Town Settles Lawsuit With
Donald Malray
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Homer Mayor
Huey Dean agreed to settle the lawsuit filed in 2004 by Homer Police Captain
Donald Malray for legal fees incurred that year while defending himself against perjury charges in federal court. The
officer will receive $22,500 plus court costs, slightly less than the original
request for just over $29,000, the amount he was charged by attorney Chris
Bowman of Jonesboro.
Malray was
arrested October 24, 2003 on charges he lied under oath while testifying in the
September drug trial of J. C. Curry. He had been subpoenaed by the defense to
testify, and his testimony was contrary to that of some government witnesses.
Although Malray had been working with the Metro Narcotics Task Force, he was
paid by the Town of Homer, which made them liable for his legal expenses.
Malray was found not guilty in March 2004.
Mayor Dean said
he was surprised Monday morning when he learned the court hearing had been set
for May 8. Judge Jimmy Teat called a short recess to allow Dean time to work out a settlement. He attempted to call members
of the council but could only reach two. He said although he realized polling
selectmen by phone was probably a violation of the law, he felt it was
necessary to save the town $10,000. He
had been instructed that unless a settlement could be reached Monday, the
amount would go up to $32,500.
The Homer Town
Council voted in April 2005 to make an offer of $15,000 as settlement for the
suit. Dean decided to go ahead and settle in hopes the Council would approve
the additional $7,500.
Malray said,
"I hate it got this far. Nobody won. It caused a lot of hardship and friendship
of people I really love." Malray expects to return to work Thursday. He
has been off for about three months, drawing workman's compensation after he
injured his leg while stepping off the sidewalk in front of Pak-A-Bag earlier
this year.
The Town no
longer has liability insurance since the Council voted to drop it in April
2004. They voted instead to place $15,000 in a separate escrow account each
year for self-insurance purposes. At that time, town attorney David Newell
researched Town records and found only 14 lawsuits in a ten year period, most
relatively small amounts. Several were dismissed, while others had been dropped
after three years.
Mayor Dean and
the Council are still facing another lawsuit, this one filed in late 2004
against the mayor and all five councilmen by three former town employees.
The employees
were let go in February 2003 after CPA Carlos Martin advised the Town to stop
writing checks until they knew funds were available. Debra Sarpy, Linda
Robinson, and Linsey Earl Jones claim they were let go because they were black.
All three are seeking back pay and all benefits, as well as compensatory
damages for the mental anguish, pain, suffering, and humiliation
Athens Man Arrested On 24 Counts Forgery
Trevor A. Gist,
32, of Athens was arrested while incarcerated on a probation violation. He was
initially arrested on April 20, 2006 by Probation and Parole Agent Franklin
Evans for absconding supervision and was being held without bond at the
Claiborne Parish Detention Center. Gist had previously been arrested March 26,
2005 by Homer Police for theft.
Following an
investigation which began prior to Gist's arrest April 20, Chief Detective Chuck Talley
served a second arrest warrant on Gist, this one charging him with 24 counts of
check forgery. Bond was set at $100,000 on the forgery charges. Talley said the
Criminal Investigation Division was continuing their investigation
THESE SENIOR CITIZENS braved the rain to attend the 12th Annual Senior Expo held at Homer City
Hall on Saturday, May 6.
Sheriff Warns Seniors To
Beware Of Scams
BY JIMMY DEAN, Feature Writer, The Guardian-Journal
It was
thundering and raining outside Homer City Hall Saturday morning, May 6. Even
so, almost 100 came out for the 12th Senior Citizen's Expo sponsored by Triad's
SALT (Seniors and Lawmen Together) Council of
Claiborne Parish. Fifteen booths had been set up by area organizations that
provide products and services of particular interest to seniors.
Early in the
program Sheriff Ken Bailey talked about scams that have occurred in Claiborne Parish and the surrounding area. Telling the audience what to look for to spot
scams that target the elderly, he said to beware of any stranger asking for a
"down payment" before starting work. He advised seniors to be
cautious when anyone says they will repair your roof, then
asks for partial payment before doing anything. "They'll take the money, then disappear, he said.
