Town clerk suspended after admitting to
theft
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Homer’s town clerk Rita Mitchell was suspended without
pay Thursday after an inquiry into a customer’s bill showed inconsistencies.
Homer Mayor David Newell said a customer called
approximately 45 days ago concerning a bill that had been paid twice.
“I received information from a customer that they’d paid
a bill twice,” he said, “and they brought both checks. The amount of the first
check was equal to the amount that was missing from the cash drawer.”
Upon finding the discrepancy, Newell called the Louisiana
State Auditor’s office, who then referred him to an advisory board, and asked
for assistance with the issue of the missing money.
The advisory board showed up two days later. Thursday,
September 6, the advisory board called meeting with Newell and said they’d
found more instances of missing money within the last 45 days. The additional
theft took place within the first two weeks of June and in the month of July.
“After the auditors indicated they found additional
theft, Rita admitted her responsibility for it and indicated she would tender
her resignation,” Newell said.
To the mayor’s knowledge, Mitchell has not turned in a
letter of resignation. He tried to contact her to let her know that the town
council intended to meet in executive session to discuss her fate, but as of
yet, she has not returned any of his phone calls.
At the town council’s regular meeting, the issue was on
the agenda under executive session, but because Mitchell’s attorney contested
the issue, it was not discussed at all. The attorney contested the issue
stating that Mitchell had not been given proper 24-hour notice of what was to
take place.
“I decided to suspend Rita pending the final report of
the auditors,” he said. “I suspended her pending a review by the council.”
The state auditors have been conducting an investigation
for approximately one month, since the cash discrepancy was found. James Colvin
and the town’s finance committee have been heading up an analysis of the town’s
financial operations for the last several weeks, and based on what he’s seen so
far, he recommended changing the town’s bookkeeping software, and the state
advisory board will be giving advice on how the town’s operations should be
handled.
The auditors are not expected to return to Homer to
complete their investigation for another two weeks.
Once the auditor’s investigation is complete, the case
will possibly be turned over to the District Attorney’s office for prosecution.
The Guardian-Journal contacted the Louisiana Legislative
Auditor’s Office in Baton Rouge and spoke with a spokesperson close to the
case. She said she could not comment on the case until the final report had
been completed.
Homer, Haynesville to face off Friday
night
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
These football greats of Homer High School football history sit down with Rick Rowe, KTBS Channel 3 reporter, to
reminisce about the good ole days of their time as Fighting Pelicans. “The
Spirit of the Game” segment will air on Channel 3 on Friday morning at
approximately 6:50 a.m.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Homer’s Fighting Pelicans and Haynesville’s Golden
Tornado will face off Friday night in a 100-year tradition as the two teams
battle to add a victory to the record books. This 100-year tradition has become
known as the Claiborne Parish “Superbowl.”
In fact, the Claiborne Parish Police Jury just passed a
resolution in honor and recognition commemorating the 100th year anniversary of
the first football game played between the two rivals.
Both teams have returned many of their players this
season, which is expected to make for a tough game this year.
At the beginning of the school year, both Coach Glen Kyle
of the Homer Fighting Pelicans and Coach David Franklin of the Haynesville
Golden Tornado, said they are looking forward to Friday’s game.
The oldest high school rivalry in the state began in
1907, when Homer’s football team traveled by wagon a total of 10 miles to
Haynesville to play its first organized game.
Little did they know that it would become the biggest
event of the year in Claiborne Parish. Steeped in tradition, the two teams have
matched up year after year, going through many major events in 100 years.
According to an article written by Haynesville student Jake Anderson, this
tradition has seen two world wars, the Great Depression, 18 U.S. presidents and
many other major milestones in the 20th century.
In fact, this game means enough to Claiborne Parish
residents that, according to an article written by the Pelican Brief newspaper
at Homer High School, wherever the game is played, the other town seems like a
“ghost town.”
