According to Avoyelles Parish Sheriff Doug Anderson, 29 year old Darren Lloyd of Cottonport turned himself into local police Sunday morning for outstanding misdeameanor traffic warrants. He was transported to A.P.S.O. D.C. #1 for booking. A strip search was conducted by the S.O. jail staff upon intake and a shopping list of cell phones and suspected drugs were found in his underwear. Deputies seized seven bags of marijuana and synthetic, suspected methamphetamine, 2 pills believed to be a CDS, 3 cell phones with chargers, cigarette lighters and other assorted contraband. In addition to the original traffic warrants, Lloyd was booked with Introduction of contraband into a Penal Institute, Possession of Schedule I and II CDS with Intent to Distribute and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. $19,000.00 bond was set on all charges. Lloyd was also charged by A.P.S.O. detectives with Failure to register as a Sex Offender. Bond has not been set.

There is still some degree of tension between three members of the Bunkie City Council and Police Chief Scott Ferguson.

While it appeared Ferguson had been able to mend fences with council members Travis Armand, Lem Thomas and Brenda Sampson, old cracks appeared at the Aug. 8 council meeting.

A large part of the meeting dealt with hearing complaints by African-American citizens about the police department. However, before those criticisms were aired there were other police-related issues discussed.

BODY CAMERA POLICY
Citizen Francis Keller Sr. -- a frequent critic of the town’s administration -- asked if police are equipped with body cameras and if the patrol units have dashboard-mounted cameras.

Ferguson said there are five body cameras and the department is waiting on five more. None of the current patrol units have dash cameras but three vehicles recently purchased will be equipped with them.

When asked about the department’s policies and procedures on the use of those cameras, Ferguson responded by saying the policies and procedures have not been written because “we will need a full-time position to implement the body cam policy.”

Ferguson said the policy would require someone be trained to download the video and be able to store it and access it if a judge needs it as evidence.

Armand noted that there had been a promise to have policies and procedures to be presented to the council this summer, and now he was being told there are no policies and procedures.

During discussions at the council meeting, Ferguson noted that officers are using the body cameras they have.

Another citizen, Brenda Blackman-Dawson, said she asked to see the police department’s policies and procedures manual and was told she could not see it.

City Attorney James Lee told her that the manual is public record and she is entitled to read it.

Ferguson said he could not print out copies of the policies and procedures manual to be handed out. He asked that the council put the manual on the city’s website where it could be accessed by the public.

Ferguson said the department has policies and procedures in place for “everything but body cameras.”

On a positive note, Armand said the police department did a much better job of providing all information necessary for the aldermen to consider on proposed personnel changes.

GILBERT ‘RECLASSIFIED'

However, one of those recommended personnel changes opened an old wound.

Ferguson had recommended reclassifying full-time officer/ narcotics detective Timothy Gilbert to an auxiliary (part-time) patrolman/narcotics detective.

Sampson said there appeared to be “a lot of confusion” concerning Gilbert’s employment status.

Armand said he was aware Gilbert had submitted a letter of resignation and thought Gilbert was no longer with the department.

Lee said someone can submit a resignation from a full-time position and hold out the prospect of continuing employment in a part-time post.

It was also noted that Gilbert’s resignation had never been presented and approved by the council.

Ferguson’s recommendation in April to promote Gilbert from a part-time patrol officer to a full-time narcotics detective resulted in a conflict between the three council members and the police chief.

The council defeated the recommendation on a 3-2 vote.

A standing-room-only crowd attended the council meeting when the promotion was first considered, voicing their support for Ferguson’s right to promote officers in his department and urging the council to let the police chief run his department the way he sees fit.

The issue was on the next council agenda on May 9, but Mayor Bruce Coulon removed it because it seemed doomed to the same 3-2 defeat.

Council members conferred with the mayor and Ferguson to resolve the differences and the promotion was unanimously approved at the council’s May 15 special meeting.

Armand pointed out at the Aug. 8 meeting that a “No” vote to Ferguson’s recommendation would mean Gilbert would remain a full-time police officer -- unless such a move triggered his decision to resign.

“I will vote for this tonight,” Armand said, “but this has been ping-ponging. I will not vote to reclassify him again.”

ALEXANDRIA, La. (U.S. Attorney's Office) - United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a former corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Complex in Pollock was sentenced Tuesday to 24 months in prison and two years of supervised release for accepting bribes to smuggle contraband to prisoners.

Byron A. Wyatt, 39, of Marksville, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. He was previously found guilty of the offense on April 5, 2018, after a three-day trial.

