September 15, 2021

Pepper Rains dropped a bombshell in her Monday, Sept. 13, post on her “Transparency in Sabine” Facebook page.

Her article concerned the character of James Sterling “Chip” Davis III, Director of the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission who started the job May 24. He was hired after being highly recommended by retiring Director Linda Curtis-Sparks. But she didn’t go far. The Commission soon hired her as Assistant Director.

At the time of his hiring, Curtis-Sparks said, “It was important that we select an individual with strong experience and skills to continue to provide support for those businesses that have made huge investments in the area. I feel we have that in Chip.” A news release at the time said there were over 150 applicants and “Davis exceeded expectations and we were pleased when he accepted the offer and relocated in Sabine Parish.” The release continued, “Chip’s depth of experience with convention and visitor organizations, hotel leadership, development, management and sales were the determining factors for the Board’s selection.”

At the time, former Many Mayor Ken Freeman and the Town Council passed a motion taking the Commission to task for not only hiring a Director from out of Sabine Parish, but from out-of-state. Davis lived in Greenville, SC.

Curtis-Sparks told us at the time that Davis was leaving a 6,000-plus sq. ft. home in South Carolina to move to Sabine. We understand that he now lives in a small travel trailer somewhere in the Toledo Bend Lake area. She said then he had a “partner,” but did not know if the woman was a wife or a girlfriend.

So, Curtis-Sparks highly recommended Davis, but on Sept. 6, he fired her. Ms. Rains said the Commission hired Davis without properly vetting him, and some consider it poetic justice that he turned around and fired Curtis-Sparks. After the firing, the Commission Board met in special session Sept. 7 and voted to reinstate Curtis-Sparks, saying Davis did not have the authority to fire her.

Ms. Rains in her post called for Davis to be immediately fired by the Commission and asked that Curtis-Sparks and the Interview Committee resign for not properly doing their jobs.   

Now, the back story:  What Ms. Rains dug up and shared on her page recently was a lawsuit filed in Greenville County, SC on Nov. 4, 2020 by Davis’ mother, Ms. Marjorie Kendall Davis.

But we must back up a bit so our dear readers will have more information supplied by Ms. Rains. According to Court documents, sometime in April 2016, Mrs. Davis loaned her son, Chip, $100,000 as a down payment to purchase a home in Simpsonville, SC. On March 27, 2019, a mortgage was taken by both Chip and his then-wife Katherine on the house. A few months later, Chip filed for divorce from Katherine, and it was granted.

Also, according to Court documents, in August 2019, Diana Michelle Fuller and her daughter moved in with Chip and his mother. On Feb. 5, 2020, in a Quit Claim Deed, the ex-wife signed over her half of the house to Chip pursuant to the divorce.

Then on Sept. 1, 2020, the suit says that Chip presented his mother a “Letter of Eviction” from the house she put $100,000 into as a down payment. Chip’s mother then filed suit in 13^th Judicial Circuit Court in the County of Greenville, SC alleging fraud and bad faith against Chip and Diana. And did we mention theft? That, too.

On Nov. 10, 2020, six days after his mother filed suit, Chip sold the house for $450,000 and on Nov. 16, 2020, he paid off a second mortgage to Quicken Loans.

Let’s take a closer look at Mrs. Marjorie K. Davis’ suit. It states that in April 2016 Chip “knowingly and intentionally lied to his mother to induce her to give him money, purportedly an investment in the house located in Simpsonville, SC, in exchange for her right to live there for the rest of her life.”

The suit continued:  From August 2019, the time that Diana Fuller moved into the house, until [the suit was filed] Chip and Diana “…have, upon information and belief, been stealing and selling Marjorie Davis’ belongings, notable, including a complete set of Tiffany silverware.” The suit asks the Court to compel Chip and Diana to return the silverware or pay for it

Continuing, the suit alleges that about September 2020, defendants delivered a letter to Mrs. Davis purporting to evict her from the home. She states in her suit that she has asked for her $100,000 back and defendants have refused.

