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)

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)

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."

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.

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.

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.

Community survey response slow, behind goal

The goal of “one more completed survery” than DeRidder, the city that had the best response to the 2010 Louisiana Development Ready Communities program with 1,000 responses is in trouble — which means the LDRC Bogalusa Committee goal of 1,400 completed surveys is really in trouble.

But it’s not too late.

     Community survey

     http://www.zoomerang.com/Surve​y/WEB22CNEDKKCLL/

     Business survey     http://www.zoomerang.com/Surve​y/WEB22CNEEXKDFF/

With a deadline of the end of the month, there are still two Sundays, along with church meetings during the week, when surveys can be distributed … and there are several locations with large groups of employees, such as LSU-Bogalusa Medical Center, Northshore Technical College, Temple-Inland and the Bogalusa City Schools.

Between those locations, a concerted effort can yield the necessary results. But, in trucker jargon, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal.

At 10 a.m. Friday, Bogalusa was at 40.5 percent to the DeRidder goal and 28.9 percent to the committee’s goal. If partially completed surveys are included in the count, the numbers improve to 51.1 percent and 36.5 percent, which is sad for a community where so many want to voice their opinions at gatherings, such as the city council.

Online, there were 275 completed and 76 partial community surveys and 70 completed and 30 partial business surveys. Additionally, there about 60 paper surveys completed.

But now, when that input is sought for utilization in the development of a meaningful plan, where are those people?

The program, despite being behind pace because of the lack of survey response, gains momentum on Monday when two Town Hall meetings are held at the Senior Center on Willis Avenue.

The meetings are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and will afford persons the opportunity to tell what they feel are the communities strengths, its weaknesses, what is holding it back and what they would change if they had a magic wand and could do any one thing.

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.”

Between those locations, a concerted effort can yield the necessary results. But, in trucker jargon, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal.

At 10 a.m. Friday, Bogalusa was at 40.5 percent to the DeRidder goal and 28.9 percent to the committee’s goal. If partially completed surveys are included in the count, the numbers improve to 51.1 percent and 36.5 percent, which is sad for a community where so many want to voice their opinions at gatherings, such as the city council.

Online, there were 275 completed and 76 partial community surveys and 70 completed and 30 partial business surveys. Additionally, there about 60 paper surveys completed.

But now, when that input is sought for utilization in the development of a meaningful plan, where are those people?

The program, despite being behind pace because of the lack of survey response, gains momentum on Monday when two Town Hall meetings are held at the Senior Center on Willis Avenue.

The meetings are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. and will afford persons the opportunity to tell what they feel are the communities strengths, its weaknesses, what is holding it back and what they would change if they had a magic wand and could do any one thing.

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.”

Canal discrimination suit 'dismissed with prejudice'

A suit filed by 15 blacks alleging hiring discrimination by Canal Energy & Services has been dismissed with prejudice by United States District Court Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon. Earlier this year, the plantiffs had a complaint dismissed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Canal Energy & Services headquarters

Judge Lemmon signed the order of dismissal on Tuesday.

Canal president Steve Fetter, in a prepared statement released through operations manager Terry Rutherford, said, “We have never engaged in discriminatory practices and never will. We are gratified that the summary judgment was granted in our favor and we will continue to vigorously defend ourselves against frivolous allegations in the future.”

          The 13-page order of dismissal:

          http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/louisiana/laedce/2:2010cv04607/144614/16/

A dismissal with prejudice is dismissal of a case on merits after adjudication and the plaintiff is barred from bringing an action on the same claim. Dismissal with prejudice is a final judgment and the case becomes res judicata (a matter judged) on the claims that were or could have been brought in it.

The case, which was styled “Brown et al vs. Canal Energy Services, Inc.,” was filed last Dec. 22 by attorney Mary Anna Penton.

The plantiffs — Sondria Brown, Terris Cramedy, Carlos Gibson, Derrick Mixon, Arthur Mixon, Helen Edwards, Lance Jackson, Darrick May, Derrick McGowan, Preston Murray, Donnell Pigott, Jonathan Lowery, Elvin Pigott, Devon Thompson and Michael Williams — said they applied for employment at Canal in response to a newspaper advertisement.

They claimed Canal employed a practice to screen applicants to determine race and alleged it was “not uncommon” for company representatives to mark “B” on applications submitted by blacks and that Fetter advised his executive assistant that he did not want to hire them (blacks).

