Graveside service: 11 a.m. Saturday, March 2, 2024, Bistineau Cemetery, Heflin, under the direction of Rockett Funeral Home, Ringgold, La.
Webster Parish Journal publishes paid complete obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or wpjnewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are no charge.)
A Minden man is in custody for harboring an alleged attempted murder suspect at his residence.
Gene Kemp of the 700 block of Murdoch Street was arrested Monday by Minden Police for one count of accessory after the fact.
Minden Police learned Kemp was harboring 28-year-old Jaryon Stephens, who is wanted for shooting Ronnie Hemphill February 1, as well as another subject.
Det. Sgt. Shane Griffith said Minden Narcotics Officers missed Stephens by only a few minutes but arrested Kemp.
“We believe he was tipped off we were coming,” Griffith said of Stephens. “Anyone found to be harboring this fugitive will be charged accordingly. This is a very serious crime and you will be charged to the fullest extent possible.”
Kemp is at Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center. His bond is set at $50,000.
See the link below for the original stories on this case.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
(Editor’s note: BDCC photos of Cynthia and Ricky Pearson were not available.)
State Fire Marshal (SFM) deputies have arrested three Mississippi residents for their roles in an insurance fraud scheme involving a fire at an abandoned church.
Cynthia Pearson, 66, and Ricky Pearson, 65, both from Jackson, Miss., were booked into Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center (BDCC) Friday, February 16. Both were arrested on one count each of Arson with Intent to Defraud and Criminal Conspiracy.
Shawn Burton, 52 of Jackson, Miss., was booked into BDCC back in August 2023 on one count each of Simple Arson of a Religious Building, Simple Burglary and Criminal Conspiracy.
Minden Fire Chief Brian Williams said it had been a long investigation, and “we just want to extend our thanks to the Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal investigators for following through with the investigation and making the arrests.”
Williams said SFM kept his department informed throughout the investigation but much of the information could not and still can’t be released.
“It was extensive, and it is still ongoing with their office,” he said.
In April 2023, Minden Fire Department responded to Grace Tabernacle located in the 500 block of Constable Street for a report of a fire. The church was without utilities and had not been in use for several months. Suspicious circumstances surrounding the fire led to a request for the SFM to investigate its origin and cause.
Through extensive investigative efforts, SFM deputies and agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined the fire was intentionally set and identified Burton as a suspect in the case. Following his arrest in August, continued investigative efforts led to arrest warrants for the Pearsons, who own the facility.
Thanks to the assistance of the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Pearsons were taken into custody on Feb. 16.
This investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information that can assist deputies with this case is asked to submit tips through our Arson Hotline at 1-844-954-1221 or online at lasfm.org. All tips can be submitted anonymously.
The SFM would like to thank the Mississippi State Fire Marshal’s Office and the ATF for their assistance with this case.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
City of Minden will be applying for a grant next week that would allow an access road from U.S. Hwy. 80 to Industrial Drive (service road). However, the route of the road is still in the discussion phase.
“These decisions will affect us all, one way or another,” Mayor Nick Cox said Tuesday during a public meeting at city hall. “This project is very much in the infancy stage … it’s very hypothetical. We are just trying to get easier access to the service road.”
Representatives from Manchac Consulting Group presented the full council, as well as several members of the community, with a slideshow of numbers and maps supporting the alternate route as a traffic alleviation.
Ben Rauschenbach said that with limited road capacity and outdated infrastructure, the risk of accidents and collisions has heightened since the original service road was built.
“The existing roadways are unable to handle the increasing volume of vehicles, leading to long delays and frustration among commuters,” Rauschenbach said. “The congestion also impacts the local economy as businesses struggle with transportation logistics.”
A draft of the map shows a road temporarily dubbed Harvey’s Way that would connect Hwy. 80 with the original dead-end road currently with the same name (Harvey’s Way) with a proposed speed limit of 30 miles per hour. They are recommending a dedicated left turn lane connecting 80 on the north end of the corridor.
Not everyone in attendance was happy with the map. James Johnson owns property in the area where the access road is shown on the original proposal. It has been in his family since the 1880s, he said.
“Right where it (access road) turns, that hill just south is actually where I want to build my house where I plan to retire,” Johnson said. “I’m not opposed to a connecting road. It’s actually a great idea, however, I don’t want it to come through my backyard.”
An alternate route would take the new road through low-lying areas that flood.
The 6.1 million dollar project would be funded primarily from the RAISE grant for which Manchac is applying on behalf of the city.
A RAISE grant, (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity), is a federal discretionary program through the U.S. Department of Transportation.
According to Rauschenbach, it is a “highly competitive grant. There are between 300 and 500 applications, so we are trying very hard to put Minden right in there with the mix and meet what we believe to be all the various criteria.”
“Our eligibility will decide whether we are qualified for the grant and whether we will receive 100 percent of the money or have a 20 percent match,” said the mayor.
