We have moved ...

... from Blogger to a new location.

John H. Walker
Editor/Publisher

Blogger has served us well and has accommodated many stories and photos, but there are capacity limitations.

Our new home is http://www.mywpnews.com — as in your news, your way.

There are a number of features at this new location that we believe will help us better serve you ... including better separation of pages, expanding archives and local links you might find interesting.

Readers will also be able to place word classifieds and pay for them online ... oh, by the way, when we activate that section, all classified word ads will be free for the first 30 days. After that, I think you'll find the rates to be more than competitive.

And if you have a business, we want to talk with you about advertising on My WP News. Again, the rates are very competitive.

As with Blogger, our new host utilizes Google Analytics — which means they operate the visitor counter, keeps up with the clicks on ads as well as the click-thrus and provides audited reports.

As we've said several times before, we appreciate your support — both in the past as well as in the future.
                                                                           -John H. Walker

Sick council members force meeting cancellation

Three sick members of the Bogalusa City Council forced a cancellation of Tuesday's regular meeting, which included condemnation hearings, and left those coming to City Hall greeted only by a hastily scrawled sign.

As a result, City Judge Robert Black was at the front door of City Hall, meeting persons who were coming for the condemnation portion of the lengthy agenda.

"We work to notify people and we may have someone coming from out-of-town," Black told wpnewsblog. "It would be right to contact them, tell them we were going to have a hearing and then have them show up to a locked building."

Just as Black was explaining why he was there, four members of a family walked up to the door, asking about the hearings.

"We won't have the hearing," he told them, "but we can sit down and discuss what is going on and what options you may be facing."

Tuesday's agenda was a lengthy one, including four resolutions alone pertaining to the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant Program. Additionally, business operators could be facing another cost of doing business, based on the details of an ordinance that would allow for the creation of a tax on the "pursuit of business."

There is no indication as to whether council will call a special meeting or wait until the next session, scheduled for August 16.

Former WPSO jail employee charged with malfeasance after sexual incident with inmate

Bobby Riggs, who is said to be a residence of the Pine area and worked as a deputy at the Washington Parish Jail in recent days, has been charged with malfeasance of office in connection with sexual encounter with an inmate.

Sheriff Robert Crowe

Sheriff Robert Crowe confirmed the incident with wpnewsblog as he prepared to attend a campaign event in Bogalusa.

Crowe said it was his understanding that Riggs had given previously given his two weeks' notice and that the incident occurred on Sunday, his final day of employment.

Crowe said Riggs joined the sheriff's office after being laid off at Rayburn Correctional Center in Angie.

"When we took office, we said we expected our personnel to rise to a higher standard," Crowe explained. "I think we had something happen like this the first six months I was in office and we made the arrest and filed charges then, just like we did now."

If convicted of the charge, a state prison felony, Riggs could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and fined up to $10,000.

Wpnewsblog learned of the incident about 1:40 Tuesday afternoon.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)
(Reader news tip story)

Bogalusa council facing lengthy agenda today

An unusually busy agenda faces the Bogalusa Cit Council when it meets at 5:30 p.m. today, with 12 action items in addition to the normal housekeeping-type items.

Five resolutions, four ordinances, an emergency ordinance, condemnations and a motion are among the things council members will face. Four of the resolutions are tied to the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant program.

The motion, to be introduced by Councilwoman Oneita Graham, would result in Brenda Ford’s appointment as council secretary. Ms. Ford has handled council secretarial and clerk duties for several months on an interim basis.

Resolutions to be considered include:

            • Authorize the mayor to cancel the lease purchase option on the Industrial Park building occupied by Sitel (Graham)

            • Authorization to hire an administrative consultant for the city relative to Louisiana Community Development Block Grants (Drummond)

            • Authorization to hire engineering services for the city relative to Louisiana Community Development Block Grants (Drummond)

            • Authorizing the mayor to sign an application for funding for FY 2012-2013 Louisiana Community Development Block Grant Program (Drummond)

            • Re-adopt Citizen Participation Plan of the City of Bogalusa relative to the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant program (Drummond)

Ordinances to be introduced include:

            • Requiring the bill for water service to be the responsibility of the tenant and to make the property owner primarily responsible if more than one tenant is served by the same meter (O’Rea)

            • To amend and re-enact Sect. 12-109 of the Bogalusa Code to provide relative to sound amplification system, define violations and setting penalties (O’Rea)

            • To provide for the imposition of a tax on the Pursuit of Business as authorized by LRS 47:341 ET SEQ, and to provide for related matters. (Hodges)

            • Authorize the mayor to enter into a contract with James Purpera Consulting Services for State Capital Outlay Budget, State General Appropriations Budget – State Aid to Local Governments (Hodges)

In addition, members of the public who want to address the council must sign up in advance and are limited to three minutes.

The next regularly scheduled meeting will be on Tuesday, Aug. 16.         

                              

Governor signs bill creating Northshore Technical Community College

It has been more than 80 years since Bogalusans created the state’s first trade school and in that time, many things have changed.

And things are about to change once again.

Founded in 1930 as Sullivan Memorial Trade School, it was the first post-secondary public technical school in Louisiana. The original school was built on Mississippi Avenue in Bogalusa, Louisiana with funds contributed by school children, local sawmill workers and citizens of the city in memory of the city's first mayor, William H. Sullivan.  The late Commissioner of Education, J.P. Starns suggested that a memorial to Sullivan be established in the form of a "manual arts training" center.  Initial capital requirements were quickly exceeded, and the training center became a reality.

Then, in 1970, the school known locally as simply “Sullivan” became the first vocational/technical institute to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In addition to being known as “Sullivan,” it has officially been known as Louisiana Technical College-Sullivan Campus as well as Northshore Technical College-Sullivan.

Now, following the signing of SB 69, authored by Sen. Ben Nevers (D, Bogalusa), Northshore Technical College is poised to become Northshore Technical and Community College.

The change is more than in name only.

Unlike NTC-Sullivan, NTCC will be able to grant degrees and students will be able to transfer to other degree-granting institutions. The law, which became Act 209 when Gov. Bobby Jindal signed it into law on June 27, levels the playing field between the state’s oldest technical school and other community colleges in the state.

