Former housing authority director
arrested
Amount of money embezzled exceeded
$300,000
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Former
Homer Housing Authority Executive Director Michelle Green, 34, has been
arrested on federal charges of embezzlement, conspiracy and theft of government
property.
According
to U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley, Green and four accomplices were arrested
on Wednesday, August 8. Also arrested were Curtis L. Mays, 33, of Harker
Heights, Texas, Katrina G. Robertson 38, and Flack D. Robertson, 34, both of
Haynesville, and Aaron Perry, 29, of Shreveport. Katrina Henderson, 33, of
Shreveport, was also indicted but has not yet been arrested.
According
to Finley in a press release, the 16-count indictment alleges that beginning in
December 2007, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to embezzle and convert
to their own use funds from the housing authority and actually embezzled more
than $300,000 from HHA.
As
executive director, Green was responsible for overseeing the daily operation of
HHA. Her duties included submitting invoices and writing checks for contractor
work and employee payroll. The indictment further alleges that Green wrote
numerous checks to the accomplices named in the indictment and other
individuals not named in the indictment for work that was never done.
Green
was involved with the cashing of checks and converted the money for her
personal use and the use of her accomplices.
On May
2, 2011, Green’s employment was terminated and she was escorted off the
premises after First Guaranty Bank called the Rev. Ray Jiles, chairman of the
housing authority board at the time, regarding what appeared to be a check with
a forged signature. He later learned that several unauthorized checks were made
out to different people, some real, some not.
Once he
received the call, Jiles went to the bank, picked up the check and turned it
over to then Homer Town Attorney Jim Colvin. The case was then turned over to
the Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Over the last several years leading up
to her termination, auditor’s reports showed where things were not being done
properly. Receipts were not matching reports, funds that should have had a zero
balance did not and several other issues were listed.
When
the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office finally released audit reports for
fiscal years 2008-09 and 2009-10, the reports showed findings that were either
repeat or worse than in previous years.
Once
Green was terminated, Jiles turned to Minden Housing Authority Executive
Director Reese Hood for help. Changes were made at the suggestion of the
auditors, which included not taking cash payments for rent. As time has gone
on, the housing authority has seemingly gotten things back on track, catching
up on bills, making sure they are paid on time, and making sure the office is
following the law and auditors’ recommendations.
Following
Green’s termination, Debra Sarpy took the helm as executive director.
The
case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General, Office of
Investigation, Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, Shreveport Resident Agency.
The
case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph. G. Jarzabek.
Prayer supper for Emilee Holloway set for
August 24
A
prayer supper will be hosted by First United Methodist Church in Homer to pray
for Emilee Holloway, who has suffered debilitating seizures most of her young
life.
The
prayer program will begin at 7 p.m. Please plan on being with us for the
evening and if you can’t, please stop at 7 p.m. and say a prayer for Emilee,
her family and her doctors. The family is asking for prayers for no more
seizure activity and for the right side of little Emilee’s brain to pick up the
activity of the left side.
Beginning
at 5 p.m., hamburger plates will be for sale for a $10 donation. Plates will
include a burger, chips, a dessert and a drink. You can pick them up at that
time or stay and eat with all of us.
T-shirts
will also be for sale as a fundraiser for Emilee. For those interested in
purchasing a T-shirt, please contact Allison Dillon at 318-433-0863. Youth
sizes are $12, adult smalls through extra-large for $15, and 2x through 4x are
$17.
Emilee
is expected to have life-altering surgery on September 13 at Cook’s Children’s
Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas where she will undergo a left hemispherectomy.
Surgeons will remove part of the left side of her brain and disconnect the
rest.
Emilee
is expected to be in the hospital for six weeks if all goes well, her mother,
Jennifer Holloway, said. She will undergo therapy for several years of her life
for paralysis on her right side. Once she returns home, she will undergo
therapy every day for quite a while, which will include physical therapy,
speech therapy and occupational therapy.
“It’s a
lot of prayer and hope,” she said. “I’ve been
in contact with other parents whose children have had these surgeries and there
is some hope.”
She
mentioned a woman who has a son who had the same side of the brain removed and
he’s made wonderful progress, saying that he’s now speaking up to 300 words at
age three.
