Dealership burglaries connected?
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
burglary of Synco Motors in Homer on Friday, November 20, could be connected
with two other dealerships in Minden burglarized the same night.
According
to a published article from the Minden Press-Herald, Harper Motors and Brown
Chrysler, both in Minden, were burglarized the same night.
Minden
Detective Heath Balkom said the person or persons responsible for the
burglaries in Minden wore gloves and took a small amount of cash from both
locations.
For the
two burglaries in Minden, a $2,000 reward is being offered for information
leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible.
The
burglary at Synco was discovered the next morning by employees, a press release
stated. Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Detective Ben Booth is working with Minden detectives on the case, said Sheriff Ken Bailey.
“They
have a person of interest, and Detective Booth is working with Minden authorities on the case,” Bailey said, adding that because of the similarities of
the burglaries, the three may be related.
As the
incident is still under investigation, Bailey did not release any further
information.
DA holds conference on Monroe shooting
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
District
Attorney Jonathan Stewart was expected to hold a press conference Wednesday, at
noon regarding the shooting death of Bernard Monroe Sr.
The
press conference was to be held on the courthouse lawn in Homer, where he
announced his decision as to which direction the case will take.
Because
the press conference took place about the time The Guardian-Journal hit the
streets, details will be published in next week’s edition.
Stewart,
in earlier interviews regarding the case, said it could take one of several
courses.
The
report could go to a grand jury to review the evidence and decide if the
shooting was justified. Or, he could turn it over to the Louisiana Attorney
General’s office to handle the case. The third option would be for Stewart to
actually make a decision on whether it was justified or not.
Bernard
Monroe Sr., 73, was shot and killed on Friday, February 20, at his home after
allegedly engaging two Homer police officers with a loaded handgun. It was
reported the officers were pursuing Monroe’s son, Sean Monroe, on foot. The
chase ended in Monroe Sr.’s yard, ultimately leading to the elderly man’s
death.
Some
differ on what exactly happened that day. While the initial reports say Monroe
Sr. allegedly pointed a loaded handgun at one of the two officers, neighbors,
family and friends say he did not have a gun – instead, he was holding a sports
drink bottle.
On the
day of the shooting, former officers Tim Cox and Joseph Henry were placed on
paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. They have
since resigned.
The
Louisiana State Police were brought in to investigate the incident as well as
the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and the
ACLU.
Members
of the community initially expressed outrage over the incident, which spurred
several community town hall meetings where the U.S. Justice Department came in
to help the community pull together in this time of tragedy as well as provide
some answers. The Claiborne Chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People) launched its own investigation into the matter,
calling on the agencies listed above to investigate every aspect of the case,
including the Homer Police Department.
Sheriff: ‘Safety first for online
shopping’
As the
countdown to Christmas rapidly approaches, more consumers are turning to the
internet to complete their holiday shopping lists. Last year, $24 billion was
spent through electronic shopping during the month of December alone. This
trend will continue to increase according to the National Retail Federation as
nearly half of all consumers plan to use the internet to complete their holiday
shopping this year.
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey cautions residents that “while the internet has made
shopping more convenient than ever, along with that convenience comes a greater
need for consumers to become more aware of how to protect themselves while
shopping online.”
“With
the ‘hustle and bustle’ of the holidays, it’s easy to become complacent and
rush through online shopping transactions. The convenience of online shopping
could quickly become an inconvenience should your personal information fall
into the wrong hands,” Bailey said.
The
sheriff offers the following tips for shopping securely online:
• Choose
Credit Over Debit: This may seem like unconventional advice, but credit
cards offer protection from identity theft that debit cards don’t. There is
greater risk in using a debit card because should someone gain access to your
banking account, they could clean it out before you even learn there’s a
problem. So, whenever possible, use a credit card instead of paying the bill
off monthly.
• Disposable
is Better: Even better than using a credit card is to use a disposable
credit card. Disposable credit cards work just like most gift cards. You add a
specified dollar amount to the card, and it’s good until that is gone. Once
it’s gone, you can add more, or purchase a new one. And both Visa and American
Express offer these cards in varying amounts so they are easy to get a hold of.
The bonus is that if the number from a disposable credit card is stolen, it’s
anonymous, and criminals can’t gain access to anything more than the dollar
amount that’s still available on the card.