“The campuses in Bogalusa, Hammond and Greensburg can now offer associate degrees,” Nevers explained to mywpnews. “We can have locally enrolled students in high school working toward college hours and all of these can be applied to an associate’s degree or a baccalaureate degree.”

Nevers, a former educator and member of the Bogalusa City School board, said he could only imagine the frustration of someone, having gone through a course of study at one of the technical college campuses only to learn those credits are not transferable.

“The LPN course at Sullivan is a prime example,” he said. “I have been fighting that nursing issue since the seventies, when I served on the (Bogalusa) school board. Our students can leave Sullivan and go to Mississippi and get more credit for their courses than we gave them in Louisiana.”

No more.

Now, students attending the nation’s seventh-fastest growing technical college system will be able to either follow a technical curriculum to certification of quick entry into the work force or go through the community curriculum and earn an associate’s degree and, if they choose, take that degree, their hours and credits and transfer to a four-year school.

“That’s the reason the name is Northshore Technical Community College … to keep the technical component as well as add the community component. I believe this change will encourage students to stay in post-secondary education, rather than starting over.”

On Monday, William Wainwright, dean of Northshore Technical Community College, told mywpnews that work is under way to officially announce the name change and other new information tied to the changes created by the legislation.

Sunday downpour pushes July total past 8 inches

Portions of Bogalusa and eastern Washington Parish received an inch or more of rain Sunday afternoon as heavy thunderstorms literally blew through with high winds that stripped some smaller limbs from trees and left water standing in streets.

The one-inch recorded in northeast Bogalusa raised the rainfall total for July to 8.05 inches and was the sixth time during the month that at least one-half inch had been recorded.

While Washington Parish remains in a severe drought, the July rainfall erased 2.38 inches of the deficit, as the historic average for the month is 5.67 inches.

The weather forecast heading into August is for an extreme heat advisory on Monday with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms Monday afternoon and evening. Highs are forecast to be in the mid-90s with the heat index reaching between 103 and 110 degrees. Because of that, the National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat advisory until 7 p.m. Monday.

Temperatures are forecast to be in the low-to-mid 90s through Thursday with rain chances no greater than 30 percent.

Tangipahoa escapee turns himself in

Sedrick Smith, 33, who escaped from custody on July 22 while being transported to the Catahoula Parish Jail, turned himself in to U.S. Marshals early Sunday.

Sedrick Smith

Smith, of Greensburg, was in jail on armed robbery charges and surrendered to Marshalls in Livingston Parish and was booked into the Livingston Parish Jail on fugitive charges from Tangipahoa Parish.

Smith somehow broke free of his shackles, assaulted the transport deputy, broke the rear window of the transport vehicle and escaped on foot. An intense manhunt ensued for about 30 hours before Tangipahoa Parish officials called in off, speculating that Smith had headed west towards Baton Rouge.

In addition to his charges of armed robbery, Smith now faces charges of aggravated escape and second-degree battery on a police officer.

Bogalusa Crew 313 wins national championship

NORFORK, Ark. — Bogalusa Venturer Crew 313 won its 12th national championship here Saturday, winning three divisions and finishing second, third and fifth in another as the 45th National Invitational White River Canoe race came to a close.

The Crew, sponsored by the Bogalusa newspaper, is coached by Col. Robert Miller, United States Marine Corps (ret.) and left Bogalusa last Saturday, just hours after winning the Golden Anniversary 110-mile Bogue Chitto River Canoe Marathon.

Bogalusa took divisional titles in Open Cruising, Boys Aluminum-Advanced and Boys Aluminum-Novice and finished second, third and fifth in Boys Aluminum-Beginners.

In Open Cruising, Bogalusa finished the cumulative 120 miles in 11:49:33, edging Russellville, Ark. by 2:18 and beating New Brighton, Minn. by 16:39.

In Advanced, Bogalusa finished the race in 13:49:17, more than an hour better thn second place Little Rock, Ark., and 1:25.30 better than Bryan, Texas.

In Novice, Crew 313 finished in 14:15:53, claiming a victory of more than two hours over second-place Bryan. Bryan edged fellow Lone Star State entrant Fort Worth by 3:14.

In Beginners, Russellville, Ark. claimed the title and beat Crew 313's boat I4 by 20:32. Crew 313's boat I6 was another 13 minutes behind in third, while Little Rock was in fourth, just 24 seconds behind. Bogalusa's boat I5 was another nine minutes out.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

Bogalusa LDRC needs more business surveys turned in; Response rate at 67 percent to goal

Unless the survey fairy, first cousin to the tooth fairy, comes through, Bogalusa’s goal of at least 1,001 responses to the Louisiana Development Ready Communities survey will fall short.

Through Friday afternoon there were 542 completed surveys — 361 online from community members, 81 online from the business community and 100 paper surveys tallied by Southeastern University.

In addition, there were 129 partial online surveys for a total response of 671 — or 67 percent of the mayor’s goal of “one more than last year’s top respondent (DeRidder).”

Project Chair Sandy Bloom said the Bogalusa LDRC committee would like to have more business surveys.

“We really need and want that input,” she told wpnewsblog. “With the online availability of the surveys, they can be done at any time of the day or night.”

On Monday, the program entered the second stage when about 100 persons attended two Town Hall meetings at the Bogalusa Senior Center. Starting out as one large audience, the attendees were broken up into subgroups, where they listed the communities assets, drawbacks and, in a bit of wishful thinking, what they would change if given a magic wand and the opportunity to wave it over the city.

Bogalusa is one of eight communities selected to participate in this year’s program, which is funded by the state and essentially helps a community map its own plan for the future.

“This is an exciting time,” Bogalusa Mayor Chares Mizell said. “We have the opportunity to make a difference and to do things differently and take a new course. Not everyone … not every community … gets to do that, but we can. It just requires participation so that we might prepare, plan and execute.”

Links to both the community and business survey may be found at the top right column on this web page.

City school year opens with personnel moves

Louise Smith has been on the job as superintendent of Bogalusa City Schools for just a couple of weeks, but there are already changes being made.

On Friday, Smith announced a series of campus leadership changes that will become effective Monday.

