Louisiana prepares for Ike
MICHELLE BATES AND JENNI WILLIAMS, The
Guardian-Journal
Gov.
Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Ike,
and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is telling people to be
prepared.
Mark
Riley, state coordinating officer for FEMA in regards to relief efforts from
Hurricane Gustav, said in a press conference held Monday afternoon in Baton Rouge, that his organization is monitoring Ike.
Although
Jindal is not expecting to have to call for another mass evacuation, relief
agencies, including FEMA, are making preparations just in case.
“We are
monitoring Ike,” Riley said in the press conference. “We have two ongoing
operations at the same time. One is the relief effort from the aftermath of
Gustav and the other is making preparations for Ike. We feel the FEMA team
that’s on the ground are taking a very proactive approach.
“We set
up a planning team to look at evacuation and transportation needs for Ike,” he
continued. “Our system starts a clock at H hours plus 120 (estimated time that
tropical force winds may hit our coast). That sets a number of triggers in
place. Somewhere around 72 hours, the governor will make a decision as to
whether or not to encourage evacuations from those areas that might be
affected. I know that we are currently working very hard with sheltering spots
in the northern part of the state to help them recoup from the Gustav
sheltering to make them ready for potential Ike sheltering. We’re very engaged
in that process as we speak, and at the same time, we are receiving evacuees
back. We are planning to evacuate again should that be required.”
Although
FEMA is coordinating with the different relief agencies throughout the state,
there has been no official word yet as to where Ike will hit on the Gulf Coast. As of Tuesday afternoon, NOAA’s projections put Ike hitting the coast in Texas and looping back northward towards north Louisiana. Ike is expected to make landfall
sometime Saturday afternoon or early Sunday morning.
Jindal
requested assistance from President Bush over the weekend to aid in recovery
from Hurricane Gustav and preparations for the impeding landfall of Hurricane
Ike. He requested that the president declare an emergency disaster declaration
for the State of Louisiana as a result of Hurricane Ike effective Sunday,
September 7. He also requested that federal resources be activated to assist
with the evaluation of the incident and evacuation and sheltering operations.
The
state of emergency extends from September 6, 2008 through October 5, 2008 unless terminated sooner.
Currently,
seven disaster recovery stations have been set up across the state, with 14
more expected to be set up in the coming days. In response to Gustav, the
biggest thing is making sure people in the affected areas are getting
commodities, such as food and water, said Bob Fenton, operations chief of FEMA.
One way they are doing that is through the Louisiana National Guard. According
to Fenton, 4.3 million MREs (meals ready to eat) and water are on hand to
distribute if need be. They are currently servicing 50 distribution points
throughout the state.
4-H: ‘Celebrating 100 Years’
Fair parade float contest underway
Any
Claiborne Parish youth organization wishing to earn a little money to add to
their treasury need only find a trailer that can be decorated for the 2008
Parish Fair Parade on Tuesday, September 23, at 4 p.m.
The
Claiborne Fair Board will pay $100 for first place, $75 for second place and
$50 for third place best decorated float in the year’s parade.
Any 4-H
club, FBLA, SCA, Boy Scout or Girl Scout Troop, church youth group, Boys and
Girls club group, etc. in Claiborne Parish may enter.
Anyone
may participate in the parade, but premiums will be paid only to youth
organizations with decorated trailer floats.
Line up
for the parade will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the Methodist Church on Old Town Road just south of Piggly Wiggly in Haynesville.
The
theme for the 2008 Parade is “Celebrating 100 Years.” Grand Marshal will be
Claiborne Parish’s oldest living 4-H Alumni, Mrs. Ardece Sanders. Mrs. Sander’s
father was the first president of the Claiborne Parish Fair.
To
enter a float in the parade, call Robin D. Bridges, County Agent, at 927-3110
or Mr. Tim Crittendon, Parade Committee Chairman at 624-0160 or 624-0152.
Let’s
make this the best parade ever.
“It is
the policy of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service that no person shall
be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin,
gender, religion, age, or disability.”
