Slidell: Niece is Person of Interest in Her Aunt's Homicide

Yesterday afternoon (July 30, 2018), the Slidell Police Department responded to a residence on Paige Court after a woman advised she had not seen or heard from her sister. Upon entering the residence, officers located a female body.

The victim's vehicle was missing. SPD investigators and the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office processed the crime scene and determined that the body had multiple stab wounds.The victim was identified as Dianne Bercy (65). Dr. Charles Preston ruled the manner of death to be a homicide.

SPD has identified a person of interest in this case as 39-year-old, Kenya Despenza, who is the niece of the victim. Despenza was found to be in possession of the victim’s stolen vehicle, and has since been arrested for Theft of a Motor Vehicle and also an unrelated Failure to Appear attachment.

The investigation is still on-going and no arrest has been made in reference to the homicide.

Obituary

Joseph Kevin Hughes, Sr.
March 8, 1964  -  July 31, 2018

Josef Kevin Hughes Sr. a native of Baton Rouge, passed away peacefully at his home in Franklinton, LA on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at the age of 54 after a brief battle with cancer.
He is survived by his wife, Suzanne Shepherd Hughes; his children, Thomas Hughes and his wife Jeri Ann Hughes, Josef Hughes, Jr., and Tina Harvey; his mother, Barbara Wolfe Hughes; grandchildren, Alyssa LeBlanc, Gideon, Anne Marie and Adriana Hughes; his siblings, Carrol C. "Bunky" Hughes Jr. and wife Merrill, Susan Hughes McKenzie and husband Bobby, and Martha Hughes Smith and husband Bill; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his father, Carrol C. Hughes, Sr.
Visitation with be on Thursday, August 2, 2018 at Resthaven Funeral Home, Baton Rouge from 12pm until funeral service at 2pm. Burial to follow immediately in Resthaven Gardens of Memory.
Pallbearers will be Thomas Hughes, Chris Hughes, Matthew Hughes, Nicholas Hughes, Chase Smith, Daniel Smith, Bunky Hughes, Bobby McKenzie, and Bill Smith.

A WPSO Pursuit and a 4-Wheeler Crash

The operator of a possible stolen 4-wheeler led a Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Patrol Lieutenant on a chase Monday (July 30, 2018) before being apprehended after he crashed the 4-wheeler on Sol Hart Road in rural Washington Parish north of Franklinton.

The Lieutenant encountered the 4-wheeler being driven on Highway 430 and began the pursuit but the driver failed to stop,  The driver turned west on Jamieson Creek Road and then south on Sol Hart Road. While traveling at an excessive speed on Sol Hart Road, the driver crashed when he failed to negotiate a curve on the gravel road. He was not injured and was quickly apprehended.

Christian Martinique Gordon (18), a resident of Emma Hart Road, and the operator of the 4-wheeler, was charged with operating an off-road vehicle on a public highway, aggravated flight from an officer, no driver’s license and no license plate. He was released from jail the same day after posting a $10,000 bond.

The WPSO suspects that the 4-wheeler had been stolen, since a portion of the vehicle identification number had been destroyed. The 4-wheeler is identified as a Red Honda Rancher 420. If any person can identify the 4-wheeler as their stolen property, they are asked to contact Detective Captain Tom Anderson at (985) 839-3434, extension 2059.

WPSO Arrests Two Parish Men for Equipment Thefts

Recently, a construction company reported the theft of a dump truck and Bobcat skid steer from a construction site in New Orleans and traced it to trace it to a rural area of Washington Parish due to a GPS tracking device installed on the equipment.

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office was alerted and responded to the reported location of the stolen dump truck. WPSO detectives located the stolen dump truck in the Mt. Hermon community and gave chase when the driver refused to stop. The dump truck turned onto Union Chapel Road, suddenly stopped, and the dump truck driver put the truck in reverse and rammed the detectives’ vehicle. The detectives' vehicle was pushed 21 feet off of the roadway, damaging the vehicle. The dump truck driver then fled on foot into nearby woods.

All available officers responded to the scene along with a canine tracking team from Rayburn Correctional Center. The canines quickly located the fleeing subject, identified as Zarius Jawone Brown (31), a resident of Williams Street in Franklinton.

Policemen VS Preachers Basketball Tournament

On Saturday July 28th the Bogalusa Police Department held a Policemen VS Preachers basketball  tournament at the Bogalusa High School Gymnasium. Approximately 1 year ago Chief Kendall Bullen and Rev. R.L. Palmer of the St. Paul AME Church got into a conversation about having a basketball game  involving the BPD officers. Rev Palmer suggested a game with local preachers playing against the BPD.

*Photograph* Tournament champions L-R   Marcus Rosa (Westside Emmanuel

Baptist Church), Fredrick Seal (ROCTS Ministries), Caleb Martin (Bens Ford

Baptist Church), Chief Kendall Bullen, Drew Galloway (1st Pentecostal

Church) and Mark Morelock (Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church)  Not shown Brandon

Willis (United Faith Pentecostal Church). 

Slidell Man Gets 15 Years For Getting Drugs In Mail

District Attorney Warren Montgomery reports that Steven Zoerner (56) of Slidell was sentenced to 15 years in prison Friday (July 27, 2018) for drug charges related to his receiving a package of illegal drugs in the mail at his home in December, 2017.

Zoerner pleaded guilty in May before District Judge Martin Coady, who sentenced him on the charges of distribution of methamphetamine (28 grams or more), possession of hydrocodone (less than two grams), ; three counts of possession of a legend drug (Sulfamethoxazole, Tizanidine, and Amitriptyline) without a prescription, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

On December 14, 2017, a U. S. Postal Inspector alerted the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office Narcotics Taskforce that a suspicious package was being delivered to the Zoerner's address. The Taskforce set up a controlled delivery of the package and Zoerner was arrested a short time after taking possession of it.

According to the officers, Zoerner did not appear to be surprised when they opened the package and discovered a kilo of methamphetamine, which has a street value of about $50,000. The officers also found numerous other legend drugs, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia, including a scale and meth pipes, at Zoerner’s residence.