The suit sought award back pay, front pay, emotional distress damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees and court costs.

Following the filing of the suit, an angry Fetter said the applicants were not hired because they were not qualified for the company’s vacancies.

Canal Energy, a worldwide oilfield services company, moved its offices to Bogalusa from Belle Chasse and, despite Fetter’s promise to leave following the following of the suit, is still in operation in the Industrial Park. 

McGehee's prophecy coming true as P&Z approves plan that will bring Super Center

It’s a project former Bogalusa Mayor James “Mack” McGehee said he had worked on for 10 years when he announced last November that Walmart would build a Super Center on the site of the former Wade Tung Oil Plant property.

One of the variations of design used by
Walmart. In Bardstown, Ky., for example,
the Super Center has more of a "town square"
look that carries through the entire center.

Now, following today’s approval by the Planning & Zoning Commission of a proposal to subdivide the nearly 20-acre parcel, the store is one step closer to reality.

The property is located behind CVS and north of Ontario Street, stretching west to Shenandoah, east to Shriners/Memorial and north to Caswell.

While no timeline has been released, it generally takes about 12-16 months to build a new store, depending on the site work that is required. While the firm does use a number of contractors on a steady basis, as they are familiar with the store design and requirements, there are a number of construction-related jobs that would come about.

Additionally, building materials, such as the many thousands of cubic yards of concrete for the slab and the sand, clay and asphalt for the parking lot, will generate jobs and wages.

But for some, the news is a double-edged sword.

While the current Walmart underwent an extension renovation and expansion just last year, there are still many items people feel they must drive out of town to purchase. Those welcome the news.

The other side of the argument is how much damage can a Super Center do to the community’s remaining business base? And what will become of the current store in Shopyard Square?

But in Bogalusa, where 149 jobs are in the process of leaving this week as a shut-down crew works at Sitel, the prospects of a finding a job mean as much or more as having a wider shopping selection.

On the eve of the end of his first six months in office, current Mayor Charles Mizell told wpnewsblog that he had recently spoken with Walmart developers and that survey crews were due in the community.

“They told me if everything went well with the surveys, it looked good to go,” he said.

That is apparently the case and now, following protocol, P&Z will send its recommendations to the city council next month where no opposition is expected.

McGehee said the site is the first location he showed Walmart officials and despite looking at spots all around the city, they returned to the first one and settled on a location basically in the middle.

Following Walmart’s standard development protocol for smaller communities, the main store will stand alone while space will be available for additional development, such as a strip center.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based firm, founded by the late Sam Walton, follows a standard approach to development. The chain’s super centers range in size from 98,000 to 261,000 square feet. While specific details are not available, Walmart’s banking partner — Woodforest National Bank — is licensed to operate in Louisiana and is found in a number of Walmart locations. Also, there is early speculation as to whether the chain’s gas-dispensing partner, Murphy Oil of El Dorado, Ark., will be part of the landscape.

Push is on for return of community surveys; pair of Town Hall meetings set on July 25

City officials and volunteers are working feverishly to get persons with a vested interest in Bogalusa to participate in the Louisiana Development Ready Communities program by completing a survey.

Two surveys are available — one for individuals and one for businesses — and the city has set a goal of 1,001 returned surveys, or one more than was returned by DeRidder, last year's top-responding community.

        Community survey:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Surve y/WEB22CNEDKKCLL/ 

Business survey:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Surve y/WEB22CNEEXKDFF/

As of last week, the online community survey had been accessed 572 times with 188 completions and 55 partial completions. The business survey had been accessed 207 times, with 51 completions and 25 partial completions. In addition, a little more than 50 paper surveys have been returned.

That means Bogalusa is at about 36 percent of the community goal of 1,001 surveys, although the marketing and communications committee established a goal of 1,400 returned surveys.

The deadline for returning the surveys is July 30.

As part of the process, information from the surveys is being compiled, but vocal input is also being sought. To that end, two town hall meetings will be held on Monday, July 25 at the Senior Center on Willis Avenue. At these meetings, persons will be able to offer input in regards to what they feel are Bogalusa's specific assets and shortcomings. Additionally, participants will be asked what they would change if they had the ability to do so.