Wyatt worked as a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Complex in Pollock where he accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from a prisoner in 2014, in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison. Wyatt smuggled items into the prison such as tobacco, cell phones, pills and marijuana. The defendant would make contact with the inmate to set up the transfer. Individuals outside of the prison would then pay the defendant and supply him with the contraband items to deliver.

The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl M. Campbell and Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.

Copyright 2019 U.S Attorney's Office. All rights reserved.

It took over 150 years and the generosity of a local farmer and one of the nation’s largest agricultural chemical companies.

Now, the crater created when Union troops blew up Fort DeRussy’s powder magazine in 1864 no longer holds water and leaves areas of the former Civil War fortress site boggy.

Monsanto Chemical Company awarded a $2,500 “America’s Farmers Grow Communities” grant to Longbridge farmer John Lacour. In keeping with the grant’s requirement that it be donated to a worthwhile organization, Lacour handed it to the Friends of Fort DeRussy.

Monsanto is the maker of RoundUp herbicide and other agricultural products. It is a division of Bayer International.

Lacour grows corn, cotton, soybean, rice and crawfish.

The Monsanto grants are awarded to farmers who pass the funds on to non-profit organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life in rural areas.

MAINTAIN HISTORIC SITE

Friends of Fort DeRussy President Steve Mayeux said that due to cuts in the Office of State Parks budget, the local group has been given the task to maintain the undeveloped State Historic Site on the southside of Red River, just north of Marksville.

DeRussy, dubbed “the Gibraltar of the South,” defended Red River from U.S. Army and Navy forces during the Civil War. It fell to a land assault in the early days of the Red River Campaign of 1864.

That victory was one of only a few the Union enjoyed in a campaign plagued with bad luck and bad leadership on the North’s part.

“When the fort was captured by U.S. forces in 1864, the Yankees found themselves with almost 2,000 pounds of Confederate gunpowder,” Mayeux said.

“They couldn’t use it, since they knew nothing of the powder’s quality, but they certainly didn’t want it falling back into the hands of the Confederates.”

Mayeux said the Union forces blew up the powder magazine, killing several Northern soldiers and leaving “a depression in the center of the fort that continued to hold water to this day,” Mayeux continued. “This created a breeding ground for mosquitoes and water moccasins. Seepage from the pond kept one area just outside the walls constantly muddy.”

USED GRANT FUNDS

Mayeux said most of the grant money was used to hire GAL Construction of Cottonport to bore a 4-inch hole from the center of the magazine to a drainage ditch about 200 feet away.

“The magazine now stays dry, even during our recent tropical storm,” Mayeux said. “The rest of the money is being used to buy gasoline for the volunteers who keep the fort mowed.”

Mayeux said that due to the generosity of Bayer and “this important historical site is now an even more attractive and friendly tourist attraction. A sincere ‘thank you’ goes out from all of the Friends of Fort DeRussy to Bayer International and John Lacour.”

Facebook, I am convinced, is dangerous. It need not be evil, but it certainly can be. The entity itself is not inherently nefarious, but it has expanded the “clothes line gossip” factor of a bygone era by a significant level.

People haven’t changed since Grandma’s day, when many didn’t have a phone and only a few had TV. Now everybody has access to the internet with a computer, tablet and smartphone.

What this means is that unfounded gossip that eventually found its way around a small circle of friends and family is instantly available not only to everyone in Avoyelles Parish, but potentially everyone from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon and all ports in between.

Of course, none of the current class of gossips can spin a tale like my Grandma could. She would sometimes tickle herself with her own exaggerations and giggle like a school girl. That was a dead giveaway that she was just having fun.

You see, back in the day before entertainment on demand, the clothes line “chat room” was the housewife’s best source of harmless -- well, “relatively” harmless -- recreation.

The online version of today just seems to be meaner-spirited with more personal attacks.

Asking people not to gossip would be a waste of time and breath. It’s our nature to gossip. It is also our nature to express our opinion on the issues of the day and on events that happen in our communities.

I would caution people not to be vicious in their tale-telling. Unlike the back fence gossip that was purely spoken, the Facebook “gossip” is written. That makes it harder for the gossipmonger to claim (a) he didn’t say that or (b) that what he said was misinterpreted.

If you put your opinion down in writing, it remains there even if you later come to a different conclusion on the matter.

This column is not aimed at any single topic that has become fodder for the social media sites. It isn’t even necessarily focused on a recent event. There have been several such incidents over the past few years that fit this column nicely.

There have been times when the Facebook posts on an issue have taken on a life of their own. Facts -- even reality -- take a backseat as the posts get wilder and wilder.

Most of those posting these thoughts are probably no more malicious than my Grandma was back in her day. However, you don’t have to intend to hurt someone to hurt them deeply with your comments. This is America and we have a right to express our opinions in speech and in writing.

