Canadian burglar gets 6 years
The Guardian-Journal
The
Canadian imposter who burglarized First Baptist Church in Homer has pled
guilty.
Shawn
Fries, who was initially arrested under the name of Christopher A. Weinbender,
pleaded guilty to simple burglary of a religious building. He was sentenced by
Second Judicial District Court Judge Glenn Fallin to six years at hard labor
with the first two years without benefit. In the remaining four years, he’ll be
eligible for parole. According to law, if he’s granted parole, he would go from
the prison in which he was granted parole straight to the law enforcement
agency that has a hold on him. That means if he’s granted parole, he would be
detained until Toronto police can pick him up.
Much
like the U.S. legal system, Canadian authorities will go to the Crown Attorney
– equivalent to the U.S. District Attorney – for the extradition paperwork.
But
that’s not all. In an interview on Tuesday afternoon, Toronto Police Detective
Martin Woodhouse, 43rd Division, said Fries is facing a long list of charges
once he’s returned to Canada. The warrants they currently have are for charges
of theft, leaving the country illegally, breaking and entering and stolen
merchandise.
Think
that’s it? Not a chance. Fries has also been implicated in a murder
investigation as well, Woodhouse said.
“Right
now, he’s a suspect in a murder investigation,” Woodhouse said. “Nothing is
concrete yet, but we are also looking into other crimes and the possibility of
many more charges.”
Woodhouse
did not elaborate on the murder case.
In
December 2008, after blazing a trail from Toronto to Homer, Fries was arrested
on a charge of simple burglary of a religious building and possession of stolen
things. At approximately 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, December 16, 2008, Fries broke into the church and took an undisclosed amount of cash. Other evidence revealed
he’d been through other parts of the church as well.
Witnesses,
police said, described Fries driving a red truck, which came back to a
Christopher A. Weinbender, of Canada.
When
Homer police arrived at the motel room where he was staying, a backpack
containing several items consistent with a burglary, were found in the room.
Other items from the church were discovered there as well.
Homer
Police Chief Russell Mills contacted Canadian authorities, who informed him
that Weinbender was on probation, but did not have a lengthy criminal record.
The
next day, Homer police got quite a surprise when they ran a background check on
him. Weinbender, as it turned out, was a blond-haired blue-eyed man – not the
tall, dark-haired, brown-eyed man they had in custody.
Upon
speaking with Canadian authorities, The Guardian-Journal learned that not only
was Fries not Weinbender, but is also a known sex offender in Canada. He also still has active warrants for him for violating the terms of his probation
– where he was seen in the presence of a child. According to Canadian
authorities, Fries had just completed a four-year sentence for crimes against
children, and he’s very dangerous.
“He’s a
very dangerous individual — as in a predator of small boys,” said Woodhouse in
an earlier interview with The Guardian-Journal. “This is a stranger you don’t
want in town.”
That
violation will carry a 22-month prison sentence in Canada.
Roberson wins District 1 seat
The Guardian-Journal
A
heated race for Homer’s District 1 has ended.
Scott
“Doc” Roberson is now officially the council representative for District 1. He
will fill the unexpired term of the late J.C. Moore, until the 2010 elections
come.
According
to election results posted on the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website, the
race was a close one, with Roberson edging out incumbent Willie “Hog Head”
Currie by just 10 votes.
Roberson
received 66 votes to Curry’s 55 votes.
Saturday’s
election closes a heated debate between council members and the District 1
community as Curry was chosen to fill the seat following the death of Moore.
Roberson
said he’s ready to get to the business of taking care of his constituents, and
he’s glad the election is done.
“I’m
happy that it’s over with, and I’m happy that I came out on top,” he said. “I
had mixed emotions on this whole process, but the people stuck with me. My main
mission is to try to do things to make things better.”
Roberson
was initially nominated to fill the seat in late March, but the council tied on
its decision. Homer Mayor David Newell refused to break the tie and sent the
decision to Governor Bobby Jindal’s office. Curry was then chosen.
At least
one council member said on record that she would not work with Roberson, citing
a poor track record during his time on the council before. In spite of that,
Roberson feels he and the council can work together to get things done.
