Ex-Mayor suspended from law practice
David Newell to pay restitution gets
probation
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Homer’s
former mayor has been suspended from his law practice, according to the
Louisiana Supreme Court ruling handed down Tuesday, March 15.
According
to the ruling, “it is ordered that David M. Newell, Louisiana Bar Roll Number
1107, be and he hereby is suspended from the practice of law for one year and
one day. It is further ordered that all but six months of the suspension shall
be deferred.”
Newell
was also placed on supervised probation for two years. He must follow these
rules to successfully meet his requirements for probation, the opinion stated.
They are as follows:
•
“Respondent” (Newell) shall successfully complete the LSBA’s Ethics School and
Trust Accounting School,
•
Respondent’s trust account will be audited semi-annually for a period of two
years, for a total of four audits. The audits will be conducted by a certified
public accountant selected or approved by the ODC, with the cost and expense of
the audit to be paid by the respondent.
•
Respondent shall make restitution to Emily Jones, Merry Jona Wallace and Wilma
Holcomb for any unearned fees.
“We
caution respondent that any violations of the conditions of probation, or any
other misconduct during the probationary period, may be grounds for making the
deferred portion of the suspension executory, or imposing additional
discipline, as appropriate,” the opinion stated.
All
costs and expenses in this case are also to be paid by Newell.
Newell
faced several charges of violations of the Attorney’s Rules of Professional
Conduct, and the Supreme Court followed the recommendation from the Office of
Disciplinary Council to suspend him from law practice.
Over
the last several years, some of Newell’s clients had filed grievances (or
complaints) against the attorney for violations of professional conduct.
According to the complaints, he took money from clients, but allegedly did not
perform the work. Or if he did perform the work, the Office of Disciplinary
Council also alleged that Newell “improperly co-mingled personal, client and
third party funds.”
Also
taken into consideration were mitigating and “aggravated” circumstances.
However, the Supreme Court, based on the ODC’s report, found evidence of
professional misconduct with aggravating factors present that include a
dishonest or selfish motive, a pattern of misconduct, multiple offenses,
vulnerability of the victims, substantial experience in the practice of law and
indifference to making restitution.
The
hearing committee’s report was very thorough, the opinion stated, and
determined that Newell failed to communicate with clients, neglected legal
matters, failed to refund unearned fees, engaged in conduct constituting a
conflict of interest, commingled and converted client and third-party funds,
and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice. In all,
there were seven charges.
But,
the court also took into consideration the absence of a prior disciplinary
record and the fact that at the time of the offenses, Newell was facing
personal and emotional issues.
Newell
has denied engaging in any misconduct.
Arrested over railroad spikes, deer
stand
The Guardian-Journal
A Homer
man racked up several charges all over railroad spikes and a deer stand.
According
to a news release from the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, on Monday, March
14, the sheriff’s office received a call concerning a vehicle stuck on the
railroad tracks at the Camp Road Crossing. L&NW Railroad was notified by
dispatch in the event the train needed to be stopped.
Deputies
arrived and discovered a Ford truck stuck on the tracks approximately one
quarter mile west of Camp Road. The owner, Jacob T. Waganer, 30, stated he was
looking for his dog.
Deputies
discovered railroad spikes in the rear of Waganer’s truck and buckets along the
track filled with metal. Deputy David Morgan arrested Waganer for criminal
trespass and theft. Waganer was transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention
Center (CPDC) where he was booked and jailed. Bond was set at $500 for criminal
trespass and $5,000 for theft.
In the
follow-up investigation, Detective Randy Smith obtained an arrest warrant on
Waganer for aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce. Waganer was
arrested Tuesday, March 15, on that warrant at the detention center with bond
set at $15,000.
In
another story, on that same Tuesday, the sheriff’s office received a complaint
concerning the theft of an aluminum deer stand. After seeing the truck stuck on
the railroad track, a property owner checked his property and discovered his
aluminum deer stand missing.
Smith
and Detective Darren Keel went to the property and the deer stand was located
next to the railroad track approximately 200 yards from where the truck was
stuck. The investigation in this case led to arrest warrants being issued for
Waganer on additional charges of criminal trespass and theft of the aluminum
deer stand.
Waganer
was aqrrested on Thursday, March 17, on these charges and bond was set on each
charge at $500.
The
ride on the railroad track cost Waganer a total of $21,500 in bond, not to
mention the cost of having his truck removed from the track and the price of
paying storage on his vehicle -- quite a price for railroad spikes and a deer
stand.
In
other crime news, on Sunday, March 20, Deputies Shane Huffstetler and Aaron
Christian were conducting routine traffic patrol on Hwy. 79 and observed a
vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. Deputy Roger Ellerbe arrived on
scene to assist.
