Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Roderick Davis Sr. has new charges filed against him, this time by the Many Police Department. He was arrested and charged with filing false public records and injuring public records. Word coming to Observations is that he used a suspended notary on a car title and that the person was in federal prison in Texas. It is reported that the Department of Motor Vehicles reported the matter to the Many Police.
Davis, about 51, along with two of his children were arrested in September 2019 for taking advantage of underprivileged and disabled clients by diverting funds for personal use, leading to criminal charges, which were handled by State Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office. Davis then worked for the Sabine Association for Retarded Citizens (SARC). The three were charged with Medicaid fraud. In addition, Davis Sr. was charged with one count of exploitation of the infirmed.
The investigation showed Davis Sr. used SARC and recipients’ finances to buy appliances for his personal use and rental properties and then billed Medicaid and received payment from the SARC for services that didn’t happen.
The matter first came to light about June 2019 from a whistleblower. The SARC board put Davis on paid leave for two pay periods and then fired him. Then the Board’s attorney told them they would have to pay Davis accumulated leave within 72 hours of his firing or face the possibility of having to pay him triple the amount owed. They paid him. And it was a whopping $25,000. Yes, you read it right.
According to a release from Landry’s office, on Feb. 20, 2020, Davis Sr. was convicted on two counts of Medicaid Fraud in East Baton Rouge Parish District Court. Upon his guilty plea, Davis was sentenced to one-year supervised probation with the following conditions: full restitution to the State of $8,635.54, costs of prosecution $7,500, fine of $1,000 and court costs of $414.75.
In addition, the AG’s release did not mention that charges against Davis’ two adult children were dropped as part of the deal. At the time, Observations sent Landry several requests for answers to the following questions: 1. Why were charges dropped against Davis’ two adult children? 2. Davis Sr.’s actions were against mentally retarded and handicapped people. Why do you consider his sentence just?
Guess what? Landry never responded to multiple requests. A lot of folks around were not pleased with his actions. And remember, Davis was paid $25,000 by SARC. He still came out of the deal over $7,000 ahead even after paying everything the court required of him. Where was the justice?
In addition, Davis continued to serve Wd. 4 Dist. 4 on the Sabine Parish School Board until he had to resign his position.
JOB OPPORTUNITY
There are two job openings at the Sabine Tourist and Recreation Commission, according to the new Executive Director Georgia Craven.
The first is for a Marketing and Event Coordinator. The other is for a Social Media Content Creator. The Commission is a quasi-governmental organization responsible for destination marketing and development. Job description, salary and application can be found at www.toledobendlakecountry.com or by emailing sptc@toledobendlakecountry.com.
The Many Town Council met in special session last week and voted unanimously to grant a permit to Brookshire Brothers to sell beer and wine. State statute says that places that sell liquor must be 300 feet or more from some institutions, including churches. Brookshire Brothers is less than 300 ft. from Calvary Baptist Church, but there are ways a governing body can work around the stipulation.
The Rev. Cyle Clayton, pastor at Calvary, wrote a letter to the Town Council saying, “We do not oppose the application of Brookshire’s for the permit for the sale of beer and wine. We would oppose the issuance of a permit for the sale of liquor.”
In the letter dated Feb. 28, Pastor Clayton wrote:
“We are a church that attempts to adhere to the teachings of God in the Bible. God clarifies that alcohol can be a blessing, but abuse can also be a curse. Alcoholic beverages are not a necessity. Their use is a choice with risks that can be severe. So, we don’t encourage the use or sale of alcohol.”
He continued, “However, there are businesses all over Many that already sell alcohol. One of these is only a few feet farther away from our facilities than Brookshire’s. We do not boycott those businesses and believe it would be hypocritical to oppose Brookshire’s.
“There is one provision. The representatives of Brookshire’s have been transparent and consistent in their communication with us. They have assured us that they only intend to sell beer and wine and not higher content liquor.”
