Myra Helen Graves Dawsey
May 3, 1936 – June 24, 2024
July 20, 2024
What Candidates Qualified for November 5, 2024 Election?
The qualifying period has ended for candidates in Louisiana's November 5, 2024 election. To search for candidates in a parish and a little more about them, go to https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/candidateinquiry and make your choice of parish.
In Washington Parish, some races of note and those qualifying include:
U. S. Representative 5th Congressional District: Julia Letlow, M.V. "Vinny" Mendoza, and Michael Vallien Jr.
Member of School Board District 2: "Chad" Dorsett is the only candidate who qualified.
Mayor Town of Franklinton: "Greg" Route and Darwin Sharp.
Mayor Village of Angie: Darryl Knight and Denise Robinson.
Mayor Village of Varnado: Paris C. Sumrall is the only candidate who qualified.
Chief of Police Village of Angie: Gilbert Hartzog Jr. is the only candidate who qualified.
Chief of Police Village of Varnado: Louis Adams is the only candidate who qualified.
Aldermen Town of Franklinton (5 to be elected: "Patrice" Crain, Frankie Crosby Sr., Seth Descant, Lee R. Dillon, Richard L. Magee, Jeamie Mccullen, "Steve" McCune, and Randy Reed.
Aldermen Village of Angie (3 to be elected): and only 3 qualified - John F. Dawsey, Laurie Ball Pittman, and Terrance "Fit" Robinson.
Aldermen Village of Varnado (3 to be elected): James L. "Jimmy" Ezell, "Chris" Jones, Kimberly Suzi Kennedy, Dustin J. Sumrall, and Brian "Walk-Walk" Walker.
Councilman District B, City of Bogalusa: Melvin "Chester" Abram, Ellen Carter, Wilton R. Dunaway, and Marilyn D. Lott .
Local Forecast for the Next Few Days
For an extended forecast and more details, go to our weather page.
Today A 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight A 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday A 90% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Patchy fog before 8am. High near 87. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday Night A 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Monday A 90% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 88. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Monday Night A 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Legislative Audit Advisory Council & City of Bogalusa (July 18, 2024)
In case you missed it, the Louisiana Legislative Audit Advisory Council met on July 18, 2024 and the City of Bogalusa was on their Agenda. The Council reviewed the findings of the Investigative Report dated July 10, 2024 and released July 15, 2024.
The report was reviewed and questions were asked and answers provided by Mayor Tyrin Truong and Comptroller Jerry Bailey. The Council also heard from other interested persons. The possibility of the City being placed under Fiscal Administration was brought up but the Council indicated that the appointment of a Fiscal Administrator was not a consideration at this time.
Click here to see the full version of the video. Fast forward to 9:20
Southern Maids Dairy Farm - Franklinton
In this episode of Crawfish Tales, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain is in Franklinton, Louisiana, at Southern Maids Dairy, a dairy goat farm owned by Nathan and Erin Miller. Scroll down on the right side of this page for the full episode of This Week in Louisiana Agriculture.
July 19, 2024
Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 18, 2024
Sarah Duncan (age 32 with Tylertown, Ms. address) was booked on the charges of Bank Fraud and Identity Theft by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office. Released on $2500.00 bond.
Steven Briggs (age 34 with Franklinton, La. address) was booked on the charges of Failure to Appear and Criminal Damage to Property Under 1000. Bond set at $2500.00.
Nigal Lee (age 45 with Franklinton, La. address) was booked on the charge of Aggravated 2nd Degree Battery by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office. Released on $20000.00 bond.
The photo of persons pictured were released by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office in accordance with their updated policy, guided by legal and ethical considerations.
***All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty***
Former Tangipahoa Parish Jailer, Inmate Arrested Following Fight
Today (Friday, July 19, 2024), the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office reported that a former jail employee and an inmate have been arrested following a physical altercation between the two.
Jaden Lamark, age 20, was booked on one count each of Simple Battery and Malfeasance in Office. He had been a TPSO Corrections employee since December 2023. Sanchez Harold, age 36, was booked on one count of Battery of a Correctional Facility Employee. He had been in the jail since July 3 on fugitive warrants out of other jurisdictions.
Lamark and Harold got into a verbal argument through closed cell doors that resulted in Harold throwing an unidentified liquid at Lamark. Lamark then called for the closed cell to be opened and proceeded to physically hit Harold multiple times. Harold was taken to the medical office and assessed for injuries.
Following the incident, Lamark was immediately written up then placed on administrative leave pending further investigation. Harold remained in custody at the jail during the investigation. Upon completion of the investigation, Lamark was terminated from his position with TPSO and placed under arrest while Harold was rebooked in connection with the incident.
