Mayor Newell says he plans to resign
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Homer
Mayor David Newell has said he plans to resign.
Claiming
he’s been attacked politically since he ran for office, he said he’s just tired
of politics.
According
to the Shreveport Times, Newell said most of his “issues” were political, and
he was “tired of being hammered” on issues rather than focusing on how to
improve the Town of Homer.
Last
week, District Attorney Jonathan Stewart declared the mayor’s office vacant
because their investigation revealed he does not meet residency requirements.
In a separate interview with Newell last week, he said despite the
investigation, he wanted to continue to make the decisions that need to be made
for the Town of Homer.
“I’m
still going to make the decisions that I feel are best for the Town of Homer,” he said last week. “The timing of this is uncalled for, and it’s simply a decision
that was made because they didn’t like the decisions I made concerning the
hospital.”
Much of
the upheaval over the last couple of months stems from the resignation or
removal of former Homer Memorial Hospital Board Chairman Buddy Pixley. Within a
week or so after that, the administrator, Doug Efferson, resigned.
And
week before last, Claiborne Healthcare Foundation Coordinator Alice Gandy
resigned.
Newell
defended his decisions with the hospital saying he trusted the town council to
be good stewards of the town’s money, and that neither he nor they had any
intention of running the hospital.
When
Efferson resigned, members of the community showed up in force at April’s town
council meeting crying foul. Many were angry and upset over the decisions made,
saying they felt there was more to the picture than what was presented to the
public. A letter, signed by three council members – District 1 Councilman Scott
“Doc” Roberson, District 2 Councilman Michael Wade and District 5 Councilwoman
Patricia Jenkins – stated they no longer supported Efferson as the hospital
administrator. It was those three signatures that led community members to
believe they met without public knowledge, which, if so, is a violation of open
meetings laws.
As of
press time, Newell could not be reached for comment, and no date was given as
to when he would resign.
Several arrested for illegal activity
The Guardian-Journal
Several
people were arrested last week after the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office
received information that possible illegal activity was taking place at a
Claiborne Parish residence.
On May
10, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Detective Ben Booth, along with Agent James
Spillers, Detective Darren Keel and an officer of the Office of Community
Services arrived at the residence located at 147 Wallace Lane in Minden.
In the
course of their investigation, it was discovered that Richard Joseph Weaver,
Kelly Weaver, a female juvenile and Zachary Taylor Maness were living at the
residence. Once there, officers discovered a large pipe commonly used for
smoking marijuana and further search of the residence revealed a large amount
of drug paraphernalia.
Kelly
Renet Weaver, 39, of Minden was arrested that day and charged with two counts
of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile with bond set at $2,000 on
count one and $500 on the other, possession of marijuana with bond set at $500
and possession of drug paraphernalia with bond set at $500. Kelly Weaver’s
total bond was $3,500.
Zachary
T. Maness, 19, of Minden was arrested that day and charged with contributing to
the delinquency of a juvenile with bond set at $500, possession of drug
paraphernalia with bond set at $500, possession of marijuana (second offense),
with bond set at $5,000, carnal knowledge of a juvenile with bond set at
$10,000 and a failure to appear court bench warrant with bond set at $500. Maness’
total bond is set at $16,500.
Richard
Joseph Weaver, 41, of Minden was arrested on Thursday, May 13 and charged with
distribution of controlled dangerous substances to persons under 18 with bond
set at $30,000, possession of drug paraphernalia with bond set at $500,
contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile with bond set at $2,000, felony
possession of marijuana with bond set at $15,000, and distribution of CDS
Schedule I marijuana with bond set at $15,000. Weaver’s total bond is $62,500.
Maness
and Joseph Weaver were booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center and Kelly Weaver was booked into the Claiborne Parish Women’s Facility.
Officer buried with honor
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Law
enforcement buried one its own last Saturday.
Homer
Police Officer John Bailey passed away Wednesday night, according to
information Police Chief Russell Mills received from the family.
“Our
hearts go out to John’s family,” Mills said. “He was a good officer. Law
enforcement was something he wanted to do for a long time, and John was willing
to do anything in the performance of his job. John dedicated a lot of his time
to the Town of Homer, and he always strived to do his very best. He will be
greatly missed by the Homer Police Department and the people in the community
who knew and loved him.”
Funeral
services were held at Calvary Baptist Church Saturday afternoon with graveside
services following at Arlington Cemetery in Homer. Bailey was buried with the
honor and respect of a police officer.
