News HONEYMOON ENDS IN HANDCUFFS: WRONG LOUISIANA WOMAN ARRESTED | PAGE 3
Minden
Press-Herald TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
GAS BUDDY REPORT
Gas prices continue to drop in Louisiana STAFF REPORT Minden Press-Herald
Louisiana gas prices have fallen 1.2 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.08/g today, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 2,436 stations. Gas prices in Louisiana are 16.6 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 5.3 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. “Oil prices rebounded last week on word that OPEC members were closely considering cutting global oil production for DEHAAN several months to offset the decline in demand due to the coronavirus, pushing the national average marginally higher versus a week ago,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Louisiana is priced at $1.82/g today while the most expensive is $2.96/g, a difference of $1.14/g. The cheapest price in the entire country today stands at $1.71/g while the most expensive is $100.60/g, a difference of $98.89/g. The national average price of gasoline has risen 0.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.43/g today. The national average is down 12.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 11.5 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. “While it’s possible average gasoline prices will remain within arm’s reach of recent lows, unless there’s renewed or new concerns with the spread of the coronavirus, we may have seen the deepest discounted prices behind us, with some chance we’ll hold close to the lows before the seasonal rally begins in earnest. It wouldn’t be a bad time to fill up to hedge the chances of prices rising in the coming days,” said DeHaan.
PRESS-HERALD.COM
MINDEN, LOUISIANA
75 CENTS
Putting on the Red, White, and Blue
WILL PHILLIPS Minden Press-Herald
Krewe des Ambassadeurs Grand Bal’ XIX took place on Valentine’s Day evening at the Magnolia Ballroom at Sam’s Town Casino. With George French III as host, this year’s theme for the Bal’ was “Putting on the Red White and Blue” which gave the Royals’ outfits and the decor a patriotic flair. Before the naming of the 2020 Royals, the Presentation of Colors was carried out by Minden High School ROTC. The National Anthem was performed by Miss Spirit of Fasching Grace Powell. As we say goodbye to the 2019 Royals, we welcome in the 2020 Royals as follows. Mahala Hutto was named Captain XIX. Jason Parker was crowned Duke XV. Lauren Fish and Joel Gray were crowned Duchess and Duke of Hospitality XIX. Patricia Schwartz and Keith Keen were crowned Duchess and Duke of Prosperity XIX. Carrigan Wiggins and Beau Branch were crowned Princess
COURTESY PHOTO
The Krewe des Ambassadeurs 2020 Royals at their Grand Bal’ held on Valentine’s Day.
and Prince XIX. Venetia Mi-
the top. The colors, the lights,
and great music. After the pre-
chael was crowned Queen XIX
and the music were all fantas-
sentation, the sold-out crowd
and Joe Ellis was crowned Mi-
tic. Our Royalty put on a fab-
danced to the sounds of the
chael King XIX.
ulous
Mix until midnight,” said Cap-
“This year’s ball was over
presentation
wearing
beautifully colored costumes
tain XIX Mahala Hutto.
One thing unites establishment Democrats: Fear of Sanders LAS VEGAS (AP) — A growing number of Democratic lawmakers, union officials, state leaders and party strategists agree that Bernie Sanders is a risky nominee to put up against President Donald Trump. There’s less agreement about whether — and how — to stop him. Critics of the Vermont senator, who has long identified as a democratic socialist, are further than they’ve ever been from unifying behind a moderate alternative. None of the viable centrists in the race is eager to exit the campaign to clear a path for a candidate to become a clear counter to Sanders. And Sanders is looking to Satur-
Volume 51 Number 165
©2019 Specht Newspapers, Inc.
day’s Nevada caucuses to post another win that would further his status as an early front-runner. With fear and frustration rising in the party’s establishment wing, a high-stakes math problem is emerging. It could be impossible to blunt Sanders as long as a trio of moderate candidates — former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Vice President Joe Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar — stay in the race. And with former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the swath of states that vote on Super Tuesday, March 3, the effort to
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stop Sanders will become even more challenging when the campaign goes national next month. “You see this tremendous angst in the party — ‘What are we going to do?’” said Terry McAuliffe, a former Virginia governor who was also chairman of the Democratic National Committee. “We need to unify as fast as we can.” The dynamic is complicated because each of the major moderate candidates has glaring vulnerabilities. Biden began the campaign as a front-runner, but the aura around his operation took a hit after a fourth-place finish in Iowa gave way to a fifth-
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place finish in New Hampshire. Buttigieg has proved to be the most effective centrist in raising money from the party’s traditional high-dollar donors, which puts him in a strong position to compete in an expensive national contest. But the 38-year-old faces linger questions about his experience and his ability to win support from black and Latino voters, a challenge that could come into greater focus if Buttigieg loses badly in Nevada and South Carolina. Kloubchar is newly emboldened after a third-place finish in New Hampshire, but she too
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MINDEN PRESS-HERALD | MINDEN, LA
Second Front GOVERNMENT
Campaign: Sanders ramping up his outreach to other lawmakers and party officials who have been skeptical of his White House bid Continued from Page 1 has little support among minority voters and has largely run a bare-bones campaign operation. “When you have three or four candidates in that same lane, math becomes a problem,” said Harold Schaitberger, general president of the International Association of Firefighters and a Biden loyalist, who admits being “disappointed” by Biden’s bad performances and Sanders’ rise. Though the opening contests of the primary have only begun, time may quickly run out for a moderate alternative to emerge. By the end of Super Tuesday, more than onethird of all delegates will be awarded. Should Sanders build a significant delegate lead — and his strength in California alone makes that possible — it would be very difficult for any other candidate to catch him in the slew of state-by-state elections that follow based on the way delegates are apportioned. “We have a lot of good candidates, but in general we’re incredibly frustrated that the field hasn’t winnowed,” said Robert Wolf, a major fundraiser for Barack Obama, who said he has donated money this cycle to more than a dozen Democrats. Sanders is not one of them. The situation is similar to the Republican primary in 2016, when several anti-Trump alternatives divided their party’s moderate vote and allowed Trump to become the nominee despite failing to win a majority of the vote in early primary contests. There is no significant movement in the works to stop Sanders. And so long as there are a half-dozen viable candidates in the race, it may not matter if there were. Sanders’ team expects his Democratic critics and their allies to intensify their attacks in the coming weeks, although they suggest time may be
