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.
Trial set to begin Wednesday
Minden man to face judge in Lake Claiborne beating
The Guardian-Journal
One of
three Minden men charged in a beating on Lake Claiborne in July 2009 will stand
trial beginning Wednesday, July 21.
Daniel
Joseph Payne, 24, of Minden was arrested on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 by Claiborne authorities in connection with the beating of a 19-year-old Arkansas teen. At initial arrest, Payne and Wesley Michael Branch, 24, also of Minden, were charged with aggravated second-degree battery because the two are registered
Mixed Marshal Arts fighters. The third suspect, Dane Alexander McFarland was
charged with second degree battery.
According
to published reports, the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office received a call on
July 12, requesting an ambulance for an unconscious man. Upon arrival, deputies
were advised the young man, identified as Robert Dixon of Waldo, Ark., had been involved in an altercation at a camp on Lake Claiborne.
Reports
say the incident occurred during a “drinking game” in which large amounts of
whiskey were consumed. Reports said that Claiborne investigators stated one of
the charged got upset when Dixon out-drank him, and afterward, all three of the
accused gang-hit him.
Dixon was said to have suffered a broken jaw and received head
injuries upon falling to the floor.
As a
result of the investigation, warrants were obtained on all three subjects who
turned themselves in that Wednesday (July 22).
Payne
hired Minden attorney Eric Johnson to represent him in the case. Johnson said
his client took and passed a polygraph test regarding the events of that night,
and he feels confident his client is innocent of the charges against him.
“We
have performed a much more thorough investigation and feel quite confident that
Mr. Payne will be exonerated of these charges,” Johnson said in an earlier
interview with the Minden Press-Herald.
Trial
will begin at 9:30 a.m. His trial is a bench trial, waiving a jury trial. Judge
Jenifer Clason will be the presiding judge.
2010
football season on the horizon
Pelicans
to participate in ‘Jam at the Joe’
The
rite of passage that goes with preparing for a high school football season
hasn’t really changed in the last 25 years.
Wind
sprints, weightlifting and two a day practices are all part of getting ready
for the grueling 10-week season that begins for the Homer Pelicans in early
September.
What
has changed in 2010 for the Homer Pelican football team is that they will no
longer be a part of the “Pineland Jamboree.” The Pels, along with the
Haynesville Golden Tornado, have opted to participate in a jamboree sponsored
by the Ruston Chamber of Commerce at Louisiana Tech University’s Joe Aillet Stadium
in Ruston on Saturday, August 28.
The two
Claiborne Parish teams follow the Minden Crimson Tide, which chose to leave the
Pineland Jamboree in 2009. The Pineland Jamboree, a tradition for many years,
has been cancelled.
The
Tornado is set to scrimmage Cedar Creek of Ruston at 4 p.m. while Homer will play the Caldwell High Spartans from Columbia at 2 p.m.
Coach
Glen Kyle will return for his 16th year as head football coach at Homer and
will hit the road against traditional powers Haynesville, Ouachita Christian of
Monroe, Holy Savior Menard of Alexandria, Springhill and Lakeside. Home games
are Red River of Coushatta, Farmerville, North Caddo, Calvary Baptist of
Shreveport and Evangel, 2009’s AA state champion, will visit Pelican Stadium in
week 10. A complete schedule is listed below.
Tickets
for the “Jam at the Joe” are available at Homer High School for $7, which
includes five scrimmage games. All fans are encouraged to get their Jamboree
tickets early.
2010 Pelican Football Schedule
August 28: “Jam at the Joe” at 2 p.m.
September 3: Red River at 7 p.m.
September 10: Farmerville at 7 p.m.
September 17: at Haynesville at 7:30 p.m.
September 24: at OCS at 7 p.m.
October 1: at Menard at 7 p.m.
October 8: North Caddo at 7 p.m.
October 15: at Springhill at 7 p.m.
October 22: at Lakeside at 7 p.m.
October 29: Calvary at 7 p.m.
November 5: Evangel at 7 p.m.
Homer man arrested for drugs
The Guardian-Journal
On
Saturday, July 17, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Harbour, assisted by Deputy Aaron Christian, was on routine traffic patrol and stopped a
vehicle for failure to stop at a stop sign.
During
the following investigation, Deputy Christian deployed his K-9, and the dog
alerted as to the presence of illegal drugs in the vehicle.
Deputy Harbour made contact with the driver, Demetric Davis, 43, of Homer.
Upon
questioning Davis, Deputy Harbour discovered Davis had a plastic baggie
containing suspected marijuana in his mouth.
