The voters have spoken...
All 5 alcohol propositions pass
The Guardian-Journal
The
people of Homer have spoken by passing all five alcohol propositions.
Each
one passed by at least 60 percent. Here are the results as a whole and by
precinct:
Proposition
1, which deals with packaged low content alcohol, passed by 70.23 percent, or
217 votes throughout the corporate limits of Homer.
Precinct
08, 21 voted yes and 13 voted no.
Precinct
82, 1 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
84, 22 voted yes and 10 voted no.
Precinct
85, 21 voted yes and 9 voted no.
Precinct
86, 2 voted yes, and 0 voted no.
Precinct
87, 14 voted yes and 8 voted no.
Precinct
88, 43 voted yes and 15 voted no.
Precinct
89, 0 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
93, 5 voted yes and 1 voted no.
Precinct
96, 0 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Early
voting, 88 voted yes and 36 voted no.
Proposition
2 deals with low content sales and consumption. It will allow the sale and
consumption of low alcohol content on the premises, meaning bars or lounges. It
passed by 60.20 percent of the vote or 180 votes. Voting against it were 39.80
percent of the vote, or 119 votes.
Precinct
08, 16 voted yes, 16 voted no.
Precinct
82, 1 voted yes, 0 voted no.
Precinct
84, 19 voted yes, 13 voted no.
Precinct
85, 17 voted yes, 11 voted no.
Precinct
86, 2 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
87, 11 voted yes and 11 voted no.
Precinct
88, 30 voted yes and 26 voted no.
Precinct
89, 0 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
93, 4 voted yes and 1 voted no.
Precinct
96, 0 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Early
voting, 80 voted yes and 41 voted no.
Proposition
3 will allow liquor (high content alcohol) in a bar. It passed by 60.13 percent
of the vote or 181 votes. Almost 40 percent (39.87) voted no, or 120 votes
against it.
Precinct
08, 16 voted yes, 17 voted no.
Precinct
82, 1 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
84, 19 voted yes and 13 voted no.
Precinct
85, 18 voted yes and 11 voted no.
Precinct
86, 2 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
87, 10 voted yes and 9 voted no.
Precinct
88, 28 voted yes and 27 voted no.
Precinct
89, 0 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
93, 4 voted yes and 1 voted no.
Precinct
96, 0 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Early
voting, 83 voted yes and 42 voted no.
Proposition
4, which deals with packaged alcohol only. This now allows a store to sell
liquor with an alcohol content of more than six percent, but not consumption.
In other words, a liquor store can sell the alcohol, but the purchaser would
not be able to consume it on the premises. It passed with 60.40 percent of the
vote, or 180 votes. Only 118 votes were against it, or 39.60 percent.
Precinct
08, 16 voted yes and 17 voted no.
Precinct
82, 1 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
84, 20 voted yes and 12 voted no.
Precinct
85, 14 voted yes and 15 voted no.
Precinct
86, 2 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
87, 11 voted yes and 10 voted no.
Precinct
88, 31 voted yes and 24 voted no.
Precinct
89, 0 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
93, 4 voted yes and 1 voted no.
Precinct
96, 0 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Early
voting, 81 voted yes and 39 voted no.
Proposition
5 deals with restaurants. Restaurants will have to have a special “R” permit to
be able to sell high content alcohol within the corporate limits of Homer, but
consumption would be on premises only. It passed by 62.13 percent or 187 votes,
and 37.87 percent voted against it or 114 votes.
Precinct
08, 16 voted yes and 16 voted no.
Precinct
82, 1 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
84, 23 voted yes and 9 voted no.
Precinct
85, 18 voted yes and 10 voted no.
Precinct
86, 3 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
87, 11 voted yes and 11 voted no.
Precinct
88, 29 voted yes and 26 voted no.
Precinct
89, 0 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Precinct
93, 4 voted yes and 1 voted no.
Precinct
96, 0 voted yes and 0 voted no.
Early
voting, 82 voted yes and 41 voted no.
In the
Claiborne Parish Police Jury runoffs, both incumbents will serve another term.
