St. Jude Car and Bike Show a success

The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates

Car enthusiasts from all over the area came to Lake Claiborne Saturday as many showed off their cars and bikes. More than $5,000 was raised at the Car Show.

The Guardian-Journal

The St. Jude Car and Bike Show at Lake Claiborne was a success this year as more than $5,000 was raised for the children’s research hospital.

Approximately 70 cars and 15 bikes were registered in the show, and many more came to Lake Claiborne to admire the many vehicles that seemed to be well taken care of. All together, approximately $12,000 was raised.

“I think we’re going to have over $12,000 to give to St. Jude – that’s without counting pennies,” Rickey Bearden, coordinator of the car show, said. “I thank God for the beautiful day and I want to thank all the people for coming.”

The pennies Bearden collected September 28 from the Claiborne Parish Schools have been sent to Gibsland Bank and Trust in Minden. A total count has not been given yet.

He also wanted to thank Emmett Atkins for the air show, and all who helped make the car and bike show a success. Barbecued chicken and sausage plates made for some good eatin’, and with ice cream for dessert.

Also, a total of $338 was collected for the 50/50 raffle, with Mike Roberts winning half, $169. The other $169 will go straight to St. Jude.

The winners from this year’s St. Jude Car and Bike Show at Lake Claiborne are as follows.

Original up to 1931: First place, Kelsey Miller, 1930 Ford Model A; second place, Doc Miller, 1931 Model A; and third place, Ray Shaw, 1929 Model A.

Antique Original from 1932 to 1940: First place, Mike Deeter, 1940 Chevrolet; second place, Harold Morris, 1940 Ford.

Antique Original from 1941 to 1954: First place, P.D. Weeks, 1954 Ford

All 1955, 1956 and 1957: First place, Kevin Miller, 1955 Chevy; second place, B.D. Hendrick, 1957 Chevy; and third place, Bill Jung, 1955 Belair.

Antique Original from 1958 to 1968: First place, David Walker, 1959 Thunderbird; second place, Stan Huffty, 1962 Mercury Monterey; and third place, Toni Merritt, 1968 Camaro

Antique Original from 1969 to 1980: First place, Tim Smith, 1970 Dodge; second place, J.D. Driskell, Chevy Chevelle.

Original 1981 and up: First place, Roy Tabor, 1999 Plymouth Prowler; second place, Henry Garner, 2005 Wagon; and third place, Gary Anderson, 2004 Chevy Aveo.

Street Rod: First place, Bill Ford, 1933 Ford; second place, W.C. Hirth, 1932 Coupe; and third place, Wendell Brooks, 1915 T-Bucket.

Trucks up to 1989: First place, Bobby Reagan, 1957 Chevy; second place, Earl Coe, 1955 Chevy Cameo; and third place, Henry Lawrence, 1965 Chevy.

Trucks 1990 and up: First place, Josh Heller, 2001 SVT; second place, Roy Tabor, 1993 Chevy; and third place, Bill Nettles, 1990 Toyota

Mustang: First place, Hubert Jones, 2007; second place, Larry and Wanda Carter, 1969 Mach I; and third place, Don Perry, 1966 Mustang

Corvette: First place, Chuck Rinehart, 1966; second place, Bill Rinehart, 1971; and third place, Henry Hammons, 1961.

People’s Choice: Car, Kevin Miller, 1955 Chevrolet Belair; Truck, Marisa Parnell, 1955 Chevy.

Best in Show: Car, Chuck Rinehart, 1966 Corvette; Truck, Bobby Reagan, 1957 Chevy.

In the bikes division, there were several winners there too. They are as follows.

Chopper Manufactured: First place, Tom Theodos

American Custom: First place, Mike Hicks

Foreign Custom, First place, Alex Kline

Antique: First place, Tommy Watson; second place, Steven Christoph

Auto Trike: First place, Moses Johnson; second place, Rick Roberts

Custom Trike: First place, Bobby Gaar

American Custom Touring: First place, Chris Mangum; second place, Donny Jay

Mini-bike: First place, Allie Morgan; second place, Bill Nettles

Foreign Custom Touring: First place, Ricky White; second place, Charlie Cook; and third place, William Johnson.

People’s Choice went to Tom Theodos and Best in Show went to Bobby Gaar.

Homer Police seek info in reference to shooting

The Guardian-Journal

Homer Police are searching for information after a man wound up at Homer Memorial Hospital on Monday, October 1, with a gunshot wound to the leg.

Homer Police were dispatched to the hospital in reference to the gunshot wound. Officer Roger Smith took a statement from Jerman Crew, who said he didn’t know who shot him.