• Verify
Website Security: Be sure you are shopping on a secure website. If the site
you are shopping from is not secure, criminals can capture everything that you
enter onto a form from those sites, including your personal and credit
information. Secure sites begin with HTTPS:// instead of HTTP://. Secure sites
will also have a small lock icon in the lower right corner of the screen.
• Don’t
Shop Publicly: If you plan to do any shopping online, do it at home. If
you’re using a public computer – at a library, at a coffee shop, or at work –
to do your shopping, you have no control over who else might be using that
computer. Shop at home, it’s much safer.
• Don’t
Store Information Elsewhere: Many major shopping sites offer you the
ability to save your credit card information on their servers to speed the
shopping process. Although this might make online shopping more convenient in
the future, it is risky to maintain your personal information elsewhere. If the
company you are shopping with has a data breach, your personal information
could be compromised.
• Be
Wary of Unusually Low Prices: When searching for the best price online,
similar items typically fall into a general price range. If one falls way below
that range, be suspicious. Scammers use ridiculously low prices to lure
consumers to their ads. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• Shop
From Trusted Websites: It’s safest to shop from vendors you are familiar
with, but should you find yourself on an unfamiliar site, look for signs of
legitimacy. Look for a site’s privacy policy and look for logos from
organizations that feature credential websites such as TRUSTe, VeriSign, or
BBBOnline from the Better Business Bureau. Confirm that the seals from trusted
organizations are legitimate by clicking on them. If legitimate, it will link
to a confirmation page. It’s also a good idea to look for the company’s phone
number and street address to make sure there is a way to get hold of them
offline.
• Read
the Fine Print: Always look for a merchant’s return policy and study the
fine print. Keep in mind that most likely you will have to pay the return
shipping although some merchants will pay return shipping costs if the item is
defective. Also, be sure to look for purchase and delivery deadlines which most
merchants publish from a link on their home page.
• Use
Common Sense: If a shopping experience does not feel right, pay attention
to the warning signs and verify that the site and seller are safe before
proceeding with the transaction.
Sheriff
Bailey concluded, “If consumers take the time to follow these few simple
precautions, they can enjoy the conveniences of shopping online, and feel
confident they are doing so while upholding the integrity of their personal
information.”
Food drive still accepting donations
Brookshire’s
Grocery Company and the Homer Lions Club are partnering once again to collect
and distribute food to needing families in the Claiborne Parish.
Local
residents have been impacted due to the downturn in the local and national
economy over the past year. This year, we expect a large number of families in
need of help during the upcoming holiday season. We encourage everyone to help
by contributing donations of food items or by purchasing a coupon at
Brookshire’s in Homer.
Area
residents can make donations by placing non-perishable food items in the
designated bins at Brookshire’s in Homer. Food items are also being collected
through the Claiborne Parish 4-H Club and participating schools. Items can also
be dropped off at First Presbyterian Church in Homer—if they first call in
advance to Pastor John McClelland at 927-3887 or 927-4804.
Families
with the most need and those who have no transportation will be given first
consideration. Applications forms are available at Homer City Hall, Haynesville City Hall, and the Claiborne Parish Office of Family Services at 622 East 2nd Street in Homer. The deadline to submit forms is Wednesday, December 9, 2009.
Applications
must include a printout from the Food Stamp office. The deadline to submit
forms will be Friday, December 11 (or Wednesday, December 9 at the Food Stamp
Office.)
The
number of food boxes to be distributed will depend on the local contributions
by the public. Families with the greatest need will be given first priority.
The
Spirit of Christmas Food Drive began in 1982, when 92 families in Tyler, Texas, received assistance. All food collected in the the local area will be
distributed in Claiborne Parish. Last year, approximately 200 boxes were
delivered to families in Claiborne Parish.
People
are asked to please “not” 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 coupon for
one roasting hen from Brookshire’s Grocery Co. As in the past, 4-H Junior
Leaders will sort and package the food boxes for shipping prior to delivery on
Friday, December 18.
Homer
Lions Club members will deliver boxes between noon and 5 p.m. on Friday, December 18 with assistance from local law enforcement agencies and the
Haynesville Lions Club. The Haynesville Club will distribute food boxes in the
Town of Haynesville.
