Six month investigation nets drug
arrests
The Guardian-Journal
A six
month CNET (Claiborne Narcotic Enforcement Team) investigation of the illegal
sale of controlled dangerous substances in the Haynesville area of Claiborne
Parish has now been completed, Haynesville Police Chief Anthony Smith and
Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey announced.
On
Wednesday, February 17, CNET and the Claiborne Felony Arrest and Search Team
(FAST) members gathered in the early morning hours to locate and arrest seven
individuals on charges ranging from distribution of cocaine and marijuana to
prescription drugs. FAST was able to locate two of the seven suspects.
Those
arrested were James Kingsby for distribution of a Schedule IV CDS (fentanyl),
distribution of a Schedule II CDS (morphine), and a failure to appear charge,
and Demarcus Hampton for two counts of distribution of a Schedule II CDS
(hydrocodone), possession of a Schedule I CDS (marijuana). Both subjects were
arrested at their residences located in Haynesville and later booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center.
Bond
for both Kingsby and Hampton were set at $60,500 each.
According
to Chief Smith, there are five more suspects in this investigation, and he expects
to have them arrested in the very near future.
On this
same date, CNET and FAST officers were able to develop information about an
individual from Magnolia, Ark., who was delivering crack cocaine to Haynesville
on a regular basis. CNET Agents Adrian Malone and James Spillers were able to
arrange for this subject to deliver a quantity of crack cocaine to Marietta Street in Haynesville. Later that same date, Dewaven E. Rowden arrived on Marietta
Street and attempted to deliver a quarter ounce of Schedule II crack cocaine.
During
this delivery, CNET and FAST officers confronted Rowden, and after a brief
physical confrontation, Rowden was arrested and charged with attempted
delivery/distribution of Schedule II CDS crack cocaine, felony possession of
Schedule I CDS marijuana and resisting an officer. Rowden, a convicted sex
offender, was later booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center with no bond.
CNET
and FAST are cooperative endeavors that involve the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s
Office, the Haynesville Police Department and the Homer Police Department.
Bailey, Smith and Homer Police Chief Russell Mills all agreed that this
cooperation is one of the strongest tools that local law enforcement in
Claiborne Parish has. They stated that this cooperation pays dividends every
time another suspect is arrested and a crime solved, no matter where the crime
occurred or who made the arrest.
Smith,
Bailey and Mills encourage 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/FAST at 318-927-9800, 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 relative to any criminal activity is considered confidential
and is greatly appreciated.
Homer woman arrested on warrants
The Guardian-Journal
A Homer
woman has been picked up on several warrants by Homer Police.
Charlotte
M. Curry, 39, was arrested on five warrants on Monday, February 15. Current
charges include possession of Schedule II CDS crack cocaine, with bond set at
$5,000, and possession of drug paraphernalia, with bond set at $500.
The
five warrants include charges of two counts of failure to pay child support,
with bond set at $1,000 on the first count and $4,000 on the second count, two
counts of failure to pay, with a $757 fine or serve 60 days on the first and
serve 10 days on the second, and unauthorized use of a moveable, with bond set
at $500.
According
to police, on the date above, Curry was observed in the area of Washington Street and Hudd Drive during routine patrol. Officer Van McDaniel called Curry to
his unit and informed her that she was known to have active warrants for her
arrest.
She was
then asked to be seated in the back seat of his patrol unit, to which she
complied. He then called dispatch and confirmed the active warrants.
Reports
then say McDaniel asked her if she had any contraband on her person, and she believed
she did. She was then transported to the Homer Police Station where she was
asked to turn over any contraband she possibly had.
When
she complied with McDaniel’s request, she reportedly pulled out an object
wrapped in a paper towel. According to police, that paper towel contained a
suspected crack pipe.
During
a subsequent search of the backseat area of the patrol unit, a large piece of
an off-white rock-like substance was found. The substance field tested positive
for crack cocaine.
It was
then placed into evidence, and Curry was transported to the Claiborne Women’s
Facility for further booking.
One of
the warrants she was arrested on happened in March 2009, when she allegedly
took a vehicle without the knowledge of the owner. The other four dealt with
the failure to pay child support charges and the failure to pay.
Fate of OFS still unknown
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Last
week, The Guardian-Journal reported the possible closing of the food stamp
office in Homer – and there are still no definitive answers. However, the
Claiborne Parish office is not a part of those first round of closures.