Tuesday just two weeks away. If Sanders comes out of Super Tuesday with a 100-delegate lead, which is possible based on his popularity in California alone, they believe it would be virtually impossible for anyone to catch up before the party’s national convention in July. Sanders was showing new signs of confidence as he campaigned over the weekend in Nevada ahead of the state’s caucuses next Saturday. Rallying supporters in Carson City on Sunday, he declared he could win Nevada, then California and the Democratic nomination and highlighted attempts from his rivals in both parties to stop him. “I’ve been attacked by the media establishment, I’ve been attacked by the corporate establishment, I’ve been attacked by the Republican establishment, I’ve been attacked by the Democratic establishment, and they’re nervous,” Sanders said. Sanders told The Associated Press last week that he was ramping up his outreach to other lawmakers and party officials who have been skeptical of his White House bid, although he offered no details. The senator has also agreed to host at least two fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee, which he had previously resisted. Asked about the response he was getting to the establishment outreach, Sanders said: “I think we’re going to do just fine.” Yet as Sanders’ strength grows in the early voting states, there is no evidence that his standing is improving among the party’s skeptical political class. Several elected officials in recent days have raised concerns about his ability to beat Trump and his impact on other Democrats running for election this fall. The competition for endorsements helps tell the story of the moderate muddle. Since Biden’s under-
whelming finish in Iowa, Sanders hasn’t received a single congressional endorsement. Buttigieg and Klobuchar, who have shown some strength on the campaign trail, have earned just one congressional endorsement each. Over that same time, at least seven congressional endorsements have gone to Bloomberg, a 78-yearold former Republican who is threatening to become a top-tier candidate even after skipping all four February primary contests. Steve Shurtleff, a Biden backer and the speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, believes Buttigieg and Klobuchar are the new leaders in the party’s moderate wing, while Bloomberg is making a case. As for Sanders, Shurtleff noted that most New Hampshire voters supported somebody else. Indeed, Sanders won last week’s primary with just 26% of the vote, a low bar made possible because his moderate alternatives split up the rest of the electorate. “It’s very crowded in that lane,” Shurtleff said. “It’s really kind of a conundrum.” Just don’t ask any of Sanders’ rivals to step aside. An energized Klobuchar said in an interview that her third-place finish in New Hampshire left her “as scrappy as I was when I started.” She shrugged off any concerns about moderates dividing the vote. And she highlighted her strengths in Nevada, where she and Biden earned the endorsement of the state’s largest newspaper and may benefit from the success of female candidates. Both of the state’s U.S. senators are women and the state legislature is majority female. “I don’t think it’s as simple as two lanes,” she said in an interview. “Everyone brings something else
Louisiana Auditor’s annual report tallies $642 million in possible waste and inefficiency DAVID JACOBS The Center Square
The Louisiana Legislative Auditor identified $642 million in potential waste and inefficiency at state and local government entities during 2019, according to the agency’s annual report. “Three major themes emerged again from the findings in the highlighted reports: the need for strong internal financial controls; the importance of data collection, tracking, and analysis; and the failure to address the same audit findings year after year,” the LLA says in its summary. For example, some audits show the Louisiana Department of Health’s “ongoing struggle” to ensure Medicaid only pays for services that actually have been delivered to eligible recipients. LDH has disputed some of those assessments. At state universities,
students sometimes are overcharged or undercharged, delinquent accounts are not collected, and employees keep their computer privileges after leaving the institution. One of the LLA’s major themes throughout the past year has been the financial struggles of local governments. Sloppy accounting, failing to comply with state budget laws, misappropriating tax dollars and undercharging for services all are common problems, according to the agency’s reports. Several Louisiana towns on the verge of financial collapse have essentially been taken over by state-appointed fiscal administrators. Last fall, the auditor’s office unveiled a list of “fiscally distressed municipalities” in hopes of providing an early warning of financial danger. “The goal of summarizing these issues is to encourage corrective ac-
tions, such as improved procedures or legislative actions that will resolve or reduce the impact of these concerns and increase accountability and transparency in Louisiana government,” the LLA says. In 2019, the LLA released 157 staff reports covering a variety of topics and state agencies and oversaw the work of more than 200 independent contract audit firms that conducted almost 4,000 audits and other types of engagements of state and local government, the report says. The LLA is required by law to report all audit findings that exceed $150,000 to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget quarterly and annually. The more than $642 million identified for calendar year 2019 is not necessarily recoverable, available to be spent, or required to be paid back.
MINDEN PRESS-HERALD | MINDEN, LA
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 | 3
Webster & More
SCIENCE
Recently discovered mineral named for LSU professor BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana State University geology professor now has a scientific namesake — a newly discovered variety of tourmaline. Barbara Dutrow said she’s surprised and thrilled by the honor. “A lifelong passion has been to discover and decode the geologic information embedded in tourmaline; this recognition is a highlight of our discoveries!” she said in a news release Friday from LSU. The statement said Italian researchers named dutrowite for her because of her contributions to mineral sciences, especially her research showing that tourmalines — a family of gemstones — hold evidence of their geological history. Some of Dutrow’s articles in scientific journals have had titles such “The tourmaline diaries: An eye-catching mineral and it s many facets,” “Tourmaline: A geologic DVD” and “Tourmaline as a petrologic forensic
mineral.” The International Mineralogical Association accepted the name in December. Christian Biagioni of the University of Pisa and other researchers in Italy, Sweden and Austria recommended the name in October, papers provided by Dutrow showed. They cite “her contributions to the understanding of the chemical variability of tourmaline supergroup minerals and staurolite.” Tourmalines come in a wide variety of colors. Dutrowite was discovered in the Apuan Alps of Tuscany, Italy, near the Grotta del Vento (Cave of the Wind). It formed about 20 million years ago from compression and heating of a volcanic rock called rhyolite during the collision of the African and European tectonic plates, according to the release.
GOVERNMENT
Louisiana governor creates ‘rural revitalization’ council SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards created a study group aimed at identifying and responding to the decline in Louisiana’s rural communities, where population has dwindled amid problems with job creation, infrastructure and education systems. The Democratic governor Friday signed an executive order establishing a Governor’s Advisory Council on Rural Revitalization. The 34-member panel is charged with determining the needs of rural communities on issues such as economic development, education, health care, water,
housing and broadband internet access — and finding financing options to help address the problems. A strategic plan is due by January 2021. “The rural communities are important to our state, and the people who make up those communities are important to us all,” Edwards said as he announced the plans at the Police Jury Association of Louisiana’s annual convention in Shreveport. Edwards’ former chief of staff Ben Nevers, an ex-state senator from Bogalusa, will serve as chairman of the advisory council.