Bailey
was the narcotics officer at the department and had just received a new
partner, K-9 officer Arko. Bailey trained and was certified as a handler. Arko
is a “dual purpose” officer, trained in narcotics as well as criminal
apprehension.
Bailey
was also a volunteer fire fighter, serving the Homer Fire Department for 7
years, beginning in May 2003.
“He had
the heart of a public servant,” Homer Fire Chief Dennis Butcher said. “Public
safety was something he was really interested in, and he did a good job with
it. He was an active duty frontline fire fighter for our department, and we’re
going to really miss him.”
Others
who will miss him are his church family as well. A member of Calvary Baptist Church, Bailey was very active with the youth ministry there. He also served
as a pee-wee baseball coach as well as other servitudes to Homer.
Bailey
served his country in the U.S. Navy and served his community as a reserve
police officer before being hired full time as a night patrolman at the Homer
Police Department in July 2006.
Probe into town check to begin
Money repaid on check for Mayfield
Association
The Guardian-Journal
A probe
into a town check cashed recently will soon begin.
A check
cashed for $3,800 to the Mayfield Youth Sports Association is being looked into
because it was not a budgeted item within the Town of Homer’s 2010 budget,
however that money was paid back in full with a cashier’s check by the Mayfield
Recreation Association on Tuesday afternoon.
Even
though proper procedures were not followed with the issuance of the check, the
intent of wrongdoing was not there, according to the Town of Homer’s financial
consultant, James Colvin Sr.
The
town’s financial records show that in February, a check was made out to the
Mayfield Youth Sports Association for $3,000, which Colvin said was legitimate.
The amount was already approved in the town’s 2010 budget.
However,
in May, another check was written to the same organization for $3,800. Colvin
explained the second check was to help the association cover emergency expenses
from an event the association held.
“Several
things happened where other parties were not aware of the consequences of what
they were doing,” Colvin said, “which caused an unpleasant circumstance to
occur.”
The
issue, according to records, shows the extra $3,800 was taken out of the town’s
general fund, but it was not a budgeted amount to go towards the association –
which Colvin says is illegal. Any expenditures that are made outside of the
budget means the budget itself must be formally amended. To be clear, this
means that if money needs to be spent and the council wants to take it from
another fund, they must formally amend the budget to move the funds from one
account to the other.
The
first check, which was the one for the approved budgeted amount, was endorsed
by District 3 Councilman Toney Johnson and Homer Mayor David Newell. The back
of that check was signed by Fred Young and the check went through a bank in
Rayville. Colvin said it is not known whether the first check was cashed or
deposited into the youth sports association account.
Newell’s
stamped signature was on both checks.
The
second check was endorsed by the mayor and District 5 Councilwoman Patricia
Jenkins. The back of the second check was signed by District 2 Councilman
Michael Wade and cashed at Piggly Wiggly in Homer.
Colvin
said the money for the second check could allegedly be traced to receipts
showing where the money went. He said he has yet to see those receipts.
Colvin
said he intends to have an audit done on the second check for review. All
processing concerning this issue has been halted until it is resolved.
District
Attorney Jonathan Stewart says he has been made aware of the issue and an
official investigation will be done.
“I can
tell you that some governmental authority will be investigating it in the near
future,” he said.
One of
four agencies will head up the investigation – the Louisiana State Police, the
Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office, the Town of Homer or the district
attorney’s office.
Crash claims life
Claiborne Parish woman passes from
injuries
The Guardian-Journal photos/Michelle
Bates
On Thursday, May 13, an 18-wheeler and
Ford Mustang collided on Hwy. 79 around 5 p.m. The driver of the Mustang,
Gwendolyn Johnson, passed away at the hospital after suffering fatal injuries.
The driver of the 18-wheeler, Willie T. Harris of Minden, received no injuries.
Inset, crews work diligently to release Johnson from the car.
The Guardian-Journal
A
head-on collision last Thursday evening pulled manpower from seemingly every
corner of Claiborne Parish.
According
to Louisiana State Police, around 5 p.m. that evening, an Athens woman passed
away due to injuries she sustained in the accident.
“The
crash occurred when 67-year-old Gwendolyn J. Johnson was traveling northbound
on U.S. Hwy. 79, lost control over her vehicle, and impacted a southbound
tractor trailer driven by 55-year-old Willie T. Harris of Minden,” a state
police press release stated. “Evidence on the roadway indicated Mr. Harris was
operating his 2007 Kenworth within his southbound travel lane at the time
impact occurred with Mrs. Johnson’s 2003 Ford Mustang.”
