By Pat Culverhouse

A manpower shortage in the Webster Parish Police Jury’s road department has jury members and the parish road superintendent actively looking for qualified applicants.

“Right now we have 18 employees in the road department and that’s down quite a lot,” Road Superintendent Teddy Holloway told road committee members Tuesday. “I have had as many as 40 in the past. We need workers.”

Holloway told committee members the shortage is something he’s been trying to address.

“We’re looking for people, but we’ve not had much success,” he said. “What we need are truck drivers with CDLs and equipment operators. We need people especially in our Sarepta yard.”

Jury President Jim Bonsall said the shortage has an impact on what the police jury can do to maintain parish roads.

“We don’t have a whole lot of money, but when we don’t have enough workers it makes it even harder to keep up with our road maintenance,” Bonsall told jury members.

In other business, police jury members:

• Approved 2025 beer and video poker license renewals for Minden Truckstop & Casino (1629 Hwy. 531) and Pot ‘O Gold Casino (230 Goodwill Rd.).
• Appointed Allen Timmons to four-year term on the Sarepta Water Works District, term to expire Feb., 2030.
• Gave approval to a pair of ordinances authorizing the parish to sell certain adjudicated properties.
• Heard reports from parish and community agencies.