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Published July 8, 2009
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High-speed chase abandoned, but driver later arrested (published July 8, 2009)
On the evening of June 26 some residents in the lower part of the parish may
have seen a high-speed chase similar to those seen on TV cop shows.
Catahoula Parish Deputies were in pursuit of a vehicle which radar had indicated
was traveling at 130 mph.
The vehicle, a green BMW, was initially locked into the radar near the Utility
area by Deputy Robert Wiley. As Wiley tried to initiate a traffic stop, he
observed the BMW force several oncoming vehicles onto the shoulder of the road.
The BMW then turned onto Llanada Lane then onto Hwy. 124 and headed toward
Larto.
The pursuit, which involved CPSO, Jonesville P.D., and State Police, continued through the Larto area and onto the Vick Road, where
the chase was abandoned due to visibility being obscured by dusty road
conditions.
CPSO soon determined the identity of the driver of the vehicle, and a warrant
was issued for his arrest.
Arrested was Lloyd Crooks, 62, of Pineville. Crooks was arrested by Chief Deputy Rickey White and was booked into the CPSO
Jail on charges of flight from an officer, reckless operation, and speeding in
excess of 90 mph.
JPD nabs drug offenders (published July 8, 2009)
Jonesville Police arrested three individuals on drug charges last weekend while
running street interdiction.
Arrested were:
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Michael Anthony Ellis, 50, of Krotz Springs, charged with possession of
marijuana, open container, and improper turn.
Ervin Dixon, 61, of Ferriday, charged with possession of marijuana and improper
lane usage.
George Woods, 58, of Jonesville, charged with possession of drug paraphernalia
and no seat belt.
Also arrested, but on non-drug related charges, were:
Twanna Moore, 21, of Alexandria, charged with aggravated second degree battery
and cruelty to a juvenile. Booked into to Catahoula Parish Jail and transported
to Franklin Parish.
Marilyn T. Williams, 52, of 913 MLK Dr., Jonesville, charged with theft of a
purse.
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Stolen road grader recovered (published July 8, 2009)
On May 12, 2009, CPSO received a report of a road grader stolen from the
Manifest area. The Caterpiller, belonging to D
&J Construction, was taken from an area near a constrction site, and a reward of
$5,000 was offered.
Last week, the Sheriff's Office received a tip that the grader was possibly
located in Adams County, MS.
Investigators Jesse Edwards and Raymond Rouse recovered the machine just outside
the city limits of Natchez, but the investigation concerning who actually took
the grader is still ongoing.
In other burglaries and thefts:
Tracy Bowie reported the theft of a four-wheeler on June 8. The investigation
led to the arrest of Cody B. Day, 18, and three 16-year-old juveniles. The
four-wheeler was recovered on June 16.
Leland Store owner Curt Crawford reported a break-in on June 11. Several hundred
dollars worth of merchandise was taken. Inv. Raymond Rouse was able to recover
some items. Two juveniles, 14 and 15-years-old, were arrested.
Also on June 11, a house belonging to Christy Zavala was broken into on Hwy.
3148 where some items were taken out of the house. The investigation led to the
arrest of two juveniles, ages 14 and 15, and Inv. Jesse Edwards was able to
recover the items that were stolen.
Bridge demolition opens door for Troyville research (published July 8, 2009)
By Stanley Nelson
Concordia Sentinel
Once the old Black River Bridge at Jonesville is demolished in an explosion
later this month, archaeologists will have another opportunity to learn more
about the Native Americans who built the 82-foot high Great Mound an estimated
1,400 years ago.
That's because part of that mound built by the Troyville Indians was used as an
approach fill for the old bridge in the 1930s. After the demolition,
tentatively slated for July 16th, archaeologists will sift through the dirt to
see if any artifacts can be found which may shed even more light on this
mysterious Indian culture.
Afterward, the dirt will be used to build a replica of the Great Mound.
In the meantime, the Archaeological Conservancy recently announced it has
purchased property which was part of the Troyville mound group from C.R.
Craddock. The property, located on Pond Street, was owned by the family of
Craddock's wife for many years.
The Conservancy said that the old house located on the property was recently
torn down and that it "will landscape and fence the site. Mound 4 will now
serve as a research preserve that suggests the glory of the ancient Troyville."