According
to Trey Williams, communications director for the Louisiana Department of
Social Services (DSS), there still really is no answer as to whether the Homer
office will close. However, he did say that no office anywhere in the state has
received any word on any closures.
“No one
has received any notice,” Williams said of the Claiborne Office of Family
Support. “We are in the process of consolidating several offices in several
parishes, but no final decisions have been made.”
According
to a press release from DSS, the Louisiana Streamlining Government Commission
is taking a look at state offices and figuring out ways to save money by
consolidating and streamlining the state government. One way they are doing
that is to consolidate several of the DSS offices in each parish.
For
example, Claiborne Parish has at least two DSS offices – the Office of
Community Services and the Office of Family Support which is served by the
Webster Parish office. Hypothetically, this could mean the two offices would be
combined into one so clients utilizing these services would only have one
office to go to.
“What
we’re really looking at doing is changing the way we have provided services to
our clients,” he said. “The long term plan is moving away from the current
model of parish offices to a more regional one.”
The
current structure has potentially more than one DSS office in each parish, but
the new structure would consolidate them into one office, while at the same
time, branching out to include what he called community partners. This way DSS
services are still reaching its clients where they are.
“We’re
looking at modernizing our services,” he said. “People will be able to
[utilize] a call center using an 800 number, where they will be able to take
care of their services over the phone. We’re also looking at an online service
where they can take care of their business on line as well.”
Never
fear, though, because clients will not lose their level of services they now
receive. Through a community partnership with local organizations, clients will
be able to take care of their business there with a DSS representative instead
of having to go to the office. This means that a client who does not have
access to a telephone or a computer will be able to go directly to one of the
DSS’s community partners.
“We’re
not taking any services out of any parish,” he said. “What we’re going to be
doing is increasing access to those services. It’s a new way of thinking to be
more customer friendly to our clients.”
A real
fear of job losses has also been voiced, as was stated in February’s regular
monthly meeting of the Claiborne Parish Police Jury. Office of Community
Services Director Jean Reynolds spoke to the police jury on the status of the
local food stamp office, and she told jury members that if the office closed,
people here were going to lose their jobs or be transferred out of Claiborne
Parish.
Williams
countered that statement saying that job cuts would be minimal.
“With
the budget situation, there will be some layoffs,” he said, “but we expect most
of those losses will be through people retiring or open vacancies. Outside of
that, as part of the streamlining commission, we must move to an 8 to 1
manager-employee ratio. Part of that will be a ‘flattening’ of our
organization, basically eliminating middle management administration.
“There
might be limited layoffs but where those layoffs occur, we’re not sure yet,” he
continued. “Any layoffs will be minimal just because of the open vacancies they
currently have and through the natural retirement of some throughout a normal
year. We’ve shared that with employees, but no positions have been identified
yet.”
When
the time comes, he said, representatives from the state office will be sent
throughout the state to each parish to meet with employees, community partners
and others to explain the process and exactly what will happen. They will also
be on hand to answer any questions people may have. Although there is no
definitive time line as to when all this will take place, Williams said the
first office consolidations will begin in May, and will continue over the next
year or two.
But he
also wanted to assure the public that those who receive DSS services will not
lose them.
“The
one thing I can promise is that the services people get now will continue to be
there for them,” he said.
For
more information on the upcoming changes, go to DSS’s website at www.dss.state.la.us.
CPSB announces 2010 Students of the Year
JENNI WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
The
Claiborne Parish School Board was pleased to announce the 2009-10 Students of
the Year at February’s regular monthly meeting.
The
high school student of the year was awarded to 12th grade student Morgan
Ledbetter of Summerfield High School. She is the daughter of Mark and Lisa
Ledbetter.
While
maintaining a 4.0 grade point average, Ledbetter is also actively involved in
several activities including pitching for the Lady Rebels softball team,
holding down a part-time job, and being a member of several school clubs
including the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, 4-H, Beta Club, Character
Counts and Future Business Leaders of American.
Ledbetter
plans to attend the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a major in Pharmacy.
Mackenzie
Scriber was the recipient of the junior high school student of the year award.
She is an eighth grade student at Summerfield High School and is the daughter
of Greg and Amy Scriber.
Scriber
loves spending time with her family, who are a huge part of her life. She
enjoys playing games, watching movies, laughing and telling stories. 4-H is
also a large part of her life. She shows Brahman cows for the Claiborne Parish
Livestock Club and through the American Junior Brahman Association as well as
the parish and state fairs.