The suit states, “Given the brazen, intentionally fraudulent acts of defendant, plaintiff also respectfully requests punitive damages of $200,000, reasonable attorney’s fees, costs, interest and any other relief the Court deems just and proper.”

On May 5, 2021, the Upstate Mediation Center in Greenville, SC was in session to hear the suit of Mrs. Davis. Neither Chip, Diana nor their attorney was present, and the case was listed as “an impasse.” Marjorie Davis and her attorney were present.

In her Facebook post Monday, Ms. Rains wrote, “Seems to me not only does Curtis-Sparks have poor judgement in hiring Davis, but he also had poor judgement in hiring her.” In addition, she claims that Davis is being investigated by the Simpsonville Police Department and the Greenville Police Department, both in South Carolina.

Ms. Rains also wrote:  “It is clear to me that Curtis-Sparks and the Tourist Commission did not do due diligence in checking his past employment and, more importantly, conducting a background check on Davis.”

Ms. Rains did what Curtis-Sparks and the Commission did not do. That is putting forth effort to find out about Davis. And the citizens of Sabine Parish ought to be appreciative of her work. I might remind you that Curtis-Sparks said he would be hired as the new Director before the Commission even voted on it.

So, the question is this:  Does the Commission have the fortitude to take care of their problem before it escalates into something much more explosive, or will they continue as rubber stamps and keep being led to make mistakes?

In last week’s Observations, we prophetically used the quote from Sir Walter Scott of 1808:  “Oh, what a tangled web we weave when at first we practice to deceive.” Last week, we observed mostly the tangled web of all that has happened. This week, in light of all the new information uncovered, that quote is more appropriate than we could have known.

For Ms. Rains’ complete comments, you can go to “Transparency in Sabine Parish” on Facebook. We offer the opportunity to Mr. Davis and Ms. Fuller to present their case in next week’s column.

We get letters:  this one from our friend Ronny Byrd of South Boston, VA.

“Robert, that Tourist Commission looks to be a can of worms that will be an ongoing problem. I’d favor defunding, disbanding, and starting over from scratch if I had money (taxes) in the game. The other thing I was really struck by was Laurie’s suggestion about use of the old post office as a library. That’s so much a common-sense approach that it will probably be rejected. Libraries are my weakness; I’m probably typical of the Many and Sabine residents to whom this issue is really important. I admire what the library administration has been doing in building that nest egg and I’d like to see that beautiful old post office put to use instead of letting it lie vacant and eventually decay into an eyesore.

“On another note, I’ve been negligent in corresponding recently because [of health matters.] When I can’t even complain to you about our senile president, you know that I’m in trouble. Really, he’s a national disgrace and even hardcore Democrats have to be wondering how they were led into electing him.”

Last week in Observations we proposed that the Sabine Library Board look into obtaining the old Many Post Office Building and remodeling it as our Library. Turning it into a Library would do several important things. First of all, it would save a beautiful, old historical building. It would provide a larger space which the library needs. A move there would keep the library in downtown Many, which is where we feel it needs to be. And it would provide a nice, easy-to-access parking lot for Library patrons. And very importantly, we feel this could be done for a lot less than the more than $5 million the Library Board has in the bank. We want to see all governing bodies make wise use of taxpayers’ monies and we think this proposal does.

Since posting our proposal last week, we have received a lot of positive email and phone calls. 

Businessman Conrad Cathey sent a letter to the Police Jury and Library Board asking for reconsideration of the 5.05 mill tax renewal. The election scheduled for Oct. 9 has been postponed, thus giving the Library Board time to look into other options other than spending somewhere around $5 million. He told us this week he has received a reply, and we will cover it in next week’s Observations. Pepper Rains of the “Transparency in Sabine Parish” Facebook page also told us she made a request for additional information and also received a reply earlier this week.

With the election date being postponed and opposition to the tax renewal mounting, we hope the Library Board will take another look at the matter.

We hear the new Magnolia Bend Academy Many campus got off to a great start this week.