In District 3, Robert “Bob” McDaniel came out ahead with 56.46 percent of the
vote or 166 votes. Opponent Kevin Gray received 43.54 percent of the vote or
128 votes. Here’s how it broke down by precinct:
Precinct
03, Gray received 49 votes while McDaniel brought in 67 votes.
Precinct
35, Gray received 2 votes and McDaniel received 12 votes.
Precinct
37, Gray garnered 2 votes and McDaniel received 1 vote.
Precinct
40, Gray received 8 votes while McDaniel brought in 19 votes.
Precinct
41, Gray received 19 votes and McDaniel received 12 votes.
Precinct
96, Gray received 12 votes while McDaniel received 11 votes.
Early
voting, Gray garnered 36 votes while McDaniel received 44 votes.
In
District 8, Incumbent Roy Mardis came away with 52.22 percent of the vote, or
212 votes. Opponent Tommy Sanders received 47.78 percent of the vote, or 194
votes.
In
Precinct 08, Mardis received 96 votes while Sanders received 84 votes.
In
Precinct 10, Mardis received 47 votes while Sanders received 15 votes.
In
Precinct 81, 19 voted for Mardis and 40 voted for Sanders.
In
Precinct 82, 0 voted for Mardis and 1 voted for Sanders.
In
early voting, Mardis received 50 votes while Sanders garnered 54 votes.
Also on
the ballot was a proposed constitutional amendment that, once signed into law,
will prohibit new taxes or fees on immovable property (real estate). In
Claiborne Parish, 83.31 percent of voters voted for it, or 1,233 votes. Only
16.69 percent of voters voted against it, or 247 votes. Statewide, 80.80
percent voted for it, or 476,938 votes. Voting against it were only 19.20
percent or 113,326 votes.
Homer man charged in scrap case
The Guardian-Journal
A Homer
man, last week, was arrested on a warrant issued earlier in the month.
Jaroderick
Harper, 20, was charged with illegal possession of stolen things with bond set
at $5,000.
According
to Homer Police, he was arrested at a local convenience store without incident
after a police investigation revealed that he’d allegedly taken a headache rack
and some other items from a residence and sold them to Top Dollar Scrap earlier
in the month.
On
November 7, a complainant called the police department saying the rack was
stolen and taken to Top Dollar. Luckily, someone had come into the scrap yard
and said the rack belonged to someone else, and asked the scrap yard to hold on
to the item when or if it came in. Later, on November 8, officers returned to the
scrap yard and learned that Harper had indeed brought in the rack, and an
arrest warrant was issued.
On
November 17, further investigation continued after a traffic stop on a vehicle
that was believed to be used to transport the rack to the scrap yard. The owner
of that vehicle told police he’d loaned his truck to someone else, and that
person admitted that he was with Harper when the rack had been taken to the
scrap yard.
The
next day, Sgt. Van McDaniel observed Harper walk into a local convenience store
and called for back up.
Harper
was arrested without incident and transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention
Center for booking on the above charges.
DART’s Christmas raffle tickets on sale
now
The
Domestic Abuse Resistance Team (DART) is holding its annual Christmas raffle.
Tickets can be purchased from Mary Ellen Gamble for $1 for a chance to win $300
cash. The drawing will be held on December 19.
DART
will also be selling tickets for this year’s Santa Train event at Delta
Interiors on December 10.
Law enforcement urges safe driving
The Guardian-Journal
The day
before Thanksgiving is always the busiest travel day of the year.
And
while motorists are traveling to see their families for the holidays, Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey said he’s urging motorists to be safe. According to
Louisiana State Police (LSP) statistics, in 2010, there were 404 fatal traffic
accidents across the state, and another approximate 10,000 injuries related to
traffic accidents. Many of those accidents were alcohol-related.
“A high
percentage of traffic fatalities are the result of poor decision-making,”
Bailey said. “These are tragic, needless deaths.”
And
according to statistics from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, about 48
percent of all traffic accidents across the state are alcohol related. In 2010,
there were five fatal accidents in Claiborne Parish.