She is
also a member of the Summerfield Lady Rebels softball team.
The
elementary student of the year was awarded to Homer Junior High School fifth
grader Kimberly Ware. She is the daughter of Mike and Rachel Ware.
Ware is
an animal lover and has several pets including a guinea pig called Fudgebrownie
- or Fudget for short - and enjoys riding horses.
Getting
a good education has always been important to Ware, and she has always dreamed
of attending Louisiana Tech University to become a dietician in order to help
people with allergic reactions.
Some of
Ware’s most loved interests are nature, art, church and her family.
Each of
the three students were awarded an engraved plaque presented to them by School
Board President Will Maddox and Superintendant Dr. Janice Williams, along with
each student’s own principal.
“One of
the most pleasurable things, as a board, that we get to do is the awarding of
the students of the year,” Maddox said.
In
other business, the board approved a request from Homer High School Drama Club
Director Denice Owens to travel out of state with the drama club students to
Magnolia, Ark., to observe a play. All expenses will be covered by the members
of the drama club.
In the
next item of business, a date has been set for the annual Claiborne Relay for
Life event, scheduled for April 30. The board has approved the Ronnie G. Beard
Staditum as the location of the event.
The
members of the board also had a number of personnel action requests to approve.
Brenda Wortham was hired to fill a vacant position as a teacher at Athens High School. Noel Moore, a Homer High School Special Education teacher, has been
granted a medical leave and Daniela Polk has resigned as a paraprofessional
from Summerfield High School as she will be pursuing a career with the
Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office.
With
great regret, the board also accepted the retirement request from Summerfield
High School Principal D’Arcy Stevens, who has been with the Claiborne Parish
School Board for more than 30 years. With a grudging motion from Danny Lee, and
a not very enthusiastic second by Joey Lee, Stevens’ request was approved.
“As you
can see, people don’t really want you to retire,” Maddox told Stevens.
The
Board approved the request to advertise for the newly opened positions and the
meeting was adjourned.
The
next regular school board meeting will be at 7 p.m. on March 11 at the Claiborne Parish School Central Office. For more information, please call
318-927-3502.
SHS principal announces his retirement
JENNI WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
Claiborne
Parish is preparing itself to say goodbye to one of the most loved
teacher/principals it’s had the privilege of calling one of their own.
After
more than 33 years serving the students of this great parish, Summerfield High
School Principal D’Arcy Stevens will be calling it quits in just a few short
months.
With an
official retirement date of June 30, these last few months of the 2009-10
school year are bittersweet in the minds of many students and faculty members
throughout the parish.
That’s
not to say that he won’t be seen around the area though. With a goal of taking
at least one full year away from the stress, demands and joys of being a high
school principal, Stevens makes the promise that “I will still be visiting the
school a couple times a week, and catching a game here and there, as long as I
can get away with it without making a nuisance of myself.”
After
spending so much of his life with these students and teachers on a daily basis,
Stevens couldn’t just completely walk away.
Stevens
was a student at Summerfield from his eighth grade year until graduation. He
spent his earlier years in El Dorado, Ark., with his parents and older sister.
His
family moved to the Summerfield area in 1968, where his mother was born and
raised on a cotton farm just east of the school and was at that time an
elementary teacher at Summerfield High School. Stevens’ father was one of six
siblings that were raised in the Ruston area at the Methodist Orphanage.
One of
Stevens’ fondest memories of his father was the constant wish that both of his
children attend Louisiana Tech University in Ruston -- something in which both
Stevens and his sister Jane did, both receiving their Master’s degrees from the
university.
Stevens
first year of teaching was 1977, where he was hired as a social studies teacher
at Homer Junior High School. While there, he was head coach for the basketball
and football teams.
After
teaching at the junior high school for three years, Stevens was then offered a
position at Homer High School where he spent just as many hours on the sports
fields as he did in the classroom.
While
teaching at the high school level, Stevens was the head baseball coach for six
years, assistant football coach for 17 years, head football coach for one year
and head basketball coach for 12 seasons.
Stevens
became principal at Homer High School in 1995, where he continued his coaching
and new position until 2000.
A
hometown boy at heart, Stevens accepted the position of principal at Summerfield High School in the fall of 2000. On accepting this new move, Stevens
remembered, “When I left Homer, I had reservations because I had spent all my
career there. But I felt like at this point in my career I was being led back
home to my old school.
