Homer man arrested following high speed chase
Bonnie Culverhouse, Special to The Guardian-Journal
A Homer man took law enforcement officers on
a high-speed chase that reached 100 miles per hour before his vehicle crashed.
According to Troop G State Troopers’ reports,
Jerome Pickens, 31, was stopped in Bossier Parish Tuesday morning and attempted
to escape.
The chase led officers through Bossier
Parish, down Hwy. 164 into Webster Parish and to Hwy. 163 before Pickens’
vehicle wrecked.
According to Webster Parish Chief Deputy
Bobby Igo, Jr., Pickens was not injured in the accident.
He was immediately arrested and charged with
illegal tint, speeding, reckless operation, resisting, flight, driving with a
suspended license, and he had active warrants out of Claiborne and Webster
parishes.
He was transported to Bayou Dorcheat
Correctional Center.
This story was reprinted with permission
from the Minden Press-Herald.
Council meeting rescheduled
Police chief still not put on agenda
The Guardian-Journal
The Homer Town Council meeting set for this
past Monday was rescheduled for Wednesday, June 5, at 6 p.m., but the police
chief still won't be on it.
Homer Police Chief Russell Mills has asked
for the last several months to be placed on the agenda, the most recent for the
June meeting.
“These items are to put questions to rest
that keep coming up,” he said. “Until recently, I have had several requests
come across my desk asking for security. When town property is rented, I don’t
get those requests for security anymore. If there is a policy and procedure for
it, then let’s follow it.”
On May 13, he turned in a letter requesting
to be placed on the agenda for the following:
• “Policy on individuals renting Town
property i.e.: Town Hall, parks and playgrounds with intent to charge admission
for the activity being held on said properties for personal gain.
• “Policy on the Chief’s responsibility in
signing special activity request forms when Town property is rented to
determine how many officers need to be assigned, if any.
• “Policy and procedure for any (prospective)
hire other than a police officer.
• “Policy and procedure on any Town of Homer
employee who is paid as a salar(ied) employee.
• “The possibility of hiring a part-time
certified police officer to help cover the 1,600 hours of vacation leave that
was set for 2013 and was not budgeted.
• “The purpose for not signing purchase
orders for Gordon’s Service Center when the bid was less expensive.”
On May 30, he turned in a request to add
another item, “The possibility of starting up (a) Citizens on Patrol program.”
“Some people have shown some interest in
doing this (Citizens on Patrol),” he said. “I tried to get a reserve team put
together to help cover ball games and things of that nature, and she (Mayor
Alecia Smith) wouldn’t do that.”
Reasons for postponing the meeting were not
revealed in email correspondence by Town Clerk Lisa Foster. The agenda was
posted on the front door of Homer City Hall Friday, as required by public
meetings law. As of Monday morning, it was reported the agenda was no longer on
the door.
As approved by the Homer Town Council at the
beginning of this year, the meeting schedules have been set at 6 p.m., on the
first Monday of each month.
The only requirement of a governing body, in
this case the Homer Town Council, is the agenda of the rescheduled meeting must
be posted more than 24 hours in advance of the meeting’s occurrence, according
to Section 7(b)(i) of Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law.
“All public bodies, except the legislature
and its committees and subcommittees, shall give written public notice of any
regular, special, or rescheduled meetings no later than twenty-four hours
before the meeting,” according to the law.
The agenda for Wednesday is as follows:
“Old Business: A. Approve property
acquisition, Mayor Alecia N. Smith
“New Business: A. Approve Resolution 13-005
-- A Resolution Adopting the Citizen Participation plan for the CDBG Program --
Mayor Alecia N. Smith
“B. Approve Official Journal for the Town of
Homer -- Mayor Alecia N. Smith
“IX. Mayors Report
“X. Executive Session
“XI. Adjourn.”
The public hearing set for June 3 will be
rescheduled for a later date.
See next week’s edition of The
Guardian-Journal for more from the town council meeting.
