Police chief ordinance proposal dies
Council votes unanimously to rescind
proposal
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
proposed ordinance to change the police chief’s position from an elected one to
an appointed one has died.
In
Monday’s regular monthly meeting, the Homer Town Council voted unanimously to
rescind the proposal that could have changed the way the town chose its police
chief.
Several
citizens in attendance as well as council members applauded the action taken.
District
2 Councilman Michael Wade, who made the motion to rescind, said he felt great
about the decision that was made.
“It was
a decision I had discussed with other people, because we’re just looking out
for the best interest of the town,” Wade said. “It’s just time for the town to
move forward, and in the end, the town came out on top.”
Homer
Mayor David Newell said he was proud to see the council working together for
the best interest of Homer.
“The
concerns of several of the council members were legitimate, and they wanted
what they felt was best for Homer, and they were able to put everybody on the
same page,” he said. “You had the process working the way it was supposed to
work.”
He said
that he felt everybody understood how the division within the council was
hurting the town, and they worked together to come to a “meeting of the minds.”
“It was
a good thing for the town,” he said.
Homer
Police Chief Russell Mills said he was glad to see the community still has the
opportunity to elect its officials.
“This
was a step in the right direction,” Mills said. “I’m glad the motion was
amended and left alone – not just for me, but for the community as a whole. It
helps the town financially – not politically – and the people of the town
should always have the opportunity to elect their officials.”
In what
he said was a compromise, the council passed an amendment to the police
department’s policy and procedures which gives the council a little more teeth
in controlling how police officers are hired and terminated.
“It was
a compromise and it was something I was okay with,” Mills said.
The
changes that were made to the police department’s policy and procedures
includes several different things like results from background checks on
potential applicants would be provided to the council’s personnel committee for
review and would be provided to the council.
Before
the adoption of the amended policy and procedure, the police chief interviewed
qualified applicants and brought his recommendations to the council. The
council would then vote whether to hire the officer. Only the chief had the
authority to terminate a police officer. In the amendment, a termination would
have to be brought before the council to be voted on by a majority vote.
To be
clear, this does mean the council now has more authority for a police officer’s
termination, however, they still must allow due process for the officer under
the state mandated Policeman’s Bill of Rights. The council, just like the
chief, must follow these guidelines before a full termination can become final.
Also
amended was the language concerning disciplinary actions against officers, such
as suspensions, with or without pay, corrective action and others.
Asked
if he would run for a second term as police chief, Mills said he is
contemplating the idea, even though he does not feel he is the favored choice
by the council. However, he said, the community will have the opportunity to
support who they desire as their chief of police.
“I work
for the Homer Police Department because I want to work for the police
department,” he said. “I ran for chief of police (the first time) because I
wanted to do some good things for this town, and I want to continue to police.”
In
December 2009, the idea to change the police chief’s position from an elected
one to an appointed one was brought up in the council meeting. Some citizens
welcomed the change, but others didn’t receive the idea so well – and a
petition of nearly 400 verified signatures proved that point.
Earlier
this year, 433 names were turned into the Claiborne Parish Registrar of Voters
Office for verification – 399 of those names were verified, more than twice the
number needed to push the proposed ordinance to a vote of the people.
In
other news, the council approved:
• The
police chief’s recommendation to hire Shane Huffstetler to fill a vacant
position within the Homer Police Department,
• A
motion to pay the remaining repair at the Dutchtown Well by Continental
Drilling. Newell said this is the second bill for nearly $40,000. The total
cost for repair was approximately $80,000.
• A
motion to repair the Sewer Plant providing it meets EPA mandates.
• A
motion to adopt the Town of Homer Louisiana Compliance questionnaire for the
annual audit with Hulsey, Harwood and Sheridan.
• A motion
to approve a resolution in support of legislation to receive more money from
taxes paid from oil production in the parish,
• A
motion to appoint Tangie Wallace as the new town clerk and Shenovia West to
continue as the town’s treasurer.
• A
motion to repair the 800 block of East Fourth Street to the end of Taylor
Street and relocate the fire plugs, and
• A
resolution for the Municipal Water Pollution Environmental Audit Report.
