A note from the Claiborne Parish School Board:

Homer High School students in the 9th and 10th grades are asked to report to school as planned on Thursday, Aug. 16. Students in the 11th and 12th grade report to school on Friday, Aug. 17. Because of ongoing construction issues, students are asked to report to school on these dates. All students are asked to report to the student center when they arrive at school on their respective dates. On Monday morning, August 20, all students will report to school.

Weekend accident kills two

MICHELLE BATES, Editor

A one vehicle accident ended in tragedy as two young men were killed when their vehicle struck a tree.

Louisiana State Police received a call from the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office at approximately 8:52 p.m., Friday, August 3, reporting the accident. According to state police reports, Bart N. Boyd, 26, of Mt. Lebanon, and Aaron Dean, 19, of Homer were traveling westbound on Isaac Creek Road, just off St. John Road off Highway 146 (or approximately .5 miles east of Highway 9), when Boyd, the driver of the 2005 Ford pickup, failed to negotiate a curve. Driving at a high rate of speed, Boyd continued off the roadway in a northwesterly direction, striking a large pine tree, killing both Boyd and Dean.

“It’s the fifth fatality this year and speed was a factor,” said Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey, “and we’re out here every day trying to slow people down. It’s just an unfortunate thing, because there were two young lives that were taken.”

Alcohol is not suspected to be a factor in the accident at this time, but a toxicology report has been ordered on Boyd.

Louisiana State Trooper Doug Pierrelee said that a toxicology screen was ordered to find out for sure whether alcohol was or was not involved.

“Not suspected means just that,” he said. “They could have had, but the evidence on the scene did not point to alcohol. Evidence did point to excessive speed. They had left the shop en route to the store. No alcohol on scene doesn’t mean they had none. Blood has been drawn and our standard operating procedure will be made to rule it in or out as a factor.”

The full report on the accident has not yet been completed, and state police are still awaiting the results of the toxicology screen.

Neither driver nor passenger was wearing their seatbelts.

Dozing cause of Friday morning accident on Hwy. 79

The Guardian-Journal

On Friday morning, August 3, Claiborne Parish deputies were dispatched to the scene of an accident which occurred a couple of miles south of Homer on Highway 79.

The driver of the vehicle, who wished not to be named, was driving south on Highway 79 towards Minden when she ran off the road into the ditch, traveling approximately 168 feet before stopping.

“From what I can tell, she fell asleep,” said Claiborne Parish Sheriff Deputy Ben Booth. “She said when she woke up she was going into the ditch.”

She was cited for careless operation, more specifically, failure to maintain control.

While the driver and her family, who stopped to help, were waiting on the wrecker service, several others stopped to see if they could help as well. Booth said the help was appreciated greatly, but at times it can become a hazard to everyone’s safety.

“The biggest problem we have is that people want to stop and help,” he said, “and we appreciate the help, but sometimes it can be a problem. Too many want to stop. We understand if it’s family or loved ones, but if we get too many people stopped, we’ll actually ask them to move on.”

“We really discourage that,” said Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey, “and I know people want to help, and we’re thankful for that, but there are times when we get too many people. The quicker we can get that car crash scene wrapped up, the better off everybody is.”

Booth said deputies deal with this type of situation all the time. They just don’t slow down.

“If you see an ambulance or police cars on the side of the road, slow down,” Booth said.

Bailey emphasized Booth’s comment.

“If you do come up on an accident and the road is blocked, watch the deputy and follow his hand signals,” Bailey said. “Just observe the deputy on the scene.”

According to records from the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, there have only been a couple of accidents in the last month or so on Highway 79, but before the implementation of a traffic safety program called L.A.C.E. (Local Agency Compensated Enforcement), accidents and fatalities were quickly on the rise. Booth said those accidents could be attributed to high rates of speed.

“All roads in Claiborne Parish are 55 miles per hour,” he said. “Highway 79 is 55 miles per hour. Speeding is our biggest problem. We write a massive amount of tickets for speeding.”

The L.A.C.E. program, run through the District Attorney’s office, provides compensation to deputies who overtime hours for the purpose of traffic safety, including citations for speeding, reckless driving, and other types of traffic violations.

“It’s been very good,” Bailey said. “Our car crashes have decreased and fatalities have decreased tremendously. I’m proud of it and I’m proud we’re doing it.”

In a two-year period in early 2000s, he said, Claiborne Parish saw 22 fatalities, classifying the parish as one of the deadliest in the state. In 2006, Bailey said there were five fatalities; in 2005, there were three, and in 2004, there were also three fatalities. Fatalities in car accidents have decreased greatly because of the L.A.C.E. program.

