Attention SCWD
Customers:
South Claiborne under water ban
The South Claiborne Water System is officially under a water ban due to the loss of one of its
wells. This ban is for all customers. ALL CUSTOMERS will need to
stop watering yards, gardens, flower beds, swimming pools, washing vehicles and
using their sprinkler systems.
Please use the water for ONLY bathing, cooking,
washing clothes and drinking.
Poultry
growers, dairies and commercial users must use their private wells. The system
can no longer carry the usage needed to support the above named and serve
households, according to SCWS Manager Van Austin.
“We
want to thank you for your patients and understanding until this matter is
resolved,” he said.
For
more information, please call 318-258-4151.
Homer Lions Club to feature Sonny Dykes
Louisiana
Tech University Head Coach Sonny Dykes will speak to the Homer Lions Club on
Thursday, July 22.
For all
the Lions Club members who are Tech fans and/or alumni, this will be the chance
to see the newly named head coach share his vision for La. Tech this coming
football season.
The
Homer Lions Club meets at noon every second and fourth Thursday at Nicky’s
Mexican Restaurant. All members are encouraged to attend and bring a guest.
Annual cake auction slated for July 29
The
Claiborne Chamber of Commerce’s annual cake auction is slated for Thursday,
July 29, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Homer City Hall. Beef brisket, catered by
Upper Crust Catering, will be available. Tickets are $6 each. For more
information, to donate a cake or purchase a ticket, please call 927-3271.
Let the races begin!
The names are in the hat for local races
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Qualifying
for several local races ended Friday afternoon and while some seats are going
unopposed, many are not.
Amid
the upheaval the Town of Homer has seen over the last two years, all seats for
the town council have opponents accept District 3 and 5. As of Friday
afternoon, District 5 Councilwoman Patricia Jenkins is running unopposed as
well as the candidate for District 3, Don McCalman. Incumbent Councilman Toney
Johnson is not running again.
Also,
the mayor’s seat will be up for grabs as former mayor Huey Dean throws in his
hat for the race. Interim Mayor Alecia Smith also qualified.
The Homer
council race is as follows:
District 1
Sedric Bates, Democrat
Willie “Hoghead” Curry, Democrat
Linda Ferrell Mozeke, Democrat
“Doc” Roberson, Democrat
District 2
Ray D. Jiles, Democrat
Michael J. Wade, No Party
District 3
“Don” McCalman, Other
District 4
Carlette Sanford, No Party
Maxine F. Wilson, No Party
District 5
Patricia K. Jenkins, No Party
In the
race for Homer Police Chief, Incumbent Russell Mills, No Party, qualified
Friday afternoon, and not long after, Homer resident Bennie W. Holyfield,
Democrat, qualified.
It also
looks like several races for the Claiborne Parish School Board will be up for
grabs as some incumbents will have opponents. They are as follows:
District 1
Danny “Doc” Lee, No Party
District 2
William H. Maddox, Other
District 3
Linda Knox, Other
District 4
Yolanda Coleman, No Party
Betty Richardson, No Party
District 5
Betty Fomby Andrews, Democrat
Stanley O. Edwards, No
Party
District 6
Thomas E. Davison, No Party
District 7
Vera R. Walker Meadors, No Party
Georgia Marie Norton, Democrat
District 8
Almeter H. Willis, Democrat
District 9
Mary F. Randle, Other
“Joey” White, No Party
District 10
B. Stewart Griffin, Democrat
“Billy” Kirk, No Party
Terry R. Willis, No Party
There
will be no race for the mayor’s seat in the Village of Athens as Hubie D.
James, No Party, will run unopposed.
Qualifications
for Alderman for the Village of Athens include Melver Stassen, Other, Prentis
Washington, No Party and Ardis Willhite, No Party.
The
same goes for the mayor of the Village of Junction City. Preston Rogers,
Republican, will run unopposed. The chief of police position will also be
unopposed. Mark A. McLelland, Republican, was the only one to qualify.
In the
race for lieutenant governor, several people qualified to take the place of
Mitch Landrieu, who successfully won a race for New Orleans Mayor last year.
They include: Kenneth “Ken Burkhalter, Democrat, James “Jim” Crowley, Democrat,
“Jay” Dardenne, Republican, Kevin Davis, Democrat, Caroline Fayard, Democrat,
“Butch” Gautreaux, Democrat, “Sammy” Kershaw, Republican, Melanie J. McKnight,
Republican and Roger Villere, Republican.