Also, according to this article, approximately 10,000
people will be in one place on Friday night – the gridiron.
With that many people in one place, Homer Chief of Police
Russell Mills said that every officer in his department, with the assistance of
several other law enforcement agencies, will be out in full force Friday night
to make sure everyone can have a good time at the game – safely.
“We will have zero tolerance for any illegal activity,”
Mills said. “We will not tolerate any fighting or anything of that nature. If
you choose to participate in these types of activities, you will be arrested.”
Tickets are pre-sale in the Homer High School office for
$5 per ticket until 3 p.m. Friday, and $6 per ticket at the game. Game time is 7 p.m.
9/11 program honors Claiborne Parish’s
finest
Photo/Special to The Guardian-Journal
Pictured arefrom left, Louisiana State
Trooper Doug Pike; guest singer Nancy Nelson; Haynesville Fire Chief Mark
Furlow; Captain Tom Madden, Louisiana State Troop G; Fire District 6 Fireman
Joe Richardson; Homer Fire Chief Dennis Butcher; Haynesville Town Councilwoman
Carla Smith, also a volunteer firefighter; Haynesville Volunteer Firefighter
Wes Ogden; Louisiana State Trooper Michael Allen; Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken
Bailey; Homer Police Officer Jim Faulkner; First Baptist Church Senior Pastor
Jimmy Simeon; Rolling Hills Ministries Volunteer Ronald Day; Retired U.S.
Marshal and Claiborne Parish Sheriff J.R. Oaks; Louisiana State Representative
Rick Gallot; Co-Chiarman of the Men’s Brotherhood Ministries Gurvis Vines.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The community of Homer honored its own Thursday,
September 6, during a program honoring firefighters, police and emergency
responders.
Michael Allen, chair of the men’s ministry at First Baptist Church in Homer, said the program touched the heart of everyone who attended.
“I truly believe the program was so meaningful, because
the testimony brought a personal touch to the hearts of those listening,” he
said. “The program focused on remembering those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, while also honoring the police, firefighters and emergency response
workers who continue to risk their lives. It’s the duty of all Americans to
never forget.”
During the sixth annual 9/11 service, many aspects of
Claiborne Parish was represented, including town councilmen of both Homer and
Haynesville, the Claiborne Parish Police Jury, the Claiborne Parish Tax
Assessor’s Office, the Homer Police Department, the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s
Department, Louisiana State Troopers, the Haynesville Fire Department, the
Homer Fire Department, the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness and the Louisiana Legislature.
Also, one special guest was State Police Troop G
Commander Tom Madden.
Nancy Nelson sang two moving patriotic songs, “God Bless America” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
The special event of the evening was Rosemary Cain, the
mother of George Cain, a firefighter trapped and killed in the World Trade Center on September 11. She spoke of her son, not just as a firefighter, but
a man who loved life and lived it to the fullest.
Ronald Day, one of the many thousands of volunteers with
Rolling Hill’s Ministries who went to Ground Zero to help, met Rosemary Cain,
who said to him, “Please remember my George.”
Since then, the two have become friends and still keep in
touch.
When Day made the phone call to Rosemary, before she
spoke to the crowd at large, he said this.
“We want to honor the memory of your son, George Cain,”
he said, “and we want you to know that we recognize him as a hero. We thank you
as a mother for the son that you brought up.”
Cain began to speak and thanked those who attended for
remembering her son. She said that there are people in New York that feel like
many in the country don’t care, but she said she felt blessed that people are
still holding events to remember those who were lost that day.
“I was thinking how truly blessed we are and lucky to
have people like all of you who will never forget and will always honor the
people that were lost that day,” she said to the audience. “I was very lucky to
have met Ronald and to hear that he has shared George’s story, and here we are
six years later and he’s still sharing George’s story.
“Three thousand people were murdered that day and it’s
very easy to get caught up in numbers,” she continued. “Thankfully, because of
people like Ronald, George will be remembered and that means so much to me.”