“Today was our first day at Magnolia Bend Academy Many and it was a brand new experience for everyone,” Principal Nan Arthur shared Monday. “These students were introduced to learning styles to fit their personal needs, as well as one on one interaction. The atmosphere was so relaxed that you really had no idea that 40 students were in the building,” she said. 

The school day consisted of an introduction to classes and a one-hour break for a pizza lunch and playground fun.

Magnolia Bend Academy is based in Coushatta; its Many campus is located at First Baptist Church on Main St. 

The Sabine Parish School Board (SPSB) has ended its application process in their search to replace retiring Superintendent Dr. Sara Ebarb who leaves at the end of December this year.

“There were two qualified applicants for the position. One was Shane Wright, Director of Administrative Services for the School Board, and the other was Eddie Jones, Jr., Principal of Florien High School,” an SPSB statement announced last week.

Some thought a vote to select a new superintendent might be held at the Board’s Monday, Sept. 13 meeting, but that was not the case.

“They decided to interview next Monday, Sept. 20,” Supt. Ebarb said. “They will interview Eddie Jones at 5:30 p.m. and Shane Wright at 6:30 p.m. The interviews will be live streamed,” she shared. Interested persons may watch the two interviews live on the Sabine Parish School Board Facebook page.

Concerns have been expressed over the selection process. Damon Roberson, publisher of Cenla Report, wrote, “OUR VIEW: With the current Superintendent retiring in December, the pool of candidates was limited. An Interim Superintendent should be named and reopen the process at the end of the school year. …the process matters. Call your School Board member,” he said.

“I ask you this… how will we get any change with the same players?” Kresha Matkin, an organizer of Unmask Our Kids Sabine Parish asked. “Call your board members and let them know if they can’t provide change [that] we can… next election.”

Last week Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced that Gov. John Bel Edwards has agreed with his recommendation to reschedule the fall 2021 elections in light of the devastation brought on by Hurricane Ida. 

 “I am thankful that the Governor has recognized the importance of our recommendation to move the October 9 election to November 13 and the November 13 election to December 11,” Secretary Ardoin said.

“This will allow our staff and local partners more time to properly prepare for a statewide election while ensuring the integrity of our election processes and that our voters’ traditional voting habits are as undisturbed as possible.”

Monoclonal antibody treatments for mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 are now available at Deer Creek-Byrd Regional Hospital in Leesville. 

The treatments are free of charge and available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week for adult and pediatric patients who are within 10 days of the start of their symptoms. Patients must be at least 12 years of age, weigh at least 88 pounds and be at risk for progression to severe COVID-19 or hospitalization.

Monoclonal antibody treatment mimics the antibodies the immune system naturally produces to fight the coronavirus. By fighting the virus’s ability to bind to cells, the body builds rapid immunity to COVID-19, improving symptoms and preventing the disease from worsening.

Those who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and are within 10 days of start of symptoms, at least 12 years of age, weigh at least 88 pounds and at risk for development of severe symptoms or hospitalization are also eligible.

Interested, qualifying persons should have their doctor’s office make an appointment by calling (855) 453-0774. Patients should plan on a visit length of two hours – 30 minutes for the procedure and one hour, 30 minutes for observation afterward.

The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office recently announced multiple drug arrests as follows:

The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT) arrested Lionel George Somersall, Jr., age 45, of Zwolle and Sharon Nichole Taylor, age 35, of Robeline Monday afternoon, Sept. 13.

TNT Agents stopped a silver Ford F150 on Cedar Grove Rd. near Rocky Springs Rd. for a traffic violation.

Somersall was driving and Taylor was in the front seat passenger.

During the investigation, K-9 “Tessa” indicated a positive alert of a narcotic odor coming from the truck. Taylor tried to hinder the agents’ investigation by locking the truck doors and refusing to give agents the keys.

Taylor also resisted agents and deputies when she was placed in the patrol unit during her arrest.

TNT Agents retrieved the keys and began to search the truck. Agents located a loaded .38 special revolver under the driver’s seat. A check of the firearm revealed it was stolen.

Both Somersall and Taylor have prior convictions for certain felony crimes on their criminal record.