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 29-30, 2018

Abel Barriosleiva was booked 07/29 on the charges of Driving While Intoxicated and No Drivers License
Charles Martin was booked 07/30 on the charges of No License Plate, No Insurance, Driving Under Suspension, and Failure to Appear
Cody Ansley was booked 07/30 In For Court and on the charge of Failure to Appear
Joseph Denning was booked 07/30 In For Court
Christian Gordon was booked 07/30 on the charges of Off-Road Vehicles Prohibited on Hwy., Aggravated Flight From an Officer, No License Plate, and No Drivers License on Person
Lindsey Daniels was booked 07/30 on the charges of Possession of Stolen Property (2 counts)
Abram Major was booked 07/30 In For Court
Zarius Brown was booked 07/30 on the charges of Possession of Stolen Property, Resisting Arrest, Aggravated Assault With a Vehicle on an Officer, Criminal Damage, Attempted First Degree Murder, and Failure to Honor Written Promise (2 counts)
Anthony Scardina was booked 07/30 In For Court and on the charges of Failure to Honor Written Promise (2 counts)

Today in History for July 31st

AP NEWSMINUTE FOR the Morning of July 31, 2018

STPSO Says Victim was Not a Victim

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s detectives have arrested a Bryan Parker (31) of Covington in connection with a string of vehicle burglaries that occurred last week in the Covington area. All of the burglaries were outside residences and of vehicles that were unlocked.
During the course of the investigation, Parker became a suspect and had initially reported himself as a victim. However, detectives determined Parker was not a victim and linked him to the crimes.
Parker, who was already being held in the St. Tammany Parish Jail on unrelated charges of Attempted Simple Burglary, was booked on the additional charges of Simple Burglary (16 counts) and Filing or Maintaining False Public Records
Sheriff Randy Smith continues to remind residents to always remove valuables from vehicles and always lock your vehicle doors.

Obituary

John Earl Caves
March 9, 1945 - July 29, 2018 

Bogalusa Independence from Tobacco Campaign Proclamation

In recognition of Bogalusa’s Smoke-Free Ordinance 1 Year Anniversary, and as part of the continual efforts to improve the quality of life and promote healthy lifestyles in our community, Mayor Wendy Perrette, Bogalusa Strong and the Bogalusa Mayor Wellness Council proclaims the City of Bogalusa Independence from Tobacco City-Wide Campaign.

Chewing tobacco and smoking are not only deadly to our Bogalusa residents but also cause immediate illness and long-term suffering. Tobacco in any form is dangerous, addictive, and contains 28 cancer-causing ingredients. 1 in 4 Bogalusa residents smoke or chew tobacco leading to our family and friends dying prematurely and suffering unnecessarily. Bogalusa and Washington Parish health determinants are some of the highest in the state ranking 63rd out of 64 parishes for length of life with 22% of us smoking.

Bogalusa City Jail Bookings July 27-29, 2018

Danita S. Jones was booked 07/27 to serve a weekend sentence from the Bogalusa City Court
Cassie Kellis was booked 07/27 on the charges of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Darin Grimes was booked 07/27 on the charges of Possession of Heroin, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Aggravated Battery and Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Charles D. Johnson Jr was booked 07/28 on the charges of Theft, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia,  Possession Methamphetamine and Possession of Schedule III Narcotics

Today in History for July 30th

AP NEWSMINUTE FOR the Morning of July 30, 2018

Obituary

Jacob Lampton Yarborough
October 20, 1981 - July 26, 2018

Obituary

Walter "Joe" Fournet, Sr.
December 24, 1937 - July 28, 2018

Walter “Joe” Fournet, Sr. a native and lifelong resident of Bogalusa, LA passed away Saturday morning at his residence in Sun, LA at the age of 80. He served in the Army National Guard in Bogalusa, LA.
He is survived by his son, Walter (Sandra) Fournet, Jr. of Sun, LA; daughters, Alison (Jimmy) Wilson of Bogalusa, LA, Jill (Kenny) Kelehan of Diamondhead, MS; brothers, Jimmy, Jerry, Jeff, and John Earl Fournet; and sister, Jane Varnado. He also survived by 8 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, 4 great great grandchildren, other relatives, and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jeff and Jessie Fournet; sister, Judy Jenkins.
A visitation will be held in the Chapel of Poole-Ritchie Funeral Home on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 from 11:00 A.M. until time of Funeral Services at 1:00 P.M. with Rev. Kelly Penton officiating. Interment will follow at Hillview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Bogalusa, LA.

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 27-28, 2018

Laken Harris was booked 07/27 on the charge of Parole Violation
Brandon Hicks was booked 07/27 on the charge of Probation Violation
Jacob Ard was booked 07/28 on the charge of Parole Violation
Darin Grimes was booked 07/28 on the charges of Possession of Schedule II Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Contempt of Court
Rachel Shoemaker was booked 07/28 on the charges of Failure to Appear (2 counts)
Brittany Purvis was booked 07/28 on the charges of Failure to Appear (2 counts)

Today in History for July 29th

Today in History for July 28th

Amite Residents Charged with Abusing Family Member with Disabilities

A federal grand jury in New Orleans returned a six-count human trafficking and hate crime

indictment relating to the abuse of a 22-year-old woman with disabilities in Amite. 

The abuse included threats, physical restraint, consistent physcal violence, locking the victim in a backyard tent, requiring the victim to cut the yard using scissors, refusing medical care, burning the victim with a cigarette lighter, shooting her with a BB gun, holding her head under water, forcing her to eat her mother's ashes mixed with milk, and covering her with urine and feces.

Click here to read the Press Release that includes the names of those charged and the charges

Click here to read one of the Bills of Information and click here to read the second Bill of Information. They provide the names and of those charged and details the abuse.

An indictment and a bill of information are formal accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

OLOA Pediatric Clinic Grand Reopening is July 31

Small Business Workshop at NTCC is August 1

Two Back to School Giveaways in Bogalusa

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 25-26, 2018

Jeffery Travis was booked 07/25 on the charge of Criminal Trespass
Adam Thomas was booked 07/25 on the charges of Simple Burglary and Theft 1000 or More But Less Than 5000
Amanda Sumrall was booked 07/26 In From Court
Lerunti McGowan was booked 07/26 on the charge of Ientity Theft
Raymond Oreboe was booked 07/26 on the charge of Theft 1000 or More but Less Than 5000 and Monetary Instrument Abuse
Reyianna Oreaboe was booked 07/26 on the charge of Theft 1000 or More but Less Than 5000 and Monetary Instrument Abuse
Eddie Jackson was booked 07/26 on the charges of Simple Arson and Probation Violation
Duffley James was booked 07/26 on the charge of Fugitive Other Jurisdiction
La'Rajanea Keys was booked 07/26 on the charge of Theft 1000 or More but Less Than 5000
Debra Smith was booked 07/26 on the charge of Driving While Intoxicated
Shandrieka Owens was booked 07/26 on the charges of Resisting an Officer and Battery on a Police Officer
Keltron Hewitt was booked 07/26 on the charges of Domestic Abuse/Child Endangerment, Simple Battery of Infirm, and Failure to Appear

Bogalusa City Jail Bookings for July 26, 2018

Eugene Pigott was booked 07/26 on the charge of Criminal Trespass
LeRunti McGowan was booked 07/26 on the charge of Theft of Identity
Joseph D. May was booked /7-26 on the charge of Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Christopher C. Buckhanan was booked 07/26 on the charges of 2 counts Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Rachel L. Shoemaker was booked 07/26 on the charge of being a Fugitive from the Washington Parish Sheriff's Department
Glendia N. Slater was booked 07/26 on the charges of Aggravated Battery, Simple Battery and Criminal Damage to Property
Jacob S. Ard was booked 07/26 on the charges of Simple Battery, Disturbing the Peace/Language and Resisting an Officer

Today in History for July 27th

AP NEWSMINUTE FOR the Morning of July 27, 2018

Bogalusa Church Pastor Pleads Guilty to Theft of SSD Funds

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today (July 26, 2018) that Jerry R. Newton of Slidell pleaded guilty to Theft of Government Funds.