At the
recommendation of Financial Consultant James Colvin Sr., the council approved
the hiring of Glenda Prince as an accountant for the Town of Homer. According
to Colvin Sr., her accounting skills are more than adequate for the job.
They
also approved a name change for Rainach Drive to Wilder Drive. The street is
located just north of Homer off Hwy. 2.
The
next town council meeting will be held Monday, April 5 at 6 p.m. in council chambers, located at the Homer Police Department. For more information, please
call city hall at 927-3555.
Claiborne native wins Miss Minden
The Guardian-Journal photo/Jenni Williams
Cyd Hutson was crowned 2010 Miss Minden Saturday night during the city’s annual pageant. She was given her crown by
reigning Miss Minden Lexie McKenzie. Hutson’s next stop will be the Miss Louisiana
stage in Monroe this summer. Not pictured are first runner-up Gabrielle Lewis
and second runner-up Katherine Payton.
JENNI WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
Claiborne
Parish native Cyd Hutson was crowned 2010 Miss Minden this past Saturday in the
annual Miss Minden pageant held at the Minden Civic Center.
Hutson,
a senior at Minden High School, is the 18 year-old daughter of Tom and Cydni
Hutson, sister to Reece and the granddaughter of Vernon and Loretta Krouse of
Homer, Tom and Nelda Hutson Sr. and the great-granddaughter of Loree Bumgardner
of West Monroe.
She is
a member of the Minden High School Louisi-Anne’s dance line team, a member of
the Nature Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, FBLA and 4-H. She is a
competition dancer with Cydni’s School of Dance of Minden and Homer.
As a
future LSU Tiger, Hutson will be attending Louisiana State Univeristy in Baton Rouge in the fall and will begin studies in Dietetics and Nutrition, along with
continuing her career in dance.
Hutson
has been dancing for more than 15 years with Cydni’s School of Dance and has also performed in productions by the Twin City Ballet Company in Monroe.
This
young woman has won numerous awards at Minden High School including Outstanding
Entertainer Team Award for the Louisi-Annes, Best Attitude Award and most
recently the title of MHS Darling, in the annual pageant held in February.
Using
the platform “Get Kids Moving - Fighting Childhood Obesity,” a tap dance
performance choreographed by her mom, and a graceful, athletic figure in her swimsuit,
this blonde-haired beauty was able to not only capture the Miss Minden crown,
but also the title of Swimsuit and Talent Winner also.
The
Miss Minden winner is the recipient of a $2,200 scholarship, along with $150, a
trophy and crown, and a $1,250 wardrobe allowance from the Young Women’s
Service Club of Minden.
The
wardrobe allowance is given to each winner to help prepare and ease the
expenses of the next step Miss Minden will be taking. Each year’s winner of the
crown will be representing Minden in the Miss Louisiana pageant.
Hutson
will be spending the next few months finishing up high school, making many
guest appearances in the area as Miss Minden and preparing for the Miss
Louisiana pageant. The 2010 Miss Louisiana pageant will be held at the Monroe Civic Center on June 24-26.
Drivers license fee goes up
JENNI WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
Louisiana
State Police announced last week that the price of a Louisiana drivers license
- be it new or renewal - will be increased this month.
The
current cost of a class E basic driver’s license is $21.50 and with the new
rate hike, will be an additional $15 beginning on Monday, March 8, totaling
$36.50 for the purchase of a new license.
All
other licenses including chauffeur’s and commercial will also see the $15
increase.
According
to an Associated Press news release, Colonel Mike Edmonson, deputy secretary of
the State Department of Public Safety and Corrections, says he has reviewed the
program and determined that there is a need to improve the convenience,
security and integrity of the system.
That
includes licenses that will be safe from terrorism, identity theft and fraud.
“The
higher rate basically covers a $15 fee that is charged to the Office of Motor
Vehicles (OMV) for the National Driver’s Registry. It’s the registry the OMV
uses to review an individual’s driving record,” a representative of the OMV
said.
“The
people weren’t real happy in 2008 when the cost went up just a dollar, from
$20.50 to $21.50. We’ll be the ones that really catch the fall-out from the $15
increase,” she continued.