CRIME
Honeymoon ends in handcuffs: Wrong Louisiana woman arrested BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A case of mistaken identity caused a Louisiana woman to leave her honeymoon in handcuffs and spend 36 hours in the New Orleans jail before it was sorted out. Sara Saucier of Ponchatoula was on a cruise ship returning from a trip to Cozumel with her new husband when U.S. customs agents pounded on her door, accusing her of not returning a leased vehicle in November 2017, according to a report from WVLA-TV. But officials had the wrong person. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office detective who filed the warrant logged the birth date of the wrong Sara Saucier. The mistake went unnoticed for 36 hours, as Saucier sat in the Orleans Parish Jail.
“I thought they would realize the mistake, and they would let me go,” Saucier said in a Thursday interview. “At one point when no one was listening to what I was saying, about me being innocent, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m really going to be in here for a while.’” Sheriffs’ deputies realized the confusion Tuesday, as they relocated Saucier — and they released her that afternoon. She had been in custody since Monday morning. East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux apologized for the error. “I will do all I can to put every possible safeguard in place to attempt to prevent this from happening again,” Gautreaux said in a statement.
4 | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
MINDEN PRESS-HERALD | MINDEN, LA
Opinion Minden
Press-Herald 2 0 3 G LE AS O N STR E E T MIN DE N, LO U IS IAN A 7 1 0 5 5 318-37 7 - 1 8 6 6 w w w.pre ss- herald . co m U SPS N U M BE R 5 9 3 - 3 4 0
JOSHUA SPECHT Editor & Publisher WILL PHILLIPS Lead Reporter KELLY MAY Chief Financial Officer AMANDA ANDERS Circulation Manager JJ MARSHALL Sports Editor DENNIS PHILEBAR Production Director CURTIS MAYS Advertising Executive CHELSEA STARKEY-HENDERSON Advertising Executive COURTNEY PLUNKETT Classifieds/Public Notices
The Minden Press-Herald is published Tuesday through Saturday afternoon by Specht Newspapers, Inc. at 203 Gleason Street, Minden, Louisiana 71055.
JOSHUA SPECHT, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER jspecht@press-herald.com
LOUISIANA SPOTLIGHT
New money puts Louisiana education groups at odds Digging out of a decade of cuts and stagnant funding, Louisiana’s public schools, colleges and other education programs are vying for the increased cash coming into the state treasury. But with a finite amount of money to pour into spending increases, education leaders end up at odds with each other as they haggle for more money. The dilemma of an education community forced to scrap over the same dollars is never more clear than in the 2020-21 budget proposal that Gov. John Bel Edwards offered to lawmakers for the financial year that begins July 1. The Democratic governor recommends spending $131 million more on education next year, split among early learning programs, K-12 public schools and colleges. Edwards didn’t include a teacher pay raise in the $32 billion budget proposal, though he campaigned on the idea, and every increase he proposed falls well short of what education advocates wanted. Those groups now are angling with lawmakers to seek additional dollars. But if House and Senate members want to scrape together more financing for a favored education program, they may be cannibalizing other education programs — unless state tax collections grow larger than currently expected. Already, Edwards’ budget
proposal uses dollars that haven’t yet been included in state income projections amid a dispute with House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and Senate President Page Cortez, both Republicans. In an introductory hearing last week to a newly configured Senate Education Committee, leaders representing education programs from early childhood education through higher edMELINDA DESLATTE ucation talked of financial needs in their presentations. Louisiana fell behind its Southern neighbors and the nation across its decade of persistent budget gaps. The state deeply cut its financing to college campuses, ignored early learning programs for children from birth to prekindergarten and stagnated funding for K-12 schools. Meanwhile, health insurance and retirement costs continued to grow across education programs, eating into the existing dollars the state provided. “One of the largest disinvestments of higher education in the nation occurred in Louisiana,” Commissioner of Higher
Education Kim Hunter Reed told senators. Edwards proposed $40 million in increased spending on college campuses and programs, with nearly $6 million earmarked to the expected growth in the TOPS free college tuition program. Reed expressed gratitude for the spending hike proposal, but noted it didn’t include dollars for the faculty pay raises that college systems requested, among other things. System leaders said they are competing against other states for faculty and worry they are falling behind. “It is imperative that we find a way to reward our faculty,” said Southern University System President Ray Belton. Pay also is an issue in K-12 education, where teachers are pressing for another round of raises — particularly since Edwards promised in his reelection campaign last year to work to get teacher salaries to the Southern average. The governor and lawmakers this year funded a $1,000 teacher pay hike, but Edwards didn’t propose one in next year’s budget even as teacher salaries remain below the regional average. The governor’s spending plan would boost the public school financing formula by $65 million, but $26 million of that is required to pay for existing students. The remaining $39 million is unrestricted in how school districts can use
the dollars — and Edwards said he’s encouraging them to use some of that money to raise teacher pay on their own. Schexnayder, the House speaker, said he was “kind of shocked” Edwards didn’t include a teacher raise in the recommendations and expects the House will discuss whether to do so. Cortez, the Senate president, suggested the governor “might have been wise” in giving the decision-making to local school districts about their spending priorities. But Keith Courville, executive director of the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana, a nonunion teachers group, described teachers as “furious” about the decision. As he campaigned for a second term, Edwards described his top priority as steering new dollars to early childhood education programs that have waiting lists and that supporters say make children better prepared for school. The governor proposed a new $25 million infusion of cash for that effort, but advocates are searching for ways to add more dollars to that proposal. The wish lists facing Louisiana’s lawmakers and governor are always far longer than the cash available.
Melinda Deslatte has covered Louisiana politics for The Associated Press since 2000. Follow her at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte
Telephone: (318) 377-1866. Entered as Periodicals at the Post Office as Minden PressHerald, P.O. Box 1339, Minden LA 71058-1339. Subscription rate: In-parish mail delivery $11 per month; $33 per three months; $66 per six months; $99 per nine months and $132 per year. Out-of-parish mail delivery is $14.50 per month; $43.50 per three months; $87 per six months; $130.50 per nine months and $174 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Minden PressHerald, P.O. Box 1339, Minden, LA 71058-1339.
THE MINDEN PRESS-HERALD WELCOMES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence. Letters are not to exceed 500 words. Send letters to: Letters to the Editor, Minden Press-Herald, P.O. Box 1339, Minden, LA 71055, or email to: newsroom@press-herald.com.