According to the Bill of Information, Newton applied for Social Security disability benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act. A person receiving disability benefits must truthfully disclose to the Social Security Administration any employment or income while getting the government money. In forms submitted to the SSA, Newton failed to disclose that he was the paid pastor of Bogalusa Baptist Church since May of 2007 and that he owned two businesses, Still Dreaming Graphics, LLC and Kclean Sweep, a cleaning service.  Due to his concealing of his salary and income produced from his businesses, Newton  received a total of $95,316 in DIB benefits to which he was not entitled.

NEWTON faces a maximum penalty of ten (10) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory $100 special assessment, as well as restitution to the Social Security Administration.

A sentencing hearing is set for October 25, 2018 before United States District Court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.

Obituary

Emma Jean Johnson
September 22, 1949 - July 18, 2018

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelations 21:4

Emma Jean Johnson was born on September 22, 1949 to the late Jessie James and Lillie Ree Johnson in Bogalusa, LA.
Emma was baptized at a young age under the leadership of Pastor Herman Brown at Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church. Emma later in life untied with Light of the World Deliverance Center under the leadership of Pastor Terri Angela Ruiz, where she served until her illness.
She was a graduate of Central Memorial High School class of 1967.
Emma worked at Pizza Hut for many years. She later worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Resthaven Living Center and Good Samaritan Nursing Home.
Emma had a genuine love for her family and loyal friends. She just admired her sons. She thought the world of them.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Jessie James and Lillie Ree Johnson; and grandson, Ai’Jalon Xamir.
Remaining to honor and hold her memories dear, William F. Smith (Smitty); her sons, Kelton Lamont (Jameka) Johnson, Sr., William Frederick Johnson and Roderick Dewayne Johnson; one sister, Eva Mae Johnson; niece, Ca’Sandra; nephew, Jamaine; grandchildren, Divita, Shawn, Kelsha, Kelton Jr., Ayana, Lyric, Monche’ Ree, Rodrick, Cherish, and Rome- Jamar; great grandchildren, Tiara, Princess, and Willie; she was ecstatic about meeting her unborn great grandchildren, Jarrison, and Sa’Kari.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

Visitation is set for Thursday, July 26, 2018 from 2pm to 7pm at Crain and Sons Funeral Home in Bogalusa where the Funeral Service will be held on Friday, July 27, 2018 at 11am.

Two Indicted in St. Tammany for Rape of Victims Under 13

District Attorney Warren Montgomery reports that Michael Anthony Scott (49) of Mandeville was indicted Wednesday (July 25, 2018) on the charge of first degree rape of a victim under 13 and sexual battery of a victim under 13. Scott is accused of raping a girl, who was 9 years old when the abuse began, over a period of about a year in Mandeville. Both charges involve the same victim.

In a separate case, Gregory Horton Luker, II (32) of Madisonville was indicted on the charge of first degree rape of a victim under 13. Luker is accused of raping a girl in Madisonville when she was about 9 years old.

Plans by CAC - Citizens for Art & Culture For a Community Calendar

In the event you don't already know, CAC (Citizens for Art & Culture) is a group of Bogalusans who have banded together and working to bring the different areas of the community together. They have a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/186266055545814/ and are a Closed Group, so ask to join if you are interested. They are doing some great things!

CAC is currently planning a community calendar that they will release to the public very soon.
If you have ANY events that are community related, please email them to bogalusacommunitycalendar@gmail.com. List the who, what, when and where's of the event, complete with addresses and location details. Also, if there are pics or a flyer, send those as well.

Bogalusa City Jail Bookings for July 20-25, 2018

Kimberly Owens was booked 07/20 for Probation/Parole Hold
Danita S. Jones was booked 07/20 to serve sentence from the Bogalusa City Court
Dayne L. Bonnette was booked 07/20 on the charge of Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Christina B. Sanders was booked 07/20 on the charge of Theft

Kentwood's "Night Out Against Crime" is August 7th

Back to School Giveaway in Bogalusa August 5th

Washington Parish Government Wants You to Know!

Washington Parish Government wants you to know that they welcome your calls and concerns and can be reached during office hours at 985-839-7825.
“If we don’t know your having a problem we can’t address it.”

Obituary

Ernestine Lanford Miller
November 19, 1936 - July 25, 2018

Get Your Saint's Prize Package Raffle Ticket

Today in History for July 26th

AP NEWSMINUTE FOR the Morning of July 26, 2018

Franklinton Fire Chief Responds to Criticisms

"Good Evening Everyone, First I would like to thank everyone for your continued support of our town and our Fire Department. In light of recent statements made during our latest council meeting Tuesday night July 24th a concerned citizen from our out of town Fire District questioned our town and brought to light some issues that they feel needed to be addressed with our department. I would like to address a couple of these concerns to the best of my ability this evening.

(See the video segment below from the council meeting ) 

1st - I would like to reassure the public that in no way shape or form are your Lives, Property or Lively hood in Jeopardy due to any lacking of capabilities of my department. Some of you may know and yet some of you may not but our department is only Staffed 7 days a week from 8:00AM to 4:00 PM. during these hours manpower is on hand AT OUR STATION to respond to any and all Emergencies that may arise. Outside of those hours we are 100% Volunteer including myself as Fire Chief I am fully

Mandeville Assisted Living Facility Pleads Guilty To Failing To Report Rape

District Attorney Warren Montgomery announced Wednesday (July 25, 2018) that Beau Provence Memory Care Assisted Living in Mandeville has pleaded guilty to a one-count violation of state law that requires health care facilities and workers to report any abuse of a patient within 24 hours of learning about it.

In addition to the guilty plea, the agreement requires the facility’s parent company, Mandeville Shelter Care, to pay a $500 fine and make a $25,000 donation to the SALT (Seniors And Law Enforcement Together) Council, an advocacy organization that provides education and training about the safety of senior adults in St. Tammany Parish.

District Attorney Warren Montgomery and Assistant District Attorney Ysonde Boland present a $25,000 check to SALT (Seniors And Law Enforcement Together) Council Chairman Ralph Oneal. Pictured are (l to r):  District Attorney Warren Montgomery, Assistant District Attorney Ysonde Boland, SALT Chairman Ralph Oneal, Assistant District Attorney Harold Bartholomew, and Criminal Division Chief Collin Sims.

The guilty plea stems from the rape of a 78-year-old dementia patient who was living at the facility in August 2016, when she was raped by Jerry Kan, who was working there as a cook. A St. Tammany Parish jury rejected Kan’s claim that the sexual contact was consensual, and he was convicted last year of third-degree rape. Kan is serving a 12-year prison sentence.