BCS Supt. Louise Smith

In a letter to school district employees, Smith said, “Today, the District is announcing an important series of administrative changes that will help us build a more effective culture and accountability in our schools.  These changes, which will be effective as of August 1, 2011, are designed to improve student achievement and better leverage the strengths of our skilled staff members.”

The changes include:

            • Pamela Ard, the current Principal of Bogalusa High School, will take over as Principal of Byrd Avenue Elementary.  Ms. Ard’s wealth of knowledge in elementary curriculum and instruction, as well as her experience in our district at the elementary level makes her an excellent fit.  Ms. Ard is excited to have the opportunity to work with our Byrd Avenue Elementary students, parents, and staff.

            • Taking over as Principal at Bogalusa High School will be Bryan Stewart, recently appointed Principal of Bogalusa New Tech High School.  Mr. Stewart joined the District with an impressive resume, and he rapidly earned the confidence and respect of the Bogalusa High School students, staff, and parents alike through his position as Assistant Principal.  I’m confident Mr. Stewart will evoke the same response in his role as BHS Principal.

            • Lesley McKinley was appointed Assistant Principal/Athletic Director at Bogalusa High School.  Mr. McKinley is a long-time district employee who has extensive secondary experience from his tenure as Bogalusa High School Disciplinarian and Bogalusa New Tech High School Resource Teacher. Mr. McKinley is eager to work with the students, faculty, and staff of Bogalusa High School, and he will be a tremendous asset to the school.

            • Don McDaniel, the current Principal of Bogalusa Middle School, will become the Principal of Bogalusa New Tech High School.  Mr. McDaniel’s long-term experience in education and dedication to faculty and students will enhance his effectiveness at BNTHS.

            • Taking over as Principal at Bogalusa Middle School, will be Tanja Varnado-Seal, current Principal of Byrd Avenue Elementary School.  Mrs. Seal’s extensive experience in curriculum and instruction, dedication to student success, and her history of making a major impact on student achievement by launching new and imaginative school programs makes her a perfect fit for BMS.

Smith also said, “Since the day I arrived in Bogalusa City Schools, I have been privileged to work with a skilled team of educational leaders.  The tremendous depth of experience and skill in the District is what makes me completely confident these moves, while extensive, will happen smoothly.  I believe these administrative changes will move our District forward and make a significant difference in student outcomes.”

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

Watson judged incompetent to stand trial for double murder

Judge William Knight determined Quentin Watson to be incompetent to stand trial for the murders of 46-year-old Anita Smith and her 34-year-old nephew, William Lewis, in Franklinton.

Quentin Watson

Knight began the hearing at about 10 a.m. Friday in his chambers as officials of the district clerk’s office were calling roll of those summoned for jury duty.

With the determination of incompetency, Judge Knight order Watson to be taken to East Louisiana State Hospital in Jackson for the purpose of restoring his competency.

Watson pled “not guilty” during his arraignment and continued to profess his innocence during a jailhouse interview with the Bogalusa newspaper.

In the newspaper interview, Watson even claims to have talked with the person he believes to be the real killer and said his confession to police was out of fear for the safety for his family and himself.

Watson said he received a call on his cell phone the day the bodies were discovered and was told that if he said anything, he “would be next.”

Law enforcement discounted Watson’s claims and said he was looking for a way out. They also said the person Watson was referring to was never a suspect and that Watson’s claims are not supported by the evidence collected — which includes his DNA.

It was a contact DNA sample taken from the crime scene that resulted in Watson’s arrest. Watson was arrested for prescription fraud in November 2008 and had his DNA collected by Pardons and Paroles in March 2009.

A backlog delayed the entry of Watson’s DNA into the state system until July 2009 but when it was finally entered, investigators got a hit.

Police began tracking Watson’s movements before bringing him in for questioning when, Franklinton Police Chief Donald Folse said, “he took full responsibility” for the killings.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

Bogalusa Crew 313 closing in on 12th national championship

After two days of competition in the 120-mile, 45^th annual White River National Invitational Canoe Race, Bogalusa’s Venturer Crew 313 continues to hold down first place in three categories, but slipped a bit in a fourth division, where it now has teams in and is second, third and fifth.

 

Should the crew, coached by Col. Robert Miller, maintain those positions it would seem to have an insurmountable lock on a 12^th national championship in the prestigious race. The crew is sponsored by the Bogalusa newspaper.

In Open Cruising, the most advanced paddlers, Crew 313 leads Russellville, Ark. by two minutes, 29 seconds — a tightening of 3:10 off the day one margin. In Boys Aluminum-Advanced, Crew 313 leads Little Rock, Ark. by 46:07  — adding more than 20 minutes to their day one lead. In Boys Aluminum-Novice, Crew 313 leads Bryan, Texas by 1:05.16 — stretching their day one advantage by 39:47.

The slippage came in Boys Aluminum-Beginners.

Russellville, Ark. continues to lead, stretching its margin over second place Crew 313 to 14:21 and 20:34 over Crew 313’s third place boat. Crew 313’s canoe that was in fourth place after day one slipped to fifth after day two, 36:01 off the lead. That canoe was passed in the standings by Little Rock.

Russellville’s open cruising team, which gained 3:10 on Crew 313 on Friday, had the highest average speed for the day at 10.12 miles per hour. Crew 313 maintained the highest cumulative average speed at 9.92 miles per hour. Russellville’s 10.22 miles per hour on leg one was the fastest of the day, followed by New Brighton, Minn. with 10.18 miles per hour on that same leg.

Paddlers start 75 minutes earlier on Saturday’s final day, with the first oars hitting the water at 6:45 a.m. instead of day one and two’s 8 a.m. beginning.

Leg 6 — the longest of the race at 21 miles — gets paddlers under way as they navigate the river from Allyson/Sylamore to Lock No. 3 in a clock out run. A second clock out leg, 12 miles from Lock No. 3 to Lock No. 2, gets paddlers to within seven miles of the finish line, and that comes on Leg 8, from Lock No. 2 to Batesville.

Following completion of the race, officials will tally the results to determine the team champion as well as the winners of the numerous awards presented to entrants.