The town hall meetings will be at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Surveys are available online and are also available at a number of locations around the community, including city hall, the newspaper office and the chamber of commerce. It is estimated that an online survey takes about five minutes to complete and a paper survey between 10 and 15 minutes.

Checkpoint yields 3 drunk drivers, weed

There were three arrests for DWI and another for possession of marijuana during a sobriety checkpoint operation between 9 p.m. Friday and 2 a.m. Saturday.

Officers of the Louisiana State Police (LSP) Troop L and Bogalusa Police Department operated the checkpoint at Louisiana 21 and City Limits Road, on the extreme northern edge of the city.

LSP Trooper Nick Manale said three drivers were arrested on charges of DWI and that a fourth driver was issued a summons for possession of what was described as a small amount of marijuana. Manale said the marijuana was seized and logged into evidence by the Bogalusa Police Department.

A total of 270 vehicles were screened during the five-hour operation and six field sobriety tests were administered.

Manale said, "Every year on the highways across the state of Louisiana, numerous people are killed or injured by impaired drivers. Sobriety checkpoints are an effective enforcement tool serving as a deterrent to impaired and drunken driving."

Two other sobriety checkpoints were held in St. Tammany Parish on Saturday, including one in the Sun and Bush area.

Investigation continues after bust of meth lab

Members of the Washington Parish Drug Task Force continued the assault on illegal drugs in Bogalusa on Thursday night, busting a methamphetamine lab on Avenue G.

Officers, who said the investigation was ongoing, initially arrested five people in the raid in the 1800 block of Avenue G.

Arrested were:
   • Danielle Thomas Cooper, 24, manufacture/production of methamphetamine, operation of a clandestine lab, resisting an officer;
   • Pamela Sue Duhon, 25, manufacture/production of methamphetamine, operation of a clandestine lab;
   • Shannon Jones, 38, manufacture/production of methamphetamine, operation of a clandestine lab, resisting an officer and possession of a schedule III narcotic;

   • Thomas Penton, 36, manufacture/production of methamphetamine, operation of a clandestine lab, resisting an officer, and

   • Julia Tynes, 27, manufacture/production of methamphetamine, operation of a clandestine lab, resisting an officer and possession of methamphetamine

With the 15 persons arrested Tuesday in the raids on the members of the criminal organization of Derek Moss, a total of 22 persons have gone to jail this week on drug charges.

Law enforcement officials on Tuesday promised there were more arrests to come.

(Reader news tip story.)

Sitel's time in Bogalusa now down to hours

For the first time in more than a decade, Bogalusa will be without a customer service call center when the new work week gets under way.

Only 18 vehicles were in the Sitel parking lot late
Saturday morning. The company has announced
plans to close its Bogalusa operations on Monday,
although a skeleton crew of about 20 is expected
to work through July 25 to shutter the facility.
(Photo by John H. Walker) 

Earlier this year, officials for Nashville-based Sitel notified Washington Economic Development Foundation director Ryan Seal that it would cease operations in the Bogalusa Industrial Park on Monday, July 18.

At the time, Sitel employed 149 people — the majority in $8 to $9 per hour pay range. When the announcement was made, facility coordinator Chad Luikart said employees would be given the opportunity to transfer to other Sitel sites — the nearest being in Starkville, Miss.

Attempts to contact Luikart were unsuccessful and Human Resources Manager Jerry Couch did not return an earlier call.

Both Seal and Bogalusa Mayor Charles Mizell have told wpnewsblog they are working “on a deal that will be great” for the community and hope to make an announcement soon.

Sources tell wpnewsblog there is a team of about 20 persons who will stay until July 25 in the shutdown process, but that the remainder of the workforce would finish employment on Monday. At about 7 p.m. Friday, there were seven vehicles in the parking lot and, at noon Saturday there were 18 — with five bearing Mississippi plates. While the majority of the hourly workers and first-line supervisors reside in Washington Parish, there have always been a number of employees from the Tylertown, Dexter, Sandy Hook, Foxworth and Columbia areas.

“Who can transfer for what they pay?” a supervisory employee who requested anonymity at the time, asked. “People making $8 an hour can’t afford to move and they sure aren’t going to pay for it. The coaches (team leaders) don’t make a lot more than the customer service reps.”

Seal said the decision did not surprise him, as he had been notified three previous times that the company was considering closing the Bogalusa facility.