Northeast Regional Archaeologist Joe Saunders of the University of Louisiana
Monroe said the Troyville "earthworks were among the largest in North America.
Very little is known about the Troyville culture. We presume that many of the
more durable artifacts were incorporated in the mound fill used for the
approach to the Black River bridge. Excavations, hopefully, will recover many
examples of how they decorated their pottery and made their projectile points.
This will help archaeologists study the continuity of Troyville culture with
the earlier Marksville culture."
Saunders said one thing is clear: "We can't afford to again miss the opportunity
to recover artifacts from the Troyville Great Mound.
Bill Atkins, who is spearheading the effort to build a replica of the Great
Mound, said 38 people attended a meeting with the James Construction Group LLC
and the Louisiana Department of Transportation
& Development last week to discuss the demolition of the old bridge which was
built in the early 1930s under the administration of Gov. Huey Long.
Also on hand were Saunders and archaeologist Aubry "Butch" Lee of Earth Search.
Lee will examine the approach fill for artifacts.
"The Great Mound replica will be located on Hwy. 84 on Catahoula Parish School
Board property, and the School Board is going to incorporate our Native
American heritage into next year's school curriculum," Atkins said.
Raffle tickets are being sold for $5 each. The winner will "press the button"
firing the explosion to demolish the old bridge. Jonesville Alderman Jackie
Rouse said the drawing is slated for July 10th and that "only a limited number"
of tickets remain.
"Troyville was a thriving Native American site," said Atkins. "One of the mounds
is referred to as the Great Mound because it was the second tallest in North
America and the tallest in Louisiana before it was torn down for the bridge
approach.."
He said the Great Mound was "a three-tiered structure resembling the pyramids of
Egypt. The archaeological importance of Troyville is made abundantly clear when
a national organization, the Archaeological Conservancy, steps forward and
purchases one of the Troyville mounds."
Archaeologists say the Troyville Indians stood about 5.6 inches on average as
adults, and relied on fish, deer, small mammals, birds, reptiles, wild seeds,
fruits and nuts for survival.
William Dunbar of Natchez, a planter and scientist, along with Dr. George Hunter
of Philadelphia, provided the first detailed written description of the mounds,
including The Great Mound, during their exploration of the Ouachita River in
1804-05. In the years to follow others visited and wrote about this site.
By 1852, the Great Mound had been reduced in height to 60 feet and was leveled
even more during the Civil War to construct Confederate rifle pits. Jonesville
was founded in 1871 and utilized some of the mounds as the town grew,
and the mounds were temporary homes to flood refuges for generations.
In 1931, the contractor who was building the bridge across the Black needed dirt
to construct the approach on the Jonesville side of the river and The Great
Mound became the source.
At that time 78 years ago, Winslow Walker of the Smithsonian was excavating
mound sites along the Red River at Natchitoches when he heard about the
leveling of the Great Mound. Walker raced to Jonesville to excavate what was
left.
Saunders of ULM said Walker was especially interested in the site because of
"its exotic features, such as the cane dome, which was layered like a onion.
There was a layer of split cane, covered with dirt. Then cane and more dirt.
The builders were conscious of selecting different colors of dirt, too, such as
blue clays and red clays."
Saunders also noted that there was "a palisade wall at the base of the mound,"
and "log steps up the corner of the mound."
Walker published a 103-page booklet on his work, noting that "the demolition
work began during the early part of the summer in 1931 and continued for about
a month. Day and night shifts were employed, requiring steam shovels, horses
and scrapers, along with large gangs of laborers. The hard and closely packed
clay which the aboriginal builders had used in their construction was removed."
For weeks, the people of Jonesville choked in a cloud of dust. The late Elnor
Swayze said that mothers feared the dust caused tuberculosis. Many kept their
children indoors for fear of catching the debilitating disease.
This Native American site in Jonesville was named Troyville after Troy
Plantation, which, according to Walker, "formed part of a Spanish grant of
1,000 acres made to one John (Caddy) Hebrard in 1786, which included the site
of a group of large mounds surrounded by an earthen embankment running from
Little River
around to Black River on the south."
JVFD welcomes new member (published July 8, 2009)
The Jonesville Volunteer Fire Department has a new member, a four-legged one. Ax is an eight-week-old Dalmatian. He was
given to Jonesville Fire Chief Winnard Bennett as a birthday gift from his
grandmother.