Bailey offered some safety tips for all drivers. He said motorists, first and foremost, need to wear their seatbelts, and obey the speed limits.

CDC employee arrested after K9 ‘hits’ on marijuana

The Guardian-Journal

The Claiborne Parish Detention Center was searched on Friday, August 3, at the request of Warden Sue Holliday.

Claiborne Parish Deputy Brian Pepper, along with his K-9 partner, conducted the search.

An employee of the Detention Center had located six bags of suspected marijuana in a lunch sack belonging to another employee, Jamielle Turner of Homer.

The suspected marijuana was seized and secured as evidence. Pepper deployed his K-9 into the parking lot for a sniff search and discovered two more bags of suspected marijuana in the vehicle driven by Turner.

Turner was booked on one count each of introducing contraband into a correctional facility and possession of Schedule I CDS (controlled dangerous substance) with intent to distribute.

Back to School!

Homer High School still undergoing renovations

MICHELLE BATES, Editor

The Claiborne Parish School Board’s maintenance department has worked hard this summer to do a complete renovation of Homer High School.

Although the total renovation is not yet complete, Transportation and Maintenance Supervisor Ronnie McKenzie said all the classrooms will be ready to receive teachers and students when school begins.

“We’re working seven days a week on it and school will start as planned,” he said. “The building will not be completely through, but the classrooms will be. There will still be construction going on. The auditorium and the basement, where the old cafeteria used to be years ago, will not be complete, so the students will meet at the high school gym at the student center.”

This summer, workers have been working on the school reworking the electrical system at the school. The school now has all new ceilings, updated lighting and new heating and air conditioning systems. Everything has been repainted and the classrooms now have new chalkboards and tack boards.

“The entire school has been redone inside,” McKenzie said.

Brian McGuire, of TB Architecture, the architect hired by the school board, worked with Hugh Parker, the Claiborne Parish School Board architect, to draw up the plans for the renovations. Once work commenced on the school, several problems arose, but the biggest was with the electrical wiring.

He said the wiring was old and not equipped to handle the electrical load that is demanded from today’s technology. What was happening, he said, was that wires were exposed behind the wall and the old wiring was “gummy.”

“I’ve been doing this for probably 18 years and this is the first time I’ve ever seen this,” he said. “Most of the time when you pull wire for electrical, you pull the old out and put new in. Well, somehow, this old wire has gummed up in there, and over the years has deteriorated, and it just won’t allow you to do anything with it, period.”

He said the only options were to either tear out the walls and redo the conduit at every outlet in every room or run exposed wire to try to get the new wire in through the existing conduits. In other words, the wire would be run to the outlets along the outside of the walls. They decided to do the latter.

“This was something that we didn’t anticipate and something you really couldn’t anticipate until you physically got in there renovating,” he said. “Like I said, I’ve been doing this18 years, and I’ve never come across this. We’ve always been able to pull wire.”

Homer High School also has a new science lab, comparable to other science labs in other parishes, McGuire said.

“What you’re getting is comparable to everywhere else in the state,” McGuire said.

The gymnasium has been redone as well as the library at Homer Junior High School.

Be aware of school speed zones this year  

The Guardian-Journal

Homer Chief of Police Russell Mills is issuing a brief reminder about speed zones as the new school year begins. Please obey all the school zone speed limits in the time frame given, he said.

If the “school zone” sign says the speed limit is 25 between the hours of 7 until 9 a.m., that means, travel 25 miles per hour within the designated school zone area from 7 a.m. until 9 a.m. After 9 a.m., motorists may travel at the regular speed limit posted.

The times in effect for the school zones are from 7 until 9 a.m. and 2 until 4 p.m. each day, Monday through Friday, every week of the school year.

“Adjust your speed accordingly,” said Mills. “We want to make back to school as smooth as possible. Speeders will be ticketed.”

He also warned motorists that speeding 20 miles per hour over the designated speed limit could cost jail time.

“You could go to jail for speeding 20 miles over the speed limit in a school zone, and you may pay a hefty fine,” Mills said.

Police presence will be there at the schools monitoring traffic during the designated school zone times.

Claiborne Parish Transportation and Maintenance Supervisor Ronnie McKenzie said to be aware of the surroundings when dropping off children at the schools.

“In the mornings, the buses will come in from North Main down Pelican Drive,” McKenzie said. “All buses will unload at the student center, where the cafeteria is. All cars will come in from Edgewood onto Pelican Drive and unload at the student center. There will be teachers there to help them get across the street.”