SPSO Announces February Felony Narcotics and Firearms Arrests
Suspected marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids, methamphetamine, Oxycodone pills, over 2100 Xanax pills, various drug paraphernalia, and four firearms were seized during Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office (SPSO) arrests last month.
Each division within the Sheriff’s Office was instrumental in these arrests: Tactical Narcotics Team, Patrol, Detectives, and Corrections. Sheriff Aaron Mitchell pointed out that it takes teamwork and tenacity to investigate and arrest the illegal drug users and dealers in Sabine Parish.
Arrested by the SPSO in February were:
Timothy Wayne Seward, age 40, of Texas – Possession of schedule II (Meth), Possession of drug paraphernalia.
Christopher Gary Peveto, age 42, of Many – Warrants for: Six counts of Distribution of schedule II (Meth), Possession of firearm while in presence of CDS, Possession of firearm by convicted felon.
Jay Cortez Davis, age 39, of Many – Possession of Schedule I (Synthetic Cannabinoids), Possession of schedule II (Meth), Possession of drug paraphernalia, Second or subsequent offenses, Resisting an officer.
Clifton Davis Williams, age 47, of Many – Possession of schedule I (Marijuana), Possession of Schedule I (Synthetic Cannabinoids), Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Meth), Possession of firearm while in possession of CDS, Possession of firearm by convicted felon, Possession of drug paraphernalia, a warrant for three counts of Distribution of schedule II (Meth).
Peggy Lund, age 61, of Converse – Possession of schedule II (Meth), License plate required.
Marcus Lynn Wiseman Sr., age 47, of Many – Possession of schedule I (Marijuana), Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Meth), Possession with intent to distribute Schedule IV (Xanax), Possession of firearm while in possession of CDS.
Jessica Marie Gross, age 37, of Leesville – Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Meth), Contraband in a penal institution.
Tony Patrick Meshell, age 60, of Noble – Possession of Marijuana, Possession of schedule II (Meth), Possession of drug paraphernalia, Taillights required.
Brandie Nicole Cox, age 40, of Many – Possession of schedule II (Meth), Possession of a firearm while in presence of CDS, Possession of firearm by convicted felon, Contraband in penal institution, Possession of drug paraphernalia.
(Special thanks to Det. D.W. Seegers for the article above.)
The March wind came in like a lion on Saturday, with speeds up to 16 miles per hour and gusts even higher.
There was a big woods fire just east of Belmont off Hwy. 120. The fire appeared to have started near Sawmill Road and may have been set by a spark from a lawn mower. The fire jumped across Hwy. 120 near Carter Road and Dickson Lane fanned by windy conditions.
The Forestry Commission, North Sabine Fire District, Sabine Sheriff’s Department, other fire departments and volunteers were all on hand. Fortunately, no structures were burned. There was thick smoke throughout the area. We are told about 300 acres burned.
Hats doffed to all those involved in the effort to fight and contain the fire.
According to Sabine Sheriff Aaron Mitchell, waves from high winds are believed to have caused a boat to sink on the south end of Toledo Bend Saturday afternoon. Two men in their 50s from Lake Charles were headed to the Pirates Cove area from the Texas side when the incident occurred.
One of the men was located holding onto a stump and the other man drowned. Both were wearing personal flotation devices.
Sheriff Mitchell reports that in February two deputies and seven inmates spent 64 hours picking up trash along 50 miles of highways in the parish. They collected a total of 710 bags of trash.
The sheriff reminds everyone to secure trash inside your vehicle and to not litter. Sheriff’s Deputies have been issuing citations for littering. And thanks to Deputy Wade Seegers for the great job he is doing in informing the public of news from the Sheriff’s Department.
Picture of the Past
This is the in-person radio show line-up from KWKH radio as published in the Jan. 3,1949 Shreveport Times. The Louisiana Hayride was big at the time and the station featured a lot of Country music stars who regularly appeared on that show. Hank Williams Sr. was on KWKH at 5:45 a.m. for a 15-minute show. Other Country artists who had live programs were Johnny and Jack, Red Sovine, Sheb Wooley, the Bailes Brothers, Cousin Emmy and her Kinfolks and Zeke Clements.
