced with a computer controlled
operation, one that will be easier to operate and will require less manpower. The new system will have no affect on the new
pump installed last year to recirculate water. Hagan said, "The bottom
line is this system will ultimately cost the town less to operate."
New sludge
filter equipment will also be installed next to the present drying beds.
Instead of placing sludge in drying beds to sit and dry out, then have to
shovel sludge into trucks, the sludge will be placed in a large steel container
similar to a big waste bin. The water will be filtered out, then
with absolutely no manpower, the sludge will be tipped into a dump truck to be
hauled to the landfill. With this system, the present drying beds with no
longer be needed.
Jarrett said as
soon as the north basin is complete, they will get it
online and begin rehabilitating the south basin. If all goes well, the plant
should be online by July.
Sen. David Vitter Hosted Town Hall
Meeting In Homer
U.S. Sen. David
Vitter hosted a town hall meeting in Claiborne Parish on Wednesday, March 22.
The meeting was open to the public and offered citizens anpportunity to share
their views on current issues. The senator discussed improving health care,
growing good jobs in Louisiana, protecting Social Security, lowering
prescription drug costs and other crucial issues impacting families in
Louisiana.
"I'm excited
to hear the issues and concerns on the minds of the people of Claiborne
Parish," said Vitter. "Keeping in touch with Louisiana residents is
my top priority, and town hall meetings are one of the best ways to learn about
the top issues impacting Louisianans. In the U.S. Senate, I have committed to
hold a town hall meeting in all 64 parishes every Congress."
Vitter held
numerous town hall meetings and forums in his district as a member of the U.S.
House of Representatives. He will host town hall meetings in all of Louisiana's
64 parishes each Congress, for a total of 192 during his first term as U.S.
Senator.
As Senator, in
addition to writing legislation and voting on bills, Vitter's most important
responsibility is to serve his constituents. One of these duties is helping
Louisiana residents when they have problems with a federal government agency.
Getting in touch with the right person at an agency can be frustrating and time
consuming. And that's why he has seven offices in Louisiana and one in Washington,
D.C. - to be accessible to people throughout the state. The seven state offices
are located in Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Metairie,
Monroe and Shreveport.
If you're having a problem with or need assistance from a
federal agency, such as Veteran's Affairs, Social Security, the Internal
Revenue Service or the Corps of Engineers, you can meet with Sen. Vitter or a
member of his staff in one of his state offices to discuss the details and
learn what options there are to resolve the problem. He said, "While I
cannot petition a federal agency to decide a matter in your favor, I can ensure
that you are treated fairly."
Vitter asks
constituents to please let him know about any issues of importance to you and
your family by contacting him at any of his state offices or in his Washington
office by mail to U.S. Senator David Vitter, U.S. Senate, 516 Hart Senate
Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510, or by phone at 202-224-4623. You can
also reach him on the web at http://vitter.senate.gov.
Day Trip Can Be Refreshing Without
Busting
The Family Budget
BY JIMMY DEAN, Feature Writer, The Guardian-Journal
Those who
remember twenty-five cents a gallon gas wince at current prices. Some have
responded by planning one trip to cover multiple errands or asking someone else who's going to
the store for a few things, thus saving on gas.
With summer and
warmer weather coming apace, how does one plan pleasure trips while dealing
with higher fuel prices? One way is by planning "one tank of gas
trips," that is, a trip that can be refreshing and enjoyable yet not use
more than a tank of gas, roundtrip.
Using 18 miles
to a gallon and a 12 gallon tank as a guideline, we researched what one can see
and do within about 100 miles of Claiborne Parish. For this exercise we have
considered those activities that are outside Claiborne Parish.
Driving less
than 50 miles northeast to El Dorado, one finds historic Union County
Courthouse with its Confederate Monument. Like Homer, El Dorado has a downtown
traffic circle; however, cars travel in both directions around the courthouse.
Downtown El
Dorado underwent a facelift in the last decade and now has boutiques, antique
shops, a variety of eateries—plenty for a day of
browsing, eating, and strolling.
Also within a
tank of gas north are Magnolia and Camden. You can find what they offer at www.arkansas.com.
On the other
hand, traveling south takes you to Arcadia with its Bonnie and Clyde Trade Days
the third weekend of each month. Boasting as having "the world's largest
original collection of Civil War ship models," Arcadia also has its Civil
War Naval Museum open Thursday through Sunday.
Then there is
the historic Bienville Depot Museum housed in a bright red refurbished train
boxcar. According to the website, the museum "contains interesting relics
of Historic Arcadia."
Bienville
Parish is the site of Driskill Mountain, the highest point in Louisiana at 535
feet above sea level. Located 7 miles southeast of Arcadia, one can sign a log
book for climbers, then view the panorama that is
North Louisiana.
Located on a
hilltop about 10 miles southeast of Arcadia, there is also a historical marker
where Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow's crime spree came to its fatal
conclusion.
Another point
of interest is "Papa Simpson's Farm," located within a couple of
miles north of Arcadia. Originally a dairy farm, the operation has become a
popular attraction. Teachers take school children for field trips. Families
also enjoy a fish pond, picnic area, and farmhouse available for social use.