“If it
weren’t for her, I don’t think we’d have the courage to do it,” Holloway said.
The
hope is the seizures will stop with the surgery, because there is no medicine
that will stop the seizures. If the seizures are allowed to continue, they
could end up damaging the good portion of her brain.
Please
be at the church at 7 p.m. and come pray for Emilee and her family.
Bowman set to go before LADB
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
A
former district attorney candidate who has been recommended for suspension from
practicing law is set to go before the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board
(LADB) on Thursday, August 16.
Chris
Bowman, a Jonesboro attorney, will go before Panel “C” of the Disciplinary
Board to argue his case as to why he should not be suspended from law practice.
He will go before Edwin G. Preis Jr., chair, Tara L. Mason, lawyer member and
George L. Crain Jr., public member.
The case
will be argued at the LADB courtroom in Metairie, session beginning at 9 a.m.
The
Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) has recommended that Bowman be suspended
from the practice of law for one year and a day for the underlying criminal
conviction involving violence, with all but six months deferred. ODC also
recommended a probationary period of two years with Bowman to pay all costs.
Bowman
was convicted of domestic abuse battery in July 2008 in Lincoln Parish,
following a custody dispute between him and his ex-wife regarding their three
children. Because of this conviction, formal charges were filed against him by
ODC, saying Bowman had violated the Rules of Professional Conduct “in
connection with the foregoing conviction.
“Amended
formal charges were also filed against Respondent (Bowman) alleging that he
violated or attempted to violate Rule 8.4 in attempting to influence the
expected testimony of his ex-wife before the Hearing Committee,” the hearing
committee report states.
“The
ODC contends that it has established by clear and convincing evidence that
Respondent has engaged in criminal conduct resulting in a conviction and
engaged in intentional conduct involving fraud, deceit or misrepresentation
that seriously adversely reflects on his fitness to practice law, warranting a
lengthy suspension or actual disbarment.”
The
committee also took into consideration the Louisiana Supreme Court Rule (XIX
& 19 Lawyers Convicted of a Serious Crime) that provides the framework in
which the matter can be considered.
Bowman’s
conviction was on a misdemeanor offense; however, the committee, in their
report, felt he’d violated the rules of professional conduct. As to the charge
of attempting to influence his ex-wife on testimony before the hearing
committee, it said there was no “clear and convincing evidence” that Bowman did
this.
“The
Committee believes the evidence available to it simply did not meet the burden
of proof on the question,” the report states. “...the committee concludes that
the nature of the offense was not the type of ‘serious crime’ which would
normally result in disbarment.”
The
committee took into consideration the mitigating factors which they conclude
does not constitute disbarment, like the fact that Bowman been an attorney for
24 years, character testimony by two judges, who both said he has a “good
reputation in the community as a lawyer, businessman, civic leader and father.”
Bowman
also showed a “cooperative attitude” during the proceedings and “specifically
testified as to his remorse concerning the October 15, 2004 incident and the
impact it has had on his family.”
The
committee’s report, however, went on to say that Bowman “still refuses to fully
acknowledge the wrongful nature of his conduct, continuing to argue his
conviction should not have been a conviction at all, and was somehow
politically motivated to hurt him in his run for district attorney.”
According
to Charles Plattsmier, chief disciplinary counsel for the Louisiana Attorney
Disciplinary Board, the LADB serves the role of an appellate body.
“Any
recommendation issued by the hearing committee is automatically filed with the
board and an appeal is automatically scheduled,” Plattsmier said, “at which
point, no new evidence can be introduced, but they can argue their case.”
The
board then takes the matter under advisement, at which time, they too make a
recommendation.
“If their
recommendation is that a lawyer be suspended or disbarred, then it’s filed with
the (Louisiana) Supreme Court,” he said. “Once the record and recommendations
are at the Supreme Court, then they issue a briefing schedule and will schedule
it for an argument in front of the Supreme Court.”
According
to Plattsmier, only the Supreme Court has the authority to make the final
decision on whether an attorney is sanctioned or disbarred.