After she spoke, the service was closed with the
policeman’s prayer by Homer Police Officer Jim Faulkner and the fireman’s prayer
by Haynesville Fireman Wes Ogden.
‘Always remember he’s not a number’
Mother of 9/11 victim tells her story
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
It was a sunny day in early September as millions of
people headed to work. As many were still making the journey, others were
already in their offices preparing for the day’s tasks ahead.
The hustle and bustle of New York City was in full swing
that fateful morning when a plane struck the first tower of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. As the news of what seemed to be an accident
traveled throughout the country, New York’s firefighters prepared for what they
knew was going to be a long day.
As emergency services scrambled to make their way to the World Trade Center, a second plane sliced into the second tower, dispelling any doubts
about an accident involving a small plane.
Rosemary Cain, one of the millions in New York that had
gone to work that morning, received a phone call. She was told that a plane had
crashed into the World Trade Center. Like so many others, she dismissed the
thoughts of tragedy until she received the second phone call that changed her
life.
“I really didn’t think anything of it because I thought
it was a small plane and a tragic accident,” she said. “I got a phone call
later that a second plane had hit the World Trade Center.”
It was then that she called the firehouse where her son,
George, was on duty that day. She was told the firefighters of Ladder 7 in Manhattan had gone on “a run,” but wouldn’t say where. She asked if they’d gone to the World Trade Center, and the response was a “yes.”
“I remember getting upset, and I was talking with people,
and I noticed that people were going into the conference room where we had a
TV,” she said. “It didn’t have cable, so the picture was snowy, but I could see
the smoke billowing. My manager came over to me and said, ‘Why don’t you go
home,’ and I did.
“When I walked in the house,” she continued, “I put the
TV on and they said that hundreds of firefighters were trapped.”
Worried about her son, she kept calling the firehouse and
could not get an answer.
“I don’t remember much after that,” she said. “All day
long, I kept trying to get in touch with the firehouse, and finally that
evening, someone answered and said that several were missing.”
In the days, weeks and months ahead, many more missing
were found beneath the rubble of what used to be America’s tallest buildings.
It was in the aftermath of the terrorist attack that the outpouring of love and
support flooded New York as volunteers, firefighters, police and many others
picked through the pieces of mangled steel and crushed concrete to bring loved
ones home.
On New Year’s Eve Day, 2001, Rosemary came across the
path of one of the many volunteers who traveled to New York to help. She met
Ronald Day, of Homer, that day.
“It was a very healing experience to see all those people
coming to New York,” Cain said. “Coincidentally, that was the day that George
was recovered. I was very grateful to God that I was able to bring George home
and give him a proper burial.”
There were many families whose loved ones were never
identified, and her son was recovered.
Since that day, Cain and Day have become friends, and
partly because of this friendship, she shared a little of George’s story at
First Baptist Church in Homer via conference call as the community honored its
own.
George Cain was 35 years old and had been in the fire
department for seven years before that fateful day. He liked to play golf and
he liked to snow ski. He also liked to hike, and was a good family man.
Day said that although Cain was not the oldest fireman in
his house, he was the most respected and others in the firehouse looked up to
him.
“He knew the equipment and was so eager that the younger
firemen looked up to him. He’s like so many of ya’ll, when there’s trouble or
disaster, when so many of running out, ya’ll are running in,” Day said to those
who attended the program. “It’s just like him. He went to the Twin Towers, and when thousands were trying to get out, George was going in, and he lost his
life. I want to honor him and remember him.”
And since then, many things have been done to honor
George, not just as a firefighter, but the son of one mother who refused to let
him be forgotten. A memorial fund has been set up in his name and a park in
upstate New York was dedicated to him, among many other things.
Rosemary is now a tour guide at Ground Zero, where she
talks to those who come to hallowed ground to pay their respects, tells them
about that day – and tells them about her George.