“I had
already had three opportunities to leave, one of which was to Arkansas, but I
chose to stay loyal to Claiborne Parish,” he continued. “I’m proud that I
stayed here. I thank God for the opportunity he gave me and I now look forward
to my retirement.”
While
in his 10 years at Summerfield, Stevens continued his career as a coach -- as
head coach of the girls’ softball team for two years and for half a season with
the girl’s basketball team.
Some of
his most memorable sports moments throughout his years coaching was the 1984
state championship football game in which the Homer Pelicans lost 19-14; the
1988-79 baseball team that went undefeated in district play; and the year his
baseball team went to the state quarterfinals in 1994.
Throughout
the 30 plus years he spent behind a desk in Claiborne Parish, there were many
people and events that greatly impacted his career. One of the most memorable
people is Joe Richardson, who hired Stevens in his very first position at Homer
Junior High.
Howard
Moss is also one of those men that made such a lasting impression on Stevens’
mind. Moss spent only one year at Summerfield as a basketball coach, but helped
shape not only Stevens, but Karl Malone into what he is today.
But the
one person that stands out in his mind the most is James Edward Scriber.
Scriber first impacted Stevens’ life on the field. He was the baseball and
basketball coach during Stevens’ high school years at Summerfield and later
became the Claiborne Parish Schools Superintendent during Steven’s career as an
educator.
“These
men were a huge part of my career. They stand out in my mind and were what
helped shape my career,” Stevens said. “There are also too many faculty members
that were a positive influence for me. There are many, many friends in the
education business that I can’t even mention by name without taking the chance
of missing one.”
One of
the many things Stevens is proud of having accomplished throughout his years is
the establishment of the Summerfield Academic Foundation. What started out as a
basic parent/teacher organization quickly evolved into one that has helped
refurbish all the outdoor athletic fields and the purchase of materials that
would have otherwise been unable to occur.
The
great success of this venture is a result of the great support from the annual
SHS auction and fish fry.
One of
the most recent accomplishments by this organization is the purchase of seven
acres just east of the softball field. No concrete plans have been made for the
property as yet, but it’s enough land for the school to accomplish many
different things from expansion to athletics currently unavailable.
Another
great accomplishment for Stevens is the high performance scores that rank the
highest in all of Claiborne Parish. “I give the faculty the thanks for that,”
Stevens said.
With
the days slowly disappearing from the calendar, moving closer and closer to
June 30, Stevens looks forward to the stress-free days that will be spent
refurbishing his barn, working with his filly, maybe even getting into the cow
business, and fishing with his sons. After the year’s hiatus, he plans to
survey his options and do whatever the Lord places on him.
As of
this June, Stevens and his wife, Patricia, will have been married 34 years.
They are the parents of three grown children, Richard, Walt and Anna Claire and
the grandparents of two-year-old Laney Stevens.
“I just
want to thank all the many people throughout the years and most importantly the
staff here at Summerfield High School, they have been wonderful.”
Homer Elementary students learn the art
of archery
The Guardian-Journal
The
fourth and fifth grade students at Homer Elementary School are getting in a
little target practice – archery, that is.
The
students are evoking on an exciting endeavor by learning archery in physical
education (PE) class through the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP).
Homer
Elementary Principal Pat Lee became interested in the program at the beginning
of the school year, a school press release stated, and through the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, she and Coach Tim Connelly have been
certified as archery instructors.
For the
past month and a half, Connelly and Harold Barnette of Harold’s Archery in
Homer, have taught the fourth and fifth graders proper shooting technique.
Students at the school have been real excited about using the Genesis Compound
Bows and archery equipment for target shooting during their PE class, Connelly
said.
“It has
been real challenging to teach such a skill to young people,” he said, “but
with patience, it has been very beneficial. The students seem to really enjoy
it.”
NASP
Archery Inc., was designed to teach international style target archery in PE
classes from fourth through twelfth grades, according to its website,
www.archeryintheschools.org.
The
“core content covers archery history, safety, technique, equipment, mental
concentration, core strengthening physical fitness and self-improvement,” the
website continues.
“Our
program has been a mix of both learning the mental aspect of concentration
through shooting and giving the students an opportunity to participate in a
lifelong sport,” Connelly said. “Without NASP, most of these students would not
have this opportunity.”
The
NASP started when Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR)
Commissioner Tom Bennett wanted archery to become a high school sport choice,
the website said.
The
sport was introduced to the Kentucky Department of Education through an archery
event, which eventually led to it being introduced into middle schools in the
PE classes.
