Kiss a pig? Forget it
Swine flu pandemic drives precautions
JIMMY DEAN, Feature Writer
According
to abcnews.com, “It appears that American pigs are at more risk of catching
‘swine flu’ from humans than the other way around. No cases have been found in
pigs yet, while more than [200] human cases have been confirmed in the U.S., with many more suspected.”
Even
so, a Cedar Rapids “Kiss A Pig” fundraiser changed plans. Instead of kissing a
live pig, local personalities will kiss someone dressed as a pig to raise
money.
That’s one example of the
far-reaching effects of H1N1, more commonly known as swine flu.
As this
is being written (May 5), 7 swine flu cases have been confirmed in Louisiana. Schools, prisons, hospitals, and other public facilities throughout the state
are taking precautionary measures.
For
example, the Lousiana Department of Corrections has cancelled all visits to
state correctional facilities. This means no family visits to the women’s
detention facility in Homer, David Wade Correctional Center, or Claiborne Parish Detention Center. These measures include no facility tours or volunteer
visits.
Sheriff
Ken Bailey points out that these are prudent measures since there are presently
no cases of swine flu in the state’s prison system. “It’s just a sensible
precaution to help prevent inadvertently introducing the flu to the offender
population,” he says.
Superintendent of Schools Wayne
King met last week with parish principals to outline procedures for dealing
with any cases of flu among students or faculty. Principals have relayed the
information within their schools.
Homer Memorial Hospital
administrator Doug Efferson stated, “We are on the mark and set to go if any
case of swine flu shows up here. Effective treatment is available. As a matter
of fact, the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals asked us to serve as
the local warehouse for flu test kits. Rather than any basis for panic, the
community can rest assured that we are prepared to treat any local cases that
may arise.” He adds, “We do suggest, however, that if anyone suspects they have
the flu, immediately seek medical care. Any delay makes treatment more
difficult.”
Governor
Jindal’s office notes in a press release that the state has “begun
prepositioning the federal stockpile of antiviral resources—totaling 140
thousand courses.”
According
to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website, www.cdc.gov, symptoms of
swine flu are similar to other types of flu: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches,
headache, chills, and fatigue. They recommend seeing your doctor if you are
experiencing these symptoms.
Steps to Protect You and Your Family
While there is currently no vaccine available to protect against
swine flu, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from and help
prevent the spread of most flu-type illness. The Louisiana Department of Health
and Hospital’s website suggests the following:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or
sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after
you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home
from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way. (More
information is available at www.flula.com.)
Tax renewal passes
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Tax
renewals for both Fire Districts 3 and 5 passed with flying colors in
Saturday’s election.
In
District 3, the tax renewal passed with 100 percent voting in favor. In
District 5, the tax renewal passed with 92.45 percent of the vote in favor, and
7.55 percent voting against. In terms of numbers in District 5, 98 voters cast
their ballots in favor of the renewal and only 8 people voted against it.
Fire
Chief Dennis Butcher said he was pleased with the passage of the tax renewal.
“I’m
very pleased with outcome,” he said. “This tax renewal will allow us to
continue to offer adequate fire protection for the district. We’re very
appreciative of the support the voters have shown.”
Butcher
said that although the tax renewal passed, volunteers are always needed.
Manpower is a very important part of giving the district the fire protection it
needs. If anyone in District 5 is interested in serving, please contact Butcher
at 927-3881.
Fire
Chief Mark Furlow repeated Butcher’s sentiments, saying he was proud of the
results.
“We
just want to thank everybody for their confidence in us, and we’re going to
continue to the best of our ability to continue to protect the district,”
Furlow said. “We appreciate those who got out and voted, because without that
money, we wouldn’t be able to run these departments like we need to.”
The tax
renewal for District 5 is a 10 year, 10.37 mills property tax renewal “for
acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining and/or operating fire
protection facilities and equipment in and for the Claiborne Parish Fire
Protection District No. 5, including paying the cost of obtaining water for
fire protection purposes.”
The
renewal for District 5 will be good from 2010 to 2019.
This is
the tax that pays for equipment, operating expenses, fuel and other needs. In
District 5, it keeps six fire stations with a total of 12 trucks up and running
throughout the year.
District
3’s tax is a 10-year, 10-mill tax. Much of the money spent is on obtaining
equipment to satisfy Property Insurance Association of Louisiana (PIAL), which
requires departments to have certain trucks and equipment. Departments also
have to satisfy the requirements of the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA).
