State of emergency declared after storm
The Guardian-Journal photos/Jenni
Williams
This is what West Side Street in Homer
looked like Tuesday morning following a storm carrying straight line winds
through Claiborne Parish.
Synco Motors took some damage from
Tuesday’s storm. Pictured right is a downed power pole in the parking lot of
the car business. According to OEP Director Dennis Butcher, the storm came
through around 4 a.m. While power was out to thousands in Claiborne Parish,
emergency crews worked around the clock to get debris cleaned up. Entergy crews
also worked tirelessly to restore power to those affected.
Pictured above are downed power lines on
Edgewood Drive in Homer on Tuesday morning following a severe storm in
Claiborne Parish. Below, trees were blown across the railroad tracks on Hwy. 9
near Keith’s Food Mart.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Volunteers
and citizens came together as one when Claiborne Parish was declared an
emergency disaster area following an early morning storm on Tuesday.
According
to Claiborne Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Dennis Butcher, the wind
came from down draft winds from a thunderstorm that rolled through Claiborne
Parish around 4 a.m.
“Our
main concern right now is to get the streets open and the power back on,”
Butcher said following an early morning meeting with emergency personnel and
town and parish officials.
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey said all of his deputies were on duty following the
storm.
“All in
all, I don’t think we have any report of injuries,” he said. “We did have
several wrecks, and trees are down everywhere, and power’s out. All the major
roads are open with the exception of a few parish roads. This is probably the
worst I’ve ever seen. It’s been rough.”
Butcher
said he didn’t expect for power to be fully restored for up to 72 hours.
Homer
Police Chief Russell Mills said West Side Street took the brunt of the damage,
and once the storm passed, citizens and neighbors on West Side Street were
already out cutting out limbs and moving debris out of the roadway. On several
state and parish roads, power lines, cable lines and phone lines were down
across the roads.
“We’ve
just got limbs and debris down everywhere,” Mills said.
Homer
Police also shut down Hwy. 9 towards Hwy. 2 because of a downed cable.
Louisiana
State Police also sent troopers to the area to help where they could. Jenny
Reynolds, with GOHSEP, was also on hand to work with Butcher and others to
offer any services they might need.
In a
meeting with officials and volunteers at the Homer Fire Station, Butcher had a
table set up with assignments ready to go to assess areas of damage and find
out what equipment was needed.
David
Abernathy, coordinator with North Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief, said he
had chainsaw crews coming to Claiborne Parish to help with the cleanup, and
also had access to a multitude of resources as volunteers and emergency
personnel continued cleanup efforts.
Services
were also available for people who needed electricity for any health concerns.
In
fact, volunteers were fed at the fire station, courtesy of Stallion Oilfield
Services, by Ben Christmas Catering. As of noon Tuesday, Jeff Aycock, regional
manager with Entergy, said that a total of 1,200 were without power in the
“71040 area” with a total outage of about 4,000 in the entire area. He said,
worst case, it would be up to four days before power is restored to the entire
parish. At least 200 lines across the area were down.
According
to figures, Homer was the hardest hit, and many water systems throughout the
parish are issuing boil advisories, including South Claiborne and Pine Hill
Water Systems.
Butcher
said one of the main concerns, besides opening roads and getting power back on,
is getting the sewer plant in Homer up and running.
Also,
public service announcements were released to television and radio news media
advising people to stay in their homes and off the streets if at all possible.
With
the graciousness of the Claiborne Parish Police Jury, The Guardian-Journal news
staff moved to their building for the day to put out this week’s issue.
Two arrested on possession charges
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
Pictured above are 20 individual baggies
of suspected marijuana, which were found in one plastic bag and five more
individual baggies of suspected marijuana found in another plastic bag during a
drug bust on Monday, June 11 by the Homer Police Department. Pictured above are
from left, Captain Donald Malray, Police Chief Russell Mills and Officer
Johnnie Hough.
The Guardian-Journal
Two
Homer men have found themselves behind bars after Homer Police found suspected
drugs in their vehicle.
Torrence
Black and Travis D. Morgan, both of Homer, were arrested and charged with
possession with intent to distribute. The driver, identified as Black, was also
cited on traffic violations, which included no brake light and failure to
signal to turn.
According
to Homer Police Chief Russell Mills, the two were pulled over on East Second
Street near Piggly Wiggly. The vehicle pulled into the parking lot. As Mills
approached the vehicle, the passenger, identified as Morgan, was removed from
the vehicle and pat down for officer’s safety. During the pat down, a baggie
with five smaller individually wrapped baggies were revealed on his person.
Mills
asked Black if he had permission to search the vehicle, the search of the
vehicle by Officer Johnnie Hough revealed another baggie between the seat and
the console containing another 20 individually wrapped baggies of suspected
marijuana. At that time, evidence was collected and transferred to Officer
Roger Smith who will take it to the North Louisiana Crime Lab for analysis.
Both
were booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center on the above charges.
Pine Hill Water System issues boil
advisory
The
Pine Hill Water System is planning routine maintenance on June 11-20.