Perhaps you can express that opinion without attacking an individual or making personal comments about someone.

If you stick to the issue, all anyone can say to you is “You’re wrong. I disagree.”

If you “go off into the weeds” and make personal insults, people can say a whole lot more about you than “You’re wrong.”

On Aug. 20, a Moreauville native -- a World War II Army veteran -- turned 104 at her residence in a Northridge, Calif., nursing home.

Abbie Voorhies Ross DeVerges never saw combat in the South Pacific, Europe or North Africa, but she was involved in a very important part of American military history.

She was an Army nurse at Tuskegee Army Airfield, the birthplace of the “Tuskegee Airmen” -- an African-American air combat unit whose performance paved the way for integration of the U.S. armed forces.

Abbie is a “Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen” member. She is the oldest surviving member of that unit.

Voorhies’ story was featured on the national morning news show, “Good Morning America” on Tuesday, August 20 in a segment with famed host, Robin Roberts.

Coincidentally, National Aviation Day was celebrated the day before her birthday.

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY

Abbie was born to Walter Voorhies and Stella Mayeux in Moreauville on Aug. 20, 1915. She was raised in Alexandria, where she attended Peabody Industrial School and graduated from St. James Catholic School in 1933. These were the only schools available to African-Americans in Alexandria at that time.

She graduated from Kansas City General Hospital #2 (Colored) Nursing School, now called Truman Medical Center. Her first job was in Charity Hospital in New Orleans.

She joined the Army Nurse Corps on July 19, 1941. Her first assignment was at Camp Livingston near Alexandria. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, bringing the U.S. into World War II. In the Spring of 1942, Abbie and four nurses under her command were assigned to Tuskegee (Ala.) Army Airfield as part of the 99th Pursuit Squadron. She was a night shift nurse at the base hospital.

She married 1st Lt. Mac Ross on June 3, 1943 in Shelby, Michigan. Ross was one of the first five airmen to graduate from the Tuskegee Army Flying School.

Ross became the commanding officer of the 100th Fighter Squadron and then the 332nd Fight Group’s operations officer in Italy, where he was killed in a plane crash during a local mission in Italy when his plane struck a mountainside. Ross was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and several other medals for his service.

In 1946, Tuskegee Airfield (now the private Sharpe Field airport) was closed and Abbie was transferred to Lockbourne Army Air Base near Columbus, Ohio.

She left the Army as a captain on June 30, 1947.

After her discharge, she married Melvin DeVerges and moved to Los Angeles where they raised two sons, Ronald and Donald.

She studied fashion and dressmaking. Her favorite pastimes were sewing, crocheting and playing tennis. Abbie also enjoyed cooking and entertaining friends at home, especially with her favorite dish of fried fish and greens.

In the latest year-to-year enrollment comparison, Avoyelles Parish School District’s smiles have turned to frowns.

While opening day enrollment was up by 42 over last school year’s first day, the pre-Labor Day spot check found the district was down 209 students from this time last year, Superintendent Blaine Dauzat said.

The next tally will be taken shortly after Labor Day. The “count that counts” -- the one that determines how much state Minimum Foundation Program funding the public school system receives -- will be taken on Oct. 1.

BRIGHT SPOT IN BUNKIE

The bright spot in the district is in Bunkie, where Bunkie Magnet High had 40 more students than it did in late August 2018 and Bunkie Elementary had 23 more pupils.

The other eight schools all had fewer students than they had in the second count of last school year.

LaSAS -- a charter high school under the APSD umbrella -- has a regulated enrollment and is only one student shy of its 2018 count.

The district’s other two high schools were loss leaders, with Avoyelles down 79 students and Marksville down by 47.

The other five elementary schools also had double-digit declines over this time last school year. Plaucheville was down by 39, Lafargue by 31, Riverside by 30, Marksville by 26 and Cottonport by 19.

Avoyelles schools have been declining in enrollment for the past several years, but if these numbers hold true it would be the biggest hit in recent memory.

In the past, the blame was placed on Avoyelles Public Charter, parochial schools, online charter schools and home school programs.

POSSIBLE REASONS

Red River Charter Academy opened for its first year on Aug. 20 with 196 students in grades 6-8. It could affect all of the district schools since 6th grades are in the elementaries and the junior high grades are in the high schools.

It is not expected to have an impact on LaSAS, which is the highest-rated school in the district.

Approximately 20-25 percent of RRCA’s 196-pupil enrollment is expected to come from the four parochial schools in the parish. Diocesan Superintendent Thomas Roque acknowledged on opening day that enrollment in the Catholic schools may be slightly lower this year due to the impact of RRCA on enrollment in grades 6-8. The Diocese has not yet released any enrollment figures for this school year.

