Alecia Smith tapped as interim mayor
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Homer Town Council selected its interim mayor Monday night with a vote of 3-2.
Alecia Smith will take the helm and fill in former Mayor David Newell’s
unexpired term.
District
1 Councilman Scott “Doc” Roberson, District 2 Councilman Michael Wade (who
nominated Smith), and District 5 Councilwoman Patricia Jenkins voted in favor
of Smith, while District 3 Councilman Toney Johnson and District 4 Councilwoman
Carlette Sanford voted against.
In a
letter Smith submitted for nomination, she said she felt she could “be very
effective at this post.”
“I will
uphold the laws and standards expected of one who serves in this capacity,” she
stated in her letter.
After
the meeting, she told The Guardian-Journal that she’s ready to work with the
council.
“I’m
glad the council nominated me,” she said. “My utmost concern is the citizens of
Homer. I look forward to working with the council to better Homer.”
And
although she is ready to take the bull by the horns during the six-month
unexpired term of Newell’s term, she has not decided whether she will run for a
full four year term yet.
She was
sworn in Tuesday morning by Claiborne Parish Clerk of Court Patrick Gladney.
Her
appointment comes in the wake of former Mayor David Newell’s resignation after
his seat was declared vacant by District Attorney Jonathan Stewart in early
May. According to Stewart, Newell did not meet the residency requirements to
continue in his seat as mayor. Newell defended himself in an earlier edition of
The Guardian-Journal, saying he was being attacked after decisions he made in
regards to Homer Memorial Hospital, which is owned by the town.
Much of
the upheaval over the last couple of months stems from the resignation or
removal of former Homer Memorial Hospital Board Chairman Buddy Pixley. Within a
week or so after that, the administrator, Doug Efferson, resigned.
Shortly
after, Claiborne Healthcare Foundation Coordinator Alice Gandy resigned.
He has
also come under fire from the Louisiana Bar Association, where a committee is
recommending he be suspended for one year and one day from his law practice on
charges against him.
In his
letter of resignation, he said he was “saddened” and it was “with a heavy
heart” that he tendered his resignation.
“It has
been a great honor for me to have been a leader of this town and providing the
community with all my time, effort and knowledge,” he stated in the letter. “I
am greatly saddened by the events that have taken place in the latter years of
my service, beginning with the tragedy of Bernard Monroe Sr. and the most
recent event of the resignation of our hospital administrator.”
He went
on to express his anger and disappointment in the fact that solutions could not
be reached on certain issues, including the hospital. However, he thanked his
supporters and those who were not.
“I pray
that our town will flourish in spite of everything that has taken place,” he
concluded. “On behalf of me and my family, I thank you all for the opportunity
to serve a town I have loved my entire life.”
According
to his letter, his resignation became effective June 1.
In
other council news, some exciting news is just around the corner. According to
James Colvin Sr., the town has been pre-qualified for a $1.6 million grant to
revamp the town’s sewer system and make repairs. According to a memo he
attached to his regular monthly financial report, the only step left is to
submit the paperwork.
This proposed
project will address sanitary overflows that now pose a health and safety
hazard to the community. The issue is that during exceptionally excessive rainy
periods, the current system cannot handle the overflow.
According
to the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) grant request, wastewater flows at the
existing treatment plant are more than 400 percent higher than normal flows,
allowing overflow. It then discharges this raw, untreated wastewater onto the
plant site in addition to flowing through adjacent water courses leading to Lake Claiborne.
“These
discharges pose a serious threat to the underground electrical and control
systems at the plant site and are a health and safety hazard to employees at
the plant as well as residents in the municipality,” the project description
stated.
According
to Colvin Sr., this grant request has been selected by the federal co-chairman
for submission to Gov. Bobby Jindal for an “invitation to apply.” Jindal is
expected to make a choice by Monday, June 14 with verification by October.
“The
proposed work will greatly reduce the Town’s infiltration and inflow problem
and minimize the likelihood of future overflows,” the project description
stated.
According
to Shelly King, the town’s grant writer, grants like these are difficult to get
awarded, “however to get to this level usually is as well.”
In
other grant news, a $10,000 grant has been approved and ready for funding for
street maintenance. Another $10,000 grant has also been requested for airport
maintenance and upkeep. The final paperwork is being submitted and the grant
should be received within the next 90 days, Colvin said.