The Many Police Department has recovered something like $10,000 worth of stolen property, according to Chief Cheryl Wooley. The items are mostly construction equipment, including tools, cooper wire and related materials.
Chris Peveto has been charged with possession of stolen things. The stolen property was identified by two victims and recovered.
We remind all that the Poet Laureate of Louisiana is coming to Many next week to entertain and inform.
Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, an award-winning poet, folklorist, author and educator, will be at Bayou Crawfish Restaurant at 1 P.M, Thursday, March 17, to document Creole culture by sharing her poems, discussing the importance of play and demonstrating sidewalk songs, jump-rope rhymes, and clap-hands games.
Dr. Saloy’s visit is sponsored by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Sabine Parish Library and Bayou Crawfish Restaurant. The special event is free. Seating is limited to 50 people, so it’s important to arrive early to get a good seat.
The Conrad Hilton Endowed Professor of English at Dillard University in New Orleans, Dr. Saloy is a scholar of Creole culture. She writes on the significance of Black Beat poets, on the African American toasting tradition, Black talk, and the Creole culture.
Her first book, “Red Beans and Ricely Yours,” won the T.S. Eliot Prize. Her collection of poems, “Second Line Home,” captures New Orleans speech, family dynamics, celebrates New Orleans and the unique culture everyone loves.
Dr. Saloy writes for those who don’t or can’t tell Creole cultural stories.
Director of Sabine Parish Library Debbie Anderson said the library is proud to work with the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and Bayou Crawfish to make it possible to have Dr. Saloy bring her entertainment and knowledge to Many.
“Learning should be fun and Dr. Saloy is certainly going to teach us and entertain us, too,” Anderson said.
(Special thanks to Mary Brocato for the above article. For more information, please call Ms. Brocato at 318-617-5239.)
Not so long ago the U.S. was a net exporter of oil. Now, we are again a net importer. As we watch the daily murder of civilians in Ukraine by Russia, there has been loud protest against U.S. imports of Russian oil. Pres. Joe Biden finally responded Tuesday to the growing sentiment with an announcement that Russian oil imports will be banned. We were glad to hear it. It’s a good move and long overdue.
Pres. Joe Biden announced last week at his State of the Union address the release of oil from reserves. Experts say the amount being released is about two days’ worth, not enough to have any meaningful impact. We also noted the President came out strong in his speech on buying American – everything except American oil, that is.
He and his White House Press Secretary have had strong words for Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin and have roundly condemned Russia’s aggression against the Ukraine. But they have remained silent on the billions of dollars the U.S. has contributed to Russia by importing their oil, dollars which helped finance Putin’s Ukraine invasion.
Until now, the U.S. has been importing 595,000 barrels of oil per day from Russia. We’ve heard various figures that those imports amount to between $650 million and $1 billion dollars’ worth of oil per day, which makes up 7-8% of our daily national use.
We could get 830,000 barrels a day from Canada through the Keystone Pipeline if it were finished and in use. That would provide an additional 235,000 barrels of oil above our daily consumption from Russia alone. But with a simple cancellation of its permit, Pres. Biden stopped work on the Keystone Pipeline his first day in office. It was a signal intended to show the hard left that he is serious in his support of their vision for a fossil fuel-free America. That gesture came at a high price.
Every nation that has imported Russian oil funded the invasion of Ukraine. We helped finance the brutal murder of mothers and children, as well as the ripping apart of families. Those tragedies are the true cost of this country’s Green Dream.
According to experts, to make up for the loss of Russian oil imports the White House will now revisit this nation’s oil agreements with Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Iran. So, it looks like we may again ramp up business with countries who constantly commit human rights abuses against their own citizens, women, children, homosexuals and others – the kinds of abuses we say we are against. More human casualties of the Green Dream.