During
this time you may lose water pressure. Because of this, our water supply may be
of questionable microbiological quality. Therefore, as a precaution, the Pine
Hill Water System is issuing a boil advisory effective on the above dates to
remain in effect until rescinded by the State Health Department.
It is
recommended that all consumers disinfect their water before consuming it
(including fountain drinks), making ice, brushing teeth, or using it for food
preparation or rinsing of foods by the following means:
Boil
water for one (1) full minute in a clean container. The one minute starts after
the water has been brought to a rolling boil. (The flat taste can be eliminated
by shaking the water in a clean bottle or pouring it from one clean container
to another.)
Again,
please be sure to disinfect your own water prior to consumption until you have
been advised otherwise.
The
State Health Department will rescind this boil advisory upon notification from
the State Regional Laboratory that samples collected from our water supply have
been found safe.
This
boil advisory is in effect until further notice.
South Claiborne issues boil advisory for
all its customers until further notice.
Hilltop Campgrounds & RV Park announces opening of their website
Hilltop Campgrounds & RV Park (Princeton/Haughton, LA) is proud to announce the opening of their website as of 06/10/2012, online at www.HilltopCampgrounds.com.
Hilltop Campgrounds and RV Park is a work-camper, family and pet friendly park located just minutes from I-20 and I-220. The park is always clean with on-site management and maintenance for a worry free stay. The rental prices include lot, electric, water, sewer and trash pickup.
The park is located less than five miles from Haughton and 3 minutes from I-20 (Haughton/Fillmore exit - Hwy 157 North), and just 10-15 minutes from all the Hottest Gaming Locations in Shreveport-Bossier.
The park is open to the public year round. Features include Fishing and Swimming in their 5 acre natural spring pond. hiking & biking nature trails and beautiful, peaceful & serene surroundings throughout the year.
The park owners stated that "We contracted a Claiborne Parish based website designer, Key-Comp Web Design, and are very pleased with the results and recommend their services to anyone needing a new website or a face-lift of an existing site . Key-Comp can be contacted via their website at www.KCWD.com."
Remember boating safety during Boat Parade, Fireworks Show
The Guardian-Journal
The
annual Lake Claiborne Boat Parade and Fireworks Show is just a few short weeks
away, and it’s expected to be better than ever!
Set for
Saturday, June 30, the boat parade will begin at Pleasure Point Marina, with
lineup at 7:15 p.m. The parade route will make its way around the lake to the
state park. A commemorative hat is given to each boat parade captain while
supplies last (one hat per boat only).
The
fireworks show is expected to be even more spectacular than last year with
1,330 display effects. Shell sizes will be from 2.5-inches to 8-inch shells
with all types of special effect shells ranging from cross rings to golden
kamuros.
The
fireworks show begins at 9 p.m.
Handling
the fireworks show again this year is Artisan Pyrotechnics out of Wiggins,
Miss.
And
while revelers and boaters celebrate that weekend for Independence Day, July 4,
it is important to remember the laws and safety rules of boating. And the first
rule to remember is that the rules of the road apply to the water as well.
According to Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, that boat operators who are
driving while intoxicated (DWI) with a blood alcohol content of .08 and higher
face the same penalties as someone operating a vehicle on the highway.
Penalties include the suspension or revocation of boating privileges and
driver’s license. A designated sober operator is a must for both the roadway
and waterway.
Also
remember that all boats must have a personal floatation device (PFD), or life
jacket, for the operator and each passenger on the boat. Children 16 or younger
must wear a properly sized and fitted PFD when the boat is underway on all
vessels less than 26 feet in length. Smaller children should have a PFD that
has ample upper body floatation and a crotch strap, proper fitting is critical.
Please
remember that boats build after November 1, 1972 must have the Hull
Identification Number (HIN) permanently attached to the hull. It is important
to remember that all information, including registration and insurance is
up-to-date and on board at all times.
After
sunset, there should be no personal watercraft (jet skis) on the lake. All
other watercraft must display navigation lights: red and green lights should be
on the bow and the stem should be all around white.
For
more information on boating safety and what boaters need before getting on the
water, please visit the LDWF’s website at www.wlf.louisiana.gov.
“We
want everybody to have a safe and happy Fourth (of July), but we’re asking --
for safety reasons -- that no one be in the water during the parade,” Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey said. “Please be in a boat or on a dock.”
The
sheriff’s office will have deputies on the water, along with Wildlife and
Fisheries Law Enforcement Agents on the day of and during the parade.
The
Fireworks for Lake Claiborne Committee now has a Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/#!/FourthOfJulyFireworksForLakeClaiborne.
The
committee wishes to thank the individuals, local businesses and organizations
who help make this event possible every year.
Soldier comes home
Marine returns after year in Afghanistan
The Guardian-Journal photos/Michelle
Bates
Above, Lcpl. Dylan Perry’s family and
friends gather to welcome him home after serving one year in Afghanistan. He is
a member of the U.S. Marines. Below left, Dylan hugs his grandmother, Bettye
Perry “Gigi” as he takes in the surprise welcome home party. Below right, his
mom, Melanie Perry hugs her son. Several members of the community set out their
U.S. flags along his route to welcome Perry home. He was escorted by a deputy
with the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office.