The
airport grants passed on to other municipalities from 2006 to 2008 can now be
collected. The grants were loaned to other municipalities during those years
because the Homer Municipal Airport was not up to regulations required by the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Now that the repairs have been made and
the airport is in compliance, those grants can now be collected. Colvin said
that at least $30,000 of this repayment could be made available in the near
future.
The
purpose of these airport grants is to install runway lighting to allow
nighttime operations and airport repairs, which totals $750,000.
The
town council tabled a motion on Monday’s agenda to approve a standard rental
contract for those who rent space at the airport. Officials are expected to
meet with FAA officials on Wednesday June 9, to view the airport. The item was
tabled until the July meeting.
In
other grant news, Colvin Sr. was appointed the “point man” to handle all
dealings with the grants. He said the purpose of this appointment is give the
town’s grant writer a contact person who can help gather information as needed.
Shelly King was hired recently to help the town obtain grants to improve its
infrastructure and other needs.
The
council also approved:
• The
lowest bid to repair an electrical breaker at the sewer plant. That bid went to
Stewart Electric Company who turned in a bid for $3,280.
• A
more detailed job application form, adding that a resume must be attached to
the form.
• A
motion to take action on blighted property in Homer.
• A
motion to approve a $500 contribution to the Claiborne Fireworks Inc., which is
budgeted in this fiscal year’s budget.
• A
motion to make The Guardian-Journal the town’s official journal.
The
next town council meeting will be held on Monday, July 5, at 6 p.m. in council chambers located at the Homer Police Station. For more information or for
questions, call Homer Town Hall at 927-3555.
Fleming: ‘Washington out of control’
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
District
4 Congressman John Fleming painted a bleak picture of the direction the United States is going during a meet and greet held in Homer last Thursday.
Speaking
to constituents at the Claiborne Parish Police Jury Complex, he told the
audience that Washington was out of control in its spending, saying the debt
incurred will be paid for generations to come – meaning today’s children and
grandchildren.
He gave
the example of Greece, who has seen rioting in the streets because their
economy is collapsing and their government can’t do anything about it. Forty
percent of the money given to the country has come from the United States, he said, but it’s only a temporary fix.
“Now
the citizens are mad at the government because they have a permanent welfare
system over there, and now the government can’t produce anymore,” Fleming said.
“Portugal and Spain are not far behind. Cap and trade and a permanent welfare
system is not working, but for some reason this is what your government wants
you to have. I’m here to tell you that what I’ve witnessed in Washington the
last year and a half is really scary.”
Currently,
spending program after spending program is being passed in our nation’s capital
without any regard to the consequences those votes have and will cost the United States.
“Right
now, for the first time ever, we haven’t passed a budget – and we won’t pass a
budget,” he said. “The Democrats have refused to even present a budget, because
it’s so ugly they don’t want voters to see it before November. We’re going to
double our debt in five years and triple our debt in 10 years.”
The
globe will experience a depression such as the United States suffered in the
20s and 30s if something doesn’t change.
“We can’t
keep bailing each other out and we can’t keep spending without regard to the
ramifications and results of those things,” he said. “I think the American
people get that and I think that’s what the TEA Party is all about. We’re
already seeing the effects of the TEA Party, both against Republicans and
Democrats who voted in support of these bailout programs.”
He said
he expects to see a different Congress come November, “as well we should –
because we have got to stop the irresponsibility that’s going on in Washington today.”
The
irresponsibility he speaks of includes the stimulus bill passed just more than
one year ago as well as the massive healthcare bill.
“The
stimulus bill is a big waste of money,” he said. “We’ve got to get back to the
ideals that make this country great. Government programs really have very
little – if any – effect on the economy. The economy is really driven by small
businesses.”
He
talked about the cycle of an economy. At the beginning, people see
opportunities and take risks. As it matures, there’s more and more competition
and as it cools, the weaker businesses begin to falter and eventually begin to
fail.
Right
now, more than 350,000 government jobs have been created while shrinking the
private sector. According to statistics he gave, approximately 5 million
private sector jobs have been lost, not to mention unemployment is up by 9.9
percent.
What
the country ends up with is a “risk-less” economy, he said.
