Food program may be discontinued
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
“It’s
just malicious destruction.”
Those
were the words of Jean Reynolds, director of the Claiborne Parish Office of
Community Services (OCS), who said she is disgusted with the vandalism that
keeps recurring at the Armory Building on Lyons Hill Road. And if it doesn’t
stop, the food distribution program offered by her office will cease.
“If the
vandalism continues, we’re going to disband the program, because they tear up
all of our equipment and it’s just a bad situation for us,” she said. “We’re
trying to help people.”
Reynolds
said that just last Thursday, August 13, she and several volunteers as well as
an inmate crew from the Claiborne Parish Detention Center came out to the
building to clean up the mess left from the last time it was vandalized. It
didn’t help, she said.
All
around the building on Monday morning were signs of careless destruction –
broken tables, trash covering the floor, exposed wiring in the ceilings, broken
windows, broken doors – the list goes on.
Claiborne
Parish Police Jury Secretary/Treasurer Dwayne Woodard said the police jury, who
owns the building, has had nothing but problems since the Boys and Girls Club
moved to its new location at the old Homer Junior High School.
“Since
they have left the premises, we’ve had constant problems with vandalism,” he
said. “Right now, it’s only used once a month for the food program, but it
seems like every month prior to the distribution, kids get in there and break
into secure rooms and tear up tables that we have stored there. It’s really
like we’re banging our head against the wall.”
The
police jury’s buildings and grounds committee has worked tirelessly to begin
the process of replacing broken windows and making necessary repairs to the
building so that services can continue to be offered at that location.
According to Bob McDaniel, chairman of the buildings and grounds committee,
they will spend approximately $8,000 just on replacing the windows.
“Right
now, all we’re trying to do is secure the building from weather or from
vandals,” McDaniel said. “We have not fully discussed what we’re going to do,
but we have to get it secured first. There’s nothing in the building that’s of
any value.”
The
feeling among police jury members continues to be one of futility in that the
vandalism doesn’t seem to end. Once they get it repaired or cleaned up, it’s
torn up again.
McDaniel said options are being
discussed to help further secure the building.
“We
want to be able to fix the building where the community can use it, but we can
only do so much,” Woodard said. “We are asking the public for their help in
policing the area to help stop the vandalism. We don’t want to discontinue a
program that benefits the people of the parish – people who need this program.
If we can’t keep this building, then we might have to look at an alternative –
worst case scenario disbanding the program.”
The
food distribution program from the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank began in
November 2008 as a partnership between the Office of Community Services and the
Homer Christian Coalition, made up of several area churches. Each month,
approximately 13,000 pounds of food is distributed to those who qualify,
according to OCS statistics.
Food
boxes include a variety of items such as different types of juices, peanut
butter, corn flakes, canned green beans and carrots, and canned mixed
vegetables as well as okra, tomatoes and corn, dried beans, dried powdered milk
and meat. Items vary from month to month, depending on what’s available at the
food bank.
To
report any vandalism, especially at the Armory building, citizens are
encouraged to call the Homer Police Department at 927-4000, or report it to
Reynolds at the Office of Community Services at 927-3557. Citizens may also
wish to call the police jury office at 927-2222 to report any vandalism on the
building.
CPSB cracks down on policy
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Claiborne Parish School Board tackled a rather short agenda last Thursday, but
an issue during the board’s work session brought several minutes of discussion.
Their
“Use of School Facilities” policy, which has already been approved by the
board, will now be fully enforced, said Claiborne Parish Schools Superintendent
Dr. Janice Williams.
“We are
going to enforce it, and that means having $1 million in liability coverage for
whatever they are using the facility for,” she said, adding that this policy
applies to any nonprofit organization wishing to use school facilities.
During the
discussion of the policy, it came to light that some organizations were paying
for liability coverage and others were not. Williams said that because of this,
the policy would have to be enforced across the board.
The
policy states, “The person, organization, or group shall provide a certificate
of insurance showing insurance coverage for the event being held, with a
minimum of $1,000,000 general liability per occurrence. The Claiborne Parish
School Board shall be listed on the policy as an additional named insured. A
certificate verifying the purchase of such insurance should be presented to the
Board at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to use of the facilities.”