Please watch out for the school buses as they hit the streets with Homer’s precious cargo. Please be aware of all traffic rules regarding school buses and their stops. These school buses are equipped with stop signs on the outside of the vehicle. When these vehicles are stopped, that means that children are getting on or off the bus and may cross the street.

“The stop sign on the school bus means stop,” Mills said. “Drivers must remain stopped until the signs are pulled in completely.”

McKenzie emphasized the importance of stopping when the stop arms on the buses are out.

“It is the law, and it is mandatory that you stop,” he warned motorists. “If you don’t stop, the (bus) drivers are required to turn it in, and you will be issued a citation.”

Another note is the school zone signs at the old junior high school on the south end of town. Mills said even though the school is not functioning, there are still quite a few children in that area because of the Boys and Girls Club.

The Homer Town Council organizes committee to renovate city park

MICHELLE BATES, Editor

The Homer Town Council met in regular session Monday, August 6 to discuss several items on the agenda, including discussions about renovating the Homer Jaycee Park across from the schools. The town council voted to form a committee to see what needed to be repaired and what it would cost to make those repairs.

District 3 Councilman Toney Johnson said the park was in desperate need of repair, and it had become dangerous for Homer’s kids to play in.

“I had a concerned citizen call me about the park,” Johnson said. “I met with him on Saturday (August 4) and walked all through the park, and I didn’t realize the serious condition we’ve got up there.”

He said several things were old and deteriorating, making it dangerous for kids to play on. For example, the little horses that kids rock on are rotten and literally about to fall.

“Some years ago, we had a lawsuit over a child getting hurt at the park,” Johnson said. “He and I walked all over the park and assessed it. We’ve just got a lot of issues that need to be met. It’s just worn out.”

Some of the repairs he listed were minor, others major. For example, minor repairs that need to be made include the “S” hooks that hold the swings to the swing set. They are rusted and nearly worn through. Those need to be replaced. Also, he said, some of the swings need to be replaced as well.

“There’s just a whole lot of stuff that needs to be done,” he said. “A few items that need to be done are beyond repair. They just need to be replaced. We need to get the park where our citizens can enjoy it again.”

Other items he mentioned were fencing that needs to be either put up or replaced.

Included on this committee will be Johnson, Charles Lewis, J.C. Moore and Michael Wade. The committee will make an assessment of the park itself, list the equipment that either needs to be repaired or replaced and gather the costs of taking on this project.

In other council news, Handee Pak, is now legally permitted to sell alcohol at its second location.

n The Town of Homer will also enter into a contract with the Claiborne Parish Police Jury regarding using an outside building inspector to inspect the parish’s buildings and homes.

Johnson attended a seminar with the police jury concerning the new building codes law. He said this would be the cheapest way to go, even though Homer would be losing some of the revenue generated from permit fees.

The idea behind the law is to do away with the affadavit system so many of the more rural parishes had adopted and put into place a system that would ensure that homes and buildings were inspected properly.

“The law is more friendly to the public but they’ve also strengthened it to the point that there will be inspections, and there will have to be certified building inspectors,” Johnson said. “Twenty-two (22) parishes have literally revolted against this law, and they came up with their own system that was actually legal under the law, but it was not what the big insurance companies and the big banks wanted.”

In making the changes, Johnson said that homeowners will now have more freedom to build without certain permits. In other words, if someone wants to buy a faucet and they come home and put it on, he/she is not in violation of the law regarding permits anymore.

“You can now do quite a bit of work to your home now without permits,” he said. “They are asking that roofs be inspected or all re-roofs be inspected.”

What happened is that the company that presented the seminar has presented a package to the Claiborne Parish Police Jury where this company would do all the inspections for eight of the surrounding parishes.

n The town council also voted to begin advertising for trash pick up as required.

n After the agenda was taken care of, the floor was opened to public comment in which Billy Kirk, the president of the Claiborne Parish chapter of the NAACP, requested that the mayor and the Homer chief of police meet with him and Patricia Eddens after the meeting concerning a complaint regarding a Homer police officer. The mayor and chief agreed.

See next week’s edition for more town council news.

###

After the meeting, Homer Mayor David Newell, Homer Police Chief Russell Mills, Kirk and Eddens met regarding the complaint.

On July 18, Eddens, a Pineview High School teacher, was written a citation for parking in a “No Parking Zone.” In a letter, Eddens stated she felt she had been wronged because she received a citation when two other people parked in the same place while she was still there were not cited.

