Homer police chief recall efforts begin
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
A
former Homer police officer’s brother is setting in motion efforts to recall
Homer Police Chief Russell Mills.
Wayne
Rayburn, brother of former Homer police officer Mike Rayburn, said he wants the
recall in connection to circumstances surrounding his brother’s former
position.
From
here on in the story for purposes of clarification, Wayne Rayburn will be
referred to as “W. Rayburn” and Mike Rayburn will be referred to as “M.
Rayburn.”
“Normally,
I don’t get involved in politics at all,” said W. Rayburn, “but after this
situation with my brother, all we have is Russell’s (Mills) side of the story.
Some of it just doesn’t make sense.”
These
efforts come in the wake of an incident that took place Tuesday, May 19.
According to reports, on that day, M. Rayburn and Chief Mills had words
regarding the officer’s conduct. Later that morning, M. Rayburn barricaded
himself inside his home and caused a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“They
(M. Rayburn and his wife) were having marital problems — they were split up and
she was seeing somebody,” W. Rayburn said. “There’s just a whole lot of truth
that’s got to be found, and I want to find it.”
M.
Rayburn remains in the Intensive Care Unit at LSU Health Sciences Center. According to W. Rayburn, his brother is “slowly but surely making some progress.”
“He’s
in ICU, and he’s still in kind of a coma state,” W. Rayburn said. “The doctors
think he’s trying to wake up. If he continues to make progress, hopefully we’ll
have Mike back.”
W.
Rayburn also says doctors are attempting to wean M. Rayburn off the ventilator.
“Mike
can’t fight for himself; he can’t put his story out there, so it’s my duty as
his brother to defend him and fight for him,” W. Rayburn said. “I believe the
citizens of Homer deserve a chief that’s going to be fair and impartial. All I
ever wanted from the whole thing was to keep Mike’s medical benefits intact.
There’s been several different stories reported – one saying that Mike quit and
one saying that Russell terminated him. The town attorney said he was
terminated and the mayor said it had to go before the board of selectman (town
council). That’s why I went to the meeting on the first (Homer’s Town Council
meeting on June 1) to find out what their deal is.”
Mills
contends that M. Rayburn quit, but said that under the circumstances, the
officer was also terminated for insubordination and breaking policies and
procedures as well as police protocol.
“Regardless
of whether he quit or was terminated, he separated himself from employment when
he left his post as a police officer,” Mills said. “He left his shift; he left
while on duty without authorization and that’s grounds for immediate
termination.”
Reportedly,
on the day of the shooting, M. Rayburn pulled over an ambulance, allegedly for
improper lane usage; however, that traffic stop was not recorded.
The
Homer Police Department recently purchased video microphones for their portable
radios and officers are now required to record every aspect of a traffic stop.
Once officers exit their patrol units, the video microphones are to be turned
on. Mills says in regards to the traffic stop, M. Rayburn did not turn on his
video microphone, nor did he notify dispatch that he was out on a traffic stop.
According
to Mills, on the day in question, M. Rayburn was called into his office and
when Mills attempted to discuss his conduct, he became very agitated. He said
several attempts were made to calm the officer down, but was unable to do so.
Capt. Donald Malray attempted to calm him as well, but to no avail.
When M.
Rayburn left the Homer police station that fateful day, Mills says he contacted
the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office in an attempt to intercept him before he
made it home in order to get him medical attention. Unfortunately, M. Rayburn
was never stopped. According to police reports, M. Rayburn threatened to kill
himself and anyone who tried to stop him.
“The
events that led up to that day were between Mike and his wife, not between me
and Mike,” Mills said. “When he came into the office after being called, I felt
he already had it in his mind to leave, because I told him that I’d received a
phone call and needed to talk to him in regards to a complaint.”
Mills
said earlier events surrounding this incident indicated that leaving was his
intent.
The
chief said M. Rayburn’s biggest strength was his compassion for other people.
“He
would take longer on anything than the average police officer,” said Mills. “He
went out of his way to help other people. That was Mike. It takes every spoke
on a wheel to make those wheels roll, and Mike was one of those spokes. As far
as I knew, there was no friction between me and Mike other than making him do
things in a timely manner, until that day.”
Mills
said at the time of the incident, M. Rayburn was under a lot of stress.