In the
judge’s race for the Court of Appeal 2nd Circuit, Henry Brown, Democrat, will
run unopposed.
For more
information, please call the Claiborne Parish Clerk of Court’s Office at
927-9601 or go to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Website at www.sos.louisiana.gov.
Multiple agencies respond to standoff
A Haynesville
man who allegedly threatened suicide was airlifted to a Shreveport hospital
after causing a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According
to Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey, on Wednesday, July 7, detectives and
deputies of the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Haynesville Police
Department responded to a 911 call from a woman who stated that her son was
threatening to commit suicide.
The
caller reported Jerry Wayne Bailey, 44, of Haynesville, had barricaded himself
in his house and was armed with several rifles and a shotgun.
The
Louisiana State Police SWAT team was called to the scene to assist and Pafford
Ambulance was notified.
Bailey
refused to come out of his house and threatened law enforcement officers.
Bailey stated that he was going to commit suicide. Officers on scene were able
to ensure the safety of residents around the location and negotiators attempted
for approximately two hours to convince Bailey to surrender. Their efforts were
unsuccessful and Jerry Bailey suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
He was
airlifted by Pafford Air One to Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport.
Sheriff
Bailey would like to take this opportunity to commend all law enforcement
officers who were on the scene.
“Situations
such as this are always difficult for everyone involved,” the sheriff said. “We
are fortunate to have a team of officers that are trained and equipped to
handle them. I would like to extend a special thanks to the Louisiana State
Police SWAT team for their assistance.”
CPSB announces 2010-11 Teacher of the
Year
The Guardian-Journal photos/Michelle
Bates
The Claiborne Parish School Board introduced its teacher of the year for 2010-11. Lisa Long, a teacher at Homer
Elementary, came away with this year’s prestigious honor and a laptop computer.
Pictured above are, from left, Claiborne Parish Superintendent of Schools Dr.
Janice Williams, Long, Homer Elementary Assistant Principal Debra Winzer and
School Board President William Maddox. Haynesville Elementary and Homer Junior High School were both recognized as Schools of Academic Growth for the school
year 2008-09. Pictured above are Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janice Williams,
former Haynesville Elementary Principal Bob Bond, Homer Junior High School
Principal Twyla Hilton and School Board President William Maddox.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Claiborne Parish School Board honored its teacher of the year for 2010-11.
Lisa
Long, a first grade teacher at Homer Elementary School, has given 16 years of
her life to the students at the school. She is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University in Ruston with a bachelor of science degree, which she earned in
1993.
Her
other accomplishments at the school include Honors Day coordinator, Awards
Fundraiser coordinator, Homer Elementary Yearbook Committee member, a
participant in Nationwide Learning Classroom Author’s Project, SBLC Committee
member and the Learn Grant recipient.
Long is
also a member of First Church of God where she is actively involved in all
outreach programs.
Pat
Lee, principal at Homer Elementary, praised Long for her outstanding abilities
as a person and a teacher.
“Mrs.
Long consistently demonstrates outstanding leadership abilities among her peers
and has proven to be an outstanding teacher for our young people,” she said.
“She is dependable, energetic and has a natural love for all the students in
our school. She consistently goes above and beyond for the benefit of her
students and for the school. She is truly an asset to Homer Elementary and to
Claiborne Parish schools.”
After
being recognized and receiving her plaque and brand new laptop computer, Long
was humbled by the recognition. She also recognized the faculty and staff for
being there along the way and also being present at the meeting lending their
support.
In
other school news, the school board approved the updated personnel evaluation
plan.
According
to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janice Williams, the Louisiana Legislature
passed Act 54, which is a two year pilot program, which if it works, will
become permanent in 2013.
“It
links academic achievement to teacher certification among other things,”
Williams said.
Once
all the kinks are worked out of the program, Claiborne Parish will implement
this program for the 2011-12 school year.
Also,
Homer Junior High and Haynesville Elementary were recognized by the state
department as schools with academic growth for the school year 2008-09.
In
other news, the board approved a supplemental bond resolution for refinancing
District #11 bonds, which is set to close on Wednesday, July 15. According to
Attorney Jim Colvin, the actual rate that is locked in was lower than their
predicted rate by $15,000. This is an additional $15,000 savings that will begin
after July 15, Colvin said.