The LSU
AgCenter has a branch office in every parish that provides research-based
information on agriculture and forestry, community leadership, economic
development, environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences, 4-H youth
development and natural resources. For more information, call your local LSU
AgCenter office at (318) 927-3110 or visit our website at www.lsuagcenter.com,
or call for a catalog of our free publications.
Building comes crashing down
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
Mac’s Tree Service worked diligently last
week in spite of rain to tear down the old building between the Haynesville
Fire and Police Departments.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
building has come down.
The old
building located between the Haynesville Fire and Police Departments was
demolished Thursday, September 4, ridding the small town of the dangers it
presented.
Mac’s
Tree Service handled the demolition.
The
demolition of the building has been talked about for years, yet nothing was
ever done. In fact, it was let go long enough that a pine tree had grown
approximately 6 feet above the roof – well, through the roof. The building
leaked and caused concern for both departments.
The
fear was that the building would collapse on its own, damaging portions of both
departments’ buildings. The fire station houses very expensive equipment,
including the fire trucks. Also, the police department’s evidence room is housed
in the old jail, and if the building had not been demolished, damage could have
been done to years’ worth of evidence, and several investigations could have
gone down the drain.
Four
bids were turned in for the demolition of the building, and Mac’s Tree Service
turned in the lowest bid for approximately $17,000.
In
other news, the Haynesville Town Council took care of several issues on its
agenda in August’s regular monthly meeting.
District
3 Councilwoman Joyce Major gave some updates from the Louisiana Municipal
Association. Gov. Bobby Jindal spoke well of education and is trying to bring
more jobs to the state, she said. She encouraged the council to attend these
sessions, because they are very important and informative.
“If you
don’t go, you won’t learn,” she said. “It’s a real learning experience. I
encourage our council to go, because we will meet people who can help us.”
She
stressed that communication among the mayor, the council and the police chief
is very important.
Another
issue Major addressed at the council meeting is a problem that has been
ongoing. People are still changing their oil at the carwash, which allows used
oil to enter the town’s sewer system. A discussion was held regarding the
issue, and in the end, it was decided that since the owner of the carwash is a
friend of District 5 Councilwoman Carla Smith, she would discuss getting him to
post signs stating that oil-changing is not allowed on those premises. After an
earlier discussion with their town attorney, Danny Newell, it was recommended
that signs be posted.
In
other business, a mileage increase of 8 cents was approved and went into effect
August 22. The mileage increase bumped up reimbursements to 51 cents per mile.
The
issue of the liquor application for LaFogata’s was also addressed and Newell
informed the council through earlier discussions that the issue had already
been talked about. The only thing the council can do, Newell said, is to make
sure the application is filled out correctly. Otherwise, if they have a state
permit, there is nothing the council can do.
John
Wesley Cooper, of Haynesville, addressed the council regarding the phone cables
that were cut in July. When those lines were cut, it severed the town’s access
to emergency services – meaning they lost 911. While lines were down, all
emergency calls went through the police department. Residents also lost the
ability to call outside their area. In other words, they could call each other
as long as the prefix was 624, but they could not call out or receive calls from
the surrounding areas in the parish. Also, because AT&T is the phone
service provider for the parish, residents lost access to internet and cell
phone service.
Currently,
the phone company as well as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is
investigating the issue.
“We
need an alternate program for when the primary one goes out,” Cooper said. “We
need to find alternate communication in Claiborne Parish.
Haynesville
Mayor Sherman Brown agreed and said it was a major concern for both him and
Police Chief Anthony Smith.
In
other news, Brown issued a word of warning to the citizens of Haynesville. The
garbage dumpster from the police jury is set to be delivered to Haynesville
once the site is complete. This dumpster is only there on a trial basis. Brown
is asking citizens not to abuse the privilege of having it.
“If it
is abused, it will be taken away,” Brown said. “Don’t abuse it.”
Elections Postponed
Congressional primaries set for Oct. 4
Early Voting
Early voting for the October 4th election will be held
Saturday, September 20 through Saturday, September 27. Office hours will be 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. The office will be closed on Sunday, September 28.