Council recall petitions sent to governor
The Guardian-Journal
Recall petitions for three Homer Town Council
members have been mailed Gov. Bobby Jindal’s office, but at this time it is
unknown if any of the three will be recalled.
According to Claiborne Parish Registrar of
Voters Patricia Sanders, the petitions were mailed off and the decision is now
in the hands of the governor.
“We mailed the petitions to the Governor’s
Office, and he has 15 days to decide whether or not to call a special
election,” Sanders said.
Petitions were turned in for Linda Mozeke,
District 1, Patricia Jenkins, District 5 and Carlette Sanford, District 4.
Petitions were not turned in for Michael Wade, District 2 or Don McCalman,
District 3, Sanders said.
A recall petition is also circulating for
Mayor Alecia Smith, and the deadline for those signatures to be turned in is in
August.
“We’re making very good progress, and our
group is going through and making sure the signators are registered,” Willie
Curry, recall petition chairman, said. “We’ve gotten a very enthusiastic
response on the mayor’s petition, and we’re optimistic and excited about the
enthusiasm of those who are signing the petition.”
Currently, the number of signatures has not
been counted, Curry said.
The recall petitions began soon after the
town council attempted to disband the police department. Many in the community
reeled in shock and began attending council meetings voicing their concerns
about the council’s move.
The intent of the council’s vote was to turn
over law enforcement duties to the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office and reduce
Homer Police Chief Russell Mill’s salary to marshal’s pay at $400 per month.
The idea, also, was to change Chief Mills’ title to Marshal.
Chief Mills retained counsel, filed and was
granted and injunction to stop the enforcement of the council’s vote. Second
Judicial District Judge Jimmy Teat ruled in favor of the police department,
ordering the town to pay attorney’s fees and court costs.
Since then, Chief Mills and Mayor Smith have
been at odds concerning his department while the community continues to
question the mayor and council on spending and expenses at Homer City Hall.
Funding questions remain for school board budget
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
A budget for the 2013-14 school year will not
be presented at Thursday’s school board meeting because questions remain about
Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) funding.
According to Claiborne Schools Business
Manager Fred Evans, the reason for not doing so is multi-faceted.
The declaration of Acts 1 and 2 as
unconstitutional made school systems’ MFP allotments null and void. While no
Claiborne Parish students have enrolled in the voucher program, it is still affected
in that it cannot produce a proposed budget.
“If they don’t know, how can we prepare a
budget?” Evans asked, referring to the Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education (BESE).
And that is the crux of the issue: How does
BESE produce a workable MFP formula for the years in which school systems
across the state have paid money for the vouchers, and how do school systems
get it back?
According to a published article in The Times
of Shreveport, State Superintendent John White said school systems would
receive $12 million in refunds to replace money taken for the voucher program.
The court’s action to throw out the MFP
formula, used to calculate salaries and benefits based on a per pupil basis,
reverts it back to the 2011-12 calculations.
“I’m waiting for them to prepare an MFP
simulation for the coming year, which they will base on our monthly MFP,” Evans
said. “When I get that, I may have a clearer picture of what their intent is
for 2013-14.”
Instead, a proposed budget will be presented
by September, he said, although the fiscal year begins July 1.
“The state law says (we) can wait and
continue to operate on a continuing budget,” Evans said. “That’s the way we’ve
always operated, and that’s the way a lot of people do it.”
Other questions include whether the school
board will have to pay up to 30 percent more for retirement if Supt. White
gives teachers a one-time pay raise. This would not include support staff,
Evans said.
Historically, school systems had a 2.75
percent increase in its MFP every year; however, in the last five years, that
increase has been frozen, forcing school systems to absorb more expenses and
higher costs.
Rep. Patrick Jefferson, District 11, said
House Bill 1, the appropriations bill, was to be heard on the House floor
Tuesday morning, and if it does not have the annual 2.75 percent increase, the
House plans to reject it and send it to conference to ensure the increase is in
the bill.
