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Published April 15, 2009
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Pre-K student brings handgun to school (published April 15, 2009)
Parents and students of Jonesville Elementary School got a scare last week when
a teacher found a 9mm handgun in a Pre-K student's book bag.
Jonesville Police and the Catahoula Parish Sheriff's Department responded to the
school and confiscated a 9mm Beretta handgun with a fully loaded magazine. No
round had been chambered into the weapon.
Both parents of the four-year-old student, Jovan Russ, 31, the mother, and
Jeremy Fair, 30, the father, were charged with non-supervision of a minor.
According to Jonesville Police, the child took the gun from beneath his parents' bed.
AK-47 and drugs found during traffic stop (published April 15, 2009)
Jonesville Police arrested two Jonesville men last week on drug charges and
confiscated two weapons, one of which was an AK-47 assault rifle.
Arrested were Philip D. Collins, 43, and Aubrey Shelton Ford, 29.
Collins was charged with possession of crystal meth with intent to distribute,
possession of firearm while in possession of a CDS, possession of drug
paraphernalia, expired license plate, driving under suspension, and expired
inspection sticker.
Ford was charged with possession of crystal meth with intent to distribute,
possession of firearm while in possession of a CDS, and possession of drug
paraphernalia.
Bond was set at $102,500 for each man by Judge Kathy Johnson.
Other recent arrests by JPD were:
Arrested March 13, 2009- Cornelious James Goodwin, 32 years old, from Spokane, Washington for
driving under suspension and no seat belt
Arrested April 9, 2009- Eddy Ray Spillers, 42 years old, Jonesville, for DWI 2nd
offense and careless operation.
Arrested April 10, 2009- George R Thomas, Jr. 38 years old, Jonesville,
telephone harassment.
Arrested April 11, 2009- Shay Harbor, 29 years old, Jonesville, for simple criminal damage.
Arrested April 12, 2009- Sherman Ray Harbor, 40 years old, Wildsville, for open
container.
Police jury to close landfill (published April 15, 2009)
The Catahoula Parish Police Jury voted Monday evening to begin the process of
closing the landfill site
at Harrisonburg.
The subject has been discussed several times in previous months. The jury heard
again from Bob Mears,
an engineering consultant, who explained the process of contacting DEQ and the
steps involved in closing the site.
In addition, Mears told jurors the site would have to be maintained for three
years.
John Banning, owner of Diamond Disposal, the garbage collector for the parish, was also present and he along with Mears suggested that the jury
look at an ordinance or add to the permit process a stipulation
requiring contractors to keep a garbage container at their work sites for
collecting debris.
The jury also discussed the Peck Station. Chris Boothe, representing the
District Attorney
’s office, reported that the jury has the authority to revoke the liquor license
for the establishment.
He explained that he could send the owners a letter giving them 10 days’ notice before a hearing would be held on the matter.
Jurors voted to have Boothe send the letter and set the hearing date as Monday,
April 27, the next regular police jury meeting. At that hearing the owners will
have the opportunity to oppose the revocation of their liquor license.
Juror Delores McEntyre had placed a discussion on drainage on the agenda. She
noted that one of her constituents is still having water come into his house
during heavy rains, and that something needs to be done.
Harold Bordelon addressed the jurors with a question about natural drainage on
property that causes flooding on other property owners. Chris Boothe stated in
the case of a property owner preventing drainage which then causes flooding on
someone else
’s property, a civil suit would have to be filed.
Bordelon mentioned a farmer who has about 800 acres of milo that has flooded
twice and a subdivision that floods because of this drainage problem. He noted
that the police jury has contacted the property owner in the past regarding the
drainage, but the owner stated that it wasn
’t his problem, but the state’s.
Boothe noted that if a parish road is being flooded because of this situation,
the police jury could also file a civil suit. He said it would have to be a
real emergency for the police jury to be able to take action to deal with the
flooding.
Bordelon suggested that some water could be diverted from the old natural drain
that comes down the highway where there used to be a ditch along Hwy 3101,
which would be on the state
’s property. Mrs. McEntyre said she would check into that.
The Means Lake Road was also discussed and the fact that it is nearly caving
into the river. Property owner Darrell Black
addressed the jurors and told them he wasn’t giving up any more land for the road. He said they could bring the road around
or set some pilings and use what they have.
There was discussion on the location of the road and the old oilfield road in
that area.
It was noted that only one family actually lives down there. The rest of the
places are camps.
Libby Ford, jury president, asked Kendall Magee, an administrative consultant,
if there was any grant money that would help with this.
He answered that they could apply for it, however, the thing to look at is how
many people will benefit from the project, and is it the best utilization of
the money for the people. He noted that he had worked in that area 10 years
ago, and the road was caving in then.
Black said one reason it was caving in was because the road is a 5 ton load
limit and they
are bringing 18-wheelers with oil down it with 40 ton loads.
Mrs. Ford and several other jurors said they would figure it out somehow.
At the end of the meeting, it was announced as a reminder that the Wallace Lake
Commission will meet immediately after the next police jury meeting on Monday,
April 27th.
April “Louisiana Public Square” on LPB is on legislative session (published April 15, 2009)
With a $1.3 billion revenue shortfall in Louisiana’s general fund, the state could be facing drastic cuts in higher education and
health services.
But will federal stimulus money provide much-needed relief? And how will
legislators spend last year
’s $865 million surplus?
Explore what’s in store in the upcoming regular session on Louisiana Public Square
Legislative Preview 2009 which premieres on Wednesday, April 22nd at 7PM and
Sunday, April 26 at 4PM on LPB.
It airs Wednesday, April 22 at 9PM on WLAE-TV32 in New Orleans.
Panelists will include House Speaker Jim Tucker of Terrytown, Senator Eric
LaFleur of Ville Platte, Senate Finance and Joint Budget Committee Chairman
Mike Michot of Lafayette and University of Louisiana Lafayette Political
Science Department Chairman Pearson Cross.
LPB President/ CEO Beth Courtney and LSU Media Law Professor Craig Freeman are
the hosts for the program.
Up to 20 citizens will have a chance to voice their opinions on the subject and
question the panel.
To see if the discussion changes the opinions of the participants, they will be
polled before and after the show by the LSU Public Policy Research Lab at the
Manship School of Mass Communication
’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs.
The results will be announced on the LPB website (www.lpb.org).
Viewers can also participate in an online poll on the website.
Viewers can continue the discussion during an online chat on Thursday, April 23
from 2 to 3PM.
Visit the Louisiana Public Square website at www.lpb/org/ publicsquare for more information.
Louisiana Public Square is simulcast on KRVS-FM in Lafayette and airs Thursday,
April 23 at 7PM on WRKF-FM in Baton Rouge.
Underwriting support for Louisiana Public Square is provided by the Louisiana
Forestry Commission.
For more information, contact Bob Neese at 1-800-272-8161, ext. 4274 or
bneese@lpb.org.