“I
won’t be a stumbling block,” he said. “If they believe in good government,
that’s what I’m about. I’m not going to try to block or impede anything, and if
we feel like it’s worthy for the Town of Homer, I’ll support it. I’m looking
forward to working with the council. I assure you, that if people want to be
level and be fair, I’ll support that.”
Curry
said he was disappointed, but he doesn’t feel like he lost.
“I
don’t feel like I lost, I feel like District 1 lost,” he said. “I want to
congratulate Mr. Roberson, and his staff. I bring no animosity or any ill will
to the table.”
Being
the acting councilman in Moore’s place has taught him things about politics and
people in politics, he said.
“This
has been a learning experience for me,” Curry said, “and I learned things about
people in politics and I learned a lot about politics. Being on the council did
not validate me or invalidate me. For me, it’s about what’s best for the Town
of Homer.”
Although
he did not win the election, Curry said he would keep up the work he’s started since
being on the council.
“I’m
going to continue to do what I’ve been doing, and I’m going to do some of the
things that I wanted to do,” he continued. “I’m not going to sit down and I
will be heard. I’m not going anywhere.”
Newell
expressed his congratulations to Roberson, saying that he hopes the right
decisions will be made for Homer in the future.
“Congratulations
to Doc Roberson,” Newell said. “We’ll be welcoming him on the council in
November. It’s very important for us to make the right decisions. I have worked
diligently in working with the town to set up those right decisions, and we
need the help and support from the people of the town in making the right
decisions. Our destiny is in our hands.”
The
race broken down by precinct are as follows:
Absentee:
Curry, 21, and Roberson 19
Precinct
84: Curry, 0, and Roberson 0
Precinct
85: Curry, 0, and Roberson 0
Precinct
87: Curry, 20, and Roberson 32
Precinct
93: Curry 14, and Roberson 15.
Roberson
will take office before the next town council meeting in November.
In the
4th District Supreme Court Judge’s race, Marcus Clark took the win with
approximately 52 percent of the vote. Jimmy Faircloth had approximately 47
percent of the vote. These results are statewide. Faircloth carried Claiborne
Parish by 62 percent with Clark only receiving approximately 37 percent of the
vote.
Louisiana Veteran Honor Medals
Governor honors Claiborne’s veterans
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
Governor Bobby Jindal hosted a ceremony
in which Louisiana military veterans were presented with the Louisiana Veterans
Honor Medal on Friday, October 16. These veterans look on as Jindal gives his
gratitude for their service to their country and Louisiana. Major General
Bennett Landreneau from the Louisiana National Guard, in military fatigues
(seated), looks on. Rep. Jean Doerge, of Webster Parish, as well as elected
officials from Haynesville and Homer, sat with the governor as the ceremony
began.
Those
who fought to protect the freedoms American citizens enjoy today were honored
by Gov. Bobby Jindal Friday, October 16.
Held at
Homer City Hall, 137 U.S. military veterans were honored with the Louisiana
Veterans’ Honor Medal. Jindal was joined by Louisiana Department of Veterans
Affairs (LDVA) Secretary Lane Carson and Major General Bennett C. Landreneau,
Adjutant General of the Louisiana National Guard to award the state’s veterans
with a special medal in honor of their service in the Armed Forces.
“These
brave men and women were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in appreciation
for their courageous service,” Jindal said.
The
governor signed legislation in 2008 to create the Veterans’ Honor Medal Program
in order to recognize and honor all of Louisiana’s veterans. The program is
managed by the Louisiana Department of veterans Affairs. The Veterans’ Honor
Medal is gold-plated and comes with a blue ribbon. One side shows the state of Louisiana with “United States” embossed above and “Armed Forces” below.
The
other side bears the words, “Louisiana appreciates your service to our
country.” Veterans who sustained a wound in battle will receive an honor medal
designated by a silver star and a purple ribbon. Families of veterans who were
killed in action will receive an honor medal designated by a gold star and a
gold ribbon.
While
awarding the medals, Jindal told stories of medal recipients to highlight the
heroic acts of Louisiana’s veterans. John L. Levingston was born and raised in
Haynesville. Before joining the service, Levingston worked as an orderly at Haynesville Hospital.