“He was
having problems at home — he had a lot of stress on him,” he continued. “It’s
just sad that they want to put the blame on me. I had no personal issue with
Mike Rayburn. I feel like I did everything in my power to keep Mike Rayburn
here.”
According
to an article from The Shreveport Times, there were questions as to why M.
Rayburn was allowed to take his service weapon out of the police station that
day. Mills said that all officers’ service weapons are not department issued.
Each officer owns his own service weapon.
In
regards to the recall effort, Mills stated that he and his officers would
continue to do their jobs.
In
order for a recall petition to be considered, the law says that at least 33 and
one third of the voters in the district in which the public officer’s recall is
being sought must be gained. To date, Homer has 2,076 registered voters within
its corporate limits. That means approximately 685 registered voters within
Homer’s corporate limits must sign the petition within 180 days (6 months)
before a recall can even be considered.
The law
states a chairman and vice chairman must be named in order to handle all of the
particulars of the recall petition process. As of press time, W. Rayburn says
that those two positions have not been named. Once those two positions are
named, the petition must be returned to the Secretary of State’s office “prior
to the entering of any signatures on a petition.”
After
all the required, handwritten signatures are obtained, then it must go to the
local Registrar of Voters for verification. Patricia Sanders, Claiborne Parish
Registrar of Voters, said there are several things that must be verified before
it goes to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office including names,
addresses, and whether each person on the petition is a registered voter within
the district of the public officer being recalled.
Once
this takes place, the Secretary of State’s Office will then determine whether
to call an election. According to law, the governor will then “issue a
proclamation ordering an election to be held for the purpose of voting on the
question of the recall of the officer.”
The
election will be ordered on the next available date as specified in R.S.
18:402(F).
Even if
the number of required signatures are obtained, this does not mean that Mills
will be automatically or immediately recalled. An election will be held where
voters will decide to recall or not.
If the
majority of the voters wish to recall Mills, then he is, effective immediately
pending election results, removed from office, where regular vacancy
proceedings will begin.
The
ballot would look something like this: “SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE RECALL OF
(Here state name and title of the officer whose recall is at issue.)” Following
would be two boxes to check, which would read “FOR the Recall…or AGAINST the
Recall.”
According
to R.S. 18:1300.12, “The majority of the votes cast shall determine the result
of the recall election. If the proposition for the recall does not receive a
majority of the votes cast, the effort to recall shall have failed. Votes shall
be tabulated and returns made, declared and promulgated as at a general
election.”
LSP conducts insurance checkpoint
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Louisiana
State Police were in Claiborne Parish Tuesday morning conducting an insurance
checkpoint.
One
driver was arrested after she put her life and others in danger in an attempt
to flee the checkpoint, said Troop G Sgt. Jason Parker, the trooper running the
checkpoint.
Carmesha
George, 22, of Homer, was arrested for reckless operation trying to flee the
checkpoint.
According
to Troop G Spokesman Doug Pierrelee, George made a U-turn before getting to the
checkpoint, traveling at approximately 90 miles per hour. She nearly caused an
accident.
“It’s
unusual for someone to go to that much effort to keep from getting caught for
no insurance,” Pierrelee said.
Once
troopers caught up with her, her vehicle was towed for no insurance.
“She
risked her life and a whole lot of other lives trying to get away from us,”
Parker said. “It was needless.”
Six no
insurance violations, 10 other citations and the arrest were all done within
two hours of the insurance checkpoint.
The six
drivers cited for no insurance had their license plates pulled and a yellow
stickers were put on their back windshield.
Pierrelee
called the checkpoint a success, saying it now gives troopers a better idea of
where they need to concentrate their efforts.
“It was
a success in identifying a target rich environment,” he said. “That area today
held a lot of what we were looking for at that time.”
Pierrelee
said it is not only important to have insurance on a vehicle, it’s the law.
The
Consumer’s Guide to Auto Insurance, from the Louisiana Department of Insurance,
says that Louisiana law “requires that all registered owners of an automobile
carry liability insurance. Uninsured motorists are subject to penalties such as
fines, limited recovery of damages and impoundment of the uninsured vehicle.”
If a
driver cannot provide proof of insurance, their vehicle may be immediately
impounded or their license plate removed. A yellow sticker will then be put on
the back windshield of the vehicle, the guide stated. They have three days to
go to the DMV to show that they had insurance at the time of the stop.