“Hopefully that will be a help to all of our
districts,” Jefferson said. “The important thing is the money that was taken
from the MFP will be returned. (House Bill 1) will also give increases as it
relates to employees and other areas.”
This also means an adjustment would have to
take place, but what kind? The 2011-12 formula does not account for the
payments made to the voucher program for students who wish to attend private,
charter or parochial schools. However, Supt. White intends to shift $45 million
in voucher funds out of the MFP, leaving local shares out of the formula.
In May’s school board meeting, board members
rigorously questioned Evans and School Board Attorney Bob Hammonds regarding
how the budget would be compiled for this coming school year. Hammonds
emphasized that the question has been how school systems will recover funds
taken from the MFP to fund the voucher program.
Yet, the question still remains, “Where will
the money come from to refund money taken from the local school systems?”
According to The Times article, the Senate
has rejected the proposed MFP formula and sent it back to BESE for revamping.
Hit and run victim gets assistance through CPSO
The Guardian-Journal
On December 4, 2012, Ernest Sogokuru’s life
changed forever.
He was the victim of a hit and run in Homer,
suffering multiple injuries as a result. According to a news release from the
Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office (CPSO), Sogokuru has not been able to work
since that date and is dependent on government programs and church family to
survive.
CPSO, through the Louisiana Commission on Law
Enforcement, has filed a claim with the Crime Victim’s Reparations Board in
Baton Rouge to assist Sogokuru with medical expenses and loss of wages.
Sheriff Ken Bailey is proud to forward to him
a $500 check as an emergency award, with the final claim to be filed when all
the paperwork is completed.
An arrest was made within a few short days
after the incident, when Homer Police were able to track down the vehicle and
the driver that struck Sogokuru.
Harvey Henry Huse II, of Homer, was charged
with first degree vehicular negligent injuring, hit and run, failure to report
an accident, obstruction of justice and careless operation.
Homer Police Chief Russell Mills received a tip
that led to Huse’s residence, and when contact with Huse was made, police say
he admitted to the hit and run.
According to a letter to the editor from Jim
Allen of Roanoke, Va., where Sogokuru calls home, Sogokuru continues to make
progress in his physical healing.
“Ernest, after spending several days in
hospitals in both Shreveport and Roanoke, Va., is recovering from multiple
broken bones and a lacerated liver,” Allen said in the letter. “He will not be
able to return to work for at least one year.”
The Crime Victim’s Reparation Board enables
the sheriff’s office to assist victims of violent crime in Claiborne Parish.
If you or someone you know has been the
victim of a violent crime, please contact Deputy Donna Smith at 318-927-9800.
Annual Chamber Cake Auction June 12
The Claiborne
Chamber of Commerce Annual Cake Auction will be from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at
Homer City Hall on Wednesday, June 12. The meal, for a cost of $6, will be
catered by Upper Crust Catering. For more information, please call Chamber
Executive Director John Watson at 318-927-3271.
Lake Claiborne Boat Parade, Fireworks Show slated for July 5
The 2013 Lake
Claiborne Boat Parade and Fireworks Show is set for Friday, July 5. The boat
parade begins at 7:15 p.m. with line up at Pleasure Point Marina. The route
will make its way around the lake to Lake Claiborne State Park. A commemorative
hat is given to each boat parade captain while supplies last, with one hat per
boat only. This year’s show is expected to be a huge success with more fireworks
this year than any other time! Beginning at 9 p.m., the fireworks show will be
a spectacular event with 1,330 display effects. Handling the fireworks show
again this year is Artisan Pyrotechnics of Wiggins, Miss. Even with the show
coming up quickly, there is still time to make a tax deductible donation to
help make this year’s show a bigger success than the previous year. To donate,
please make checks payable to Fourth of July Fireworks for Lake Claiborne,
Inc., and mail it to P.O. Box 181, Homer, LA 71040.