He said he thought the same bullet that hit him in the leg was the one that hit the road as well.

The bullet was removed from his leg and placed into a cup, but it will not be sent to the crime lab. Unfortunately, the lead portion of the bullet that was removed from Crew’s leg will not be analyzed because ballistics has nothing to compare it to. No weapon was found in the Pearl Street area where Crew received the bullet wound. Also, there was no jacket to compare any markings to in order to match it to a weapon.

“He was unable to give us any information on a vehicle, but I think he did tell us it was a black car,” Chief of Police Russell Mills said.

No arrests have been made in this case, but it is still under investigation. Anyone having any information regarding this case is asked to call the Homer Police Department at 327-4000.

In an unrelated incident, the Boys and Girls Club, the Homer Unit, was vandalized on Saturday, October 6. An alarm at the Boys and Girls Club alerted Homer Police, and when Officer Keith Ferguson arrived at the scene, he found pipes at the boilers in the locker room had been removed, flooding the locker room.

Ferguson attempted to turn the water off, to no avail. He called Homer Public Works Supervisor Lee Wells to make him aware of the situation.

Search leads to drug bust

The Guardian-Journal

On October 5, 2007, Deputy Matt Harris of the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Department was on routine patrol on U.S. Hwy. 79, and observed a vehicle traveling north at a high rate of speed.

Upon making contact with the driver, Buffate Ryfalle Coleman, 34 of Heflin, Harris requested the necessary paperwork and questioned Coleman about the possibility of any dangerous weapons or illegal narcotics being concealed on his person or in his vehicle. After receiving permission to search Coleman and the vehicle, Harris found a brown cigar-like object filled with a green vegetable substance, consistent with that of marijuana that fell from Coleman’s right pants leg.

A plastic bag containing a green vegetable substance that was also consistent with that of marijuana was located inside Coleman’s underwear. Coleman was immediately advised of his rights and charged with possession of Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) (marijuana), and speeding, 68 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Deputy Brian Pepper arrived on the scene to assist Harris and the search was completed. Coleman was then transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center and booked on possession of Schedule I CDS (marijuana) with a bond of $500, and the speeding with a bond set at $500.

CERT trainers learn to teach community emergency preparedness, awareness

The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates

Above, instructor Gene Barattini (Not shown) shows different extrication techniques with common household furniture items on how a CERT team can move a victim from the scene to emergency responders. In this picture, Dick Dorrell role plays the victim as Scott Greeson and two other team members lift Dorrell to safety. 

MICHELLE BATES, Editor

Imagine being in a dark room where visibility is zero. A woman is screaming because she is injured from a tornado that passed through her neighborhood. Emergency responders have not yet arrived but the victim is in critical condition.

A CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) team member hears the victim’s cries for help and meets his team in the general vicinity of the home. Once they assess the situation, the team, bracing together under the team leader’s commands, enter the home and head toward the victim’s cries.

They find the woman trapped under debris, and she cannot move her legs. The team again assesses the situation and hurriedly and proficiently remove the debris on top her. Her legs are broken and there is no easy way to get out of the home. So the team pieces together something from the debris around her to lay her on and carry her out. As the team administers basic first aid, they are able to lift her up and carry her out of the room and into an open area where first responders have finally arrived. One CERT team member tells the paramedics all the necessary information, and they are able to treat the woman before taking her to the nearest hospital.

This scenario could happen to anyone and that’s why several people from Claiborne Parish attended a CERT training class held at the Fire Training Institute at Camp Minden this past week. Those who attended this course will soon be able to go out into Claiborne Parish and begin teaching every day citizens how to take care of themselves in an emergency situation before first responders arrive.

Dick Dorrell, a prospective CERT trainer who attended the course, said it was very beneficial, and he hopes that everyone can learn these valuable skills.

“I think every man, woman and child should go through the CERT training,” Dorrell said, “because not only is it being prepared for a national disaster, it’s also preparing for disasters in the home.”

Dorrell said the most important lesson he learned through the course is that people should not try to take care of a disaster unless they are qualified.

Wayne Hatfield, Claiborne Parish director of CERT, said the goal of the training is to make people aware of basic things to do in an emergency situation.

“Our main goal is to educate families on basic first aid, search and rescue, how to give information to authorities – just basic things people never think about,” Hatfield said. “The main thing is to take care of yourself and then take care of your neighborhood.”

Scott Greeson, assistant director of CERT, said the course gave a brief overview of what the trainers will need to know when teaching the course.