Davis was placed under arrest and transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center.
Davis was charged with possession of marijuana, second
offense, with a bond of $5,000.
Saving lives through training
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
Homer Police Officers Thomas Davis and
Van McDaniel (holding the shotgun) were just two of most of the department to
participate in ‘active shooter’ training held Saturday, July 16, at the Homer
Natatorium, the old American Legion Hall and the old Delta Interiors building. In
this photo, McDaniel is back up for Davis, who is searching for ‘victims’ and
the ‘shooter.’ The shotgun McDaniel is holding has a rope through the chamber
to indicate the weapon is not loaded.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Officers
with the Homer Police Department got a chance to learn a few things and hone
their skills in law enforcement training.
On
Saturday, July 16, officers trained in a situation that could and has happened
in recent days. “Active shooter” scenarios gave officers a chance to practice
their tactics and perfect their techniques. Officers traveled to three
different locations and as the day progressed, where each scenario proved to be
tougher than the first.
Officer
Willie Fred Knowles, who is not yet a certified officer, said he learned a lot
from the day’s activities.
“It was
exciting,” he said. “People are crazy and you don’t know what they’re going to
do. Situations like these could happen here. They have happened here.”
Each
officer was graded by other officers on their use of tactics and technique in
each situation. But the biggest lesson taught that day was safety -- be there
for your partner.
Before
the physical training began, a short debrief was held at the police station.
Officer Roger Smith told officers the biggest thing to remember is to “back up
your partner.”
“Training
and education of officers is the key to success in better understanding the
community,” Captain Donald Malray said.
While
the training exercises were an overall success, they could have been much
better, said Malray. The Homer Police Department is in desperate need of
equipment to train with; simple things like a sling for a shotgun.
For
instance, in the first scenario of a “barricaded suspect,” Officer Van McDaniel
entered the building with his partner, Officer Thomas Davis, toting a
“shotgun.” When he prepared to pick up a “victim” with his partner, it took
more time to do his part because he had nothing to hold his weapon to free his
hands. Had he had the sling, he could have easily let go of the weapon, slung
it across his back, freeing his hands to quickly get the “victim” to safety.
Other
things that would have come in handy would be simulated weaponry. These are
simulated weapons (like paint guns) that allow officers to get a more realistic
feel for what they need in different scenarios like they ones they trained for
last weekend.
This is
why it is so important that the request for a quarter cent increase in sales
tax is so important. And it’s not only important so the officers get a pay
raise, but they get the equipment and training they need. With this sales tax
increase, Homer Police Chief Russell Mills could bring in instructors to train
his officers as well as send them to training courses to keep up their
continuing education.
“The
training went well, however, during the training, there were issues brought up
about equipment that would allow officers to make safer entry,” Mills said. “We
knew going into it that we didn’t have the equipment that we needed, and it
just brought to light that we’re not set up to do this and we need to be.”
He
reiterated how important training is to his officers, saying that with more
practice the better they will be able to do their jobs.
“It
takes training, training, training,” he said. “It’s repetition. We want to
improve the police department and be up to date and where we need to be. All in
all the training was a success. There were some issues that we dealt with, but
those are things we’ll address next time.”
Special
thanks by the Homer Police Department go out to the volunteers who participated
in the training. Jeff and Elizabeth Atkins, Ellery Baugh and Brittney Smith all
played roles during each scenario, giving officers a more realistic scenario in
which to practice.
Malray
said the next training will be advertised in the local media to allow the community
an opportunity to participate in the training sessions.
Hwy. 79 RRxing now open
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
It’s finally done! U.S. Hwy. 79 in Homer
is now open. Louisiana and North West Railroad has completed the new railroad
crossing just in time to allow traffic to move smoothly again. The crossing is
a Bodan system, which is a bridging system from Transpo Industries. According
to L&NW General Manager Johnnie Raab, the system is supposed to be the
smoothest crossing yet, and it’s only one of nine in the United States. The system is made of a polymer concrete which is weather resistant,
corrosion resistant and skid resistant. The system has a life expectance of
approximately 20 years. Pictured above are the employees of L&NW who worked
so hard to replace the crossing. Front row, from left, are Kenny Emerson,
machine operator, Johnny Ramey, road master, Raab, John Fielding, laborer,
Courtney Williams, laborer and Casey Heard, signal maintainer. Back row from
left are Charles Coleman, crane operator, Don Willis, track foreman, Charlie
Dann of Transpo Industries and Wallace Lewis, operator.