Initial
reports at the scene, according to state police, revealed that Johnson crossed
the center line when the impact occurred. According to Harris, police say, when
she crossed over the center line, there was no way for him to avoid it.
Assisting
at the scene were the Homer Fire Department Search and Rescue, the Claiborne
Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Homer Police Department, who helped direct
traffic, and Pafford Ambulance Service, who rushed Johnson to a local hospital
She was
airlifted by Pafford Air One to a Shreveport hospital where she later died.
Impairment
is not suspected to be a factor in the accident, state police said, but
toxicology tests are pending.
“Both
drivers were restrained,” the press release stated. “Mr. Harris was not
injured, but Mrs. Johnson died as a result of her injuries sustained in the
crash.”
No
charges are being sought at this time, however, the investigation is still
ongoing.
In a
separate incident early Saturday morning, May 15, a one vehicle accident
involving three teens sent them to the hospital with serious injuries.
Homer
Fire and Rescue were dispatched to Spring Lake Road, just off Highway 9 South,
around 1:30 a.m. Upon arrival, Fire Chief Dennis Butcher noted three male teens
pinned inside a vehicle. Butcher said all three were extricated with serious
but no life-threatening injuries.
According
to state police, the 2001 Dodge pickup was traveling eastbound on Spring Lake Road when it crossed an elevated railroad crossing at a high rate of speed. The
driver lost control of the vehicle causing it to “rotate clockwise exiting the
roadway to the right for about 57 feet,” the press release stated.
Reports
say the vehicle struck several trees on the south side of the roadway coming to
rest facing east.
All
were then transported to Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center with serious to moderate injuries. The driver was wearing a seatbelt; however,
alcohol use and excessive speed are factors in this incident. It isn’t known if
the two passengers were restrained.
The
driver, a 16-year-old male juvenile, was charged with DWI 1st. Two counts of
first degree vehicular negligent injuring are pending, police said. The two
passengers in the vehicle are ages 14 and 15, all of Homer.
Spaghetti dinner fundraiser May 21
The Fuller Center for Housing at
Claiborne is hosting a spaghetti dinner in efforts to introduce the
organization to the community as well as generate funds to move closer towards
its goals. The event will be held at 6 p.m., Friday, May 21 at Homer City Hall. Plates are $5 each, and patrons must have a ticket to attend. If you
haven’t gotten your tickets yet, please call 318-225-0077. The event will be
catered by Kathy’s Real Soul Food.
Fleming to be in Homer
Congressman John Fleming will hold at
Meet and Greet at the Claiborne Parish Police Jury Complex on Thursday, June 3,
at 2:30 p.m. For more information, please call the police jury office at
927-2222.
School board prepares to verify
residency requirements, transfers
The Guardian-Journal
The
Claiborne Parish School Board is gearing up to start verifying residences for
students and transfer policies.
In this
week’s edition of The Guardian-Journal, a public notice of residency
verification and transfer policies and procedures can be found in the legal
section of the newspaper.
The
notice is part of an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department and a court
order to satisfy an order to desegregate schools. The issue stems from a
40-year-old lawsuit which ordered the Claiborne Parish School Board to
desegregate its schools.
As part
of this agreement, for three years (this is year two), the school board has to
turn in paperwork verifying each student’s address and make sure students are
going to the schools in the district in which they live.
The
residency form each student turns in must be notarized and with proper
documentation. At least two of the following documents must be turned in with
the residency form:
•
Property tax records
•
Mortgage documents or property deed
•
Apartment/house lease or residential rent receipt clearly indicating the date
and amount of the rental payment, the person who made the payment and the
person who received the payment.
•
Utility bill received within the preceding 30 days or application for utility
service made within the preceding 30 days. Acceptable utility bills include
electric, water and cable.
• Valid
voter registration indicating the voting precinct and residential street
address
•
Current valid Louisiana driver’s license clearly showing a residential street
address.
These
residency forms must be filled out by each student, whether enrolling for the
first time or continuing enrollment in school no later than 10 school days
after the first day of school or “within 10 days of address change.”
If a
student is transferring, all documents must be completed and returned to the
Claiborne Parish School Board Office between June 1 and June 23.
