Wednesday, June 8, 2022
The Louisiana Senate and House on Monday both gave their approval for a law which prohibits law enforcement agencies from publishing or distributing pictures of persons who have been arrested. The bill was offered by Rep. Royce Duplessis. We feel that publication of such pictures benefits a lot of people. What would be the reason for not publishing them? If a person does not want to have his or her picture published, what’s wrong with not being arrested?
Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn and Rep. Alan Seabaugh voted against, and Sen. Louie Bernard and Sen. Larry Bagley voted in favor.
Will Rogers said it a long time ago. It went something like this: “Congress should not meet but every four years and then, not for long.”
Darci Claire Bass, 41, has gone through tough times lately. First of all, her daughter Livye Lewis, 19, was murdered in 2020 by the daughter’s ex-boyfriend, Matthew Edgar. He was convicted and sentenced to 99 years in prison. The Texas judicial system let him out of jail on bond and in January he failed to show up in court and has been a fugitive since.
Darci was arrested on Tuesday, May 31, by the Sabine Sheriff’s Department. Authorities said deputies saw a man who is a wanted fugitive in her car, stopped the car and tried to talk to the man. Christopher Delane Malmay, 28, fled the scene, but Bass sped away in the car nearly running over a deputy, according to police.
Bass was later captured and charged with Aggravated flight from an officer, Aggravated assault with motor vehicle upon peace officer and Resisting an officer.
Then, according to the arrest report for Tuesday, Bass was again arrested on charges from a Sabine County Texas warrant for Evading arrest detection with vehicle.
Her passenger, Christopher Malmay, has been placed on Sabine’s Most Wanted List, and a $500 reward has been offered for information that leads to his arrest. He is wanted for failure to appear in court on charges he was arrested for on Dec. 1 of last year, including Aggravated flight from officer, Resisting an officer with force or violence, Aggravated assault with a motor vehicle upon peace officer, Aggravated criminal damage to property, Simple criminal damage to property over $1,000, Aggravated assault, Possession of Schedule 1 drugs, No license plate, Reckless operation of a vehicle, No proof of insurance, Intentional littering and Illegal window tint.
Bass had been arrested earlier after confronting Edgar in a Hemphill convenience store last Dec. 20.
Back in 2020, Sabine County deputies were called for assistance near Hemphill on Oct. 31, and they initially thought they were responding to a two-vehicle accident, but found Lewis shot to death. Subsequently, Edgar was arrested on a felony murder charge. He was initially ordered to be held without bond, but that changed when State District Judge Craig Mixon set bond at $50,000 in April and Edgar was released.
In December of last year, Bass admitted on social media to assaulting Edgar and damaging his vehicle as he was leaving a convenience store. Edgar filed charges against her, and she was arrested Dec. 20 for assault and criminal mischief.
Carl Derrick, a native of Converse, is a man who loves the land on which he was born and grew up. He now lives in Bossier City, but his heart still resides in Converse. Here is his story.
In March 1899, Carl’s grandfather, George Thomas Derrick, acquired a tract of land west of Converse. Through the years the property was divided and passed along family lines and about five years ago a portion of this property was passed to Carl.
He stated, “It was not just property. To me it was a part of my education. It was where I learned to hunt and shoot – where I learned to haul hay and drive a standard transmission truck, where I developed an appreciation for walking in the woods and observing wildlife in its natural habitat and where I enjoyed all of God’s creation.”
Country music star Randy Travis in his “Three Wooden Crosses” sings, “It’s not what you take with you when you go, but what you leave behind.”
Carl continues, “I have taken it as a personal challenge to leave behind more than just property. It’s a given that this life will end and all I have and all I’ll ever have won’t be coming with me. All the tangibles will remain, but most of all, it’s that intangible legacy of name and purpose that will mean the most and be worthy of passing to my grandchildren.”
He said his goal is to make use of what he’s been entrusted with, using it for the highest and best use. Carl explains, “This is a multifaceted attempt at making the best of the property.”
Here is what he is doing: “We are taking a 60-acre tract and are following a written reforestation plan from a certified forester. With that we seek certification as a Certified Family Forest in the American Tree Farm System. This started with planting of pine seedlings about five years ago. However, there was a fire that destroyed 29 acres of the one-year-old seedlings. Not to be deterred, this was immediately replanted.”
He continued, “Despite fire and destruction of young seedlings by wild hogs, the trees are now well on their way to full growth. Next, I’ve been over the property with personnel from the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries seeking suggestions and advice on conservation and propagation of wildlife through creation of suitable wildlife habitat. Thanks to the LDWF these practices are being implemented as time permits.”
And third, Carl is seeking ways, suggestions and advice as how to involve the community in the use of the property. “Possibly walking trails or teacher-led student interaction through hands-on field trips, etc. I would love to have a relationship with area 4-H clubs. It has also been suggested there could be some Wounded Warrior program usage [on the property]. Possibilities are there to be explored as this very much remains a work in progress,” he remarked.
Carl has erected signage to identify the property as Derrick Family Farms, LLC, adding, “As a flag-waving veteran, I take the recognition of fellow vets seriously. Take note of the sign in recognition of all Sabine Parish Vets. The flags will fly day and night and will be lighted by a solar-powered flood light.”