YCC students honored after summer
program
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
Participants in this year’s pilot program
for the Youth Conservation Corps were honored with a plaque, t-shirt and
luncheon as they wrapped up this year’s summer work program. Pictured from
left, back row are Forester James Williams, Students Christopher Long, John
Hunter Kelley and Forester Joseph Varnado. Front row are, from left, Mya
Manuel, Denee Dothage, Lauren Vidrine and Nukedra Bell.
The Guardian-Journal
Several
high school students who participated in a work program through the U.S. Forest
Service were honored during a luncheon on Thursday.
Students
participated in the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), which is federally funded
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Forest Service, where they were able
to have a summer job caring for areas around Caney and Corney Lakes. Students
participating included Christopher Long, John Hunter Kelley, Mya Manuel,
Nukedra Bell, Lauren Vidrine and Denee Dothage.
Two
students participated through the Student Temporary Employment Program (STEP),
which is a federally-funded internship program. Vidrine and Dothage were the
STEP students.
STEP is
a government-wide paid internship program providing federal employment
opportunities. These opportunities are available in many Department of Homeland
Security components and can range from single summer positions, to those that
recur each year for as long as the individual remains a student.
These
students worked in the recreation areas of Caney and Corney Lakes performing
maintenance there as well as office work, including answering the phone and
doing anything that needed to be done.
While
YCC has been around for a while, it is a pilot program for Claiborne Parish,
said Tonika Goins, Caney District Ranger.
“They’ve
done an outstanding job this summer,” she said, “and this gives them an
opportunity to make money and gain work experience.”
James
Williams, supervisory forester and recreation team leader, praised these kids,
saying they did an excellent job and came in at a time when they were
desperately needed. But, he said, many people don’t know about the program and
the opportunities it offers.
“A lot
of people don’t know the Kisatchie program exists,” Williams said. “There are a lot of programs,” and they
really want this one to grow in this area.
“This
is the first year it’s being done,” Goins said. “We’re
hoping to do partnerships with the city and parish so we can get more students
next year.”
During
the luncheon, both Williams and Goins expressed their appreciation for the
kids’ hard work and dedication. The students were presented with plaques of
appreciation and T-shirts.
The
idea of YCC is for students to learn new skills while conducting work projects
to help restore and protect the natural, cultural and historic resources of
national parks. Some work includes removing exotic or invasive plants,
constructing or repairing boardwalks, bridges, trails, campsites and fences.
The program also offers environmental education programs and habitat
preservation, according to the National Park Service’s website, www.nps.gov.
Students
who participate in YCC are paid minimum wage, while not only gaining work
experience, but also learning about career opportunities in the National Park
Service.
For
more information, or for more questions, please contact Tonika Goins at the
Caney Ranger District Office, 3288 Highway 79, Homer, Louisiana 71040-3951,
Phone: (318) 927-2061 or (318) 927-2062. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. until
4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Firearm possession leads to arrest
The Guardian-Journal
A Homer
man is behind bars on $21,000 bond after he was discovered with a weapon in his
vehicle during a traffic stop.
Kevin
B. Williams, 46, of Homer, was arrested on Friday, August 10, and charged with
possession/carrying a firearm by a convicted felon with bond set at $20,000 and
resisting an officer with bond set at $1,000.
According
to reports, Homer Police Officer Willie Fred Knowles was patrolling the Lisbon
Street area when he saw a vehicle parked in the roadway facing the wrong way.
When he made contact with the driver, he noticed the passenger, identified as
Williams, throw what appeared to be a gun in the passenger seat of the vehicle.
Police
say Knowles knew Williams had a criminal record which prohibited him from
having a firearm in his possession. When Knowles asked Williams to come to him,
Williams reportedly grabbed the weapon and went to the back of the vehicle.
Knowles
informed Williams that he was under arrest and at that time, Williams fled from
police. Homer Police Officer Thomas Davis was called to the scene to assist.
When Davis arrived on scene, the two officers were unable to locate Williams,
but he was taken into custody the next day without incident.
He was
transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center where he was booked on the
above charges.
In a
separate incident, a Homer woman is now behind bars after she allegedly placed
several phone calls to an elderly woman with Alzheimers.
Ashanta
T. Guerra, 34, of Homer, was arrested on Saturday, August 11, on charges of
exploitation of the infirmed with bond set at $10,000 and a failure to appear
charge with a $988 fine or serve 60 days in jail.