“All in all, I thought it was pretty good, because everybody got motivated and wants to learn more,” he said. “It just highlighted everything that we would be teaching and applied some exercises we could use – low budget exercises that won’t cost a lot of money but are still pretty effective teaching tools.”

Within the next couple of weeks, the prospective trainers will get together and set up some goals geared specifically for Claiborne Parish, and hopefully, within six months or so begin teaching seminars/courses in the community.

“Once we get this thing kicked off, we hope to do some drills and let people get some hands on training,” Hatfield said.

Gene Barattini, assistant director of operations and logistics for the Caddo-Bossier Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said this course was not just for emergency responders, but every day citizens.

“These are not firefighters or police,” he said. “They are volunteers that can help themselves, their family and their community in major disasters. These courses build leadership, teamwork and camaraderie – they learn how to trust each other.”

The prospective trainers who attended this course will be meeting on October 29, at 6 p.m. to set goals for teaching the communities in Claiborne Parish and also continue to build the trust that began in the CERT training course.

They hope to begin holding courses/seminars for the general public within six months or so. For more information or to find out how to get involved, call Greeson at 927-9400 or Hatfield, at 927-2961.

Homer bypass closer to reality

MICHELLE BATES, Editor

Construction on the long awaited Homer Bypass could begin as early as Spring 2008, thanks to the approval of $2 million in cash funding by the state.

Dirt work and drainage structures are the first phase of the project, with a total cost of $5 million. The other $3 million of that total $5 million should become available by the start of the new fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2008, according to a letter by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LaDOTD).

State Representative Rick Gallot said this is as far as the project has ever come to becoming reality.

“We have never been as far along as we are now,” Gallot said. “It was always a big splash, but there was nothing to it. When we got to the clearing and grubbing part, it took some work to get it to the point that it is right now. But to have actually have money appropriated for the actual construction is somewhere that we’ve never been.”

J.T. Taylor, president of the Claiborne Chamber of Commerce, said the funding has been long in coming.

“After all these years, we’ve finally reached a point where we’re actually going to get some of the work done,” Taylor said. “Some of the promises have been fulfilled.”

The $2 million in funding that has just been approved will fund the first phase of the project, the construction phase.

“The funding was just approved this year for the construction phase,” Gallot said. “We funded all the preliminary work of buying the right-of-ways, moving the utilities, and clearing and grubbing and that’s where it stopped.”

He said that even though the money was appropriated in the Louisiana Legislature, the next step in the process is going before the Bond Commission to get the line of credit for the money.

“At this point, we’ve got the first $2 million of the $18 (million) approved,” he said, “so now they will begin the process of dirt, embankment and culvert work.”

The total for the entire project will cost $18 million, but that money will not come in one lump sum.

“Even though it’s an $18 million project, they couldn’t spend $18 million between now and June 30 just because of the size of the project,” Gallot said. “So, as the money is needed, we’ll continue to go back to the Bond Commission to get those incremental approvals that we need.

“So the $2 million that has been approved will be enough to get us through the end of the fiscal year,” he continued. “Work will be continuing from now on, and as money is needed, we’ll go back before the Bond Commission to get additional approvals.”

The dirt work, embankment and culvert work will actually be done by the LaDOTD, “in-house,” Gallot said.

“The next phase, Phase 2, will be done in house too, in order to save money,” said Taylor. “John Sanders (DOTD District Administrator) is a good friend and trying to help any way he can, and he’s doing this in order to get farther along with the money.”

The Homer Bypass has been delayed time and time again in the last several years and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco budgeted the project in the state budget a few years ago, getting the ball rolling. Gallot has spent much time working to get the project started, and actual construction is set to begin in late spring.

Silhouettes to be displayed in recognition of

‘Domestic Abuse Awareness Month’

The Guardian-Journal

In recognition of October as “Domestic Abuse Awareness Month,” life-sized silhouettes will be displayed on the Courthouse Square the week of October 22-26.

The silhouettes represent women and children killed by a loved one during the past several years within the 5-parish area served by the local DART (Domestic Awareness Resistance Team) office.

Mary Ellen Gamble, Rural Advocate for Claiborne Parish DART, asks that area churches designate Sunday, October 21, as “Domestic Abuse Awareness Day in Claiborne Parish” and remember victims during their services. “While we cannot change the past, we certainly have a responsibility as Christians to work together to change the present,” Gamble comments.

She continues, “There are definite actions we can take to combat domestic abuse. For example, it is not a private matter. Domestic abuse is a crime that affects everyone in our society. We must take a stand and let abusers know that his or her behavior will not be tolerated in our community.”