Avoid someone
offering to do the driveway with a load of "leftover asphalt or leftover
concrete. The result is always an inferior job,"
according to Bailey.
He said pairs
of "rug salesmen" have approached older persons, and "while one
shows you a rug, the other is going through your house stealing jewelry and
other valuables."
Mail scams
continue to entice people out of their money. Bailey suggests throwing away
mail that includes a big check but requires "a handling fee or processing
charge" before the check can be cashed.
Some crooks
offer to paint the barn but want a "down payment" first. Before
finishing the job, they'll ask for more money, then
disappear.
There are a few
who claim they are opening a new business. They say they are offering a free
appliance or free floor covering. But they first want into the house to measure
"to be sure that the carpet fits" or that the "free appliance
will fit" where you want it. While in the house, they steal jewelry and
other valuables.
Bailey noted
that ID theft is growing. He warned NEVER to give over the phone one's social
security number, Medicare number, Medicaid number, credit card number, or
checking account number. He recommended not doing business over the phone,
rather deal with business people in the parish with a local phone number and
local address.
Bailey
suggested calling the Sheriff's Office about any offer that seems questionable.
Ronnie Anderson explains the value the Power Wedge offers homeowners during last
Saturday's Senior Expo at City Hall.
Power Wedge Saves Life
A small,
inexpensive device that attaches to the floor in front of an entry door to keep
intruders out was recently credited with saving a woman's life. Her drunk,
angry, estranged husband was armed with a 38-caliber pistol when he tried to
break in the front door of his wife's house but was stopped by the Power Wedge.
The Power Wedge
had been installed by Lassiter Home Surveillance in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,
just a week earlier. Edward Lassiter, president of the company, contacted
Ronnie Anderson of Homer to inform him how the Power Wedge had blocked the
irate husband's entry. This provided law enforcement time to get there, thus
preventing what could have been a deadly disaster.
In 2004 the
Power Wedge was first featured by Gerry May on the KTBS-3 Crimestoppers.
Bossier Parish Sheriff Deputy Ed Baswell correctly predicted, "This is a
tremendous device that could save some lives."
Ronnie Anderson
of Homer, President of Anderson Innovations, Inc., creator of the Power Wedge, provided information to senior
citizens at the Senior Expo held last Saturday. He said his company has shipped
his innovative device to 22 states over the past two years and has received a
number of positive comments on its ease of installation.
Go to www.PowerWedge.net
for more information on the Power Wedge.
MORE THAN 100 Sixth-Grade Students and teachers participated in a valuable learning experience at the 2006
Water Fest held May 4-5.
GARY STOCKTON leads activity demonstrating pollution's widespread effects to students
during the LSU AgCenter's 4th Annual Water Fest held May 4-5 at Lake Claiborne
State Park.
BEN McGEE with USGS
Geological Survey in Ruston shows students differences
in purity of surface water and ground water.
Water Fest 2006 Motto: "Learn By
Doing"
Heavy rains and
lightning interfered with part of the Fourth Annual Water Fest scheduled for
May 4-5, 2006, at Lake Claiborne State Park. Chaired by Teresa Price, the
program closely followed the 4-H motto, "Learn by Doing."
Over 200
sixth-graders and teachers were scheduled to attend the program, and beautiful
weather allowed Thursday's activities to proceed..
Over 100 participated in seven sessions that gave them hands-on experience with
water issues. "They got a feel for how polluting surface water affects
many people, even people outside your immediate community," said Price.
"They also experienced the physical demands of providing some of the water
an average family uses each day. That exercise helps them see the need to
conserve our precious water resources," Price continued. She added,
"They remember what they see and do here for years."
Robin Bridges,
who conducted one of the workshops, said, "We must find ways to teach our
youth how to create a cleaner environment and how to preserve our natural
resources for the future and do all we can to put within them the desire to do
so."
The beach and
picnic area were transformed into an outdoor classroom for the workshops.