Tuesday, August 7, in Mayor’s Court, Newell dismissed the ticket, and said his reasoning was a judgment call.

“She’s a teacher and a longstanding citizen,” he said. “She works with kids and is upstanding. She asked for a break and I’m going to give her one. She is not one that has a prior record and she doesn’t have any previous tickets.”

Chief Mills looked into the matter and said that his officer had done his job.

“To me, the officer did right,” Mills said. “To the officer, he did right. The officer did his job. There was no mistake made; he did his job. She admitted she did wrong, but given the extenuating circumstances, the ticket was dismissed.”

Other citations have been written at the Brookshire’s parking lot, Mills said.

“Other tickets on the Brookshire’s parking lot have been written for the same issue and it will continue,” Mills said.

In fact, Mills said, an article appeared in The Guardian-Journal a couple of weeks ago stating this very fact. Homer police had received several complaints about illegal parking at Brookshire’s as well as other places like Homer Seafood. In the article, Mills stated that his department would begin cracking down on illegal parking and he meant it.

A back to school checklist for all busy parents

The Guardian-Journal

The Basics

1. Review list of required school supplies

-         A list helps prevent overbuying

-         Watch for sales and consider buying extra of essentials

-         Buy off-brand if practical

-         When possible, buy clothing that can be used for both school and other occasions

2. Registration

-         Ensure that all immunizations and physicals (if required) are up to date

-         Determine if there are any new requirements since last year

-         Become familiar with school policies for illness, discipline, and absence

-         Place a copy of child’s schedule and teacher(s) on the refrigerator or family bulletin board

3. Preparation

-         Clean out closet for things that don’t fit; consider donating for other needy schoolchildren

-         Spend a day helping your child organize their room

-         To the extent possible, provide your child a place to study and enforce policy of no distractions (TV, radio, etc.) during study time

-         Label your child’s school supplies to minimize theft

4. Bedtime

-         Establish and enforce a specific time for homework, dinner, and bath

-         Take 10-15 minutes for clean up before bed

-         Restrict video games and ban late-night movies on school nights

-         Be somewhat understanding until a productive routine is established

5. Morning

-         Get yourself ready before the kids are up

-         Make the morning fun; create a sense of structure to start off the day

-         If old enough, have the child lay out clothing and bookbag the night before

-         Create consequences for being late

6. Helpful suggestions:

* Teach younger children:

-         Their name, address, and phone number

-         To be cautious, i.e., to tell name, address, phone number only to responsible adults, e.g., teachers, police, healthcare personnel, etc.

-         Basic toilet needs

-         How to wait their turn and share

-         How to put on and remove outer clothing

* With older children:

-         Talk with them about their goals

-         Talk with them about friends, classes, and activities

-         Create for them opportunities to try new skills and commend for a job well-done

* As the parent, you should:

-         Have at least one family meal daily at the dinner table

-         Establish definite times and location for homework

-         Keep the school calendar handy

-         Encourage after school activities

-         Stay informed about school events

-         Support the school by serving on a classroom or school committee

-         Get to know your children's friends

-         Teach your children how to say “no” to peer pressure

-         Ensure that all parties have adult supervision

-         Teach your children right from wrong in both word and actions

-0-0-0-

(overheard) “Parenthood ain’t for sissies.”

Pelicans ready for upcoming season

MICHELLE BATES, Editor

Homer Pelicans Football team

Coach Glen Kyle

Homer High School’s Fighting Pelicans are gearing up for the football season, and Head Coach Glen Kyle said he’s ready.

With 40 letterman coming back this year, the team will have more time work on strategy. The team has eight players coming back on offense and eight players coming back on defense.

“We’re fairly experiences on both ends,” Kyle said, “and that’s important for us. We won’t have any new kids to train.”

And Kyle is looking forward to this season as well, he said.

“We made it to the third round of quarter finals in the playoffs last season,” he said. “We’d like to take it up a step or maybe even two. We’re looking to win district and take it up to the next level. We did well last year. Our schedule is pretty tough this year and our kids have worked hard this summer.”

He attributes the hard work to his team, as several of his team members have attended football camps over the summer at Louisiana State University and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. The players have also had good weight training, he said.

He has worked his team hard in order to get ready for the tough schedule they will face this year. They will play five games at home and five away from home. Included in this schedule is Evangel and Calvary. The Pelicans will play Calvary at home, and they will play Evangel on their own turf.