“I have not walked this journey by myself, I assure you,”
she said. “I’ve gotten to know a lot of the families and we’ve pulled together
and helped each other.”
In the years since September 11, a lot has been learned
about how the government’s agencies worked.
“I’ve learned a lot in the ensuing years,” she said.
“There was a lack of communication, many radios weren’t working. The only sure
way of knowing where they were was when they were recovered.”
But Cain also says that since then, the government has
done their job to keep the United States safe from another terrorist attack of
this scale.
“I think they’ve done a wonderful job. We’re still safe
and we’re still here,” she said of the progress that the government has made in
keeping this country safe. “I think it’s important that we let the government
do whatever they need to do. I’m very grateful to the military overseas for
helping to protect our rights, and I hate that they have to do it, but I hope
to see this end one day.”
Remembering that day is still difficult for her at times,
because it was so needless and sad. With the help of support groups, and the
many things she has done since then, she has been able to pick up the pieces
and move forward.
“When the anniversary comes, I remember that day and some
of what happened and you wonder how you went through it,” she said. “But, we
get up and put one foot in front of the other and that’s how it truly is.
That’s human nature. What you see on TV and what you hear is nothing compared to
actually being there. I just remember thinking that they would never get it
cleaned up. I just hope that come September 11 of every year that people always
remember what happened that day.”
Several qualify for October 20 election
The Guardian-Journal
Several
people qualified as candidates for the many offices that have come up for
election. They are as follows.
State
Senator, District 33: Charles McDonald and Mike Walsworth
State
Senator, District 36: Robert Adley and Tyler Nezat
State
Representative, District 11: Rick Gallot, Edward Jones and Delores Wilkerson
Smith
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff: Ken Bailey, Willie Burns and Reginald Merritt
Clerk
of Court: James Patrick Gladney
Tax
Assessor: Bob Robinson, Kelly Waller and Mae “Kitty” Williams
Coroner:
Donald K. Haynes
All 10
police jury districts are up for re-election. They are as follows.
District
1: Brian “Butch” Bays
District
2: Mark A. Furlow and Fred Ware
District
3: Chic Hines and Robert “Bob” McDaniel
District
4: Janell Brown and Joe A. Sturges
District
5: Earl Amos, Bobby A. Liles and Lavelle Penix
District
6: Scott Davidson
District
7: “Roy” Lewis, Joseph Merritt Jr. and Gurvis F. Vines
District
8: Roy Mardis and Tommy Sanders
District
9: Jerry A. Adkins
District
10: Huey Dean, B. Stewart Griffin and Willie J. Young
Gun seized in arrest after woman shoots
up car
The Guardian-Journal
A woman was arrested Sunday after Homer Police received a
call in reference to shots being fired.
In the early morning hours of Sept. 9, Homer Police were
dispatched to 1423 Pearl Street, and upon arrival, witnesses advised police
that Denise Carter was seen shooting at a car parked in the front yard of the
residence. The vehicle belonged to Julius Walker.
Officer John Bailey observed that the vehicle had been
shot three times on the driver’s side. Two shell casings were also discovered
in the front yard of the residence.
After taking witness statements, Homer Police located and
arrested Carter on charges of aggravated criminal damage to property and
illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities. The gun was also seized.
Carter was transported to the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s
Office with bond to be set.
In an unrelated incident, on September 8, into the early
morning hours, Homer police received several calls throughout the night of
shots being fired. In one incident, a juvenile was arrested and released.
A party had taken place in the Monroe Street area, where
15 to 20 youths left the Monore Street area and went to Pearl Street. Once the
party moved a fight broke out. An alleged gun was involved, but Homer Police
found no gun.
“Thankfully, no one was shot,” Homer Chief of Police
Russell Mills said.
Mills said that his department receives several calls in
these areas where juveniles and guns are involved, and many times, no guns are
found.