Current
drivers license holders have 10 days to renew expired licenses without an
additional $15 late fee. That late fee will be charged over and above the $15
fee increase on March 8. If stopped by police, a citation will be issued if the
license is expired.
For
licenses that have been expired for more than one year,, individuals must take
the vision and written exams again to obtain a current license. For expired
licenses more than two years out of date, vision, written and driving exams
must all be retaken.
Each
drivers license will expire every four years on the individual’s date of birth.
Any new
or renewed licenses must be paid for with cash only. The Department of Motor
Vehicles does not accept checks or credit cards.
Community forum
A community forum, sponsored by the U.S.
Justice Department, will be held from 7 until 8:30 p.m., at Homer City Hall on Friday, March 12. The forum will be a time for the community to come
together and discuss the recent actions regarding the death of Bernard Monroe
Sr.
Alleged assault leads to arrest
The Guardian-Journal
A Homer
man was arrested on assault charges after he allegedly threatened a local
business employee with a gun.
Jeremy
S. Williams, 17, was arrested Tuesday, February 23, on two counts of aggravated
assault. Bond was set at $1,000 total.
On that
day, police say they received a call from an L&NW employee, Tony Pickens,
that Williams allegedly threatened to shoot him through his house and car.
Homer
Police Officers J.D. Faulkner and Norah Banks went to the company and spoke
with Pickens about the incident. After searching the area, Williams was nowhere
to be found, police said.
Later
that afternoon, police received another call that Williams had returned to the
company and allegedly pulled a gun on Pickens. A short time later, Williams was
found and arrested on the above charges.
He was
transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center for booking.
In
other crime news, a Homer man was picked up on a Bossier warrant for failure to
pay. He was transferred to Bossier Parish.
According
to reports, Homer Police Officer Thomas Davis initiated a traffic stop on
Monday, February 22, in the area of Pearl and Memphis Streets. The driver,
identified as Dennis Charles Webb, 48, was stopped for speeding 49 in a 30 mile
per hour zone.
When
asked for proper paperwork, reports say Webb told the officer he did not have a
driver’s license, but instead provided an identification card. When the
information was called into dispatch, it was discovered that his driver’s
license had been suspended and he had an active warrant out of Bossier Parish
for failing to abide by suspended sentence. The warrant was on a charge of
driving under suspension, and Webb was to pay a fine plus court costs.
Webb
was then arrested and transferred to Bossier Parish with no bond.
A lesson in emergency preparedness
Region 7 hospital coordinator speaks to
Homer Lions Club
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
How
prepared are our hospitals for disaster situations or mass emergencies?
Members
of the Homer Lions Club got a lesson in emergency preparedness when Knox
Andress, RN, FAEN, the Emergency Preparedness and Education Director for the
Louisiana Poison Center, associated with the Department of Emergency Medicine,
LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, spoke at the regular meeting on
Thursday, February 25.
From an
idea seeded after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Andress began thinking about the fact that many hospitals were not
prepared for a mass influx of patients from a natural or man-made disaster.
On that
fateful day, he described where he was and what he was doing at the time the
first plane hit the North Tower. He was working at Christus Schumpert as an
emergency room/ICU nurse, and like many across the country, he thought a small
plane had accidentally flown into the North Tower. A few minutes later, that
small accident turned into terror as the country realized it was being
attacked.
“We
started thinking about what we would be doing if that were in Shreveport,” he
said, “and how would we be taking care of all the patients that would be coming
to us. The next thing you know, a plane hit the South Tower. I’m wondering what
we would do in Shreveport if a situation like that happened. With all the
B-52’s flying out of Barksdale, that was a valid concern.”
The
idea really took hold after those attacks, and that idea has turned into what
it is today, disaster preparedness for hospitals in Region 7 under the
Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH).
There
are eight parishes in Region 7, which are all under DHH, and he listed many of
the hospitals in each parish, including Homer Memorial Hospital (HMH). These
hospitals include not only ones that carry an emergency room, but also mental
health and specialty hospitals, such as Brentwood in Shreveport.
“All
hospitals have a role in emergency preparedness,” he said. “Preparedness is the
key to success.”