Statewide,
65 percent of passengers involved in motor vehicle accidents were age five and
under and were injured because they were not wearing a seatbelt.
“We look
for three things while on patrol,” said Trooper First Class Mark Dennis, with
LSP Public Affairs, “aggressive driving, impairment and drunk driving. We
believe the number one way to prevent these kinds of things is through
education.”
So
before getting out on the road, Bailey is offering some safety tips to help
everyone have a safe holiday as they visit their families for the holidays.
• Don’t
drink and drive. If you suspect a driver is intoxicated, do not follow too
closely, because he or she may make sudden stops.
•
Buckle up. This is one of the most effective methods to protect against injury
or death in a motor vehicle crash.
• Use
approved child restraints. Louisiana law requires that all children age one
year or less than 20 pounds ride in a rear-facing child safety seat, ages one
to three or 20-39 pounds in forward-facing child safety seats, ages 4-5 or
40-60 pounds in a booster seat, and 6-12 or greater than 60 pounds may use an
adult seatbelt.
• Avoid
distracted driving. Distracted drivers continue to endanger the public by using
cell phones, operating electronics or eating food while driving. A safe driver
is a focused driver. Remember, text messaging is illegal in Louisiana while
driving.
• Slow
down and obey the speed limits. Studies show that higher travel speeds are
responsible for a significant increase in highway traffic deaths.
• Get
enough sleep. Sleep deprivation and fatigue can cause lapses in attention, slow
awareness and impaired judgment.
• Be
extra cautious around large trucks. These vehicles have larger blind spots and
much longer stopping distances than passenger cars.
• Don’t
tailgate. Follow other vehicles at a safe distance.
•
Expect the unexpected. Watch traffic around your vehicle and be prepared to
react. Scan the road ahead for potential hazards such as other vehicles and
road debris.
• Be
extra alert around construction zones.
• Take
frequent breaks to keep alert during long distance trips.
All
local, parish and state law enforcement will beef up their patrols during the
Thanksgiving holiday. Again, they will be looking to see that children are in
age appropriate restraints and that the adults and older children are properly
restrained.
“Anytime
you have increased travel on the road, you’re going to have increased crash
rates,” Dennis said. “So that’s reason for the increased patrols. Impairment
and seatbelts are mainly what we’re looking for.”
And
they are asking that the public report anything suspicious they see on the
roads. To report an accident or if you observe someone in need of assistance,
please call 911, or from your cell phone, dial *LSP (*577).
—Submitted Photo
Claiborne Academy kindergartners
celebrated the Thanksgiving holidays with their handmade Native American
attire. The students are taught by Sandra Atwood and Gwen White.
No worries...Armory fire a controlled
burn
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
The Homer Fire Department was dispatched
to Armory Park on Wednesday morning in reference to a grass and woods fire.
However, they were quickly turned around as it was a controlled burn. Fire
Chief Dennis Butcher said officials had already spoken to him about the burn,
and it was safe to do so. Although Claiborne Parish is no longer under a burn
ban, people still need to be careful and use extreme caution when burning,
Butcher said. While blessed rain has come, conditions are still extremely dry.
Trees, grass and woods areas are still extremely flammable.
The Guardian-Journal photos/Michelle
Bates
On Thursday, November 17, the Homer Fire
Department was dispatched to a fire on Coleman Street. A resident was burning
in his backyard, but the flames spread to a tree in the yard. Somehow, the fire
spread to the top of the tree, burning it from the inside out. Firefighters cut
down the tree and extinguished the flames. No injuries were reported.
Gettin’ in the Holiday Spirit
Lots of activities slated to usher in
the holidays
The Guardian-Journal
The
holidays are almost upon us, and there will be plenty to do during the holiday
season in Claiborne Parish -- other than shopping of course! So, here’s a sneak
peek at what’s going to be happening to usher in the Christmas holidays.
Piggly Wiggly Homer Rib Cook-Off
Get your
aprons on and your best cooking skills ready for the Piggly Wiggly of Homer Rib
Cook-Off to be held on Saturday, December 10 in conjunction with the Claiborne
Parish Christmas Festival and Parade.