A total of 25 teams from six states were listed on the Day Two leaderboard, with two teams — one from Batesville, Ark. in Boys Aluminum-Advanced and one from Little Rock in Coed Aluminum-Beginners — had to be towed in an incurred 10 minute penalties.

The awards ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Pavilion near Norfork Dam.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

DWI checkpoint tonight in Bogalusa

Bogalusa police will hold a DWI checkpoint within the city limits tonight. While impaired drivers will be the first priority, officers will also be on the lookout for other violations.

Bogalusa Crew 313 leads in three categories at 45th White River National Invitational Race

After the first day’s competition in the 120-mile, 45^th annual White River National Invitational Canoe Race, Bogalusa’s Venturer Crew holds down first place in three categories and is second, third and fourth in another.

 

The squad, winners of 11 national championships at the meet, lead by five minutes, 39 seconds in Open Cruising, by 25 minutes, 29 seconds in Boys Aluminum-Advanced and by 28 minutes, 39 seconds in Boys Aluminum-Novice.

Russelville, Ark. is in second in Open Cruising, while Little Rock, Ark. is in second in Boys Aluminum-Advanced and Bryan, Texas in second in Boys Aluminum-Novice.

In Boys Aluminum-Beginners, Crew 313 trails Crew 300 of Russellville, Ark. by five minutes, 49 seconds for second, seven minutes, 44 seconds for third and nine minutes, 52 seconds for fourth.

Bogalusa’s open cruising team had the highest average speed for the day at 10.6 miles per hour over the three legs. The team averaged 13.21 miles per hour on the 17-mile leg from Bull Shoals Dam to Cotter, 9.61 miles per hour on the 13.3 mile second leg from Cotter to Buffalo City and 8.98 miles per hour on the 12.3 mile third leg, which ran from Buffalo City to Norfork.

With 42.6 miles in the books, team rise early on Friday to have their canoes at the water by 7:45 to meet the 8 a.m. start. The first leg of the day, the second-longest of the entire race, is from Norfork to Callico Rock. After this 18-mile leg, crews may change paddlers in preparation for leg five, a 17-mile leg from Callico Rock to Allison/Sylamore.

At Sylamore, teams will have a cookout and a talent show prior to getting some sleep and rest for the championship push on Saturday.

Crew 313 is sponsored by the Bogalusa newspaper. A total of 24 teams from six states entered the race.

(Published first at www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

Competency hearing begins Friday in double murder

Beginning Friday morning, defense attorneys for Quentin Watson will try to convince 22^nd Judicial District Judge William Knight that he is not competent to stand trial.

Quentin Watson

Watson, 29, faces the death penalty in the double murder of Anita Smith, 46, and her nephew, William Lewis, 32, in Smith’s East Acres Subdivision in Franklinton. Family members discovered their bodies on Feb. 6, 2008.

It will be up to Judge Knight to sort through the presentations of both defense and prosecution and decide if Watson, who initially admitted guilt when arrested in August 2009, can aid in his own defense.

If ruled competent, jury selection in the trial can get under way as quickly as Judge Knight decides.

Anita Smith

Watson pled “not guilty” during his arraignment and continued to profess his innocence during a jailhouse interview with the Bogalusa newspaper.

In the newspaper interview, Watson even claims to have talked with the person he believes to be the real killer and said his confession to police was out of fear for the safety for his family and himself.

Watson said he received a call on his cell phone the day the bodies were discovered and was told that if he said anything, he “would be next.”

Law enforcement discounted Watson’s claims and said he was looking for a way out. They also said the person Watson was referring to was never a suspect and that Watson’s claims are not supported by the evidence collected — which includes his DNA.

It was a contact DNA sample taken from the crime scene that resulted in Watson’s arrest. Watson was arrested for prescription fraud in November 2008 and had his DNA collected by Pardons and Paroles in March 2009.

A backlog delayed the entry of Watson’s DNA into the state system until July 2009 but when it was finally entered, investigators got a hit.

Police began tracking Watson’s movements before bringing him in for questioning when, Franklinton Police Chief Donald Folse said, “he took full responsibility” for the killings.

Watermelon softball tournament starts Saturday in Franklinton

The Franklinton Dixie Baseball Association will host its annual Watermelon Softball Tournament beginning Saturday morning at the Dixie Baseball Fields on Bene Street.

There will be a men's division and a women's division with the winning team receiving T-shirts and softballs while second and third place teams will receive softballs.

The entry fee is $150.00 per team and is payable prior to playing the first game.  The first 20 teams to prepay entry fees will be assured of a slot in the tournament and ASA rules will apply.

To enter a team, call Allan McCain at 795-9609. 795-0039 or 516-6524 or contact Aubrey Posey at 515-2335.

Statewide burn ban lifted, parish drought in severe stage

After stretching nearly a month longer than anticipated, State Fire Marshall Butch Browning and Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain have lifted the statewide burn ban.

Butch Browning

The ban went into effect on June 1 and it was hoped that it could have been lifted by the end of the month if the rains came. They didn’t, though, and the ban remained until enough rain fell statewide for the lifting.

Local burn bans remain in Bossier and Caddo parishes in extreme northwest Louisiana.

Strain said despite the lifting of the burn ban, the state remains in a drought state, ranging from severe to extreme. Washington, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes are in a severe drought state.

Despite heavy rains over Washington Parish during the latter half of the month, neither Bogalusa Fire Chief Richard Moody or Washington Parish Homeland Security Director Tommy Thiebaud were willing to lift the ban in advance of the state.

“It is my understanding we have the authority to do that, based on local conditions,” Moody told wpnewsblog earlier in the month, “but despite the rain it is still really dry and I’m simply not comfortable lifting it.”

Thiebaud said every shower and rain helps, but that until the state fire marshal lifted the ban, it would remain in effect in the parish.

“We can get to calls pretty quick,” Moody said, “but the firefighters in the parish sometimes have to drive a pretty good distance to get to the fire … so just because it seems safe in one place doesn’t mean it is in another.”

There have been nine days with measurable precipitation in Northeast Bogalusa and three days when a trace was recorded. The monthly total in Northeast Bogalusa through noon today (July 28) is 7.05 inches.