It is
very important, persons who will be receiving boxes must be at home between noon and 5 p.m to receive their food box.
For
more information, please call Rev. John McClelland at 927-3887 or 927-4804, or
call Susan Herring at 927-4352 or 318-548-9146.
Mark calendars for December 10
Music jamboree Toys for Tots
Homer City Hall will be
hosting the Music Jamboree Toys for Tots program Thursday, December 10, at 7 p.m.
There
will be traditional Christmas music, along with bluegrass, country and gospel
music by local and surrounding area performers.
There
is no charge for admission. The only admission (per person) will be a wrapped
toy for a child, ages 0-10 years old, and we ask that it be labeled by gender
(boy or girl) and age. There is no limit on how many toys you want to bring.
Requirements
to be eligible for the toys: they must have a letter from the elementary
schools in Claiborne Parish on their letterhead and signed by the principal,
and they must bring the letter to City Hall to be able to get the toy.
We
invite everyone to come out to help make some children’s dreams come true!
Refreshments
will be served. For more information, please call Edna Wyant at 927-0092 or
B.J. Lowe at 927-3555 (city hall).
Homer Masons honor law enforcement,
firefighters
Submitted photo
Pictured above are, from left, L.D.
Grisgby, LSP Ret., Kenneth Decambre, LSP Ret., Roy Odom, Brand Commission
Inv., Ret., Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey, J.R. “Snap” Oakes, U.S.
Marshal/Claiborne Sheriff, Ret., Homer Fire Chief Dennis Butcher, Rusty Taylor,
LSP. Pictured in the front row, from left are: Sheriff Bob Buckley, Don “Chic”
Ceccarelli, Chief Deputy, Ret., and LSP Detective Michael Allen.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Homer Masonic Lodge #152 honored local law enforcement and firefighters Monday
evening before the Thanksgiving holidays.
With a
full meal of gumbo and all the fixins’, law enforcement and firefighters
enjoyed a very special guest speaker, who is also a Mason.
Union
Parish Sheriff Bob Buckley was the featured speaker for the event, telling a story
that shaped the life he lives today.
In the
1920s, there was a couple with five children, Buckley began. Unfortunately, the
husband died, leaving the wife with five young children to raise and a farm to
run. The man who passed away was a Mason, he said, and because of that
affiliation, his family did not do without. Every year, the man’s lodge
brothers came and helped the family with the fields – getting them ready,
planting, cultivating and harvesting. The lodge also helped the five children
go to college if that’s what they chose to do. All five children graduated from
college and obtained degrees.
As this
story was relayed to him, Buckley said, one of the daughters in the clan of
five said, “Whatever you do, you need to find an organization that can help
people.”
That
daughter was Buckley’s mother.
“I
think it (the story) has a lot to do with the profession I got into,” Buckley
said. “I don’t tell that story much, but I thought with us honoring young
firemen and policemen, they needed to know what the Masonic Lodge is really
about and that’s helping people.”
Buckley,
62, has been the sheriff of Union Parish for 19 years, after retiring from the
Louisiana State Police as a detective. He began his law enforcement career with
the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office as a weekend dispatcher at the young age of
16, “and I’ve been in law enforcement ever since.”
Buckley
has also been a Mason for many years, belonging to Masonic Lodge #53 in
Farmerville. He is also a Scottish Rite, 32nd Degree.
For
him, being a Mason is about doing God’s work, and it’s the same with law
enforcement, he said.
“It
makes me proud to be a part of an organization that the goal is to help those
less fortunate than I am, and doing it in an anonymous way,” he said. “We’re
doing what God wants us to do, and that’s help other people.
“It’s
the same in law enforcement – to me – because you treat everybody fairly,
impartially, with dignity and respect if they allow you to,” he continued. “I
know that I can go back to that Lodge meeting and they are going to discuss
someone that needs help and they’ll get it without everybody knowing about it.
I get a little something back every time I leave a meeting.”
Approximately
65 people attended, according to Michael Allen, a Mason with the Homer Lodge,
including people from the Homer Police Department, the Homer Fire Department
and the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office. Welcome remarks were given by Allen,
and opening prayer was conducted by former Claiborne Parish Sheriff J.R. “Snap”
Oakes, also a 50 plus Mason. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Oakes, with
recognition of guests by Allen. Closing remarks were given by Allen with benediction
led by Bob Robinson.