Seal told wpnewsblog that Sitel cited several factors in reaching the decision, including the national economy, the lack of Spanish-speaking employees, the location of the call center in a hurricane zone and the distance from a commercial airport.

“I think the fact we were nearing the end of their agreement also played a factor, although they wouldn’t admit that,” Seal said. “They had raised some questions about the requirements and things like that a few months ago.”

One of the conditions of the company’s contract with the city — going back to when the facility was new — was that a workforce of 300 be maintained.

And an educated, dependable workforce was one of the problems in Bogalusa.

“You have to show up for work,” a floor coach told a training class last September. “You said you wanted to work and we hired you and scheduled you, so you have to show up.”

That class of 16 was down to 13 being the six-week training period was up and only four remained at the end of January.

“Turnover is a problem,” trainer Janet Cotton told the September class. “The churn is more than 100 percent.”

The $3 million facility housing Sitel was constructed for what was then known as Service Zone in 2000 and 2001. Service Zone, a Florida-based call center, had been located in a former retail space in Shopyard Square before relocating to the Industrial Park in September 2001.

In March 2002, the state reimbursed the city’s Industrial Park Fund to the tune of $1.5 million — it’s share of the cost of the project. At the time, Service Zone employed 346 people and planned to add between 80 and 100 over the next two months.

Louisiana Secretary of Economic Development Don Hutchinson said at the time that the state was focusing on bringing in what he described as “technology jobs.”

In January 2004, ClientLogic acquired Service Zone’s operations, including Bogalusa, but by summer things weren’t looking very promising as the company announced it had lost its only contract (for the Bogalusa operation) and would likely lay off its entire workforce — which, by this time, was below 300. Things turned around, though, when the company announced it had acquired three, and possibly, four contracts for Bogalusa.

The company continued to push for growth in its Bogalusa operations, but ran into problems.

In April 2005, the company announced it was having difficulty meeting its goal of hiring 375 new workers by July because of a lack of computer and customer service skills in the local workforce. The company’s director of operations even went before the Washington Parish Council to seek out qualified workers.

Darlene Larkin said only about half of the 50 applicants the company received daily were qualified, but that there was a 50 percent failure rate when those were tested for employment.

Then came Hurricane Katrina. The company shuttered its Bogalusa operations after the storm hit on Aug. 29, 2005, but reopened three weeks later, although not with the pre-storm workforce of 350.

By mid-September 2006, the company announced it was planning to add 60 jobs in October and an additional 100 by the end of the year. To reach those goals, the company announced it would offer referral bonuses and sign-on bonuses. In addition, to emphasize its recommitment to Bogalusa, the company planned a grand reopening.

In February 2007, ClientLogic had merged with Sitel and the workforce was now down to 240 persons. ClientLogic’s starting wage was $7 per hour with increases to $9 after about 18 months, Larkin had explained.

Bogalusa’s Sitel operations had a single client, Citizens Bank Group, a division of the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Museums of Cassidy Park a good place to visit, learn about Bogalusa and the surrounding areas

If you're new to the area, an old-timer just wanted to "freshen" up some "old" facts or a visitor to the community, the Museums in Cassidy Park have a little something for everyone

Museum of Native American Art volunteer
Lydia Fendalson (right) explained how rings
on a tree help determine its age to Bogalusans
Landry Dupont (left), Mary Margaret Crawford
and Riley Dupont, The three youngsters were taking
advantage of the museum's extended hours on July 4.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

The Pioneer Museum and the Museum of Native American Art, both open from 2-4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, exhibit artifacts and interpretive materials and programs relevant to the history of the City of Bogalusa, the surrounding communities and the region itself.

Admission is free to both and both are staffed by knowledgeable volunteers who can answer your questions — or know where to find the answer.

Over the past several years, the museums have been renovated and revitalized under the direction of volunteer curator Millie Canter. The old "Indian Museum" had fallen into such bad repair after Hurricane Katrina that daylight could be seen through the ceiling and roof, while displays in the Pioneer Museum had become stagnant.

Under Canter's direction, new excitement was generated on both the board and in the volunteer ranks and now, exhibits are rotated on a regular basis and the history of the region around Bogalusa is explored.

OPINION: Recapping the week thus far

Processing the week thus far …

•••

Joe Culpepper, Bogalusa’s chief of police, was processing paperwork for 17 warrants that were to be served Tuesday morning when things started turning upside down Sunday night.