OTHER OPINION
Bipartisanship exists in Louisiana The 2019 election season proves the adage that well-meaning people can have widely different perspectives on the same issue. Healthcare, education, tax and tort reform are viewed by policymakers in far different ways. Amongst all the differences of opinion, there seems to be one area of policy that has true bipartisan support. Party affiliation, political ideology and demographics do not seem to matter. Across all the substantial boundaries that separate well-meaning people, there seems little to no disagreement about Louisiana’s need to invest in quality early childcare and education. Our policymakers understand the statistics. They know 90% of brain development comes in the first five years of life. They know fully one-third of Louisiana’s children are set up to fail by being far behind when they enter school. They know early childcare and education funding has been a place to find money to balance the state’s budget during difficult years. Our policymakers know Louisiana’s investment in early childcare and education has been minimal at best. In 2007, Louisiana’s Childcare Assistance Program served 40,000 children. Now it serves less than 17,000. Currently less than onehalf of 1% of our budget is dedicated to the needs of our youngest citizens. Our government leaders
know early childcare and education is not just a poverty issue. It is an issue important to a majority of working parents with small children. Two-thirds of children under age five have both parents or a single parent working and childcare costs are on average almost as much as public college tuition. Although many families have a parent, a loving family member or can afford quality childcare and education, many families with young children do not have these same resources. DR. PHILLIP The cost ROZEMAN of quality childcare for many middle-class families exceeds the ability of those families to pay. Most importantly, community leaders in the public and private sector know and see the importance of quality childcare and education to their children and grandchildren. They can see how fast children learn in the first four years of life. With the support of voters, businesses, faith leaders and educators, our elected officials can take bold action for children, knowing we have their back. After years of discussion on the need for investment in our
youngest citizens, the 2019 Louisiana legislature convened a commission to put the issue of early care and education in context and consider solutions for our state. The group benchmarked against other states on how early care and education programs are supported. We learned our neighbor state to the West dedicates one billion dollars per year for early childhood education. Other states are offering these services to lower and middle income families out of revenue from “sin taxes” – lottery, gambling, tobacco tax and tobacco settlement funds. A move beyond rhetoric to action to increase support for early care and education started last year and looks to be primed for real advancement in the legislature in 2020. During the 2019 legislative session, Republican legislators led an effort to increase investment in childcare and education by 19 million dollars. Last year, the Louisiana Department of Education won a competitive federal Preschool Development Program Grant worth over 33 million dollars with 11 million dollars to be annually invested in expanded seats for early childcare and education over the next three years. At nearly every speaking engagement, Governor Edwards has identified this issue as a key priority for the 2020 legislative session and his support is reflected in the proposed 2020 executive budget.
The late John Maginnis, respected Louisiana political analyst, wrote an editorial twenty years ago in The Shreveport Times entitled “Early Childhood Education is the Key to Future Success”. He noted “the worst of Louisiana’s education programs are beyond the reach of the bestpayed teachers and best-run schools. The children who will create the most problems, unhappiness and public expense... are lost before they get to kindergarten. If learning starts in the cradle, children who get none of it at home in the first five years will never catch up once they get to school.” This is not a special interest issue. Nor is this just an education issue. This is about opportunity for the children, families and businesses in our communities. It is about building a foundation for the future of our families and our state as a whole. We need to apply the wisdom that “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” We decided two decades ago that early childhood education was important and implemented the LA 4 preschool program. It is time again to invest in our youngest families and youngest children. The time to plant another tree is now.
Dr. Phillip Rozeman is a physician and board member of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, Step Forward, Louisiana Committee of 100, and Council for A Better Louisiana.
MINDEN PRESS-HERALD | MINDEN, LA
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 | 5
Life
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LIFE AROUND THE WORLD
AROUND TOWN
UCAP needs for week of February 17: Food: chicken & dumplings, cereal, fruit, pasta Household goods: sheets (twin and regular), pots, pans, skillets Clothing: Men’s pants (waist 36), men’s boots/tennis shoes and underwear
58th Annual Rainbow Tea The Mt. Zion CME Church will be hosting their 58th Annual Rainbow Tea on Sunday, Feb. 23. The guest for the evening will be Pastor Bobby Williams and the St. Rest Baptist Church.
Buds & Blooms Educational Seminar The Piney Hills LA Master Gardeners will host their annual Buds & Blooms educational seminars Feb. 29 at the First United Methodist Church, located at 903 Broadway Street. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and lectures will run from 9 a.m. until noon. Cost to attend is $15. For more information, please call
318-464-0594,
318-371-
1371, or visit www.phlmg.com.
Annual Ushers’ Day Annual Ushers’ Day to be held at Union Grove Baptist Church on Sunday, March 8. starting at 3 pm. The guest speaker will be Pastor Anthony Abney and White Oak Baptist Church of Homer, LA.
Send us events Around Town events are published free of charge as a service to our readers. Send yours via email to newsroom@press-herald.com. We reserve the right to edit and/or reject any submission.
