Wednesday, August 16, 2023

It was a turbulent Monday for Ward 1 in Sabine Parish as a wildfire fueled by dried woods and wind gusts burned over 2,100 acres of forest land and pastures, destroyed at least 10 inhabited homes, eight other structures and some vehicles.  There was no loss of life or injury.

Firemen and volunteers did a valiant job in containing the fire all night long Monday.  Law enforcement was on the job as was the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.  All are to be highly commended for the outstanding job they did.

The fire was reported to the Sabine Sheriff’s Office Monday at 2:14 p.m. as being near Corleyville Rd. in the Mt. Carmel Community.  Several fire departments and the Forestry Department units were on the scene.  Residents in the Mt. Carmel cutoff and surrounding areas were told to be ready to evacuate.  State Highway 118 east of Florien was closed.  Fire District of Wards 1 & 2 Chief Doug Downs told “Unfiltered with Kiran” that about 15 minutes later they got a call for a second fire.  “From there, the wind and extremely dry conditions only made things worse for us,” he said.

The first visual mention of the emergency on Facebook was a video taken by Brenda and Blake Morrison, posted at 3:14 p.m.  It showed the fire on the east side of Hwy. 171, just north of Florien.

And the fire spread. Firefighters and volunteers kept working hard.  By Monday night at 9 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office issued a release saying the fires were contained at that time.  They warned that wind direction and changing weather conditions could cause flare-ups and ignite new fires in the area.

Sheriff Aaron Mitchell said law enforcement remained on the scene throughout the night patrolling the area looking for any new fires or flare-ups.  The Forestry Department continued to operate all during the night clearing lanes to further control the fire.  The Sheriff has been in the area since the beginning of the disaster offering assistance in any way he could.

Another Sheriff’s Department news release issued at 10 a.m. Tuesday said a command center had been set up at Florien Fire Station.  It reported water and food available there for anyone needing it.

That release said the preliminary cause of the fire appeared to have been a spark from a downed utility pole on the Mount Carmel Cutoff.  Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Walker said there were two different fires, and the cause of the second has not been determined.  Others report there were three different fires.

Tuesday morning the Forestry Department had aircraft monitoring the situation and assessing the damage.  SWEPCO had many crews on the scene to restore power.

There is presently in place a statewide burn ban.  It is very important that everyone be aware of this and do no burning until we get some rain.  This is a very serious condition.

Chief Downs said evacuations were issued and remained in place throughout the night.  People in Plainview were asked to stay at shelters or with family and friends.  The area between Mount Carmel Cutoff and Hwy. 118 also remained evacuated overnight.  Also evacuated were the following roads:  Lee Jordan, Sonny Rd., Monroe Skinner, Corleyville Rd., Sneed Rd. and Landon Rd.  Hwy. 118 was closed from Hwy. 171 to Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.

Numerous neighboring law enforcement agencies, firefighters and State Fire Marshal’s Office personnel came to help.

The outpouring of love, help and supplies was outstanding.  Several churches stepped up to help.  The Life Church of Many collected items for those who lost so much.  Rachel Eason contacted Pizza Hut, and they donated pizzas to those who have been affected by the fire.  The following churches were opened to help those in need:  Florien First Baptist, Warren Baptist, Ebenezer Baptist, Antioch Baptist, Grace Assembly of Hornbeck, Trinity Baptist of Many, Beulah Baptist and Little Flock Baptist.

Jared Knippers and many others opened up the Florien Civic Center with a lot of supplies to help folks.  Whitney Byles Knippers said there are drinks, food, clothes, blankets, toys, toiletry products, diapers, glasses, etc. for those in need.  She expressed appreciation for those who donated.

Ronnie and Linda Sepulvado of Zwolle offered their cattle trailer and Megan Pickett Miller offered two trailers.

Shannon’s Butcher Block set up in Florien Monday evening and continued to serve Tuesday.  They offered hot meals, cold drinks, snacks and served breakfast and lunch Tuesday, all free of charge.

Two GoFundMe efforts have been started.  Mallory Powell said her sister-in-law Amanda, her husband and three kids lost everything.  “I know times are hard, but anything and everything is appreciated [as are] prayers,” she wrote.

Tomekia Law organized a GoFundMe for her sister, Aswanya Law, who also lost her house and everything that she owned.  She has children, and they are asking for help and prayers.  Donations to these two families would be greatly appreciated.

All classes and activities at Florien High were canceled for Tuesday.  The cancellation could go on longer, depending on conditions.