Christian
made contact with the driver, Earnest T. Jones Jr., 21, of Homer, and Ellerbe
made contact with the passenger in the vehicle, Felix U. Miller, 21, also of
Homer.
Deputies
detected an odor of suspected marijuana emitting from the vehicle and a K-9
partner alerted on the vehicle as to illegal substances. A subsequent search
revealed a bag of a green leafy substance between the driver’s side seat and
console.
Jones
and Miller were transported to CPDC and booked.
Jones
was charged with possession of marijuana with bond set at $1,000, speeding with
bond set at $500, improper display of license plate with bond set at $500 and
failure to give notice of change of address with bond set at $500.
Miller
was charged with simple possession of marijuana with bond set at $1,000.
Haynesville man arrested in Minden
BONNIE CULVERHOUSE, Special to The
Guardian-Journal
An
early morning rendezvous has landed a Haynesville man and his girlfriend in
trouble with the law.
Minden
Police Chief Steve Cropper said Officers Ryan Barnette, Kenneth James and Chris
Hammontree arrested Brady Cox, 24, of the 300 block of Piston Thomas Road, for
trespassing and during a routine pat-down discovered CDS Schedule II (Vyvanse),
a drug allegedly prescribed for Attention Deficit Disorder.
“This
is a drug that contains methamphetamine,” Croper said. “And it was not his
prescription.”
The
officers were reportedly responding to a call around 1 a.m. Monday, March 14,
to property on Germantown Road in Minden.
“A person
had noticed a white Ford pick-up truck on some private property,” Cropper said.
“That person called the property owner to ask if he had any knowledge of the
truck, and he said no. That’s when they called us, and we sent an officer out
there.”
Cropper
said Officer Barnette found the vacant vehicle parked near a wooded area off
the road.
“He saw
a manmade trail through the woods, and asked for the other officers to come
help him search the area,” the chief said. “When they didn’t find anyone, the
officers returned to the vehicle and waited.”
After a
short time, a male and female reportedly exited the woods and got into the
vehicle.
“The
officers made contact with them and placed them both under arrest for criminal
trespassing,” Cropper said. “That’s when the officers discovered the drugs and
added that charge.”
This story was reprinted with permission from the Minden
Press-Herald.
TEAM CADE
Cystic Fibrosis Fundraiser slated for
April 30
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
Cade Liles, 17-months-old, was born with
Cystic Fibrosis, a disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. A
fundraiser will be held in his honor Saturday, April 30 on the Courthouse
Square in Homer.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
At 17
months old, Cade Liles is a bright, rambunctious and seemingly healthy boy.
He
never sits still, he loves to play outside and push things around his yard, and
his favorite food is anything Mexican -- and don’t forget about a true Southern
favorite, rice and gravy.
But,
inside, his little body has turned against him. Cade has cystic fibrosis (CF),
which affects the lungs, the digestive system, the pancreas, the sinuses or any
combination thereof.
According
to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, CF “is a life-threatening genetic disease
that affects the lungs and digestive systems of approximately 30,000 children
and adults in the United States. A defective gene causes the body to produce
unusually thick, sticky mucus that clogs the airways and leads to
life-threatening lung infections, obstructs the pancreas and stops natural
enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food.”
Casey
and Holly Liles are Cade’s parents. They are both carriers of the gene, and
they say finding out Cade had the disease was difficult, to say the least.
“It
hits you from the inside,” Holly Liles said. “You have no idea.”
“When
he was born, it terrified me when they came back out and said that’s what he
had,” Casey Liles said.
And
even though daily treatments and more than a dozen medications per day have
become routine, they still have to watch him very closely.
He
receives breathing treatments every morning and every evening, which helps open
his airways. He also has to take several different pills each day to help him
digest the food he eats. According to his doctors, his mother said, Cade needs
at least 1,500 calories per day, but because he has CF, he only absorbs maybe
75 percent of what he takes in.
Holly
says they fill him full of high calorie foods plus high calorie supplement
drinks to help increase his caloric intake. Since he was two weeks old, Cade
has been on enzyme and vitamin therapy. The other treatments, which include the
breathing treatments and what they call “beatings,” began at eight weeks. The
“beatings” are where Holly or Casey forcefully pat Cade on his back, chest and
sides to help loosen up the thick mucus that’s built up throughout the night.
Trouble
gaining weight, acid reflux, the development of diabetes and other factors all
play into a child or adult with CF.
And to
look at Cade, he seems to be pretty healthy. He has social interaction with
other children, including family and friends.