Americans who left cruise trade one quarantine for another
TOKYO (AP) — Americans Cheryl and Paul Molesky decided to trade one coronavirus quarantine for another. The couple from Syracuse, New York, cut short a 14-day quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in a Japanese port to fly back to the United States. But leaving the ship meant they had to spend another two-week quarantine period at a U.S. military facility to make sure they don’t have the new virus that’s been spreading in Asia. Japan’s Defense Minister Taro Kono tweeted Monday that Japanese troops helped transport 340 U.S. passengers on 14 buses from Yokohama port to Tokyo’s Haneda airport. About 380 Americans were on the cruise ship. The U.S. State Department said later that two charter flights carrying cruise ship passengers had departed Tokyo and were on their way to the United States. Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and Italy were planning similar flights of passengers. Cheryl sent The Associated Press a video of her and her husband, Paul, boarding the plane with other Americans. “Well, we’re exhausted, but we’re on the plane and that’s a good feeling. Pret-
ty miserable wearing these masks though, and everybody had to go to the bathroom on the bus,” she said. The U.S. said it arranged the evacuation because people on the Diamond Princess were at a high risk of exposure to the virus. The State Department announced later that 14 of the evacuees received confirmed they had the virus but were allowed to board the flight because they did not have symptoms. They were being isolated separately from other passengers on the flight, the U.S. State and Health and Human Services said in a joint statement. The Americans were flown to Travis Air Force Base in California and Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. After arriving in the U.S., all of the passengers must go through another 14 days of quarantine — meaning they will have been under quarantine for a total of nearly four weeks. Other governments, including Canada and Hong Kong, also will require the passengers to undergo a second 14-day quarantine. “We are glad to be going home,” Cheryl Molesky earlier told NHK TV in Japan. “It’s just a little bit disappointing that we’ll have to go through quarantine again, and we will probably
not be as comfortable as the Diamond Princess, possibly.” Molesky also said she was worried about the rising number of patients on the ship. “It’s a little bit scary with the numbers going up of the people being taken off the ship for the (virus), so I think its time to go. I think its time to cut our losses and take off,” she said. Japan on Sunday announced another 70 infections on the Diamond Princess, raising the ship’s total number of cases to 355. Overall, Japan has 419 confirmed cases of the virus, including one death. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” that 40 Americans have been infected, and those showing symptoms will not be able to get on the evacuation plane. “If people on the plane start to develop symptoms, they’ll be segregated within the plane,” Fauci said, adding that the additional 14day quarantine is because of the “degree of transmissibility on that cruise ship is essentially akin to being in a hot spot.” He added that an infected person who shows minimal
symptoms could still pass the virus to someone else. Asked how they felt about the additional 14-day quarantine in the United States, Cheryl Molesky sighed, and her husband said, “If we have to go through that, we will go through that.” Some American passengers said they would pass up the opportunity to fly to the United States because of the additional quarantine. There also was worry about being on a long flight with other passengers who may be infected or in an incubation period. One of the Americans, Matthew Smith, said in a tweet Sunday that he saw a passenger with no face mask talking at close quarters with another passenger. He said he and his wife scurried away. “If there are secondary infections on board, this is why. ... And you wanted me to get on a bus with her?” he said. He said the American health officials who visited their room was apparently surprised that the couple had decided to stay. They wished the couple luck, and Smith said he told them, “Thanks, but we’re fine.” Associated Press videojournalist Emily Wang in Tokyo contributed to this report.
LIFE AROUND THE WORLD
‘Parasite’ shines light on South Korean basement dwellers SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Kim Da-hye, a 29-year-old South Korean, said that moving into a semi-basement apartment was her least-preferred option when she was looking for a new place to live. But after a rigorous search and a close examination of her finances, she was forced to settle for a “banjiha,” the Korean word for a cramped basement flat. South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film “Parasite” has brought banjiha dwellers like Kim to worldwide attention, thanks to its depiction of two families — one living in a semi-basement apartment and the other in an airy mansion — and the differences in their social status. In 2015, around 1.9% of South Koreans lived in semi-basement apartments,
according to data from Statistics Korea. It’s an affordable choice for urban dwellers in Seoul, one of the most expensive cities in Asia. The apartments, which are often cramped and sometimes squalid, generally cost between $210 and $500 a month with a hefty deposit. Kim, who moved into her $211-a-month banjiha apartment after leaving her job to take care of her mother, is no fan of her current accommodations, which flood during the rainy season. “During one summer, I left the house with the window open,” she said. “When I came back, there was water all over and the walls were wet.” She says that when she dries her laundry, “the walls get damp and my laundry smells.” Prior to moving in, she was
very concerned about the apartment’s toilet, which sits much higher than the floor in order to prevent flooding. “My bathroom has stairs just like that place,” Kim said, referring to the basement toilet in the film that spews out filthy sludge during a flood that destroys the house. “I could slip while climbing the stairs,” Kim said, laughing and pointing at the two steep steps leading to the square bathroom. She joked that she doesn’t attempt to go to the bathroom when she’s drunk. Since the apartment is half underground, it is difficult for sunlight to seep through the window, causing the walls to mold. “It’s easy to see inside from outside and vice versa,” Kim said, adding that her window also invites dust from cars and
motorcycles on the street. She said she has mixed feelings about the film despite sharing her name, Da-hye, with the daughter of the affluent family. “At the start of the movie when an image flashed of a drunkard who was peeing on the street, I didn’t find it funny,” she said. “I felt a bit bitter because (the movie) had moments I could totally relate to. I had mixed feelings because it didn’t feel like someone else’s story.” “I thought it really resembled reality,” Kim said. “(The father in the movie) wanted to climb higher but ended up going lower than where he was before. That’s similar to how I feel about my future.”
6 MINDEN PRESS-HERALD | MINDEN, LA
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
Sports
JJ Marshall, Sports Editor jjmarshall@press-herald.com
www.press-herald.com
OUTDOORS
BROWN HOOKS 11 POUND BASS Glynn Harris
Special to the Press-Herald Sixty year old Jeff Brown who is a tractor driver for the Claiborne Parish Police Jury lives in a prime location in north Louisiana, situated between two quality fishing holes, Corney Lake and Lake Claiborne. Corney is his goto honey hole for bass while Claiborne is his crappie fishing hot spot. On Sunday night, February 2, the roles were reversed as he hooked and landed the biggest bass of his life while crappie fishing on Lake Claiborne. “A friend, Monty Walker, and I were on Claiborne that night fishing in a spot we can usually find all the white perch (crappie) we want to catch. This time of year, night fishing works for us as there is an area up Horse Creek on the lake in pretty deep water, 18 to 20 feet deep, where there are lights mounted on poles 100 yards or so from the bank. We fish under the lights usually with good results,” Brown said. On this particular night, the duo had already caught some 30 crappie when
Brown felt a light tap on his Bobby Garland black/chartreuse jig. He assumed it was another crappie but when he set the hook, it didn’t move. “I told Monty I was hung up but then I noticed that the line began slowly moving. I knew then I had something pretty big; I figured it was probably a flathead catfish,” he said. Brown was fishing with what he called his “Snoopy” rod; a 4 ½ foot Berkeley rod with a Lew’s spin-cast reel mounted on the rod. Just before heading to the lake, Brown had spooled the reel with fresh line, 8 pound test Suffix line. “At first, what I was feeling was a dead, heavy pull. Then I heard a fish come up behind the boat and Monty said he didn’t know what it was but it was huge. I figured it was just another fish breaking water and didn’t think it was the one I had on the line,” said Brown. He still had no idea what species of fish he had on the line and after at several minutes, Brown was able to ease the fish closer to the boat. It was then that he realized it was no flathead catfish; he saw the head of a huge bass.