“In a
risk-less economy, mediocre management is guaranteed,” Fleming told Claiborne
Parish constituents. “What’s even worse, when they make mistakes, there’s no
repercussions or accountability. They are being bailed out.”
In many
cases, he continued, it’s wasteful spending – which leads to healthcare reform.
Fleming believes that healthcare should be reformed, just not the way the
healthcare bill has done it.
“It was
a massive government takeover of the healthcare system,” he said. “I’m most
concerned about those on Medicare, because one of the fundamental ways of
financing this is to take out half a billion dollars from Medicare – which is
already going to go broke in seven years.”
According
to Fleming, the federal government will take a half trillion dollars and put it
into healthcare to extend the life of it. The government is also taking that
same amount and putting it towards the lower and lower middle class healthcare
coverage – which means small businesses won’t be able to afford to keep private
coverage on its employees.
“That
same money is being counted three times,” he said. “There’s six years of
expenses and 10 years of revenue. It’s got going to happen. Only the federal
government – in its infinite wisdom – can have such a fantasy to believe that
you can pay for something with six years of expenses and 10 years of revenue.”
But,
pretty soon, the truth began to surface, he said. There are billions of dollars
that were never mentioned in the pushing of this bill, which equals about $300
billion in costs that were never brought up. Others within the federal
government also are coming out saying the bill has billions in shortfall.
And the
rumors about the so-called “death panel?” Those are true too, he said. These
boards are called “comparative effectiveness” boards, which will actually
decide what kind of treatment a patient will get. The board, made up of
unelected officials appointed by President Barack Obama, was given a $2 million
budget to look at all the procedures and tests run to see which ones are worth
the money and which ones are not. The second part of that, he said, is the
board gets to decide who that money should be spent on.
Fleming
opened the floor for questions and comments. He said the most important part of
his job is keeping the lines of communication open.
“It’s
really very important to have an open line of communication,” Fleming said. “We
believe in the true form of representative democracy, and that is to remain as
close to the people as possible and try to reflect the values of this district
in Washington.”
Several
questions ranged from Medicare inquiries to what’s being done in the Gulf to
stop the oil spill.
Fireworks show to be dedicated to
Dorrell
The
Fireworks for Lake Claiborne Committee has announced that this year’s fireworks
show and boat parade will be dedicated to the memory of R.L. “Dick” Dorrell,
who passed away last month.
The
annual Lake Claiborne Fireworks Show and Boat Parade will be on Saturday, July
3.
“Dick
Dorrell was an integral part of the effort to hold the annual Fourth of July
celebration,” said Committee Chairman Fred Lewis. “His work with this event
went all the way back to when the Homer Lions Club coordinated the fireworks
show in the 1990s. Dick served on the Lions Club committee which raised money
for the event and coordinated the fireworks show.
“When
the Lions Club decided to discontinue its coordination of the event,” he
continued, “a few of us Lions Club members began to form a new committee,
independent of any other organization, whose sole mission would be to see that
the fireworks show would continue. Dick immediately joined our effort, sharing
the belief of the organizing committee that the fireworks celebration was a
very important event in the life of our community each year. Dick always took a
special interest in the boat parade, and it was his hard work on that event
that has made it a successful happening which is highly anticipated each year.”
Lewis
added that the Fireworks for Lake Claiborne Committee wants to pay tribute to
the life of Dorrell and all the ways he volunteered his time to better the
community.
“Dick
was involved in so many aspects of our community,” he said. “He was a wonderful
example of a community volunteer, always willing to give his time and effort.
We will miss him tremendously. Our committee – consisting of myself, Joey
White, Jerry Atkins, Sheriff Ken Bailey, Dwayne Woodard, Patricia Jenkins,
Kelly Waller and Monte Banks – wants to honor the memory of Dick as we hold
this year’s event.”
As
usual, the boat parade will leave Pleasure Point on Lake Claiborne at about 7 p.m. on Saturday, and the fireworks will follow from atop the Lake Claiborne Dam at
about 9 p.m.
A new
company has been contracted to do the fireworks. A spectacular show is
anticipated. Citizens are reminded there will be no charge for the boat parade,
fireworks or parking.
The
entire patriotic event is financed by generous public donations. All such
donations are very much appreciated, are tax deductible and will be applied to
the costs of presenting the shows.
