Haynesville man indicted on drug charges
The Guardian-Journal
A Haynesville man was arrested on a warrant after a grand
jury indicted him for distribution.
Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey announced that on
Wednesday, March 5, Claiborne Narcotic Enforcement Team (CNET); the Haynesville
Police Department and the Louisiana State Police personnel served an arrest
warrant in the 2000 block of Gary Lane in Haynesville. The target for this
arrest was Bruce A. Jackson.
On December 19, 2007, Jackson was indicted by a Claiborne
Parish Grand Jury for one count of distribution of schedule II CDS (cocaine) as
part of an ongoing investigation by CNET. Bailey and Haynesville Police Chief
Anthony Smith advised that CNET and assisting personnel conducted surveillance
on Jackson’s residence and waited for him to leave on Wednesday morning.
When Jackson left his residence in a 1993 Chevy Suburban
and headed west toward Dailey, officers attempted to block both ends of the street
with marked police cars. However, Jackson managed to get around the road block
and fled north on Dailey, with Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Harris and CNET Agent
James Spillers in pursuit.
Harris was right behind Jackson when he (Harris) observed
Jackson throw an off-white colored package out of the driver’s side window as
Jackson turned into the back entrance of Mill Street Apartments. Jackson fled through the apartments and then circled back to Dailey and then back to Gary Lane were deputies were able to force him to stop.
Once Jackson was stopped, he was arrested without further
incident. Harris and Spillers immediately went to the area where Jackson threw the package from his vehicle and recovered a clear plastic bag that
contained approximately 34.5 grams of crack cocaine.
In addition to the warrant for distribution of schedule
II CDS (cocaine), Jackson was also charged with aggravated flight from an
officer, failure to signal (3 counts), disobey stop sign (3 counts) and
possession of a schedule II CDS (cocaine) over 28 grams. Jackson was booked
into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center with bond to be set.
Bailey encourages the public to notify area law
enforcement agencies of any suspicious or illegal activity that is going on in
their neighborhoods. Concerned citizens can call CNET at 318-927-9800; the
Louisiana State Police at 318-676-3200; the Homer Police Department at
318-927-4000; the Haynesville Police Department at 318-624-1355; or the
Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-927-2011.
Any and all information is considered confidential and is
greatly appreciated.
It’s snowing...in March?
Pictured top, this was the scene at Homer High School just before the kids were allowed to go home and play in the snow. Middle
is an old farm shed off Lyons Hill Road that could have come from a magazine
with its picturesque farmhouse look. Bottom is a snow man Trey and Katelyn
Butler had fun making. They are the children of Eddie and Kim Butler of Homer.
The Guardian-Journal
You got it! Claiborne Parish saw snow Friday, March 7,
and lots of it.
It brought the usual couple of fender-benders, and
schools closed early. Snow is always a big deal here.
Nick Fillo with the National Weather Service in Shreveport stated that a “strong low pressure system” was responsible and explained that
rain would have been typical for the parish at this time of the year, but “a
low pressure system changed the rain to sleet, then snow.”
Fillo stated on Friday that the snow was likely to melt
quickly because “the ground temperature at the Shreveport Airport this morning
is 54o, much too warm for snow to stay.”
-0-0-0-
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us
up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only
different kinds of good weather.—John Ruskin, 1819-1900
Stop leads to drug bust
The Guardian-Journal
A vehicle search by a Haynesville K-9 officer has led to
arrest of an Arkansas man on several drug charges.
Sheriff Ken Bailey announced that during the early
morning hours of Thursday, March 6, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Matt
Harris observed a 1999 Chevy Tahoe cross the center line more than once as it
traveled north on U.S. Hwy. 79 between Homer and Haynesville. Harris initiated
a traffic stop of the vehicle and made contact with the driver, William Robert
Gantt IV, of Magnolia, Ark.
Upon contact with the driver, Harris advised Gantt of why
he was stopped and requested a driver’s license, vehicle registration and proof
of insurance. Gantt immediately started pleading with Harris to let him go.
Harris then followed Gantt to Gantt’s vehicle for the proper paperwork, and
while standing next to Gantt’s vehicle, he detected an odor associated with
illegal drug use.
The deputy asked Gantt about this odor and Gantt stated
that he didn’t have anything. Harris then asked for permission to search the
vehicle and Gantt quickly answered no. Harris then contacted Haynesville Police
Officer Tim Cox and requested the assistance of him and his K-9 partner.