This is
the beginning of an annual event.
Prizes
for the winners include: first place $300, second place $150 and third place is
$75. You provide your team, grill and spices and Piggly Wiggly will provide
three slabs of pork ribs for the cooking.
This
will be a fun day for the family as there will be a car show, entertainment,
fun activities for the children and the Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival and
Parade to round out the day. So bring your family and have a day of good food,
shopping and ringing in Christmas with the parade.
If
interested in having a team and cooking, or being a sponsor of the Piggly
Wiggly Cook-Off, please call Eric Brown or Renea Burch at (318) 927-2353 or
email for entry forms and rules. Registration
deadline is Friday, November 25.
Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival and Parade
You can
feel Christmas in the air with the smell of good food, entertainment, fun
activities for the kids and family at the Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival,
located around the historic Claiborne Parish Courthouse Square in Homer.
There
will be the Santa Train, Christmas Festival, Parade, Car Show and the Piggly
Wiggly Rib Cook-Off. It will be a fun day for the whole family.
Want to
show your talent? Then come on down and help provide entertainment for the
festival.
Want to
sell your arts, crafts, food and other unique items for those wonderful
Christmas gifts? Then we want you.
Booths
for venders are $20 without electricity and $30 with electricity. Registration
deadline is Friday, November 25.
Please
contact Renea Burch at (318) 927-9257 or email
for entry forms or to sign up to provide entertainment during the day.
Annual Christmas Food Drive
Brookshire’s
Grocery Company is partnering once again with the Homer Lions Club to collect
and distribute food to needy families in Claiborne Parish during the holidays
as the 30th Annual Spirit of Christmas Food Drive gets underway.
The
Haynesville Lions Club has once again agreed to help with the distribution of
the food boxes in the Town of Haynesville. As in years past, the Claiborne
Parish 4-H Junior Leaders, along with their sponsors, Lee Faulk and Teresa
Price, will offer their valuable assistance in helping to collect, sort and
package food items for delivery.
First
Presbyterian Church in Homer will continue to allow Lions the use of their
fellowship hall to prepare the food boxes for delivery. Food boxes will be
delivered between noon and 5 p.m. on Friday, December 16.
Area
residents are asked to make donations by placing non-perishable food items in
designated bins located at Brookshire’s in Homer. People are asked NOT to
donate HOMEMADE GOODS or items in GLASS JARS. Bulk items such as flour, sugar
and corn meal should be donated in smaller sizes to allow for more variety in
the boxes given to the recipients.
In
addition to the public food donations, each family will receive at least one
coupon for a baking hen from Brookshire’s. All food collected in this area will
be distributed in Claiborne Parish.
Families
to be assisted by the Spirit of Christmas Food Drive are selected by local
relief organizations or government agencies according to need. The Claiborne
Parish Office of Family Services (OFS) will again provide printouts to be
submitted with completed applications.
Application
forms are available at the OFS located on East 2nd Street next to Piggly Wiggly
in Homer, at the Claiborne Parish Police Jury office and at Haynesville City
Hall. The deadline to turn in completed applications along with OFS printouts
is Friday, December 9. Completed applications can be turned in to the Police
Jury office or mailed to Spirit of Christmas Food Drive, c/o Cynthia Steele,
309 North Main Street, Homer, LA 71040.
The
Spirit of Christmas Food Drive began in 1982, when 92 families in Tyler, Texas,
received assistance. Last year, some 500,000 pounds of food was collected in
the Ark-La-Tex and distributed to more than 16,000 families. In Claiborne
Parish, more than 185 food boxes were collected and distributed.
“The
success of this year’s Spirit of Christmas Food Drive, as in the past, depends
upon the wonderful generosity of our local citizens,” said Susan Herring,
former food drive chairman for the Homer Lions Club. “We are very appreciative
to everyone who has donated food items in years past and hope they will
continue to be willing to help those in our communities who are less
fortunate.”
For
more information, please call Homer Lions Chairpersons Dwayne Woodard at
318-927-2222 or Cynthia Steele at 318-927-2566.