Voting Precincts
Precincts
03, 21, 21, 31, 34, 35, 36, and 37
The Claiborne Parish Police Jury has officially moved
these precincts to the Claiborne Parish Fair Complex in Haynesville. For more
information, please call the Claiborne Registrar of Voters Office at 927-3332.
The Guardian-Journal
It has
been confirmed. Saturday’s election was postponed in the wake of Hurricane
Gustav. The election date has been changed to October 4, according to sources
from the Claiborne Clerk of Court’s Office.
Because
so many throughout the southern portion of the state were displaced through the
evacuations, Gov. Bobby Jindal, acting on a recommendation from the Secretary
of State, felt it was necessary to postpone the elections until power could be
restored.
The
date of September 13 has been thrown around, but in Claiborne Parish, that date
would have been a huge conflict.
“The
13th would not be ideal for us because of the Butterfly Festival in Haynesville
and the fact that they had just moved its precincts back to the Fair Complex,”
he said. “There is a myriad of options for us, but the Secretary of State will
have to decide.”
Expected
to be on last Saturday’s ballot included the closed party primary for the 4th
Congressional District. On that ballot for Democrats included Willie Banks,
Paul J. Carmouche, Artis “Doc” Cash, and John Milkovich. For the Republicans,
the ballot included John Fleming, Chris Gorman and Jeff Thompson. The closed
party primary is expected to be on October 4th’s ballot as well as the race for
district attorney, according to the clerk’s office.
Other
than the 4th Congressional District race, the following candidates are listed
as follows. In the 2nd Judicial District, District Judges Jenifer Clason, Jimmy
Teat and Glen Fallin, all ran unopposed. Darrell Avery, Chris Bowman, David
Newell and Jonathan Stewart are all vying for the District Attorney’s seat. In
District 4 of the Claiborne Parish School Board, A.D. Williams and Betty
Richardson are on the ballot.
Charles
F. Clawson of Haynesville, Ronnie McKenzie of Homer, and Amanda Verdin of
Bernice all ran unopposed for the Justice of the Peace. William Earl Maddox,
James Pike, and Frank Speer, all of Homer, ran unopposed for Constable.
In the
Town of Haynesville, Interim Mayor Sherman Brown is unopposed for the mayor’s
seat. In the Village of Lisbon, “Sonny” Greeson is running against incumbent
mayor Wayne Tanner. The Alderman’s race in Lisbon includes, Jerry W. Clements,
Scott Greeson, Marilyn Lowrey Myers and Andy Roberts.
Don’t miss the Butterfly Festival this
Saturday!
JENNI WILLIAMS, The Guardian-Journal
The
tenth annual Haynesville Celebration of Butterflies, Memorial Butterfly
Con-servatory, will be held on September 13 at the Claiborne Parish Fairgrounds
in Haynesville, La., the ‘Butterfly Capital of Louisiana.’
Speakers
Norman Winter, horticulturist, Charles Allen, Ph. D., Richard Johnson, curator
of the Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve and Robin Bridges, Claiborne Parish
County Agent, 4-H/ANR, will be in attendance.
Festival
highlights will include the sale of books and t-shirts; a plant sale by Master
Gardeners; community art and photography exhibit;, craft and food vendors;
take-home butterffly towers, complete with caterpillers and food; nature
photography contest; flower exhibit and contest; and a water conservation
display trailer.
Special
events will be held for the children including, bumper to bumper kiddie rides
by James Roach, fun with sports with Beth Fanklin and a sidewalk art
competition with Suzy Allen.
Karaoke
will held under the pavilion with Danyell Ruhman and Stephanie Moore.
Sponsors
of the festival are Claiborne Chamber of Commerce, Haynesville Garden Club and
the LSU AgCenter Research and Extension Office.
An
admission price of $2 for adults, $1 for children six to 18 will be charged and
children under six will be free.
For
more information contact Louice Kendrick-Lacy at 624-1929 or (870) 234-4910.
Victim found bloody, police make arrest
The Guardian-Journal
A Homer
man was behind bars last week after he allegedly beat a woman bad enough to
send her to the hospital.