Upon arrival, Cox and his K-9, an exterior search of the
vehicle was conducted. This search resulted in the K-9 giving a positive
response to the presence of narcotic odor emitting from the vehicle. At this
time, Harris was forced to place Gantt into investigative detention, because
Gantt had become agitated and was still refusing to let the officers search his
vehicle.
During the search of Gantt’s vehicle, officers located
two firearms and one firearm replica, ammunition, drug paraphernalia, weighing
scales, documents and several small plastic bags that contained suspected
methamphetamine.
Gantt was then placed under arrest and later booked into
the Claiborne Parish Detention Center. He was charged with possession of
schedule II CDS (methamphetamine) with intent to distribute, possession of drug
paraphernalia, possession of a firearm during the commission of a drug felony,
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and improper lane usage. He was
booked with bond to be set.
Bailey encourages the public to notify area law
enforcement agencies of any suspicious or illegal activity that is going on in
their neighborhoods. Concerned citizens can call CNET at 318-927-9800; the
Louisiana State Police at 318-676-3200; the Homer Police Department at
318-927-4000; the Haynesville Police Department at 318-624-1355; or the
Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-927-2011.
Any and all information is considered confidential and is
greatly appreciated.
CPSB to discuss Pineview
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The Claiborne Parish School Board will meet at 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 25, to discuss the issue of whether to close Pineview School.
In this meeting, the school board is set to discuss the
40-year-old litigation suit regarding its non-status as a unitary school
system.
The federal case, Yvornia DeCarol Banks and the United States versus the Claiborne Parish School Board, is a desegregation case that began
in August 1965 regarding Pineview School in Lisbon, which is considered to be
an “all black” school.
The suit was filed for desegregation of schools, in which
the school board was issued a permanent injunction restraining the school board
from operating its school system under the dual school system (white system and
black system).
The big issue is the low attendance of Pineview School, which the Justice Department deems “problematic.”
To complicate matters, said School Board Attorney Bob
Hammonds, Claiborne Parish is under a 1970 court order to desegregate the schools,
because Pineview’s student population is “all black.” Summerfield, on the other
hand, he said, is 70 percent white and 30 percent black — today. When this
court order was issued, Summerfield was approximately 70 percent black and 30
percent white.
Hammonds, of Hammonds and Sills Law Firm, will be on hand to
answer any questions the board may have regarding Pineview.
“They have a number of options,” Hammonds said, “closing
Pineview being one of them. I think it’s the one that’s been talked about the most,
but it’s certainly not the only option that’s available to them.
“They have to do something,” he continued. “I think
everybody recognizes that something has to be done.”
One option is to pair the schools and send the students
in both directions to try to utilize both schools, or the board could rezone
the districts.
Another option Hammonds mentioned is that Pineview could
try to implement programs at the school to attract students there, but the
program would have to be really successful. The board could also look at
rezoning all of the school districts to try to put more kids into Pineview, but
it would have a ripple effect on all the other schools as well.
“There are a number of different things that you can
try,” he said. “It’s pretty clear to me that the simplest and most straight
forward would be to close that school and reassign those children because
there’s such a small number involved. But, again, that’s a decision that will
ultimately have to be made by the school board.”
A public hearing was held in October 2007 in order to
hear the concerns and wishes of the citizens who live in the Pineview district
and have children who attend school there. The issue has been a hot topic for
many years, but it has now come down to the wire.
The Justice Department has given the school board an
ultimatum, stating that if the board does not make a decision that will bring
it into compliance with a 1970 desegregation court order, then by the fall of
this year, it will make the decision for them.
Several suggestions were made at the public hearing in
October, but a common issue raised was the fact that the information they were
being given was inaccurate in that the attendance at Pineview was not a true
representation of the number of students who live in the school district. Many
of the children attend other schools, mainly Homer schools and Summerfield.
The meeting will be open to the public.
Why did Jesus allow Himself to be nailed
to the Cross?
WILLIE YOUNG SR., New Hope Baptist Church
Editor’s Note: In celebration
of the Easter season, this is the second installment of a series of articles
leading up to the special holiday. This week, the Rev. Willie Young Sr., pastor
of New Hope Baptist Church in Homer, focuses on Christ’s crucifixion, the
moments of His final hours on Earth at Golgatha, the place of the skull.
One of the most amazing facts in the history of any
religion of mankind is the death of the Son of God. The distinguishing fact of
Christianity is knowing that God took the initiative in reconciling men to
Himself.
Romans 5:8 says, “God commandeth his Love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Let us recount the important hours in the life of Jesus
before His death on the cross (Matthew 26:36-41). It is close to the Master’s
last night on earth. For 33 years, He has walked the dusty plains and trails of
Jerusalem. Now He feels the beckon of a Garden called Gethsemane. This word Gethsemane means “an olive press.” It’s a quiet and secluded garden. In it are quite a
number of olive trees.