“He
gets to play like any other kid,” Holly said, “but we keep him out of daycare
to limit his contact with outside illnesses.”
Where a
normal child’s immune system would fight the common cold, it might mean a trip
to the hospital for a child like Cade. Because his lungs can’t move mucus and
get it out of his lungs, it takes a much more aggressive treatment to cure him
of the common cold. Casey says that a normal child would be able to cough up
the mucus, but children like Cade cannot. It just sits and builds up in his
lungs and the bacteria begins to take over causing infection.
The
average life expectancy of a CF patient is roughly 36 to 37 years.
And
that’s what scares Cade’s dad the most. Although Cade’s treatments are a norm
in their household, it’s something he and his wife always think about.
“It’s
always still in the back of your mind,” Casey says. “Nobody knows what the
future holds.”
It’s because
of kids like Cade that the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation works so hard to raise
funds for research into better treatments and a cure for the debilitating
disease.
Dacia
Edmondson, with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, said that before the 1950s,
kids were sent home to die because there were no effective treatments for the
disease. Because of this foundation, though, a dramatic rise in life expectancy
and better treatments have led to more research. In fact, a new drug is now in
Stage three studies and is making big progress, Edmonds said. It’s actually not
far from FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval.
According
to Edmonds, 90 cents of every dollar raised goes strictly to research.
The
foundation’s mission is to advance the search for a cure and to ensure that
people with CF receive state-of-the-art diagnosis and care. The foundation
holds hundreds of special events throughout the year to raise money for these
reasons. And because Cade and children and adults like him, a “Team Cade for
Cystic Fibrosis” fundraiser will be held in Homer on April 30.
There
will be a gun raffle, a boot drive on the Square and chicken plates at $5 each.
There will be a poker run for all the bikers who would like to enjoy a day
riding and seeing the sights of Claiborne Parish.
The gun
being raffled off is a Savage 270 and is on display at Michael’s Men’s Store.
The gun is worth $400. Tickets are $5 each.
Also, a
fish fryer will be raffled off with raffle tickets at $2 each.
A
fireman’s boot drive will be held on the Square, so for motorists who are
stopped by a fireman, please roll down your windows and open your wallets.
From 11
a.m. until they’re gone, chicken plates will be available for $5 each. The
plates include chicken, baked beans, chips and a cookie or dessert. All plates
will be to go.
Tickets
should be ordered in advance, however, they will still be available at the
fundraiser.
The
poker run will begin at the Square in Homer, with registration beginning at 8
a.m. The first bike out will be at 9 a.m. Bikers will return to the courthouse
Square by noon. The registration fee is $25 per bike and the grand prize will
be $250. For more information on the poker run, contact Ricky Bearden at
318-927-9740 or 318-245-4726. For more information on the other events for the
fundraiser, please contact Tommy Sanders at 318-927-6165 or Casey or Holly
Liles at 318-258-3073.
Blood drive April 4 and 7 in Homer
LifeShare
Blood Center will host a blood drive on Monday, April 4 and Thursday, April 7
in Homer.
On
April 4, the blood drive will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the
auditorium at Homer High School. On April 7, the blood drive will be held from
noon until 5 p.m. at Homer Memorial Hospital in the hospital conference room.
LifeShare
Blood Center is proud to be associated with Homer High School and Homer
Memorial Hospital. The Homer community is encouraged to come out and donate to
help replenish the blood supply.
To
donate blood, you should be feeling well, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be a
minimum of 17 years of age. Drinks and snacks will be provided.
A photo
ID is required.
For
more information on LifeShare Blood Centers, go to their website at
www.lifeshare.org, or for more local information, please call 318-673-1496.
Also, a
blood drive in honor of Susanna Moss on Friday, March 25, at Presbyterian
Village Nursing Home in Homer from noon until 5 p.m. Please come out and give
the gift of life!
Relay for Life slated for April 16
The
annual Claiborne Parish Relay for Life will be held from noon until midnight on
Saturday, April 16, at the Ronnie G. Beard Memorial Stadium at Homer High
School.
In
case of bad weather, the event will be held at the Homer High School gymnasium.
For
more information, please contact Nancy Mason at 318-927-2517 or Elbie Dickens
at 318-927-2360.
Cancer survivor shares her story
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Her faith kept her going after she was diagnosed with
breast cancer.
Cancer Survivor Elbie Dickens has led a blessed life, she
said, because God allowed her to live to fulfill a purpose. Diagnosed in 1988,
Dickens learned she had breast cancer after a mammogram showed a lump in her
right breast. She had a biopsy on her 49th birthday, she said, and doctors said
the cancer was so deep they had to run a wire to get to it.
