Two accidents within minutes
Photos courtesy of Dennis Butcher
Those involved in two motor vehicle
accidents within a few minutes of each other are lucky. Pictured above, law
enforcement and emergency personnel responded to this accident at St. John
Wednesday afternoon when both drivers topped a hill at the same time. Kaitlyn
Nelson, the driver of the white pickup truck, was just a few feet over the
center line as she and Jonathan Wood of Dubach topped a hill. Nelson sustained
several injuries, including several broken bones and a cracked pelvis.
Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey said she is expected to make a full
recovery. In another accident, Louisiana State Police worked an accident in
which Deborah Webb, of Homer, crossed the center line northbound on U.S. 79,
saying she fell asleep, and collided head-on with Vernell Harris of Minden, who
was driving a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am. Webb, driving a 2008 Chevy Impala, was
cited for careless operation. Alcohol was not believed to be a factor.
Emilee’s home!!!!
Toddler faring well after surgery
Little Emilee Holloway is now at home
following brain surgery that has since left her seizure free. She and parents,
Brad and Jennifer, came home over the weekend and have had the community
welcome them home. Above, Emilee is pictured with Dad. At right, welcome home
signs dotted La. 518 as the Holloway family came in from Cook Children’s
Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. See next week’s edition for a full update!
Members of Claiborne Academy's Homecoming
Court are, front row, Freshman Maid Allee Furlow and Senior Maid Skye
Dettenheim; middle row, Sophomore Maid Vivian Carter and Junior Maid Madison
Butler; back row, Spirit Sweetheart Mary Laura Clark, Homecoming Queen Kameron
Simpson, and Football Sweetheart Kirsten Dowies. Claiborne Academy will
celebrate Homecoming on Friday, Oct. 12. Presentation of the Homecoming Court
will be at 12:45 p.m. in the school gym, followed by a pep rally at 2. Alumni
tailgating will be at 4. A pre-game car parade for court members will start at
6:15, and the Rebels will kick off against Riverdale at 7 p.m. The court will
be presented during halftime of the game.
‘Every choice has a consequence’
State Police talk to teens about
drinking and driving
The Guardian-Journal photos/Michelle
Bates
Louisiana State Trooper Matt Harris,
Public Information Officer, talks to high school students at Claiborne Academy
about drinking, driving and the science of driving while impaired. Harris
conducted a presentation the week before CA’s homecoming to stress the
importance of being safe while having fun. At left, Louisiana State Police
Trooper Matt Harris ‘walks the line’ as Claiborne Academy student Presley
Shirey attempts to walk toe-to-toe on the line. Shirey is wearing ‘drunk’
goggles, which makes it difficult to walk a straight line. She is supposed to
be on the black line. This is one of several tests used by law enforcement to
detect impairment of a driver. If a driver is found to be impaired, the
consequences are serious, including years of jail time, fines and having to
live with hurting someone if found impaired in an accident with another
motorist.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Each
choice has a consequence.
That
seemed to be the theme of a presentation at Claiborne Academy as law
enforcement and others touched by drunk driving shared their stories and
experiences with the high school juniors and seniors. Louisiana State Trooper
Matt Harris, Public Information Officer, conducted a presentation, bringing
well-rounded information to students about the effects of drunk driving, the
science of impairment and what the consequences are.
He
talked about the effects on the body, sobering up myths and tests for
impairment. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, he said.
“It
attacks your brain. Everybody knows somebody that’s been affected by an
impaired driver,” he told the students. “It is a drug.”
He
talked about the different types of alcohol: wood alcohol, ethyl alcohol
(vodka) and moonshine.
Some of
the effects of impairment are that it attacks the fine motor skills, loss of
discretion, loss of memory, loss of self-control, increased confidence, no
willpower, impaired speech patterns, impaired equilibrium and impaired judgment
and reflexes.
“(Alcohol)
is soluble in water,” he said. “It seeks out organs high in water content,
which include the brain, spinal cord and nerves.”