COURTESY PHOTO
Jeff Brown landed this 11 pound bass while fishing for crappie on Lake Claiborne. “I told Monty I had a big bass on and to get the dip net. Monty slipped the net in the water but when the fish
saw the net, it shook its head and took off. I knew there was no way in the world I would be able to get that fish
NCAA BASEBALL
Eight-run seventh powers Bulldogs past ULL
LAFAYETTE, La. – Parker Bates drove a grand slam over the right field wall to kickstart an eight-run seventh inning and lead Louisiana Tech in a 10-0 rout of UL-Lafayette in front of 4,881 at Russo Park. The Bulldogs (3-0) won their third straight game to begin the season, earning an opening weekend sweep that included two wins over the Cajuns (0-3) and one over Southeastern Louisiana. Tech outscored its opponents by combined 13-1 score. Bates went 1-for-2 on the day with 5 RBI and 2 HBP. Saturday night’s hero, Adarius Myers finished 2-for-3 and drove in 2 more runs. “Parker came through bigtime with the grand slam,” said Tech head coach Lane Burroughs. “It wasn’t looking good for a second there, but one thing I like about our club is that I never saw any panic in our dugout. We just kept grinding. Our guys had some great at-bats today.” Not to be outdone by its offense, the Bulldog pitchers were excellent as well. Jarret Whorff (1-0) punched out 7 Cajuns over 61/3 scoreless innings, allowing just a single hit with 3 walks. Casey Ouellette made his Bulldog debut in relief of Whorff and held ULL hitless over the final 22/3 innings. The one-hitter was Tech’s
second in two days. The last one-hitter before this weekend came in 2011. “Every guy who took the mound this weekend attacked the strike zone and when you throw strikes good things happen,” Burroughs noted. “We really needed Jarret Whorff
to step up today and he was phenomenal. Casey Ouellette came in from the bullpen and did a great job as well.” For six innings, the Bulldogs’ brilliance on the mound was matched by the Ragin Cajuns, who maintained a shutout of their own until the sev-
enth inning. Tech broke the game open after a walk, error, and infield single brought Bates to the plate with the bases loaded. The Bulldogs continue their early season road trip with a stop at McNeese on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
in the boat; I figured it would break off,” he said. Fortunately, the bass made another pass by the
boat, Walker was able to lie down on the boat and stretch out and grab the bass by the lower lip and lift it into the boat. It’s a good thing because there was no way the bass would fit into the net designed for landing crappie. “I have caught bass in the 9 to 10 pound range on Corney and I knew this one was bigger than that. I was able to get a photo and text it to my son. I weighed it on some old scales I had in my boat and it showed just under 11 pounds. I release all the big bass I catch in Corney and I was planning to release this one after going to Kel’s Cove to get it weighed and measures. However, my son said don’t you dare; I’ll pay to have it mounted because it was bigger than any I ever caught,” said Brown. The next morning, Brown took the bass to Kel’s Cove on Lake Claiborne and owner, Tim Loftin weighed the fish and the scales settled on 11 pounds. “I’m 60 years old and have fished all my life,” Brown said, “and I had to go crappie fishing to catch the biggest bass of my life.”
MINDEN PRESS-HERALD | MINDEN, LA
FUN & GAMES
On This Day In History 1978 - Hawaii hosts the first Ironman Triathlon. Contestants have to swim 2.4 miles (3.86 km), bike 112 miles (180.25 km) and complete a marathon run measuring 26.2 miles (42.2 km). 1977 - The Space Shuttle takes off on its maiden flight. The “Enterprise” was mounted on a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft; the first free flight took place on August 12, 1977. 1954 - The first Church of Scientology is established. Despite many controversies, Scientology has See, HISTORY, Page 8
CRYPTOQUIP
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 | 7
CROSSWORD
8 | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
SUDOKU
MINDEN PRESS-HERALD | MINDEN, LA
WORD SLEUTH
HISTORY
Continued from Page 7
gained thousands of members since its inception.
1943 - The Gestapo arrests German resistance fighter Sophie Scholl and other White Rose activists. 21-yearold student Scholl and her fellow campaigners were executed for having distributed flyers criticizing the Nazi regime. 1930 - Pluto is discovered. Clyde W. Tombaugh discovered the dwarf planet when sifting through photographs taken a month earlier. On this Day in History is brought to you by www.timeanddate.com
COMICS BABY BLUES | RICK KIRKMAN AND JERRY SCOTT
BLONDIE | DEAN YOUNG AND JOHN MARSHALL
BEETLE BAILEY | MORT & GREG WALKER
FUNKY WINKERBEAN | TOM BATIUK
HI AND LOIS | BRIAN WALKER, GREG WALKER AND CHANCE BROWNE
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE | CHRIS BROWNE
SAM AND SILO | JERRY DUMAS
MOTHER GOOSE & GRIMM | MIKE PETERS
MINDEN PRESS-HERALD | MINDEN, LA
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020 | 9
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“All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate, which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.