The hour of awful suffering was at hand for Jesus. The
burden was so heavy that Jesus must be alone with His Father for a while (v.
36). Jesus, reaching the gate, told His disciples to tarry hear until I go
yonder and pray (v. 37-38). He said to Peter, James and John, “Come and go with
Me a little further.”
They went with Him and Jesus is there. He began to
express His soul, being exceedingly sorrowful even until death. Commanding the
three to abide there and watch, Jesus Himself went on “a little further and
fell on His face and prayed.”
Jesus was alone. He was to face tragedy, and He must do
it alone. He needed the companionship of His close friends, and they went with
Him part of the way. So, Jesus told them to watch while He went a little further
to pray.
As He suffered, his three friends weary in body, fell
asleep. You see, for three years, His disciples had been dependant on Him. And
now in Gethsemane, He evidently needed something from them, but they failed
Him.
Jesus prayed in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, nevertheless, “not My will, but as Thou will be done.” Have you ever been mistaken
of being stronger than you really are? Do you have anyone in your life who is
looking to you, and every now and then, you look around and there is no one for
you?
Jesus is in the garden, more medicine in the hem of His
garment than all the drug stores in Homer. Let me tell you something, sometimes
it is easier to deal with other people’s problems than it is to deal with your
own.
It looks like this is the predicament in which the Master
finds Himself. He is in the garden; He is in the Lily of the Valley; He’s the
bright and morning star, He is bread when you are hungry; He’s the water when
you’re thirsty; He’s the Alpha and the Omega; He’s joy in the midst of a storm.
But Jesus was human also. The Master is in the garden and
says, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful.” What do you do when your hero is in
need? What do you do when the one that has been the supplier of your strength
is all of a sudden looking for strength?
Jesus felt the weight of the load of suffering upon Him,
and He would like this burden to be taken away. But His submission to the will
of the Father was greater than His desire to be relieved of the cup that was
before Him.
The divine nature in Jesus overshadowed His human nature.
He received divine help; He received a prompt answer to His prayers. It was not
the removal of the cup, but He was given strength by an angel that was
dispatched from Heaven to give Him aid at this trying time. Jesus prayed and He
was given the strength to go on. He needed strength because He knew that Judas
would betray Him for 30 pieces of silver. He was brought before Caiphas and the
Sanhedrin, Peter denied Him.
The Sanhedrin bound Jesus and delivered Him to Pilate,
Pilate sent Him to Herod. Jesus was again sent to Pilate and Pilate said, “What
shall I do then with Jesus which is called the Christ?”
The people cried out, “Crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:26). The
soldiers stripped Jesus, put a scarlet robe on Him, placed a crown of thorns on
His head, mocked Him and was spit upon. The robe was taken off and they put His
own raiment on Him and nailed Him to the cross.
But it was not the nails that held Him to the cross. It
was His love.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life,” (John 3:16).
Love is given freely. When you love, sometimes you have
to give until it hurts. Love is God’s deep and abiding concern for man. Love separates
us from the world. It was not the nails that held Him to the cross, it was His
love.
He hung there from the sixth to the ninth hour. He never
said a mumbling word. He died and was buried in a tomb – a tomb that no man
could open. But early one Sunday morning, He rose with all power in His hands.
Our Savior was and still is too loving and too forgiving to be a dead God. He
served, He sacrificed and He surrendered.
SART to help sexual assault victims
Pictured from left to right are Doug
Efferson, administrator of Homer Memorial Hospital; Haynesville Police Chief
Anthony Smith; Homer Police Chief Russell Mills; Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s
Deputy Donna McCarty and Sheriff Ken Bailey.
The Guardian-Journal
Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey is pleased to
announce the implementation of a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) in our
area.
The purpose of SART is to provide victims of sexual
assault with sensitive, efficient, multi-disciplinary services. The Claiborne
Parish Sheriff’s Office has been working diligently with other agencies in our
area to comprise the program that would be the most beneficial for our
citizens. Bailey believes SART is that program.
SART represents a team of dedicated people who wish to
offer services that can truly make a difference to victims of sexual assault.
Doug Efferson, administrator of Homer Memorial Hospital, Homer Police Chief Russell Mills, Haynesville Police Chief Anthony Smith,
the District Attorney’s Office and the Coroner’s Office have joined Bailey in
becoming members of SART. Homer Memorial Hospital, the Homer Police Department,
the Haynesville Police Department and the Claiborne Parish sheriff’s Office
have signed contracts with the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners of Louisiana,
Inc., (SANE).