On
Saturday, September 6, Jermaine Tate, 30, of Homer, was arrested on several
charges including theft, bond set at $1,000; cruelty to juveniles, bond set at
$5,000; aggravated battery domestic abuse, bond set at $10,000; resisting an
officer, bond set at $1,000; unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, bond
set at $10,000; and simple criminal damage to property with bond set at $2,500.
Bond was a total of $29,500.
On the
above date, Homer police were dispatched to the 1400 block of Pearl Street in reference to a domestic dispute. Officer Van McDaniel responded to the call,
and upon his arrival, he saw the victim in the yard of the residence lying on
the ground. He observed her to be bleeding and noted injuries to her face and
head.
According
to reports, witnesses stated that Tate had beaten the victim in the face and
head with a stick and he’d kicked her several times. Tate left the scene, and
Officer Joey Henry, along with others at the scene, aided the victim while
McDaniel searched for Tate.
Later,
Officer John Bailey located the suspect in the area, and upon McDaniel’s
arrival, Tate was taken into custody.
He was
transported to the Homer Police Station for booking, and upon arrival at the
station, Tate reportedly refused to get out of the patrol unit. Reports say he
became combative, and refused to comply with orders to stop. Chemical agents
were dispensed by McDaniel.
Officer
Jimmy Hamilton conducted an interview with the victim, and during that interview,
the victim stated Tate struck her child during the dispute.
In an
unrelated incident, two people were arrested on the same day on charges of
simple possession of marijuana, open container and contributing to the
delinquency of a juvenile. Bond on each charge was set at $500 each.
According
to reports, Nicholas Gilbert and Jennifer Harper were pulled over for
suspicious activity. Gilbert was the passenger in the vehicle driven by Harper.
The traffic stop was initiated by McDaniel, and during the initial contact, he
noticed an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle. Harper gave consent to
search the vehicle, and the search revealed several open containers of alcohol
and what appeared to be marijuana on the floorboard of the vehicle. The search revealed
more of what appeared to be marijuana in Harper’s purse.
She was
charged for the possession of marijuana for the substance found in her purse,
and Gilbert was charged with possession of marijuana for the substance found on
the floorboard.
Other
passengers were in the vehicle and were determined to be juveniles, at which
time both Gilbert and Harper were charged with contributing to the delinquency
of a juvenile because reports stated that the juveniles smelled of alcohol.
In
another incident, Jason Cox, 31, of Bossier City, was arrested by Homer Police
and charged with domestic abuse battery. Bond was set at $2,000.
According
to reports, police were dispatched to North Main in reference to a disturbance.
Upon arrival, Bailey learned, according to witness statements, that Cox had
been in an argument with a woman and was throwing things at her and threw her
to the ground.
Bailey
went to the residence where the altercation occurred, and Cox was found hiding
next door behind a tree. Cox was then taken into custody and transported to the
police station where paramedics came to check out a stab wound received during
the dispute.
He was
transported to Homer Memorial Hospital for treatment and later taken to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center for booking.
Car engine theft leads to arrest
The Guardian-Journal
A Homer
man’s engine ran out of gas as he racked up several charges over the last few
months.
Thomas
J. Jenkins, 49, of Homer, was arrested on Saturday, September 6, by the
Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Department and charged with theft, unauthorized use
of a motor vehicle and a parole violation. Jenkins was arrested by Deputies
Roger Ellerbe and Paul Brazzel.
On July
17, Charles Roberson called the sheriff’s department and reported two car
engines were stolen from his residence. Ellerbe responded to the call and began
an investigation. Detective Randy Smith conducted a follow up investigation and
discovered the engines were sold to Top Dollar Scrap Recovery by Jenkins.
In an
unrelated case, a warrant for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle was issued
for the arrest of Jenkins. On Thursday, September 4, Jenkins failed to return
his employer’s truck after he (Jenkins) was sent to pick up parts for his
employer.
Jennings was booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center and bond was set on the theft charge and the unauthorized use of a motor
vehicle at $10,000 each. There was no bond set on the parole violation warrant.