For any
transfer request to be considered, parents or guardians must provide the
following:
• An
application indicating that it is a request for a majority to minority transfer
or indicating which of the six compelling circumstances, as specified below,
upon which the student seeks an out-of-zone transfer;
• A
signed, dated and notarized statement providing a detailed explanation of the
reason for the transfer request; and
• Any
applicable documentation submitted in support of the transfer request and as
required by the applicable provision below.
All
documents must be completed and returned to the Claiborne Parish School Board
Office, located at 415 East Main Street in Homer.
For
more information, please see the public notice in the legal section of this
week’s paper, or call the school board office at 927-3502. A full version of
these policies and procedures are available to the public for viewing at the
school board’s central office.
WLF talks boating safety
The Guardian-Journal
The
Homer Lions Club got a lesson in boating safety last Thursday.
Sgt. Chuck Dison, with the
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, spoke to the Lions Club about
boating safety and the importance of following the laws of the water.
“The
laws on the lake are the same as the laws on the road,” he said.
Mostly
writing citations for no life jackets or Driving Under the Influence (DUI),
many accidents that were alcohol-related were fatal, he said. According to
statistics, 152 accidents were reported in Louisiana last year. Of those 152,
25 were fatal.
“If you
want to drink, get a sober driver,” he told Lions Club members.
In
2008, he said 4,789 accidents were reported in the United States, and of those
1,823 of those were by people ages 36-45.
Lifejackets
are also important as well. New laws have gone into effect stating that
passengers in any boats under 16 feet must wear lifejackets.
“Studies
show that most accidents happen in boats under 16 feet,” Dison explained.
“[Boaters] 16 years and younger must wear a lifejacket.”
He
stressed the importance of wearing lifejackets that fit well.
“If a
teen falls out and goes under, they could think they’re swimming up when their
going down,” he said. “With a lifejacket, they won’t have to worry about going
under. What happens when small kids fall out of boats? Their arms go up and
they slide right out of a lifejacket that doesn’t fit properly.”
This is
just one reason why boating safety is so important, Dison said. The Department
of Wildlife and Fisheries offers boating safety courses, and those born after January 1, 1984 are required to take these courses before they can operate a boat. To take
a class or to get course dates, either call the Wildlife and Fisheries Office
in Minden at 371-3049 or check out their website at www.wlf.louisiana.gov. The
cost is minimal, but boating patrons can also take the safety courses on the
internet.
To see
more safety tips, go to their website listed above, or for questions or more
information, call the Minden office at the number listed above.
Police jury hears concerns on emergency
response time
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
A
Lillie resident brought to the attention of the Claiborne Parish Police Jury a
very critical situation.
During
the public comment portion of the jury’s monthly meeting, Cynthia Turner, 2529 Hoof Road, said she was concerned about the response time of emergency responders,
namely Pafford Ambulance Service. She has tried on numerous occasions, she
said, to get an answer as to why response time is so long in getting to her
neighborhood, and they tell her they got lost.
“We’re
tired of hearing ‘I got lost,’” Turner told police jurors.
According
to Cathy Greeson, with the Claiborne Parish Office of Homeland Security, said
the GPS system was screwed up.
“It’s
not our GPS system,” she said. “When you do a MapQuest, the information they
have on some of these is not correct. For instance, Hebron Road shows up as Friendship Road.”
The
system Pafford Ambulance was using sent them to King’s Lake Road, off of La.
Hwy. 2, instead.
Lillie
is in Union Parish, however, Hoof Road is in Claiborne Parish. Her address is a
Lillie address, but her physical address is actually in Claiborne Parish.
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey said he understood the ambulance coming from Union
Parish, but Pafford EMS personnel were provided with maps of Claiborne Parish.
“They
should have been using the maps provided instead of the GPS,” Bailey said.
Director
of Claiborne Parish E911 Walter Johnson said when a person makes a call from a
cell phone, the call goes to the nearest tower, which in this case was in Union
Parish.
“When
they figured out it was Claiborne Parish, they called us and we responded,”
Johnson said.
Johnson
said he has been working to get what’s called Phase II implemented. What this
will do is give 911 a longitude and latitude of where the caller is calling
from. The call will still go to the nearest tower, but if 911 operators can get
the coordinates of the caller, they will be able to figure out where they are
faster. Johnson said he is hoping to get this completed and implemented within
6 to 9 months.
“Once
it gets up and going, it should take care of anything like this happening
again,” the sheriff said.
Johnson
wanted to make it clear to the public that nothing takes the place of a good
old-fashioned paper map.