A chance of precipitation is forecast through mid-week next week, but the best chance for rain is later today when it is 80 percent.

Bogalusa's Crew 313 ready to pursue 12th national title

At the top of the list of winners is a name of a place some people seem to have difficulty pronouncing — Bogalusa, La.

Crew 313 advisor Col.
Robert Miller and helper
at the 2010 White River
National Invitational Race.

And Thursday morning, when oars make contact with water for the first time in the 45^th Annual National Invitational White River Canoe Race, Bogalusa Venturer Crew 313 will be seeking to add a 12^th national title to its total.

Crew 313 is headed by Col. Robert Miller and is fresh from the 110-mile Bogue Chitto River Marathon. As has been tradition, the Bogue Chitto race ended about mid-day Saturday and the Vogalusa team was on the road before dark.

Water levels, according to the USGS, are good — with 8.93 feet at Calico Rock and 9.54 feet at Batesville — although heat advisories have been issued by the National Weather Service.

Upwards of 160 canoers from across the country will gather at Bull Shoals Dam and must have their canoes at the water at 7:45, ready for an 8 a.m. start. The first leg runs 17 miles from the dam to Cotter, a small cradled in a bend in the White River while leg two is a 13.3 mile run from Cotter to Buffalo City. Crews may change paddlers after each of the first two legs, while leg three, the final of the day, is 12.3 miles and takes the teams to Norfork, where teams will eat, have a team meeting and camp at Quarry Park at Lake Norfork Dam.

With 42.5 miles in the books, team rise early on Friday to have their canoes at the water by 7:45 to meet the 8 a.m. start. The first leg of the day, the second-longest of the entire race, is from Norfork to Callico Rock. After this 18-mile leg, crews may once again change paddlers in preparation for leg five, 17 miles from Callico Rock to Allison/Sylamore.

At Sylamore, teams will have a cookout and a talent show prior to getting some sleep and rest for the championship push.

The final day gets under way earlier, with canoes due at the water at 6:30 and the race under way at 6:45.

Leg six is from Allison/Sylamore and runs 21 miles to Lock No. 3 on the White River. This is the longest leg of the race and is a clock out leg, as is leg seven, a 12-mile stretch from Lock No. 3 to Lock No. 2. This leg is also a clock out leg.

The final leg of the race is seven miles long, from Lock N. 2 to Batesville, with national titles on the line.

Following completion of the race, the awards ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. at the Pavilion near Norfork Dam.

Awards to be presented include:

            • Each member of a team placing first, second or third will receive an award;

            • The Doug Summer Memorial National Championship Traveling Trophy will be awarded to the team regardless of division entered that has the shortest accumulative elapsed time for the race. Doug's Faribault, Minn. Post 301 began attending the race in 1985 and by 1988, they were dominating most classes. Post 301 still owns all (Girls and Co-ed) of the Cruising Division records for the race as well as Co-ed Aluminum. This award is named for the late Doug Summer or "Coach Summer Sir". He was the first coach of Post 301, Faribault, Minnesota. His competed in the White River Canoe Race. He also swept all seven divisions of the race in 1998, the same year as his death from a car accident while returning from the United States Canoe Association (USCA) Nationals with junior paddlers.

• The Ron Eddings Memorial Traveling Trophy will be awarded to the Boy's Aluminum team with the shortest accumulative elapsed time for the race. Advanced and Novice Boy's Aluminum teams are eligible for this award. This award is named for the late Ronald Eddings, an advisor with Post 29 from Camdenton, Mo.

• The Dr. R.J. Van Patter Memorial Traveling Trophy will be awarded to the Girl's Aluminum team with the shortest accumulative elapsed time for the race. Advanced and Novice Girl's Aluminum teams are eligible for this award. This award is named for the late Dr. R.J "Doc" Van Patter, an advisor with Post 8 of Little Rock, Ark. and one of the early founders of the race.

• The Co-ed's Aluminum Championship Traveling Trophy will be awarded to the Co-ed's Aluminum team with the shortest accumulative elapsed time for the race. Advanced and Novice Co-ed's Aluminum teams are eligible for this award.

• The Girl's Cruising Championship Traveling Trophy will be awarded to the Girl's Cruising team with the shortest accumulative elapsed time for the race.

• The Co-ed's Cruising Championship Traveling Trophy will be awarded to the Co-ed's Cruising team with the shortest accumulative elapsed time for the race.

• The Sportsmanship Traveling Trophy will be awarded to the crew, post, or troop best representing the commonly accepted attributes of good sportsmanship such as fair play, respect for others including teammates, competitors and officials, helpfulness, positive attitude, fellowship, encouragement, and effort. The Sportsmanship award will be voted on by team captains at the conclusion of the race.

• The "Tom Edwards" award will be given to the team that travels the greatest distance to compete in the race.

• The "Carl Garner" award will be given to the crew/post/troop exhibiting the greatest spirit in the opinion of the race organizers.

Deteriorating infrastructure taking toll on city resources

On Monday, at the first of two Town Hall meetings tied to the Louisiana Development Ready Communities program, the question was asked, "What do you mean by infrastructure?"

The smaller of two trucks belonging to Compliance Enviro
Systems, LLC is caught in a sinkhole that opened under it
on Military Road. (Photo by John H. Walker)

The answer, of course, is streets and water mains and service lines, drains and sewers — and before that first meeting was over Bogalusa Public Works Director James Hall had gotten a call about a location where workers thought there would be a problem.

Tuesday afternoon, in the 1400 block of Military Road, that problem became evident, as a sewer line collapsed under a truck belonging to a company Hall had brought in to check the conditions of the lines.

"We had a problem on another street and then yesterday, as they were working over here, they called me and told me it looked like we were going to have a problem ... and here it is," Hall said, gesturing to the left rear dual wheel set of the truck that was in the collapsed hole.

The opening is about four-to-vive feet across and 14 feet deep and about six feet away from a manhole cover the crews were getting ready to check.

In fact, had it not been for the trucks bumper hitting the ground several feet away, Hall said the problem might have been bigger still.

Looking down into the hole.

"These are 100-year old pipes and lines," Hall said. "These lines are only 50 years old, so they're the new ones we have to work with."