Air show a delight for many
The Guardian-Journal
Planes,
planes and more planes was the order of the day as Buddy Pixley, an avid plane
enthusiast, spoke to the Homer Lion’s Club on August 28 about an event that
brings people together from all over the world.
Set in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, at Wittman Field, plane enthusiasts brought more than just small
planes. There were cars, motorcycles, homemade planes, and other wonders that
fill the imagination.
Pixley
said there was an air show each day of the event. Each show presented
heart-stopping, jaw-dropping tricks that in years past were impossible.
“The
air show is a family-oriented event,” Pixley said. “It’s held the last week of
July, the first week of August each year. I’ve been going up there for about 10
years.”
He has
also traveled with other locals from Claiborne Parish, including Blake Hemphill,
David Williamson and Don Rucker.
“The
amazing thing about this show is that it’s put on by all volunteers,” Pixley
said. “It’s also the cleanest place I’ve ever been.”
The air
show touts several different types of aircraft as well as historical planes
that go back as far as the Wright Brothers. A museum, called the Airventure Museum, contains 200 historic planes, including the Global Venturer, the first
plane flown around the world without refueling. According to Pixley’s
presentation, it was a private plane belonging to Rutan and Gina Jeannayear.
The museum also contains six movie theaters, flight simulators, art galleries,
gift shops and more than 100 presentations on flight.
There
is also the Pioneer Airport, dedicated to the 1930’s era. It is set up as an
airport would have been in the 30s. It contains more than 50 vintage aircraft
in six hangars. Some of those planes are similar to the type of plane flown by
the Wright Brothers.
Oshkosh, Wis., hosted
approximately 750,000 enthusiasts this year from 75 countries from around the
world on approximately 40 acres of land. Approximately $80 million is poured
into the local economy through this event.
Started
in 1953 by Paul Poberezney, the air show started in his basement. Poberezney
was a retired Air Force officer with a love for flying. He wanted to share that
love of flying with other people, and upon his retirement, his son took over
the show, and as they say, the rest is history.
In
1959, it was moved to Rockford, Ill., to the municipal airport and moved to its
current location in 1969. Approximately 4,000 volunteers created a site on 40
acres of land. Today, every hotel room is full and approximately 60,000 camp
out at Camp Scholler, a campground on the field. And believe it or not,
gasoline prices and the state of the economy didn’t affect the attendance,
Pixley said.
There
were 1,200 activities held throughout the week, including a showing from some
pretty famous people. At least 10,000 were at the Ford Fly-In Theater to hear
Jeff Dunham, and approximately 6,000 came to hear Harrison Ford. Making
appearances throughout the years included astronauts, Chuck Yeager and Pappy
Boyington, who has now passed away.
About
800 exhibitors showed off their products as well. Displays were also set up by
Ford, John Deere, Honda and Harley Davidson, who were also the major sponsors
of the event.
Other
aircraft shown at the air show included a Boeing Dreamlifter, a converted
747-400 airliner, which is a bulk cargo carrier; a Goodyear Blimp; an Air Force
F-22 Raptor, which is America’s newest fighter; Marine Corps v-22 Osprey, a
vertical take-off fighter; a Boeing 40, which is a restored 1929 airliner; a
U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, which was a Cold War spy plane and several modern
military aircraft. Also at the air show was a Martin Jetpack, which is an
individual, back-worn jet, flown by a female pilot. Also on display was a White
Knight, Spaceship One, which was the winner of the $10 million prize.
For
more information on the air show, please go to their website at www.airventure.org.
Homer Lions Club donates to good causes
Claiborne Parish Library
The Homer Lions Club donated $300 to the
Claiborne Parish Library. Pictured from left are Lion Bob Robinson, treasurer;
Suzanne Ford, main branch librarian; and Lion Doug Efferson, president.
Picture: Lions Club Ford Museum picture
The Homer Lions Club donated $300 to the Herbert S. Ford Museum. Pictured from left are Lion Bob Robinson, treasurer; Claiborne
Chamber of Commerce John Watson (accepting the donation on behalf of the
museum); and Lion Doug Efferson, president.
This Film by Michael Haynes Productions was created in conjunction with 