District D councilman Michael Roy said he is concerned about the money if the city has to come up with 20 to 25 percent of $6.1 million – or approximately $1.3 million.
“What is the road going to actually do to generate business?” Roy asked. “To spend the city’s $1.3 million, that’s a big number. I’m not trying to be negative, I’m just trying to look at the whole picture.”
The Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Commission (WPCVC) is getting geared up for their inaugural Caney Puzzler Adventure Race taking place March 2 –3. Outdoor enthusiasts will be packing up to travel to Webster Parish to endure miles and miles of biking, running and kayaking at Caney Lakes just north of Minden.
Adding this race to the ever-growing list of outdoor opportunities in the parish has given WPCVC Executive Director Serena Gray quite a sense of accomplishment.
“Adventure Race events complement our overall mission for Webster Parish, which is to increase visitation to Webster Parish resulting in overnight stays and activities within the parish,” said Gray.
Currently, the tourism office has 55 people registered; 3 for the Future Adventure Race that will be available for children ages 14 and under and 27 for the “Sprint Race.” This race is for teams of 2-3 with solos allowed. The course is designed for beginners and will include 8-12 miles of biking, 3-5 miles of trail running and 1-3 miles of paddling. So far, 25 are registered for the “Long Haul Race” that is open for teams of 2,3 and 4. It includes 30-50 miles of biking, 15-20 miles of trekking and 6-8 miles of paddling. Most of these registrants are traveling from Texas and Arkansas to compete.
Gray mentioned sporting events like this race and the Archery Shooter Association (ASA) Archery Tournament that has found a new home to host their event at Camp Minden, are just a couple of examples of how the WPCVC is working to attract more visitors into Webster Parish. They have a strategic plan for sales that includes targeting events, meetings and retreats accommodating up to 150 rooms per event.
“By achieving this on a regular basis, I believe we would begin to attract more investors who are willing to build additional attractions and services in Webster Parish,” explained Gray. “Tourism is a driver for economic development and as I work towards our goals as a tourism destination, I am passionate about not only creating great experiences for visitors, but also enhancing the quality of life for our residents. This is what keeps me motivated and inspired to achieve great things for Webster Parish.”
For those looking for a fun outdoor event, they can register for the Adventure Race up until February 29.
In the past two issues of your WPJ we told you the story of Phil Chalmers’ training sessions on incredibly violent people and the horrors they’ve unleashed. We hope you took notice. If not, please do. His class may have targeted law enforcement officers, but all of us should take notice.
It would require a Tolstoy to author all the information he presented. His lessons cut deeply into the present. We think you will find that when Chalmers said, “Society has gone mad…we’ve lost our minds,” he was conservative.
Theories abound on the subject of where we’re heading as a people and why. Many, including your humble servant, believe the path on which we currently travel is the result of decades of indulgence and permissiveness with a healthy pinch of denial. Our children are reaping the rewards.
A Canadian rock band sang, “If it feels good, do it.” Society has apparently adopted Gary Gilmore’s last words, “Let’s do it.” Society might well remember what happened to Gary, and why. Timothy Leary said, “Turn on, tune in, drop out.” Today’s Leary might want us to “Tune out, cop out, drop out and take everyone you hate with you.”
There are consequences to the changes, in attitude and aptitude, especially to the most vulnerable. A young person today is locked in a battle with themselves. In schools across the country, the emphasis has changed from math, science and technology to gender affirmation, proper pronoun usage and race entitlement. No wonder little minds are losing it.
Consider: A 15-year-old high school freshman lives in a nice neighborhood with nice parents and a sister. He’s troubled with situations at school. Visits counselor with parents. Later, asks parents to buy him a gun, they say no. Visits counselor again. Counselor doesn’t see anything wrong with young man having gun.
Parents allow him to purchase .22 rifle and 9MM pistol with the promise he will not use “without their consent.” He didn’t ask consent when he killed his father with the .22 and mother with the 9MM the night before he killed two classmates and injured 25 others at his Springfield, Oregon school.
Consider: Bullies had taken their toll on this 14-year-old. He got his hands on his dad’s weapons, took his school class hostage, killed his teacher, the bully and shot others in the class before the spree ended. Prior to the shootings, this youngster’s teacher had expressed “concern” over some of his drawings that portrayed multiple individuals being shot in the head. Concern.
In these cases, erratic behavior of young people didn’t ring alarm bells. Professionals apparently didn’t recognize signs or didn’t dig deeply enough. Parents apparently aren’t ready to believe it’s their children who are the bell ringers. The words “if only” are inadequate.
While we’ve emphasized young people and tragic events, don’t think for a moment we’re overlooking the crazies among us. There’re enough nuts among us adults to feed the world’s frugivores a million times over.
Example: Dean Martin’s song of the late 1940s, “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” got heated attentiona Christmas ago for lyrics the Wokes/Cancel Culturites considered offensive. Deano’s lyrics, our protectorate declared, glamorized stalking, seduction and sexism. Ban it, baby. How dare he?