There
are exceptions to those rules, though. Pierrelee said that many times a trooper
will use his judgment – the main thing is to know that drivers are insured.
“We’re
not going to tow a vehicle if the driver has a passenger under 12 years or if
they are handicapped,” he said.
If the
driver is stopped again, then their vehicle will be impounded with towing at
the driver’s expense. The vehicle can be impounded until “proof of insurance is
given and all towing and reinstatement fees are paid.”
For
more information on automobile insurance, there are several places to look for
information. Motorists can go to the Louisiana Department of Insurance website
at www.ldi.state.la.us or to the Louisiana State Police website at www.lsp.org.
Or, drivers may wish to contact their local Department of Motor Vehicles.
Information may also be found at a driver’s automobile insurance company.
Claiborne Fireworks gets donation
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
The Claiborne Parish Boat Parade and
Fireworks show will be held Saturday, July 4. To help ensure this year’s event
is a success, the Homer Lions Club has agreed to make a generous donation on
behalf of Claiborne Parish to Claiborne Fireworks Inc. Pictured above are Lions
Club board members, standing from left, Doug Efferson, Buddy Pixley, Ed
Frankie, Bob Robinson and Dwayne Woodard. Seated are Fred Lewis, left, and Dick
Dorrell, right, representatives of Claiborne Fireworks Inc.
Claiborne
Fireworks Inc., is immensely proud of the local and the extended community
support of our annual Fourth of July celebration.
Please
continue donations and plans to attend the show.
For
donations and/or more information, comments or suggestions, please mail to
Claiborne Fireworks Inc., P.O. Box 181, Homer, LA 71040.
Also
available are the 2009 Fireworks and Boat Parade hats, limited editions, at
Homer Loans for a $15 donation.
For
fireworks information, please contact Fred Lewis at 318-927-9180. For boat show
information, please call Dick Dorrell at Homer Loan and Insurance at
318-927-0039.
Airport repair process begins
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Town of Homer is moving forward with making repairs to the Homer Municipal Airport.
In
June’s regular monthly meeting, the town approved several motions to begin the
process of repairing the airport, where Stallion Oilfield Services’ Heavy
Haulers Division was housed for some time.
The
company has now moved into its new facilities just outside Homer, and the town
is prepared to begin making repairs at its airport.
Unfortunately,
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will not be able to give Homer the
grant they are requesting. Again, it will be given to another municipality in
order to keep Homer from losing the grant all together. In fact, a motion was
approved for an agreement to transfer “entitlement of airport funds to False River Regional Airport.”
Town
Attorney Jim Colvin said he went with a Stallion representative as well as a
representative from the FAA to look at the damage done by Stallion’s heavy
trucks. He said the apron must be repaired before Homer can actually receive
any money from the grant.
This
has been an ongoing issue for the Town of Homer for the last few years. The
grant the town has been trying to obtain will go for running lights to allow
nighttime flight again. Currently, the airport is not within FAA regulations
and has been in violation of those regulations since Stallion housed its
company there.
The two
entities have worked tirelessly to work out the issues.
Also, a
motion by Toney Johnson was approved to award the airport maintenance contract
to JW Menefee Contractors, who came in with the lowest bid of $23,860 per year.
In
other news, diseased and dead trees were a topic of the council meeting.
District 4 Councilwoman Carlette Sanford said there was a tree located at 319 West 3rd Street that needed to be cut and removed.
“If it
splits, it will fall on a house,” she said.
After
some discussion, it was decided that a study needs to be conducted to see what
other trees within the other four districts need to be removed. District 5
Councilwoman Patricia Jenkins said several others need to be cut and removed
from her district as well.
It was
decided that each council member will drive through their district and make a
list of the trees that need to be cut and removed.
The
council also appointed a new mayor pro tempore. The late J.C. Moore, councilman
for District 1, served as mayor pro tempore until his death in mid-March.
District 3 Councilman Toney Johnson was nominated by Sanford, and the vote was
3-2. Jenkins and Wade both voted against Johnson and acting District 1
Councilman Willie Curry, Sanford and Johnson voted in favor.
The
vote was disputed by not only council members, but the general public in
attendance as well, raising the issue of whether the vote was valid. Colvin was
asked to look into this and he gave council members an answer on Tuesday. As
allowed by the Freedom of Information Act, The Guardian-Journal requested his
response, which stated the vote is valid.