Claiborne Parish kids participate in Safe Routes School Kid program
The Guardian-Journal photo/Jenni Williams
Sheriff Ken Bailey spoke to the children
on Safe Routes to School Day on Tuesday, May 5.
JENNI WILLIAMS, The Guardian-Journal
The
Claiborne Parish School Board presented the “Safe Routes to School” kid program
to area schools this past Tuesday as a way to inform children of the dangers
along their route to school and ways to make their route a safer one.
The
program was held in conjunction with the grant written by Janet Holland, school
board technology supervisor, that afforded Claiborne Parish the funds to place
the new digital, solar-powered speed limit signs near two of the parish
schools.
The
purpose of the new signs is to slow down drivers in the school zones and show
them exactly how fast they are driving when passing the signs.
Homer Elementary School
students were scheduled to have a scaled-down version of “Walk to School” day
by gathering in front of the school’s library and forming a “human bus” to walk
a designated distance and end up in the gymnasium, but due to the inclement
weather, they were escorted from their classrooms straight to the gym.
Students
in grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade attended the program to hear
the safety tips given by the speakers.
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey spoke to the children about how to stay safe over the
summer vacation. After finding out just how many of the children would spend
much of their summer on the seat of a bicycle, Bailey geared his tips toward
bike safety.
“Always
wear a helmet, stay on the sidewalk and be home before dark. It’s very hard to
see kids on bikes after dusk even with reflectors,” Bailey said.
Each of
the parish’s children were asked to sign a pledge declaring they would follow
the Safe Routes rules; find new ways to get outside and be active; talk to
their family about the safest route they should take to school; always get to
class on time; and encourage their friends to walk or ride to school.
Other
tips offered by the Safe Routes program are - Be Safe on Your Feet - walk on
sidewalks when available; cross at marked crosswalks or intersections; look
left, right and left again for traffic; see and be seen; watch your children
and obey traffic signals.
Tips on
bike safety are - obey traffic signs and signals; wear a helmet; hand signals,
don’t weave between parked cars; dress appropriately; keep bike in good repair;
make eye contact with drivers; scan the road behind you; avoid road hazards;
keep both hands ready to brake; and use lights at night.
Tips to
use behind the wheel are - always stop for a school bus that has stopped to
load or unload passengers; be alert and ready to stop; and stay alert when
driving in neighborhoods.
This
project has come to fruition through the efforts of many individuals throughout
the parish. The safety of children has been paramount in the search for this
grant money and now, after receiving the funds in October 2008, in the ways the
Claiborne Parish School Board has applied the funds to the parish.
Accused rapist in custody
The Guardian-Journal
An
accused rapist is now behind bars, charged with the aggravated rape of a
juvenile.
Bobby
Joe Henderson, 50, of Homer, was arrested and charged with aggravated rape with
a bond of $200,000; and unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, with a
bond of $10,000.
According
to reports, Henderson was apprehended on Friday, May 1, just before 10 p.m. after Officer Van McDaniel picked him up on Hwy. 9. Henderson was then placed
under arrest and booked on the above charges.
According
to reports, Henderson allegedly molested an 11-year-old juvenile on Tuesday,
April 28, between the hours 1:30 and 3 a.m., in the area of the 1400 block of Sims Street.
The
victim is extended family of the suspect, and was reported to police by a
family member.
Homer
Police had obtained warrants on these two charges, and while police searched
for him, numerous tips came in on his whereabouts, which were followed up by
Homer Police, the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Minden PD and the Heflin
Police Chief.
Investigating
officers were Officer John Bailey and Captain Donald Malray.
He is
currently incarcerated at the Claiborne Parish Detention Center.
In
other crime news, Thomas N. Faulk, 24, of Homer, was arrested Sunday, May 3 and
charged with domestic abuse battery, issuing worthless checks and failure to
appear. Bond was set at $500 on each count.
According
to reports, Homer police were dispatched to a Dutchtown Road residence in
reference to a domestic disturbance. The victim was observed to have injuries
around the face and neck area, and she told police Faulk had beaten her.
When
McDaniel arrived, with the assistance of Claiborne Parish Deputy Roger Ellerbe,
Faulk was arrested without incident for the charges listed above.
In an
unrelated incident, Ferono Curry, 20, of Homer, was arrested on several charges
after police were led in a short pursuit.
