Haynesville Police Chief Anthony
Smith Arrested
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Haynesville Police Chief
Anthony Smith 
found himself on the other side of the law last week when
detectives from the Shreveport office of the Louisiana State Police Bureau of
Investigation arrested him following an interview last Thursday, February 15 at
the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office. Smith was charged with forgery, theft
over $500, and money laundering. Smith, 42, was booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center, then
released on $30,000 bond.
Smith allegedly forged the
signature of another individual on a check and subsequently deposited the check
in his personal account. It is also
believed Smith misappropriated a significant amount of cash from this same
individual.
Smith said this all happened in
the Spring of 2005, before he took office as Police
Chief. He said, “When you are in politics, you are going to be attacked.” He
identified the complainant as Karen Budwah.
Budwah, one of the witnesses in the
lengthy investigation by the Louisiana State Police, had no comment other than,
“The truth will be revealed in court.”
Smith intends to continue
serving as Police Chief, as he has in the past. He looks at this only as a
stumbling block. He has two attorneys working on the case and expects it be
resolved in the next few months without going to court.
Attorney General Charles Foti’s office in Baton Rouge will handle the prosecution.
If convicted on all counts, Smith could face up to 30 years in jail, or may be
fined from $9,000-$18,000, or both.
The sentence, if convicted for
theft of more than $500, would be imprisonment, with or without hard labor, for
not more than ten years, or fined not more than $3,000, or both. The penalty
for forgery (RS 14:72) would be a fine of not more than $5000, or imprisoned,
with or without hard labor, for not more than 10 years, or both. The penalty
for money laundering, or transactions involving proceeds of criminal activity
(RS 14:230) depends on the amount of money involved in the crime, ranging from
imprisonment from 6 months to 99 years, and a possible fine from $1,000 to
$50,000.
This 1997 Dodge Ram Pickup
was involved in a fatal crash early Saturday morning, February 17. Calvin E.
Boone was traveling at an excessive rate of speed when he lost control and
crashed into several large trees. He was ejected from the heavily damaged truck
and later pronounced dead at Homer Memorial Hospital..
Accident Leaves One Dead
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
A one-vehicle accident on Fellowship Road Saturday morning claimed the
life of a 40-year-old man from Junction City, Arkansas, according to Louisiana State
Trooper Mark Keough. The 911 call came in to the
Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office just before 9 AM, after a couple living across
the street discovered the wreckage among the trees.
Trooper Keough
said Calvin E. Boone, whose address was listed as Fulton, Illinois, was
traveling west on Fellowship Road at a very high rate of speed when he failed
to negotiate a left hand curve about one mile east of La. 9. The truck traveled
off the right side of the road striking several large pine trees, snapping them
in two, and ejecting the driver. Damage was so extensive to the 1997 white
Dodge Ram truck, the mangled metal was hardly
recognizable, making it difficult to determine whether Boone had been wearing a
seatbelt.
Boone was transported to the Homer Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead
at 10:45 AM by Coroner Dr. Sam Abshire. It
appeared the accident had occurred several hours earlier. Boone had not been
seen since about 6 PM Friday night.
Arrests Made In Athens
Burglary
The Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s
Office received a report of a burglary on Zappa Road in Athens on Monday, January 8.
Detectives Randy Smith and Duffy Gandy responded to the complaint. After
arriving at the location, photographs were taken and evidence collected.
Additional information received
Tuesday, February 13 led to the arrest of Paul Wayne Barnette,
20, of Homer and Billy Lane Johnson, 18, of Athens. Both were charged with simple
burglary of an inhabited dwelling. Bond was set at $12,000 for each.
After interviewing Barnette and Johnson, detectives were able to recover most
of the stolen items.
Claiborne
Parish “Students of the Year” recognized by the Claiborne Parish
School Board at their February meeting were (l.-r.) Kelsey Lee, eighth grader
at Summerfield High School; Zoe Stone, fifth grade
student at Haynesville Junior High; and Jake Anderson, senior at Haynesville
High School. Each student was given a plaque.
Students
Of The Year Recognized
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Students of the Year recognized
at the February meeting of the Claiborne Parish School Board were Jake Everitt Anderson, Kelsey Danielle Lee, and Zoe Goodloe Stone. Anderson is a senior at Haynesville High School and the son of Perry and Kim
Anderson. Lee is an eighth grade student at Summerfield and the daughter of
Danny and Reba Lee. Zoe is a fifth grade student at Haynesville Junior High School and the daughter of Rev. Henry
and Clelie Stone. Plaques were presented to students by Superintendent
James Scriber and Board President Will Maddox.