Sane nurses are trained specifically to provide forensic
medical examinations that are an essential part of securing favorable results
in a court of law. The SANE organization is based in Shreveport, and has staff
that will be available to do examinations at Homer Memorial Hospital. The hospital staff will work with the SANE representatives to secure vital evidence
for the protection of the victim. This is made possible through the efforts of
Efferson and the physicians serving at the hospital.
Mills, Smith and Bailey, with their respective officers,
will work with the hospital and SANE representatives to protect and utilize
evidence obtained in these cases. Victims are encouraged to contact the
appropriate law enforcement agency as soon as possible. Once a sexual assault
has been reported, law enforcement will strive to provide essential information
to aid the District Attorney’s office in the prosecution phase of the case.
The Claiborne Sexual Assault Response Team recognizes the
devastating impact of sexual assault and that the decision to make a formal
complaint is often a difficult one. Victims are encouraged to talk with family,
friends and professionally trained counselors to assist in this decision. The
members of SART want victims to know that they can contact law enforcement
without fear of losing anonymity. The first priority of SART is the victim’s
physical and emotional health.
While it is hoped that all victims will report sexual
assault to law enforcement for pursuing prosecution of the case, Louisiana law provides that adult victims of sexual assault may be able to receive
assistance without formally reporting the crime. This service is provided by
the Crime Victim’s Program of the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office. Through
this program, we are able to ensure that victims receive necessary medical
treatment, as well as counseling. Any person who has been sexually assaulted
may contact Claims Investigator, Deputy Donna McCarty at 318-927-9800.
“It is our desire to work together to bring the most
effective outcome possible to these cases,” said Bailey. “The safety and
well-being of Claiborne Parish citizens is always our primary concern. The
development of SART for Claiborne Parish is another step in providing a safe
environment for our citizens.”
Claiborne Parish says farewell
The citizens of Claiborne Parish gathered at the Police
Jury complex Tuesday to wish Americorps Vista worker Lauren Tichenor farewell.
She received many gifts, including this bouquet of flowers pictured here. She
was also presented with a resolution from Rep. Rick Gallot and the Louisiana
House of Representatives honoring her hard work and dedication to bringing the
parish together on many projects throughout her year here.
“This has been the best year of my life,” Tichenor said.
“I want to thank you for welcoming me with open arms and making me a part of
your community.”
Tichenor is planning to move to Baton Rouge to take a
civil service position with the State of Louisiana.
Third annual benefit bass tourney to be
held March 22 for ‘Chic’ Ceccarelli
The Guardian-Journal
Fred Smith & Sons is sponsoring the third annual
Benefit Bass Tournament for Don “Chic” Ceccarelli on Saturday, March 22, to
raise money to help Chic with his medical expenses and physical needs.
Fred Smith & Sons is asking for donations on money or
merchandise. Any donation to help our friend and make our tournament a success
will be greatly appreciated. All cash donations will go to Chic.
For those who make donations by check, please make them
payable to Claiborne Bass Busters. All donations are tax deductible. Please use
Claiborne Bass Buster Tax ID Number 27-0055367.
Merchandise donations should be taken to KRC Customs or
Fred Smith & Sons.
The tournament will be held at Pleasure Point, beginning
at safe daylight until 3 p.m. Registration will begin at 5:30 a.m. until blast off. For those who wish to register early, please go by Fred Smith and Sons.
Registration is $72 per boat.
Fish plates will be sold for $7 per plate beginning at 2 p.m.
First place will receive $500 cash guaranteed, and big
bass will be paid in cash also. Second, third and subsequent places will
receive prizes as well.
Ceccarelli was injured in a boating accident on the Red River on July 9, 2005, while participating in a bass tournament. He suffered several
broken bones in his neck and back, spending four months in the hospital.
Chic was able to come home in November, but has very
limited mobility. He requires both physical and occupational therapy several
times a week.
He also had to purchase a new handicapped accessible van
and required modifications to his home.
Ceccarelli was a law enforcement officer in Claiborne
Parish after 25 years of dedicated service and was a volunteer firefighter for
the Homer Fire Department for 23 years. He served as Claiborne Parish Sheriff
following the retirement of Sheriff J. R. “Snap” Oakes and one term on the
Homer Town Council in the 1990s.
Chic was an avid outdoorsman – hunting and fishing were
his favorite.
On March 22, Fred Smith & Sons hope to help make a
difference in Chic’s life.