Only 10
percent of alcohol intake is passed through the body, Harris said. The other 90
percent is metabolized through the liver.
Showers,
coffee and food DO NOT sober you up! “Only time will sober you up,” he said.
The
legal limit for a person to be considered impaired is .08 blood alcohol level
-- that’s for an adult. For a teen, it’s a .02 blood alcohol level. If a teen
is found to be impaired while driving, his driver’s license is suspended for
180 days.
So what
happens when an impaired person gets behind the wheel of a vehicle? It could
cost a life or several lives. In fact, Harris said, motor vehicle accidents are
the leading cause of death in teens.
“I’m
here today to get your attention,” he said. “Every 13
minutes, someone is killed in a motor vehicle accident.”
In
fact, not just cars and bicycles are considered vehicles. Boats, lawnmowers,
four-wheelers are all vehicles.
In
discussing motor vehicle accidents, Harris turned the floor over to a woman who
nearly lost everyone in her family because of an impaired driver. Vanessa
Braggs, with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), told her story, moving many
to tears.
She
lost most of her family 18 years ago. On October 8, 18 years ago, her husband
and two of her three children -- the youngest two -- were killed in a car
accident that left her and her oldest son severely injured.
“That
night, we met an impaired driver going 105 miles per hour head on,” Braggs said. “I lost my provider. I lost my best friend. My
children lost their father -- all because of a choice a man made that night.”
she
described her own experience with her injuries, saying she has eight plates in
her face and her mouth was wired shut for three months, only able to pass baby
food through the wires. She now suffers chronic hip pain, but instead of going
on disability, she made the choice to go back to work.
“I
refuse to give up,” she said.
The
hardest part of her journey following the accident happened within a few days.
She had to make the decision to take one of her two sons off life support. The
doctors had done everything they could do. The day she and her family had to
make that seemingly impossible choice, she had just woken up from a three-day
coma.
Today,
Braggs works with MADD to bring awareness to people about the effects of drunk
driving and to share her story with others. With the support of God, her
family, friends and church family, Braggs and her oldest son have become
survivors. Braggs has since remarried and moved forward with her life. While
she has moved forward, she still cries at times and misses her late husband and
children dearly.
“Every
choice has a consequence,” she said.
Assistant
District Attorney Jim Colvin spoke to the teens about the prosecution side of
impaired driving. Whether it’s a first offense or fourth offense, there are no
deals, he said.
“I’ve
seen tragedy and I’ve seen families destroyed because of drunk driving,” he
said. “It’s something that doesn’t seem to go away.”
He said
he gets numerous calls from people who ask for leniency, but they won’t find it
with him. He talked about some of the cases, without using names, saying he’s
seen these families torn asunder because of one choice one person made.
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey also talked about tragedy and the events he’s seen
with young drivers.
“Drinking
and driving do not mix,” Bailey told the students. “It’s ugly; it’s terrible.
Some of the fatal wrecks were kids your age.”
He also
talked directly to them, saying he knew homecoming was coming up this week.
“For
you seniors -- last game, last dance -- be careful,” he said. “These are the
best years of your life. Enjoy them, but be careful and use common sense.”
He also
said his deputies were watching the roads closely surrounding CA, because they’ve
already had two complaints this school year of kids driving too fast to school.
He also
talked about cell phones and driving.
“I love
my phone,” he said. “It’s got the weather, the ESPN channel so I can keep up
with all my sports, but don’t text and drive.”
On a
serious note, he said, “You like to burn ‘em up talking and texting. God forbid
I have to come to talk to your mom and dad and tell them you were in a bad
wreck.”
In
closing, Captain Doug Cain, from Baton Rouge, said the police training academy
teaches officers to do all kinds of things, like shoot a firearm, hand-to-hand
combat, how to conduct traffic stops, “but the one thing they don’t teach you
is how to do a death notification.”
He said
the easiest way to stay safe in a car is to buckle up. In fact, when someone is
in a car accident, many times, police will subpoena phone records to see if the
driver was texting at the time of the crash.