“The
only thing we had left to account for was the precise amount of the bonds and
the percentage rates that were attached to those,” he said. “When we initially
presented this, we were using estimates of interest rates that we could get on
the open bond market at the time. Those were rates based on conditions of the
bond market at the time.”
The
resolution ratifies this bond issue as it has been set out. This will be the
last thing the school board will have to do concerning the bond issue before
these savings take effect.
In
other news, filling a position at Homer High School became an issue with one
school board member. District 10 School Board Member Terry Willis requested
that the board consider filling the dean of students position at HHS. However, Williams, said, due to budget conditions in 2006, the decision was made not to fill
those positions as they became vacant.
“I’m of
the opinion that we should just follow suit,” Williams said. “At the end of
this school year, Claiborne Parish Schools were at a $1.3 million deficit. In
order to reduce that deficit, positions were eliminated, bus routes were
eliminated, teaching positions were closed and we got relatively close to
closing that gap.
“Based
on closing that financial gap, we need to hold off on filling that position,”
she continued.
Willis
took issue with that, saying this was not the agreement made in 2005. He agreed
the board had to make some decisions to close the budgetary gap, but this was
not it. What he said the board at the time agreed to was to eliminate the dean
of students position at Homer High when it became vacant. According to
paperwork provided to The Guardian-Journal, the recommendations went on to say,
“When the assistant principal/counselor’s position becomes vacant hire an
assistant principal. Make the counselor’s position a half-time counselor and
half-time classroom teacher.”
He took
up for newly appointed Homer High School Principal Sandra Boston saying she
needed an assistant principal, that Homer High was a large enough school to
warrant having one.
“The
recommendations put in place were very clear,” he said in a separate interview.
“Our children should not suffer due to administrative bullying. I believe that
such actions would be setting the principal up for failure.”
He
wants parents to contact their school board members and Dr. Williams to “let
them know that this is needed for the success of their children.”
“This
is your school and these are your children,” he said. “Together, we can make it
one of the best in the parish.”
However,
a motion made by Willis at the meeting to fill the position died on the table
because there was no second.
Linda
Mozeke, a teacher with the Claiborne Parish School System, asked Williams if it
was feasible to leave Homer High without an assistant principal. However,
Williams said that as these positions become vacant they will not be refilled.
Tommy
Davidson agreed not to hire a dean of students or assistant principal.
“That’s
the only way we’re going to keep from going broke is through attrition, and if
you allow one, then the next one uses the same argument,” he said.
“We
worked hard this year to avoid implementing RIF (Reduction In Force),” Williams
said. “That was looking closely at what we had, where our finances were, but if
I had declared RIF, we would have suffered greater than what we’re suffering
now.”
The way
RIF works, is the superintendent would have had to lay off every teacher in
the parish and call them back as needed for the upcoming school year.
In
other news, MFP allocation funds for the 2010-11 school year are down by
$367,514 this year than from last year. This year, funds will be $14,167,196.
They did not get the 2.75 growth percent from the state department, which means
the school system’s budget is down from what they had to work with last year.
“We’ve
got to figure out a way to be as productive as we have with less,” Williams
said.
The
next meeting of the Claiborne Parish School Board will be held at 7 p.m., Thursday, August 5, at Central Office in Homer. For more information or for
questions, please call the school board office at 927-3502.
HPD, HFD, CPSO and LSP participate
in Landing Zone training
The Guardian-Journal photo/Jenni Williams
Pilot Leonard and Flight Paramedic Mackey
address the participants before guiding them through a ‘tour’ of Life Air
Rescue helicopter.
JENNI WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
Area
law enforcement agencies and fire departments participated in a training
session this past Monday evening with Life Air Rescue in a landing zone
simulation at Homer Elementary School.
The
training course was presented by Tim Thomas, RN, EMT, of Haynesville who has
been with Life Air Rescue for three years.
The
course began with a quick study of how to maintain communication between the
responding agencies to an accident or medical emergency and the pilot of the
Life Air helicopter.
Attendees
were informed that the best possible means of communication was radio
frequency, due to typical high-level amount of noise during an emergency,
although cell phone usage is the second recommended form of contact.