“I find
nothing to suggest that the vote taken last night (Monday) in which Toney
Johnson was elected mayor pro tempore of the Town of Homer was anything other
than legal, irrespective of the fact that he voted for himself for that
position,” Colvin said in his response. “This is not unusual in Louisiana public bodies, as my research revealed, and I found nothing that would even
suggest otherwise.”
In his
response, he cited Louisiana Revised Statute 42:1120, which paraphrased, states
that “the only relevant instance in which a council member is required to
abstain from voting is when that council member has a pecuniary or financial
interest in the outcome.”
For the
Town of Homer, he stated, the position of mayor pro tempore does not come with
additional financial compensation. In other words, the council member that
holds that position does not receive additional pay from what the other council
members are paid.
He also
cited the case of Burgess v. City of Baton Rouge from 2006, where an appellate
court upheld that even when additional compensation is due, that council member
can still vote for himself.
Also at
issue was a procedure called “Robert’s Rules of Order.” This is but one set of
procedures a municipality may follow, but Colvin never found anywhere in the
town’s charter, ordinances or state law where the town has adopted this
particular set of procedures.
Also in
council news, the town council approved a motion to budget a yearly maintenance
contract for maintenance on the newly installed generator at the Mayfield Water
plant. Dennis Butcher, director of the Claiborne Parish Office of Homeland
Security, suggested a contract with the manufacturer of the generator for a
yearly total of $810. Butcher also suggested a few other maintenance details to
keep the generator running at optimum capacity in the event of a major power
outage.
The
next town council meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Monday, July 6, in council
chambers, located at the Homer Police Station. For more information, please
call town hall at 927-3555.
Claiborne Chamber auction a success
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
The cake and casserole auction, sponsored
by the Claiborne Chamber of Commerce, was a huge success this year. Pictured at
right are just some of the delicious cakes, pies and casseroles up for auction,
on Wednesday, June 3. Pictured above are the delicious brisket sandwiches
patrons enjoyed before bidding on their favorite treats.
The Guardian-Journal
The
Claiborne Chamber of Commerce’s Cake and Casserole Auction was a huge success.
Feeding
more than 200 people, the auction offered many delectable cakes, casseroles,
homemade bread, cobblers, cookies and other treats to soothe the sweet tooth.
The top
buy of the day was an Irish crème cake, made by Marcia Copeland. Purchased by
Claiborne Electric Coop, it went for $240.
Brisket
sandwiches with all the fixins’ were also available for a $5 donation.
The
chamber wishes to thank the following for their support and donations: Piggly
Wiggly, Upper Crust Catering, Coca-Cola Bottling Co., Brookshire’s Grocery
Company, those who donated cakes, casseroles and other treats for auction and
the Town of Homer for use of City Hall.
“The
event was very successful because of the contributions, the cakes, the
generosity of the buyers and all the donations,” said John Watson, executive
director for the Claiborne Chamber of Commerce. “It was just a fun event, and
if you didn’t come, you missed a treat.”
…but
there’s always next year!
Homer Boys and Girls Club summer program
underway
The
Homer Boys and Girls Club welcomes all youth ages 6-17 to come and participate
in its summer enrichment program.
Activities
that are offered are listed as follows: Keystone Club, recreational activities
such as basketball and gym activities, game room activities such as pool,
dominoes, Mancala and other board games, Teen Center which promotes prevention
for drug awareness, teenage pregnancy and peer pressure, pool day where
participants will go swimming at Mayfield Pool, daily journal, arts and crafts
and girl scouts unit.
Operational
hours are from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Annual
membership is $10, and daily participation fee is $2 per day.
For
more information, please contact Patricia Hobbs at 318-927-2718.
Lake Claiborne one step closer to permanent channel markers
These pilings are just an example of what
will be going into Lake Claiborne to help mark the channels.
The Guardian-Journal
Louisiana
Public Facilities Authority (LPFA) provided a zero percent interest loan to Lake Claiborne to permanently install channel markers along the channels of the lake.
Approximately
200 reflective channel markers will stretch for more than six miles to help
boaters safely navigate the lake. The markers will be pile driven into the
bottom of the lake and will meet United States Coast Guard boating safety
regulations, the LPFA press release stated.
The lake
currently has temporary floating buoys that can sometimes be pushed out of
place by storms, high winds and even boats. This can leave unmarked channels or
falsely marked channels, which are a hazard for boaters, said Phillip Fincher,
Chairman of the Claiborne Parish Watershed District (CPWD).