“If it’s an attempt to get the police there sooner,
that’s not the way to do it,” he said. When you call us, we’re coming. We are
getting there as fast as we can, no matter what type of call it is.”
He also advised parents to always be watchful of their
children and know what they are doing.
“Guns and kids are extremely dangerous, and we don’t want
anything to happen,” Mills said. “I emphasize that it’s very important that you
be aware of your children’s surroundings. We get calls like this all the time.
Parents, the majority of the calls we receive with juveniles, there are guns
involved. There has to be some truth to it.”
He said that even though his department receives numerous
calls to that area with incidences involving guns, he wanted the citizens who
live on Pearl Street and in that area, that his department is very aware of the
good people who live in that area who want a clean neighborhood in which to
live.
“Pearl Street gets a lot of negativity, but there are
some good people who live there,” he said. “With the help of the citizens, we
can clean Pearl Street up. We know that there are good, hardworking people on Pearl Street that want to see justice done in their neighborhood, and with you’re help, we
can do that.”
Area law enforcement capture
non-registered sex offender
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Several law enforcement agencies worked together Tuesday
to bring one man to justice. Earl Chrone Adams was arrested Tuesday afternoon
after he tried to evade authorities for noncompliance.
He has been sought for some time by Probation and Parole
for failure to comply with orders of probation and parole and for failing to
comply with sex offender laws. Probation and Parole contacted the Homer Police
Department to assist in his apprehension. Homer police arrived with Probation
and Parole to 1222 Norton St. where information was obtained that Adams was at his mother’s residence.
When Homer police arrived, nobody would come to the door.
After some time, his mother, Jeannette Warren, answered the door, and she
allowed police and Probation and Parole to search the home. It was thought that
he was hiding in the attic of the residence.
The Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to
residence to assist. Upon arrival, with the assistance of Louisiana State
Police, a chemical agent was administered into crawlspace of attic to draw Adams out.
Adams failed to come out of
the attic, and upon entering attic, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Randy
Smith saw Adams in a low spot trying to breathe fresh air from a vent.
Smith gave him several commands to comply. Adams refused to comply at first, but shortly thereafter, he did comply. He was taken into
custody without incident.
While searching Warren’s residence, in a room with his
belongings, a fully loaded .357 magnum handgun was discovered under the bed in
a box containing marijuana seeds. Adams has four years and 8 months left on
probation, but has now acquired new charges. Adams has been charged with
possession of marijuana and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Homer police also arrested Warren for resisting an
officer by interfering, having knowledge that her son was wanted by Probation
and Parole and not notifying proper authorities.
Suspect arrested for armed robbery
The Guardian-Journal
A man was arrested for armed robbery and aggravated
second degree battery Thursday, September 6, after Claiborne Parish and Desoto
Parish Sheriff’s detectives teamed up to investigate Robert Lee Harrison of
Emerson, Ark.
On Thursday, August 23, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Deputy
Brian Pepper responded to the 1400 block of Hollan Drive in Haynesville to an
armed robbery complaint. Pepper found the victim to be Van Cupples.
The robbery took place off of Hwy. 807 at a well
location. Claiborne Parish Detective Charles Buford began an investigation and
was assisted by Detectives Duffy Gandy and Randy Smith. This investigation led
to warrants being issued for Harrison, age 28.
Detectives learned that Harrison was living near
Stonewall, and made contact with the Desoto Parish Sheriff’s investigators.
Claiborne detectives forwarded information to them that led to the arrest of Harrison.
He was booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center on September 6, and charged with armed robbery and aggravated second degree
battery. His bond was set at $50,000 on the robbery charge and $15,000 on the
aggravated second degree battery charge.
If convicted of armed robbery, Harrison faces not less
than 10 years and not more than 99 years in prison at hard labor without the
benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. If convicted on the
aggravated second degree battery charge, he also faces a fine of no more than
$10,000 or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for no more than 15 years or
both.
This Film by Michael Haynes Productions was created in conjunction with 