The
policy also states that the superintendent “shall be authorized to waive
requirements in the event of special circumstances and/or make administrative
decisions not covered by this policy.”
Williams
said after checking with local insurance providers, she was told it would take
up to three weeks to process insurance forms for these types of events, and
that includes funerals.
Many
times, funerals are held at school facilities in order to accommodate the
number of people who attend that would not fit into a church facility.
“I know
that we have funerals in schools all the time,” said District 1 Board Member
Danny Lee. “I’m not against that at all, but when we had our class reunion, it
appeared to me that that would be a school function. We were told that we had
to have insurance, and yet now, we’re allowing people to go have funerals and
not do it. So, either we’re going to do it or we’re not going to do it.”
“Now,
if it’s a planned event, then they should have plenty of time to do it,”
Williams said of obtaining liability coverage, “but if it’s a funeral, they may
have to find an alternate venue for it.”
The
purpose of getting liability coverage is so that if there is an accident or
something happens, insurance on the organization holding the event will kick in
first. This way, the school board wouldn’t be the sole liability if something
happens.
Also
discussed in the work session was the career diploma waiver. The old
guidelines, based upon those presented by BESE (Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education), stated that in order to qualify for the waiver, the
students must be 15 years of age, have 23 carnegie units, have at least a 1.5
grade point average and participate in the drop out prevention program.
Students must also have no unexcused absences or no suspensions or expulsions.
Williams
requested the waiver until the State Department can get the changes ironed out
for the 2009-10 school year.
“As
soon as they get all the kinks worked out, we will, in turn, work with their
provisions and hopefully implement it for the 2010-11 school year,” she said.
“It’s not exactly the way I though the career diploma was going to be rolled
out, but they’re still working on the final details.”
The
school board, as well as Williams, took issue in that it was believed to be a
diploma for those who would not finish high school.
“There’s
nothing in that career diploma to lure the kids into the program,” she said.
“They have to pass GEE, meet requirements to pass to 9th grade by way of the
LEAP test,” and meet other criteria.
The
idea behind the career diploma, Williams thought, was that students will get
the basic courses during their freshman and sophomore years, and during the
students’ junior and senior year, courses would concentrate more on
vocational-type courses.
“That’s
not it,” she said. “They still have to have 23 carnegie units; they still have
to take and pass the end of course exams. So, as it stands, there’s not much to
really lure a student into the career diploma path. BESE said they are going to
be looking at it closely and making revisions.”
According
to Williams, the waiver has since been granted.
In
other news, the school board:
•
Approved a contract with Junction City for the 2009-10 school year,
•
Approved grants for the 2009-10 school year
•
Approved the counseling service contract with Success Insite for 2009-10
•
Approved the pupil progression plan
•
Approved changes to the student handbook
•
Approved a pay increase for Gurtha Capers
•
Approved Fannie Willis as a full-time employee
•
Approved personnel actions which included the hiring of several retired
teachers, accepting resignations, the substitute pay schedule for the 2009-10
school year to reflect the minimum wage increase, the payday schedule and the
recommendation for the Clerk I position in accordance with the desegregation
court order.
The
next school board meeting will be held Thursday, September 10, at 7 p.m. at central office. For more information, please call the school board at 927-3502.
Argument leads to shooting
The Guardian-Journal
A
Summerfield man was arrested Saturday, August 15, after an altercation with his
brother led to a shooting.
According
to Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey, deputies were called to respond to a
disturbance on Wasson Road. Deputies Darren Keel, Marc Herring, J.T. Williams
and Roger Ellerbe responded.
An
altercation between Shane Massey and Randall Massey had occurred and lead to a
simple battery. Officers investigated the incident, but were called back to the
scene regarding further violence. Chief Detective Charles Buford was called and
began an investigation.
The
initial call was the result of a battery upon Shane Massey by his brother,
Randall Massey. In the ensuing argument, Shane Massey shot Randall Massey with
a shotgun.