Curry
was charged with reckless operation of a vehicle, with bond set at $500;
possession of Schedule I CDS marijuana, with bond set at $500; open container,
with bond set at $500; aggravated flight from an officer, with bond set at
$2,000; and resisting an officer, with bond set at $500.
According
to reports, on Saturday, May 2, Curry ran from police in speeds in excess of 70
miles per hour on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Homer. Curry had reportedly
been observed driving on both sides of the road. After Curry was stopped,
reports say he refused to comply with officers’ orders and only complied after
being told he would be tased if he did not.
During
a search of Curry’s vehicle, pursuant to arrest, an open container of alcohol,
suspected marijuana and cans of beer were discovered.
Curry
was then placed under arrest on the above charges.
Audit shows areas of major concern
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Had the
Claiborne Parish School Board not corrected its current audit report issues,
the district would have been at risk of losing its state and federal funding.
Although
Superintendent of Schools Wayne King says steps have been taken to correct the
problems, the issue for the last three years remains the same – inadequate
control over financial reporting.
In the
audit report for the year ending 2008, that was a major finding by the
auditors, Allen, Green and Williamson LLP out of Monroe. According to their
findings, the school board’s audit report could not be turned in on time to the
legislative auditor’s office because the books were not ready to be audited.
“It
seems that every year, it takes a little bit longer to get the books ready to
be audited,” Margie Williamson, CPA, said to school board members at the April
meeting. “In January 2009, we did receive the trial fund balances, and when we
started reviewing those, there were a lot of problems. There was still a lot of
accounting work that had not been done during that time.”
The
Guardian-Journal placed a phone call to Williamson, but their policy did not
allow her to speak to us without permission from the school board. As of press
time, she did not return the phone call.
According
to law, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office has the authority to pull
funding if the governmental entity is not complying with laws and regulations
set forth by the state and federal government.
In the
Corrective Action Plan for Current Year Audit Findings, the report stated, “For
the past three years, the School Board has been unable to submit their annual
financial audit report to the Louisiana State Legislative Auditor’s Office by
the required deadline of six months after the fiscal year end of June 30th of each
year due mainly to the financial reports of the School Board not being
maintained in a timely and efficient manner.”
It
lists the anticipated completion date for corrective action as June 30, 2009. According to King, the findings listed in the audit report have been
corrected and accounting records are now up to date.
The
following findings were noted (as printed) during the auditor’s examination of
the accounting records for the year ending 2008:
• Funds
for federal programs, which are cost reimbursement programs, were found to have
a fund balance remaining at year-end. Supervisors were not adequately trained
in completing reimbursement requests for the cost reimbursement programs.
• Due
to/from and transfers in/out were not reconciled.
•
Revenues from June 2008 were actually recorded in July 2008.
• While
examining the Sales Tax Agency, it was noted that accounting problems exist
with the handling of refunds of overpayments of sales tax made by taxpayers.
The School board refunded approximately $15,000 to a taxpayer for an
overpayment of sales tax and recorded the refund in an expense account instead
of a reduction of sales tax received, and the Sales Tax Agency financial
records did not reflect the refund to the taxpayer.
• The
QZAB (Qualified Zone Academy Bonds) bond construction costs for the year had
not been recorded.
• The
annual financial report submitted to the Louisiana Department of Education had
numerous errors. A corrected copy was obtained by auditors during February
2009.
The
corrective action plan in the report goes on to say, “We are working with an
outside Financial Consultant who addressed specific issues referenced in this
report. Most of the findings reported have been corrected as of this date and
those that haven’t will be completed in the near future. Meetings will be held
with all personnel involved in all phases of accounting to impress upon them
the importance of accurate and timely reporting.”
The
independent financial consultant is also expected to return to the school board
in June to assist in preparing accounting records for audit.
“We
have addressed those problems, they are now corrected and we should be
current,” King said. “This staff came together and worked very, very hard,
putting in extra time to be sure that we got things done correctly. They really
worked hard, and I’m very proud of them and pleased with them.”
In
response to a report that the school board was at risk of losing state and
federal funding, School Board Finance Chairman Blake Hemphill adamantly denied
the claim.
“We
were late in filing our audit reports; that was the big thing,” he said. “We
got it filed by the deadline. The deadline was March 31, and we got it in by
March 15. This year was the worst one. The others were a little bit late, but
they were not that bad.”
In
clarification, the March 31 deadline was a requested extension by the school
board central office personnel to the Legislative Auditor to allow extra time
to complete the audit report.
