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February 8, 2001

 

Homer Police Make Arrest In Murder Case

By Susan T. Herring, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

Darryl D. Heard, 29-year-old black male of Homer, was arrested approximately 8:55 PM Friday, February 2. He was charged with second degree murder in the stabbing death of Brenda B. Dunn. Dunn's partially clothed body was found by John McDaniel sometime before 11 PM Tuesday, January 23 in a vacant house located at 1206 Pearl Street. Police Chief Rodney Hollenshead said it was evident Dunn put up a struggle, but not enough to overcome her attacker.

High Utility Bills Discussed At Energy Forum

By Susan T. Herring, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

State Representative Rick Gallot held an Energy Forum Tuesday, January 30 at Homer City Hall to allow energy officials to discuss the high energy bills. Jerry Durham with the Louisiana Public Service Commission (PSC) was present, along with Reliant Energy/Arkla representatives Chuck Harder and Margaret Preston of Little Rock, AR, Jerry Williams with Claiborne Electric, Lloyd Elkins of Entergy, Bill Rainach of Claiborne Butane, and Jean Reynolds with Claiborne Community Action. Over one hundred local citizens attended the forum looking for answers to the high utility bills.

Several Injured In Wreck Near Athens

Homer Woman Dies In Arcadia Accident

Several people were injured in an 2-car accident about 6:30 PM Thursday, February 1, just north of Russellville. Essie Winzer of Point Pleasant Road in Homer was southbound on Hwy. 9 and had stopped to make a left hand turn on Dance Road, when a 1978 Lincoln Continental driven by Eddie Tibbs, 23, of Athens approached her from behind. Tibbs slammed on his brakes, leaving 102 feet of skid marks, and tried to steer to the right to avoid hitting Winzer's 1993 Jeep Cherokee. Tibbs' car rotated clockwise, hitting the rear end of Winzer's car.

Homer Council Approves Garbage Rate Hike

By Susan T. Herring, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

Homer residents will see garbage rates go up on their April water bill. During the regular meeting of the Homer mayor and town council Monday, February 5, selectman voted to pass on the rate increase received from BFI Waste Systems. Rates for curbside pickup will go up 42 cents per household and backdoor rates will show a 64 cent increase. BFI said the cost of collection has risen due to increases in clerical wages and gasoline prices, and the recent increase of disposal costs at the Webster Parish Landfill from $22 to $26 per ton. The town's 5-year contract with BFI will not allow an annual increase to exceed 5 percent.

New Fee On Town Water Bills

Town of Homer residents may have noticed a new charge on this month's water bills. The Clean Water Fee in the amount of $3.20 was mandated by Act 125 of the Louisiana Legislature during the first special session of 2000. It authorized the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals--Office of Public Health (DHH) to assess the annual fee to every household with a water service connection. The fee supports the Louisiana Safe Drinking Water Program and will be used for collection, transportation, lab analysis of both monthly bacteriological samples and required chemical samples; required monthly compliance determinations; required Sanitary Surveys of the systems; quarterly reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); conducting necessary enforcement actions; technical assistance, disaster and emergency work, and other activities involved. The fee will be charged to all Federal, state, parish and municipal offices, as well as on connections that provide water to pools, sprinkler systems, garden meters, etc. According to R.S. 40:5,6 and Act 125, "the DHH shall perform all inspections, tests, or procedures on public water supplies as may be authorized by the administrator of the EPA under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act at no cost to any municipality, parish governing authority, or any public or privately owned water system." This is an annual fee and will only be charged once each year.

