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Catahoula Police Jury says it’s out of money (published September 30, 2009)
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The Catahoula Parish Police Jury accepted a list of proposed projects to be
handled with the $2.27 million in CDBG Disaster Recovery funds received by
Catahoula Parish. The Jury also discussed the plight of the parish's General
Fund and its inability to cope with the many state mandated expenditures.
Kendall Magee presented the Jury with list of projects, which were all drainage
related. Engineer Ken McManus explained that although there were numerous
projects on the list, all of them would not be completed.
"We've listed about four million dollars worth of work, and we only have two
million dollars in funds to work with," said McManus. "So we can't do them
all."
McManus said the overabundance of work on the list would help by allowing the
Jury to "skip" to the next site on the list if one or more projects become
hindered by environmental issues or the like.
Police Jury president Libby Ford noted that the list would be more refined for
the next meeting.
Ford addressed the Jury's General Fund problems when the last item on the
agenda, a letter from the Judge's office requesting pay raises for two
employees, came up.
Ford noted that the Jury had cut corners everywhere it could, including cutting
insurance for Jury employees, and just could not afford to pay for any raises
to anyone.
"We do not have the money to do this," said Ford. "If we did, we wouldn't have
cut the insurance on our own employees. We are out of money."
Ford said she had spoken with the legislative auditor and written a letter to
the Governor asking for advise on the Jury's financial situation.
Ford's letter to Governor Jindal reads as follows:
The Catahoula Parish Police Jury would like to express gratitude for the many
visits and assistance you have given to the parish and its residents. We are
very proud of you as Governor of the State of Louisiana and the many
accomplishments you have achieved.
The Jury would like to use this means to notify you, as Governor of Louisiana,
that as of September 1, 2009, our liability for the Catahoula Parish Police
Jury General Fund and Criminal Court Fund exceeds our revenues. We are in an
insolvent situation as we are unable to borrow any money at this time due to
the inability to pay back a loan.
The Jury currently is paying back a loan of $500,000 that had to be taken out
two years ago to correct a severe deficit situation.
We have cut all the non-mandated expenditures that we had, including health
insurance coverage for our employees. Catahoula Parish is at the maximum sales
tax allowed for parishes, therefore we cannot ask for an increase in our sales
tax.
At this point forward, we are unable to satisfy the debts of the Jury.
The Catahoula Parish Police Jury is requesting your assistance and advice on
what steps the Jury needs to take next to resolve this financial situation.
The Jury agreed to send a letter to the Judge's office stating that Jury could
not currently increase any salaries.
JPD seizes drug offender’s vehicle for Town of Jonesville (published September 30, 2009)
The Jonesville Police Department recently added a new vehicle to the Town of
Jonesville's fleet.
JPD arrested Ben Hatten, Sr. and Levi Drumgoole on July 8, 2009 on charges of
possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with
intent to distribute, and possession of drug paraphernalia. JPD, with the
assistance of the District Attorney's Office, began forfeiture proceedings on
Hatten's truck, a 1999 Mazda pick-up, soon after the arrest.
The truck became the property of the Town of Jonesville on September 18, 2009.
State Law R.S. 40:2601 gives law enforcement the power to seize property
involved in drug related arrests.
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"Drug dealers beware," said Roy. "We will now be targeting not only you, but
your property as well."
In recent arrests, JPD nabbed two Texas men on drug charges on September 20,
2009.
Arrested were Craig Allen Hill, 37, and Gabriel Guerra, 27, both of Ft. Worth,
Texas. Both men were charged with possession of marijuana and possession of
drug paraphernalia.
Parhams FD takes first responder class (published September 30, 2009)
Parhams Fire Department would like to
thank Northeast Ambulance Service for giving a first responders class in
Catahoula Parish for the local fire departments and other personnel. We were
really pleased with the turn out in attendance, and would like to thank
everyone that participated. We took a 7 week class with Mrs. Janice Posey
teaching and really enjoyed it.
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In the picture from left to right (top row): U.L. Finister, Oliver Brandenburg,
Instructor Janice Posey, Justin Spinks, Tracie Brown, Frederick Smith, Justin
Granger, Joshua Calkins. (bottom row) Nathaniel Courville, Margie Price,
Melanie Woodson, Tonye Daniel, Denise Broussard, Lester Jefferson, David
Chevallier. Not pictured our fallen brother Samuel Keith Brooks.
Motorcycle crash claims life (published September 30, 2009)
Sunday afternoon, a single vehicle crash claimed the life of a young man.
Troopers responded to the crash around 3:15 pm, which occurred on LA Hwy 124 at
Brooks Road.
The crash involved a 2008 Honda FXS motorcycle, driven by Casey E. Butler (W/M
20 yrs) of Jonesville, LA.
The Honda was south bound on LA Hwy 124 when Butler lost control and exited the
right side of the roadway.
After exiting the roadway, the Honda traveled down an embankment before
impacting a tree.
Butler was wearing a helmet, but was pronounced dead.
The crash remains under investigation.
Jones-Liddell re-enactment promises murder and mayhem (published September 30, 2009)
Treachery! Intrigue! Death Threats! Assassinations! Ambushes! Murder trials!
Charles Jones shot at the Elmly House; Samuel Glen murdered in the Glen Ditch;
Liddell assassinated on the steamboat St. Mary; the Joneses gunned down at the
Sargent house.
That’s what you will be a part of if you join us at the Jones-Liddell Feud
Re-enactment on Saturday, November 7th, at 1:00, at Four Rivers Park.
This infamous affair began on Black River in the year 1852 and came to a tragic
climax in Harrisonburg, Louisiana, in 1870, over eighteen years after it began.
And it grew to such proportions that 18 men from Harrisonburg to New Orleans
took up the quarrel and killed each other because of it.
And speaking of the Catahoula families involved! Are you related to the Joneses, Liddells, Campbells, Browns, Cottons, Reeves,
Taliaferros, Averys, Glens, Wiggins, Coneys, Daytons, Beards, Ballards,
Sargents?
If you are, then you will watch actors playing the parts of your ancestors who
lived over 150 years ago.
Henry Arthur Taliaferro will play the part of his great, great, great,
grandfather, Judge J. G. Taliaferro, and John Ballard Chisum of Sicily Island
will play the part of his great, great, great grandfather, Sheriff Oliver G.
Ballard.
More actors to be announced as plans are finalized. Stay tuned!
s/Dot Cotton Lazarus
Grant Parish deputies involved in shooting (published September 30, 2009)
The Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office was involved in a shooting last Sunday in Pollock.
The Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office arrived at the location of 216 Joiner Loop Road in Pollock, LA at
approximately 7:10 am to serve Richard Herrick (W/M 51 yrs) with an arrest
warrant.
As the uniformed deputies approached the residence, they made visual contact
with Herrick standing outside of his residence.
Upon seeing the deputies, Herrick entered his residence, released two large dogs
on the deputies, and closed the door.
After repeated commands to exit, Herrick exited his residence armed with a
handgun and a knife.
Upon seeing the handgun, a deputy gave Herrick repeated commands to drop the
weapon.
Herrick refused to comply with the deputy’s commands and pointed the handgun at the deputy. Because of Herrick’s actions, the deputy fired his service weapon at Herrick striking him.
Herrick was pronounced dead on the scene.
The Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division/Alexandria Field
Office responded to the scene at the request of the Grant Parish Sheriff
’s Office to investigate the incident.
This matter remains under investigation.