The Board discussed the
superintendent position. Applications will be accepted through March 16 at 4 PM, then
interviews will be conducted. A special called meeting would be held the
following week. Personnel Manager Mary McDaniel stated she had received
requests for seven packets and had mailed out six. Only one was from Claiborne
Parish, Bob Bond.
The only personnel action
approved was hiring certified teacher Jennifer L. Ware at Haynesville Junior
High. Scriber said there were 45 fewer employees this year than last.
Superintendent Scriber reported
work was moving slowly on the Homer Junior High gym and library, but should be
completed by the July completion date.
Advertising on the Homer High School renovation will begin March
15. A pre-bid conference will be held April 9 and bid opening on April 19.
…more
Two New Members
of the Claiborne Parish School Board were sworn in by Claiborne Parish Clerk of
Court Patrick Gladney (right) at their first meeting
in 2007—Sherman Brown and Terry Willis. Board members are (l.-r.) Danny Lee, Joe Lee, Sherman Brown, Stanley Edwards, Vice-President Vera Meadors, President Will Maddox, Tommy Davidson, Almeter Willis, Blake Hemphill, and Terry Willis.
Rev. Robert McGaha and Bill
Copeland are trading places....again. Almost 32 years ago, McGaha
(left) was hired as administrator at the Presbyterian Village,
replacing Bill Copeland, who had served as administrator since 1966 when the
nursing home opened. This time, McGaha is leaving.
Last week, he resigned for health reasons. On Tuesday, the Board of Directors
voted to hire Copeland.
Administrator Resigns At Presbyterian
Village
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
In June 1975, Rev. Robert McGaha was 27 years old. He was waiting nervously outside
the board room to see if the Board of Directors would vote to hire him as
administrator at Presbyterian Village. He would get the job, and
become the second administrator to oversee the nursing home. Since that time,
860 residents have lived at the home, representing more than 2,000 years of
living.
Today, the Village is about to
change leadership again. In his letter of resignation, McGaha
said, “I have
been very blessed to be associated with Presbyterian Village for almost 32 years. It is
with a very sad heart that I leave.”
Strange as it may seem,
oversight of the facility will be placed back in the hands of the very person McGaha replaced over three decades ago—Bill Copeland.
Copeland too was a young man,
barely 30 years old when he was hired in April 1966 as the first administrator
at the new facility. After nine years, he took a job at Evergreen Presbyterian
Vocational Ministries, then located in Webster Parish.
Four years later, he was hired as administrator of Town Oaks Nursing Home in Ruston, where he stayed for the next decade, until he was
hired as administrator at Claiborne Manor, where he worked for 16 years.
On Tuesday, February 20, the
Board of Directors at Presbyterian Village voted to hire Copeland as
Management Consultant until he completes the process to reinstate his license.
“It is a great pleasure to be
involved with the Village. It’s like coming home again, with appreciation of
the Village’s reputation for resident care and staff dedication,” said
Copeland. “With the not-for-profit status, we have exciting opportunities for
growth and expansion of resident care.”
A reception will be held for McGaha on Wednesday, February 28 from 2:30-4:00
PM at
the Presbyterian Village. The Board of Directors would
like to extend an invitation to the public to join them as they wish the best
for Rev. McGaha, who plans to continue serving as
pastor at the First Pentecostal Church in Homer and has already
secured a position with State Farm Insurance. The Board would also like to
offer their appreciation for the sincere love and compassion McGaha has shown to the residents over the years.
Members of the Board of
Directors are Russell Hightower, William T. “Bill” Bailey, James Anderson,
Robert “Bob” Glenn, Larry Maxwell, George Meadors, Susan
Herring, Joe Richardson, William “Bill” Bagwell, Betty Barnette,
Jimmy Marsalis, Lawson Wilder, Sunshine Robertson, James Garcia, and Ralynn Parkhill.
Ronald Wafer of Homer
is an African American trailblazer, with a history of achievement in his
military career, his work in social services, and as a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. Over the years, he was many times been the
first African American to hold certain positions. Today, he is retired and
interested in working with troubled youth
Library Black History
Exhibit Features Local Success Story
The Claiborne Parish Library is
honored to have some of the interesting memorabilia of Mr. Ronald S. Wafer, of Homer, featured in their
display case. Wafer was in the final graduating
class at Mayfield High School in 1970. He then volunteered for the U. S. Army,
training as an infantryman, paratrooper and Pathfinder before being sent to Vietnam. While in Vietnam he was assigned to the elite
173 Airborne Brigade and volunteered for Company N, Airborne Rangers, 75th Infantry. He is now active member of the 82nd Airborne
Division Association and the 75th Ranger Regiment Association, holding a state
office in the latter.
Ronald holds a B. A. in Social
Work from Grambling State University, a M.A. in Behavioral Science
from California State University. He is retired from his career in social
services after having worked in various positions and in various social
services jobs in North Louisiana; often times being the first African American to hold
these positions.