Please
mail donations to Claiborne Fireworks, P.O. Box 181, Homer, LA 71040.
For
more information on the Fireworks Show and Boat Parade, contact Fred Lewis at
318-927-9180.
Haynesville man busted for drugs
The Guardian-Journal
A
traffic stop didn’t end so well for a Haynesville man last week.
Joshia
De Ron George, 26, of Haynesville, was arrested and charged with possession
with intent to distribute Schedule II CDS (cocaine), obstruction of justice by
destroying evidence, resisting an officer and driving left of center. Bond on
each charge is to be set.
According
to a news release, on Wednesday, June 2, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Harbour observed a vehicle on Hwy. 9 North traveling on the left hand side of
the roadway. Harbour made contact with the driver, identified as George.
Upon
making the stop, Harbour noted there was alcohol in the front seat of the
vehicle. When the deputy questioned George regarding illegal substances or
weapons in his possession, George admitted to Harbour that he had a bag of
marijuana under the passenger front seat.
As
Harbour was trying to arrest George, he began to run in an attempt to escape.
Upon apprehending the suspect, Harbour discovered a white pill bottle which
fell from George’s hand.
Deputies
Roger Ellerbe, Aaron Christian and J.T. Williams arrived on scene to assist and
a subsequent search of George’s person revealed a pill bottle in his pants,
which contained rock cocaine. A search of the surrounding area revealed an
additional cocaine rock which had fallen out of George’s pants as he was trying
to escape.
George
was transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center and charged with the
above charges.
In an
unrelated incident, on Thursday, June 3, a Haynesville woman got more than she
bargained for as the driver of the vehicle she was in was pulled over.
The
passenger in the vehicle, Terrin Lynnea Gilmore, 19, of Haynesville, was
charged with possession of marijuana and given a bond of $500.
A news
release stated Harbour observed the vehicle fail to stop at an intersection and
fail to use a turn signal. The driver of the vehicle was able to provide the
necessary paperwork, and a subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a black
bag which contained two plastic bags in the center console.
One of
the two plastic bags contained small screens and the other contained marijuana
seeds.
Gilmore
claimed ownership of the items and was placed under arrest. She was booked into
the Claiborne Parish Women’s Facility.
The
driver of the vehicle was cited for failure to stop and no driver’s license on
person.
In a
separate incident, Jessica M. Sampson, 24, of Homer, was arrested and charged
with tail lamps required with bond set at $500, driving under suspension with
bond set at $500, possession of drug paraphernalia with bond set at $500, and
simple possession of marijuana with bond set at $500.
According
to a news release, on June 5, Ellerbe made contact with the driver of the
vehicle that had no license plate. That driver was identified as Sampson, who
was not able to provide a driver’s license.
A
records check revealed that the license was suspended.
Harbour
and K-9 Deputy Aaron Christian were on scene to assist and K-9 Officer Rico
showed a positive alert on the vehicle. A search resulted in the discovery of a
small clear plastic bag of marijuana along with a Swisher sweet cigar located
in the glove box of the vehicle.
Sampson
claimed ownership of the small clear plastic bag of marijuana and admitted to
using the Swisher sweet cigars to smoke the marijuana.
Sampson
was arrested on the above charges and transported to the Claiborne Parish
Women’s Facility.
Tax proposal to be dedicated to Homer
Police
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Homer Town Council has approved to draft a resolution to ask the citizens of
Homer for a quarter cent sales tax increase to be dedicated to the Homer Police
Department.
Homer
Police Chief Russell Mills said the officers in his department need a raise and
there’s just not enough money in their current budget to do that. The sales tax
would draw in a substantial amount of revenue to give officers the raise he
says they deserve as well as have enough additional revenue to go towards the
operation of the police department.
“Several
communities have passed this same tax and it raised the amount of money coming
into the community,” Mills said.
The
proposed tax is supposed to be earmarked for police purposes only. It will be
for continuing education, equipment, recertification, pay raises, vehicle
purchases and other needs of the police department.
“This
will be a tax collected only inside the Town of Homer,” Nelda Beard, Claiborne
Parish Sales and Use Tax Collector, said.