With the school located in the old Mansura High property, it is in between the Avoyelles and Marksville attendance zones and would be expected to impact those schools more than it would the Bunkie schools.

Bunkie Magnet has also reportedly been attracting more students from across the parish and is expected to show good gains in its annual state school performance scores. That could also explain some of its increase in enrollment and some the decline in the other two high schools.

As in past years, the presence of online charter schools and home school programs has become an attractive alternative to parents who do not feel local schools are safe or academically effective for their children.

If the enrollment trend turns back up in early September, district officials may be able to breathe a sigh of relief. However, they won’t be able to take a deep breath until after Oct. 1.

A 200-student decline in enrollment would mean well over $1 million less in state MFP money for the district.

August 25, 2019 Vidalia Motorcyclist Killed in Multiple Vehicle Crash, Impairment Suspected Factor Concordia Parish – Early this morning, a crash involving six vehicles (four motorcycles and two passenger vehicles) killed a young man from Vidalia, LA. Impairment is suspected to be a factor in the crash.

Troopers responded to the crash around 1:05 a.m., which occurred on U.S. Hwy 84, at Frogmore Plantation. The preliminary investigation revealed that the events of the crash began when a westbound 2008 Hyundai, driven by 63-year-old Veria Coleman of Jonesville, crossed the centerline and collided with two eastbound motorcycles. As a result, two additional motorcycles that were following the first two, collided with each other, overturned onto the roadway, and ejected the drivers. After the two motorcycles overturned, one of the ejected drivers was struck by an eastbound 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was following them. Coleman was wearing her seat belt and sustained moderate injuries. She was transported to Riverland Medical Center.

The deceased motorcyclist is identified as 22-year-old Cody A. McClung. There were five additional injuries, as a result of the crash, all transported to Riverland Medical Center. Routine toxicology tests and charges are pending. The crash remains under investigation. Motorists must be reminded that alcohol and other drugs have many effects on the body. Alcohol and other drugs can impair visual ability, alter sense of time and space, impair fine motor skills needed to operate a motor vehicle, and decrease reaction times. Just one drink may cause these effects. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and designate a sober driver.

Not doing so can have deadly consequences. Louisiana State Police has zero tolerance for impaired drivers. To report aggressive/impaired driving, call *LSP (*577) from your cellular phone or your local law enforcement agency. Motorcycle awareness license plates are available through the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles. Please visit their website at https://www.expresslane.org for more information. Funds generated from the purchase of the plates will be used by the Motorcycle Awareness Campaign to increase awareness and promote/support training and education efforts for motorcyclists. Troop E Troopers have investigated 31 fatal crashes in 2019, resulting

Supporters of the proposed Avoyelles Parish Justice Center have created a website, social media pages and have pamphlets available about the proposed facility.

Justice Center commissioner Mike Kelly and 12th District Judges Kerry Spruill and William Bennett helped create the social media and online sites as a way to inform as many Avoyelles voters as possible about the details of the proposed project.

Web designers also created a logo for the project.

The website, Facebook and Twitter pages all feature an in-depth look at the proposed center and facts on the condition of the Avoyelles Parish Courthouse, which was built in 1927. They also answer questions about the proposed site location, building plans and 1/2-cent sales tax to fund the construction and operation of the Justice Center.

Those sites will also list future dates, locations and times for presentations about the center.

The pamphlets provide a quick synopsis of the proposed 40,000 square foot center.

The building would be constructed on nine acres donated by A.J. Roy III. It would have two courtrooms and space for a third if needed in the future.

Construction and operation of the $9 million Justice Center would be funded with a 1/2-cent sales tax, to be presented to voters on the Nov. 16 ballot. The 1/2-cent sales tax would generate about $2.2 million a year.

The tax would be reduced to 1/4-cent once the bond issue for the construction is paid off.

For more information visit avoyellesparishjusticecenter.com, the “Avoyelles Justice Center” Facebook or “APJusticeCenter” Twitter page.

Pamphlets are available at the Avoyelles Parish Courthouse.

For what is believed to be the first time in Avoyelles Parish criminal justice history, two men have been charged with murder for providing drugs to a person who died of an overdose.

Chad Odom, 44, of Cottonport was arrested Aug. 22 and charged with one count of 2nd degree murder and three counts of cruelty to juveniles. He is in Avoyelles Detention Center #1 under $125,000 bond.

The Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating Kevin Rollins, 45, of Mansura, who is also facing a 2nd degree murder charge in connection with the overdose death.