“My faith in the Good Lord kept me going,” she said. “I
just had a peace about me. I just felt like everything was going to be fine.”
With the support of her family, church and friends,
Dickens went through treatment on a medication called Tamoxifen, which is a
drug that blocks the growth of breast cancer by interfering with the effects of
estrogen in the breast tissue. She took the medication for 10 years, and even
though at first, she felt nauseated, her body adjusted to the medication.
In August of 1988, she had a mastectomy and her lymph
nodes removed on the right side. The biopsies never came back positive. She
stayed in the hospital for five days and regularly returned to her doctor every
six months for three years to have tests run on her liver and bones.
She’s been cancer free ever since. She says God’s purpose
for her was to take care of her mother, who she cared for for several years
before she passed away in 2010. She also fulfills another purpose God laid on
her heart -- her involvement with the American Cancer Society and the Relay for
Life.
The first relay was held in 1996 at the Courthouse Square
in Homer, and a relay has been held every year since then -- some at the ball
park, some at the high school and Claiborne Academy.
“I’ve worked with the relay since its inception in
Claiborne Parish,” Dickens said. “It’s an honor to work with the American
Cancer Society (ACS) and work with the relay. It’s a wonderful cause because
you know where the money is going.”
ACS not only puts funds towards cancer research, some of
it goes to help cancer patients with treatments and travel to and from
treatments.
On Saturday, April 16, Claiborne Parish’s annual Relay
for Life will be held at the Ronnie G. Beard Memorial Stadium at Homer High
School. The relay will begin at noon and end at midnight. Luminaries
recognizing and remembering those lost will line the field as survivors walk
the relay. To fill out a luminary form, please see this week’s edition of The
Guardian-Journal. The form will be in subsequent editions until the week of the
relay.
In case of inclement weather, the relay will be held in
the high school gymnasium.
Dickens
says it’s important for women to have regular screenings and mammograms,
because the earlier it’s caught, the better the chances of survival. It’s also
important for women to perform regular self-breast exams, she said.
“If you find anything, don’t hesitate to go to the
doctor,” she said.
And since her involvement with the American Cancer
Society, she is living proof that people can move on with life after cancer, and
her testimony as well as other survivors can help those in need.
According to its website, ACS has several ways it helps
those in need. It offers counseling services, guidelines to nutrition and
physical activity, goal setting to help the cancer patient stay well and lead a
productive life. It is also the one private organization that has led the way
in cancer research and breakthroughs.
For more information about ACS, please go to their
website, www.cancer.org, or www.relayforlife.org. For more information on the
relay in Claiborne Parish, please call Nancy Mason or Elbie Dickens at the
phone numbers listed above.
‘Potluck @ The Fair’
Haynesville committees team up for
fundraiser
The Haynesville Beautification and the Town of
Haynesville Citizen Advisory Committee are planning to have a fundraiser on
Friday, May 20, at 6 p.m. at the Claiborne Parish Fair Complex.
The funds raised at the event will be used exclusively to
remodel the bathrooms at the complex. The name if the fundraiser is “Potluck at
the Fair,” with the theme being “potluck for the pots!”
We plan for this to be a community/parish wide event. The
dinner will be a huge “potluck” covered dish supper fashioned after the family
night covered dish meals served at our local churches.
Tickets will be available through committee members and
at several local businesses for a donation of $22 each. Dinner will be from 6
until 7p.m. with entertainment beginning at 7 p.m. The Monday Night Choir Boys
from Springhill will furnish the evening’s entertainment. A silent auction will
take place in the north room of the fair building during the evening. Door
prizes will be drawn for during the fundraiser as well.
The people of our community, parish and area have ALWAYS
responded when a real need existed. We do have a real need to refurbish these
restrooms as they have been in heavy use since the fair building was built more
than 20 years ago. The plumbing system in place has failed and stopped up
during many functions.
We would love to raise enough money during this evening
to bring our restrooms up to a modern commercial standard. The events held at
this facility bring more visitors to Haynesville than any other single thing
during the year. It has been enjoyed by all of us, whether it be the fair, a
reunion, a prom or various organizations. It is one of Haynesville’s finest
assets.
Haynesville Beautification and CAC want everyone to know
how very much we appreciate your support for all of our endeavors. We will put
to good use any corporate, company or business donations as well as individual
donations. All contributions can be made to Haynesville Beautification Potluck
at the Fair, c/o Keith or Beverlee Killgore, 1909 Main Street, Haynesville, LA
71038.
For questions or inquiries, call Keith or Beverlee
Killgore at 318-624-1122.
Submitted by Keith Killgore
