Homer Police Captain Files Suit Against Town
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Attorney Chris Bowman, on behalf of
Homer Police Captain Donald Malray, filed suit July
20 in District Court against the Town of Homer in hopes of recovering $29,021.66 he paid in legal fees
during his trial on federal perjury charges last March.
Malray and Vincent McDaniel were both charged
and acquitted of perjury charges in connection with the drug trial of J. C.
Curry in September 2003. Both had been subpoenaed to testify and both were
under the rule of sequestration and not allowed to discuss the case. Raymond
Spoon, a special agent for the FBI, claimed he overheard the two discussing the
case while in the witness room. He reported to DEA agent Keith Billiot who notified Judge Maurice Hicks who was presiding
over the Curry trial. Both were called before the judge and questioned. Both
were later charged with several counts of perjury and were found not guilty in
jury trials in March of this year.
On April 20, Malray's
attorney Chris Bowman of Jonesboro submitted a bill for his services to Homer
Mayor Huey Dean, citing the Louisiana law which entitles Malray
to be reimbursed for reasonable legal fees associated with his successful defense
of the criminal charges arising out of his duties as a police officer for the
Town of Homer. A second letter was
mailed on May 28 informing the Town of his intent to file suit if the matter
was not resolved within ten days.
Louisiana Revised Statute 42:1442
states, "When a law enforcement officer, employed by the state or an
agency thereof or by a political subdivision...has been subjected to an
institution of prosecution for an alleged criminal act committed when the law
enforcement officer is acting in good faith in the performance or in
furtherance of the course and scope of his employment as defined by law and the
policies and procedures of the law enforcement agency employing him, and he is
acquitted of the charge, the prosecution has been dismissed by the district
attorney, or the periods of time have expired in which he could be brought to
trial and convicted, the officer shall be reimbursed for reasonable attorney's
fees incurred by him on account of the institution of prosecution.... Reimbursement
shall be from the governing authority by whom the
officer was employed at the time of the alleged crime."
The Homer Town Council went into
executive session during a special called meeting held Monday, July 26 to
discuss the suit against the town by Officer Malray.
After reconvening in open session, no motions or comments were made and the
meeting adjourned.
Store Clerk Admits To
"Sliding" Theft Over $14,000
Dollar General store clerk Brenda
Morgan, 50, of Shongaloo was arrested by the
Haynesville Police Department on Wednesday, July 21 after she admitted stealing
more than $14,000 from the Haynesville store. Acting on a tip, District Manager
Donna Bucklin contacted Corporate Asset Protection Agent Trey Binendelli. Binendelli
interviewed Morgan who furnished a voluntary statement admitting she had stolen
numerous items, usually because she didn't have enough money.
Morgan also admitted to
"sliding" merchandise for her friends and acquaintances.
"Sliding" according to Bucklin is the practice of passing items
through the store's register but not actually activating the cash register,
which identifies the item and price of each article.
Morgan was arrested by warrant on a
charge of theft over $500, which is a felony. She was incarcerated at the
Claiborne Parish Jail in Homer on $10,000 bond. The charge of theft over $500
may be punishable by ten years with or without hard labor or $3,000 fine, or
both. The investigation is continuing and additional arrests may be made.
Seventy-Three Windows Broken At Homer Junior
High
Claiborne Parish School Board employees Pat Hightower and Gary
Smith spent the last week replacing windows broken by vandals at the Homer
Junior High last week. School officials discovered 73 broken windows when they
arrived at school Wednesday, July 21. This is the second time windows have been
broken this summer. Maintenance employees had just completed replacing 35
windows. A $1,000 reward is being
offered for anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of
the person or persons involved in the vandalism of the school. Anyone with
information is asked to call the Homer Police Department at 927-4000.
June Rainfall Sets Record At Hill Farm
June 2004, with 11.23 inches of rain,
was the wettest June on record at the LSU AgCenter
Hill Farm Station since the station began keeping records in 1950 according to
Lab Technician Nancy Boddie. The previous record was
in June 1961 with 10.31 inches.
The overall record for the most rainfall
recorded at the Hill Farm is April 1991 when 26.79 inches fell in one month.
The lowest rainfall on record was in October 1963 when no rain fell in the
entire month. Since 1950, it is the only month with zero inches of rainfall.
July is close to the record for the
least amount of rainfall, with only 1.2 inches recorded through Monday, July 26
and with no rain expected in the forecast for the rest of the month. The
previous record for least amount of rainfall in July was only .18 inch recorded
in 1983.
Town Council Takes Steps To Close Pearl Street
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Claiborne Parish School Board member
Blake Hemphill made a second request to the Homer Town Council at a special
called meeting held Monday, July 26 to close the portion of Pearl Street where
Homer Junior High School is located. Hemphill said last week someone broke out
72 windows on the campus and the School Board wants to place gates at
each end of the campus to close off the street when school is not in session.
The gate on the east end would be kept open during school hours only while the
gate on the west end would be open only to allow school buses in to drop off
and pick up students. The gates would remain closed when school is out.
Police Chief Rodney Hollenshead
said he had no problem closing the road. His officers patrol the area
regularly. On the night of Tuesday, July 20, officers noticed a group of young
people gathered at the intersection of Pearl Street and Martin Luther King
Street. They stopped and told them to move on,
reminding them it was near curfew. The next morning his office was notified
about the broken windows. Hollenshead said there have
been over 100 windows broken just this summer. He recalled only one accident
involving a student in the past 16 years.