Gamble adds, “The overwhelming majority of people say they would help stop domestic violence if they just knew what to do.” She says the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence offers the following “10 Things You Can Do to Stop Domestic Violence”:

1. Listen to anyone who tells you they are in an abusive relationship, believe them, and give them referral information.

2. Call the police if you see or hear domestic violence in your community.

3. Contact your local domestic violence program for more information on how you can help.

4. Talk to your legislator about supporting legislation that may help battered women and children.

5. Schedule a training at your office, church, civic association, etc., to learn more about domestic violence and child victimization.

6. Volunteer your time to a domestic violence program.

7. Donate money to help support programs that provide help to women and participate in fundraisers held by domestic violence programs.

8. Think about the way that society accepts the use of violence by men to control women’s behavior. Re-examine your personal attitudes about it.

9. Check to see if your place of employment has a protocol for domestic violence situations. Encourage them to develop one if they do not.

10. Hold batterers accountable. Let them know that the community condemns this behavior.

Brochures and domestic abuse information are available at the Claiborne Parish DART office. Anyone interested in “Domestic Abuse Awareness Month” activities should contact Gamble for more information and suggestions at 927-2818. She also reminds those who may need help to call the office. DART is a confidential agency that strictly protects the privacy of all callers. (submitted by Mary Ellen Gamble)

Some Facts About Domestic Abuse

* Every 9 seconds a woman is battered in the United States.

* Women represent 95% of all victims of domestic abuse.

* Domestic violence is the single major cause of injury to women, more than muggings and car accidents combined.

* Domestic violence causes 30% of women’s disabilities.

* 50% of all women murdered in the United States are killed by a spouse or an acquaintance.

* Domestic violence, the most under-reported crime, occurs in 60% of marriages.

* 90% of women report that their children were present when they were beaten.

* 25-30% of adolescent relationships are abusive.

* As few as 5% of domestic violence victims are identified as such in emergency department records.

* Employers lose $3-5 billion a year due to absenteeism resulting from domestic abuse.

* Domestic violence is growing and—IT IS A CRIME!

(For more information or for help, contact Mary Ellen Gamble at 927-2818 or the 24-hour confidential crisis line at 888-411-1333.)

Haynesville Boys and Girls Club

gets new fence in honor of Malone

Submitted photo

Pictured above are (L to R) Mae Williams, former Director and Board of Directors member; Executive Director Adam Collins; Representative Rick Gallot and Roderick Hampton along with a small portion of the children who can now play at the Haynesville unit within the safe boundaries of the new fence.

The Guardian-Journal

Representative Rick Gallot, District 11 was invited by the Boys & Girls Club of Claiborne Parish, Haynesville Unit, to dedicate the new fence surrounding the playground in memory of Karl Malone’s mother, Shirley Malone. The purchase of the fence was made possible due to a large donation made by Malone. His mother  volunteered at the Haynesville Unit before she passed away.

Rick Gallot has secured a $25,000 grant for each Claiborne Unit for the last three years ($150,000 total), which has been an enormous factor in meeting the operating expenses and allows them to utilize donations for other things like this fence. Gene Coleman said he has been concerned since the establishment of the Haynesville Unit for the children’s safety being located on a major highway and it has been a pet project of his and James Ridley, Project Manager and former Director and President of the Board of Directors.

“We feel like it’s going to be a much safer environment for these kids,” Coleman said. “For the last four or five years, there’s been a fear that one of those kids would get out there and chase a ball or something and get hurt.”

Coleman also wanted to put emphasis on the accomplishments of this unit’s after school program – a major improvement has been in the increase in the GPA of a majority of the members.

Executive Director Adam Collins (second from left) and Mr. Coleman expressed their appreciation to Mr. Gallot’s interest and commitment to the after school program and to compliment the Mayor and Council members on their devotion to the Unit.

“We wanted something that would be appropriate and look attractive as you come into town,” Coleman said.

The National Boys & Girls Club has shown their approval of the work done by the Claiborne Club and there is a chance that they will be offering some additional funding to involve an additional 100 children, but a larger facility is needed to meet that many members.

Lake Claiborne: Cleanup is a success

(Editor’s Note: The following article was inadvertently omitted from last week’s issue of The Guardian-Journal.)

Volunteers toured Lake Claiborne on September 15 to assess the lake and its needs in preparation for Keep Claiborne Beautiful's Lake Clean-Up Day later in the month and for the Watershed District's planning meeting in December.

During the tour Dr. Robert Haynes, newly-appointed Watershed District Commissioner, pointed out aquatic vegetation and discussed the most invasive types that are becoming a problem on many area lakes. Such vegetation has not yet appeared on Lake Claiborne.