He concluded, “Being born and raised in Converse during my formative years, currently living in the Shreveport-Bossier area for the last 50 years, my heart remains in Sabine. Your home is where your heart is. I’m thankful for this opportunity of being entrusted with the care of this tiny portion of God’s green earth. May we all gain some enjoyment from this effort.”
Signs Along Life’s Highway
PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON SAID IT MANY MOONS AGO:
“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.”
“I predict future happiness from Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”
“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”
Voters in Sabine Parish will go to the polls on Nov. 8 to cast their votes on several races, according to a report provided to Observations from Hon. Joe R. Salter, a Florien native, who is now Assistant Secretary of State. Qualifying to run will be July 20-22.
Nine seats on the Sabine Parish School Board will be on the ballot. Present Board Members are President Terrell Snelling, Wds. 6 and 10; Vice-President Dr. Leah Byles, Wds. 2 and 3; Donald Garcie, Wd. 5; Genevieve Gordon, Wd. 4; Daron Chandler, Wd. 1; Dale Skinner, Wds. 7 and 9; and Donald H. Remedies, Wd. 8.
Also to be voted on is District Judge, the seat vacated when long-time Judge Stephen B. Beasley resigned April 1. There is already one announced candidate, that being Many Attorney Verity Gentry.
Election for Judge from Division A of the Third Circuit Court of Appeal will be on the ballot. Judge Elizabeth Pickett of Many currently holds that position. Other elected offices on the ballot will be U.S. Senator for the spot now being held by John Kennedy and Fourth Congressional District Representative for the position currently held by Mike Johnson.
Also on the ballot will be Town of Zwolle Mayor, Zwolle Chief of Police and Councilmen, and Village of Noble Mayor, Chief and Aldermen and a special election for Alderman from Village of Fisher.
It is expected that the renewal of property taxes for the Sabine Parish Library and Health Unit will be on the ballot.
Juneteenth festivities are upcoming! Don’t miss the Black Heritage Festival scheduled for Saturday, June 18:
Sen. Louie Bernard has announced that he will not seek re-election from District 31, which includes Sabine Parish. He has been in public service for 44 years, including 16 years with the Natchitoches Parish Police Jury, 24 years as Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court and four years as Senator.
Sabine Sales Tax Administrator Wanda Rivers has issued the sales tax collection report for May. A total of $142,810.19 more was collected this May above May of last year. Total collected in May 2021 was $2,625,644.78, compared to this May’s total of $2,768,545.95. The report follows:
Our own Ronnie Neel was recently recognized by Brookshire Brothers in an online spotlight. The 100-year-old chain operates in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas and includes 150 stores comprised of mostly grocery stores, but also includes a few convenience stores, free standing pharmacies, tobacco and gasoline locations.
“Besides managing the Produce Department, Ronnie gets involved up front when service calls are made,” Many Store Director Randall Doucett said. “Ronnie speaks and is actively involved with customers. He recently went out of his way to another store to get merchandise a customer needed that he didn’t have on hand. Ronnie makes these acts of service every day.”
Brookshire Brothers congratulated Ronnie and said, “We are proud to have people like you working in our stores with our customers every day.”
We add our congratulations as well!
Many businessman, former Sabine Tax Assessor and advocate of getting the facts out, Conrad Cathey, has asked the Police Jury to postpone the vote on the Library tax renewal until some issues have been resolved. The election is set for Nov. 8. Voters have already defeated the Library tax renewal once.
Cathey’s letter to the Jury and Library Board follows:
“As a taxpayer and citizen and out of concern for our parish and the people that call our parish home, I ask that you consider not calling an election to renew or ask for any tax for the Sabine Parish Library until the following issues have been resolved.
“First and most important, before any tax and/or renewal is even considered an outside firm should be engaged to determine the following: How many people use the library on a daily basis, which library do they use with numbers of clients provided for each location. What is the age of the visitors to the library and for what purpose are the persons visiting the library? An outside firm should also determine if the library is operated at its greatest efficiency including number of personnel at the main locations and also at each branch. If the compensation is in line with other libraries of like size in communities of like size.
“Next and equally important, Sabine Parish is currently going through the worst inflation in the past 40 years with no end in sight. The same is true for Louisiana and the United States. Fuel prices have doubles and projected to continue on the increase, food prices have had gigantic increases and the trend continues as well as shortages in the food chain. This is just to mention a couple of inflation areas. But, many more exist. I pray that you will agree now is not the time for new or renewed taxes given the fact that the library can easily operate with existing funds for the next five years with no tax money.
“I will be happy to meet with anyone that would like to discuss this in more detail.”
Ronsarius Keyvonta Hongo, 19, of Florien drowned Monday while swimming at the Toledo Bend Dam. According to Public Information Officer with the Sabine Sheriff’s Office D. W. Seegers, Hongo was with two other subjects, and they wanted to swim a distance. Hongo apparently tired and the other two tried to help him, but he started to go under and pulled the other two under. The body was located in 14 feet of water.
Wildlife and Fisheries agents assisted in recovery of the body.
This makes at least four drowning victims in Toledo Bend this year. Please be careful when swimming.
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