Rickey Robertson, a long-time community leader and highly respected minister, wrote on Facebook, “Such terrible destruction caused by the fires.  So many farms, homes, trucks, cars and everything lost by many of my friends and neighbors.  Please be in prayer for these folks and reach out and help them.  And when you pray, ask the Good Lord for RAIN.  As of about 8 p.m. [Monday night], fire lines have been pushed around these fires, but the wind is supposed to pick up.  Many thanks to the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, South Sabine Fire Department, many fire units from all around West Central Louisiana and the U.S. Forest Service who came and brought their equipment.  It ain’t over yet, so please be careful in everything you do outside because of the dry conditions.”

The last rain we had around here was a shower on July 6.  Every day since then until now, temperatures have been in the low 100s or high 90s.  Continued hot temperatures with no rain in sight is predicted by the National Weather Service. 

As Observations was being posted Tuesday afternoon, wind gusts of 15 miles per hour were in effect, which means the fires could easily start again.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the brave ladies and gentlemen who are giving service to their parish during this tragic event.

Please pray for rain and pray for all those folks who have been harmed by this tragic event.

Things kinda got stirred up when Bruce Taylor announced he was going to run for Police Juror from Dist. 3.  Current Juror Stephen Steinke did not seek re-election.  Word got around that some other Jurors were out and about openly seeking someone to run against Bruce.

They were immediately dubbed by some as “The Courthouse Gang” and “The Good Ole Boys.”  We wrote about this in last week’s Observations and Missy G. Sepulvado, who is the wife of Juror Ricky “K-Wall” Sepulvado, Dist. 7, in a post likened the Courthouse Gang to Bonnie and Clyde, asking, “What y’all want… that sounds [like a] try to get responses.”

If all this was going on, it didn’t do any good.  Bruce Taylor swept into office without any opposition.

In his radio advertising, Bruce promised if elected he would make three motions at the first meeting he attends after taking office next January.

The first was to do away with the infamous “shot clock” that the Jury put in to limit the amount of time taxpayers could use to address the Jury.  The second was to do away with mileage for Jurors to attend meetings.  And the third was to do away with health insurance, or payments for health insurance for Jurors.

Pat Scarborough, founder of the Facebook group Sabine Parish Citizens for Better Roads, who is running for Dist. 5 Juror, issued his opinion on the three items last week.

He commented concerning the clock, “Since this was put in place by the Jury for the express intention of intimidating me and my family, I am in favor of getting rid of it.”  He continued, “I would add the ‘Gag Resolution’ needs to be done away with so people can speak. I will make that resolution on my first day in office.”

Scarborough said he is not in favor of Jurors being reimbursed for gas or anything else.

Concerning doing away with health insurance, he said he did not need it, but there may be some Jurors who do need it.  He said he wanted to hear more discussion before making a decision.

Rebekah Stiegemeyer, one of the administrators of Sabine Parish Citizens for Better Roads, said they have decided to make it a private page, “due to many trolls attempting to disrupt the group.”  Persons who are already members of the group, which is over 2,000 strong, will not be affected.  Folks can still join, but will have to agree to the rules before they are allowed in.

She stated, “We will continue to work for the citizens of Sabine Parish to get better roads, fiscal responsibility from our elected officials and transparency of local government.  Together we can continue making the parish better by improving our roads.”

WE GET LETTERS:  Ronald Byrd of South Boston, VA, weighed in on last week’s column. We always love hearing from Ronny. His thoughts follow.

“Robert, those three motions Bruce Taylor favors are refreshing to me.  Only a politician of the worst kind could oppose them. Giving citizens significant time to provide their input is a good move; after all, elected officials are supposed to vote in accord with their constituents’ wishes and limiting their input is counterproductive. Votes on the second and third proposed motions would show everyone whether a person really wants to serve. No police jury member should be able to have taxpayers fund their health insurance; that is not full-time employment. And finally, if a police jury member thinks their in-parish travel should be paid by citizen taxpayers, shame on them. Let the votes on these motions be made very public so that they can help decision making in subsequent elections! All these points could be considered regarding state and federal positions as well. Political gravy trains and insensitivity to voters’ wishes shouldn’t exist at any level. Ronny”

The list of candidates vying for various offices in Sabine Parish was finalized last week following the conclusion of the qualifying period held Aug. 8-10. A diverse group, each with their own vision for the parish’s future, stepped forward to participate in the upcoming Oct. 14 election.

State Senator, District 31

The race for the State Senator, Dist. 31 seat features two prominent Republican candidates – “Mike” McConathy from Natchitoches and Alan Seabaugh from Shreveport. Notably, Seabaugh also holds the current position of State Representative for Dist. 5.

State Representative, District 7

In the State Representative, Dist. 7 race, contenders include incumbent Larry Bagley (R) from Logansport and “Tim” Pruitt (R) from Stonewall.

State Representative, District 24

The 24th Representative District will witness a contest between Clarence Beebe (R) from Hornbeck, who currently serves as Mayor of Hornbeck, and incumbent Rodney Schamerhorn (R) from Leesville.

Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, District 4

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 4 race showcases three candidates with differing party affiliations – Paige Hoffpauir (R), Stacey Melerine (R), and Emma Shepard (D), all hailing from Shreveport.

Sheriff

For the position of Sheriff, two threw their hats into the ring to challenge incumbent Aaron Mitchell (R) of Florien. They were “Jeff” Evans (R) and Coby Lang (R), both of Many.

Clerk of Court

Clerk of Court Shelly Salter (R) from Florien was unopposed to remain in office.

Assessor

Likewise, incumbent “Chris” Tidwell (R) from Many will also return to the position of Assessor unopposed.

Coroner

Man of many hats, including Sabine Medical Center Chief of Staff and Many Police Dept. Detective, incumbent Mark Holder (R) from Many will continue as Coroner. He was unopposed.

Police Jurors

The Police Juror positions are seeing a multitude of candidates across various districts in the parish with scattered incumbent Jurors running unopposed.

Notable races include District 5, where incumbent Ronald L. “Ronny” Bison (R) faces opposition from “Pat” Scarborough (No Party) and William Kelly Stewart (R). Readers will recall Bison was appointed to fulfill the term of Juror Jeff “Gilligan” Davidson, who was recalled earlier this year in an effort headed by Scarborough and his Sabine Parish Citizens for Better Roads group.

In their second father-son run for two Police Jury seats, William Kelly Stewart’s father, Thomas “Bo” Stewart (R), will return to serve as Dist. 1 Juror unopposed.

Others seeking to serve on the Sabine Parish Police Jury are as follows:

Police Juror District 2 – Barry Stevens (R), Mary LeJune (R) and Trina Sepulvado (R), all of Many.

Police Juror District 3 – Bruce A. Taylor (R) of Many qualified and is unopposed.

Police Juror District 4 – Incumbent William Ruffin (D) of Many is running unopposed.

Police Juror District 6 – Incumbent Eric Garcie (R) is being challenged by Trenton Hoss Harvey (R). Both candidates are from Zwolle.

Police Juror District 7 – Incumbent Ricky “K-Wall” Sepulvado (R) of Converse was unopposed for his seat.

Police Juror District 8 – Daniel “Pat” Procell (R), John “Kenny John” Remedies (R) and “Rick” Sepulvado (D), all of Zwolle.

Police Juror District 9 – Incumbent Randy Byrd (R) of Belmont qualified and was unopposed.

Mayor of Village of Pleasant Hill

Mayor Gloria Stewart (D) from Pleasant Hill will return to office unopposed.

Chief of Police for Village of Noble

No candidates qualified.

Aldermen for Village of Noble

No candidates qualified.

Aldermen for Village of Pleasant Hill

John Guillory (R) of Pleasant Hill, La.

It’s nice to see candidates who want to take part in Sabine Parish leadership through the electoral process. The upcoming election promises to hold decisive moments for the future direction of the parish. Watch Observations for important updates as the campaign season unfolds.

(Thanks to my wife Laurie for the above article.)

Lots of denim, plaid, short prairie dresses and cowboy boots reigned supreme last Wednesday night, Aug. 9, in Baton Rouge as gubernatorial frontrunner Jeff Landry confidently took the stage at the Texas Club to celebrate his run for Governor with about a thousand enthusiastic attendees. Observations was on hand to capture the event at the historic music venue. As he swept his hand out over the heads of supporters toward the big honky-tonk’s walls crowded with performance posters from Hank Jr. to Steppenwolf, Landry shouted, “This is who we are!” The standing-room-only crowd, with hardly a necktie in sight, roared their approval.

Folks attending from Sabine included Brad Walker and wife Laura, Conrad and Judy Cathey, and Jamie and Amy Johnson. There might have been more from the parish, but the place was so packed that getting around to see everyone was close to impossible. Highly visible throughout the evening was Rep. Alan Seabaugh, who is running for Senate, Dist. 31, and wife Laura, BESE Board, Dist. 4 candidate Stacey Melerine and husband Michael, and candidate for Attorney General Liz Murrill.

In his event remarks as the night launched into full swing, Landry emphasized how conservative principles are under attack from all angles. The two-term Louisiana Attorney General drew lots of cheers as he pledged to continue to safeguard those principles.

“We have stood with you, behind you, and in front of you,” Landry declared. “But more importantly, we have protected you. We have protected your jobs.”

He continued, “We have protected your culture. We have protected our children,” referring to some School Boards’ deafness across the nation toward parental concerns that schools have overstepped boundaries by not only teaching beliefs and core values which are parents’ jobs to instill, but also encouraging transgender activities of young students without parental knowledge.