For the most part, the lake’s vegetation benefits both fish and wildlife.  With a few exceptions, lake properties appeared in good repair. Not much litter was evident along the shoreline, indicating the residents’ pride in the local environment.

The tour and refreshments were provided courtesy of Bob Robinson.

Keep Claiborne Beautiful partnered with the Watershed District on September 29 and hosted its first Lake Claiborne Clean-Up Day. Volunteers from all over the parish cleaned up neighborhoods, public boat landings, the dam, and other public land areas. Around the lake were volunteers in their personal water crafts picking up litter along the shore.

Everyone’s hard work was rewarded with a barbeque at Pleasure Point, courtesy of Russell Mills, Don McCalman, and the Watershed District.

The clean-up paralleled National Public Lands Day, a day set aside to encourage volunteers to preserve and protect America's national treasures. (Submitted by Lauren Tichenor)

Lions club gets update on sheriff’s department

MICHELLE BATES, Editor

Lion Ken Bailey was the special guest speaker at the regular Lions Club meeting held September 27, speaking to the club about many of the changes and upgrades in the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Department.

Because of recent events in the last six years – specifically the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – the State of Louisiana received funding to upgrade several departments, mainly offices of emergency responders.

“More importantly, monies came to Claiborne Parish,” Bailey said. “I sent a deputy down in August of ’05, and when he got back, I asked him, ‘What was the main thing that irritated you?’, and he said, ‘Communications.’”

Because of the communications problem in New Orleans, Bailey said his department, in conjunction with the Office of Homeland Security, took those federal funds and upgraded communications and other areas to keep that from happening here.

“Our dispatch office – if you’ve ever been in there – maybe in 1977 it was fine, but this is 2007,” Bailey said. “We’ve remodeled that whole dispatch center. We are updated; we’re up there with everybody. We went from the bottom to the top with about $400,000 worth of monies, $300,000 of which was federal monies.”

Approximately $50,000 of that came from the sheriff’s fund and the police jury fund.

“It was crowded in there,” he said. “We actually had five boxes (caller ID boxes) stacked on top of each other, and it was just outdated. We did what no other parishes had tried to do, and that was to take our dispatch office and make it more convenient for everybody.”

He said nothing in the old office was kept, everything was replaced.

Right now, the sheriff’s department is in the process of acquiring GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which will allow them to track.

“Within six to eight months, when a cell phone is being used to call 911, we’re going to be able to know where it is,” Bailey said. “Right now, we don’t. It may hit Webster Parish. They may be in Claiborne Parish calling, saying, ‘Hey, we have a crash out here,’ but it may go to Bienville, it may go to Webster or it may go to Lincoln. Well, that doesn’t do us any good.”

Another advantage to the GPS technology is that if someone gets lost in the woods, all they have to do is leave their cell phone on, and deputies will be able to track them within 20 feet of their location.

Another upgrade he mentioned is the new alert towers in Homer and Haynesville. He explained how they work and the different alarms for each alert. He said the alert for severe weather is a long air horn sound, but the alert for a terrorist attack has not been used yet.

“We haven’t used the terrorist (attack) sound, and let’s hope and pray that we don’t have to use that one,” he said. “It goes off for three minutes, and it is loud.”

He said the good thing is that the person in the office can shut it down if need be, for example, if the alert is a false alarm.

There are also three flat-screen televisions in the dispatch center, of which one stays on The Weather Channel, so they can keep a close eye on what’s going on in our area.

“It’s an exciting time in Claiborne Parish, and I promise you, what we have done in the parish has not gone unnoticed,” he said. “Richland Parish, Bienville Parish, Webster Parish and Lincoln Parish are wanting to know how we did it. In fact, Webster Parish is modeling theirs (dispatch center) after us.”

Through these grants, the sheriff’s department has also installed laptops in all patrol cars so that deputies can now run license plates and obtain information on a driver without going through the dispatch center.

“It takes a lot of work off the dispatcher,” he said. “We can work our car crashes inside our cars with our computer…it’s definitely time-saving on stuff like that.”

Video cameras have also been installed in the cars, he said. Every time the bar lights are turned on, the camera automatically comes on and records the entire transaction from the time they are turned on until they are turned off.

“That is a big thing now, because everybody is lawsuit happy now,” Bailey said. “I’m real proud to have video cams in the cars.”

He also spoke of other things that have been updated within the Sheriff’s Department, including certifying some of his deputies in the use of a taser. He said that in order for a law enforcement officer to be certified, not only does he have to learn how to use it, he must also be tased himself – and the taser is very painful.

For more information on updates in the Sheriff’s Department or to go by and check it out, call 927-2011.

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