Even if U.S. gas prices remain higher than what we would like, would it not be better to again be a net exporter of oil? At least here at home we have policies in place to make sure oil production is the cleanest, most environmentally responsible in the world. And here in the U.S., there is more equity for everyone involved, from producer to consumer.
Environmental experts warn it is critical to move as quickly as possible from fossil fuels to other fuel sources. We’re not there yet. And the U.S. keeps choosing to dance with the devil in our oil imports.
It is hypocritical and self-righteous for the U.S. to ban or restrict all manner of oil and gas activity here at home in the name of conservation and preservation, while essentially forcing oil companies to actively seek imports from nations around the world who have little regard for the environment, lack basic human rights protections and, in Russia’s case, invade innocent neighboring countries.
Every time the cost of a barrel of oil has reached $100-plus, it seems Russia invades a neighbor. In 2008 when oil was high, Putin invaded Georgia. Prices went down, and he bided his time until oil went back up in 2014. He then invaded Crimea. Now it’s Ukraine.
Until other fuel sources are ready to fly, why can’t we produce the oil we need here at home? Our collective conscience would be a lot cleaner.
Hypocrisy never ends well, whether among family and friends or on the world stage. You can’t say you care about certain things, then act in a way that harms the very people and principles you say you cherish. Actions always speak the truth. And the truth always comes home to roost.
It is not always the truth of potential harm to an endangered species or increased greenhouse gases. Sometimes it is the tragic truth of atrocities committed on innocent people while the whole world watches.
On a brighter note: The Ruby Throated Hummingbirds should be starting their arrival here on their migration north. They were anticipated to arrive to Louisiana about March 1 and are expected to stay through March 30.
If you have hummingbird feeders, it’s time to get them ready.
It is said a simple, homemade water-sugar mixture is best. A mixture of one-fourth cup of sugar and one cup of water with no dyes or flavoring will do the trick. And we bet those little traveling hummers will sure appreciate it.
We are excited to see a new business opening soon in Many: Dixie Stems by Cally. The new flower and gift shop will be in the building that formerly housed Toledo Flooring Center at 1826 Texas Hwy. just west of downtown Many.
Cally Lang Killingsworth, a well-known local floral designer with 15 years’ experience, specializes in flowers for weddings, funerals, holidays and special occasions.
She recently shared with Observations details of her new business as well as how its name came about. “After a lot of thought and ideas thrown out, I decided to name my shop after my nickname my father gave me at birth, which was ‘Dixie Sunshine,’” Cally said. “My husband came up with ‘Stems,’ so ‘Dixie Stems’ was born.” Cally’s father is local Pharmacist Robby Lang and her husband is Matthew Killingsworth. She and Matt are the proud parents of two young sons.
Cally plans to open soon and asks everyone to be on the lookout for Dixie Stems’ Grand Opening and upcoming special promotions each month.
An important part of the new shop will be a selection of unique gifts. “I hope to have several Christian items – devotionals, key chains, bracelets, etc. – for men and women,” Cally said, “As well as hand forged blacksmith items, gourmet snacks and coffee.”
Dixie Stems by Cally may be reached at (318) 837-9002. Hours will be Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dixie Stems will also be available for weekend events.
The latest we hear on Sugar Babies Ice Cream & Candy is that they were putting final touches on their location early this week in anticipation of a health inspection midweek.
“If all the inspections are good, we will open on March 16th,” owner Shelly Haigh reported. “I’ll make an official announcement once the health inspector gives us the okay,” she said.
Open hours will be Monday – Thursday, Noon to 8 p.m., Friday – Saturday, Noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday, Noon to 6 p.m.
Depending on how things go, hours may be adjusted once the new shop settles into a firm routine.
Anticipation is building and Shelly is ready to open soon. “I cannot wait to bring Many something that we don’t have! I have an awesome team ready to work and we’re all so excited to serve our customers,” she said.
Sugar Babies Ice Cream & Candy is located between Gorgeous Nails and United Credit in Wright’s Shopping Center on Pico St. in Many.
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