According
to law, a governmental entity’s audit report is to be completed within six
months of the previous fiscal year. The end of the school board’s fiscal year
is June 30 of every year, which means their reports are to be turned in to the
auditor by December 31 of that same year.
The
reason for this year’s report being late, he said, is because the accounts were
not balanced correctly.
As
mentioned earlier, the cost reimbursement funds, which include all governmental
funds and the school lunch fund, should zero out each fiscal year – according
to accounting procedures – and this has not been the case for the school board.
Hemphill said because of untimely requests for cost reimbursements, these
accounts have been shown in deficit because the state and federal dollars have
not been replaced when they should be.
Because
of this cycle, he said, money had to be moved from other accounts to cover the
ones shown in deficit. When the reimbursements came in, that money was supposed
to be replaced. For example, school starts in August, and the school lunch fund
is not reimbursed until October. Therefore, money is “loaned” to the school
lunch fund to cover those expenses until reimbursements are in, he said.
In the
year ending in 2008, the school lunch fund was adopted with a deficit of
$143,000. In the year ending 2007, the deficit was more than $165,000. This is
in violation of the Louisiana Local Government Budget Act. If expenses are
greater than five percent of the adopted budget, then the school board, like
any other governmental entity, is required to formally amend the budget. This
has not been done.
Hemphill
said that everything was under control and that “it’s not that bad.” He did say
there were some problems, but they are not due to someone who is not doing
their job.
“There
were several problems,” Hemphill said. “Each department head is supposed to
balance their own accounts, and we switched over to Capital One bank, because
they could do direct deposit. We had a lot of problems getting that transferred
over.”
The
bank switchover he speaks of is the issue the school board dealt with last year
when they changed banks from First Guaranty to Capital One in order to allow
employees to have their paychecks direct deposited into the bank. They did that
because there was a software incompatibility with First Guaranty, he said.
He also
said the business manager, the one who handles all of the above issues, had
been sick quite a bit, which put the central office behind in its accounting
paperwork.
“Nothing
was bad, and in the end, it all came out relatively good,” Hemphill said. “It
was accounting from one source to another that wasn’t transacted right.
Overall, it was alright.”
Other
findings, according to the report, include bank reconciliations that had not
been done, some fund accounts did not reconcile and there were revenues from
June 2008 that were recorded in July 2008 (after the end of the fiscal year).
In fact, the lack of bank reconciliations went back as far as June 2007, the
report said.
After
the auditors released their findings to the school board, The Guardian-Journal
requested audit reports for the years ending 2006 and 2007. Much of what was
written in the 2007 report was a repeat of the current audit report.
In the
corrective action plan, many of the corrections recommended by the auditors say
that the school board said it will comply with its recommendations. It also
said this in 2007’s report on those same findings.
LPA recognizes The Guardian-Journal
The Guardian-Journal
The
Guardian-Journal has once again brought home numerous prestigious awards from the
Louisiana Press Association (LPA).
The
2008 Best Newspaper Awards were held recently at the 129th annual LPA
Convention in Baton Rouge.
Each
year the best submissions in various categories are awarded first, second and
third honors plus honorable mention in ranges from news story writing to
graphic design while the advertising entries were judged based on design,
creativity and effectiveness.
Seventy-nine
newspapers, publications and college/university student newspapers submitted
3,812 entries.
The Guardian-Journal
garnered nine of these prestigious awards.
Best
News Photo, with a first place award, was presented to Kathryn Hightower for
her photograph of Fontonio Carter in the April 3 issue.
Best
Headline, second place, for the issues of January 10 and June 26 were awarded
to Michelle Bates, who also won Most Effective Use of Graphic Design on a
Single Page for her Hurricane Gustav graphics in the September 4 issue.
Best
Investigative Reporting, first place went to Bates for her story on Fontonio
Carter in the February 7 edition. Second place, was awarded to Jenni Williams
for her reporting on Chris Bowman in the July 24 issue. Third place, was given
to Bates for her story on the Marilyn Bush issue in the January 10 newspaper.
Bates
was also awarded a second place award for Best Continuing Coverage of a
Governmental Issue for HB420 in the May 29, July 17, October 9 and November 13
issues. She also won third place for Best Continuing Coverage of a Single News
Event for her coverage of the Boys and Girls Club of Claiborne Parish in the
July 17, July 24 and October 16 issues.