Another
thing mentioned is that if a high school student gets a federal conviction for
impaired driving, TOPS scholarships are automatically revoked.
Jane
Brown, headmistress of CA, told her personal story of being affected by a drunk
driver, saying that when she tells students she loves them and cares about
them, she truly means it.
“I care
about each and every one of you,” she said.
Women celebrate GED graduation
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
Rashanda Quearles, representative of the
summer GED class at the Claiborne Parish Women’s Jail, was part of a small celebration
after she received her General Equivalency Diploma. Pictured with Quearles, far
left, is CPWJ Warden Sophia Burns, Claiborne Parish Police Jury Secretary
Treasurer Dwayne Woodard and Director of the Women’s GED course, Dr. Pat Bates.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
For
some women, getting a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) is more than about
getting a degree -- it’s about changing their lives.
Rashanda
Quearles, a new graduate of the GED program at the Claiborne Parish Women’s
Jail, celebrated a new beginning in her life as she received her certificate.
With a path that put her behind bars and two children to think about, it is a
program like this that gave her a fresh start.
There
were three graduates total: Quearles, Traci Whittwer and Heather Willis.
“I’ve
wanted this for a long time,” she said of obtaining her GED. “My cousin pushed
me when I was in here (in jail) and I finally did it.”
She
encouraged the current women in the fall class by saying these few simple words
-- “Just keep on doing it.”
Quearles
is a representative of the summer graduating class.
“A GED
is just a stepping stone -- a start,” said Dr. Pat Bates, who heads up the GED
program at the Claiborne Parish Women’s Jail. “My greatest joy is helping other
people. We want to help these women make the transition from in here to out
there. Re-entry is a major thrust with the DOC (Department of Corrections).”
Frosty
Neal, director of a faith-based addiction recovery program at the jail,
expressed her heartfelt gratitude in being able to work with these women and be
a part of changing their lives.
“What
started out was not intended to end like this,” she
said, speaking of the spiritual journey many of these women have gone through.
“This is wonderful. What you see when you walk out the door is better
opportunity. You can see the possibilities and see the opportunity. You guys
are very special to me.”
She
told the women she wanted to leave them with these blessings: that they feel
God’s encouragement, that God gives them an opportunity and that God gives them
strength as they re-enter the world.
Sadie
Flucas, a teacher and volunteer with the GED program,
said there are three things to success. One is coachability, having the
willingness to learn from others and use what they learn. Two is focus; keep a
goal in mind. Three is a good work ethic, being persistent in what you learn.
“I want
to encourage you to keep that in mind,” she said to the women, “and you really
can do whatever you want to do.”
Sophie
Burns, warden of the Claiborne Parish Women’s Jail, said she was so proud of
these women.
“I’m
proud of them for trying and wanting to,” she said.
The GED
program at the women’s jail began about two years ago and has graduated two
classes so far. Bates has worked tirelessly to mentor these women and give them
hope for a better life when they leave incarceration. She lets them know they
are not defined by the crimes they committed, and they do have a bright future
ahead of them.
This
program not only offers the core courses to get a diploma but encouragement to
do better and strive for better things. And through Celebrate Recovery, these
women are offered a spiritual foundation with which to build their lives once
they re-enter society.
The DOC
relies heavily on faith-based programs to help all offenders rehabilitate, with
the idea of reducing the recidivism rate in Louisiana’s prisons. In fact,
Louisiana is ranked as having one of the highest incarceration rates in the
United States, and it’s through programs such as this that offer offenders a
hand up and a way to break the cycle.
Claiborne Parish Fair October 14-20
The Guardian-Journal
The
Claiborne Parish Fair is just around the corner and it’s expected to be a
blast!
Officially
opening on Tuesday, October 16, at 5 p.m., following the Claiborne Parish Fair
Parade at 4 p.m., several specials will be going on, along with livestock
shows, arts and crafts, and the Claiborne Parish Fair Queen pageant. There is
sure to be fun for everyone!