Obituary

Ruth (Dyke) Brown
February 1, 1949 - July 23, 2018

Franklinton Mayor and Aldermen Hear Complaints

Appearing before the Franklinton Board of Aldermen Tuesday evening (July 24, 2018) were Ricky Magee, Russ Wood, and Frankie Crosby, each of whom reviewed problems in the Town that need resolution.

Magee outlined problems with the maintenance in and appearance of the Town of Franklinton. He presented pictures to show neglect at City Hall and elsewhere and that impacted the appearance of the Town and that created liabilities for the Town.

Crosby addressed issues with blighted property (an issue he also addressed at the last meeting), the need for street signs, and the need to clean drains.

Wood detailed deficiences in training, equipping, standards, and certifications at the Franklinton Fire Department that impact firefighter safety, public safety, and Town liability.

To their credit, the board heard out the speakers, asked questions, responded, and indicated that action will be taken.

See what they had to say below and watch the full meeting on our Government Meetings page.

Covington Men Arrested in Lacombe Drive by Shooting

STPSO Detectives have arrested three Covington men in connection with a drive-by shooting that took place in Lacombe, La on Monday, July 16, 2018. Shots were fired toward  and struck a residence occupied at the time by two adults and three children. No one was injured.

A grey Hyundai Sonata with dark tinted windows was determined to be a suspect vehicle and the victims provided a suspect with whom they had a contentious history. An alert citizen provided information that led to the location and seizure of the suspect vehicle on Monday (July 23, 2018) in Covington. A search warrant was obtained and evidence related to the shooting was located within the vehicle.

The investigation revealed that Jaydon Carter used the vehicle on the evening of the shooting. On Tuesday (July 24, 2018), Detectives located Carter in the driveway of a residence in Covington and in the company of several other people. Further investigation determined that Jaydon Carter (17) was the driver of the vehicle used in the Lacombe shooting incident while Johnterrius McDowell (18) and Avery Fabre (18) were passengers. Investigators have determined that Fabre was the shooter. All three subjects were taken into custody without incident and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on various charges:

Obituary

Walt Burris
November 27, 1935 - July 24, 2018

Franklinton Police Chief Releases July Stats

Franklinton Police Chief Olander Smith provided a report of his department's activities at the Franklinton Board of Aldermen meeting on July 24, 2018. Information provided is actually inclusive of June 26 to July 23 of 2018. The report reflected a total of 541 Calls for Service (down from 723 in June), divided into the headings of Public Assistance, Traffic, and Criminal Patrol.

Responses for Public Assistance included general complaints (189), extra patrols (36), medical calls (19), alarms (50), and suspicious persons or vehicles (30).

Traffic activity included traffic stops (20), vehicle crashes (15), hit and runs (1), reckless operation (1), DWI (1), and citations (46).

Criminal Patrol responses included disturbances (14), fights (1), simple battery (2), criminal damage to property (4), burglaries (1), theft and shoplifting (16), narcotics (0). Officers made 29 total arrests.

Chief Smith also reported that Corporal Jared Stubbs was promoted to Sergeant, Ernie Corkern was hired, and requested Aldermen for approval and was approved to hire Justin Stogner.

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 24, 2018

Joshua James was booked 07/24 on the charges of Aggravated Domestic Violence Battery and Domestic Abuse/Child Endangerment
Genista Nutt was booked 07/24 on the charges of Failure to Appear, Contempt of Court, and Fugitive Other Jurisdiction
Amy Landrum was booked 07/24 on the charges of Failure to Appear, Contempt of Court, and Fugitive Other Jurisdiction
Amanda Crain was booked 07/24 on the charge of Cruelty to a Juvenile(s)
Leigh Ladner was booked 07/24 on the charges of Theft Less Than 1000 and Contempt of Court
Ashley Castle was booked 07/24 on the charge of Attachment
Dustin Bryant was booked 07/24 on the charges of Drug Free Zone Violation of Uniform CDS, Possession of Heroin, Possession of Schedule II Drugs, Possession With Intent to Distribute Schedule II Drugs, Possession of Schedule IV Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Resissting an Officer
Isaac Peters was booked 07/24 on the charge of Failure to Appear
Barbara Collins was booked 07/24 on the charges of Cultivation or Production of Marijuana, Possession With Intent to Distribute Schedule 1 Drugs, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Schedule II Drugs, Possession of CDS With Weapon Present, and Failure to Appear (2 counts)

Today in History for July 25th

AP NEWSMINUTE FOR the Morning of July 25, 2018

Free Youth Kayaking Class Thursday at Bogalusa YMCA

Obituary

Randy "Pounds" Sandifer
July 04, 1956 - July 23, 2018

Riverside Medical Center Provides Financial Report

Riverside Medical Center CEO Peter Sullivan presented a report to the Finance Committee of the Washington Parish Council on Monday evening (July 23, 2018). The fairly-detailed report consisted of a review of the recently-completed audit and a review of the current financial position of RMC.  Sullivan's report indicated the audit was a “clean audit” and that RMC is operating in the black.

Suspects Sought in Forcible Rape of 16 Year-Old

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edward is asking for your assistance in locating two Hammond residents in connection with the forcible rape of a 16 year-old female.

The investigation that began April 13, 2018 has led to identification of suspects Demond Butler (39) of Hammond, wanted for forcible rape, and Tonya Matthew (aka Tonya Tillis) of Hammond, wanted for accessory after the fact of forcible rape.

The TPSO press release indicates that the two may have traveled to Washington State in an effort to avoid arrest and that the U. S. Marshals Office and the Louisiana Attorney General's Office are assisting in locating the two.

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of these two subjects is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800.554.5245. Crime Stoppers offers a CASH reward up to $1,000.00 for information leading to an arrest.

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 23, 2018

Tammy Moore was booked 07/23 on the charge of Aggravated Assault
Kristina Cleland was booked 07/23 on the charges of Failure to Appear (2 counts)
Larry Lofton was booked 07/23 on the charge of Arson With the Intent to Defraud
Walter Smith was booked 07/23 on the charge of Obstruction of Justice
Jamie Myers was booked 07/23 on the charge of Telephone Harassment/Obscene
Zechariah Crain was booked 07/23 on the charges of Domestic Abuse/Child Endangerment and False Imprisonment

Today in History for July 24th

AP NEWSMINUTE FOR the Morning of July 24, 2018

AP NEWSMINUTE FOR the Evening of July 23, 2018

Arrest Made in Real Estate Scam of Washington Parish Victims

Source: WPSO Press Release
Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives investigated complaints of land sales on social media websites and Craigslist by a person who did not own the listed property. Detectives have arrested Ryan Skler Crain (29), a resident of Lam Road in Covington, on multiple counts of theft.

Crain impersonated various land owners and provided sales documents that appeared to be legitimate.