He said
he learned a lot more about disaster preparedness after Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita devastated the southern coast of Louisiana in 2005.
When New Orleans and the southern regions of Louisiana flooded, patients had to be moved to
higher ground and farther north very quickly.
“We’ve
learned that coordinating is very important,” Andress said. “We learned that
there were some coordinating issues after Katrina and Rita, and we’re trying to
make that better.”
Other
threats he discussed include bombings, such as improvised explosive devices
(IEDs), mass shootings, which include the mass shooting at Fort Hood, grenades, anthrax scares and others. From 1983 until now, the FBI recorded 36,110
bombing incidents, he said.
More
threats he discussed included disgruntled employees who have shot coworkers,
hostage situations, hazardous material spills and tornadoes.
There
are external disasters and internal disasters, he said.
“Do you
know that when water fails, that’s a significant issue?” he said. “When you
lose your water pressure, it can cause a lot of things to come to a halt.
Water, electricity, air conditioning – those are all important things to a
hospital. If those things go out, it can cause problems.”
Most
hospitals now have back up generators to prevent these kinds of issues.
Doug
Efferson, HMH administrator, said security measures are important too, because
so many hospitals used to have open emergency room environments. Now that
emergency rooms are more patient friendly and more secure, it means that
hospital staff can take care of patients without intrusions.
“A lot
of our people in town don’t like the fact that when they walk into hospital
emergency, they can’t see a doctor immediately,” Efferson said. “You can’t do
that anymore. It’s because of 9/11, because of all this stuff that the actual
designs and floor plans of hospitals are mandated differently to protect our
community from these types of intrusions that are unwanted or unneeded.”
Although
his time was cut short, after the meeting, Andress spoke with The
Guardian-Journal about other topics in emergency preparedness as well. He is
the education director for the Louisiana Poison Center, and he stressed the
importance of having a phone number close by for emergency situations.
“We
have these magnets where they can put them on their refrigerator or near their
phone, and they will have easy access to that phone number,” Andress said.
Andress
handed out brochures on the Louisiana Poison Center which gave some interesting
statistics. According to the brochure, the poison center helps more than 37,000
poisoned children, teens and adults every year.
“About
half of poisoning emergencies involve small children,” the brochure states,
“but we also provide immediate life-saving information for suicide attempts,
medication errors, chemical spills, occupational exposures, product misuse,
drug interactions and pet poisonings.”
Using
this free service, people can also save millions from unnecessary healthcare
costs every year. Also, the poison center offers tips to prevent poisonings:
Store
medicine and household products in their original containers.
Lock
medicines and household products where children cannot see or reach them.
Use
child-resistant packaging. Replace the caps tightly after using a product.
Read
the label before taking or giving medicine – every time.
Use
household products according to label directions. Mixing household products can
cause dangerous gases to form.
Install
a carbon monoxide alarm.
Be
prepared: Put the poison center’s emergency number on or near the phone – in
every home where your child spends time.
Act
fast: If you think someone’s been poisoned – act fast. Don’t wait to see what
happens. Call the Louisiana Poison Center right away.
Some of
the most dangerous poisons include medicines (iron pills, prescription and
non-prescription drugs), pesticides, windshield washer solution, antifreeze,
drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners, alcoholic beverages, lamp oil, furniture
polish, gasoline, kerosene and paint thinner.
For
more information on the Louisiana Poison Center, or for poison emergencies,
call 1-800-222-1222. For more information on hospital emergency preparedness,
go to the Louisiana State University’s Health Sciences Center’s website at www.lsuhscshreveport.edu.
Haynesville building code amendment
passes
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
amendment to Ordinance #577 was passed unanimously during the monthly meeting
of the Haynesville Town Council.
A
public hearing was held before the beginning of the regular meeting. After
taking care of a few business matters, the council heard the second reading of
the amended ordinance before adopting it – and it couldn’t have come at a
better time.
Mayor
Sherman Brown told the council that he’d already received two requests for
building inspections.
The
ordinance allows a certified third party provider to come in and “…act in the
capacity of a building code enforcement officer or to assist the Building
Official for the Town of Haynesville in enforcing the provisions of this
Ordinance,” Section 6-104 (B) of the ordinance states.