A
schedule of events is as follows:
Sunday, October 14
1 until
4 p.m.: School and Club poster displays; set up in north end, General Exhibit
entries accepted. (No bakery items accepted, only canned foods.)
1 p.m.:
Livestock to begin arriving
4 p.m.:
Start weighing goats, lambs and swine
6 p.m.:
Deadline for goat, lamb, swine and commercial heifer weigh-in
Monday, October 15
9 a.m.
until 5 p.m.: General exhibit entries and fresh crops and vegetables accepted
(No bakery items accepted, only canned foods.) School and Poster Displays set
up (Exception -- Art and photography accepted only until noon.)
6 p.m.:
4-H Poultry and Egg Cookery Contest, all dairy and beef cattle must be in barn
(Exception: Dairy Cows in milk must arrive morning of dairy show.) All entries
must be in the barn.
Tuesday, October 16 (School students will only go to
school a half day)
9 until
10 a.m.: Bakery items accepted and fresh vegetables accepted
10 a.m.:
Judging of all entries and poultry (except livestock), General Exhibit judging
4 p.m.:
Claiborne Parish Fair Parade (2012 Grand Marshals will be Nurlie Foster and
J.C. Ruple)
4 p.m.
until closing: CARNIVAL OPENS!!!!
5 p.m.:
Judge goats and lambs, judge market and breeding swine
Wednesday, October 17
9 a.m.
until noon: School Group Day (Day care, Pre-k through fourth grades
2 until
4 p.m.: Bingo at the South End of the Fair Building
4 p.m.:
Claiborne Parish Rabbit Show (Livestock Barn)
6 p.m.:
CARNIVAL OPEN!!!!
6 p.m.:
Judge dairy and beef
Thursday, October 18
6 p.m.:
CARNIVAL OPENS!!!!
6 p.m.:
Buyers Supper for all Sales Supporters
7 p.m.:
Junior Livestock Sale
Friday, October 19
9 until
11 a.m.: Remove all exhibits and displays
6 p.m.:
CARNIVAL OPEN!!!!
Saturday, October 20
9 a.m.
until 3 p.m.: Antique and Vintage Tractor and Equipment Show
(Registration from 8 until 9 a.m.)
6 p.m.
until closing: CARNIVAL OPEN!!!!
5 p.m.:
Claiborne Parish Fair Queen Pageant (Rules and entry forms will be printed in
the local newspapers)
This
year’s Claiborne Parish Fair Association includes the 2012 Fair Directors T.N.
“Tip” Sherman, president, Wayne Kilpatrick, vice president, Clair Traylor,
secretary, Charles Garrett, treasurer. Board members include Janell Brown, Sherline
Carver, Tim Crittendon, Lillie Harper, Brandy Holt, J.R. Holt, Nan Liles, Jimmy
Monzingo, J.C. Ruple, Carla Smith, Herbert Taylor, Buddy Thomas and Bill
Traylor. Advisors to the board are Dr. P. Colyer, Teresa Raley and Lee Faulk.
For
more information on contests and contest rules (excluding the Fair Queen
Pageant), please pick up a copy of the Claiborne Parish Fair Catalog at any of
the following locations: Homer and Haynesville City Halls, Curves, Ted’s
Pharmacy, Killgore’s Pharmacy, Fred Smith and Sons, All Homer Banks, Claiborne
Extension Office, Gibsland Bank and Trust in Athens and Carla’s Cut & Curl.
Fuller Center seeking volunteers
The
Fuller Center for Housing of Claiborne Parish is seeking volunteers to help
build and repair homes. The Fuller Center is also asking for monetary donations
to help eradicate poverty housing. Those interested in giving a helping hand
may get involved through their church, business owners or individually. For
anyone who would like to help, please contact Jeffrey Rhone at 318-927-1161 or
David Colbert, Family Resources, at 318-624-1698 or 318-225-2344. The Fuller
Center for Housing is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax
deductible.