According
to reports, Guerra is accused of placing several collect calls from the
Claiborne Parish Women’s Jail to an elderly woman who suffers from Alzheimers
in September 2011. Reports say she would call the victim and ask her to make
three-way calls for her, all done without the knowledge of the victim’s family,
who has power of attorney over the victim’s affairs.
A
warrant was issued in November 2011 and Guerra was arrested on August 11.
Athens school zone lights center of
debate
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
school zone lights at Athens High School became a topic of debate when
Claiborne Parish Police Juror Lavelle Penix, an Athens resident, asked that the
school board declare the lights surplus and sell them to Mount Olive Christian
School (MOCS).
“We’d
like to move them to Mount Olive School since there’s a 3,800 traffic count
that goes right by Mount Olive every day,” Penix said. “We feel like it would
be a big asset to those kids. What we’re trying to do is protect the kids.”
Penix
asked the board if they would consider declaring those two lights surplus and
selling them to the private school for $1.
All the
lights came from a federal grant called Safe Routes to School, an initiative to
get kids walking and bicycling to school. And while most of the school zone
lights were purchased through the grant, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janice
Williams said the school board did have to come up with approximately $3,600
out of pocket to finish out the light installation at Athens.
A
motion was made by District 5 School Board Member Dr. Robert Haynes and
seconded by District 6 School Board Member Tommy Davidson to move forward with
the sale, but before a vote was taken, Williams explained that the grant did
not fully fund the purchase of the lights at Athens and felt that traffic in
public school areas needed to be looked at first.
“There
are some traffic patterns that we need to look at to ensure the safety of our
students,” she said. “Every morning, I’m there on the Homer campus and there is
a particular area that draws concern for me.”
Williams
said there is a school zone light at the end of Edgewood, which is on the back
side of the Homer schools campus; however, police are not in that area to
control traffic.
“They
are on North Main, sometimes they are on Pelican Drive, but they are not on
Edgewood to completely control speeding,” she said. “We have students that have
to walk in the grass to keep from getting hit by cars, and I think we owe it to
our students to make sure they’re safe before we release those lights to
anybody.”
She
said she spoke with Transportation Supervisor Ronnie McKenzie and said one
light could be put in Homer while the other one went to Haynesville. She asked
the board, before voting on the motion, to take a look at the needs of the
public school system before deciding to release the lights to MOCS.
Joey
White asked if there was an attorney’s opinion on the matter, and Williams
responded that while there is no written opinion, she was advised by their
attorney to look closer at Claiborne Parish Schools and the traffic patterns to
first see if there is a need within the public schools for the lights.
Davidson
disputed the money that was spent above the grant, saying he didn’t remember
the board approving the expenditure.
“That
$3,000 was not authorized by the school board,” Davidson said. “If we spent
that money, we spent it illegally, because we (school board) did not approve to
spend anything on those lights.”
According
to Williams, the last set of lights that were purchased were the ones for
Summerfield and Athens High Schools.
School
Board President Will Maddox did say that he seemed to remember they “lacked
just a little bit to finish out all the schools.”
In a
follow-up interview with Williams and Janet Holland, who was the grant
supervisor for Claiborne Parish Schools at the time, the entire amount of the
grant was for approximately $58,000. The total cost of five lights (three at
Homer schools and two at Haynesville) was roughly $31,000, which left about
$21,000 left over, Holland said.
Since
they had $21,000 left over, it was decided to purchase school zone lights for
Summerfield and Athens schools instead of sending it back to the Department of
Transportation. Because it was going to cost more than what was left over in
the grant, it was decided to use maintenance funds from both Summerfield and
Athens to complete the cost of the lights and installation.
According
to Holland, they needed $1,300 per light (two lights plus installation)
totaling $3,600 for Summerfield and another $3,600 for the two lights plus
installation at Athens.
To
verify the money was approved or not approved, it was requested that central
office staff review the minutes from previous meetings regarding the lights.
However, because the amount of money needed to finish out the projects at both
schools was below $5,000, they did not have to send it out for bids. The bid
law says that if one item costs less than $5,000, it does not have to be bid
out.