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Cornerstone Baptist Church, Cotton Valley, LA, is notifying membership that on March 18, 2020, 6pm at the church a vote will be taken to disband the church and decide on dissolution of property. February 11, 2020 February 18, 2020 Minden Press-Herald
WEBSTER PARISH POLICE JURY SEALED BID FOR WP Parcel #129277 AND WP Parcel #123208 The Webster Parish Police Jury will receive sealed bids for Webster Parish Parcel #129277 LOTS#6, 7 & 8 BLK. “3”, PINE WOODS LUMBER CO. SUBDIV. IN SW/4 OF NW/4 SEC. 12-23-11 Physical Address: 217 North Main, Springhill, LA, 71075 and Parcel #123208 LOT #5 & NORTH 22 FEET 8 ½ INCHES OF LOT #4 BLK. “3”, PINE WOODS LUMBER CO. SUBDIV. IN SW/4 OF NW/4 SEC. 12-23-11 Physical Addresses Listed: 211 North Main, Springhill, LA, 71075 and 213 South Main, Springhill, LA, 71075. Interested parties may contact the office of the Webster Parish Library Director for a Bid Packet with a detailed description of the parcel and other bid information. Sealed bids will be received in the office of the Webster Parish Library Director, Stewart Center, 521 East & West Street, Minden, Louisiana 71055 until 10:00 A.M. Monday, March 23th, 2020. Savannah Jones Webster Parish Library Director (318) 371-3080 x140 February 18, 2020 February 25, 2020 March 10, 2020 March 17, 2020 Minden Press-Herald
The Sibley Town Council met in regular session on Monday, February 10, 2020 at 6pm in the Sibley Town Hall Meet-
ing Room. Members present were Mayor Jimmy Williams, Aldermen Helen Chanler, John Langford, Larry Merritt, Alan Myers and Robert Smart. Mayor Williams opened the meeting in prayer; then led the Pledge of Allegiance. Larry Merritt motioned to adopt the minutes to the January 13, 2020 Regular Meeting as read, Alan Myers seconded. Motion carried. Robert Smart motioned to add Resolution No. 202002 and 2020-03 to the agenda under New Items, Helen Chanler seconded. Vote was unanimous to add the resolutions to the agenda. Travis Morehart, CPA was present to present the 2018 - 2019 Audit with no findings. John Langford motioned, seconded by Robert Smart, to adopt Resolution No. 2020-01, LCDBG plans and policies, appointments and authorization of individuals for compliance with the LCBG regulations. Motion carried. Helen Chanler motioned to adopt Resolution No. 2020-02 requesting assistance from the Webster Parish Police Jury with repairs to Natchitoches St. and SE 5th St. Larry Merritt seconded. Motion carried. Robert Smart motioned to adopt Resolution No. 2020-03 requesting assistance from the Webster Parish Police Jury Sibley for Sibley’s Annual CleanUp Day on April 4, 2020. Helen Chanler seconded. Motion carried. Chief Jeremy Robinson recommended to hire Benjamin Allen as a full-time officer retroactive to January 28, 2020. Robert Smart made the motion and John Langford seconded. Motion carried. Chief Robinson gave the monthly activity report for the Sibley Police Department. Larry Merritt gave the monthly activity report for the Sibley Volunteer Fire Department. The board ac-
knowledged the January 2020 financial reports. Mayor Williams thanked the Sibley Volunteer Fire Department for the speedy work they did during the January storm. He then spoke of the Emergency Alert Siren & 911 testing schedule of the first Tuesday of each month at 11am. Alan Myers motioned to adjourn, Larry Merritt seconded. Motion carried Meeting Adjourned. Jimmy Williams Mayor Sherry McCann Town Clerk February 18, 2020 Minden Press-Herald
Village of Dixie Inn Regular Session February 11, 2020 NOTICE: THESE MINUTES HAVE NOT BEEN FORMALLY APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen for the Village of Dixie Inn met in regular session on February 11, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. in the Village Hall, Dixie Inn, Louisiana with the following members present: Mayor Kay Hallmark-Stratton, Aldermen Nell Finlay, Donna Hoffoss and Judy McKenzie. The meeting was called to order and the invocation and pledge of allegiance were given. There were no comments or additions to the agenda as presented. Mayor Kay Hallmark-Stratton welcomed guests. A motion was made by Nell Finlay and seconded by Judy McKenzie to adopt the minutes of the regular session of January 14, 2020. Vote on the motion was unanimous. Financial statements of all funds, including a current budget vs. actual, were presented. A motion was made by Donna Hoffoss and seconded by Nell Finlay to adopt all financial statements for January 2020. Vote on the motion was unanimous. Department Reports:
Mike Chreene reported all is good with the water department. Chief James Edwards reported all is good with the police department. There was no report given from the Aldermen. Mayor Kay Hallmark-Stratton reported she will be posting fliers around the Village to remind all the importance of participating in the 2020 Census. Village Town Hall will be glad to assist or provide information if needed. DOTD will be having a Public Hearing on February 19, 2020, 8:30 a.m., at Independence Stadium Skybox to discuss the Highway Priority Construction Program if anyone is interesting in attending. Mayor Stratton asked Fire Chief Brian Williams to explain the new Webster Parish alert system, Hyper-Reach, which is replacing the Nixle alert system. Chief Williams encouraged all to register with Hyper-Reach for awareness of weather and emergency alerts. New Business: Mayor Stratton asked the council to declare the 2003 Chevrolet ¾ ton animal control truck as surplus and allow her to advertise for sale. Motion was made by Nell Finlay, seconded by Donna Hoffoss to allow Mayor Stratton to move forward with this matter. Vote on the motion was unanimous. Mayor Kay Hallmark-Stratton asked the council to declare the 1996 45 KW Generac gas fired standby generator as surplus and allow her to advertise for sale. Motion was made by Judy McKenzie, seconded by Donna Hoffoss to allow Mayor Stratton to move forward with this matter. Vote on the motion was unanimous. Mayor Stratton asked the council to declare the steel, double compartment animal cage (3’ x 4’ x 33” tall) as surplus and allow her to advertise for sale. Motion was made by Nell Finlay, seconded
by Judy McKenzie to allow Mayor Stratton to move forward with this matter. Vote on the motion was unanimous. Mayor Stratton asked the council to declare 26 wooden chairs as surplus and allow her to advertise for sale. Motion was made by Judy McKenzie, seconded by Donna Hoffoss to allow Mayor Stratton to move forward with this matter. Vote on the motion was unanimous. Old Business: A motion was made by Nell Finlay and seconded by Donna Hoffoss to adopt Ordinance 71-J and all amendments thereto of the Code of Ordinances for the Village of Dixie Inn, Louisiana regarding sick leave, annual leave, and holidays for Municipal employees. The effective date of Ordinance 71-J is February 12, 2020. Vote on the motion was unanimous and having 3 Yeas, 0 Nays, 0 Absences, and 0 Abstains. A motion was made by Nell Finlay and seconded by Judy McKenzie to adopt Ordinance 99-E and all amendments thereto of the Code of Ordinances for the Village of Dixie Inn, Louisiana regarding the change of the number of hours worked and overtime pay for fulltime police officers of the Village of Dixie Inn, Louisiana. The effective date of Ordinance 99-E is February 12, 2020. Vote on the motion was unanimous and having 3 Yeas, 0 Nays, 0 Absences, and 0 Abstains. There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made by Nell Finlay and seconded by Donna Hoffoss. Vote on the motion was unanimous. ATTEST: Kay Hallmark-Stratton Mayor February 18, 2020 Minden Press-Herald