Shauntel Dauzat died of an overdose of heroin and methamphetamine -- a combination known as a “speedball” -- in October 2018.

Dauzat and Rollins were both found unresponsive in a semi-truck that had run off the road near the intersection of La. Hwy 1185 and La. Hwy 107.

Rollins was driving the truck at the time of the accident. He was able to be revived. Dauzat was dead.

An autopsy concluded Dauzat died from an overdose of heroin and methamphetamine.

During the investigation of the case, APSO detectives learned that Rollins and Dauzat allegedly purchased narcotics from Odom, who lived near where the semi-truck was found.

Detectives presented their findings to the Avoyelles Parish District Attorney. The case was presented to a grand jury on Aug. 15, which handed down the indictments against Odom and Rollins.

Anyone with information relating to the whereabouts of Rollins is asked to contact the APSO Chad Odom are asked to call the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office at 253-4000 or the nearest police department.

District Attorney Charles Riddle said this is the first time in Avoyelles Parish that someone alleged to have provided drugs to an overdose victim has been indicted for murder.

“It is a difficult charge to prove because the statute requires that it be proven that the drug that was given to the person was the direct cause of death,” Riddle said.

For example, if someone was under the influence of drugs and had a fatal auto accident, the “direct cause” of death would be the accident while the drugs would be a contributing factor.

In the Dauzat death, the allegation is that the drugs believed to have been sold by Odom and provided by Rollins to the victim was the direct cause of her death.

“People need to be forewarned before they give anyone illegal drugs that if those drugs cause the death of the person, the one providing those drugs could be tried for 2nd degree murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence without parole,” Riddle said.

“Speedballs,” a combination of an opiate and a stimulant, have been responsible for the many deaths, including comedians John Belushi and Chris Farley.

It may not feel like it, but it's football season once again.

This Friday (Aug. 30) in Panther Stadium the Bunkie Panthers will host their two in-parish rivals, the Avoyelles Mustangs and the Marksville Tigers.

The 15-minute games will give fans a glimpse of what to expect later this season.

Not too much later for Marksville and Bunkie, however. The two teams clash in the traditional “Catskin” game to open the regular season on Sept. 6.

Avoyelles takes on Marksville in Week 3.

Now that Avoyelles has moved from District 3-AAA to join Bunkie in District 3-AA, the Mustangs and Panthers won’t meet again until late in the season.

What can the faithful fans of the three football-playing schools expect this year?

All three coaches promise an improved version of their past teams.

Avoyelles will continue to take the “foot” out of football -- no punts, no field goals, no one-point kicks, many (if not all) onside kickoffs.

Bunkie will be “run first,” but plans to mix in several pass plays during the game to keep the defense honest.

Marksville is also expected to be mostly running the ball, but a change to a spread offense combined with a good passing quarterback and talented receivers makes the Tigers the most balanced offense in the parish.

Anything can happen in the abbreviated version of the game.

Bunkie fans well remember a Jamboree victory over the Tigers when the two teams were unable to play during the regular season due to scheduling problems.

Chants of “Catskin, Catskin, Catskin” flowed from the Bunkie bleachers that night.

Marksville has dominated the rivalry game of late, winning the last nine games. Bunkie still holds a slight overall edge over the almost seven decades the teams have played.

Avoyelles also has a long-standing rivalry with Marksville, going back to when it was created in 1988. Marksville has won all but one of those games.

Avoyelles has been a bit more successful in its matches with Bunkie.

The Mustangs-Tigers kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.

The “mini-Catskin” contest begins at 7 p.m.

Bunkie and Avoyelles play in the finale at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $8.

It is the beginning of a 10-game regular season that each team hopes ends with a district title, a trip to the playoffs and perhaps even a state championship.

Avoyelles Publishing is requesting any individual in Avoyelles Parish who has been recommended for medical marijuana to contact us at 318-253-5413 for an interview that will be printed in a future edition of either the Weekly News, Bunkie Record or Avoyelles Journal. We would prefer to include the name and home town of the individual, but can withhold that information for privacy purposes at the individual's request.

The buses were on time, the classrooms were ready and the teachers and students were excited to begin a new chapter in Avoyelles Parish public education this past Tuesday.

It was the first day of school for Red River Charter Academy.

“Things are going great,” RRCA Executive Director Stephanie Moreau said during a break in the busy day. “Everything has gone smoothly and we are looking forward to an excellent school year.”

In December, the state Board of Elementary & Secondary Education approved Red River to open as a public charter school for grades 6-8. It will add 9th grade next year and another high school grade each year until it is a grade 6-12 high school.