At the
age of 19, Levingston answered the call to serve and joined the United States
Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. While serving in Vietnam, Levingston and a fellow Marine were sent on a mission to push back a group of enemy
soldiers who were blocking his company from advancing forward.
Levingston
remembers walking up a mountain to surprise the enemy and he immediately fired
upon them. He was able to take out a few enemy soldiers. Showers of enemy
bullets flew by Levingston as he attempted to help his fellow Marines advance.
A bullet grazed Levingston’s temple and was a fraction of an inch from ending
his life.
Despite
the gunshot wound, Levingston and his fellow Marine continued to fight on and
were ultimately able to help the rest of their unit pass through the enemy
soldiers. Levingston spent weeks recovering after this mission, but he was able
to return to his unit and complete his tour of duty.
For his
courageous service, Levingston was awarded the Purple Heart. He returned to
Haynesville in 1970 and was honorably discharged from the service. Levingston
worked in maintenance at Esso Corporation for 28 years and raised five children
in Haynesville. He retired in 1999.
Sibley man gets 15 years on Claiborne
charges
The Guardian-Journal
A
Sibley man has pleaded guilty to charges of simple rape and incest.
Second
Judicial District Court Judge Jenifer Clason, in a special setting, sentenced
David Farley, 22, to 10 years at hard labor without benefit on the simple rape
and five years on the incest charge.
He was
arrested Saturday, August 16, 2008, and originally charged with 24 counts of
aggravated rape and one count of aggravated incest.
According
to a Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office press release, a complaint was filed against
Farley involving his conduct with three juveniles. Detective Ben Booth
conducted an investigation into the matter, which allegedly occurred during a
four to five year time period.
Farley
was arrested by the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office at his place of employment
on fugitive warrants and was transported to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center. He was later extradited to Claiborne Parish where he was booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center.
In
other court news, William Shane Smock, of Athens, pleaded guilty to
unauthorized entry into a place of business. He was sentenced to five years at
hard labor, suspended, all but two years. According to court records, once
Smock has served the two years, he will be placed on supervised probation for
three years and ordered to pay restitution.
In
January, Smock was arrested by Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s deputies on charges
of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, simple assault and resisting by
flight. He also had warrants on him from Arkansas as well as from the Homer
Police Department.
Sheriff’s
deputies were called to the scene of a business on La. 9 in early January,
where witnesses described the suspect. A tip later led authorities to a Dixie
Mart in Athens. After several verbal commands to stop and deploying the CPSO
K-9 officer, Smock was taken into custody without incident.
Some
information contained in this article is courtesy of the Minden Press-Herald.
Suspects flee police during traffic stop
During
a traffic stop, two suspects fled from Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s deputies and
one is still on the loose.
According
to the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, on July 9, Deputy J.T. Williams,
assisted by Deputies Roger Ellerbe and Paul Brazzel, made a routine traffic
stop in Claiborne Parish and discovered violations committed by the driver and
several passengers.
Three
of the individuals involved were arrested at the time of the incident, but two
of the individuals fled from the officers. Drug paraphernalia and suspected
crack cocaine were discovered in the vehicle.
Williams
obtained warrants for the arrests of the two individuals that fled. One of
them, Marcus Jerome Winzer, 20, of Athens, was arrested by Williams on
Saturday, October 17, and charged with possession of Schedule II CDS (crack
cocaine) with a bond of $10,000, resisting an officer with a bond of $500, and
possession of drug paraphernalia with a bond of $500. The Homer Police
Department also had an outstanding warrant for Winzer that was served with a
bond of $500.
An
additional arrest is expected in this case.
Wacky weather here to stay
Fall, winter to be cooler, wetter than
normal
El Nino, La Nina:
What’s the difference?
El
Nino: El Niño-Southern Oscillation is a
periodic change in the atmosphere and ocean of the tropical Pacific region. It
is defined in the atmosphere by the sign of the pressure difference between Tahiti and Darwin, Australia, and in the ocean by warming or cooling of surface waters of
the tropical central and eastern Pacific Ocean.
La
Nina: La Niña is characterized by
unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific, compared to El
Niño, which is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the
Equatorial Pacific.