The
issue is, Mills said, is that Homer police officers are not paid enough,
therefore, his department has a high turnover rate. On the flip side, there are
some officers that have been there for a long time, some even upwards of 20
years. Pay for officers range from $9.50 per hour to approximately $12 per
hour. Also, Mills said, his officers have not had a raise in two years.
For
example, one officer makes a little more than $10 per hour. For a bi-weekly
paycheck, the officer works about 84 hours, about 42 hours per week. That’s
$840 per pay period, roughly $1,600 per month. For this officer to have
insurance on his family, he pays about $800 per month, which cuts his pay back
to $800. Add supplemental pay ($500) to that and that officer only brings home
$1,300 per month to support his family.
Mills
said he realizes the town’s financial burden and he’s reaching out to the
community in hopes of gaining its support to pass this sales tax.
“This
tax would enable us to keep officers here once they’re trained instead of the
town being a training facility for larger departments,” he said.
Also,
Mills would be able to purchase better equipment, including patrol units, for
his department. Not long ago, the department lost one vehicle to a car
accident. Because the town didn’t have the money to purchase a brand new car
and equip it, Mills had to buy what he could afford.
He said
he took the insurance money and purchased a 2003 Crown Victoria cruiser that
had 147,000 miles on it and was partially equipped. To purchase a new car would
be about $22,000, and to equip it with everything would be about $12,000 to
$18,000. To get a new car and equip it would cost a total of about $40,000.
Training
is another issue as well. Mills said he puts his officers through continuing
education as much as he can, but even free courses cost money after paying the
officer for a day’s work, travel and lodging expenses and food.
According
to law, each officer must have eight hours of continuing education each year in
order to keep his certification. The tax proposal, if passed, would help offset
the costs of providing these officers with continuing education.
“Training,
training, training and raises,” Mills said. “I don’t really believe the
community knows these officers make $10 to $11 per hour. I know the budget will
not allow a raise for any of our officers. That’s why I’m reaching out to the
community to get these guys some training and get them the raises they deserve.”
The tax
is broken down like this. Currently, the sales and use tax collected inside the
corporate limits of Homer are at 4.125 percent. If passed, the proposed tax
increase would increase by a quarter of one percent. One quarter of one percent
is pennies on the dollar.
To be
clear, this is not 25 cents on the dollar. It is one fourth of one percent. It
really is just pennies on the dollar.
For
instance, when a customer goes to a store and buys groceries for the week at a
cost of $100, they would pay a total of $4.13. If passed, those groceries would
cost just a tiny bit more. With the increase, the tax would be $4.38. This
would be an increase of only 25 cents.
Another
example is if a customer goes to a furniture store and buys a new refrigerator
at the cost of $1,000. Currently, the sales tax on the refrigerator would be
$41.25. With the quarter cent addition, the sales tax would be $43.75. This is
only increased by $2.50.
The
current taxes paid inside the corporate limits of Homer include a two percent
parish tax for the Claiborne Parish School Board, effective in 1978. It also
includes a two percent sales and use tax which goes directly to the Town of Homer. There is also a one eighth of one percent tax for the Claiborne Parish Watershed
District, which will expire in 2014.
This
proposal is expected to be on the October ballot this fall.
Hunter’s Ed Courses begin in July
The
Claiborne Parish Sheriffs’ Office along with David Wade Correctional Center will be sponsoring a Hunter Education Course on the following dates:
•
July 28, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
•
July 29, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
•
July 31, 8 a.m. to 12 noon
The
course will be conducted at the Homer Fire Station.
Anyone
interested in this Hunter Education Class must pre register with the Claiborne
Parish Sheriffs Department by calling 927-2011
In
1985, hunter education became mandatory in Louisiana. Anyone born on or after September 1,1969 is required by law to complete the Louisiana Hunter Education course
before purchasing a hunting license. The minimum age for certification is 10
years of age.
Hunter
education programs have always taught young hunters the practice of firearm
and hunting safety. Today hunter education programs are about more than safety.
They have been expanded to produce knowledge, responsible and involved
hunters. Hunters who understand the importance of complying with hunting laws
and behaving ethically. These programs give beginners a good foundation, and
they provide a refresher for veteran hunters.
Ultimately,
the mission of hunter education programs is to ensure the continuation of the
hunting tradition.