ORDINANCE 71 - J AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE 71 AND ALL AMENDMENTS THERETO OF
THE CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR THE VILLAGE OF DIXIE INN, LOUISIANA REGARDING SICK LEAVE AND ANNUAL LEAVE AND HOLIDAYS FOR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES BE IT ORDAINED AND ENACTED BY THE Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Village of Dixie Inn, Louisiana, the governing authority thereof, in regular session on February 11, 2020, as follows: A: ORDINANCE NUMBER 71 AND ALL AMENDMENTS THERETO OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE VILLAGE OF DIXIE INN, LOUISIANA ARE REVISED AND AMENDED IN THE FOLLOWING RESPECTS: ORDINANCE 71B: SECTION lV, B AND B-1: SICK LEAVE: (B) Each salaried full-time employee shall earn sick leave at the rate of one (1) day for each month worked; provided, however no employee may accumulate more than twelve (12) days of sick leave per year. One sick leave day for full-time employees who work an eight (8) hour shift in ten (10) days in a fourteen (14) day pay period is equal to eight (8) hours. One sick leave day for fulltime police officers who work a twelve (12) hour shift in seven days in a fourteen (14) day pay period is equal to twelve (12) hours. (B-1) Each salaried part-time employee shall earn sick leave at the rate of one (1) one sick leave day for each two (2) months worked, provided however no parttime employee may accumulate more than six (6) days of sick leave per year. For part-time employees, one sick day is equal to the number of hours worked in one day/shift in ten (10) days in a fourteen (14) day pay period. ORDINANCE 71D: SECTION A, NUMBER 2: SICK LEAVE: SECTION lV: SICK LEAVE: …B-2. The maximum amount of
sick leave an employee can carry over into the next year is sixty (60) days which is calculated by the number of hours worked in a day/ shift in ten (10) days in a fourteen (14) day pay period. ORDINANCE 71F: SECTION lll: ANNUAL LEAVE AND HOLIDAYS: Each permanent, full-time employee of the Village of Dixie Inn (excluding full-time police officers) will receive five (5) days/shifts of paid vacation after one year of employment with the village; ten (10) days/shifts of paid vacation after two consecutive years of employment with the village; and fifteen (15) days/shifts of paid vacation after ten (10) consecutive years of employment with the village. Hours of vacation earned and/or paid are calculated using the number of hours worked in a single shift, multiplied by the number of shifts worked in ten (10) days in a fourteen (14) day pay period. All full-time employees work shift is eight (8) hours, with ten (10) days worked in a fourteen (14) day pay period. Full-time police officers work shift is twelve (12) hours, with seven (7) days worked in a fourteen (14) day pay period. Hence, full-time employees receive forty (40) hours of paid vacation after one year, eighty (80) hours of paid vacation after two years, and one hundred twenty (120) hours of paid vacation after ten (10) consecutive years of employment. Full-time police officers will receive forty-two (42) hours of paid vacation after one year, eighty-four (84) hours of paid vacation after two years, and one hundred twenty-six (126) hours of paid vacation after ten consecutive years of employment with the village. Paid vacation for all fulltime employees is to be considered earned on the anniversary date of employment. All other parts of Ordinance 71-F:
10 | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2020
Section lll remain unchanged. SEVERABILITY: If any portion of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional or nullified for any reason, the remaining portions thereof shall remain in full force and effect. REPEALER: All prior ordinances or parts thereof in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. The effective date of this ordinance shall be February 12, 2020. The above and foregoing Ordinance amendment was read in sections and as a whole and on motion made by Nell Finlay, seconded by Donna Hoffoss, and adopted on this 11th day of February 2020 by the following vote: YEAS: 3 (Nell Finlay, Donna Hoffoss, Judy McKenzie) NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 ABSTAIN: 0 KAY HALLMARK- STRATTON, MAYOR DANA JAMES, CLERK I, DANA JAMES, certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the original ordinance adopted by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Village of Dixie Inn, Louisiana, at a lawful meeting held on the 11th day of February 2020, with a quorum present. DANA JAMES, CLERK VILLAGE OF DIXIE INN Signed and sealed on this 11th day of February 2020. February 18, 2020 Minden Press-Herald
ORDINANCE NO. 99-E AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 99 AND ALL AMENDMENTS THERETO OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE VILLAGE OF DIXIE INN, LOUISIANA, TO CHANGE THE NUMBER OF HOURS WORKED AND OVERTIME PAY FOR FULL-TIME POLICE OFFICERS OF THE VILLAGE OF DIXIE INN, LOUISIANA Section 101.1 Pay Scale: Section 101.1: Replace existing wording with: The Police department’s stan-
dard hourly straight time in a pay period is 86 hours long. The standard police work shift is 12 hours, with 7 days worked in a 14-day pay period, yielding 84 hours with 2 additional straight time hours available in a pay period to be used as needed by the police department (time may be used to testify in court or tend to other matters for the police department). The following pay scale be and the same is hereby established for fulltime police officers of the Police Department for the Village of Dixie Inn presuming 86 hours worked during a 14-day work period, and with the raises to be effective and implemented on the 1st day of the 1st pay period after the anniversary date of employment but presuming proper certification: All other parts of Section 101.1 remain unchanged. Section 101:5: Replace existing wording with: The following pay scale for patrolmen working overtime or holidays will be as follows: Any full-time officer who has worked a full 86-hour, 14-day work period, without taking any time off for sick leave, vacation, or bereavement during said work period, shall be paid at a rate of time and onehalf for each hour worked over the original 86 hours. All other parts of Section 101:5 remain unchanged. SECTION II. All ordinances or parts thereof in conflict herewith are hereby repealed and amended. The effective date of this ordinance shall be February 12, 2020. The above and foregoing Ordinance amendment was read in sections and as a whole and on motion made by Nell Finlay, seconded by Judy McKenzie, and adopted on this the 11th day of February 2020 by the following vote: YEAS: 3 (Nell Finlay, Donna Hoffoss, Judy McKenzie) NAYS: 0 ABSENT: 0 ABSTAIN: 0 KAY HALLM A RK - S T R AT-
MINDEN PRESS-HERALD | MINDEN, LA
TON, MAYOR DANA JAMES, CLERK I, DANA JAMES, certify that the forgoing is a true and correct copy of the original ordinance adopted by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Village of Dixie Inn, Louisiana, at a lawful meeting held on the 11th day of February 2020 with a quorum present. DANA JAMES, CLERK VILLAGE OF DIXIE INN Signed and sealed on this 11th day of February 2020. February 18, 2020 Minden Press-Herald MISC.
APARTMENTS FOR RENT
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THE WEBSTER PARISH SCHOOL BOARD is posting a Request for Proposal(RFP) for E-Rate Category 2. You can access the RFP by going to www.websterpsb.org and navigating to Departments, Te c h n o l o g y, E-Rate Category 2 - 2020, and then by opening the file named “Webster Parish Category 2 RFP 2020”.” RENTAL
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