Prior
to the beginning of NASP, the website said, many of the schools didn’t offer
archery because of safety concerns, lack of equipment, and lack of appropriate
training for teachers.
Since
then, statistics show that more than 4.6 million youth have participated in
archery via this program and more than 5,000 schools have joined.
Connelly
hopes to eventually start an archery team through the school and travel to some
local tournaments with the students.
Students
would have the opportunity to participate in archery tournaments and earn
scholarships through NASP.
“NASP
has really grown over the past few years and has snowballed in participation
and involvement in the area,” the Homer Elementary coach said. “Tournaments in Shreveport have seen a growing interest with local archery teams through schools.”
More
information about the program can be found at www.archeryintheschools.org.
Scholarships available through CPSO
The
Louisiana Sheriffs’ Scholarship Program will award scholarships providing
assistance to worthy Louisiana students in furthering their education and
training with resources made available through the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Honorary
Membership Program.
According
to Program Chair Greg Champagne, Saint Charles Parish Sheriff, “This
scholarship program is meaningful expression of the program’s respect for
education. It demonstrates our confidence in Louisiana’s youth – our future
leaders.”
Scholarships
are a maximum of $500 each and will be awarded to graduating high school
students from each parish where the sheriff is an affiliate of the honorary
membership program.
There
are no restrictions on the purposes for which the scholarships are spent. The
scholarships are not loans and will be awarded as gifts to defray the rising
costs of tuition and related expenses in higher education. The only limitations
are that applicants must be permanent residents of Louisiana, scholarships be
utilized in higher education within the state of Louisiana, and students be
enrolled as full-time undergraduate students.
Applications
are available to students at their schools and completed applications must be
submitted to the sheriff of the parish of the applicant’s permanent Louisiana residence by April 1. Further, applicants must be eligible for admission to the
school indicated on the application. The award will only be paid for attendance
at institutions of higher learning within the state. All scholarship winners
will be announced by May 1 of each year.
Sheriff
Champagne concluded, “Louisiana Sheriffs are pleased with the honorary
membership program’s ability to bring scholarships to Louisiana students bound
for higher education. To continue to do so and fund other important projects
and initiatives, continued support of the honorary membership program is
essential. We could not function without our honorary members.”
For
further information regarding the sheriff’s scholarship program, please contact
Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey at 318-927-2011.
Bailey: ‘Give well, but give wisely’
In the
wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, people from all over the world
have been moved to donate money to relief organizations.
Less
than 24 hours after the disaster, the Red Cross announced it had already raised
$800,000 from text messages alone. Much more is needed. But beware: when
tragedy strikes, scammers do too.
“Most
charities are legitimate, reputable causes,” said Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken
Bailey, “but past tragedies and natural disasters have shown that there are
individuals with criminal intent looking to prey upon the generosity of others.
It is wise to apply a critical eye to all appeals before responding to them.”
Therefore,
before making a donation of any kind, Bailey recommends the following guidelines:
• Ask
for written information about the charity, including name, address and
telephone number. A legitimate charity or fundraiser will provide you
information about the charity’s mission, how your donation will be used, and
proof that your contribution is tax deductible.
• Call
the charity. Find out if the organization is aware of the solicitation and has
authorized the use of its name. If not, you may be dealing with a fraudulent
organization.
• Be
careful of similar sounding names. Fraudulent charities may use names that
closely resemble the name of established, legitimate charitable organizations.
• Ask
how your donation will be spent. How much of your donation will go directly to
the charity and how much will cover the charity’s administrative costs?
•
Refuse high-pressure sales tactics. A legitimate charitable organization will
be more than happy to give you time to consider your contribution.
Additionally, they will provide you with any written materials you request and
will answer any question you may have.
• Be
wary of charities offering to send a courier to pick up your donation. This
type of offer is not typical of legitimate charities and may be a tip-off to a
scam.
• Avoid
cash donations. It is best to pay by check or credit card so you will have a
record of your donation.
• Do
not reveal personal information to someone who solicits a contribution.
Revealing this information may lead to identity theft.
• Be
cautious of emails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in
attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments
from known senders.
One’s
best safeguard against fraudulent charities or fundraisers is to learn as much
as you can about your favorite charity or cause.
Do not
give if you do not feel comfortable with the information you have found about
the organization that is asking for donations and support.
“Once
you are convinced that a charity is worthwhile, give well, but give wisely,”
Bailey concluded.