It was
also requested by White to get a traffic count at Homer, Haynesville and Athens
schools, if possible.
Davidson
said that any time someone has asked for something, he’s always backed it when
it concerned Claiborne Parish Schools, and he asked for the same consideration
for the kids still attending school in Athens at MOCS.
“I
don’t think any one student’s life in Claiborne Parish is any more important
than another,” Davidson said. “There are a lot big trucks that go down that
highway; I’m talking lots of trucks that go down Hwy. 9, and there’s not a lot
of traffic down there on Edgewood.”
Williams
rebutted, saying that motorists seem to ignore the school zone lights near the
Homer campuses.
“I have
seen that thing (the light) start flashing when people start coming into town
at 52 miles per hour,” she said. “On the back side on Edgewood, I’ve seen
children walking on the shoulder and have to get fully into the grass. When
they get onto campus, their pants are literally wet because they had to walk in
the grass. I’m only asking for primary consideration for the students in the
public schools, and after Ronnie (McKenzie) has taken a look at it and others
have looked at it, and it’s deemed that everything is fine, then we go
further.”
The
issue was tabled until the September meeting with a roll call vote with Dr.
Haynes and Davidson being the two votes against.
Once
the issue was tabled, Police Juror Bob McDaniel spoke up, saying that this has
been an issue that has “plagued” the parish for about four years. At the time
all the lights were purchased, he said, he and Penix were working with the DOTD
to get the school zone itself expanded to include Mt. Olive. The request was
forwarded to the governor’s office at which time, he said, it went to the
district.
“The
district said, number one, that it would be too far apart,” McDaniel said. “That’s a state highway. U.S. 79, which is
a federal highway, includes Haynesville.” It is six-tenths of a mile between
the two lights and it’s adequate, he said.
“But
yet you’re considering clustering four of them around a school here in Homer on
a state highway,” he said. “If there’s speeding going on through there, that’s
something that your local police department needs to monitor. I would highly
recommend that you consider the children of Claiborne Parish, and not just
certain schools, but the children in all the schools.”
He gave
a little bit of history on the issue, saying that he, Mayor Sherman Brown and
former superintendent Wayne King worked together looking for a way to get some
school warning lights in Haynesville since the spring of 2007.
“On a
Monday (February 18, 2008), a child got hit by a car in the school zone,” he
said. “Immediately, there was action. I just hope to heck that this doesn’t
happen again, that a child gets hit or killed. You’re wondering what we should
do about two extra lights, and there’s only one school in this parish that
doesn’t have lights and that’s Mount Olive. I would hope that you would
seriously consider allowing those lights to be placed there.”
In
other news, the school board adopted the annual memorandum of understanding
between Head Start in Webster Parish and Claiborne Parish. In the agreement,
the school board and Webster Parish Head Start work collaboratively where
school age children ages 3 to 5 provide the maximum services that they can to make
sure they are ready for Pre-K and Kindergarten from Head Start, Williams said.
Also
approved:
• the
Pupil Progression Plan,
• the
distribution of Pineview Maintenance Tax monies, which will again follow the
students who live in the Pineview School District and now attend Homer schools,
• the
payday schedule for faculty and staff, which will be the last Friday of each
month, and
•
Counselor, Teacher and Principal Job Descriptions.
The
next meeting of the Claiborne Parish School Board will be at 6 p.m., Thursday,
September 6, at the school board office, 415 East Main Street in Homer. For
more information, or for questions, please call their office at 318-927-3502.
National Take Back Initiative
Event set for September 29 at Homer
Police Department
The Guardian-Journal
The
Homer Police Department will be accepting unwanted or unused prescription drugs
on Saturday, September 29, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. as part of the Drug
Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Take Back Initiative going on
nationwide.
According
to Homer Police, anyone in Claiborne Parish can come in with their prescription
drugs they don’t need or want in their home anymore. The prescription pills
will be bagged and turned into the DEA for proper disposal.
Please
make sure all pills are in a prescription pill bottle. Also, please don’t flush
pills in the toilet or pour them down the drain in a sink or bathtub as this
will contaminate the water supply.
For
those who wish to turn in their unused or unwanted prescriptions and need more
information, please contact Homer Police Sgt. Van McDaniel at 318-927-4000.