For more information, call Chris Bailey at 318-433-0565;
Ken Heard at 318-927-3999; or Waylen Smith at 318-927-9416.
Homer Elementary celebrates Dr. Seuss
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
The children at Homer Elementary enjoy
story time as they celebrate the 50th anniversary book celebration.
The Guardian-Journal
Homer Elementary School celebrated the birthday and 50-year anniversary book
celebration of Dr. Seuss, the famous author of the children’s favorite “The Cat
in the Hat.”
Mrs. Harris, Homer Elementary’s librarian, came to school
Thursday, March 6, ready to celebrate, dressed as the famous character, “the
Cat in the Hat.” In all of her library classes, the children enjoyed all sorts
of stories from Dr. Seuss, including other children’s favorites “Green Eggs and
Ham,” and “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.”
Theodor Seuss Geisel, the famous Dr. Seuss, was born in Springfield, Mass., on March 2, 1904. He is the son of Theodor Robert and Henrietta Seuss
Geisel. He grew up in Springfield and attended Oxford University in England where he met is first wife, Helen Palmer, dropping out to tour Europe instead.
He got his start as a children’s author and cartoonist
with the Viking Press, who offered him a contract to illustrate a collection of
children’s sayings called, “The Boners.” The book was not much of a success,
but his illustrations received rave reviews.
The first book he wrote and illustrated was “And to Think
That I Saw it on Mulberry Street.” According to his biography from
www.catinthehat.org, the book was rejected 27 times before it was published.
“The Cat in the Hat” is probably Dr. Seuss’ defining book
of his career, and it was developed as a joint venture between two publishing
companies, the Vanguard Press and Random House.
Dr. Seuss passed away in September 1991, but he left a
lasting legacy in children’s books, with 44 written and illustrated books.
Those favorites include “Green Eggs and Ham,” “Oh, the Places You’ll Go,” “Fox
in Socks,” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” According to the website, his
books have been translated into more than 15 languages and more than 200
million copies have been sold.
He was the recipient of two Academy awards, two Emmy
awards, a Peabody award and the Pulitzer Prize.
To his accomplishments, his books have spurred 11
children’s television specials, a Broadway musical and a feature-length motion
picture.
Haynesville joins Great American Cleanup
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Haynesville is cleaning up.
Although the town is already working diligently to keep
Haynesville clean, Lauren Tichenor, of Americorps Vista, spoke to the council
about the Great American Cleanup set for this April.
She gave an update on Keep Claiborne Beautiful (KCB) in
that it is currently applying for 501c3 status, making it a nonprofit
organization, and she talked about its affiliation with Keep America Beautiful,
which is sponsoring the Great American Cleanup.
“In order to spark the most interest in the competition,
we thought it would be a good idea to have a competition between Homer and
Haynesville,” Tichenor said. “The cleanup is two weekends, April 19 through
April 27.”
The route has to include a hospital, a park, a school and
a library. The route will begin just south of Haynesville on Hwy. 79 and come
through town, going right on Main Street, she said.
“We’re working with different members of Haynesville,
church groups, social clubs and asking the town also to take different sections
of that route,” she said. “In the past, it’s worked better, where different
groups take different areas and focus on that area and clean it up.”
The Haynesville Lions Club has committed to taking a
section of the route, she said, specifically Veterans Park.
Interim Mayor Sherman Brown said that Haynesville has
already begun its cleanup campaign, beginning with City Hall. Several areas
around City Hall have been cleaned up, and a group known as Crew 10 will be
responsible for several areas around town to maintain. The town crews will be
working within the residential areas.
“We’ve already begun our cleanup campaign, and Hwy. 79
was number one on that list,” Brown said. “So now that we know the route (of
the Great American Cleanup), we’ll be sure to keep it cleaned up.”
In other council news, the town has received only one bid
for replacing the leaking water tank. The bid was for $48,000, but the grant
they received was only $35,000. The town will owe $13,000 plus the cost of
removing the old one. The money to cover the remaining cost will come from the
town’s savings.
John Wesley Cooper, a member of the Claiborne Chamber of
Commerce, gave an update, stating that the chamber banquet held in January
raised a gross total of $24,000, netting $15,000. Also, he said, the chamber
has a new president, CPA Steve Koskie. J. T. Taylor stepped down, taking the
position of vice president.
Cooper said the issue of assisted living apartments in
Claiborne Parish has been mentioned to him several times. They intend to
conduct a fact-finding tour to see what can be done to get them.
This Film by Michael Haynes Productions was created in conjunction with 