Interesting
to Note: El Niño is Spanish for "the boy" and refers to the Christ child,
because periodic warming in the Pacific near South America is usually noticed
around Christmas.[3] "La Niña," is Spanish for "the girl."
*Information
obtained from the website wikipedia.org.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
With
the heavy rains the last couple of weeks, road closures and flooding, the
weather looks to be clearing up this week. So why is north Louisiana getting
more rain than usual?
According
to Hydrologist C.S. Ross with the National Weather Service (NWS), Shreveport
office, the region is under an El Nino, which means it appears to be playing a
role in all the rain that’s hit our area the last two weeks or so.
“We’ve
had four stalled frontal zones since mid-September, across Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas,” he said, “which caused numerous thunderstorms to form.”
Tropical
connections have also played a role in enhancing the potential for more rain,
he said.
According
to the Reuters news agency, the El Nino is expected to strengthen through the
fall and into the winter of 2010.
“Expected
El Niño impacts during October-December 2009 include enhanced precipitation
over the central tropical Pacific Ocean and a continuation of
drier-than-average conditions over Indonesia,” stated the NWS Climate Prediction Center on their website www.cpc.noaa.gov. “For the contiguous United States, potential impacts include above-average precipitation along the Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida, and below-average precipitation for the Pacific Northwest. Other potential impacts include a continued suppression of Atlantic
hurricane activity.”
All
that to say this, it’s going to be cooler and wetter through the fall and
winter – and more rain is coming.
According
to Ross, flooding waters were expected to begin noticeably receding Sunday
night into Monday. But more rain is coming, he said.
“We
should receives light to moderate rain showers on Wednesday early Thursday, but
not enough to effect lakes and bayous,” he said – which means they won’t rise
anymore.
In the
face of so much precipitation, Claiborne Homeland Security Director Dennis
Butcher is warning residents that even though the weather may be improving, the
ground is still very, very saturated.
“My
concerns are the roads and falling trees,” he said.
Claiborne
residents need to be warned that even though the water has receded, some roads
may not be very stable with the ground as wet as it is. This also means that
some trees may fall as well.
Last
week, Claiborne Parish and outlying areas has seen several inches of rain
almost nonstop throughout a two-week period. Businesses and homes flooded,
power lines were down and the lakes and creeks rose to a dangerous level. Lake Claiborne was closed a couple of weeks ago until further notice due to the rising
water, and it just wasn’t safe for boaters and other recreational activities on
the lake.
Our future could be ‘Swamp Gravy’
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
At a
newspaper, magazine or television station, reporters make a living telling
stories. These news outlets almost always tell someone else’s stories. But one
tiny Georgia town took its own stories and turned them into booming economic
development.
Nestled
in the small town of Colquitt, Georgia, sits a theater where people from all
over the country gather to see its true stories and its history come alive.
That art theater is an old cotton warehouse transformed into a state of the art
facility.
“We
actually go interview local people,” Karen Kimbrel, executive director for the
Swamp Gravy Institute for 11 years, said. “It’s completely transformed our
town. True stories are far greater than fiction.”
And now
it’s a national and international model for small rural towns to turn their
sleepy hometown into a booming business.
Kimbrel,
also a founding member, said the Swamp Gravy Institute began as an idea to take
people’s true stories and create drama and art projects that will bring
prosperity to small rural towns.
“We
decided we needed to celebrate ourselves,” said Joy Jinks, cofounder of Swamp
Gravy. “We don’t have a lake, we don’t have a river, but we do have our
stories.”
The Institute
was founded in 1992 and has been running for 17 years. Swamp Gravy is Georgia’s original folk play.
When
Swamp Gravy began, Colquitt, where its economy is cotton and peanuts, was a
sleepy little town that really offered nothing. It sits in an area where it
almost fits in Florida and Alabama, but is in Georgia.
But
then one day, a small group of people put their heads together and decided to
change all that – by telling their stories. The two women explained the
importance of stories and the importance of preserving them.
“It’s
important to preserve our culture and it’s uniqueness,” Jinks said. “It’s about
reclaiming our culture.”