Thomas
went on to detail the necessity of having only one landing zone (LZ)
coordinator at each site to keep chaos and misinformation to a minimum. This
coordinator should relay the coordinates of the LZ, an exact address when
possible, landmarks and whether the LZ is safe for approach and departure.
Next on
the course’s agenda was safety. Thomas stressed that all responders should stay
more than 200 feet from the LZ until the helicopter has put down and the pilot
has waved the coordinator to the aircraft.
Personnel
on the ground should beware of rotor wash and anchor any loose items before the
helicopter gets close to the site.
“You’d
be surprised what can happen to an armadillo. Rotor wash can pick one up and
toss it all around,” Thomas jokingly informed the attendees.
Many
more specifics about the size of a landing zone and how to designate that area
were discussed with the representatives from the Homer Police Department, Homer
Fire Department, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police
that were in attendance.
Thomas
also discussed when to request a Life Air transport:
• when
the distance to a hospital is too far and poses a threat of death before
arrival, and
• when
road conditions would seriously impede or delay treatment (such as road
construction).
Life
Air Rescues motto, “When in doubt, fly them out.”
Some of
the advantages to using Life Air are a well-trained and experienced staff, rapid
transport to minimize time spent outside the hospital, well-equipped vehicles
and the fact that rescue is Life Air’s specialty.
After
completing the many sections of the LZ training course, Life Air Rescue was
able to arrive right at dusk. The many attendees were able to meet the crew and
“tour” the helicopter.
The
crew for the visit included Pilot Harry Leonard, flight nurse Christy Gallegos
and flight paramedic Mike Mackey of the Shreveport Fire Department Search and
Rescue Team.
The
team was flying a red and white bird for the occasion, although Life Air’s
regular green and white, Eurocopter EC-135 was in the shop for regularly
scheduled maintenance. There is very little difference between the two
helicopters.
Each
rescue bird is taken into maintenance at 100, 400 and 800 hours and completely
stripped of the entire interior. Everything from the cockpit, seats and medical
equipment are removed, thoroughly examined and replaced in the aircraft if
meeting inspection standards before being sent back to its permanent location.
Life
Air Rescue was formed in November 1993, when Schumpert's Life Air 1 and
Willis-Knighton's Air Rescue merged to begin a trend-setting medevac service
for the Ark-La-Tex.
Since
then, Life Air Rescue has transported approximately 600 patients per year and
strives to uphold the highest standards in emergency and critical care
transport.
In
1996, Life Air Rescue received CAMTS accreditation from the Commission on
Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems which is awarded to programs
maintaining excellence in air medical transport. Life Air Rescue in the only
air medical service in Louisiana with this accreditation.
In
2009, Med-Trans Corporation and Metro Aviation formed an industry first, a
partnership to take over the operations of Life Air Rescue. This partnership
strengthens the commitment to air medical service in the Ark-La-Tex.
Council tackles short agenda
The Guardian-Journal
The
Homer Town Council tackled a rather short agenda last Monday night before
meeting in executive session to discuss ongoing litigation in the Monroe case.
Although
no decisions were made after executive session ended, the rest of the meeting
held more promise.
The
council voted to purchase a backhoe for the water department for approximately
$35,000. If the cost is more than $30,000, the purchase will have to be up for
public bid. The monies to purchase the backhoe will come from monies received
for infrastructure projects.
The
council also approved the sale of the other half of the old Wal-Mart building
to First Choice, which is Fred’s. According to Town Attorney Jim Colvin, the
original price for that portion of the building was going to be $150,000, but
after some agreements were made, Fred’s agreed to build a firewall, required by
the fire marshal, for the cost of approximately $25,000. That amount was
knocked down from the original price to a final amount of $135,000.
The
closing date is set for around July 15.
Another
motion approved by the council had to do with rental fees at the Homer Municipal Airport. The council finally agreed to set a price of $75 per month per
plane.
Also, a
motion to hire Shelton Janitorial Services was approved. The janitorial company
was hired to come in and clean the floors of the kitchen area and city hall,
while also maintaining the hardwood floors in the auditorium. This first time
around, the company will strip the floors in the auditorium and redo them,
coming back every three years to repeat the process.
The
council also approved the hiring of two front office clerks to replace existing
positions. According to Colvin, the reason two are needed is due to budgetary
regulations that set the rules for accounting processes at city hall.