The purchasers learned of the scam after contacting the Washington Parish Clerk of Court and obtaining facts about the land which was not in Crain’s name and was not for sale. Crain’s story that he was a military veteran was also false.

Crain used aliases that included the names of Eddie Morris, Edward Stride and Edward Stang. The WPSO suspect there may be other victims. If any other persons have been victimized by Crain, they are asked to contact Detective Captain Tom Anderson at (985) 839-3434, extension 2059.

Sheriff Randy Seal commented. “This scoundrel thought he was being coy and covering his tracks with the use of various aliases. It slowed us down for a while, but our detectives never gave up and eventually sorted out all of the details, identified Crain, and made the arrest. Good job, detectives and thank you, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, for helping us locate Crain.”

Bogalusa Man Arrested – Drugs, Gun, and Cash Seized

On July 11, 2018 detectives assigned to the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force assisted Probation and Parole agents with a residence check on Mercedes Street in Bogalusa. Drug Task Force detectives also obtained a search warrant for a vehicle parked in the driveway. The vehicle search located a significant quantity of illegal drugs, a semi-automatic .40 caliber pistol and a significant amount of cash.
Ja’Vontay Owens, a resident of the Mercedes Street address, was arrested. The charges included possession with intent to distribute Schedule 1, Schedule 2 and Schedule 4 drugs, possession of marijuana, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, convicted felon in possession of a firearm and failure to honor a written promise. Owens remains in the Washington Parish Jail with his bond set at $200,150.
“One more drug dealer off of our streets,” said Sheriff Randy Seal. “These folks just don’t seem to understand that drug dealing is a one way street to jail. We may not catch them today, but we will catch them tomorrow or one day in the near future. Drug dealers should keep looking over their shoulders, because the footsteps they hear are our officers.”

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 22, 2018

Treavor Smith was booked 07/22 on the charge of Convicted Felon in Possession of Firearm
Summer Pounds was booked 07/22 In For Court
Xavier Brumfield was booked 07/22 on the charge of Theft 1000 or more but less than 5000
Ishea Hart was booked 07/22 on the charges of Simple Battery, Obstruction to Driver's View or Driving Mechanism and Failure to Appear

Obituary

Vaiden Cliburn Barlow
October 07, 1929 - July 21, 2018

Obituary

Ralph Ray Branch
March 05, 1935 - July 21, 2018

Today in History for July 23rd

AP NEWSMINUTE FOR the Morning of July 23, 2018

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 21, 2018

Summer Pounds was booked 07/21 In From Court
Jacob Landrum was booked 07/21 on the charges of Driving While Intoxicated, Careless Operation, and Distribution of Schedule IV CDS
Madonna Seymour was booked 07/21 on the charge of Driving While Intoxicated (2nd Offense)
Tiffany Rester was booked 07/21 on the charge of Failure to Honor Written Promise
Myron Robinson was booked 07/21 on the charge of Failure to Honor Written Promise
Jessica Johnson was booked 07/21 on the charges of Cruelty to a Juvenile (2 counts)
Kimberly Owens was booked 07/21 on the charge of Probation Violation

Today in History for July 22nd

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 20, 2018

Fredrick Washington was booked 07/20 on the charges of Aggravated Rape and Oral Sexual Battery
Errol Johnson was booked 07/20 In For Court
Amber Thomas was booked 07/20 In From Court
Cynthia Watson was booked 07/20 In From Court
Jeanne finnin was booked 07/20 on the charges of Driving While Intoxicated and Careless Operation
Karl Bickham was booked 07/20 on the charges of Obstruction of Justice and Possession of Stolen Property
Summer Pounds was booked 07/20 In From Court

Today in History for July 21st

Franklinton Police Extradite and Charge Man With Rape

On July 20, 2018, following an investigation, beginning in September 2016 by the Franklinton Police Department, Detectives arrested Frederick Washington of Tulia, Texas. Washington was charged with First Degree Rape and Oral Sexual Battery.

Washington was extradited from Huntsville, Texas where he had been incarcerated on unrelated charges. After booking he was transported to the Washington Parish Jail.

Due to the age of the victim, additional information is being withheld.

Washington Parish Voter Choices for the November 6th Election

Qualifying has ended and the unofficial slate of officials from which Washington Parish voters will pick is set. For the information in other jurisdictions, click here.

BOGALUSA OFFICES:

Mayor: Brian McCree (D), James "Mack" McGehee (D), Wendy O'Quinn-Perrette (No Party), "Tina" Ratliff (D), "Doug" Ritchie(D)

City Prosecutor: Davin Merlin Duke

Councilmen at Large (2 to be elected): Scott Richard Ard (R), Robin Day (R), Penny Douglas (D), and "Teddy" Drummond (I)
Councilman District A: Virginia Dunn (No Party), Gloria W. Kates (D), and Alexis Keys (D)
Councilman District B: Danielle Magee-Keys (D) and Tamira Moss Smith (D)
Councilman District C: Oneita H. Graham (D), Malcom D. Moses (D), Keosha Rawls (D), and Shelby C. Temples (R)
Councilman District D: Paul Barber (R), T. A. "Foots" Quinn (R), and "Kenny" Kellis (R)
Councilman District E: Mark Irvine (No Party) and John Richard McNabb (No Party)

Bogalusa School Board District 1: Paul D. Kates
Bogalusa School Board District 2: Eleanor W. Duke
Bogalusa School Board District 3: Justin P. Arnold, Sr. and Willie "Toni" Breaux
Bogalusa School Board District 4: Travis Houston and Adam Kemp
Bogalusa School Board District 5: "Curtis" Creel, "Tiye Yahu" Square-LeVias and "Kay Kay" Varnado
Bogalusa School Board District 6: Richard "Ricky" Killingsworth and Susan Catha Penton
Bogalusa School Board District 7: Dustin Mitchell and Brad Williams

PARISH OFFICES:

Parish Council Member District 5: Thomas R. "Rusty" Fornea (R), Mike Garic (I), and Randy Thomas (R)

Parish School Board District 1: Daniel "Dan" Slocum
Parish School Board District 2: John E. Wyble
Parish School Board District 3: Bruce L. Brown, Sr.
Parish School Board District 4: Kendall McKenzie
Parish School Board District 5: Robert W. Boone
Parish School Board District 6: Dewitt Perry
Parish School Board District 7: Lee Alan McCain
Parish School Board District 8: Matthew Tate and Frankie Crosby
Parish School Board District 9: Lesley McKinley

STATE OFFICES:

Secretary of State: Kyle Ardoin (R) from Baton Rouge, Heather Cloud (R) from Turkey Creek, "Gwen" Collins-Greeup (D) from Clinton, A. G. Crowe (R) from Pearl River, "Rick" Edmonds (R) from Baton Rouge, Renee Fontenot Free (D) from Baton Rouge, Thomas J. Kennedy, III (R) from Metairie, Matthew Paul "Matt" Moreau (No Party) from Zachary, and Julie Stokes (R) from Metairie.