Shane
Massey, 29, was arrested and charged with aggravated battery, with a bond of
$10,000, and illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities with a bond
of $5,000.
Detective
Buford is still investigating this case and further arrests may be pending.
Burglaries
On June
21, two burglaries were reported to CPSO from residences in the south area of
the parish. On June 29, two more burglaries and one attempted burglary was
reported in the same area.
Chief
Detective Charles Buford and Detective Randy Smith began an investigation into
these burglaries.
Information
obtained by the detectives led to the arrests of Marcaus D. Patterson, 18, of Arcadia on July 3; and Lajarvin D. Lewis, 17, of Arcadia, on July 14.
Patterson
was booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center and charged with four
counts of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, one count of attempted simple
burglary of an inhabited dwelling, and five counts of aggravated criminal
damage to property for a total bond of $135,000.
Caterrious
D. Lewis was booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center and charged with
four counts of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, one count of attempted
simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, and five counts of aggravated
criminal damage to property for a total bond of $135,000.
Lajarvin
D. Lewis was booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center and charged with
four counts of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, one count of attempted
simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, one count of attempted simple
burglary of an inhabited dwelling and five counts of criminal damage to
property with a bond of $135,000.
This
case is still under investigation and detectives expect further arrests to be
pending.
In an
unrelated case, on Thursday, August 13, a Homer man was arrested and charged
with simple burglary after Homer police were called to the scene of a local
convenience store.
Corodney
C. Specks, 18, was charged with simple burglary, with bond set at $10,000.
According
to reports, the night of the incident, Homer Police were dispatched to a local
convenience store. Officers Mario Thomas and John Bailey arrived on the scene,
and at that time observed a broken window.
An
investigation began, and officers were able to identify Specks, and when he was
brought in, reports say he admitted to the crime.
He was
placed under arrest and booked.
Other crime
In
other crime news, Daniel W. Bernard, of Haynesville, was arrested and charged
with domestic abuse battery and driving under suspension.
According
to reports, the Haynesville Police Department received a call in reference to a
disturbance on Francis Street. Haynesville Police Sgt. John Barnette, Cpl.
Aaron Christian, and Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Deputies Paul Brazzel and Roger
Ellerbe responded to the scene.
Upon
arrival, officers were advised by witnesses that Bernard was seen beating a
woman. The victim was observed to have injuries on her arms and legs.
Law
enforcement was able to locate Bernard and take him into custody. Further
investigation also revealed Bernard’s driver’s license had been suspended.
In an
unrelated incident, Joe W. Hunter, of Haynesville, was arrested and charged
with unauthorized entry.
According
to reports, on Wednesday, August 12, Haynesville Police Officer Ricky Goode
responded to a call and arrested Hunter. Reports say Hunter kicked in the door
of a residence on Mill Street, and entered after he was told not to.
Hunter
was taken into custody and taken to the Haynesville Police Station. He briefly
escaped custody, but was detained again and booked.
Ladder rescue saves woman
The Guardian-Journal
While
several people were waiting in line Monday morning for the food distribution
program, a one-vehicle accident made an already crowded road even worse.
At 9:07 a.m., fire and rescue personnel received a call of a one-vehicle accident in the
vicinity of the ballpark near the old Boys and Girls Club on Lyons Hill Road. When personnel arrived, the vehicle couldn’t be seen for all the brush
covering the steep hill, leading to the creek below.
The
Homer Fire and Rescue Unit began cutting away brush and tree branches in order
to get to the 2004 Chevy Suburban lying on its side in the creek. The door was
pulled back, and with the help of Pafford EMS personnel, the woman was
extracted.
Doing
what’s called a severe angle ladder rescue, the fire department used two
ladders, hooking them together, and paralleled them from the drop off point to
the vehicle, where the woman was pushed up to an awaiting ambulance. She was
then transported by Pafford Air One to LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreve port for treatment of mild to moderate injuries.
According
to Homer Fire Chief Dennis Butcher, it is believed she may have suffered a
medical condition which caused the accident. He also highly praised the
coordination of all those involved.