“As I’ve said since before I became sheriff 19 days ago, I have a new set of standards for this agency and the men and women that represent it. This behavior is far from those standards and will not be tolerated,” said Sheriff Gerald Sticker, “I stand with every person in this agency as long as they’re doing their part to stand with each other to preserve the credibility of the work we do and the service we provide to the public who entrusts us with their safety.”
***All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty***
Slidell Man Facing 5 to 40 Years for Fentanyl Distribution
District Attorney Collin Sims reports that today (Friday, July 19, 2024), a St. Tammany Parish jury deliberated less than an hour before returning guilty verdicts against 43-year-old Majuangy Evans of Slidell for Distribution of Fentanyl, Conducting a transaction involving proceeds known to be derived from a drug law violation and Possession of Methamphetamine. Assistant District Attorneys Christina Fisher and Casey Allen prosecuted the case. Judge John Keller presided over the three-day trial. Detectives Ben Williams and Brittany French with the Slidell Police Department led the investigation.
Testimony established that detectives with the Slidell Police Department were alerted by a concerned citizen that the Majuangy Evans was conducting drug transactions at various gas stations throughout Slidell. Detectives began surveilling Evans. On the morning of December 21, 2022, detectives observed Evans stop at a gas station on Natchez Drive. Evans purchased fuel for his vehicle but did not immediately depart. Instead, Evans sat in his vehicle and scanned the parking lot as if looking for someone. A few minutes later, a van arrived at the gas station. A male wearing a hospital wristband and dressed in a hospital gown exited the van and immediately entered the passenger seat of Evans’s vehicle. Detectives then observed Evans and the second male engage in what appeared to be a drug transaction. As the second male exited the defendant’s vehicle, the detectives approached on foot. After detaining the male in the hospital gown, detectives noticed in the area he had been standing was a plastic baggie containing what was later confirmed to be Fentanyl. The male acknowledged he had just purchased the drugs from Evans but the jury was not permitted to hear that information. Detectives arrested Evans and a search of his person resulted in the recovery of $614 cash.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for Evans’s residence on Eleventh Street in Slidell. During the search of the residence, detectives found $5,000 cash in the pocket of a jacket hanging in a bedroom closet. A small amount of methamphetamine was found in the same bedroom.
Before the trial commenced, Evans informed the court that he would forego an attorney and represent himself at trial. During the taking of testimony from Detective Williams, Evans spent several hours cross-examining Williams, attempting to discredit him. After the prosecutors rested their case, Evans testified on his own behalf. During his testimony, Evans admitted to being a drug dealer. He claimed he “quit the game” eight days prior to his arrest because he knew the police had been alerted to his drug dealing activities. Evans claimed the large sums of money police recovered from his person and residence resulted from his skill and talents in playing “number crunching games.” When asked to explain his gas station lot meeting with the male in the hospital gown, he said he had lent money to the man in the past and the man drove himself from the hospital simply to repay Evans. Evans conceded he had sold drugs to the man in the past but was steadfast in denying he had sold him any drugs during this particular encounter at the gas station.
Sentencing of Evans is scheduled for October 10, 2024. Distribution of Fentanyl carries a sentence of between five and forty years in prison. At the time of this incident, Evans was on parole after having served 19 years in prison on a 45-year sentence he received for a drug trafficking conviction out of Jefferson Parish.
Roseland Man Wanted After Skipping Rape Trial
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to be on the lookout for a rape suspect believed to be armed and dangerous. Gerald Stevens, age 55 and of Roseland, is wanted for Failure to Appear for his trial date Monday (July 15, 2024) in a Third Degree Rape case involving a juvenile from 2021.
Stevens was seen as recently as Wednesday afternoon at a relative’s home in Roseland. He was traveling in a blue and silver Chevrolet Silverado Z71 with Louisiana license plate Z277939. Stevens was armed with a rifle at the time and making threats about harming himself.
Sheriff Gerald Sticker encourages anyone with information about Steven’s whereabouts to contact the Criminal Investigations Office at 985-902-2070. Law enforcement officers are encouraged to use caution when interacting with Stevens.
If you’d prefer to share information anonymously, you can do so through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa’s tip line at 1-800-554-5245 or visit www.tangicrimestoppers.com and click on the P3 Tips icon or Submit A Tip!
You may be eligible for a cash reward.
***All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty***
July 18, 2024
A Pearl River Based Recreation District Secretary Arrested for Theft of More Than $25,000
The former secretary of a local recreation district has been arrested after stealing more than $25,000 from the district. Detectives with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Financial Crimes Division were notified in January by board members of the Pearl River-based St. Tammany Recreation District 7 concerning the possibility of missing funds in the district’s account.