“There’s
no substitute for a paper map, and we have provided them to Pafford,” he said.
“I’ve got plenty in my office, and I could give them more if they need them.”
Johnson
has recently sent letters out to all the wireless companies to get their
extended ALI (Automatic Location Information) information, which is the
information provided to emergency services, which is where the coordinates will
come from.
The
police jury also approved the following:
• A
request from Road Superintendent Tommy Durrett for permission to change the
“four-tens” at a date to be determined for the Claiborne Parish Highway
Department as they enter their chip and seal program for 2010. The personnel
will work four 10-hour days during the week instead of the normal five 8-hour days.
• A
request from Secretary Treasurer Dwayne Woodard to advertise for the parish
official journal for the period July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011.
• A
resolution authorizing the president and secretary treasurer to sign documents
on behalf of the Claiborne Parish Police Jury concerning the acquisition of the
right-of-ways for off-system highway bridge program state projects no.
713-14-(0110, 0111, 0112, and 0113).
• A
recommendation from Stonetrust Commercial Insurance Company (parish’s workers
comp insurance company), in a letter dated April 15, to implement the Second
Injury Fund Questionnaire as part of the hiring process. This will help to
limit the liability to the parish on workers comp insurance claims in future
accidents. Woodard said this will apply only after someone has been hired.
• An
increase of 3.5 percent in renewal rates for the parish’s health insurance
premiums through BlueCross BlueShield of Louisiana, renewing June 1.
• The
inside truck driver’s position. Ricky Beardon was approved to take that
position.
•
Permission to advertise for the inmate supervisor position. That is the
position Beardon vacated to take the truck driver’s position.
• Using
ManPower to fill a mechanic/helper position. According to Durrett, Gerald Lee
has turned in his two-week notice.
• A
merit raise for James Green.
•
Recommendations from the garage committee to purchase an AZ500B Asphalt Zipper
for $109,770 per terms quoted by Asphalt Zipper Inc., and pending verification
that the company’s HGACBuy Government Bid Contract is accepted by the State of Louisiana. The other recommendation approved was the purchase of a 2010 Ford F150 for the
Highway Department for approximately $14,500 on a “piggy back” contract through
the City of Alexandria.
• To
advertise a proposed addendum to Ordinance 703 dealing with the annual renewal
of the parish’s heavy hauler permit.
Those
proposed changes include:
•
New applications – All applications for permits for new access permits
(non-renewals) shall be filed with the Claiborne Parish Highway Department and
shall be accompanied by a persona/company check or money order in the proper
amount payable to the Claiborne Parish Highway department.
•
Renewals – All applications for renewal of access permit shall be filed with
the Claiborne Parish Highway Department on or before December 1 of each year,
and the remittance must accompany the renewal application.
•
Full-year/partial-year permits – A whole year’s permit fee shall be paid and
collected regardless of the date of issuance. All permits are valid from date
of issue until December 31 of the year of issuance.
•
Penalty for failure to file for renewal – Should any access permit holder fail
to file his application for renewal of the access permit for any ensuing year
on or before December 31 of each year, a penalty shall be impost of 25 percent
of the amount due for the permit applied for.
The
permit fees are $25 in parish and $50 out of parish. Woodard explained that
this addendum is to streamline the paperwork process. This addendum will publish
one time in the parish’s official journal, and they will have a public hearing
on the matter before voting on it at June’s monthly meeting.
During
the public comment portion of the meeting, Claiborne Parish Watershed District
Member Chic Hines updated the police jury on the pilings project. All the
pilings are now in place, he said, and now they are working to cut them off,
making way for putting up the signage during the week of May 10-14.
Dr. Pat
Bates, founder and coordinator of the Seeds of Light Ministries, spoke with
police jurors about meeting some of the needs of the parish – including the
parish jails. She said she and other local ministers are looking to bring in
more programs for the women’s facility to help them become productive citizens
when they get out of prison, thereby hopefully reducing the recitivism rate
among inmates. She also talked about a reentry program, a GED program and
others.
“We
need to help these women so that when they get out, they don’t feel so
helpless,” she said.
There
were two things she asked them to consider: more resources to the sheriff’s
office so they can hire more jailers, and improve the women’s facility, which
was built in 1977.
Alice
Stewart, Sparta Commission member, updated the police jury on commission happenings
and Sparta Education.
The
next police jury meeting will be held at 9 a.m., Wednesday, June 9, at the
police jury complex. For more information, please call their office at
927-2222.