“Because
of the close coordination of four agencies: Homer Police, Homer Fire and
Rescue, Pafford Ambulance and the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, this was a
successful rescue,” Butcher said. “Fortunately, the creek level was down. The
outcome could have been much different, because usually in the spring and
summer months, the water level is considerably higher.”
Prepared and ready to deliver
JENNI WILLIAMS, The Guardian-Journal
As the
beginning of school is just a day away, citizens are asked to be ever vigilant
of the increased number of children on the streets of Claiborne Parish.
With
the start of each new school year, students are once again rushing to be on
time, parents are getting children out the door and drivers are going about
their business, but experts say that all of them could heed some advice on
safety.
“This
is a critical time of the year,” noted Ray Palermo, director of public
information for Teacher’s Insurance Plan. “Driver’s need to re-acclimate
themselves to having children on and near the road, particularly at rush hours.
And, both children and their parents need to get back into their good traffic
safety habits.”
He
offers several tips from the Safety Information Center.
When
walking or biking to school, always try to walk with a friend; pay attention to
all traffic signals and crossing guards, never cross a street against a stop
light; cross only at crosswalks and never run into the street from between
parked cars. Always look left, right and over the shoulder for traffic before
crossing a street and continue to check each direction; make sure drivers see
you by making eye contact with them; and if riding a bicycle, scooter or
skateboard to school, always wear a helmet and ride in the same direction as
traffic. Walk your bike if crossing a street.
When
riding a school bus, never play in the street while waiting for the bus; line
up facing the bus, not along side it; after getting off the bus, move out of
traffic; and wait for the bus driver to signal to cross. Walk away from the
front of the bus so the driver can see.
Never
pass a school bus when its red lights are flashing, even if it is on the other
side of the street; and use extra care in areas where children may enter the
road from between parked vehicles or other things that block drivers’ view of
the road.
School
buses are still the safest way to arrive at school and are nearly eight times
safer than passenger vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA).
According
to the newest seatbelt laws for Louisiana, everyone inside the vehicle should
wear a seatbelt and children under nine should be in appropriate car seats.
Stay
focused on driving and don’t be distracted by kids in the car or with other
activities; slow down in school zones, driving just five miles per hour over
the speed limit increases both the risk of hitting a child and the severity of
any injuries. You never know if children crossing the street are paying
attention, so remain stopped until the child has crossed not only your lane of
traffic but the adjacent lane as well; and never pass a vehicle that has
stopped at a crosswalk, as they may be waiting for someone to cross.
These
and many other tips can be found at the Safety Information Center website, and the NHTSA website.
Another
great resource is www.momshomeroom.com.
Haynesville Youth Council swears in new
members
JENNI WILLIAMS, The Guardian-Journal
Sixteen
Haynesville High School students were recently elected to the Youth Council
at the third annual Oath of Office Ceremony for Haynesville Youth Council.
The
ceremony was held on August 11 at the Claiborne Parish Fair Complex in
Haynesville with many friends and family attending the event.
Mistress
of Ceremony Lynne McCoy presided over the evening’s festivities with many other
prominent citizens lending their services.
Opening
prayer for the event was offered by Ricky Reeves and the Pledge of Allegiance
was led by Saniah Major.
Betty
Richardson introduced the night’s guest speaker, Claiborne Parish School Board
member A.D. Williams, and sang his many praises.
After
Williams’ moving motivational speech to the new youth council members, Cora
Williams introduced each of those students.
The new
Youth Council members are Tyler Coleman, Diazeo Critton, Dedra Dixon, Ronnie
Fields Jr., Octavia Gilmore, LaQuita Hampton, Anslee Heckel, Holley
Hollenshead, Chandris Jones, Alexis Manning, Beneshia Manning, JaQuisha
Manning, Alyson McCoy, Lance Reeves, Rontrette Sturdivant and Kiara Williams.
Claiborne
Parish Clerk of Court Pat Gladney donated his time to perform the Oath of
Office ceremony for each of the students, in which they were required to raise
their right hands and swear to follow the bylaws set before them. Each student
was presented a copy of a certificate in their honor.