U. S. Representative 5th Congressional District: Ralph Abraham (R) from Archibald, Billy Burkette (I) from Pride, Jessee Carlton Fleenor (D) from Loranger, and Kyle Randol (Libertarian) from Monroe.

Associate Justice Supreme Court, 1st Supreme Court District: Richard Ducote (R) from Covington and Greg Guidry (R) from New Orleans

Obituary

Barbara Jean Bauldree Boyd
February 26, 1946 - July 19, 2018

TPSO Makes Arrests in Wide-Ranging Investigation of Burglaries

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards reports that the investigation into multiple burglaries in the Wilmer, Loranger, Kentwood, Amite, St. Helena Parish, and Amite County Mississippi areas over the past two months has resulted in multiple arrests.

Wanted suspect, Benjamin Warren (18) of Independence was located at a residence in the act of burning copper. He fled on foot and was captured but the the pile of burned copper contained multiple items reported stolen in the recent burglaries.

Two of Benjamin Warren's known associates were arrested at a residence in Loranger. John G. Davidson (28) of Kentwood was arrested after trying to escape from a back window of the residence. Tena Warren (24) was arrested at the residence on the charge of Obstruction of Justice after being uncooperative and denying that any wanted subjects were at the residence; Tena Warren, with a 2 year-old in her arms, even used an 8 year-old to warn John G. Davidson.

Independence Man Busted for Breaking Into Vending Machines

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards reports that following an investigation, Ernest Lankford (39) of Independence was arrested and charged with the July 5, 2018 burglary of a coke machine in Independence.

Surveillance cameras captured a suspect, as he used a drill to, breaking into several vending machines and removing the currency.

Detectives learned of a similar crime that occurred in the Walker area during the same time period. This suspect and his vehicle were captured on surveillance video as he used a drill to gain entry into several vending machines, subsequently removing the currency.

Detectives were able to locate the suspect and vehicle traveling on Hano Road in Independence, Lankford was taken into custody.

Fugitive in Slidell Charges Officers With Knife – Not Smart

On Thursday July 19, 2018, Troopers from the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigation
responded to an address on Reine Avenue in Slidell to investigate a Trooper involved shooting.

The preliminary investigation by the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigation revealed that, on July 19, 2018 at approximately 2:08 PM, Officers assigned to the United States Marshals Fugitive Taskforce responded to an address on Reine Avenue in Slidell to serve a federal arrest warrant. Officers had information that, 22-year-old Devon Deshon Thomas of Broken Arrow Oklahoma, was inside the residence. Thomas had multiple federal arrest warrants for armed robbery.

As Taskforce Officers approached the residence, Thomas exited and charged Officers with a large knife. As Thomas charged, a Trooper assigned to the Taskforce fired his weapon. Thomas was then taken into custody without further incident. Thomas was not struck by gunfire however; he was transported to Slidell Memorial Hospital where he was treated for minor injuries.

Thomas will be booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail as a federal fugitive with additional state charges pending the ongoing investigation.

Bogalusa City Jail Bookings for July 18-19, 2018

Marteisha N. Lucas was booked 07/18 on the charges of Fugitive from Outside Agency, Aggravated Assault, Resisting an Officer and Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Brett K. Grubbs was booked 07/18 on the charges of 2 counts of Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Anthony T. Green was booked 07/18 on the charge of Simple Burglary
Travis M. Singley was booked 07/18 on the charge of Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Kiara L. Bonds was booked 07/19 on the charge of Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Richard J. Peterson Jr was booked 07/19 on the charges Possession Drug Paraphernalia and Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Lamar Varnado was booked 07/19 on the charge of Theft
Tyron Nelson was booked 07/19 on the charge of Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Joseph C. Garner was booked 07/19 on a Bond Surrender
Michael A. Ellis was booked 07/19 on the charge of Theft
Megan D. Hall was booked 07/19 on the charge of Theft

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 19, 2018

Robert Jenkins was booked 07/19 on the charges of Entry/Remain on Premises After Being Forbidden, Convicted Felon in Possession of Firearm, Protective Order Violation, and Stalking
Summer Pounds was booked 07/19 In From Court
Robert Long was booked 07/19 on the charges of Attempted Criminal Trespass and Disturbing the Peace/Fighting
Jhyryn Taylor was booked 07/19 on the charge of Video Voyeurism
Heather Tolbert was booked 07/19 on the charges of Cruelty to a Juvenile (2 counts)

Today in History for July 20th

AP NEWSMINUTE FOR the Morning of July 20, 2018

Obituary

Willie Clarance Thompson, Jr.
April 12, 1950 - July 15, 2018

Obituary

Janis Lee Holmes
February 22, 1954 - July 12, 2018

Obituary

Dorothy McCain Sumrall
March 26, 1932 - July 18, 2018

Obituary

Allen Jay DeDon
December 9, 2004 - July 18, 2018

Talk - They Hear You

Talk - They Hear You from Mt. Hermon Web-TV on Vimeo.

Franklinton Resident Sentenced in Federal Drug Case

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Dominique Wise (32) of Franklinton was sentenced Wednesday (July 18, 2018) after having pled guilty to misprision of a felony, stemming from a September 27, 2015 traffic stop in Kenner, during which police seized one-half kilogram of powder cocaine from the floorboard of her car.
U.S. District Judge Martin L.C. Feldman sentenced Wise to 3 years probation.
Derrick Wilson (34) of Franklinton had pled guilty on July 12, 2018 to  conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine hydrochloride in the same incident. Wilson faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000 and at least three years of supervised release when sentenced.

Obituary

Carolyn Jenkins Sharp
January 24, 1949 - July 14, 2018

Obituary

Beth Passman
October 13, 1961 - July 16, 2018

Franklinton Man Charged With Stalking and Other Offenses

Wednesday night (July 18, 2018), Franklinton Police Officers responded to a trespassing complaint in the 1900 block of Washington Street and found Robert Dustin Jenkins (37) of Franklinton in a vehicle.
Officers determined that Jenkins had violated a protective order by going to the residence and had contacted the victim several times also in violation of the order. Officers also located a firearm in Jenkins' vehicle.
Jenkins was arrested and charged with violation of Protective Order, convicted felon in possession of a firearm, stalking and remaining after forbidden.