On the other hand, the mega rap star Carti B sells about a gazillion copies of her hit, “W.A.P.” This is a language friendly publication, so all you students will have to Google to acronymically wordify the title. Tell me later if the Google makes you giggle…or gag.
Carti wins a Grammy,multiple AMAs, Billboards, BETs, MTVs and other honors for her talents which include writing many of her own lyrics. Music lovers worldwide love her, her lifestyle, her videos. Check’em out. Sure you’ll agree they’re tastefully done.
Of course it’s a fan’s privilege to love whomever they wish…unless it’s a whom who’s not approved by the social warriors. The haters of “Baby….” can’t get enough CB, but they have a BM over DM. Weirdly predictable. Frighteningly indicative.
Solutions? Several, but attention/involvement is required. Our little safe havens are not so safe as we want to believe. Remember the word, denial. Our guru said love your neighbor, but build good fences. He also said we humans might solve a world of problems with a good colon cleansing which would include, of course, our heads.
A Bienville Parish man is behind bars in Webster Parish on multiple drug charges.
Leonardo Devinci McCarter, 26, of the 1600 block of Sycamore St., Arcadia, is charged with possession of Ecstasy, driving under suspension for driving while intoxicated and modified exhaust.
According to reports, McCarter’s vehicle was stopped on Pershing Street in Minden around 9 p.m. Wednesday by Minden Police Lt. Chris Hammontree.
Chief Jared McIver said McCarter was stopped because of modified exhaust and illegally tinted windows.
“McCarter denied consent to search his vehicle, so Hammontree used K9 officer Tigo who alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics in the vehicle,” said the chief. “The search yielded 3 grams of marijuana and a half an Ecstasy pill in the vehicle.”
Further investigation reportedly showed the license suspension and several prior DWIs.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Did everyone survive the Nationwide Cellular Outage of 2024?
Me? Barely?
Firstly, I was spooked awake about 30 minutes before my alarm clock was set to go off, by my pre-teen daughter asking me if I paid the phone bill this month. Not the best start to my day.
I told her yes and to leave me alone. She stomps out of the room. I proceed to pull my phone out from under my pillow and I am immediately caught off guard (for the second time this morning) by the “SOS” staring back at me from the corner of my iPhone.
So, of course I am like… “Damn, did I pay the phone bill?!”
Well, with no service there was really nothing I could do about it right then, so I went ahead and got up and we all began getting ready to start our day. On the car ride to school, I could feel Emerson glaring at me from the corner of my eye, silently shaming me for supposedly missing this payment and forcing her to ride to school without texting her friends (that she is about to see in literally 7 minutes).
I uncomfortably turn the radio up and what do you know… it’s Erin McCarty with 710 Keel informing us that there has been a reported nationwide cellular outage.
I glance over at Emerson; we make brief eye contact, and she just acts like nothing ever happened… like she didn’t accuse me of not paying my bills and hasn’t silenting been cursing me in her head this whole ride to school. Nope, nothing.
Ok, cool.
I get to work and finally get my phone hooked up to Wi-Fi and see a few articles pop up about the outage and then of course there’s all these posts about how the world is ending, and Jesus is coming because we don’t have phone service. And then, there’s also a handful of blog posts on the mom groups I follow on Facebook talking about how this outage is a blessing. I was intrigued, so I dove in.
One was talking about how we as mothers spend too much time on our phones and ignore our kids… Of course, I have seen these posts before and usually I get a quick pang of guilt as I am sitting on my phone ignoring my kids while reading a blog about how horrible it is to sit on my phone and ignore my kids.
This message isn’t a bad one. We could all stand to cut back on our phone usage. The problem I have is the argument that technology has everything to do with the way the world is these days and that our kids are probably going to grow up to be… well I don’t exactly know because nobody ever says… but it of course is something horrendous. I don’t know if I agree with this completely for a couple of different reasons.
One, I ignore my kids even when I am not on the phone and my parents ignored me when I was growing up, as well. So, I don’t think it has anything to do with technology or this modern-day generation of parents. I ignore my kids when I am cooking dinner, or if I am having a conversation with another adult and sometimes when I am daydreaming about drinking a few too many Pina Colados while on vacation in Mexico by MYSELF!
Second, ignoring your kids every now and then is probably good for them. Let them figure things out on their own for a bit. If they are happily entertaining themselves for half an hour – great! People get ignored in real life all the time. I feel like constantly being at your kid’s beck and call every second of every day is just setting them up for failure. They are going to get out into the real world and wonder why in the hell they aren’t in the spotlight or the center of attention at all times.