Homer is expected to play Haynesville, the most important game of the year, Springhill, Delhi, Calvary and North Caddo at home. They will face Evangel, Farmerville, West Ouachita, Loyola and Lakeside away.

“Many players from scheduled teams are coming back, so we’ve worked hard to get our kids ready for this,” Kyle said.

Golden Tornado looks forward to biggest game of season against Homer

The Guardian-Journal

Haynesville Golden Tornado is getting ready to play some football. Head Coach David Franklin said he is looking forward to this season as they have several returning football players.

Six players will be returning on offense and six on defense.

Although they lost three seniors last year, they have five seniors this year, with 48 players total.

One thing the team will be working on, Franklin said, is their depth. Many are younger players, and he expects them to step up to the plate and play some football.

“The younger guys are going to have to have some step up in play,” he said. “We had a tough year last year, but we didn’t do too bad. We ended up in the playoffs, and we did a lot better than I think people thought we would.”

Last season, the team was six and six, which means six wins and six losses. He’s looking forward to a good year this year, and he is especially looking forward to the biggest game of the season on September 14 – the Homer/Haynesville game.

“They’ve got a really good team this year,” Franklin said of the Homer Pelicans. “They have one of the best teams this year than they’ve had in a while, and we’re looking forward to it. They’re very good this year.”

Haynesville is celebrating its 100th year playing football, and one of the better aspects of this season, he said, is that Class A has returned to what it is supposed to be.

Evangel and Calvary have been moved into the district with Homer High School, which opens things up for Haynesville.

“We lost Evangel and Calvary out of our district, which opens things up for us,” he said. “It just means that Class A is back to what it used to be.”

Even though Franklin, who teaches keyboarding, expects to have a good season this year, he still expects just as much from his team in the classroom as he does on the field.

“We’ve got a really good group of kids this year,” he said. “They’re polite and just a really good group of kids. They’re a pleasure to be around. Their attitudes make it more fun, and you usually tend to win more when you have kids like that too. All athletes have a certain standard that they have to follow, and they have to set the example.”

Following in his father’s footsteps, Red Franklin, he has been the coach at Haynesville High School for approximately 15 years.

He has been head coach approximately 6 years, and he has a love of sports, not just football.

“I have a love for sports, and I’ve been in it all my life,” he said. “I love working with the kids and teaching them about life. That’s more important to me than football, and we try to teach them life skills through football.”

New head coach takes reigns at Claiborne Academy

MICHELLE BATES, Editor

Coach Tommy Reeder

As Claiborne Academy gears up for the upcoming school year, the Rebels are getting ready to play hard under a new head coach.

Coach Tommy Reeder joins the team as a private school football coach for the Rebels under the Mississippi Private School Association (MPSA).

“I’m still getting my feet on the ground,” he said, “but I like it.”

Reeder will be coaching the junior high and high school football team. He has already had the teams practicing, and as they all get to know each other better, he has already begun to instill some basic characteristics. The characteristics of a good team include playing hard as a team, playing together as a team and playing at full speed and hitting hard.

“We’re working on those, and it will happen,” the new coach said. “It just won’t happen overnight. I’m doing a lot of changing as far as where people played and what they’re doing. I think we’re going to play alright.”

The Rebels are also getting a better grasp on the games fundamentals. The teams are working on two major strategies: blocking and tackling.

“As a coach, this is a step by step process,” Reeder said. “Some build faster than others, but it’s a step by step deal.”

This process may take some time, but Reeder is full steam ahead as football season approaches.

“I’m diehard for CA right now,” he said. “I was that way for Haynesville. I was that way when I was at Ruston. Right now, I’m going to be that way them.”

The new coach will also be teaching financial math at Claiborne Academy, and he said he expects as much from his players in the classroom as he does on the field.

“You always want your players to have some class,” he said. “I expect them to act like gentlemen and respect their teachers. I expect them to work as hard in the classroom as they do in the field.”

Reeder is a native of Haynesville and retired from Claiborne Parish Schools in May. Graduating from Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Ark., in 1971, he returned to Haynesville High School to coach. He went to Ruston for a while after that, but returned to Haynesville in 2004.

“I love coaching,” he said, “but I never really thought about Haynesville being my alma mater. But, it was a special thing for me to coach with Coach (Red) Franklin.”

In the football world, Franklin is considered a Louisiana coaching legend. He is one of the winningest coaches in Louisiana.

Reeder has been married for 37 years and still resides in Haynesville. He and his wife have two children and three grandchildren. He attends First Baptist Church in Haynesville.

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