The school has an enrollment of 196 students with two sections of 6th grade, three of 7th and two of 8th.

The school attracted most of its students from the public school system. About 20-25 percent came from parochial schools and a few are from neighboring parishes.

Moreau said the school will have a more detailed breakdown on its student body in the near future.

THIRD CHARTER SCHOOL

The parish’s third public charter school -- the other two are the independent Avoyelles Public Charter and the quasi-independent LaSAS -- is leasing the former Mansura High School campus from the Avoyelles School Board. It has an option to buy the property.

Public school officials and parochial school officials have expressed concern that the new option for middle school -- and later, high school -- students will adversely affect their schools.

APSD Superintendent Blaine Dauzat said the loss of over 140-150 middle school students could force the School Board to close a school. That impact will only get greater over the next four years.

Diocesan Catholic School Superintendent Thomas Roque did not strike so ominous a chord, but did say the parochial schools will be carefully watching to see how the new charter school effects their enrollment and programs.

The skeletal remains found by A.P.S.O. Detectives on the S&B Cutoff Rd. on August 26th have been positively identified.

According to a release from the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's Office, the remains have been identified as those of Kasey Bigum.

The LSU FACES Lab has provided DNA verification.

Her son, Tristin James and his girlfriend Hannah Desselle were previously charged by A.P.S.O.with 1 count each of 2nd Degree Murder in the death of Bigum. Both currently remain in custody.

Skeletal remains found on S&B Cutoff Road on July 26 have been positively identified as those of Kasey Bigum.

Avoyelles Parish Sheriff Doug Anderson said the LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services (FACES) Lab in Baton Rouge conducted DNA tests to confirm the identity.

Bigum’s son Tristin James,20, and his girlfriend Hannah Desselle, 18, were charged with Bigum’s murder after Desselle took investigators to the site where Bigum’s body was dumped.

Anderson said James allegedly struck Bigum in the head with a baseball bat during a verbal arument at Bigum’s home on La. Hwy 1 north of Marksville on May 30. James and Desselle are then believed to have wrapped the body in a blanket and dumped it in the remote area off S&B Cutoff, in the Simmesport-Bordelonville area of east Avoyelles.

There are now no significant facts in dispute in the case of the Village of Hessmer’s unpaid Verizon bill. Verizon has agreed with the village’s argument that the Board of Aldermen did not approve the contract for the cell phone services for the Police Department nor did Mayor Travis Franks sign that contract.

State law requires any binding contract for a municipality be approved by its council and signed by the mayor.

Village Attorney Brandon Scott said he spoke with Verizon’s attorney on Aug. 20. Verizon admitted that they referred the unpaid bill to a credit agency but it was an error to do so.

“Verizon has admitted that the mayor did not enter into a contract for cell phone services,” Scott said.

Verizon said the person authorizing the contract on April 27 was Jason Starkey, who was a police officer acting on behalf of Police Chief Kenneth Smith. Smith was on vacation at that time.

‘MISSTATEMENT’
Scott also corrected a “misstatement” by Smith earlier this year in which the police chief claimed the village had spent over $19,000 in legal fees to contest the Verizon bill.

“Hessmer has spent, maybe, $500 in connection with this bill,” Scott said.

The village’s entire budget for “Legal and Professional Services” for the 2018-2019 budget was $20,000.

“The legal fees for the entire year were about $4,000,” Scott said. “That included some magistrate’s fees when we had a magistrate for municipal court. It also includes all of my fees as village attorney for the year. In addition, it includes engineering fees to Pan American and the cost of the audit, which was about $12,500 of that.”

A hearing on the Village Council’s request for a summary judgment to dismiss the bill is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sept. 9.

A summary judgment can be requested when both sides agree to all issues related to the case. With Verizon’s concession that the council did not approve the contract and the mayor did not sign it, the judge will be able to make a decision based on the facts of the case and avoid any unnecessary expense of a trial.

Verizon has also requested the return of equipment it provided when the Police Department service was initiated.

“During this entire issue, I have advised the mayor and aldermen to maintain a low profile and not to respond to letters to the editors and such,” Scott said. “I told them to let the facts speak for themselves. Now I believe those facts will start speaking.”

NEW RADAR
In another long-running police-related issue, a new radar and mount, still in their boxes, were ready to be presented to the police chief at the meeting. However, instead of resolving the dispute, it may have aggravated it.

Since budget cuts have made Smith the village’s only police officer, he was unable to attend the meeting. He was informed by email that the radar and mount were available at Town Hall.

The major reason for the budget cuts was a drastic reduction in fines from traffic tickets, which Smith said was due to the lack of a reliable radar.