Lastly, why are parents always trying to find a way to guilt trip other parents?! It is quite annoying. After reading this article, I am thinking… okay, let me add “looking at my phone too much” to this growing list of other horrible things I do as a parent, like hiding out in my closet so I can eat a piece of cake without having to share it, or being too impatient, shouting too much and the one that keeps me up the most at night – feeding them microwaved chicken nuggets three times a week.
Give me a break! If I want to disconnect from the real world for ten minutes of mindless scrolling, while my kids entertain themselves for a bit… That’s what I am going to do.
Honestly, picking my phone up for a quick break is probably going to save us all because there’s absolutely no telling what would happen if I had to play grandma to another one of my kid’s fake baby dolls one more time today. It’s only 5 p.m. and I have had custody of this child for about 8 hours. I am sure her mother is probably lounging around playing on her iPad. Currently considering calling CPS… or even worse – throwing her to the wolves on one of my Facebook Mom Groups.
“Ashton, come get this kid!”
(Paige Gurgainers is a mother who doesn’t really ignore her three girls, publisher of Bienville Parish Journal and Claiborne Parish Journal and a digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal.)
Webster Parish Journal is proud to have Mitzi Thomas share her wealth of knowledge concerning agriculture with our readers. Her columns will run Fridays.
By Mitzi Thomas
Steps to a great garden
1. Find a good sunny spot with good drainage. You don’t want your garden to stay wet. Of course, make sure that you can to a water source if you need it.
2. Work the soil. Till up the space, work in the organic matter as much as you can. Sand, vermiculite, perlite, compost, and manure are great to get in the soil. Don’t get the manure from a farm without asking whether or not the hay feed to the animals was sprayed for weeds or not. If so, do not use.
3. Select your seeds and plants carefully. Get the recommended varieties for your area. Don’t plant too early, If there is too much cold and wet ground they will rot. Check your local sources for the right varieties. Make sure you are getting what you ask for. For instance, if you want running beans or not. It is a lot of trouble to stake the beans.
4. Try to keep your garden as weed free as possible. There is a lot of work to be done there. Hoeing and tilling are great, but there are lots of products you can spray with to kill the grass and not harm your vegetables. Weeds in the garden take a lot of nutrients and fertilizer from the vegetables. And of course, they ruin the looks of your garden.
5. The planting order for vegetables is cool season plants first (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.). Next are potatoes, corn and beans, then tomatoes, peppers, squash, and others last. Later in May or June it is time for sweet potatoes.
6. Enjoy the harvest!
(Mitzi Thomas owns Minden Farm & Garden LLC. Watch for her column on Fridays in Webster Parish Journal.)
Springhill Medical Center proudly welcomes Ashley Pulley, PA to the family. Ashley’s specialty is Orthopedics. She is seeing patients by appointment at the Doctors Clinic. Call 318-539-1701. Springhill Medical Center, treating you like family. www.smccare.com .
Anekah Coleman collected three hits in three at-bats, as North Webster Knights defeated North Caddo Titans Wednesday. Coleman hit a home run to right field in the third inning, tripled in the first inning and singled in the second inning.
North Webster got on the board in the top of the first inning after Anna Ray singled, scoring one run, Kerianne Allen doubled, scoring two runs and one run scored on a dropped third strike.
The Knights extended their early lead with two runs in the top of the second thanks to RBI singles by Ray and Allen. The team scored six runs on seven hits in the top of the third. Coleman honored to right field, scoring two runs, Kenny Brown doubled, scoring one run, Emma Newsom doubled, scoring two runs and Madison Morgan doubled, scoring one run.
Newsom earned the win for the Knights. The righty allowed one hit and zero runs over five innings, striking out nine and walking none.
North Webster collected 15 hits in the game. Ray went 4-for-4 at the plate. Coleman and Kendall Temple each collected multiple hits. The team showed patience at the plate, tallying five walks. Adryana White and Brown led the team with two walks each. Coleman stole three bases, and the team amassed four stolen bases for the game.
(“Powered by Narrative Science and GameChanger Media. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.” Any reuse or republication of this story must include the preceding attribution.)
I encountered a rude person last week. Truth be told, I encounter this same person all the time. Gruff, impatient, acting as if their time is all that matters. Here’s the rub: that person is me.
I was rude to a friend the other day. I didn’t even realize it. And I still wouldn’t have realized it unless this person’s demeanor toward me hadn’t changed. At that point, the hamster on the wheel came back from his lunch break and told me what was what.
So, I apologized. I legit apologized because I was wrong.
So, the question is: Do rude people know they are rude? I try to realize when I make a mistake and apologize when I need to. Not the case for so many people. Not naming names, but I encounter rude folks (other than myself) every single day that ends in Y.
So, as I survey the all-too-common acrimonious spectacle of public debates lately, I’ve been contemplating how often plain rudeness and disrespect may stem not from malice, but ignorance. Do abrasive people recognize the offensiveness of their own remarks? My sense is no—a failure of self-awareness and surplus of misguided moral superiority swirl together into a toxic brew.