In addition to his interesting
social services career and military experience; Mr. Wafer has studied, taught
and received wide acclaim for his work in the martial art field of Karate.
Ronald is very proud that he has been a member of Shotokan
Karate of American since 1979. The Shotokan Karate of America (SKA) is a national non-profit
educational corporation, established in 1956 by Tsutomu Ohshima, Shihan. It is the
oldest Karate organization in North America. He has been awarded three Black Belt Degrees: Sandan, Nidan and Shodan. He has completed 43 SKA special trainings in
the last 28 years. In August of 2006 he
attended Shotokan Karate's 50th annual Nisei Karate
Tournament and Exhibition in California and most recently, in October
2006, he was part of the Shotokan Ohshima Dojo Japan
Tour conducted by Mr. Ohshima. While
there he traveled and trained in Japan and participated in Waseda University Karate Club's 75th annual celebration in Tokyo. Ronald has also studied Kung Fu and Tai Chi.
The display case is full of
items and photos from Ronald's military experience as well as his Karate
accomplishments and honors. The Libary is very proud of Ronald and the contributions he has
made to our community and they are honored to have this exhibit of his
interesting life. Ronald is married to
Linda Martin Wafer; they have five children.
The public is invited to come
by the Claiborne Parish Library in Homer and view this inspiring, interesting
display.
Project Coordinator Jane Allison
(left) and SBDC Director Peggy Connor helped conduct the New Business Workshop.
Local Entreprenaur Becky Collins (left)
shares how she started her own business, Granny B’s Clothesline, about a year
ago, making custom-made pillowcase dresses, the hottest thing in dresses for
little girls—a new twist on old feedsack dresses worn
by our grandmothers years ago. Dora Ann Hatch (right) shares
information on how to start your own business.
Potential Business Owners
Attend Workshop
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
According to the Small Business
Administration, there are 23 million small businesses in the U.S. Of those, 15 million are
full-time and 8 million are part-time. Last week, 40 potential business owners
attended a “Starting Your Own Business” 
workshop held Thursday in the Claiborne
Electric meeting room. Of those who attended, 31 indicated they plan to start a
new business within the year, ranging from internet based, conventional, and
home-based. Two expressed interest in opening restaurants. Fifteen signed up
for further assistance through either more classes or counseling.
The workshop was sponsored by
the LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Small Business Development Center located on the Louisiana State University campus in Shreveport. The SBDC is a partnership
program with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Louisiana Department
of Economic Development, and LSUS. It is the only nationally accredited small
business assistance provider in Louisiana, with nine centers located
across the State..
Dora Ann Hatch, Community Rural
Development Area Agent for the LSU AgCenter, shared
information on the pros and cons of opening your own business. Packets
distributed to participants included lots of information and resources.
Participants were asked to fill out a checklist to help assess whether they had
what it takes to start a home-based or micro business.
Peggy Connor, Director of the
SBDC at LSUS, gave more detailed information on the first steps to opening a
business. Resources provided by the SBDC include free one-on-one confidential
business counseling, seminars and workshops, and a resource library.
The first step is to develop a
business plan by putting it on paper. She said this actually helps develop your
business. Write a detailed description of your business, the type of business,
name of business, owners, location, etc.
Connor said, “If
you are going to be going to anyone for outside funding, you must
have a business plan.”
Other considerations discussed
were identifying the customer base, how to market your business, who the competitors were,
and how much money would be needed to start up the business. List all your
assets, then determine how much money it would take to
open your business, to purchase land, building, equipment, fixtures, furniture,
and inventory. She said to be sure to
include enough start up cash.
Next, you would need to
determine where to get financing needed, whether your own money or whether you
will borrow the money. Most grants, she said, are only available for non-profit
businesses.
To qualify for a business loan,
you will need good personal credit history, approximately 20 percent matching
funds, and collateral to cover the loan.
The Louisiana Dept. of Taxation
or local sales tax office can tell you whether your business is subject to
sales tax.
More information is available
from the SBDC by calling 318-797-5144 or on the internet at www.lsus.edu/sbdc,or www.lsbdc.org.
Day Tour Of Poverty Point Reservoir Set For March 5
A one-day public tour of
Poverty Point Reservoir, a model new-lake, will leave from Claiborne Electric
Co-op at 7 AM on Monday, March 5. Transportation and lunch will be
provided. Guests may sign-up, with $10 deposit, through Friday, March 2 at the
Police Jury Office, Capital One Bank, Regions Bank, First Guaranty Bank, or
State Farm Insurance. The tour is being sponsored by the Claiborne Parish
Watershed District Commission. For more information call 927-5266 or 927-9832.
This Film by Michael Haynes Productions was created in conjunction with 