The
Guardian-Journal also received an award for Best News Coverage for the
September 9 and September 11 issues.
As the
only newspaper in Claiborne Parish to receive recognition is seven categories
of competition, two of those being first places, The Guardian-Journal is
pleased to provide quality news for our readers.
The
Guardian-Journal is published by Kathryn Hightower.
Several arrested on drug charges
The Guardian-Journal
Three
people were arrested after a traffic stop led to the discovery of drugs.
On
Thursday, April 30, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Darren Keel observed a
vehicle traveling northbound on U.S. Hwy. 79. Keel conducted a traffic stop on
this vehicle for an equipment violation regarding required headlinghts.
The
deputy made contact with the driver of the vehicle, Rusty D. Armstrong, 18, of Emerson, Ark., and requested the proper paperwork. While speaking with Armstrong, Keel
observed a strong odor of alcoholic beverages emitting from Armstrong’s breath.
Deputy
Marc Herring arrived on scene to assist and performed a field sobriety test on
Armstrong, who performed poorly.
Passengers
in the vehicle were John W. Curtis, 51, of Emerson, and Veronica Elaine Pierce,
29, of Haynesville. A search of the vehicle revealed a small white rock-like
substance suspected to be crack/cocaine located in the door panel pocket of the
passenger’s side door. No one in the vehicle claimed ownership of the suspected
crack cocaine, but one passenger did acknowledge that all three subjects had
smoked crack prior to the traffic stop. Armstrong, Curtis and Pierce were then
arrested.
Armstrong
was charged with underage driving under the influence, with bond set at $750;
possession of Schedule II CDS crack cocaine, with bond set at $5,000; and
headlamps required on motor vehicle, with bond set at $500.
Curtis
was charged with possession of CDS Schedule II crack/cocaine, with bond set at
$5,000.
Pierce
was charged with possession of CDS Schedule II crack/cocaine, with bond set at
$5,000. It was discovered that Pierce also had an active warrant through the
Minden Police Department for theft of goods.
In
other crime news, two people were arrested on several charges after a traffic
stop for crossing the yellow line.
On
Friday, May 1, Keel was traveling southbound on U.S. Hwy. 79 and observed a
vehicle cross the middle yellow line of the roadway. He made contact with the
driver of the vehicle, later identified as Carlos Shelton, 33, of Haynesville.
Shelton produced to Keel all of the proper paperwork required
except for automobile insurance proof. A search of the vehicle, pursuant to the
stop, was performed.
The
passenger of the vehicle, Jeffery Watts, 33, also of Haynesville, was asked to
exit the vehicle. A search of the passenger compartment of the vehicle revealed
a small cigarette containing suspected marijuana, located in between the
driver’s seat of the vehicle and console. Both Shelton and Watts were arrested.
Shelton was charged with improper lane usage, with bond set at
$500; no motor vehicle insurance, with bond set at $500; simple possession of
marijuana second offense, with bond set at $5,000; and a parole violation with
no bond.
Watts was arrested and charged with simple possession of
marijuana, with bond set at $500.
Louisiana & Northwest Railroad to
sponsor Jubilee Art Prize
When
the Best of Show prize for adult art entries is announced at the Claiborne
Jubilee this Saturday, May 9, Galen White of the Louisiana & North West
Railroad Co. will present a check for $300 given by the company to honor the
artists of the community. This is just one example of the ways the company is
becoming involved in area affairs for the betterment of parish residents.
Other
corporate support for the Jubilee this year is coming in the form of savings
bonds from several banks including First Guaranty, Capital One, and Regions in
Homer and Citizens Bank in Haynesville. Following a tradition of several years,
the banks present these bonds to encourage students in their art and to
encourage them to begin good savings habits at an early age.
Anyone
else interested in underwriting prizes should contact Cynthia Steele at
927-2566. Sponsors have the opportunity to present the award in person at the 2 p.m. awards ceremony if they choose.
Jubilee still needs artists, quilters,
writers
The
Claiborne Jubilee will once again be held on the square in Homer on May 8-9,
and welcomes talented residents to share their work with the public at that
time.
Artists,
quilters and writers are still needed for the event. Please see the contact
information below.
Prizes
will be awarded in various media, and visitors to the festival on May 9 can
enjoy the wares of vendors from Claiborne Parish and beyond.