In
other words, one person can’t take in money, deposit it in the bank, post it to
the town’s accounts and write checks.
“There
has to be a separation of power,” he told the council.
The
next town council meeting will be held Monday, August 2, at 6 p.m. in council chambers inside the Homer Police Station. For more information, please call city
hall at 927-3555.
July 22: Domestic Violence Seminar
The Guardian-Journal
Mary
Ellen Gamble, Rural Advocate for Claiborne Parish Domestic Abuse Resistance
Team (DART), recently announced that area DART personnel and others will
gather on August 5 at the Ruston Civic Center for their 10th annual major
training initiative.
Beginning
at 8 a.m. and concluding at 4:30 p.m., this year’s featured presenter is Lt.
Mark Wynn who will focus on the theme “Collaboration Is the Key.”
Gamble
noted, “As a survivor of childhood domestic violence, Lt. Wynn brings a unique
perspective to the subject. He grew up watching his mother battered by his
stepfather.”
The
program features a number of sessions. For example, “Beyond the Obvious” will
discuss cases of dual assault and explain probable cause, self-defense,
interpretation of injuries, and dominant/primary aggressor with the goal of
reducing inappropriate arrests that frequently ccur at domestic violence crime
scenes.
Another
session, “Finding and Helping the ‘Hidden Victims: Responding to Children at
the Scene,” will provide a deeper understanding of the obstacles, behaviors,
investigation tips, and safety plans for successful interview and interventions
involving children.
Additional
sessions deal with investigating domestic violence from the initial 911 call
through to prosecution and modern techniques of building and presenting the
criminal case for court with limited or no assistance from the victim.
“Anyone
involved with law enforcement or who work with victims will benefit from the
topics taught in this day-long seminar,” said Gamble.
Lt.
Wynn, described as “a dazzling trainer and passionate speaker,” is an
internationally-recognized authority on domestic violence.
Although
the training is free and a catered lunch is included, also at no cost, seating
is limited. Those interested in attending may contact Mary Ellen Gamble at
927-2818 for more information.
Claiborne Academy makes improvements,
receives high marks on accreditation
JENNI WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
Claiborne
Academy (CA) staff and parents have made great use of the summer months to make
much needed improvements to the school’s campus.
With
improvements ranging from new flooring to completely renovated bathrooms,
teachers and students have something even more important to be proud of.
On March
25, CA had an accreditation site visit from the Mississippi Association of
Independent Schools (MAIS). Claiborne Academy’s School Improvement Committee
had prepared a five-year improvement plan for this visit.
Claiborne Academy received high
marks in every area. The visiting team cited the school in many areas including
teacher certification, fiscal management, board involvement, administrative leadership,
parental involvement, technology, support staff, and particularly, the plan to
improve infrastructure.
To
prepare the School Improvement Plan, the committee surveyed all stakeholders
including parents, staff, students, and board members.
The
information gathered was then used in preparing the five-year plan. Although
most of the feedback from the survey was overwhelmingly positive, the committee
was able to present a plan that addressed four main areas for the
improvement.
The school’s
plan was cited as a model plan by the visiting team. It focuses on these four
major areas of improvement:
-
Technology and Communication
-
Teacher Training
-
Textbooks
-
Infrastructure
Each of
those areas are being addressed for the 2010-11 school year.
The
school is also undergoing major renovation which includes restrooms, new tile
floors in every building, new lighting and ceiling tiles, and freshly painted
classrooms and hallways.
New air
conditioning systems are in the first year of the five- year plan adopted by
the Claiborne Academy Board of Directors .
On the
technology end, interactive white boards are being installed in each of the
classrooms, courtesy of a major benefactor and at a cost of $ 3,500 each.
Interactive
white boards, also know as Smart Boards, are cutting edge technology that allow
teachers to project computer driven information onto a large board in which the
entire class can interact.
New software
and computer programs have been purchased that will allow the school to
implement a password-protected program for parents to view their child’s
grades online, allowing parents to monitor their child’s progress.
New
text books are currently being purchased in the elementary school in several
academic areas and several grants have been secured to fund teacher training
and professional development for the staff.
It has
been an exciting summer for Claiborne Academy, its students, staff, and
families.
Everyone
who supports CA will be very proud of the new look as they return for the
2010-11 school year. Many new and exciting programs are in place to challenge
students, and offer a quality education in a great atmosphere.
