WPS adds three properties to 'For Sale' list

The Washington Parish School System has added three items to the list of items for sale, joining the old Franklinton High School football and baseball facilities.

New to the list are the former Varnado Elementary School and the old Pine High School, as well as a property in Franklinton.

While the Pine facility has been vacant since the July 2006 move to a new campus, Varnado was only shuttered this spring when the school was combined with Wesley Ray Elementary, located west of Angie.

The school system is currently advertising statewide for bids on the properties, The Varnado property is described as a six-acre tract on Jones Creek Road, while the Pine property is 3.6 acres on Highway 62. The Franklinton property is described as blocks 255 and 261, including a closed portion of 14th Street.

Sealed bids on the properties will be opened at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 7 at the school board office located at 800 Main St. in Franklinton.

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

Heavy rain hits Bogalusa, some power outages

Water runs through low-lying portions of
a yard in Confederate Heights Subdivision,
on its way to Coburn Creek, as Saturday
night's thunderstorm eased after about an hour.
 (Photo by John H. Walker)

For the second day in a row, thunderstorms rolled through Washington Parish early Saturday evening, drenching some areas and leaving others with little more than a sprinkle.

"We probably got a half-inch or so here at the house," said Bogalusa resident John Gallaspy about 8:30 p.m. "We got some here at the house last night, but didn't get a drop five miles south of town, where we grow our watermelons."

The rain was generated by thunderstorms that developed with afternoon heating and began opening up about 7:30 p.m. Gusty winds from the west wind-whipped the rain, which covered yards and streets in parts of Bogalusa.

In the Confederate Heights Subdivision, yards were flooded and ditches were running bank-to-bank and better as estimates of one-inch of rain and more were given.

Elsewhere, traditional lowspots, such as Superior Avenue, had water covering the street in spots as did other streets in town.

Power was out along Highway 21 south of Bogalusa after a tree fell on a line. At about 10 p.m., crews were still working to restore service.

But to the west, in areas around Pine, Thomas and Franklinton, there were only occasional showers — despite the rumbling of thunder and flashes of lightning.

According to weatherbug.com, the official weather service of wpnewsblog, a chance for thunderstorms existed until about midnight.

Radar showed the first storm cells, moving from the northeast, hit Bogalusa about 7:15 p.m. and cleared the city about an hour later. Smaller pockets of light rain remained northeast of Bogalusa in Mississippi at 9 p.m. with heavy rainfall moving southeast from Lumberton, Miss. toward Washington Parish.

To view weatherbug.com's time-lapse camera, mounted at Bogalusa High School, visit http://weather.weatherbug.com/LA/Bogalusa-weather/weather-cams/local-cams.html?zcode=z6286&camera_id=BGLSB&camera_animate=1.

On Sunday, a heat advisory is in place with highs forecasted to reach 96 degrees. Isolated thunderstorms, some severe, have the potential to develop late in the afternoon.

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

Probe under way in Dexter School fire

This is all that remains of the main building

at Dexter Attendance Center following a fire

late last Friday afternoon.

(McComb Enterprise-Journal photo)

DEXTER, Miss. — Fire destroyed the 70-year-old main building at Dexter Attendance Center late Friday afternoon and an investigation is under way to determine the cause. Two adjacent buildings were not damaged.


Firefighters from Washington  Parish joined firefighters from Walthall, Marion and Amite counties in battling the blaze, which was discovered about 5 p.m. Fire destroyed the main school building, but firefighters were able to save side and rear structures.

Dexter traditionally had competed against Pine in high school athletics and it is only about 13 miles between the two communities. Residents of the area interact on a regular basis and youth in Pine, Thomas and Dexter grow up knowing one another.

“When I got there I probably saw 10, 15 trucks, tankers, and firemen were everywhere. A lot of them were totally
exhausted,” Walthall County arson investigator Bobby Walthall told the McComb Enterprise-Journal. “They had been there fighting that fire for hours in the heat. Nobody had any dry clothes on.”

“I’m so proud of those firemen. They just really went above and beyond, I thought,” McGinnis said.

McGinnis reported the fire to the state fire marshal’s office but said it’s too early to know the cause.

“That’s a 75-year-old building or older and it had ancient wiring in it. (With) a power surge, you don’t ever know. That was the old-type construction made with the best wood available back then, which was heart pine.”

Some teachers had been working at the school until late in the afternoon but were gone when the fire broke out, he said.

Firefighters fought the blaze until nearly 10 p.m.

“I am so thankful the kids were not there,” said Superintendent of Education Danny McCallum. “That’s most important right now. We just finished the school year, so if it had to happen it was at a good time.”

The burned building contained the school offices, records, a computer lab and around eight classrooms. Undamaged were elementary buildings, a new science building and a gymnasium built after Hurricane Katrina damaged the old one.

“I could hear the computers going up,” McCallum said. “I could hear them popping. It just sounded like a big balloon. I heard 20 or 30 of those go off. It was unbelievable, that fire, the strength of it. That heart pine was just unstoppable.”

McCallum said the school board will discuss the situation at a budget meeting 10 a.m. Monday.

“We’re just going to focus right now on cleaning up and whatever paperwork we need to do,” he said. “We’ve got records we’ve got to think about.”

The K-12 school contained student folders, teacher paperwork, plus trophies, photos and other memorabilia.

The building was insured, as are all the school district buildings, McCallum said.

“We have worked real hard this year to try to restore that school, with test scores,” McCallum said. “I say we — that staff down there. We were really planning for a great year next year, and then had the wheels knocked out from us so to speak.”

As for the future of the school, “it’s too early to say,” McCallum said. “That would actually be a school board decision. They’ve got to put a lot of thought into it. It’s going to be a big issue.”

The school has an enrollment of less than 300 students, and there may be enough remaining class space to hold them, at least for now.

Fowler: 'Total surprise' at Citizen selection

Dennie Fowler at the
June 24 meeting of the
Parish Council.

"Total surprise. I was totally surprised."


Dennie Fowler, who, until his work as co-chairman of Washington Parish Recreation District 1 was better known as the parish's former superintendent of schools, was chosen Tuesday night as the 19th Citizen of the Year for West Washington Parish. The award is presented annually by the Bogalusa newspaper.


Fowler, who will be honored at a reception from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, June 12 at Hillcrest Baptist Church, said he had no clue what was happening as he was informed of the selection.

The award is voted on by past recipients and is limited to nominations submitted by the public.


Fowler is serving with Johnnie Daniels as co-chair of the district, which has, as its purpose the development of a multi-purpose recreation facility to serve residents of the district, which includes Franklinton, Mt. Hermon, Hackley, Enon, Isabel, Pine and Thomas.


The complex will consist of fields for boys baseball, girls softball, adult softball and football and soccer fields. Concession stands and restrooms will be near each field. It will also include walking paths, pavilion and picnic areas, a water pad, and plenty of parking for convenient access to all areas. A gymnasium and other features will be constructed in later phases.


Traditionally, the award is limited to recognizing the recipients' work over the past year ... and between his work as a 30-plus year volunteer with the Washington Parish Free Fair and the recreation district, Fowler has been busy.


"I've always worked for the children," he said. "I've tried to stay busy and do things to help others. This was a total and complete surprise."