Divided into seven groups, they learned about water quality, how storm water
may pick up pollutants that end up in surface water such as Lake Claiborne, the
role of electricity in moving the water we use each day, water rights and
determining who gets water, what groundwater is and why it is important, how
water conservation makes a real difference, and how to reverse pollution.
The morning's
activities led up to lunch outdoors in the shady picnic area near the lake's
beach. Students returned to their open air classrooms for another couple of
sessions, then completed post-project questionnaires before boarding the buses
and returning to school.
Price
concluded, "Overall, we had a successful program despite the inclement
weather."
Submitted by Teresa Price, LSU AgCenter
SNAKE? DID YOU SAY "SNAKE"? YES, IN FACT,
A RATTLESNAKE!! A 4 feet rattlesnake with 8 rattlers
and 2 buttons was observed slithering down the sidewalk beside Merle Norman
around 10 AM Thursday, May 4. A small
crowd gathered to watch as "Little Tobe" (Snakehandler) Keith Owens
hit the snake over the head and carried him to his pickup. He created a little
anxiety with the ladies who work in the 400 block of East Main Street in Homer
when he said, "Where there is one, there is usually antoher."
Help With Medicare Part D
Prescription Plan Available
Do you still
need to choose a Part D prescription plan or do you want to change
plans?Current Medicare beneficiaries have until May 15, 2006 to enroll in a
Medicare-approved drug plan. After May 15, 2006, the next enrollment period for
beneficiaries is between November 15th and December 31st. Personal assistance
in determining the plans for which you qualify is available through Claiborne
Community Services at 621 S. Main in Homer. If you want help, call 927-3557 for
appointment. Appointments will be available Friday afternoons only between 1-3
PM through Friday, May 12. You will need your Medicare card, date of birth and
mailing address.
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 questions should be directed to Dick Dorrell at Homer Loans at 927-0039.
Trenton Paul Newell
Valedictorian |
Samuel Patrick Abshire
Salutatorian |
Claiborne Academy Graduation May 11
Claiborne
Academy will hold their Commencement Exercises on Thursday, May 11, 2006 at 8:00 p.m.
in the school gymnasium.
Valedictorian
is Trenton Paul Newell, son of Danny and Suzanne Newell, and Salutatorian is Samuel Patrick Abshire, son
of Sam and Camille Abshire.
Members of the
Class of 2006 who will graduate are Samuel Patrick Abshire, Amy Kathryn Adkins,
Colin Ray Bailey, Christopher Michael Dickerson, Kelsey Linn Emerson, Nancy
Virginia Gandy, Jason D. Goodwin, Matthew Derek Hanna, Mitzi Laine Heard,
Joseph Hunter Heckel, Joshua Aaron Legendre, Jereme Cameron Mason, Grant Andrew
Merritt, Jordan Andrew Newell, Trenton Paul Newell, Dederick Leron Ridley,
Derek Nixon Robertson, Devin Larkin Singleton, Haley Danielle Speer, Lauren
Alyssa Speer, Benjamin Peter Walton, Sarah Elizabeth Watson, and Randy Bryan
Williams.
Joshua Aaron Sanders
Valedictorian |
Haley Alana Stroud
Salutatorian |
Mt. Olive Commencement May 12
Mt. Olive
Christian School will hold Commencement Exercises on Friday, May 12 2006
beginning at 7 PM in the school auditorium.
Valedictorian
is Joshua Aaron Sanders and
salutatorian is Haley Alana Stroud.
Members of the
Class of 2006 who will be graduating May 12 are Roger Troyce Carpenter, Clint
Maxwell Gantt, Billy Lane Johnson, Joshua Caleb Jordan, Justin Leon Lester,
Kristen Danielle Moak, Laura Elisabeth Moro, Joshua Aaron Sanders, and Haley
Alana Stroud.
Christina Camille Gladney
Named Homer High Salutorian
Christina Camille Gladney was named salutatorian of Homer High School after final grades
were released last Wednesday, May 3. She is the daughter of Patrick and Christy
Gladney of Homer.