Turn on the television, peruse social feeds—it seems we encounter someone dressing down others in smug fashion everywhere we look. But we need not look so far to find brusque, offensive people oblivious of their coarseness. Most of us have dealt with gruff individuals in various face-to-face encounters who speak harshly or act dismissively to others, convinced of the sole validity of their own perspective. Like the self-righteous voices shouting through media channels, these rude folks in everyday settings leave no room for meaningful discourse or nuance. They seem unaware of how their gruff words and manners land like hammer blows upon whoever has the gall to differ or even politely disagree. Irony abounds when supposedly upstanding folks crusading for their own convenience exhibit callous indifference to the discomfort they inflict upon those around them.
In my eyes, before firing verbal salvos or acting bluntly dismissive, we should pause to ask ourselves some grounding questions—Could I have this wrong? Am I letting my beliefs blind me to the harm I’m causing? Is there wisdom I’m missing from the other side? This kind of conscientious self-inquiry opens space for true exchange instead of one-sided attacks, spoken or unspoken.
I believe most of us have fallen into the trap of smug disregard for others’ dignity at some time or other when we feel especially self-assured in our correctness. But righteousness that rides roughshod over basic respect for the humanity of other people, no matter how flawed their views may seem, risks severing the ties that bind us as a society. Those we offend today for disagreeing politely may become allies tomorrow once the fog of self-certainty lifts.
What if we made a practice of dousing heated personal and public conflicts with the cooling waters of humility? By really listening before reacting and tempering reactive impulses with mindful reason, perhaps we can prevent the invisible wildfires of discord that threaten to ignite whenever arrogance and obliviousness combine to stifle real understanding.
Maybe rude people just don’t know. I didn’t. So, let’s all strive to be the first person to go forward.
(Josh Beavers is a teacher and a writer. He was named as a semi-finalist for Louisiana Teacher of the Year in 2020. He has also been recognized five times by the Louisiana Press Association for excellence in opinion writing.)
Hello! My name is K’Lanie Gordon and I will be serving as the new assistant 4-H agent in Webster Parish. I was born and raised in Webster Parish and have been involved in the 4-H program throughout my life. I graduated from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston in 2011. I am very excited to begin my career with the LSUAg Center and look forward to learning the ins and outs of the position.
My husband, Brett, and I live in Minden with our three children. Ryan is in the first grade, Lane is five, and Cal is three. As a family, we are always busy and on the go! Our kids love to play baseball, softball, swimming, and anything else outside.
I am excited to be part of the Webster Parish 4-H family and am grateful for this opportunity.
I strongly support and commend Gov. Landry’s efforts to address the crisis of violent crime in Louisiana. However, I respectfully suggest that one proposal is ill-advised and does nothing to advance that goal. Senate Bill 8 seeks to “create the office of the state public defender within the office of the governor for the delivery of indigent defense services.” My interest stems from the fact that roughly half of my current law practice is comprised of work I do at the Caddo Public Defender Office. In that capacity, I have witnessed firsthand what is required to manage a public defender office in one of our state’s largest parishes. My concern is twofold.
One, the conservative view of government is that government governs best when it governs least and when it governs at the most local level. That is for good reason. In each local public defender office, the district defender knows in great detail their parish, local judges, district attorney, and how best to navigate the local government structure. Individual parish public defenders across Louisiana take seriously their daily responsibility to see that their offices are empowered to do the very best job possible for their indigent clients.
No matter how experienced or hard-working an appointed State Public Defender may be, that local connection and insight will be lost. That’s why removing decision-making authority from each individual parish public defender and consolidating it in, essentially, a Governor-appointed “czar” in a new government bureaucracy undermines the very vibrancy and boots-on-the-ground dynamic that makes these individual offices effective.
My second concern is of a constitutional nature. I think S.B. 8 may pose a Separation of Powers issue.
Federalist 47 defined tyranny as: “[t]he accumulation of all powers legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.”
With this in mind, let’s remember that the Louisiana governor’s constitutional responsibility is to “faithfully support the constitution and laws of the state … and see that the laws are faithfully executed.” That includes criminal laws. As such, how is it not a conflict of interest and an “accumulation of all powers” for a governor, principally responsible for seeing that the laws are faithfully executed and prosecuted, to appoint the very individual who will head the entity that defends the poor against the execution of those laws, placing that very agency in the governor’s office itself—and also directly impacting the funding public defenders will (or won’t) have to do their jobs? It’s too much. Further, when we view this new proposal in light of the fact that the governor already has the power to pardon, grant clemency, and commute sentences, we will have placed in any governor’s hands enormous unilateral power over the life of an accused individual.
Recall the Louisiana Public Defender Act of 2007 mandates that the state public defender system remain “free from undue political and judicial interference and free of conflicts of interest.” S.B. 8 gravely undermines that guarantee.