February 8, 2001

Notice From U.S. Post Office Regarding New E-911 Addresses - The new E-911 address systems have been in effect for over one year. The Homer Post Office asks that you please inform any correspondents of your new correct E-911 mailing address to avoid the delay and possible return of your mail.    Black History Program To Be Held At Athens High School - The public is cordially invited to attend a Black History Program at 9 AM on Monday, February 12 at Athens High School.    Claiborne Parish Science Fair Set For Friday, February 23 - Claiborne Parish Schools will host the annual Claiborne Parish Science Fair on Friday, Februuary 23 at the Fiar Building in Haynesville. There will be approximately 200 entries from students in grades K-12 who will be judged throughout the day. An awards ceremoney will be held for the winners at 5 PM.    Athens High School To Hold Science Fair This Friday - Athens High School will hold a Science Fair on Friday, February 9 for grades 4 and 5, and grades 9-12. Judging will be in the morning from 8:30-noon. The public is invited to view all projects from 1 - 2 PM in the high school gymnasium.    Mt. Olive Christian School To Hold Spaghetti Dinner, Talent Show - Mt. Olive Christian School will sponsor a Spaghetti Dinner and Talent Show on Friday, February 16. Plates are $5 and include drink and homemade dessert. Take-outs will be available. Talent show featuring Mt. Olive students will start at 7 PM. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students. Tickets can be purchased at either school or at the door. For more info, call 258-5661.    Am I Having A Heart Attack? - "Am I Having A Heart Attack?" is the title of the Homer Memorial Hospital seminar to be held 4 PM, Tuesday, February 13 in the hospital conference room. Leading the discussion will be Anthony Smith of AMR Ambulance service. The purpose is to inform the public of actions they can perform to help themselves and their loved ones in the event of a heart attack.    Cancer Society To Hold St. Paddy's Day Patty Drop - The Claiborne Parish American Cancer Society and members of the Relay of Life Team are selling tickets to the 2nd Annual St. Paddy's Day Patty Drop scheduled for March 17 at the Homer High School practice football field. For more info, call 1-800-ACS-2345.    Mt. Olive Christian School To Hold Book Fair - A scholastic book fair will be held at Mt. Olive Christian School February 6-13. The Book Fair will be at the Middle School only from 8 AM to 2:30 PM.    Athens High School To Hold Scholastic Book Fair - Scholastic Book Fair will come to Athens High School February 7-12, 12:30 to 3 PM, to bring the newest books and learning products to readers of all ages. The fair is free and open to the community. Call 258-3241 for more info.    Flu Shots Are Now Available At Parish Health Unit - Flu shots now available at the Claiborne Parish Health Unit at 624 West Main pm Fridays from 8 AM to 3 PM for high-risk individuals and for those over 65 years of age. High risk are adults and children with chronic cardiovascular or pulmonary system disorders that required medical follow-up or hospitalization last year. Those without a Medicare or Medicaid card will pay a $10 fee. For more information, call 927-6127.    Claiborne Council on Aging February Events - Bingo is played every Friday after Lunch. Lunches are serveddaily Mondy thru Friday. Exercise treadmills and rowing machines are available. Slip and molds are available for ceramics. Feb 14 Blood Presure & Sugar Checks 11am-Noon Feb 15 Beau Bridges 11:30am Feb 16 Alternative Touch 11:30am Feb 19 Doctor Woodall 11:30am Feb 20 Craft - Stained Glass 1pm-till Feb 22 Legal 10am-noon Northwest Legal Services, Inc. will visit the be at the Council on Aging Feb 8 & 22 from 10am to noon. Individual professional counseling is available from an attorney on a non-fee generating case basis. Appointments may be made by calling the Council of Aging at 927-6922 or 800-308-8951 or Northwest Louisiana Legal Services at 800-624-2488.    