Hall said he brought Compliance Enviro Systems, LLC of Baton Rouge in because of a problem last Saturday, when water was bubbling out of a manhole on Jefferson Davis after a heavy rain.

"We put sandbags on it and did everything we could do," he said. "Then, as we were checking it, we saw sand in the water."

Hall said Compliance Enviro utilizes two units, sending a camera down into the line to record what it sees and to look for trouble spots and potential trouble spots.

"The problem is you can't budget for things like this," Hall said. "(Personnel director) Sandy (Bloom) found us an emergency loan program, but it takes three weeks to get approval and you can't get reimbursed for any of the money you have to spend. That doesn't seem like much of an emergency loan program to me."

Anton Atkins tied to shell casings found at robbery scene

Shell casings found at the scene of an alleged armed robbery at the corner of Rosa Pearl and Plum on July 10 have been tied directly to a gun to which Bogalusa policeman Anton Atkins had access.

"We got the forensics back and they're (casings) from a gun he (Atkins) had access to," Chief of Police Joe Culpepper said. "Thankfully, it wasn't his service revolver."

Anton Atkins

Culpepper said he understands Atkins, who is on administrative leave with pay while he is under arrest, has bonded out.

Atkins, 29, was charged with armed robbery and dangerous use of a weapon after he allegedly robbed Willie Holloway of more than $300. Both charges are felonies and carry a jail sentence of up to 99 years. In addition, while not a separate charge, armed robbery with a gun is listed as part of the complaint as a sentencing enhancement.

Culpepper said the police department received a complaint at 8:44 p.m. on July 10 about an off-duty officer firing his gun.

Culpepper said responding officers found spent casings at the scene, which were collected as evidence and sent, along with Atkins' service revolver, to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office for forensics testing.

Culpepper said Atkins will now face an Internal Affairs investigation.

"Essentially, in an IA investigation, the chief of police is ordering the officer to testify," Culpepper explained. "Whatever he says, if he admits responsibility, cannot be used against him in a criminal proceeding because he does not have the right to take the Fifth (Amendment)."

Culpepper said the investigation is ongoing.

Police: Dead man was aggressor in Monday incident

The man who was shot in the 300 block of Florence and died about an hour later at LSU-Bogalusa Medical Center has been identified as the aggressor and not the victim.

Kendrick Rashard Cook, 23, died about an hour later in the emergency room after police and other emergency personnel responded to a call at 3:38 p.m.

Upon arrival, police found Cook on the ground and a second male, identified as Brandon "BeBe" Morris with his hands up in the air, Bogalusa Police Chief Joe Culpepper told wpnewsblog.

"Witness statements led us to believe Mr. Cook opened fire on two people walking down the street," Culpepper said. "One of the two men had a gun in their car, got it and shot him. When police arrived, he (Morris) had thrown his weapon on the ground and hand his hands in the air."

Culpepper said the police department was treating the case as justifiable homicide.

Cook has a history of violent crime, having been arrested for attempted second degree murder and use of a dangerous weapon after an incident in June 2010.

Culpepper said Morris had "no history" with the department.

Culpepper said because a death was involved, he would send the department's investigation file to the district attorney's office for a decision on disposition of the case.

LSU Mobile Classroom a hit with community

Daniel Vlosky, Mobile Classroom & Training
Coordinator for LSU, gives pointers to a nearly
full house for Marketing 101.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

If today’s first two classes were any indication, the LSU Mobile Classroom at Northshore Technical College is a hit.

“We had a couple of classes fill up, a waiting list for another … it’s great,” Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marilyn Bateman told wpnewsblog.

“We would ask if someone cannot attend to please give us as much notice as possible, because we may be able to get that seat filled.”

The classes are being taught by Daniel J. Vlosky, MBA, mobile classroom and training coordinator for the B.J. Ourso College of Business at LSU.

A portion of those attending the Marketing
101 class in the LSU Mobile Classroom on
Tuesday morning. (Photo by John H. Walker)

“This is kind of a broad-based approach,” Vlosky said after the Marketing 101 class. “Of course, you can’t cover everything in an hour or so.”

Vlosky told participants to take advantage of the Small Business Development Center at Southeastern University.

“They are closer than we (LSU) are and they do some really good things,” he said.

Tuesday’s session opened with Starting and Financing Your Business, followed by Marketing 101. Afternoon classes on Tuesday include Working With Your Bank to Get a Loan and Professionalism in the Workplace.

The free classes resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday with Customer Service, Growing Your Business Online and Creaying a Facebook Page for Your Business.

A total of 61 persons have signed up for the program. The classes are free and are sponsored by LSU, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, Northshore Technical College, Washington Economic Development Foundation and the City of Bogalusa.

Investigation under way in Bogue Projects killing

Bogalusa police are investigating a Monday afternoon shooting in the Bogue Projects that claimed the life of an unidentified male.

The shooting took place on Florence Avenue about 3:30 p.m. Officials said the victim was shot several times and was transported to the emergency room at LSU-Bogalusa Medical Center, where he died.

Renovation, expansion planned for Bogalusa's Cassidy Park

Calling it a lynchpin of the community, Bogalusa Mayor Charles Mizell on Monday afternoon announced a renovation and revitalization of Cassidy Park.

Cassidy Park's preliminary master plan

“It has had some great days and it has hard some not-so-great days,” Mizell told about 50 persons attending the first of two Town Hall meetings as part of the Louisiana Development Ready Communities program. “What you have in front of you is a plan we’ve had drawn up for the park.”

Mizell was referring to what was described as a master plan for the park — and the rendering prepared by Joseph Furr Design Studio in Baton Rouge included numerous changes.

“Things come and things go,” Mizell said. “We want to build a foundation for the future and we have to have something that will stand the test of time. This green space … in some way … has touched everyone who has ever been in Bogalusa.

“We’re going to start building this park. We have the plans drawn and we think we think we have something stand the test,” Mizell said. “We’ve found some money to start on this and we’re going to apply for grants and other funds.”

The Mayor said he feels the revitalized park will be a plus for the community — and cited some things already under way.