The big do featured Country music stars John Rich, Craig Morgan and Tracy Lawrence, who performed on stage together singing a round robin of hits from each artist. Rich was very vocal in his support of conservative values, pausing often to share something. But far from dragging the night down, his remarks kept the crowd hooting and laughing at his hilarious quips and stinging barbs as he punched holes in liberal wokeness.

Of the 16 candidates who have announced for the state’s highest office, Landry looks to be the certain frontrunner to succeed Democrat John Bel Edwards as Louisiana’s next governor. He has been endorsed by the Louisiana Republican Party and former Pres. Donald Trump. His fundraising so far dwarfs all other contenders.

It’s easy to see Landry is a gifted politician who understands how important it is to support “the little guy.” He connects with people easily, comfortably working the large, rustic dance hall filled with a thousand-plus people last Wednesday night as he laughed, shook hundreds of hands, took photos and greeted everyone with what looked like boundless energy.

His staff and employees seem to genuinely like him, so that’s a good sign.

Speaking of, we saw former Landry employee and longtime friend Ruth Wisher while we were there. Ruth and I went to Northwestern together, and she is the founder of Wisher Strategies in Baton Rouge, a political consulting firm. Ruth is a talented, hardworking woman, and anyone she supports is fortunate to have the benefit of her expertise.

(Thanks to my wife Laurie for the above article.)

Sheriff Aaron Mitchell proudly qualified for reelection last week, telling Observations that he has “not lost an ounce of passion for ridding this parish of folks who want to sell drugs.”

His record so far backs that up with 42 federal indictments handed down or in progress in cases involving drug dealers and violent offenders. Since taking office, numerous local arrests have been prosecuted in Sabine as well. Those arrests have resulted in the seizure of eight vehicles and over $80,000 in cash, which in turn, is used to help fund ongoing investigations into illegal drug activity.

“We have worked hard and we’re going to continue to work hard,” Sheriff Mitchell said. “I would have never believed as a kid that I could be Sheriff one day because we didn’t have money and [power] and everything you think a person has to have, but that thinking was wrong. With passion, anything is possible. There came a time in my career when I realized if I became leader of the Sheriff’s Office, I could make a real difference. As a Detective, I saw things that needed to be done to make the Department better for tax-paying citizens who want good law enforcement and transparency.”

Since taking office in 2020, his supporters point to dozens of improvements he has made, including the free Sabine Sheriff’s app; the establishment of a Tactical Narcotics Team, Special Operations Group, and Certified Dive Team for lake emergencies; increased training and certifications in homicide investigation, interview and interrogation, and sexual assault investigations; increased patrols; much-needed security repair and heightened security measures at the Detention Center and the judicious use of grant monies, federal funding opportunities, etc. to outfit officers with improved, up-to-date equipment, among other progressive efforts.

“The drug dealers have learned they can’t operate successfully in this parish,” Sheriff Mitchell said. “There are still a few small ones, and they’ll pop up, but we are there. We are watching, and we will take care of them. We have done a lot, but in the next four years, it’s going to become even better than it is today. When it’s appropriate, I ask for help from the FBI and ATF. Anyone that’s willing to help me, I’m not afraid to ask. They help us, and they have helped school this Department in additional methods that work,” he said.

Several have noticed that the SPSO has not outfitted officers with brand new patrol vehicles, opting instead for low mileage, high performance pre-owned units. Other cost-saving measures have become standard across the board. When asked about the financial end of things, Sheriff Mitchell shared, “Thanks to the careful use of funds, we have the things we need and have more in the bank now than when we took over. All our bills are paid, and if there’s a new piece of equipment that comes out this year that we feel is needed to protect the citizens of this parish, we can buy it. I feel really good about that.”

(Thanks to my wife Laurie for supplying the above article and photo.)

Chief Nick Spann of the North Sabine Fire District posted the following on Facebook Monday. We think it worthy of sharing.

“Fire fighters – just our name says it all! Please keep the men and women of the fire service in your thoughts and prayers as they not only battle the BLAZE and its heat, but the temperatures throughout the day. It’s almost impossible to find any relief while performing our task and to rehab/rest to be able to continue on. Yesterday and still today our men and women are working very hard providing the best service possible – both paid and volunteer! WE CANNOT FUNCTION WITHOUT OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERSHIP on large-scale incidents like this.

“The extreme temps and dry conditions make potential fires start with something as simple as a cigarette.

“Nothing harder than having to leave a neighboring fire department that you’re assisting to come back and fight three separate fires in our district. South Sabine Fire Department Wards 1 & 2 lost 18 homes and displaced 10 families with yesterday’s fire [as of last night’s count].

“We’ve had lots of people wanting to donate and assist families and South Sabine Fire Fighters.

“As of now we do not know what [the families’] specific needs are, but our Central station in Zwolle will accept donations and make sure they are delivered to them.”

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