Kimbrel
gave examples of stories that really hold people down and stories that are
empowering. The old adage, “I can’t, I’m sick” stories are ones that hold
people back, but the empowering ones are the ones that inspire.
For
example, the Jewish people have one central story that keeps them together as a
people – God brought them out of Egypt and gave them land, Kimbrel said.
Another example are Southerners.
Laughingly,
she said, “Southerners are special because they are such great story tellers.
Northerners talk in private and call it therapy. Southerners tell stories to
the public and call it swapping lies.”
Swamp
Gravy Institute is a drama and arts project run by nonprofit organizations. It
is like a drama club where volunteers work to put together a play based on the
true stories of locals.
Creating
the Colquitt Arts Council, which is the money raising arm of Swamp Gravy,
several other projects have turned Colquitt into a cultural tourism industry.
With a famous bed and breakfast that used to be an old hotel and a restaurant
to boot, the little town of Colquitt has turned its home into a mecca of
prosperity.
“We
raised the first monies the old fashioned way – one dollar at a time,” Kimbrel
said. “Every community has money. You just have to find a way to talk them into
donating to your project.”
Other
projects that have sprung from Swamp Gravy from young and old, includes incentives
for businesses, programs for children, youth and others.
The
women talked of several different avenues of finding resources to get it all
started. Brochures are a fairly inexpensive way to market the town, mailing,
grant monies, etc. It is also a good idea to use resources that don’t cost
much, such as using inmates for various projects. Kimbrel and Jinks travel the
country talking about the Swamp Gravy Institute and the impact it’s had on
them, their community and their country.
“Our
message is this: it works,” Kimbrel said. “It’s extremely hard work, but it
works.”
For
more information, go to www.swampgravy.com. For more information on Colquitt, Miller County, Ga., call their chamber of commerce at 229-758-2400.
Knowledge is power this Halloween
In
addition to monitoring your child’s candy consumption on Halloween night, be
sure to know which houses are safe to approach for trick-or-treating.
Citizens
like to think that every home is like their own. Unfortunately, that is not
reality.
In
Claiborne Parish, there are approximately 20 registered sex offenders, and
Halloween provides a perfect opportunity for one of them to become acquainted
with you and/or your children.
“We do
the best we can in making sure sex offenders live where they tell us, so it is
crucial that our citizens visit our website
(claibornesheriff.org) to see who and where an offender
might be living within their neighborhood,” Sheriff Ken Bailey said.
Citizens
are encouraged to look up important addresses and review the list of registered
sex offenders living within a .25 to 2 mile radius of that specific address.
“The
mapping and address feature found on the website pinpoints exactly where an
offender lives, therefore, educating citizens on which houses to avoid while
trick-or-treating,” Bailey said.
Perhaps
the most beneficial aspect of the address monitoring feature is that once your
important addresses and email address have been registered, the system will
automatically alert you via email when an offender moves within .25 to 2 mile
radius of the registered address.
“If you
aren’t planning on trick-or-treating, in your neighborhood, but will be in a
family or friend’s neighborhood, register their address beforehand so you will
know which houses to avoid,” Bailey said. “You can register any and all of the
addresses where your children spend a lot of time – for example, friends,
grandparents or babysitters’ addresses.”
The
alerts are in real time and sent out via email as soon as a new offender has
registered with the sheriff’s office.
“The
benefit of registering for this confidential email alert service allows us to
monitor your important addresses for you, thereby keeping you up to date of
newly registered offenders and making it unnecessary for you to have to check
your important addresses daily or even weekly,” the sheriff said.
The
website for the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office is www.claibornesheriff.org.
Citizens should click on the link “Claiborne Parish Sexual Offender Watch” and
follow the instructions to check their neighborhood and sign up to receive
email alerts.
Bailey
encourages everyone to have a fun and safe Halloween. Knowledge is power and
knowing where the registered sex offenders reside in your area can help you
make the best choices for safe and enjoyable Halloween activities.
DART appeals to religious community
The Guardian-Journal
Mary
Ellen Gamble, Rural Advocate for DART in Claiborne Parish, asks that area
churches set aside Sunday, October 25, for special observance in relation to October
as Domestic Abuse Awareness Month.