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 18, 2018

Latansha Brown was booked 07/18 on the charges of Theft 1000 or More But Less Than 5000, Resisting Arrest by Providing False Booking Info, Failure to Appear, and Injuring Public Records
Terry Watson was booked 07/18 In From Court
Summer Pounds was booked 07/18 In From Court
Tammy McMillan Pierre was booked 07/18 on the charges of No Taillight, Possession of Marijuana, Obstruction of Justice, Possession of Schedule II Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Resisting an Officer, Proper Equipment Required, Issuing Worthless Checks 0-100, and Possession of Schedule III Drugs
Carl Earthly was booked 07/18 on the charges of Attempted 1st Degree Murder and Convicted Felon in Possession of Firearm
Marteisha Lucas was booked 07/18 on the charges of Disturbing the Peace/Fighting, Criminal Damage to Property, and Failure to Appear (2 counts)
Ruby Smith was booked 07/18 on the charge of Careless Operation
Tushanna Boaz was booked 07/18 on the charges of Criminal Trespass, Criminal Damage, Attempted Burglary of Inhabited Dwelling and Cyberstalking
Clayton Branch was booked 07/18 on the charge of Carnal Knowledge of Juvenile
Michael Mayfield was booked 07/18 In For Court
Ryan Crain was booked 07/18 on the charges of Theft Less Than 1000 and Theft 1000 or More But Less Than 5000

Today in History for July 19th

AP NEWSMINUTE FOR the Morning of July 19, 2018

Obituary

Edna Parham Jones
May 28, 1926 - July 17, 2018

Bogalusa Council Met Tuesday, July 17th

In addition to handling routine matters at their meeting on Tuesday (July 17, 2018, the Bogalusa City Council received information and an ultimatum from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor (Click here for separate article and video), received the 2017 audit report from Robert Neilson, received reports related to the one year anniversary of a smoke free Bogalusa, heard from residents with concerns and issues and received a report from Mayor Wendy Perrette.

Watch the video on our Government Meetings page.

Candidates Qualifying for Washington Parish Offices on July 18, 2018

The Washington Parish Clerk of Court records indicate the following persons qualified on Wednesday, July 18, 2018.

Washington Parish Council District 5         : Mike Garic and Randy Thomas
Washington Parish School Board District 1: Daniel Slocum
Washington Parish School Board District 3: Bruce Brown
Washington Parish School Board District 4: Kendall McKenzie
Washington Parish School Board District 5: Robert Boone
Washington Parish School Board District 6: Dewitt Perry
Washington Parish School Board District 8: Matthew Tate
Washington Parish School Board District 9: Lesley McKinley
Bogalusa School Board District 1               : Paul Kates
Bogalusa School Board District 2               : Eleanor Duke
Bogalusa School Board District 3               : Justin Arnold and Willie Breaux
Bogalusa School Board District 4               : Travis Houston
Bogalusa School Board District 5               : Curtis Creel
Bogalusa School Board District 6               : Richard Killingsworth
Bogalusa School Board District 7               : Dustin Mitchell and Brad Williams
City of Bogalusa Mayor                              : Brian McCree and Doug Ritchie
City of Bogalusa City Prosecutor                : David Merlin Duke
City of Bogalusa Councilman at Large       : Scott Ard
City of Bogalusa Councilman District A    : Alexis Keys
City of Bogalusa Councilman District B    : Danielle Magee-Keys
City of Bogalusa Councilman District E    : Mark Irvine and John Richard McNabb

Record Amount of Fentanyl Seized From Tangipahoa Parish Residence

Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards reports today (July 18, 2018) that the TPSO, along with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Hammond Police Department, and the DEA,were able to disrupt what was potentially lethal amounts of prescription Fentanyl from reaching the streets.

On Wednesday July 11, 2018, an investigation began into allegations of a local resident planning to distribute a large quantity of pharmaceutical grade Fentanyl that was allegedly being stored at a residence on South 3rd Street in Ponchatoula occupied by two adult males and one juvenile.

On July 12, 2018, detectives obtained and executed a search warrant at the Ponchatoula residence. As a result, what they found inside was astonishing - over 750 SUBSYS sublingual Fentanyl pumps and nearly 11 thermal Fentanyl patches.

Detectives learned that the Fentanyl was actually prescribed to one of the residents due to a previous back surgery. The resident was treated at a pain management clinic and had received cases of prescription Fentanyl patches and the pumps by mail for two years.The subject stated he never received any notice in regards to this prescription from the pain management doctor and didn’t think it to be illegal.

Detectives also found open and unopened packages of prescription Fentanyl in the bedroom of the second male resident, 32-year-old Daniel McCann. McCann was charged with theft and possession with the intent to distribute CDS II.

At this time, no other arrests have been made pending a federal investigation into the incident.  The juvenile was subsequently placed into the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services.

As detectives continue to investigate the incident, it has been learned that SUBSYS sublingual Fentanyl pumps prescribed to patients are strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration “F.D.A.” and are only to be prescribed to an  individual who is diagnosed with certain types of cancer.

"When you take that much fentanyl from a residence or off street you are saving lives," says Edwards. The joint efforts between the local and federal law enforcement agencies in this investigation have single handedly affected countless lives by removing this product from being a potential threat or from being distributed throughout our community.  Fentanyl, a deadly opioid, is typically prescribed to treat acute pain. It is a synthetic opioid 30-50 times more potent than heroin and 50-100 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams is enough to be a lethal dose for most people.

Will the City of Bogalusa Continue Governing Itself?

At the invitation of Mayor Wendy Perrette, representatives from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office spoke to the Bogalusa Council Tuesday (July 17, 2018). Bradley Cryer, Assistant Legislative Auditor and Director of Local Government Audit Services, informed the Council of the very real possibility that the City would be placed under a fiscal administrator.

Cryer said the City is not the worst city in Louisiana with regard to repeat audit findings; it is the second worst. The City is in the category of being financial unstable and, therefore, subject to financial administration.

What would this mean? The City would lose State of Louisiana funding, personnel and services would be cut, the mayor and council would be removed from decision-making positions by a judge, and an appointed fiscal administrator would come in to make all decisions.

At issue is not the City's operational budget or management by the current administration. As revealed by Auditor Robert Neilson, the City is operating in the black, with more revenue than expenses. And, some $400,000 in expenditures were cut in 2017. The problems are issues that date back many years, issues that the Mayor advises she needs cooperation from the Council to address. Getting the facts from the Office of the LLA and being given a deadline to act may indeed spur action.

The City has until September 30, 2018 to provide a firm corrective action plan.

(See excerpts of the minutes below of Cryer's comments at the meeting)

Re City of Bogalusa Fiscal Crisis July 17 2018 from Mt. Hermon Web-TV on Vimeo.