“This
is a program that’s new to the Homer Police Department, and we, along with the
DEA, trying to give the citizens a way to dispose of prescription drugs through
this method than disposing of them themselves,” Homer Police Chief Russell
Mills. “We urge the citizens to come and drop off their prescription pills that
are expired or no longer need.”
DEA
Administrator Michele M. Leonhart thanked citizens for contributing to the
battle against prescription drug abuse.
“Our
take-back events highlight the problems related to prescription drug abuse and
give our citizens an opportunity to contribute to the solution,” she said on
their website www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov. “These events are only made possible
through the dedicated work and commitment of our state, federal, local and
tribal partners and DEA thanks each and every one of them for their efforts on
behalf of the American people.”
This
initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines
that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and
abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are
the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies
show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and
friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are
now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing
them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety
and health hazards.
Four
days after the first event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug
Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an
“ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by
delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them.
The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities
to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances. DEA
is drafting regulations to implement the Act, a process that can take as long
as 24 months. Until new regulations are in place, local law enforcement
agencies like the Homer Police Department and the DEA will continue to hold
prescription drug take-back events every few months.
Safety first as kids go back to school
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
While
the kids are busy catching up with school friends and thinking about the
workload they will acquire at school, parents, faculty and staff and law
enforcement will be thinking about their safety.
Homer
Police Chief Russell Mills asked parents and motorists to watch their speeds in
the school zones and in the residential areas.
“Children
will be walking to and from school and riding the buses, so please abide by the
stop signs on the school buses and don’t cross in front of them,” Mills said.
Officers
will be in the school zones morning and afternoon working traffic. He said the
main thing is to watch for children.
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey reiterated that statement, saying there’s going to be
a lot more traffic on the roads next week and it’s important to watch for the
school buses and abide by the stop signs and arms on the buses.
“We’ve
had, on a few occasions, people passing the buses, and we’ve told the bus
drivers to get license plate numbers if they can,” Bailey said. “There will be
a lot more traffic and a lot more kids walking to school. We want everyone to
have a safe and productive school year.”
The
National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers the following tips
for drivers, kids and parents for kids on the school bus.
For
Drivers:
• When
backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking
or bicycling to school.
• When
driving in neighborhoods with school zones, watch out for young people who may
be thinking about getting to school, but may not be thinking of getting there
safely.
• Slow
down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no
sidewalks in the neighborhood.
• Slow
down. Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.
• Be
alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without
looking for traffic.
• Learn
and obey the school bus laws in your state. Learn the “flashing signal light
system” that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions.
Yellow flashing lights indicate that the bus is preparing to stop to load or
unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate that the bus has stopped,
and that children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and
wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn
and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.
For
children:
• Get
to the bus stop at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
• When
the bus approaches, stand at least three giant steps (six feet) away from the
curb, and line up away from the street.
• Wait
until the bus stops, the door opens and the driver says that it’s okay before
stepping onto the bus.
• If
you have to cross the street in front of the bus, walk on the sidewalk or along
the side of the road to a point at least five giant steps (10 feet) ahead of
the bus before you cross. Be sure that the bus driver can see you and you can
see the bus driver.
• Use
the handrails to avoid falls. When exiting the bus, be careful that clothing
with drawstrings, and book bags with straps don’t get caught in the handrails
or doors.
• NEVER
walk behind the bus.
• Walk
at least three giant steps away from the side of the bus.
• If
you drop something near the bus, tell the bus driver. NEVER try to pick it up
because the driver may not be able to see you.
For
Parents:
Teach
children to follow these common sense practices to make school bus
transportation safer.
School
starts bright and early on Wednesday, August 22. Please be sure your child gets
a good night’s sleep the night before and a good breakfast the morning of.
As you
prepare to send your children back to school, remember that nutrition is an
important factor in academic performance, according to www.usa.gov. Studies
have shown that children who eat healthful, balanced breakfasts and lunches are
more alert throughout the school day and earn higher grades than those who have
an unhealthy diet.
Also,
make sure your child’s immunizations are up-to-date, and make sure your child’s
immunization record at their school is current.