Smith originally asked for a new radar in October 2018. The council authorized the purchase in December, but never received a response from Smith.

Smith has noted the lack of radars in his complaints against the mayor and council during the other disputes pitting Town Hall against the Police Department -- the Verizon bill and discussion of possibly seeking to make the elected police chief position an appointed department head.

The purchase of radars was discussed again in May when Smith was told he had authority to buy the radars and was asked to submit quotes on prices for the unit.

After not receiving a response from the police chief over the summer, the council went ahead and obtained quotes on its own, purchasing the radar and mount for $2,412.

Smith apparently took the council’s approval and obtained two radars on his own, apparently without telling the administration about the purchase.

In a letter sent to Franks which was also given to this newspaper on Aug. 21, Smith told the mayor to send the radar back because he had already obtained two radars that are being calibrated.

“You had no reason and lack any authority to purchase anything or draw warrant against the police department budget at a significant cost to our residents -- and merely to try to force me, to coerce me, to write more traffic tickets solely for money,” Smith wrote in the letter. “You should return the unnecessary purchase.”

“In the future,” he continued, “do not purchase items for the police department without my prior approval, as this obviously wastes our residents’ funds.”

Contacted about Smith’s letter, Franks said he had not yet received the letter.

Asked if the purchase had been made out of the Police Department budget, Franks said it was made out of the General Fund and was not charged against the department’s budget.

Kevin Rollins, the second man charged with one count of second degree murder in Avoyelles, was arrested in Lewisville Tx. yesterday afternoon, August 28.

According to Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's Department, he is in custody in Lewisville P.D. pending extradition back to Louisiana, Avoyelles Parish to face the charge of 2nd Degree Murder relating to the October 2018 death of Shauntel Dauzat.

In October of 2018, the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the death of Shauntel Dauzat in Cottonport. Dauzat was found unresponsive in a semi-truck that had travelled off the roadway near the intersection of LA Highway 1185 and LA Highway 107. The driver of the truck, Kevin Rollins, was also unresponsive but was able to be revived; Dauzat was declared deceased. An autopsy concluded that Dauzat’s death was due to heroin and methamphetamine overdose. Sheriff’s Office detectives learned that Rollins and Dauzat allegedly purchased narcotics from Chad Odom, who lived near where the semi-truck was found. Detectives presented their findings to the Avoyelles Parish District Attorney, and on August 15, 2019, the case was presented to a grand jury. The grand jury indicted Kevin Rollins for 1 count of Second Degree Murder, and Chad Odom for 1 count of Second Degree Murder and 3 counts of Cruelty to Juveniles.

A man indicted for 2nd degree murder in connection with a drug overdose death was captured in Texas Wednesday (Aug. 28), the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office reported.

Kevin Rollins, 45, of Mansura, was arrested in Lewisville, Texas, and charged with the October 2018 murder of Shauntel Dauzat. At this time, Rollins is in Lewisville P.D. custody awaiting extradition to Avoyelles Parish.

Rollins is the second man arrested in connection with Dauzat’s death. Chad Odom, 44, of Cottonport, was arrested Aug. 22 and charged with one count of 2nd degree murder in the Dauzat case. He was also charged with three unrelated counts of cruelty to a juvenile.

In October 2018, APSO deputies responded to a call of an 18-wheeler running off the road near the intersection of La. Hwys 1185 and 107 near Cottonport. When they arrived, they found Dauzat and Rollins unconscious in the cab of the truck.

Dauzat was dead but Rollins was able to be revived.

Rollins, who was the driver of the truck, is alleged to have purchased heroin and methamphetamine from Odom and then provided the potentially lethal “speedball” combination to Dauzat.

The case was presented to a grand jury, which handed down the indictments on Aug. 15.

This is the first time in Avoyelles Parish judicial history that a murder charge has been pursued against individuals for providing drugs that led to a fatal overdose, District Attorney Charles Riddle said.

State law allows the charge if the drugs were the direct cause of the death.

Murder convictions in overdose deaths have been handed down in other jurisdictions in the state.

A local government leader has thrown his hat into the ring of a national political election.

Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Chairman Marshall Pierite is running for president of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). The election will be held at the organization’s convention in Albuquerque, N.M., Oct. 20-25.

“I am passionate about listening to and working with tribal communities and advocating for their needs,” Pierite said. “If elected NCAI president, I will use the platform to improve the lives of Native Americans across the country.”

Pierite said he knows firsthand “the difficulties of leading a smaller tribal community, and thus will work tirelessly to ensure all of our communities -- no matter the size -- are equally represented in NCAI.”

His platform calls for supporting Native American women and youth, protecting tribal land and water, and restoring accountability to the organization that serves over 570 tribal nations.