The
evening’s events were brought to a close by two hymns sung by Dump Hatter and
the event’s Executive Director Joyce Major and Assistant Executive Director
Betty Richardson.
All
students, friends and family were able to enjoy a variety of refreshments after
the ceremony.
Claiborne Health Unit celebrates
Breastfeeding Awareness Month
The Guardian-Journal
The
Claiborne Parish Health Unit threw a baby shower and tea as a part of
breastfeeding awareness month last Thursday.
New moms
and moms-to-be were treated to lots of nutritious snacks and cake as well as
baby items mothers can never have enough of. While door prizes were a big treat
for the women who attended, they were also educated on the importance of
breastfeeding or what to do if they choose not to breastfeed.
The
Claiborne Parish Health Unit offers several programs for new moms and expecting
mothers, and during the tea/baby shower, the women were given some insight into
some of the programs offered.
Georgia
Norton, North Louisiana AHEC Health Start Advocate, spoke about the different
aspects of her job.
Her job
includes case management, outreach, depression screening, health education and
consortium, where the community gets involved with the program in order to
improve the overall health of the community.
“We’re
in a rural area and we don’t have access to larger hospitals, like in Bossier
or Shreveport,” she said. “We want all babies to be healthy.”
Case
management includes coordinating care for clients on an individual basis,
providing linkages with resources as necessary, and following up to complete
referrals.
“I get
a lot of my clients through word of mouth,” she said, “but we get many of them
through the clinic.”
The
outreach program is where Norton sometimes must go into the home of a pregnant
woman. According to information by Norton, the outreach consists of indirect
(informing community of the needs that Healthy Start ABCs work to address, and
the services it provides to address those needs) and direct (finding women who
need the services and enrolling them).
The
depression screening is performed on every client every trimester of the
pregnancy, postpartum (after the pregnancy), and when a client enters the
family planning stage. She also works with mothers-to-be on health education as
well as getting the community involved.
AHEC
covers 11 parishes, including Claiborne.
Sarah
Putman, Region 7 Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Coordinator, and Nicole
Rodriguez, Breastfeeding Coordinator, also spoke to the expectant mothers about
the importance of breastfeeding and the benefits to both mom and baby.
“Our
main goal is to provide you with breastfeeding knowledge and help you choose
the best feeding option,” Putman said. “We offer support throughout your
pregnancy and afterwards as you breastfeed. We’re not just there for when you
breastfeed, we’re also there for other options as well too.”
Rodriguez
said from her experience, breastfeeding is the best thing she could have done
to bond with her child.
“I have
four children, and I preferred it over formula feeding,” she said. “The look on
their face when they pull back – that’s it, you’re hooked.”
Norton
gave a few other facts about breastfeeding, saying that breastfeeding also
helps reduce the risk of breast cancer in women – and it’s the best thing for
the baby.
“Breastfeeding
is the best way to feed your baby,” Norton said. “Nobody else can breastfeed
your baby. That’s a bond between you and your baby that no one else will have.
It’s the safest way to feed your baby.”
The
health unit has many other tips and facts about the benefits of breastfeeding.
New
moms and expectant mothers need a lot of nutritious foods to help bring a
healthy baby into the world and help it grow properly. Thompson, nutrition
coordinator for the health unit, helps coordinate a nutritious plan for the
mothers through WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program.
WIC
offers expectant mothers and their children (through age 5) a balanced,
nutritious food package to help them stay healthy. Coming in October, some big
changes are coming for the special program, where more nutritious items will be
offered as well as cutting back on some of the more fatty foods, such as the
dairy products and cheeses.
It will
include more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, and some soy products.
A
special thanks goes to Norton and Renee Thompson for their hard work in
preparing the event. There were healthy snacks and sandwiches as well as a
delectable variety of fresh fruits and finger foods available. Not to be
outdone, a little sugar was thrown in with a cake celebrating National
Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
For
more information on these and many other programs offered through the health
unit, please call 927-6127.