Finally, it is not difficult to imagine a governor who understandably wants to move aggressively against crime, to seek to be reassured that the prospective state public defender appointee is of a like mind rather than that individual being primarily concerned with the legal defense of the poor. The many capable prosecutors throughout Louisiana are daily bringing to bear against tens of thousands of accused indigents the full coercive weight—and resources—of the State of Louisiana.
For this reason, it is imperative that the individual who leads the state’s public defenders be, and appear to be, both independent and singularly focused on indigent defense. There is simply no way a conflict of interest won’t exist if the leader of the body whose sole function it is to defend the indigent is politically and financially dependent upon the governor who appoints that leader and impacts its funding. Also, if there is an issue with the amount of funding each division of the public defender system receives—for example, local offices versus Capital defense and (501) C 3s—this can be addressed by amending the Public Defender Act of 2007. There is no need to dismantle the whole system.
The Constitution’s guarantee of due process and a vigorous legal defense requires that these two entities exist independently of one another.
I hope this proposal can be put aside and re-evaluated.
(Shreveport attorney, Royal Alexander, worked in D.C. in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly 8 years for two different Members of Congress from Louisiana. He has witnessed up close several Speaker races.)
The following arrests were made by local law enforcement agencies. Minden Police Department (MPD), Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office (WPSO), Louisiana State Police (LSP) and others which are named.
Feb. 21
Francesca White, 49, of the 600 block of Bradford St., Minden, was arrested by MPD for possession of synthetic marijuana and methamphetamine.
Robert E. Loud, 60, of Leroy Tillman, Heflin, was arrested by MPD for two failure to appear warrants for theft and one failure to appear warrant for domestic abuse.
Rilen Richardson,19, no address, was arrested by MPD for contempt of court.
Nathaniel C. Brunson, 23, no address, was arrested by WPSO on a warrant for illegal possession of a stolen firearm.
Ayanna Demarquine Shelton, 30, of the 900 block of Harris Rd., Minden, was arrested by MPD for resisting an officer with violence or force.
Marico Desean Murphy, 34, of the 100 block of Wiggins Lane, Minden, was arrested by MPD on six active warrants.
Mikal Ann Garrett, 35, of Odom Rd., Hosston, was arrested by MPD for felony theft from a local discount store.
Feb. 22
Eric Paul Stampley, 41, of Greenville, Texas, was arrested by Springhill Police on outstanding Texas warrants.
Dwymon Bridges, 51, of the 200 block of Miller St., Minden, was arrested by MPD on active warrants.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
3 until 5 p.m. Commodity Distribution, First Baptist Church, 208 N. Arkansas St., Springhill. Bring photo ID and proof of residence.
5:30 p.m. Greater St. Paul 53rd Pre-Anniversary Musical Explosion featuring gospel singers Sonora Johnson and Tamara Andrews, Mt. Zion CME Church; gospel rapper Charlie Alexander IV “Big Yeet;” First Baptist Church of Cullen; Tyrone Wilkins Jr., violinist, Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Mansfield.
Feb. 24
8:30 a.m. Registration for Buds & Blooms; lecture 9 a.m. until noon. First Methodist Church, 903 Broadway. Sponsored by Piney Hills Louisiana Master Gardeners. Speakers: Chris Doffitt, Robin Bridges, John Dillon.
10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Yard sale benefitting LaMa Animal Rescue, Ratliff Rental Properties, 26494 Hwy. 371, Sarepta.
Feb. 26
5 until 7 p.m. LaMa is cooking. Smoked sliced tenderloin sandwich with potato salad, baked beans, pickle and dessert. $10 with proceeds going to LaMa Animal Rescue. Springhill Farmer’s Market Pavilion.
Feb. 27
Noon until 1 p.m. Weed Identification & Weed Control, LSU AgCenter at Webster Parish Branch Library, Minden. Speaker Dr. Ron Strahan, LSU AgCenter. Open to the public; no pre-registration.
6:30 p.m. Doors open for the 82nd Annual Greater Minden Chamber Awards Gala at Minden Civic Center. Program begins at 7 p.m.
10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Jonquil Festival in Gibsland. Tickets for the self guided tour remain at $10 and may be purchased downtown on the day of festival. The Historical Red Barn will be the featured tour stop. Please follow social media for more information about vendors, tour stops and other activities surrounding the festival day. Raffle tickets for bulbs and the jonquil quilt are on sale at all GBT branches for $1 donation each.
Caney Puzzler Adventure Race, Caney Lakes.
6 p.m. Bingo with $500 jackpot. Proceeds for LaMa Animal Rescue. 101 Machen Dr., Springhill.
March 3
6:30 p.m. True Girl Crazy Hair Tour at First Baptist Minden for mothers and daughters ages 7-12. This live event will be full of games, worship, fashion show, solid biblical truth and will deepen the relationship between mothers and their daughters. Visit www.mytruegirl.com for tickets. For more information, call the church office at 318-377-4434.