“I was here (in his office), working on that paperwork, when the call came in,” he said.

“The call.”

“The call” he was referring to was the one that came it at 8:44 p.m. and advised an off-duty police officer was firing his gun and officers were responding.

Culpepper, who normally has a welcoming smile on his face, wasn’t smiling as he recounted the events of the evening, including the decision on who would lead the initial investigation and response.

Then, with the processing of warrant paperwork still needing to be done, Culpepper called out Det. Kendall Bullen, who was in the process of heading to bed when his phone rang.

“I think it was 2:30 or so when he finished,” Culpepper said, a fact Bullen confirmed about 4:20 Tuesday morning at the National Guard Readiness Center as another in what has been promised to be a series of drug busts was getting ready to go down.

And so, when wpnewsblog began chasing the Chief at 6:50 Monday morning, he was trying to get some shut-eye after pulling a two-tiered all-nighter. There’s no reason he wouldn’t have his cell phone off and there was no reason he wouldn’t be coming to work around noon after the night he — and his department — had been through. And wpnewsblog fired an unnecessary shot across the bow because of the late arrival and the quest to get the information.

And we all know the public details of the story up to this point … that off-duty PFC Anton Atkins allegedly committed armed robbery, discharging a weapon in the process, and was arrested.

•••

But …

… Atkins’ alleged victim, 31-year-old Willie Holloway of Angie, has anything but a squeaky clean reputation. He was one of 17 sought in Tuesday’s drug raid and was one of two officers were warned about as being potentially dangerous.

Holloway, who we understand went to the local newspaper to “tell his story,” said he was “just riding around” when Atkins and a second person, Marvin Austin, Jr.,  pulled his vehicle in front of Holloway’s.

Austin, incidentally, was the name of the second person wpnewsblog was given and referred to in the initial reporting of the incident at 9:52 Monday morning. Austin wound up being arrested on Sunday, but not in connection with Holloway’s claims, instead on an FTA.

So, how many of us go out “just riding around” with $700 in our pockets? On a Sunday night? At the end of two streets that run into the back entrance of Northshore Technical College’s Sullivan Campus?

Yeah, right. You get the same picture we did.

•••

As Tuesday’s drug bust was getting started, a familiar face walked in the back door of the armory — Charles Mizell.

It wasn’t a public ribbon cutting where the cameras would be on him and the big, fake scissors in-hand, but it was just after 5:20 a.m. and he was there as mayor, supporting his officers.

And every time someone brought in a bad guy, Mizell had an encouraging word for them. When it was a Bogalusa officer, he took the extra step of telling them he appreciated what they were doing and it was a job well done.

It may not seem like much to the cynics among us, but I overheard more than one member of the force make a comment about his presence, followed by a “That’s cool” or another phrase that indicated it made them feel a bit better about the support they get.

•••

And finally — for this recap — we’ve made contact with several members of the family of the late Bogalusa Fire Capt. Anthony J. Fiorenza, who is the only firefighter to have died in the line of duty in Bogalusa fire department history.

The 43^rd anniversary of the fire was last Friday and, after wpnewsblog asked Chief Richard Moody about it, the department hastily organized a memorial observance at the station on West 8^th, where Fiorenza had been made captain just four days prior to his death.

We’d like to say there was a good turnout, but there wasn’t. In fact, other than yours truly and the firefighters themselves, the only other observers were Barbara Crawford and her YWCA Photography Day Camp class — Eden Breazeale, Olivia Kennedy, Makayla Ramser, Jayla Buchanan, Katelyn Gray and Dana Breazeale.

After the two stories appeared on wpnewsblog — the only two published about the memorial observance — we heard from Fiorenza’s sole surviving sister and his daughter.

From his sister, Mary Dugan-Brignac, on Sunday: “Mr. Walker, thank you very much for this article.  I am Anthony's only living sibling, and I live here in Bogalusa, about 8 blocks from the Pleasant Hill Fire Station.  Of course, I attended the Memorial in July 2004, along with my now deceased sister Lena Jacobs.  My picture appeared in the Daily News with the story about the memorial.  My brother has a daughter and grandson who live near Slidell and a son and granddaughters who live in Baker, LA.”