Boards to be held more accountable
The Guardian-Journal
The
Claiborne Parish Police Jury adopted an ordinance which sets policy for any
board or commission created by the police jury.
Ordinance
766, “An Ordinance to set the Minimum Standards and Reporting Policies of
Districts and/or Boards created by the Claiborne Parish Police Jury” includes
all the fire protection districts of the parish, waterworks districts,
recreations districts, industrial districts, communication districts, water
management districts, hospital districts and the Library Board of Control.
The
standards set forth by the ordinance is as follows:
•
Annual submission to the Claiborne Parish Police Jury of a copy of the annual
audit report conducted by an accounting firm approved by the Office of the
Legislative Auditor of the State of Louisiana.
•
Notification to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Claiborne Parish Police Jury via
email of all regular meetings conducted by the board and/or district and of any
special called meeting or committee meeting of the board and/or district (with
proposed agenda).
• All
public meetings of the districts and/or boards shall be recorded (digital file
is the preference) and shall be made available to the Claiborne Parish Police
Jury upon request.
• All
minutes of the boards and/or districts shall be type-written and submitted to
the Claiborne Parish Police Jury once they
are approved by said district and/or board via email to the Secretary-Treasurer
or by standard mail.
• All
boards and/or districts shall maintain residency records of all members on an
annual basis which shall be made available to the Claiborne Parish Police Jury
upon request.
Webster
Parish implemented an ordinance similar to this one and Claiborne Parish
adopted this ordinance as a safeguard to make sure the districts the police
jury is responsible for are following the policies and procedures set forth by
the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office.
The
ordinance will go into effect on September 1.
In
other police jury news, the board of review dates for the 2012 assessment on
the 2012 tax roll will be September 4-8 with the police jury sitting as a
formal board of review for any hearing, which will be at 9 a.m., Wednesday,
September 12.
Also,
Chic Hines will be stepping down from the Claiborne Parish Watershed District
Commission when his term ends on September 12. The police jury will consider
two people who are interested in taking the position: Sam Dowies and Randy
Pugh. The term will be from September 13, 2012 until September 12, 2016.
The
police jury also approved:
• The
reappointment of Bennie Lowery as the parish’s representative for the Sparta
Groundwater Commission. His term will be from October 15, 2012 until October
14, 2015.
• An
engagement letter for the audit of the police jury’s 2012 financial statements
from Bosch & Statham CPAs. The cost is $19,000 plus out of pocket expenses.
There is no increase from the previous year.
•
Naming a private road off Harris Road to Tanglefoot Ridge. This approval is
pending approval from the Claiborne E-911 Office. According to Matthew Ripp and
Candace Stanley Wimberly, they do not wish to make it a public road, they are
only asking for a sign. The property is located approximately three-tenths of a
mile from the intersection of Old Arcadia Road and Harris Road, south towards
Hwy. 80.
• Merit
raises for Operator I Brant Camp, Operator II Donald Farley and Operator II
Sonny Greeson.
•
Contract renewal with IBTS for administration of the parish building code
enforcement, as required by the state.
Recommendations
from the road committee included purchasing a grapple to go on a front loader
owned by the parish. According to Road Superintendent Tommy Durrett, this
grapple will be useful in the event of storms and other events. The cost is
approximately $12,000. It was approved. Also, the parish’s lowboy needs a fifth
wheel on the back of the truck. The fifth wheel swivels sideways and backwards.
It was approved for a cost of $3,741.
The
police jury also approved recommendations from the buildings and grounds
committee which include plans for reconstruction of the front of the tax
assessor’s office and a new awning. Construction will include an inner wall to
the entry and tear away the entrance, which will allow the tear away of the
front wall.
Also
approved was the replacement of the roof on the storage warehouse, which is
leaking. The Office of Community Services building will also get a new air
conditioning unit for their building.
In
other parish news, a motion was made to advertise abandoning a portion of Bella
Vista Road and constructing a gate that dead ends at properties 939 Bella Vista
and 942 Bella Vista. Both parties are in agreement with the construction of the
gate.
The
next police jury meeting will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday, September 12, in the
police jury room at the Claiborne Parish Police Jury Complex, 507 West Main
Street in Homer. For more information or for questions, please call their
office at 318-927-2222.