The subsequent investigation uncovered that between March 2023 and December 2023, former secretary, 36 year-old Brittany Ward had written numerous checks to herself on the recreation district’s account and had signed a board members name to the checks. It was also learned that she had taken cash from the concession stand deposits before bringing them to the bank. In total, detectives learned, Ward had taken $25,277.
On Wednesday (July 17, 2024), after a warrant was issued for her arrest, Ward turned herself in and was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center for Theft Over $25,000 and Forgery.
Washington Parish Jail Bookings for July 16-17, 2024
Crenarta Baker (age 34 with Mt. Hermon, La. address) was booked on the charges of Home Invasion, Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Assault (2 counts), Battery of Infirm, Attempted Unauthorized Entry of an Inhabited Dwelling, and Theft Less Than 1000 by the Franklinton Police Department. Bond set at $30000.00.
Antonio Peters (age 52 with Franklinton, La. address) was booked In From Court
Richard Gaiser (age 17 with Angie, La. address) was booked on the charge of Molestation of a Juvenile or Person With Physical/Mental Disability by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office. No bond set at this time.
Treyvion Tate (age 25 with Franklinton, La. address) was booked In From Court
Dean Kelly (age 53 with New Orleans, La. address) was booked In From Court
Devin Schilling (age 32 with Bogalusa, La. address) was booked on the charges of Possession With Intent to Distribute Schedule II Drugs (2 counts), Possession With Intent to Distribute Schedule 1 Drugs, Convicted Felon in Possession of Firearm, Transactions Involving Proceeds From Drug Offenses, and Possession of CDS With Weapon Present. Bond set at $75000.00.
Dustin King (age 37 with Poplarville, Ms. address) was booked on the charges of Distribution of Schedule II Drugs, Illegal Use of CDS in Presence of Person Under 17 YOA (2 counts), Possession With Intent to Distribute Schedule II Drugs, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Fugitive Other Jurisdiction, and Possession of Stolen Property. No bond set at this time.
Quenton Alexander (age 40 with Bogalusa, La. address) was booked on the charges of Domestic Abuse/Aggravated Assault and Domestic Abuse/Aggravated Assault/Child Endangerment by the Bogalusa Police Department. No bond set at this time.
Deborah Barrios (age 50 with Franklinton, La. address) was booked on the charge of Fugitive Other Jurisdiction by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office. No bond set at this time.
The photo of persons pictured were released by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office in accordance with their updated policy, guided by legal and ethical considerations.
***All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty***
Local Forecast for the Next Few Days
For an extended forecast and more details, go to our weather page.
Today A 80% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Patchy fog before 10am. High near 92. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight A 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Friday A 90% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 85. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Friday Night A 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Calm wind.
Saturday A 90% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 88. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Night A 80% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Low around 72. Calm wind.
July 17, 2024
Hammond Toddler Dies in Accidental Shooting Incident
The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office reports that a Hammond 3-year-old has died following a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face.
Just after 1 p.m., a 911 call reported the incident at a home on Red Fox Drive in Hammond. It was reported that the 3-year-old boy had gotten a hold of a gun and accidentally shot himself in the face.
A parent immediately attempted life-saving measures which first responders continued upon arrival, but, unfortunately, the child could not be saved.
While the investigation into this tragic incident is ongoing, Sheriff Gerald Sticker is asking the public to join him in prayer for this family, but also reminding the public about the importance of gun safety.
The TPSO advises always securing your firearms in a location that is not easily accessible to children. Also, consider storing firearms in lock boxes and/or gun safes as additional safety measures. Finally, consider obtaining trigger locks for all weapons.
A Message From Bogalusa Major Troy Tervalon
HONOR, INTEGRITY, COURAGE, SELFLESSNESS, DEDICATION, HUMBLENESS, COMMITMENT, SACRIFICE.
These are just a few of the things I envisioned nearly 29 years ago when I made the decision to begin my career in law enforcement.
Over the past 18 months, the men and women of the Bogalusa Police Department have stepped up to the overwhelming responsibility given to them and together we have made a huge impact on crime, community relations and commitment to keeping our citizens safe in these trying times.
I am humbled and overwhelmed by the many calls and texts that I have received.
I am grateful for James T Smith and the leadership and friendship he has shown me over the years and I can honestly say, that myself, and the entire staff of the Bogalusa Police Department look forward to him serving in his new role as Chief James Smith.
We pledge our complete commitment to the citizens of Bogalusa and their safety and look forward to that task.
Please continue to pray for our city and the Bogalusa Police Department.
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