On Wednesday, I heard from Toni Fiorenza McKinney, his daughter. She and her husband and her 21-year-old son — Fiorenza’s grandson — live in Pearl River.

As he requested, I have forwarded the contact information to Chief Moody so he can get the family involved next year when the now-annual memorial observance will be held.

•••

To all of you who read and follow wpnewsblog, a sincere thank you.

Since our first post, on the spring nursing graduation at Northshore Technical College on May 17, our site has been visited more than 28,000 times. Yes, there have been some big news stories that drove those numbers, but I also believe there was some steady, constant reporting that helped a bunch, too.

Unless you log on via phone, there’s a counter on the right hand side of our page that shows you how many visitors we’ve had and I also want you to know we now have more than 200 followers on Facebook (WPNewsBlog). We’re on Twitter, too, but I’m still learning the nuances of tweeting, so for right now, I feel like a twit in that arena.

But again … thank you for your support and for passing along those news tips!

(John H. Walker is editor/publisher of wpnewsblog. He is a 40-year veteran of the communications industry, having worked in newspaper, radio and television prior to opening his own consulting firm and venturing into social media on his own. He may be reached at 789-0918 or at wpnews@ymail.com)

Thunderstorms dump 3 inches and more; more possible

Heavy thunderstorms moving southwest from Mississippi into Washington Parish dumped as much as 3 inches of rain in parts of Bogalusa.

At 6:30 p.m., the heaviest rains had passed through Bogalusa, leaving behind street flooding all across the city. In addition, some yards abutting Coburn Creek had water in them from the quick rise following the deluge.

In South Bogalusa, from about the point where Columbia Street intersects with Highway 21, there were also intermittent power outages from that point north until past Northshore Technical College.

Daytime heating created conditions perfect for the development of the thunderstorms, which resulted in the National Weather Service issuing a severe thunderstorm warning.

At 7:35, radar showed another line of thunderstorms stretching from west of Columbia to east of I-59. Those storms were tracking to the south/southwest with the strongest cells reaching Washington Parish about 9 p.m. and passing over Bogalusa about 9:30.

Measurable rainfall for the month of July in Bogalusa totaled 4.1 inches at 7:30 Wednesday evening, following .55 inches on July 2 and another .55 inches on July 5.

Drug roundup: 13 of 17 now behind bars

Thirteen of seventeen individuals sought on warrants in connection with a roundup of local and area drug dealers are now in Washington Parish Jail in Franklinton.

"Everything went really smooth," explained Bogalusa Police Chief Joe Culpepper. "The planning, preparation and execution took a lot of work, but after that it all went very well."

The arrests brought to a close a multi-agency task force investigation. The task force was made up of agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, LSP Criminal Investigations Division Hammond Field Office and the Bogalusa Police Department.

The investigation began in June of 2010, when detectives identified a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) lead by Derek Moss, (B/M age 44) of Marrero, suspected of trafficking cocaine throughout the Bogalusa area.

Moss, a native of Washington Parish, established Bogalusa as the DTO’s base of operation utilizing residents to distribute narcotics throughout the community.

On Feb. 19, 2011, Moss and several high ranking members of the DTO were arrested without incident resulting in the disruption of the criminal enterprise. The subsequent investigation led to the identification of the 17 individuals sought on Tuesday.

Those arrested and their charges include:

• Sebastian Levi (B/M age 45) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• John Roberts (B/M age 41) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Darin Fields (B/M age 29) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Myrtis Dixon (B/M age 47) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Luther Whitten Sr. (B/M age 53) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Diana Ramsher (W/F age 42) – Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Oxycontin), Possession of a weapon in the presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, and Possession of a CDS in a Drug Free Zone.

• Russell Ramsher (W/M age 40)  - Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Oxycontin), Possession of a weapon in the presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, and Possession of a CDS in a Drug Free Zone.

• Gregory Bickham (B/M age 41) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Larry O’Neal Cotton (B/M age 37) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Roderick McCray (B/M age 27) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Jada Owens (B/F age 46) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Roy Short (B/M age 36) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine) and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

• Johnny Robertson (B/M age 51) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine) and Possession of Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

Detectives are continuing their investigation and actively seeking the following suspects:

• Tina Jefferson (B/F age 26) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Randall Lavinghouse (W/M age 38) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Willie Holloway (B/M age 31) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

• Jason Cooley Jr. (B/M age 30) - Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS (Cocaine)

Culpepper told wpnewsblog that Jefferson, Lavinghouse and Holloway had contacted police and there was a possibility they would surrender to police.