“Our
churches can play an important role in raising awareness of this crime to their
members and within the community,” Gamble said, adding, “Churches can respond
to domestic abuse in several positive ways. First, they can acknowledge that it
exists, even in every congregation. They can also encourage their clergy and
congregations to speak out against domestic violence and invite domestic abuse
advocates to educate the membership about abuse issues.”
Gamble
said that Christian teachings encourage husbands to love their wives as Christ
loved the church. This challenges husbands to treat their wives with respect
and love, not with violence or control.
Gamble
added, “Our religious communities should strive to minimize any roadblocks
facing abused members of local congregations.”
Gamble
noted, “Domestic abuse is a crime. We must agree that it will not be tolerated
in our community, yes, including our religious community. We must seek to
understand the dynamics of domestic abuse, not blaming the victim. We need to
support her in love and help her. Likewise, the abuser should be held
accountable. As we observe Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, let us be mindful
that we have a responsibility to do our part in being vigilant against this
crime.”
She
concluded. “Everyone is invited to a brief ceremonial vigil October 29 at noon when we erect 27 silhouettes on the Courthouse Square. Each red silhouette represents
an area woman or child killed by a loved one. It will be a short but moving
memorial service.”
If you
have questions or would like more information on how you can help, call
Claiborne DART at 927-2818.
Chamber Pancake Breakfast October 29
Sponsored
by the Claiborne Chamber of Commerce, their annual pancake breakfast will be
held from 7 until 9 a.m. at Homer City Hall. Tickets are $5 each. For more
information, please call the Claiborne Chamber of Commerce at 318-927-3271.
Haynesville High students to donate
artwork
The Guardian-Journal photo/Jenni Williams
Four Haynesville High School students
have given their time to paint canvasses to be donated to the three Treece
family children that were adopted by their grandparents shortly before the
death of their mother. Pictured left to right are, Ashlee Sanders, Jasmine
Evans, Maryanne Gray and Candace Lee, along with art teacher Suzy Allen. The
students will be making arrangements to present the paintings to the children
as soon as they are completed.
JENNI WILLIAMS, The Guardian-Journal
Four Haynesville High School students are giving back to their community through their art
skills, but to one family in particular.
The
Treece family, who has overcome much adversity the last few years, will be on
the receiving end of that giving. The students were able to obtain information
on the three children who were taken in by their grandparents after the death
of their mother.
The
students learned the children’s favorite activities and interests -- their
favorite sports, hobbies, colors and animals -- and paint a picture
specifically for each child.
Alli,
12, will receive a zebra-printed painting with her name centered in purple. The
boys, Matt and Chris, ages 11 and 8 respectively, will receive wildlife
paintings, one of a duck in flight and one a bass jumping out of a lake, also
with their names.
These
paintings will be donated to the children as soon as they are completed and can
make the necessary presentation arrangements.
Kenneth
and Billie Treece, of Shongaloo, are no strangers when it come to adversity.
In the last two years, Treece has lost his mother, brother and daughter.
Stacey,
the Treece’s only child, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
(ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease in August 2006. Shortly after her diagnosis,
she was confined to a wheelchair. Her care and the care of her three children
fell to the Treece’s.
During
this period of time, the couple formally adopted their grandchildren, ages 12,
11, and 8. Stacey passed away shortly thereafter, on December 28, 2008.
In
September 2007, Treece was diagnosed with kidney cancer, and it wasn’t long
before one kidney was removed. It was believed that his prognosis was good, but
in January 2008, bone cancer was found in his hip and lung. Since then, Treece
has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments for 18 months, but the treatments
have been very draining. He has lost 75 pounds and is weak and fragile.
The
couple took care of Stacey at home until her death. They have used up nearly
all of their savings on her care. Fortunately, several fundraisers through the
“Friends of Ken’s” foundation were held locally to help with Stacey’s numerous
expenses. After her death, the children moved into the Treece home, because
their mobile home was not adequate for the Treeces and the three children; but
neither was their home.
The
Treece home was approximately 80-90 years old and had some serious challenges
that would make it unfeasible to remodel. The children had insufficient space
for sleeping and storage of their things, and the boys were sleeping on
couches.