March 10
2:30 p.m., “Something Extraordinary,” Annual Youth Explosion, Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, Minister James E. Smith Pastor/Teacher, 595 Central School Rd., Dubberly. Contact Alysia Mason (318) 458-1916 or Mechelle Hall (318) 573-7171.
March 11
6 p.m., Night at the Museum with Mary Claire Kettler. History of Mount Lebanon. Admission is free; donations welcome. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; seating is limited. Refreshments are potluck snacks and desserts.
March 16
9 a.m. until noon, District 2 Star of Hope O.E.S. 30th Annual Gala, “Star Struck” Welcome to Old Hollywood. 630 Factory Outlet Dr., Arcadia, La. Attire: Sunday’s best with “fascinators and fedoras. Entertainment, food, drawings. Public is welcome. $5 donation at the door.
A committee of former Thomas & Rhone Elementary School students have planned a reunion for all former students, faculty and staff. This reunion is schedule for Memorial Day Weekend, Friday and Saturday, (May 24th and 25th). All activities will be held at the Shongaloo Civic Center, 119 LA 2 Alt Rd, in Shongaloo, LA. Listed below is the schedule of events:
March 24
Noon until 5 p.m. Thomas & Rhone Elementary Reunion. Registration, Meet & Greet, Ole Fashion Fish Fry.
March 25
10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Thomas & Rhone Elementary Reunion. Games, Hamburgers & Hot Dogs, Visit to School Site,Shongaloo Civic Center. For more information, call (318) 847-4436 or (501) 347-4856
April 3
Greater Minden Spring Job Fair & Resource Expo.
April 4
6 p.m. 2024 UCAP Hunger Fest and Dessert Auction. First Methodist Church, 903 Broadway, Minden. Tickets are $5 each; table sponsorships are $100.
Funeral service: 1 p.m. immediately following visitation.
Burial: 2 p.m. Gardens of Memory Cemetery, Minden.
Webster Parish Journal publishes paid complete obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or wpjnewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are no charge.)
Law enforcement vehicles from a number of local and area agencies line up as part of what would be a lengthy caravan to escort Webster Parish Deputy Sgt. Tommy Lee Zilliner to his final resting place.
Zilliner, 76, passed away last week due to complications from a recent illness.He served 24 years with the Sheriff’s office both as a reserve and as a patrol deputy.
Officers joined forces to accompany Zilliner to the veteran’s cemetery in Keithville.
Serial killers and mass murderers display early warning signals.
By Pat Culverhouse
(Editor’s note: Second part of Phil Chalmers training session on profiling dangerous individuals and predicting violent incidents, presented at Minden police headquarters for local and area officers.)
What makes a serial killer? Phil Chalmers has interviewed enough to know there’s no template for those who seem to be ready and willing to claim multiple victims. But he’s done enough research and personal interviews to know there are warning signs that could be valuable to law enforcement.
“A lot of these serial killers are the result of an unstable home where there has been sexual and/or physical abuse,” Chalmers told a group of law enforcement officers during his recent training seminar. “There has been no parental bonding, some were unwanted children, many have suffered head trauma.”
Research shows 80 percent of serial killers have a prior arrest record, he said. Investigators should learn to recognize some of the habits previously exhibited by killers.
“We know some begin as a peeping Tom, and it escalates,” Chalmers said. “If you get a peeping Tom report, take it seriously. Some are rapists and child molesters.”
Serial killers use a variety of methods to commit their crimes, ranging from guns and knives to strangulation, drowning and beating, he said. And, he noted, their killing technique might change as time goes on.
“If you’re investigating a series of murders, don’t get locked in on one modus operandi,” he said. “They can, and do, change. Stuff happens when you’re killing people.”
Chalmers said the FBI defines a serial killer as one who kill two or more persons over a period of time, often with a cool down period between murders. A mass murderer is one who kills four or more at one location at one time. Both have warning signals and triggers (actions that create a deadly reaction).
Ted Bundy has been called one of the deadliest serial killers in American history, Chalmers said. He admitted to 36 murders, but reportedly told investigators he had 100 killings to his credit, including some children. Other recognizable serial killers like David Berkowitz (Son of Sam), John Wayne Gacy (The Killer Clown) had fewer victims, but like Bundy they received extensive media attention.
Few people may recognize the name Samuel Little, but he could be the country’s most prolific killer. FBI investigators confirmed 60 murders to his credit between 1970 and 2005, but Little has claimed up to 93 victims. Chalmers said all these killers have a common trait: no remorse.
Chalmers accepted a phone call during the training session from another serial killer whose name might not ring a bell outside law enforcement circles. Dell Colvin, a.k.a., The Interstate Strangler, is suspected of killing between 47 and 52 women between 1983 and 2005. He is currently serving multiple life sentences in an Ohio prison.