Quilters
should bring their quilts on Wednesday, May 6, to the LSU AgCenter office in
the Police Jury Complex at 507 West Main Street in Homer. Quilts must be
prepared for display by sewing a four inch wide band across the backing 90
inches from the bottom. Judging will be held on Thursday and the display will
be open to the public on Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Each quilt must have the owner’s name and address on the back of the quilt.
Poetry
must be submitted by email attachment to . The
Claiborne Parish Library has computers for use by those who need access to one.
The deadline for all poetry to be considered is May 3.
Art
should be brought to the square by 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 9 to be displayed
for judging at 10 a.m. Winners will be announced at 2 p.m.
There
is no entry fee for quilts or poetry entries and none for art entries of those
age 18 and under. Adult fees for art are $6 each or 4 for $20 for those paid by
May 6. After that date entries are $10 each or $25 for three. Checks may be made
out to and mailed to Claiborne Jubilee, c/o Town of Homer, 400 East Main Street,
Homer, LA 71040. For more information go to claiborneone.org/jubilee, email
or call 318-927-2566.
SHS to host annual fish fry, auction
Summerfield High School’s Parent
Teacher Organization (PTO) will host its annual fish fry and auction on
Saturday, May 9.
The
doors will open at 5 p.m. with many auction items on display. Items available
range from porch swings, concrete items and bird houses.
There
will be something for everyone of all ages. Activities will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the auction to start soon after.
This is
a family-oriented event that has received wonderful support from businesses and
individuals throughout the area. The event is registered with the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS) as a 501 (c) (3); therefore all contributions are tax
deductible.
Tickets
are available at the school in advance for $8 or at the door for $10. All are
sure to have a great time.
Arson victim gets a little help
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
Ida Calome, center, is pictured with
Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey, left, Deputy Donna McCarty, right, and
Homer Police Chief Russell Mills, far right. She was presented a check from the
Crime Victim’s Assistance Program after her home was burned due to arson.
The Guardian-Journal
An
arson victim is in good spirits after a little help has come her way.
Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken
Bailey presented Ida Calome an emergency award check to assist her with
catastrophic losses due to arson.
“This
represents assistance obtained through the Crime Victim’s Program of the
Sheriff’s Office,” Bailey said. “Chief Russell Mills, of the Homer Police
Department, is heading this investigation and pending further information, we
may be able to provide additional funds to Ms. Calome in the future.”
This
type of award is funded through the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement,
and the money is used to aid victims of violent crimes.
Calome
lost everything she owned in April after someone set fire to it to cover any
evidence at the scene. According to Homer Police, Jarvis Willis, 24, was
arrested within hours of the fire. Reports say he confessed to setting the fire
to cover up any evidence he may have left at the scene after stealing a flat
screen television set.
Willis
was charged with simple arson, with a bond of $50,000; and simple burglary of
an inhabited dwelling, with a bond of $25,000. He is currently incarcerated in
Lincoln Parish.
If you
or someone you know has been the victim of a violent crime, please contact
Deputy Donna McCarty, claims investigator, at the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s
Office at 318-927-9800.
NAACP files recall on tax assessor
The Guardian-Journal
The
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) held a press
conference Monday evening to say that a recall petition has been filed to
recall Claiborne Parish Tax Assessor Bob Robinson.
The
petition was electronically filed Monday afternoon by attorneys for the NAACP
with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office.
The
reason for the petition, said Claiborne Chapter NAACP President Willie Young,
is the termination of the only black woman working at the tax assessor’s
office, saying that Robinson was insensitive to cultural diversity.
“Unless
he had a reason to fire her, he should have never let her go,” Young said. “We
just want people to know that we want to be treated fairly. This is a serious
issue.”
According
to Johnny Meadors, chairman for the petition, the employee in question received
a phone call on New Year’s Eve 2008, saying that her services were no longer
needed.
“She
was directed to come to the office and clear out her desk that day,” Meadors
said.
A
letter given to the employee stated “per our conversation on 12/31/08 concerning office changes, this letter is to inform you that I will not need your
help in the upcoming year.”
When
The Guardian-Journal contacted Robinson for comment, he said, “No comment.” He
said until he had more information, he refused further comment on the issue.
Robinson
was sworn in as the tax assessor on January 5.
According
to the secretary of state’s website, 180 days are given to complete the recall
petition, and the number of signatures should “equal not less than thirty-three
(33) and one-third percent of the number of the total electors of the voting
area wherein and for which a recall election is petitioned…” (Revised Statute
18:1300.2).
If the
petition fails, another one cannot be issued for at least 18 months.