March Events At Lake Claiborne Park - For information on upcoming events at Lake Claiborne State Park Call 888-677-2524 toll free or 318-927-2976. March 3 - Jeb Johnson's Great Escapades, 7 PM. Visitors can learn more about the life of a local legend who lived in Claiborne Parish and fought in the Civil War. March 10 - Woodpecker Wonders, 7 PM. Visitors are invited to a program that discusses different types of woodpeckers, their niche in nature, their biology and their nesting habits. March 24 - Storytelling, 7-8 PM, Visitors are invited to hear stories about Native Americans, animals and plants. March 31 - Miniature Wonders Nature Walk, 9:30 - 10:30 AM. Join the park naturalist for a nature hike to discover small plant and insect life often overlooked in the natural world.     New Cabins At Lake Claiborne State Park Are Open - Ten new vacation cabins opened at Lake Claiborne State Park on January 9. Units rent for $65 with a 2-night minimum on weekends. and have everything but towels and soap. To reserve your cabin, call toll free (877) CAMP-N-LA (226-7652) from 8 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday.    Claiborne One Site Additions Under Construction! - The complete Community Service Directory originally produced by The Family First Coalition will be presented online. Information covered includes: Educational Programs & Resources, Hotlines, Health && Medical Resources, Social && Community Programs, Clubs && Organizations, Related Internet Resources and much more. Portions are now online with additions monthly.      The Internet Multi-Search page searches/opens up to six sites with one entry. A variety of links are now online: Search Engines, Meta-Search Engines, Health/Medical, International News, Online Newspapers, News/Discussion Groups, Sports News, Software, Entertainment, Acceptable Sites for Teens, Kids/Educational, Travel, Job Search, Financial/Stock Market News, Online Shopping and now Metric Conversion Calculators. Coming soon will be Clip Art, HTML and Javascript Repositories.       Claiborne One Site Now Features Area Image Archive - Archived images from the recent Homer Christmas Festival and Parade are now online. Upcoming image archives to include: Haynesville Butterfly Festival 2000, Homer Christmas Festival 1999, Claiborne Parish Scenery, Lake Claiborne State Park and more. To submit your images for inclusion in the Claiborne One Image Archive you may email them to webmaster@ClaiborneOne.org.				The Jonquil Jubilee - A Garden Related Festival Celebrating the Arrival of Spring - The Jonquil Jubilee to be held in Gibsland, Louisiana on Saturday, February 24, 2001. You are cordially invited to Gibsland to join in the Celebration of the Advent of Spring. Festival will feature Arts & Crafts from area and commercial artists, an Antique Mall, plants and related goods, entertainment by local musicians, talks by gardening experts, and more...    Chris Sherrill To Sing At Pleasure Point Baptist Church February 16 - Gospel singer Chris Sherrill of Athens will sing at Pleasure Point Baptist Church on Peterson Road on Friday, February 16.    Homer Junior High To Hold Honor's Day Friday, February 9 - Homer Junior High principal announces a special Honor's Day Friday, February 9 for students who made the honor roll, beginning with a breakfast in the cafeteria at 8 AM. Parents and friends may reserve a space by calling the office by Feb. 8. The cost is $1.40 per person. No cost to honor roll students. Mayor David Aubrey will be the guest speaker at an Honor's Assembly at 1 PM in the gym, followed immediately by a reception in the library.    Homer High Softball Team To Hold Bake Sale At Wal-Mart - The Homer High Softball team will hold a bake sale in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Saturday, February 10 from 9 AM till 3 PM. Great Valentine present.    Athens To Host Family Literacy Night, Discuss School Uniforms - Athens High School will host a Family Literacy Night on Thursday, February 8, at 5:30 PM. The event will feature storytelling, songs, refreshments, door prizes and information on school uniforms for the 2001-2002 school year. Parents and their children in grades Pre-K through 8 are encouraged to attend.    Homer High Drama Club To Present "Mission: Possible" - The Homer High Drama Club will present "Mission: Possible" in the Homer High auditorium on Thursday, February 15 at 7 PM. Tickets are $1 and can be purchased from Director Denice Owens or any drama club member. In March, Drama Club members will perform "Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet, Too".    