“On
behalf of Homer Masonic Lodge #152 it is a pleasure to recognize and honor
those who unselfishly put their lives on the line daily to protect and serve
our community,” Allen said.
“Our
Law Enforcement/Firefighter Appreciation Program is also a great opportunity to
allow those who are unfamiliar with masonry to visit a Masonic lodge for the
first time and learn more about who we are and what we do,” he continued.
“There are many false myths and misconceptions about masonry. Masonry is
not a religion, but a fraternity that focuses on making good men better through
morality, ethics and spiritualism. Every ritual has a meaning, and at the
forefront of each is that God must come first.”
Buckley
said he was honored by the invitation and the opportunity to share what’s close
to his heart – helping others.
“I was
very honored to be asked, and I saw some old friends of mine that I haven’t
seen in years,” he said. “I saw some young men and women that were giving of
their time, and it made me proud to be a cop.”
Shongaloo man arrested for theft
The Guardian-Journal
A
Shongaloo man was arrested for identity theft and another charge after
allegedly cashing a $25 check that didn’t belong to him.
Brian
Sims, 40, was charged with simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, with bond
set at $12,000, and identity theft, with bond set at $1,000.
According
to police, Sims was arrested by Homer Police Officer John Bailey on warrants
from the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office. Reports say Sims was identified in
a vehicle Homer Police Officer Scott Glenn stopped on a traffic violation on
Sunday, November 29. Upon his arrest, he was transported to the Homer Police
Station for booking, then taken to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center.
According
to reports, Sims allegedly cashed a check at Piggly Wiggly in Homer without
permission on September 13. On that same day, Sims reportedly entered a home
without authorization, committing a theft, in the 100 block of Wingert Lane in Homer.
Reports
do not say what he allegedly took from the home.
In an
unrelated incident, John Myles Jr., 58, of Homer, was arrested on November 27,
in connection with a shoplifting incident. Bond was set at $500.
According
to reports, Homer Police Officer Darren Norton was dispatched to Piggly Wiggly
in Homer in reference to a shoplifter. Norton made contact with the store
manager, who gave a description of the suspect, later identified as Myles.
Myles was located and taken back to the store, where the manager made a
positive identification.
He was
placed under arrest and transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center for booking.
BESE axes high school exit exam
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
good news is the Louisiana Board of Education and Secondary Education (BESE) is
doing away with the high school exit exam. The bad news is that end of course
(EOC) tests will take its place.
For a
while now, BESE has been phasing out the Graduate Exit Exam (GEE), or the high
school exit exam, and phasing in the EOC testing. According to a press release
from the Louisiana Department of Education, the EOC tests are “designed to
measure whether students have mastered the knowledge, skills and abilities at
the end of courses. The content of the assessments is based on Grade Level
Expectations (GLEs) and Comprehensive Curriculum.”
In
other words, students are tested on what they learned in school and not whether
they pass an exit exam. With the exit exam, students who passed it, graduated
from high school. Those who did not, didn’t graduate – even if they had passing
grades in their classes.
To be
clear, students taking the EOC test must pass three course tests to graduate.
“The
implementation of the EOC test schedule is vital in determining whether
students have mastered the appropriate content knowledge they need in order to
be successful in subsequent classes,” said Keith Guice, president of the state
BESE. “This is an additional step in strengthening our current accountability
system, and it also may alert students, parents and educators earlier if
students are struggling academically.”
Claiborne
Parish Schools Superintendent Dr. Janice Williams said there are some pros to
the end of course testing.
“I have
seen some results (of the EOC), and there was an increase in some of the scores
at the fair level as opposed to the needs improvement level,” she said. “And
there is still a lot of concern for the End of Course testing.”
Testing
is based on four levels, Excellent, Good, Fair or Needs Improvement.
In the
last few years, the EOC testing has been used in schools all over the state,
but because they are not mandatory yet, the scores didn’t count in regards to
graduation. Currently, the GEE testing is still in place and will count until
the 2010-11 school year. In the 2010-11 school year, the GEE will be phased out
and the EOC test scores will count towards graduation.