Haynesville recognizes kids for sports
achievements
The Heavenly Designs Softball Team (girls
7-8 years) won first place in the ‘end of season’ tournament and earned the
title – 2010 League Champions in their division. The team was recognized by the
Town of Haynesville Mayor, Council and Recreational Director Ronnie Fields
during their July meeting. Team members are Marissa Tell, Unique Brittentine,
LaDressia Beene, Martiayonna Ford, She’Maiah Beene, A’Miracle Allen, Madelyn
Farley, Caroline Franklin, Preslie Morgan, Lesha Robinson, Audrey Plants and
Camryn Sanders. Coaches are Clarence and Brenda Tate, Cassandra Tell, Dianne
Allen and Guy Farley. Heavenly Designs was the sponsor. (Some team members are
not pictured.)
The Haynesville Panthers Softball Team
(girls ages 12 and under) won first place in the ‘end of season’ tournament and
earned the title – 2010 League Champions in their division. The team was
recognized by the Town of Haynesville Mayor, Council and Recreational Director
Ronnie Fields during their July meeting. Team members and coaches are Mikea
Beene, Kyeuna Watts, Samiya Grider, Kadejah Critton, Raven Sanford, Jakhari
Wright, Ayanna Crow, Laporsche West, Breonna Robinson, Jada Williams, Yolanda
Robinson and Coaches Mae Williams and Deidra Williams. (Some team members are
not pictured.)
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Haynesville Town Council celebrated the kids of the community as they were
recognized for their sportsmanship and skills on the ball field.
Coach
Ronnie Fields, head of Haynesville’s recreation, touted several good things
about the boys and girls who played baseball and softball this summer, saying
that some were even still playing in all-star tournaments.
“This
has been a great year for our recreation department in terms of baseball and
softball,” Fields said in a statement to The Guardian-Journal. “We have always
had success, but not like we’ve had this year.”
The
recreation program started with approximately 150 kids this summer, T-ball
through 13-14 year olds. Coaches included Draper Robinson and Bubba Jackson for
T-ball, Clarence and Brenda Tate for the 7-8 year old girls softball teams,
Bomani Roberson for the 7-8 year old boys, David Franklin and Sharon Watts for
the 9-10 year old girls, Michael Turner for the 9-10 year old boys, Mae and
Deidra Williams for the 11-12 year old girls, David Franklin and Lorenzo
Jackson for the 11-12 year old boys. Coach Fields, Coach Sims and Coach
Jonathan Robinson coached the 13-14 year old boys’ team.
Eight
girls from the 7-8 year old division went to all-stars. Four boys from the 7-8
year old boys’ division also went to all-stars.
“These
four boys and Coach Bomani Roberson and their all-star team have made it to the
World Series in Longview, Texas,” Fields said. “This is their third tournament.
These boys are something to watch. They are unreal. I will predict that these
kids from Haynesville can go pro straight out of high school. I think they are
just that good.”
In the
girls’ leagues, the Haynesville teams won the tournament in the 7-8, 9-10 and
11-12 girls’ division and were league champion, Fields said.
The 7-8
year old girls’ team and the 11-12 year old girls team were recognized for
winning the league. The coaches commented on how well the girls played and
thanked the parents and the town for the support these girls received. Although
Coach Franklin and the 9-10 year old girls were not able to attend the meeting,
they were recognized as well. Fields said the coach and team will attend the
August meeting of the town council.
Haynesville
also has two players on the NOLA 11-12 year old all-star team – James Jackson
and Chavariee Murray. Two players – Kendrick Jackson and Jarrell Jackson – made
the 13-14 year old all-star teams.
The end
of season awards banquet will be held Tuesday, July 27, at the Claiborne Parish
Fair Complex. Team and individual pictures will be taken at that time.
Another
note Fields mentioned is the swim team also did well this summer. Other leagues
to begin this fall include flag football and soccer for all children through
grade 6. Other activities include 3 on 3 basketball, movie night and bingo.
Martha
Trinko, of the Citizens Advisory Committee, gave a short report at Thursday
night’s meeting, including the setting of dates for future projects. The next
citywide rummage sale will be held from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m., Saturday, October 9, at the Claiborne Parish Fair Complex.
“The
committee itself will have a lot of stuff with some previous items and a whole
bunch of new stuff,” she said. “We will make tables and chairs available to
anyone else who wants to have their own sale inside the (fairgrounds).”
There
will be a $15 charge, which was reduced from the last rummage sale held. Those
fees may be paid at Haynesville City Hall.
A date
has also been set for the citywide clean up day. Set for Saturday, November 13,
the committee and Mayor Sherman Brown are encouraging the community to come out
and help clean up their town. Brown especially urged the younger ones to
participate, saying that by doing so, they are learning how to take pride in
their community.