Summerfield PTO Will Meet Monday, February 12 - The Summerfield Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) will meet at 6 PM in the school cafeteria on Monday, February 12. All those interested are encouraged to attend. Any questions, call Penny Torbet at 927-2126.    ABC Head Start To Hold Annual Valentine Tea And Style Show - The ABC Head Start Center in Homer will celebrate Valentine's Day with its annual Valentine Tea and Style Show on Wednesday, February 14 at 10 AM at Homer City Hall. The public is invited to attend and to participate in the style show with the students.    Haynesville High Class Of 1981 To Hold Reunion Meeting - Haynesville High School Class of 1981 will hold a reunion meeting on Saturday, February 24 at 10 AM in the Haynesville Band Hall.    Friends Of Genealogy, Inc. To Hold Meeting In Shreveport March 3 - Mary R. Zimmerman will speak on "Migration Routes to North Louisiana" (1800-1860) at 1 PM on March 3 at the meeting of Friends of Genealogy, Inc. to be held at the Louisiana State Exhibit Building at 3015 Greenwood Road in Shreveport. Admission is free. For information or directions, call Laura Duffy at (318) 424-7648 or John Head at (318) 929-1701.    Used Sweat Suits Needed - The Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs in Claiborne Parish are looking for new or used sweat suits to recycle into teddy bears for their Christmas project. Please drop your sweat suits off at the Thrift Store located on the east side of the Homer Square any Tuesday or Saturday. All donations appreciated.    Business Incentives Seminar To Be Held At Bossier Civic Center - A seminar concerning the State of Louisiana'a business incentives programs will be held in the Barksdale Room of the Bossier Civic Center on Benton Road on Thursday, February 22 from 10 AM - noon, sponsored by the Coordinating & Development Corporation. As part of its overall effort to induce businesses to expand or to open new facilities in Louisiana, the La. Dept. of Economic Development administers a number of incentives programs designed to make doing business in La. more attractive. They include the Enterprise Zone Program, the Restoration Tax Abatement Program, the AdValorem Tax Exemption Program, and the Quality Jobs Program. The latest information on these and other programs will be provided to all participants. The public is invited. No admission. For more info, call Gray Stothart at 318-632-2022.    Shongaloo 8th Annual Crow Hunting Contest Set For February 17 - The Shongaloo 8th Annual Crow Hunting Contest will be held Saturday, February 17 at Phillip Baker's house, 14614 Hwy. 159 in Shongaloo at 4:30 PM sharp. Entry fee is $20 per person, for 2 or 3 person teams. For information contact Todd or Kelly Baker at 318-624-3429. Mail entries to 200 Gravel Pit Road, Shongaloo, LA 71072.    HMH offers MRI's - Homer Memorial Hospital is proud to announce the availability of MRI procedures two days a week in Homer.     The JCAHO-accredited system, provided by Alliance Imaging, is a Siemens 1.0 with a fast pack. The moblie MRI produces images as good as an on-site MRI.     MRI procedures performed in Homer by Alliance Imaging specialists are read by radiologists from Diagnostic Associates; films become part of the patients permanent record and stay on-site at HMH.     Appointments should be made through your physician; the ordering physician does not have to be a local physician.     "We are proud to offer this service to our community. Residents no longer have to drive to Shreveport to receive a state-of-the-art MRI examination." reminds Homer Memorial Radiology department.    Attention: Girls, Grades 1-6 Invited To Join Girl Scouts - Girl Scouts of American Troop 344 invite all girls in grades 1-6 to "Where Girls Grow Strong,". For more info call Melissa Smith at 927-4585 or Stacey Hollenshead at 927-4601.    Country, Bluegrass, Gospel Music Every Friday In Homer - Every Friday night in downtown Homer, amateur musicians from all over the Ark-La-Tex meet at the Homer Fire Station to enjoy a little country, bluegrass, gospel, and fellowship. Anyone is welcome to join in, or just sit back and enjoy. For more information, call Ed Dettenheim at 927-5253 or Jerry Brown at 927-3792.  «Full Story»
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