The
procedures available to the town’s building official or the third party
provider “will include, but is not limited to the examination or review of
plans, drawings, or specifications; the conducting of inspections; and the
issuance, denial or revocation of permits,” Section 6 continues.
This
now means the town will be able to use the parish’s building code inspectors,
IBTS. In December 2009, the town entered into an intergovernmental agreement
with the Claiborne Parish Police Jury to handle the town’s building code
enforcement.
A
permit fee schedule was not drawn up, Brown said, until the amended ordinance
was adopted.
“I felt
like it would be inappropriate until we adopted the ordinance itself,” he said.
He will
bring a fee schedule for adoption within the next month or so, he said, and
because no one is trained in this area, someone will be sent for an in-service
for training before the fee schedule is adopted.
In
other news, the website project is coming along well and is up and running. A
calendar of events has also been uploaded to the website in order to get the
word out about events happening in the town. The reason for doing so, the mayor
said, is because the newspapers are published weekly and sometimes advertising
for the events isn’t timely enough to make it in the papers.
The
monthly FYI handout at each meeting will also be placed on the website to keep
the public informed on ongoing projects, events and other town news.
Also,
the Citizens Advisory Committee is working on gathering the histories of the
various churches in town, and CAC Member Bob McDaniel has been tasked with that
project.
Other
discussions included the community-wide garage sale slated for May 8 at the
pavilion behind city hall.
Also,
Brown said funds for the Haynesville Beautification Project are getting low,
and he is asking the public on behalf of the committee, to help replenish those
funds by making a donation. Although the donation would not be tax deductible,
it goes for a very good cause.
“He
didn’t ask me to do this; I’m just throwing it out there. They are working on
behalf of the town,” the mayor said. “They ask for nothing. They use all of
their donations for beautification projects, and I’m just asking that if anyone
has any extra money, it would just be a donation from the heart.”
There are
several projects the committee is currently working on throughout town, and
once those projects are completed, their funds will also be nearly depleted.
For anyone who wishes to make a donation, please send it to Keith Killgore at
Killgore’s Pharmacy in Haynesville.
In
other news, the Town of Haynesville is actively seeking grants for several
projects the mayor wishes to see done. Currently, the mayor has put in a
request for general appropriations, House Bill 1, in order to pay for an
electronic message sign for city hall.
House
Bill 1 is the bill for the state budget.
“We’ve
talked to the CAC and various council members on an item that’s on our wish
list,” Brown said. “In talking with our grant writer, I was thinking small,
something similar to what the high school has. I would be responsible for
securing and checking on pricing of those, and (our grant writer) will prepare
a request for us in House Bill 1.”
The
sign he speaks of would be an electronic digital sign.
He also
said for the last two years, Haynesville has been able to secure funding from
general appropriations due to the aggressive proactive approach to getting
those funds.
Another
grant the town is attempting to secure is an LGAP grant, which would be used
for the air conditioning and heating units at the Claiborne Parish Fair Complex
as well as a generator for city hall.
The
Community Water Enrichment Fund (CWEF) grant the town is attempting to secure
would be used for chemicals, supplies and equipment for the wastewater
treatment plant.
They
are also looking into a grant from Entergy, which would go towards the music
festival. Federal appropriations is another the town is looking in to in order
to obtain funding for street overlay and a generator for the Haynesville Police
Department.
“Our
grant writer told us that we would have a better chance of going through
federal Homeland Security in getting a generator for the PD,” Brown said. “Some
of you may not be aware, but a couple of months ago, city hall, PD, kind of
south of here, we lost electricity. We couldn’t communicate. Even our truck
radios didn’t work. We were communicating by cell phone. I wish for the city
hall and the PD to have back up generators in case of emergencies.”
In
Capital Outlay (state funding), the town is also seeking funding for street
overlay as well as for drainage.
The
town is also seeking grants from a recreation grant to build a
concession/restroom building at the t-ball field.
The
next regular monthly meeting of the Haynesville Town Council will be held at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 25, in council chambers, located behind City Hall. For more
information, please call city hall at 318-624-0911.