“We had
quite a few students to participate last year, and we’re encouraging them to
participate with us,” he said, “and at the same time, I’d like to put ourselves
out of business from having to have a cleanup every year.”
Something
else Trinko mentioned that has been in discussion for a while is pursuing
avenues of recycling in Haynesville.
“It
would be nice if we could say by next spring that we are doing some kind of
recycling here,” Trinko said.
The
next CAC meeting will be held Monday, September 13 at 6 p.m.
“If
anyone would like to set up a booth that day may do so, and we’ll provide
tables and chairs if they need them,” Brown said.
In
other news, town council members gave a report on the last Louisiana Municipal
Association meeting held in Arcadia, all agreeing they learned a lot. Some
learned where to go and who to talk to in the event they need something for
their district or for the town. District 1 Councilwoman Valinda Webb said she
was encouraged to get her constituents involved in their community.
Other
council members learned of new laws going into effect. For instance, a new law
went into effect basically making law what many municipalities already
practice. During council meetings, a council member makes a motion to approve
or reject an agenda item. It is followed by a second and then it’s up for
discussion by the council members. This new law puts into effect that the
public must have a chance to speak before the item is actually voted on. As
mentioned earlier, this practice is already being done by many municipalities
including Haynesville and Homer.
District
11 Representative Rick Gallot, D-Ruston, came to visit the small town Thursday
evening, and spoke on some things that are affecting small municipalities.
Brown praised Gallot and Rep. Jim Fannin, for their hard work getting funds
into Haynesville to improve their town.
“We
have two powerful men over committees in the Legislature, therefore, they can
bring us some crumbs,” Brown said. “Now the crumbs are getting bigger, going
from crumbs to pieces of pie.”
Brown
was talking about the fact that for every federal grant the town has applied
for, they either haven’t received any word or they were flat out denied.
However, with state funding, almost every grant Haynesville has applied for
it’s gotten. The Louisiana Governmental Assistant Program (LGAP) grants have
been a large part of the grants the town has received as well as community
water grants.
Gallot
praised Brown for his persistence in seeking state monies for his community.
In
other news, the council adopted a resolution to call a special election to
renew the recreation tax in Haynesville. This is not a new tax, Brown said,
it’s just renewing an existing tax so the kids will still have recreation. It’s
a 10 year, 5 mill tax that will continue to pay for recreational activities
such as baseball and softball, buy equipment and maintain the town’s ball
fields.
In FYI,
Brown informed the public that:
• The
new website has now had 870 visits.
• The
state and contractor are working on a drainage issue at the new Family Dollar
site.
• A
USDA homeowner’s workshop has been scheduled for August 4 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. in council chambers at city hall.
The
next town council meeting will be held Thursday, August 19, at 6 p.m. in council chambers, located behind city hall. For more information, please call
city hall at 624-0911.
Books closed for August election
The
last day to register or make changes on your voter’s record is Wednesday, July
28. The election on August 28 will be a closed election. This means you will
vote by parties.
U.S.
Senator Democratic Party allows: Democrat, None and Other Parties.
U.S.
Senator Libertarian Party allows: Libertarian, None and Other Parties.
U.S.
Senator Republican Party allows: Registered Republicans only.
U.S.
Representative 4th District Democratic Party allows: Democrat, None and Other
Parties.
These
changes can be done over the internet at www.sos.louisiana.gov or the local
Registrar of Voters Office at 507 West Main Street.
For the
U.S. Senator Democratic Party are: Neeson J. Chauvin Jr. of Carencro, Cary J.
Deaton of Metairie, and Charlie Melancon of Napoleonville.
For the
U.S. Senator Libertarian Party are: Anthony Gentile of Mandeville and Randall
Todd Hayes of Atlanta.
For the
U.S. Representative 4th Congressional District Democratic Party are Steven Jude
Gavi and David Melville, both of Bossier City.
Channel Marker project all but complete
JENNI WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
The
Lake Claiborne Channel Marker Project is nearing completion and was the major
topic of discussion at the recent regularly scheduled meeting of the Claiborne
Parish Watershed District (CPWD) held at the end of June.
At the
time of the meeting there were only three remaining pilings to be set into the
lake floor. The piling were not on the original specs of the project but were
later deemed to be necessary to the safety and ease of visiting boaters.
The
three pilings, numbered 173A, 13A and 119A, will be placed in Horse, Isaac and
Beaver Creeks.
Marker
signage is almost complete also, with all pre-planned signs up and a few
re-orders and new but necessary signs to be placed as received.