“Dell was a long-haul truck driver. He would strangle his victims, mostly drug-addicted prostitutes, in the cab of his big-rig truck, transport and dump their bodies in rural, wooded areas between his destinations and dump their clothing in another location,” Chalmers explained.
During his speaker-phone conversation, Dell admitted he killed the women without expressing regret for his actions. At one point, he said he strangled one victim and then dumped “the thing’s” body in a remote location off an interstate highway.
“You notice he did not refer to his victim as a person, but as ‘a thing’ to be discarded,” Chalmers told the class of officers following his phone call. “Like him, serial killers don’t care that it’s a person whose life they’ve ended. They show no regret when talking about what they did.”
Among mass murders, Chalmers said the most deadly was the Harvest Music Festival incident of 2017 in Las Vegas when Stephen Craig Paddock fired more than 1,000 rounds into a crowd from his room in the Mandalay Bay hotel. Sixty persons were killed, another 413 were wounded. No motive has been established.
But mass murderer Brenton Tarrant allegedly was inspired to commit the deadliest mass shooting in New Zealand’s history, Chalmers said. After showing a graphic video of the shooting at the Mosque where 51 Muslim worshipers were slaughtered, Chalmers said there was evidence the video game Modern Warfare was “…inspiration for the Mosque shooting.”
Real life application of imaginary actions in video games was also shown in a dash cam video from a car jacking. In that video, the driver of the stolen vehicle struck and killed a retired police chief who was riding his bicycle. A strikingly similar scene appears on a popular video game, Chalmers pointed out.
“These guys mocked his family at trial,” he said. “Women and cops are killed for sport in video games. Where’s the outrage?”
Not only video games are in the business of promoting and glamorizing violence, Chalmers observed. Hollywood and the media, he said, promote some of the most violent movies one can imagine.
“Some movies we see here cannot be shown in other countries, and they’re getting more graphic as we speak…torture, rape and murder in movies” he said. “Somehow these movies receive an ‘R’ rating, and movies can be Googled where any age can watch.”
Chalmers said he has conducted hundreds of training sessions for law enforcement and many for school officials, showing danger signs that could prevent tragedies. He would like to make sessions available to the average citizen.
“There are precautions for home, school and travel. At home, there is a film that can be applied to your windows that is crash proof. While it isn’t bullet proof, it will not shatter from a bullet and it’s very difficult to break,” he said.
“And guns, dogs and security cameras are things killers do not want to see,” he continued. “I tell people they need to have at least two of these. Dog is the number one thing killers do not want to see.”
Chalmers said many in the public think bad things don’t happen, especially in their neighborhood. But, he pointed to statistics showing at least 50 serial killers operating at any time in the country.
“I believe that number is closer to 100,” he said. “Remember, a person only has to kill two people to qualify as a serial killer.”
Chalmers had a special recommendation for law enforcement officers.
“Get off the Internet for privacy and safety,” he said. “There are at least 50 sites that can show an officer’s name, their family and their address. That does not need to out there where anybody can see it.”
Church leaders from throughout Webster Parish were honored during the Minden Civitan Club’s 61st annual Clergy Appreciation Banquet Tuesday, Feb. 20 in the assembly room at First Methodist Church.
Civitan President Judy Grubbs emceed the dinner meeting, which was catered by Hugh Woods. Civitan Steve Bryan led the Pledge of Allegiance, while Civitan Johnny McCormick delivered the invocation.
The program was a mixture of classic and new Christian vocal music selections by Lori Booth. She is a member of the Word of Light Faith Church in Springhill. Her presentation included songs that she has written, as well as beloved hymns, and popular contemporary pieces, all used as a testimony delivered in music.
Clerical guests were Steve and Diane Berger, Nicholas Duncan, Carolyn Michael, Todd and Joni Hennigan, Andrea and Tommy Harrison, Leon and Marilyn Boggs, Bill and Dana Mills, Tim and Donna Greer, Naderica Adams, Sam McKinsey, and Bill and Sondra Crider.
Civitans attending were Ed and Janet LaBruyere, Steve Bryan, Joe Holley, Johnny and Keitha Miller, Judy and Roger Grubbs, Danna Hassell, Johnny and Denise McCormick, John Quade, Betty and Charles Purdy, Jim Bates, Paul Morgan, Stephanie Ashcraft, Garrett Holloman, and Steve Warwick.
Civitan Joe Holley led the creed nearing the close of the meeting, which ended with a benediction.
International Clergy Week had its beginnings in mid-1960, when the Albuquerque (NM) Breakfast Civitan Club set aside the time to honor the memory of four clergymen who died aboard the troop transport “Dorchester,” which was torpedoed and sunk in the cold waters of the North Atlantic off Greenland on Feb. 3, 1943. The clergymen were a priest, a rabbi, and two ministers. The men went down with the ship because they had given their life jackets to soldiers who had none. In 1970, President Richard Nixon officially proclaimed the week of Feb. 3 as “Clergy Week.”