Half of
the living room floor had fallen in because of the rotten sills under the
house. The wiring was inadequate; there were major issues with the plumbing,
cracked and sagging ceilings, and many other problems. Thankfully, all of that
has been resolved. Just last month, after numerous fundraisers and events,
including a co-ed softball tournament, the Treece family are the proud owners
of a brand new double-wide mobile home from Steve Gross Homes, who sold the modular
home at cost, without receiving any profit. Treece has been a member of the
Webster Parish Sheriff’s Department for 22 years and holds the rank of
lieutenant. He is attempting to continue working, although it is becoming more
difficult.
Billie
is a retired English and Social Studies teacher, having taught for 33 years in
the Webster Parish School System at Shongaloo High School for all of her
teaching career. They have been active members of Central Baptist Church for more than 25 years. Billie is very involved with the children’s activities
and spends any free time scrapbooking the memories of her daughter and
grandchildren. Kenneth and Billie have served Webster Parish well.
The
love and concern of the people there is a testament to this couple, according
the “Friends of Ken’s” website, a foundation created by concerned citizens for
the purpose of raising money, awareness and support for the Treece family.
To make
donations for the continuing efforts of furnishing a new home, visit their
website at www.friendsofkens.com.
Local residents hold planning meeting
for Fuller Center in Claiborne Parish
JIMMY DEAN, Feature Writer
Almost
40 people concerned with substandard housing in Claiborne Parish met October 15
at 6 p.m. at Believers Worship Center on LA9 east of Homer.
Russell
Grigsby, pastor of the Worship Center, informed the group that the United
Nations estimates 1 billion people live in substandard housing, “some right
here in Claiborne Parish.”
Grigsby
described Fuller Center Ministry (FCM) as similar to Habitat for Humanity, an
organization that focuses on providing simple, decent, affordable housing.
Grigsby
said that FCM buys the construction materials, then volunteers provide the
labor. The homeowner repays FCM for the materials by monthly payments. Those
payments go back into funding other local FCM projects. A local FCM board will
oversee and administer the program.
The
purpose of Thursday night’s meeting was to seek volunteers for the local FCM
board. Grigsby said volunteers should be prepared to bring their “time,
talent, and treasury to the table.”
The
audience had a lot of questions, many of which Grigsby answered. Someone asked
how one qualifies for FCM housing help. Grigsby explained that each FCM
homeowner applying for help must donate 500 “sweat-equity hours” before being
approved for an FCM-supported project. That means each applicant helps
construct someone else’s house first by personally donating 500 hours of labor.
Grigsby
said that some questions could not be answered until the FCM Board is in place
and formulates local policies and procedures. He said, “One of the board’s
guiding principles will be to keep things as simple as possible.”
Proceeds
of donation boxes at Brookshire’s and at Homer Memorial Hospital now go to
Fuller Center of Webster Parish because Claiborne Parish is presently within
the purview of the Fuller Center in Webster Parish.
Grigsby
encourages all interested persons to attend the next FCM meeting at Lighthouse Worship Center (next to Rose-Neath Funeral Home) at 6 p.m. on November 5. Charlie Parks from Fuller Center of Webster Parish will be present to explain
more about how the FCM program works.
Flu shots available
The
seasonal flu vaccine is now available at the Claiborne Parish Health Unit.
Groups
eligible to receive the influenza vaccine through the health unit are as
follows:
• All
children from six months up to 18 years of age
•
Pregnant women
•
Anyone 65 years of age or older
•
Anyone with long-term health problems such as:
•
Heart Disease
•
Lung disease
•
Asthma
•
Kidney Disease
•
Diabetes
•Long-term
aspirin therapy
•
Muscle or nerve disorders
•Weakened
immune system
Flu
shots will begin October 9, on a daily basis, excluding the second and fourth
Mondays of each month, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Claiborne Parish Health
Unit, located at 624 West Main Street in Homer.
People
are asked to bring their Medicaid/Medicare cards for billing purposes. For
those who are not covered by these programs, there is a $10 administrative fee.
For
more information, please call the local health unit at 927-6127.