Mug shots will be available Wednesday.

Operation Safe-T-Net part of ongoing effort to dismantle Derek Moss' Bogalusa drug empire

Russel and Diana Ramsher

The knocks on the doors came early this morning, and when someone came to the door, they were greeted by armed police officers with their weapons drawn.

Operation Safe-T-Net was under way.

After gathering at the National Guard Readiness Center on Highway 10 West at 4:30, officers were first briefed, then divided into four teams as they prepared to execute a total of 17 arrest warrants.

Darin Fields

Officers hit the street at 5:12 a.m. and the first suspects were brought in through the back door of the  some 45 minutes later when Russel and Diana Ramsher were brought in ... his hands bound behind him and hers in front. As they reached the first stop in the booking process, she started crying and complaining that officers had not allowed her to "take my medicine."

Luther Whitten, Sr.

"What medicine do you take?" she was asked. She responded, but was then directed to sit at the table where the booking process began.

Tuesday's operation is the culmination of a year-long investigation that began in June 2010 when the Bogalusa Police Narcotics Unit, Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigation Division Region 1 Troopers and agents of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration initiated a joint cocaine investigation in the Bogalusa area.

Roy Lee Short

During the investigation, a drug trafficking organization lead by Derek R. Moss, 43, of Marrero. Moss, a native of Bogalusa, used his hometown as a base for his criminal activity.


A subsequent investigation into Moss' operation resulted in the utilization of various investigative techniques and led to the arrest of Moss and four high-ranking members of his organization.

Myrtis Dixon a/k/a
Myrtis Bickham

Tuesday's raids were a result of a year's worth of wiretaps and other surveillance activities and all of the suspects have been identified as members of Moss' criminal organization.

"It's almost impossible to describe," said Bogalusa Chief of Police Joe Culpepper, "once you've gone on a wire, the hours and hours and hours you listen to as you develop evidence."

Bogalusa Policeman D Ray Phelps, who coordinated the Bogalusa potion of the effort, said today's arrest were not the last that will be executed.

Jada Owens

"There's more to come," Phelps told the assembled officers.

"We appreciate all of you being here this morning," Culpepper said. "This is the culmination of three or four years work and we thank you."

Once arrested the suspects were brought to the Readiness Center for processing and booking, then taken to the Bogalusa City Jail for transport to the Washington Parish Jail in Franklinton.

Poached alligator found in Bogalusa yard

Wildlife and Fisheries personnel discovered a dead, 11.5 foot alligator in the yard of a home near where Verret turns in Rio Grande Street. An investigation is continuing into the discovery and charges may be filed.


In Louisiana, possession of an alligator is a violation. The only times that is not the case is during wild alligator season, which starts annually on the first Wednesday of September and lasts for 30 days. Possession of an alligator during closed season is against the law as is possession of a live alligator without a permit.


In Louisiana, an alligator hunter must either own land or lease land that is classified as wetland habitat in order to qualify for alligator harvest tags.


The penalty for possessing an alligator during a closed season is $400 to $950, or jail time up to 120 days, or both plus court cost and forfeiture of anything seized.  The penalty for possession of a live alligator without a permit is $250 to $500, or jail time up to 90 days, or both plus court cost.

Widening, resurfacing of City Limit Road nearing

If not the roughest street in Bogalusa, City Limit Road has to be near the top of the list.

Marked by pot holes, patch jobs that have been patched and re-patched and, for the past few several months rougher still because of the relocation of drain lines and collection basins, there are brighter days ahead for those who drive the road.

That's because bids will be let on August 19 for a widening project that will result in a street that is safer and easier to navigate.

"After the bids are opened, we'll start the project to widen it to 20-feet from Highway 21 to the railroad tracks," explained Leo Lucchesi, director of public works for Washington Parish.

Lucchesi said the city of Bogalusa had moved the drainage lines and installed new collection basins, filling in a wide, deep ditch that ran along the north side of about one-half the length of the street, which runs about 4,800 feet.

"The city did that work and we (Washington Parish) will oversee the widening and paving on the project," Lucchesi said. "The new drains and collection basins went where that ditch was."