“We have two wonderful museums that are run and operated by volunteers who are committed to making this community a better place,” he said. “We just completed 3,800 feet of paved bike and walking trails … we have a full-time employee now in the park and we’ve cleaned up, picked up and painted up and we’re going to do more.”

In addition to those items cited, there are new barriers in place to limit areas where persons can drive vehicles and work is also being done on existing structures.

“I think this is one of the first things we need in the community … to give families a place to go, kids a place to play.”

That said, there are a number of proposed changes to the park, including a boulevard-type entrance with new signage. As one enters the park, there is a new location for the annual Yule Log burning and a relocated building to house park operations office and café.

To the left, going toward the covered bridge, the road is realigned and a new road splits off to the right to a parking area that affords parking for both museums. Near the Pioneer Museum is a playground while, just past that, is a new pavilion and restroom structure.

Major additions proposed for the park include several hundred yards of beaches all along Bogue Lusa Creek, a dog park where owners can allow their pets to run and play off-leash, an expanded pond with fishing pier, a new pond, an amphitheatre, a canoe launch area and a playground near one of the beaches. 

Ownership battle continues for Heart Hospital

From ActionNews17.com

LACOMBE — Two young health care companies continue to press forward in the hopes of becoming the new owners of the Louisiana Medical Center & Heart Hospital (LMCHH).

Louisiana Medical Center & Heart Hospital
following completion of its expansion and
renovation. (LMCHH website)

Little has changed in the past three months as Progressive Acute Care, based in Mandeville, along with Nashville-based Transition Healthcare, remain committed to purchase the Louisiana hospital, the two CEO’s told The Slidell Independent last week.

MedCath Corporation, the parent-owner of the Lacombe facility, announced in March, 2010 that the hospital was on the block to be sold, as part of a decision the company made to sell any or all of its assets, that included 10 hospitals around the country.

By January, 2011, MedCath closed the deal on its fifth hospital, and in May of this year, MedCath announced two more hospitals — one in Arkansas and one in New Mexico — had signed contracts to sell.

MedCath further announced in May that the company was seeking approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission to be dissolved by selling all the remaining assets without stockholder approval.

As MedCath appears intent to liquidate its assets in the near future, Progressive CEO Dan Rissing and Transition CEO Tom Reardon confirmed this week they are still very interested in buying the Lacombe hospital.

“Our interest is still very strong and we are currently in discussions to find the proper financing to close the deal,” Rissing said. “Our first option for financing didn’t go as well as we had hoped, but this is a tough market right now.”

Rissing said some of the difficulty in coming to a deal for either company is the changing appraisal for LMCHH, considering the pending sale.

“The numbers for the hospital from six months ago are not nearly as good today,” he said. “That is one concern with the groups we are talking to who are considering backing this.”

Reardon said Transition is still “very interested to purchase the Lacombe hospital,” and confirmed the original offer still on the table from Transition to purchase more than one of the remaining MedCath assets, perhaps giving them an advantage in the negotiations.

Transition and Progressive are both young health care companies, although both groups have a wealth of experienced hospital management making up their leadership teams.

Transition purchased two hospitals in Illinois in 2008, renaming the facility MetroSouth and leading the way to a turnaround for the hospital that had previously announced it was closing.

Progressive also purchased its first hospitals within recent years, buying three Louisiana facilities in 2009.

“We believe the Lacombe hospital is a good opportunity with a great future,” Reardon said. “Our plan, as in Chicago with MetroSouth, is to change the base for the hospital by bringing in about 15 primary care physicians and allowing that to lead the growth.”

Reardon said the Lacombe hospital was a challenge financially since it started as a heart hospital.

“Starting as a specialty hospital made it difficult, but having a strong primary physician base is the key to making it successful,” he added.

Rissing and Reardon both said they believed a deal could potentially be secured within three months, although both also qualified that prediction by noting how much can change in that time, making no promise about how quickly, or for certain, the sale could be completed.

“From what we have seen, the Lacombe hospital has phenomenal physician talent and great folks working there,” Rissing said. “But the unknown future everyone is looking at now affects the mentality of what is happening there.”

MedCath CEO Ed French declined to comment on the Lacombe hospital until an agreement is reached.

Parish Council probes ownership of fire towers

Not knowing how many of the five fire towers in the parish might be available and exactly what would be done with one should ownership be passed, members of the Washington Parish Council on Monday voted to look into the possibility.

As part of Resolution No. 11-528, council members decided to have technology coordinator Dempsey Parden look into the feasibility of the parish owning one or more of the five towers that exist in the parish. Towers are located at Angie, Enon, Sheridan, Sunny Hill and at a location near Ben's Creek Wildlife Management Area.

In other action, council introduced Resolution No. 11-527, voicing its appreciation to the parish election commission and chairmen.

The next council meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 8.

Assets, drawbacks come out at first Town Hall

About 50 persons showed up for the first of two town hall meetings being held today at the Bogalusa Senior Center in conjunction with the Louisiana Development Ready Communities (LDRC) program, of which Bogalusa is one of eight participants.

Karen Yates, a community developer for
Entergy, lists Bogalusa's barriers during
the first of two Town Hall meetings held
Monday. (Photo by John H. Walker)

After a welcoming statement by Mayor Charles Mizell and a brief program overview by Sandy Bloom, the meeting was turned over to Skip Smart, project manager for LDRC, who told the group that the program started in 2006 and was designed to help communities be the best they can be when it comes to attracting jobs and growth.

“There are three ways a community can grow business,” he explained. “The first is by attracting outside business, the second is by working with existing business and the third is to promote entrepreneurship.”

Smart said the step now being under taken by Bogalusa is very important because community members themselves participate in the gathering and sorting of data and input.

“This is the process by which a community decides how it will become the best it can be and what kind of community it wants to be,” Smart said. “Does it want to be an industrial community? Does it want to attract technical businesses?”

Smart said, “The process you are in now is where you gather the feelings within the community about where you are.”

Smart explained that the process takes about six months and that the process is designed to develop a 10-year vision of what the community wants and a five-year horizon of where the community wants to be.

“It is,” Smart said, “a very intense effort.”