Then again, one
can head east about 20 miles to Bernice, a small community where Highway 167
intersects with LA 2. There one can find the Depot Museum. The depot itself was
built when the Rock Island Railroad came through. A red caboose shares the block
on which the Depot Museum is located. The caboose serves as a museum for
children's toys, a collection of toys from days gone by.
Continuing east
on LA 2 another 15 miles past Bernice brings one to Farmerville with Lake
D'Arbonne State Park consisting of 655 acres offering camping, fishing,
swimming, biking, hiking, and picnicking.
Within 70 miles
of Homer is Monroe with Biedenharn Museum and Gardens featuring guest
lecturers, garden symposiums and workshops, concerts, and more.
Monroe also has Masur Museum of Art which houses a permanent
collection and endeavors to offer six to eight temporary exhibitions per year
in addition to a year-round studio art school for children and adults.
Other points of
interest in Monroe include the Northeast
Louisiana Delta African American Museum ("diverse cultural and artistic
exhibits focusing on African-American contributions"); Northeast Louisiana
Children's Museum (offering hands-on learning for youngsters); and the Aviation
Historical Museum of Louisiana ("a treasure trove of history related to
aviation").
On east to
Mississippi less than 150 miles from Homer, one finds Vicksburg. Other than
casinos, there are the Martha Vick House (described as "a
mini-mansion" built around 1830); Anchuca ("historically registered
1830 Greek revival home...magnificently restored to its original stately
elegance"); and other period homes.
Vicksburg is
also home to Vicksburg National Military Park and the Vicksburg Battlefield
Museum, the latter focusing on Civil War memorabilia. There is also the
Jacqueline House African American Museum billed as "Vicksburg's only
African-American history and culture preservation museum." For those who
enjoy animals, something different is the Great Animal Adventures Children's
Museum, an 1888 stable building serving as "a children's museum dedicated
to the interpretation of Dr. Bill Lindley's collection of veterinary artifacts
and of the contributions that animals make and have made to improve the lives
of humans." The museum also has hands-on children's exhibits.
Turning our
attention west, just into Webster Parish is the Germantown Museum. We wrote
about the Germantown Colony of the 1800s in the February 2, 2006, issue of The
Guardian-Journal.
Continuing west
past the Shreveport-Bossier area to east Texas, brings one to the Marshall area
just under 100 miles from Homer. Billed as the "USA's Terra Cotta Capital
since 1895," you can watch master potters create original hand-turned
stoneware. According to the website, "Marshall Pottery is one of the most
unique tourist attractions in East Texas." Located just
a couple of miles of I-20, take exit 620, North 2 miles on Elysian Fields Road
(FM 31).
Other attractions in the Marshall area include Caddo Lake State
Park; Ginocchio Hotel, described as an "old railroad hotel" that also
houses the Harrison County Historical Museum; the Michelson Museum of Art in
downtown Marshall with its Leio Michelson pieces valued at $1.5 million; Josey
Ranch, a calf roping-barrel racing school that is open year round; and Starr
Mansion, a restored Greek revival residence built in 1870 which is open for
tours.
These
suggestions for day trips from Claiborne Parish are by no means exhaustive.
With a little online research most anyone can find many more day trips within
"a tank of gas" of this area. Taking along a picnic lunch and snacks
for traveling can make for an enjoyable yet economical family outing.
Contributions Needed For Fourth of July
Fireworks
The 2006
Claiborne Parish Boat Show and Fourth of July Fireworks will be held Tuesday
evening, July 4. The Boat Show will commence from Pleasure Point Marina
beginning at 7:30 PM, followed by the Fireworks display from the Lake Claiborne
dam at 9 PM. Last year was great, but this year should be as good or better. We
do need your contributions, large or small. Please make your checks payable to:
Claiborne Fireworks, Inc., 180 Post Oak Road, Homer, LA
71040. If you have questions about Fireworks, call Fred Lewis at 927-9180. Boat
Show quiestions should be directed to Dick Dorrell at Homer Loans at 927-0039.
Deadline For
Relay For Life Teams To Register
Is Friday
Regions Bank To
Hold Bake Sale Tomorrow
Regions Bank
"Relay for Life" Team will hold a bake sale on Friday, March 31 from
9 AM - 3 PM at Regions in Homer. All types of baked goods will be on sale.
Please come out and help raise money for cancer research. Friday, March 31 is
also the deadline for sponsorships to be turned in for the American Cancer
Society's 2006 Relay For Life set for Friday, April 21
at Ronny G. Beard Memorial Stadium on the Homer High School campus. It is the
last day for team registration. Teams can register online at www.acsevents.org/relay/la/claiborne
or they can drop off registration to Nancy Mason or Sandra Griggs at Regions
Bank. Teams can register after Friday, but will not be guaranteed a participant
shirt. For more information, call Nancy or Sandra at 927-9626. They are excited
about this year's event and it promises to be the best year yet. Everyone is
invited to come out and help support efforts to raise money for ACS/ The next
meeting for team captains and committee chairs is April 6 at 5:30 PM at
Regions. This is a very important meeting as they will be finalizing plans for
the Relay. Bank Night will be Tuesday, April 18, when teams will turn in money
and pick up T-shirts..