Somersall was booked into the Sabine Parish Detention for Illegal possession of stolen firearm, Possession of firearm by a convicted felon, Vehicle license plate required, Driver must be licensed, Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Meth), 2nd or subsequent offenses, Possession with intent to distribute schedule I (Marijuana), Possession of a firearm in presence of CDS.

Taylor was booked into the Sabine Parish Women’s Jail for Illegal possession of stolen firearm, Possession of firearm by a convicted felon, Resisting an officer, Obstruction of justice, Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Meth), Possession with intent to distribute schedule I (Marijuana), Possession of a firearm in presence of CDS, Intentional littering.

Later in the day, the Women’s Jailer contacted TNT Agents reporting that Taylor had made a phone call and told the recipient of her phone call that she and Somersall had a large amount of narcotics with them, and that she had thrown it out of the vehicle before being stopped.

TNT Agents and Detectives returned to Cedar Grove Rd. and located a bag in the ditch not far from where Somersall and Taylor were stopped. The bag contained 6 ounces of suspected methamphetamine, 17 grams of suspected marijuana, three Federal .38 special rounds matching the rounds found in the pistol earlier and some other items.

As of publication deadline, bonds by the 11th Judicial District Court for both Somersall and Taylor were pending.

Joseph Vern Lewing, age 39, of Many was arrested Sunday night, Sept. 5, by the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Tactical Narcotics Team.

TNT Agents attempted to stop Lewing’s silver Ford F-150 for a traffic violation on W.B. Lewing Rd. when he sped off. Lewing traveled at a high rate of speed and did not stop at the stop sign at W. B. Lewing and Hwy. 171, where he turned south toward Fisher. Lewing pulled into the median on Hwy. 171 a short distance later.

The investigation revealed Lewing had approximately 3 grams of suspected methamphetamine and two glass smoking devices inside his truck.

Lewing later admitted he threw something from the window of his truck during the pursuit. TNT Agents located a black case containing three baggies of suspected methamphetamine on the side of Hwy. 171.

The total weight of the suspected methamphetamine was approximately 3.8 ounces.

Lewing was booked into the Sabine Parish Detention Center for Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Meth), Possession of drug paraphernalia, Aggravated Flight from an officer, Intentional littering, Failure to signal when turning, View outward or inward through windshield or windows, obscuring prohibited.

The 11th Judicial District Court set Lewing’s bond at $15,000 and he bonded the following Tuesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Sept. 7, the SPSO’s Tactical Narcotics Team arrested Bacelis Bernard Perry, age 26, of Zwolle.

TNT Agents executed a search warrant at Perry’s residence on Armstrong St. in Zwolle after an investigation of Perry’s illegal narcotic activity for a few months.

In their search TNT Agents located suspected marijuana, over 60 various narcotic pills, a loaded 9mm pistol, and almost $900 cash from inside Perry’s residence, his vehicle and on his person.

Perry was booked into the Sabine Parish Detention Center for Possession with intent to distribute schedule I (Marijuana), Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Oxycodone), Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Hydrocodone), Possession with intent to distribute schedule IV (Xanax), Possession of firearm in the presence of CDS.

Perry was also arrested on a warrant for three counts of Distribution of schedule II (Methamphetamine).

(Thanks to Det. Wade Seegers for the above information.)

The Sabine Parish Fair and Rodeo is right around the corner, upcoming Sept. 21-26. This year’s fair features a safari theme, “It’s a Jungle Out There!”

All 4H members and team members are invited to decorate boards with animal print and safari themes for display in the Exhibit Building beginning Saturday, Sept. 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Youth Rodeo will be held Thursday, Sept. 23, Books Open at 5:30 p.m. Rodeo starts at 7 p.m. at the Benton Johnson Rodeo Arena at the Sabine Fairgrounds.

Activities for Friday, Sept. 24 include a 4H Song & Yell Contest at 12:30 p.m. at the Fairground Pavilion. 

It’s always a fun week with lots of exciting rides, good food and fun entertainment, so make plans now to attend. Visit Sabine Parish Fair & Rodeo on Facebook for more information.

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