School Superintendent James Scriber said
he didn't think closing the road would stop the vandalism but it would serve as
a deterrent and it would provide a safety factor during the day at school. He
told the Council he thought the entire campus was fenced but that some portions
may be in need of repair.
The Council voted to allow town attorney
David Newell to draw up an ordinance to be presented at the next meeting in
August. Newell said the Council would have to advertise three times then hold a
public meeting before adopting the ordinance to close the road, which would
probably be at the September meeting.
The Council held a public hearing on the
proposed budget for January 1 through December 31, 2004. There were no public
comments concerning the budget, but Councilman Billy Kirk Jenkins questioned
whether the budget in the police fund was sufficient. Chief Hollenshead
said the $22,000 line item for the lease purchase of police cars in the police
fund had deducted from his operating budget for supplies and expenses. He
reminded the Council they had already voted to dedicate the magistrate court
collections for the payment of the police cars. Magistrate court collections
are placed in the general fund, which is where they normally budget capital
expenses such as vehicles. He said he was not opposed to the Council adopting
the budget as presented, but he did plan to come back at a future meeting and
request the budget be amended.
Corney Lake Recreation Area To
Be Closed Temporarily
The Caney Ranger District, Kisatchie National Forest would like to announce the
temporary closure of the Corney Lake Recreational
Area located north of Summerfield until further notice beginning August 1,
2004. The purpose for the closure is to repave and repair the entry road and
parking lot of the recreational area. The north Corney
Boat Launch off Forest Service Road 902 will remain open for boaters. For
additional information, please contact the Caney Ranger Office at 318-927-2061.
J. R. "Bubba" McClung To Retire July 31
J. R. "Bubba" McClung, Senior
Vice President of First Guaranty Bank, will retire on
July 31, 2004 with 43 years of service. Mr. McClung is a native of Homer and a
1961 graduate of Louisiana Tech University. He began his career with the Homer
National Bank in Homer in 1961 and has served continuously in the financial
services industry since that time. He has held various positions with the Homer
National Bank, Premier Bank, Bank One, First Woodlands Bank and First Guaranty
Bank, including Cashier, Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President.
He is a previous member of the board of
directors of Homer National Bank and has participated in numerous conferences
and seminars to enhance his knowledge in the financial services industry. He
has been very active in civic affairs in Claiborne Parish and served at both
the local and state level as an officer in the Jaycees. He is a past board
member of the Homer Memorial Hospital, the Homer Country Club, and the
Claiborne Parish Fair Association and was a member of the Homer Town Council
and Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. McClung is a member of the Homer
Church of Christ where he has served in many positions. He and his wife,
Sylvia, are the parents of James McClung of Homer and Paul McClung of Atlanta,
Georgia and the grandparents of Julie, Alyssa and Caleb McClung. Sylvia and
"Bubba" plan to enjoy their children and grandchildren travel and
spend time in Branson, Missouri.
Homer Native Authors Book On Dating,
Marriage
"Marital Secrets: Dating, Lies,
Communication and Sex"
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Why do couples fall out of love? What
are some of the key differences between men and women? How can we get past the
myths surrounding dating and marriage? How can we avoid costly marriage
mistakes?
These and many more questions are
answered in the book "Marital Secrets: Dating, Lies, Communication, and
Sex" written by Paris M. Finner-Williams and
Robert D. Williams. Paris is a licensed psychologist and attorney, and a
popular guest on radio and television discussing male-female relationships and
motivational issues. Her husband, Robert, is a Homer native and a licensed
marriage and family therapist, specializing in male-female relationships, child
and adolescent concerns. He also has a masters degree
in social work. Both
serve as child custody and divorce mediators.
In the foreword of their book, Tim
Clinton, President of the American Association of Christian Counselors, says
the Williams "love each other, and every day they work feverishly to save
and strengthen marriages....the Williamses pull no punches.
They talk frankly and openly about marital secrets such as masks, anger,
infidelity and sexual problems."
The Williams begin the book with their
own marital mission. They say it does not matter whether you are single,
engaged, or married, this self-help book can help resolve intense and serious
issues and barriers between men and women in romantic and intimate
relationships. They use lessons they have learned over the years from others
and from their own personal experiences to provide solutions, techniques and
approaches that are practical and have proven effective for enhancing romantic
relationships among single and married individuals.
For more information on the book, call
(888) 955-5055.
National Youth Day "Celebrating
Kids Nationwide"
Saturday, July 31, 11 AM - 3 PM Saturday, August 7
The Staff and Board of Directors of the
Claiborne Boys & Girls Clubs would like to announce its National KidsDay event "A Picnic in the Park." This event
will be held on Saturday, July 31 at the Homer Mayfield Park. Time is 11 AM
until 3 PM. We plan to have food, games, some entertainment and sporting
activities. This event will also mark the end of our Summer Program, so please
bring your child along for a fun-filled day in the park.
Lake Claiborne State Park Youth Day Camp
Saturday, August 7
Lake Claiborne State Park will hold a
Youth Day Camp on Saturday, August 7. This program is suitable for 4th grade
and up. Participants, please bring a lunch, snack, and swimming gear. Drinks
will be provided. Activities will include fishing clinic, hiking, animal
identification, campfire preparation, soil conservation experiments, compass
skills, and water quality experiments. Pre-registration by August 5 required.
Lake Claiborne State Park is located about 12 miles southeast of Homer on Hwy.
146 (White Lightning Road). Day-use admission is $2 per vehicle for up to four
persons and 50 cents for each additional person. Senior citizens, 62 or over,
will be admitted free. For more information, call 1-888-677-2524 (toll free) or
927-2976. For more information on upcoming events at state parks, go to www.lastateparks.com.