Smart then brought in Karen Yates, a community developer for Entergy, and Ardyn Thriffiley, a liaison for Louisiana Economic Development for LDRC, who explained the details of how the town hall meeting concept works … breaking the gathering into eight groups in which the participants listed what they felt were Bogalusa’s assets and shortcomings as well as what changes they would make if they had a magic wand and could do anything they desired.

Among the most common assets offered were LSU-Bogalusa Medical Center, Northshore Technical College-Sullivan Campus, the location, the industrial park and the community’s volunteer base. Other assets were available space for development, the VA facility, Bogue Chitto State Park and the community’s location.

There was also consensus regarding the drawbacks, as well. First on the list of each group was Bogalusa’s elementary and secondary education system followed by the lack of a four-lane highway, a lack of pride, continued racial issues and division, lack of a trained work force, deteriorating infrastructure, poor work ethic of many in the workforce and location.

The list of magic wand projects included a revamped educational system complete with active students and participating parents, a four-lane highway tying Bogalusa to I-12 and US 98, an adequate tax base to allow the city the funds to address many basic needs and, in a tongue-in-cheek approach, a magic wand factory.

Thriffiley said today’s input would be gathered and listed in priority fashion to allow for a starting point to include with data collected from both online and paper surveys submitted as part of the information gathering process.

Amite steel mill adding 170 jobs

More than 170 new jobs will be created as the result of an $18.2 million expansion at the Bradken-Amite Steel Mill.

Following completion of the 18-month project, Bradken-Amite will employ 350 people and have an annual payroll of $10 million.

The 25,000 square foot expansion will create additional floor space in the mill, which casts parts for Catepillar. The expansion is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

Despite above-average rainfall, burn ban remains

Saturday’s late morning rain pushed at least northeast Bogalusa past the July monthly average. According to U. S. Climate Data, the July average for Bogalusa is 5.67 inches.

The rain started as a light shower about 10:45 a.m., but wound up as a full-fledged deluge before the morning was over.

By the time Saturday’s rainfall ended, 1.8 inches was in the rain gauge and 6.7 inches in the catch basin for the year. Then, on Sunday, about .25 inch fell, pushing the monthly total to 6.95 inches.

Thus far in northeast Bogalusa, there have been eight days in July with measurable precipitation and two days when a trace was recorded.

Despite the rainfall, which has been reported parish-wide, a burn ban remains in effect.

Because of the depth of the drought in the area, neither Washington Parish Homeland Security Director Tommy Thiebaud nor Bogalusa Fire Department Chief Richard Moody is willing to lift the burn ban.

“It’s just been too dry,” Moody said. “It may seem wet, but a fire can get out of control in a split second.”

Thiebaud said every shower and rain helps, but that until the state fire marshal lifts the ban, it will remain in effect in the parish.

“We can get to calls pretty quick,” Moody said, “but the firefighters in the parish sometimes have to drive a pretty good distance to get to the fire … so just because it seems safe in one place doesn’t mean it is in another.”

The National Weather Service forecast for the remainder of the week calls for a wetter than normal pattern with numerous occurrences of showers and thunderstorms expected, especially during daytime hours.

Locally heavy rainfall will remain a threat, although severe weather is not expected.

Parish to consider ownership of fire towers

A brief agenda, pretty much the norm for summer months, faces members of the Washington Parish Council when they meet at 6 p.m. Monday in the first floor court room in the Washington Parish Courthouse.

Two action items are on the agenda, although the agenda could be opened and others added as necessary. Those items are:

            • Resolution No.11-527 – A Resolution in Appreciation to the Election Commission and Chairman.

    • Resolution No.11-528 – A Resolution authorizing a Study to Determine the feasibility of accepting the ownership of the Fire Towers located in Washington Parish,

There are five fire lookout towers in Washington Parish, located at Angie, near the Ben’s Creek Wildlife Management Area, Enon, Sheridan and Sunny Hill.

In addition to receiving public input, council members will hear from Parish President Richard Thomas and department heads.

The next regularly scheduled meeting will be held on Monday, Aug. 8.

Temple-Inland rejects second hostile bid from IP, time is on International Paper's side

Packaging industry analysts are calling International Paper’s bid to take over Temple-Inland “patient hostile.”

Temple-Inland’s (TIN) board of directors has now rejected a second offer from IP — this one just last Monday in the amount of $30.60 per share because it feels the offer grossly undervalues the company.

Specifically, Forbes, Inc. reported, Temple-Inland said the offer does not recognize expected benefits in box plant transformation, the company's low-cost building products operations, and its strategic place in the industry, among other shortcomings.

"Since we launched the 'new' Temple-Inland in January 2008, we have delivered superior results to our stockholders compared with our corrugated packaging peers, building products peers, and the S&P 500. The Temple-Inland Board is unanimous in its belief that the offer grossly undervalues Temple-Inland and its prospects, including its position as the return on asset leader in the corrugated packaging industry, expected benefits from box plant transformation, its low-cost building products operation, and its strategic place within the industry as the third largest producer of corrugated packaging in North America," Doyle R. Simons, chairman and CEO of Temple-Inland, said in a statement released in conjunction with the rejection announcement.

In the midst of the second offer, TI reported its second quarter earnings —17 cents per diluted share versus 15 cents per share in the first quarter. Second quarter net income was $19 million versus $16 million in the first quarter. Results were down from the same time last year, which was 18 cents and $20 million.

Memphis, Tenn.-based IP made its first offer in June, which was rejected, and made a second, unsolicited offer on July 11. Temple-Inland’s board has recommended its share holders reject the offer, too.

But, as the analysts pointed out in June, International Paper has pockets deep enough to take its time in structuring the acquisition.

Hence the term “patient hostile.”

TI, which is incorporated in Delaware, has a 10-member board with four members up for reelection each year. Under Delaware law, the company can push its next meeting no more than 13 months from the last one — which means June or July 2012. If International Paper is successful and elects its own four members to the board, it would still be short of votes and would have to wait yet another year to garner the majority needed to approve the takeover.

While the move may not seem to make much sense, analysts say that it keeps pressure on the Temple-Inland board and to extract additional information from the Austin, Texas-based company.

Temple-Inland owns and operates seven containerboard mills and more than 40 box plants, including one each in Bogalusa.