“The
End of Course testing will start with the freshman of the 2009-10 school year,”
she said. “And to that end, the students must pass either English II or English
III, Algebra I or Geometry, and Biology or American History. They must pass
three of those tests.”
The EOC
is currently a computer-based test, and students are rotating into a computer
lab by classes. The students are given an access code, and they take the test
online.
“I have
received emails from different superintendents within the state that visited a
neighboring state, and their End of Course testing was offered on paper and
pencil,” Williams said. “That proposition has been placed into the ear of the
state superintendent to see whether or not the state would be interested in
purchasing a paper pencil version of this test.”
Until
now, all these tests have been given on paper instead of on a computer.
Throughout
the pilot of this program, several problems have occurred, one of which was the
amount of bandwidth (internet). According to Williams, BESE purchased more
bandwidth space, but other problems are still occurring. In Claiborne Parish,
the main issue boils down to adequate computer space and scheduling conflicts.
Last year wasn’t so bad, she said – there was a lot of improvement on that end.
For the
2009-10 school year, testing dates for phase 1 for GEE will include writing
math, SC (Science), SS (Social Studies) and CR (Constructed response – writing)
items. Phase 1 testing begins March 23, 2010. Phase 2 on the remaining test
items will be April 12-16, 2010. Make up dates for phase 1 is March 24-25, 2010, and for phase 2, April 19-21, 2010.
For
more information, go to the school board’s website at www.claibornepsb.org, the
Louisiana Department of Education website at www.louisianaschools.net, or call
the school board office at 318-927-3502.
Bell Choir to Perform Christmas Program Sunday Afternoon
The
public is invited to the December meeting of the Mildred Bevill Music Club to
be held Sunday, December 6 at 2 pm in the Susannah Wesley Room of the First United Methodist Church in Homer. The Bell Choir under the direction of Dorothy
Rickman will perform a program of Christmas carols. Refreshments will be served
in the church parlor following the music program.
Santa train almost here
JENNI WILLIAMS, The Guardian-Journal
The
L&NW Santa Train, will be making a scheduled stop in the area on December 12, 2009, to deliver Santa and Mrs. Claus to the area to visit with local
children.
Santa
and Mrs. Claus will be making an early Christmas arrival this year along the
L&NW rail route between Gibsland, Louisiana and McNeil, Arkansas.
Their
arrival will give children one last opportunity before Christmas to get their
wish lists given to Santa, and it will give parents the opportunity to take
some great holiday photographs and have one made with Santa, with the proceeds
being donated to DART. The cost of the DART photograph will be $10.
The
train will be making stops in Gibsland, Athens, Homer and Haynesville.
The
Santa train is expected to arrive in Athens at 10:45. It will then travel on to Homer and make its stop at Delta Interiors at approximately 11:30.
Santa
and Mrs. Claus will be escorted to the front of the Delta Interiors building,
where a special place will be set up for them. The Homer Fire Department will
escort the festive couple to their place of honor.
All
attending children will have a chance to win a Lionel electric train donated by
the L&NW Railroad. Santa will be bringing gifts from his workshop for each
good little boy and girl.
Children
must be accompanied by an adult.
“We are
so thrilled to have such an excellent event for the Town and are enthused about
the L&NW and their involvement in the commmunity,” Homer Mayor David Newell
said about the event. “I am in 100 percent support of the event.”
The
Claiborne Parish DART (Domestic Abuse Resistance Team) will also have a booth
in the parking lot to sell lollipops for $1.
After
leaving Homer, the train will make its next stop in Haynesville around 12:40. Santa will greet his Haynesville visitors at the Claiborne Parish Fair Barn.
Refreshments and surprises will be available for all who wish to meet Santa
Claus.
B&N
Contractors will sponsor Santa in Haynesville.
For
more information on the Haynesville activities, please contact Dump Hatter.
Area
businesses that are helping to sponsor this exciting event are L&NW
Railroad, the Town of Homer, Insurance Consultants, Claiborne Electric,
Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Minden, Homer Lions Club, Frito Lay, Claiborne
Parish Sheriff’s Office, DART and Delta Interiors.
Please
come out and enjoy the day as many more exciting things will be happening, too.