He proposes to strengthen tribal sovereignty at every level of government, expand programs to support opportunity for women and youth and to protect the environment by addressing climate change and advocating for sustainable energy.

COMPLETE, NOT COMPETE

Pierite said he would guide NCAI to be a better organization for Indian Country through increased accountability, accessibility and transparency.

He also wants to unite Native American tribes, saying that instead of “competing with each other,” the tribes shoould be “completing each other.”

Under Pierite’s leadership, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe has mounted an extensive effort to revive the long-dormant Tunica language -- which is a unique language among Native tribes.

The Marksville-based tribe has partnered with Tulane University’s Linguistics Department in that program, which has resulted in an updated Tunica dictionary.

A Tunica language textbook is almost completed, which will be a vital resource in teaching and preserving the Tunica language.

VARIETY OF OFFICES

Over the past 30 years, Pierite has served the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe in numerous offices, including Tribal Council member and director of social services. During that public service, he has been involved in managing governmente operations, budgeting, economic development and community advancement.

One of his first acts as chairman was to overhaul the tribe’s ethics code to guarantee transparency and accountability at all levels of tribal leadership.

He has worked to ensure a rich and, diverse economic portfolio for the tribe, including MobiLoans lending company, Acacia Filmed Entertainment production company -- which was the lead production company for the critically acclaimed Wind River -- and its flagship enterprise, Paragon Casino Resort.

Pierite has also created culturally-relevant and far-reaching youth programs, including a Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Youth Council.

He has also worked hard to engage Tunica-Biloxi tribal members living in other areas of the country, such as Houston and Chicago.

Although his efforts appear to be varied, they all share Pierite’s overriding committment to achieve success through love, respect and trust.

Pierite has already picked up at least one endorsement from another tribe’s leader.

“Under Marshall Pierite’s leadership, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe has made a huge impact on the local Marksville community, as well as the state as a whole,” Houma Nation Tribal Council Member Lora Ann Chaisson said. “Marshall is an incredible leader and driving force in our state. I have no doubt that he would serve as an excellent president for NCAI and a voice for Native Americans across the country.”

For more information on Pierite, visit https://www.tunicabiloxi.org/tribal-info/tribal-council.

I have often said that I wouldn’t vote for myself for President because I sometimes have way out ideas about how the world should be run.

The other day I was waxing poetic about how we need to kick the Danes out of our front yard and take Greenland.

I suggested we would offer to buy the big ice cube and, if Denmark refused, we could send the Rhode Island National Guard over to change their minds and occupy the island.

Jokingly, I said, “Don’t tell Donald Trump. He might think it’s a good idea.”

I may have expressed my thoughts too loudly, since our President has reportedly floated the idea of buying the world’s largest island from one of Europe’s smallest countries.

At one point when I was a pre-teen bent on world conquest, Greenland was going to be my first campaign. After kicking the Scandinavians out of American waters, I thought I’d turn my sights on the Caribbean and liberate the Caymans from my Irish and Scot ancestors’ old nemesis, the English.

Shhhhhhhh. Not so loud. He may be listening.

Apparently the Danes don’t think selling Greenland is as good an idea as 10-year-old me and 74-year-old Donald Trump do.

In all honesty, I still think it’s a good idea.

I wasn’t the first to think of this real estate deal. The Danes were approached in the 1940s about the possibility. They weren’t interested then, either.

I think the Canadians may have even entertained eastward expansionist ideas at one time.

Annexing Greenland might pose more disadvantages than advantages. I saw a report that Denmark spends the equivalent of about $750 million a year to support the sparsely populated, ice-covered giant island.

Greenland has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Why? Is it the climate? Is it being stuck on a very big island with only a small living area for about 50,000 people?

Is it their Scandinavian background -- all dark and brooding and such? They do have a reputation for looking on the dark side of life.

I probably wouldn’t declare war on Great Britain and France to kick them off their little Caribbean islands -- what few they may have left.

I might not even take on the Vikings to gain control of a great big island.

Then again, in 10 years when I’m as old as Trump, who knows?

Shoot, by then the Greenlanders may be sipping mojitos under palm trees and soaking up the tropical sun, if Al Gore is right about this global warming thing.

As I said, I often come up with off-the-wall ideas that I may or may not really believe.

I do believe, however, that I wouldn’t vote for me just in case I am serious and might try to enact those off-the-wall ideas.

You see, the only thing worse than a politician who doesn’t do what he said he would is one who does.

I guess one good thing about having Greenland would be that it is a nice, big, out-of-the-way place to send our illegal aliens.

Shhhhhhhhhh.