Jacque
Vidri, assistant manager of the Lake Claiborne State Park attended the meeting
to place a request pertaining to No Wake signs for the boat launch at the state
park. As there are currently No Wake signs leading into the state park launch
and swimming area, a decision was made to use No Wake buoys that are already
available on the lake in conjunction with the current signage.
The
Claiborne Parish Police Jury has agreed to adopt an ordinance for the policing
of the new channel markers and their signs. A draft will be prepared and
reviewed at the July meeting and will be ready for a vote in August.
In
other new business, The Board discussed the need to provide current maps of the
lake and the new permanent markers. A committee was elected to gather
information on pricing, advertisers and sizing. The Lake Map/Brochure committee
of Alice Stewart, Wayne Kilpatrick and Phillip Fincher will prepare all of the
data and present it at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Sheriff
Ken Bailey was next on the agenda with his proposal to provide security and a
patrolling officer on the lake for the summer months. A decision was made to
pay Jeff Pugh to patrol the lake every weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
The
Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office (CPSO) will provide the boat, insurance, fuel
and oil, while the Watershed District will pay Pugh’s salary. A cooperative
endeavor agreement will be signed by both the CPSO and CPWD.
The new
position was approved by the Board and the budget will be amended as needed.
“This is exactly something we wanted to do, with the new signage and needing
someone to patrol it,” Chic Hines of the CPWD said of the decision. “We want
him to keep an eye on the poles also as trot lines have already been removed at
poles number 191 and 190.”
A
committee was also formed to research the option of installing a bulk water
station to sell lake water. The committee consists of Stewart, Fincher and
Kilpatrick. The committee will bring their findings to the next meeting of the
CPWD.
Last on
the agenda was the petition for a lake drawdown that is making its way through
the lake communities. At this time a drawdown is not in the works and most
likely will not even be a topic of discussion until 2012.
The
lake is typically only drawn down every eight years and only for lake
maintenance. A request must come from the Department of Transportation before
consideration. The last true drawn down was in 2004 for repairs, although a
slight drawdown was done in 2007 for the GPS surveying necessary for the
channel marker project.
A large
number of lake residents are unaware of the damage that occurs to the aquatic
life and many species of fish when a lake is drawdown too often. It takes many
years for a lake to recover after a drawdown and most repairs to seawalls and
piers/boat houses can be done while the lake is at a normal level.
Expenses
may be higher while the water is up, but the plant and animal life under the
surface will benefit greatly from less draw downs.
Fun Day with Firemen held at State Park
JENNI WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
A ‘Fun
Day with Firemen’ was held this past Saturday at the Lake Claiborne State Park. The event was sponsored by the Homer Fire Department.
Many
area children and adults attended the festivities which were held from ten o’clock to about two o’clock in the afternoon.
Some
of the activities held for the children included a game of tug-of-war with the
children competing against the firemen, a raft race with firemen guiding the
kids around a park ranger, balloon toss and a contest between two firemen to
see which could dress in full turnout gear first. The loser was sprayed with a
fire hose by the children on the team of the winning fireman. Tommy Sanders was
sprayed after losing this portion of the fight to Mary Anne Malborough.
Hamburgers
and hot dogs were provided by the members of the fire department which were
served beneath the awning of the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office Fire
District No. 6 Office of Emergency Preparedness Mobile Communications Center.
The
Homer Fire District Pumper No. 4 and the State Park pumper were parked next to
the pier on the right side of the beach to provide some much needed relief from
the heat after the pumper’s hoses were run to the lake. The many swimmers in
the beach area enjoyed the showers from the hoses.
The
goal of the day was for the firefighters to give a little back to the community
they serve. The men and women of the Homer Fire District want to provide
knowledge to the every day citizen on fire and water safety and ways children
can help make the right decision in the case of a fire.
The
children were also given a quick lesson in scuba diving by Malborough and were
able to watch as a few members of the local rescue dive team searched the
waters of the state park swimming area to locate an item previously hidden by
Malborough. The team triumphantly produced an old trolling motor from the
depths of the lake.
“This
is an event we began in 2008 and have made into a yearly occasion,” says Fire
Chief Dennis Butcher. “It is not meant to be a formal event, the firemen just
want everyone to come out and have a good time while gaining a little bit of
knowledge about fire and water safety that could potentially save their lives
one day.”
Members
of the department would like to thank all area businesses and local sponsors
who helped make the day a success and/or donated items used during the event.
Currently,
there are more than 40 firefighters assigned to Homer Fire District No. 5.