“The
addition of permanent channel markers will help guide boats throughout the
lake’s waterways and keep them from traveling into or through debris,” Fincher
said. “In the past, we’ve had to purchase the buoys every year and get
volunteers from around the community to install and replace them.”
In
September 2006, the people of Claiborne Parish approved a sales tax dedicated
to the CPWD, giving it a high priority to the installation of permanent channel
markers, according to information provided by CPWD member Alice Stewart.
Over
the course of the last couple of years, the Watershed District has been in the
process of completing all paperwork relevant to the proposed markers, and as of
June 8, they were finally able to advertise for bids to begin the project.
The
CPWD has currently borrowed $300,000, in which the bulk of the funds were
obtained though Iberia Bank to complete the purchase of the channel markers,
stated the LPFA press release.
The
LPFA contributed $30,000, which is 15 percent of the total at zero percent
interest, a savings of $5,160 for the Watershed District.
“This
is a good example of how our Bond Bank program helps improve recreational areas
around Louisiana,” said Martin Walke, vice president of economic development
for the LPFA. “The installations in Lake Claiborne will make it a better and
safer lake for many people to enjoy, and the LPFA is pleased to help inhance
Claiborne’s waterways for use.”
The
CPWD will contract, after competitive bidding, the purchase and installation of
these treated-lumber, permanent channel markers and accessories including red
and green daymarker signs, warning signs and no-ski, no-wake zone signs.
Specifications
were drawn up according to United States Coast Guard Inland Water Regulations.
The Claiborne Parish Watershed District will oversee all aspects of this
construction project.
CPWD
commissioners elected to get bids from the firm of the Claiborne Parish Police
Jury, submit them to the officers, and if the bid are deemed reasonable to
contract with the firm to do the bid process. Commissioners will follow up on
this matter at its regular meeting slated for Thursday, June 25.
DA discusses truancy program at Homer
Lions Club
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
District
Attorney Jonathan Stewart spoke to the Homer Lions Club recently about some
important things he has planned for the future.
One of
his biggest plans, he said in the May 28 meeting, is to highlight a truancy
program to help combat the number of students who aren’t going to school.
Recently,
he said, Rep. Jim Fanning, Jonesboro, chair of the Appropriations Committee,
has introduced an amendment to the appropriations bill for $50,000 for each
parish to run a truancy and assessment center.
A
startling fact is that the official dropout rate for Louisiana teens is an
estimated 41 percent, he said.
“This
is an area where we need to be truly proactive,” Stewart said.
So what
can the community do? What are the causes?
“I
think we all need to look at where we are in society and where we came from,”
Stewart said. “We have a whole lot of problems now that we didn’t have.”
One of
the solutions, he continued, is that everybody needs to become more involved in
community activities.
“We do
have some serious problems with crime, and the good news is that there are some
things to follow,” he said.
Second
Judicial District Judge Jenifer Clason spoke briefly about the truancy program
saying that quarterly reports from the U.S. Justice Department show that there
is a consistent statement in them is that “the greatest and most accurate
predictor of future criminal behavior is truancy in school.”
She
said that on juvenile day in court, all the parents and their children are
called in and drug tested – and the results are consistent.
“In every
other session where we’ve done this, we’ve had out of the whole group, either
the parent or the child hot for drugs,” she said. “Is it any wonder that these
kids are not getting up and going to school? I don’t know how to stop the
parental misbehavior, but I do know that the statistics show that the biggest
and most accurate predictor of future criminal behavior in young people is
their failure to attend school.”
Stewart
went on to say that students typically begin being late for school because of a
parent or someone in their household.
“The
truancy rate is directly related to the dropout rate, which is related to
crime,” he said. “What typically happens is, for whatever reason, somebody
starts being late for school or missing school. Then they get behind. Then they
fail. Then they drop out. Once they fail one or more grades, they generally
drop out.”
Along
with the truancy program, Gov. Bobby Jindal wants to institute a new curriculum
for middle and high schools, giving students a choice of a college “prep”
curriculum or job training.
“I
think that will help our situation in this state, and I think that’s something
we all need to get behind and push for,” he said. “It’s something that’s very
necessary.”
To
learn more about how to combat truancy, call the local DA’s office or talk to
your child’s school or the school board central office.