BY BRAD CRYER: I’m the Director of Local Government Legislative Auditors Office. I appreciate having the opportunity to talk to ya’ll tonight. You got your audit report from Mr. Neilson and going to sit down to talk to you for a few minutes but there are somethings I kind of want to get cleared up with you. We have been working with Bogalusa since 2013. We came in with the prior Mayor deal with some financial problems back then some findings that were outstanding and we are still here five years later. And a couple of things I want to point out the audit report when we came in here five years ago there were six findings in that report. The largest one by far is the pension liability issue the underfunding in that liability. There was also some issue with that reserve funding, there were issues with General fund borrow from other funds and all that was related to financial problems receiving having a time. But those finding are still in this year’s report. There is new findings in this year’s report. They also deal with fiscal issues. In 2014 the Legislature passed a law that we call the Three Strikes Law and what that Law says is that if you have repeat findings without good reason for three more years in a row then our office can bring the Legislative Auditor Advisory Council and ask them about the hard questions about what you are doing to fix those findings and if they don’t like the answers for getting they can take away all of your state funding. That was the key that was put in that wall because we had repeat offenders year after year after year not fixing those problems. We are about to start enforcing that law, it has been three years now. Bogalusa is not the worse city in the state as far as number of findings, it is the second worse in the state regarding the number of findings. The first we are going to have on our upcoming varsity meeting, I’m sorry our upcoming Advisory Council Meeting. The reason we are not bringing Bogalusa yet because we are working with you guys for a number of years we want to continue working with you to try and resolve some of these issues but I kind of want to be respective of where the city is at with the pension issues with the Landfill issue and other things that are coming up in the audit report and of course that big elephant in the room is the pension liability. That has been out there for thirty years. It is not something that you created, it is not something the prior administration created but it is still there. As elected officials you have an obligation to try and fix those problems to try to fund that liability. Now we haven’t seen a lot of progress in that regard since we have been involved with Bogalusa for the last five years. Another section of Law the Legislative passed a number of years ago it talks about fiscal administration and what fiscal administration means is that there is a committee formed by the Legislative Auditor, the State Treasure, and the Attorney General and that committee has the ability to appoint a fiscal administrator to take over a town and run that town from top down. That situation the administrator has complete power to make decisions day to day. The Council, the Mayor, Chief of Police, all of those are only advisors to that fiscal administrator. Now we don’t want to get in the position where you have that happen but we have to have some action on some of these different issues coming up pension liability and particular the landfill liability I know is still a big issue out there and some of the other issues as well. Right now the pension liability worst case scenario you will be out of money in that system as early as two or three years. More than likely your auditor is funding five to six years but it has gotten to the point where you cannot put it off any longer to try and make a decision of how to fund it. And it is really simple the same question the Legislature has for the last two years the state budget either raise money or you cut expenditures. If you have a fiscal administrator that comes in here they can’t raise taxes. You can raise taxes you can put it on a ballet, you can raise fees. They can’t do that but they can cut services, they can cut personnel, they can sale property but they are going to make those books balance one way or the other. It takes the power out of your hand as government, as elected officials. We don’t want that to happen but we had that happen right now. We have a City of Direct System Administration, City of St. Joseph, we have a hospital in North Louisiana, and this is not a rare occurrence it does happen but once again they are trying to work through these issues one at a time. But what we need to see is some action. There has been a lot of talk we have five years of talk about fixing things. We are not seeing any effort of being made actual big dollars on the papers to say this is going to fix our problem. Whether cutting those expenses or raising the revenues and I understand the millage that ya’ll put on the ballet back in March failed 22% to 78%. You can’t wait nine months to put another mileage on the ballet and hope that one gets the one percent it is not just responsible. Right now we believe it falls in the category of being financially unstable. Therefore it is subject to fiscal administration. What that means is that you don’t have efficient revenue to pay your current expenditures. And if you say well we are keep our lights on we are paying our bill and members aren’t complaining but you are only paying the bills you can afford to pay. You are not paying a pension cost which is running five or six hundred thousand dollars a year more than you are paying in right now. You are not dealing with the Landfill issue in resolving that and some of the other things I feel like reserves that has not been funding for many years. Those things you have to take some action on. I am here tonight to really kind of put the respective in you with the Three Strikes Law that can cut off state funding fiscal administration that can do a complete take over. What we are asking and the reason we are here tonight is to say we are going to send a letter to them about both you and the Mayor and we are going to be asking for a firm correction action plan. A real (inaudible) says a timeline of what we are going to do and when we are going to do it and we are going to ask for a response back on that by September 30^th. Once we get that plan we are going to look at it we are going to talk with you but if we don’t see real action if we don’t see real solutions being purposed then the Three Strikes Rule state funding principal administration all of those are options on things that will keep in our back pocket as the ways to fix the problems. We are not here to represent the Council we are not here representing the administration or anyone else except the taxpayers in Bogalusa and that is our perspective and that is why I am hoping that you will work with us that you will come up with the solutions that we can all agree to that can work for everyone. So if ya’ll have any questions for me in general we are not here to talk about some specifics tonight but I will be glad to talk with you further. 

Bogalusa City Jail Bookings for July 16-17, 2018

Jamar K. McGowan was booked 07/16 on the charge of Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Troy A. Autin was booked 07/16 on the charge of Theft
Carl R. Earthly was booked 07/17 on the charges of Attempted 1st Degree Murder and Possession or Carrying a Weapon by a Convicted Felon
Paul L. Ard was booked 07/17 on the charge of Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Joshua R. Hicks was booked 07/17 on the charge of Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Tammy W. Pierre was booked 07/17 on the charges of No Tail Lamps, Possession of Marijuana, Obstruction of Justice, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Resisting an Officer, and Headlamp Restrictions
Joseph C. Garner was booked 07/17 on the charge of Failure to Appear (Bogalusa City Court)
Theodore Moses III was booked 07/17 on the charge of Driving While Intoxicated

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 17, 2018

David Gubert was booked 07/17 on the charges of Open Container in Vehicle and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Timothy Brumfield was booked 07/17 on the charges of Probation and Parole Hold and Failure to Appear
Alex Foster was booked 07/17 on the charges of Forgery and Possession of Stolen Property
Tabitha Roberts was booked 07/17 In From Court
Hunter Coats was booked 07/17 In From Court
Shelly Robichaux was booked 07/17 on the charges of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Schedule II Drugs
William Bennett was booked 07/17 In For Court
Rickey Nelson was booked 07/17 In For Court
James Butler was booked 07/17 In For Court

Today in History for July 18th

Armed Robbery Suspects Sought in Pike and Walthall Counties

The Walthall County Sheriff's Office and the Pike County Sheriff's Office are requesting the public's assistance in identifying the man and woman pictured below.

On July 15, 2018 around 6:00 am, the male suspect broke into a camp located at Walker's Cove, in Walthall County. The family inside of the residence was robbed at gunpoint. After the robbery, the suspects traveled to McComb, MS and used the robbery victims credit card.

On July 16, 2018 Pike County Deputies responded to a call on Conerly Drive about an elderly man that had been attacked by a man and woman at gunpoint. During the attack, the man was forced into and locked in a metal conex. The suspects then stole a 28 ft camper, pictured below, before fleeing the scene. The suspects in this case fit the description of the suspects in the Walthall County robbery.

In both cases, the suspects drove the same vehicle, a grey or tan colored Chevrolet pickup truck with a camper over the bed. These suspects are considered armed and dangerous and we ask the public to please not approach them, but to ONLY notify law enforcement.

Anyone with information on this crime, or any other crime, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 601-467-1878, the Walthall County Sheriff's Office at 601-876-3481 or Pike County Central Dispatch at 601-783-2323.