Wednesday, January 1, 2020
We want to take this time to wish our readers our very Happy New Year! We wish for you beautiful moments, treasured memories and all the blessings a heart can know.
This year marks a total of 63 that I will have had the pleasure of sharing “news, views, facts, and opinions,” and I thank each and every one of you for that opportunity. A special thank you to Tedd Dumas and BDC Radio for the invitation to continue Observations on the BDC web site back in 2014, after I quit publishing in print.
The saga about confidential information from a notebook reportedly stolen from a Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Department Drug Task Force deputy continues. The contents of the notebook which was published on the internet contained confidential information and notes from the Tri-Parish Drug Task Force, information from confidential informants, and also the names and other information on more than 80 confidential informants. Reportedly the information was stolen from the patrol car of Deputy David A. Deshautelle in 2018. The Task Force is headed by Deputy Randy Murphy who said he fired Deshautelle when he found out the notebook was stolen. The documents first surfaced in October when they appeared on Snapchat. A short video showed a person flipping through the pages of the notebook and an African-American male voice commenting.
Last week, KTBS-TV in Shreveport carried a very detailed story about the matter. It can be found at ktbs-tv.com.
The Tri-Parish Drug Task Force includes Sabine, DeSoto and Red River Parishes. According to the report, DeSoto Parish Sheriff Jayson Richardson said, “That’s never information that you want to get out because the world of narcotics can be a dangerous world.” He said he is looking into policies and procedures of the task force, although each parish within the task force has its own set of rules. He continued, “I think had policy, procedure and protocol been followed, we wouldn’t be having a conversation.”
It is reported that the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office asked the State Police to investigate the matter. Sgt. Scott Moreau, issued a statement: “On Dec. 10, the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Alexandria Field Office was contacted by the Sabine Sheriff’s Police in reference to one of their investigations. Currently, Troopers are reviewing the case to see if further action needs to be taken and if so, in what capacity.”
A spokesperson for Snap, Inc., which owns Snapchat, told KTBS on background that the company works closely with law enforcement agencies. Thus the person who put the information on Snapchat should be easily located.
We have reported on this matter for several weeks now and have always said that someone needs to be held accountable.
The public is invited to a “Roast” for retiring State Representative, the Honorable Frank A. Howard, as his friends bid him farewell. It will be held Tuesday, Jan. 7, from 2-4 p.m. at the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission Office at 1601 Texas Hwy. in Many. The roast will be at 3 p.m.
Rep. Howard is highly regarded in this area having also served many years as Vernon Parish Sheriff.
Observations wants to wish him and Mrs. Howard the very best as they start this new chapter in their lives.
Sheriff-elect Aaron Mitchell paid a much-appreciated visit to Observations Monday morning. He will start working in the Sheriff’s Office Jan. 2 to learn the ropes. That is a nice gesture on the part of out-going Sheriff Ronny Richardson.
Mason and Paulette Cannon spent a Christmas vacation in Oklahoma. One of the interesting places they visited was the little town of Gene Autry. The town was founded in 1883 and was originally named “Lou.” It went through a couple more name changes and then finally on Nov. 16, 1941, it was renamed “Gene Autry” to honor the Western cowboy singer and movie star.
Though he was born in Tioga, TX, the Autry family moved to Oklahoma when he was an infant. In 1939, Autry bought the 1,200-acre Flying A Ranch on the edge of the town that would later be named in his honor.
Approximately 35,000 attended the name-change ceremonies broadcast live from the site on Autry’s Melody Ranch radio show. Expectations that Autry would make his permanent home on the ranch were heightened when his house in California burned just eight days before the name-change ceremony. Those hopes were dashed however just 21 days later with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Autry joined the military in 1942 and his life changed. He sold the ranch after the war.
Modern Day Miracles
Facebook may have never caused the lame to walk, but it most certainly has caused the dumb to speak.
“Happy Tails”
The Sabine Humane Society is off to a busy start for 2020. Their membership drive is now underway with three levels of membership available: $50 – Sponsor, $20 – Family or $15 – Individual. So, there is a support level to suit every budget. Interested persons are invited to bring their membership fee to the Shelter at 520 McDonald Dr., Many, LA 71449, or mail to the same address. Your support helps the Sabine Humane Society care for and provide a place for strays and unwanted animals.
If you wish to be a volunteer for the organization, they are much appreciative and are looking for general help, those who can transport dogs and cats to rescue or veterinary appointments, foster care, grooming, fundraising and, of course, monetary donations. Of special help are blankets, which may be dropped off at the Shelter at any time.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, one healthy adoptable cat or dog is euthanized every 11 seconds in this country. That means over 7,800 animals die each day in shelters across the nation. In an effort to help break the cycle of unwanted animals, the Sabine Humane Society now offers up to 15 spay/neuter vouchers each month.
So, if you need help covering the cost of a spay/neuter and live in Sabine Parish, this voucher program is in place to assist. Since only a set number are available each month, please follow these directions to take part in the program:
– On the first of each month, no earlier than 8 a.m., call (318) 645-7156.
– Leave your name, number, whether you have a dog or cat, and its gender.
– Someone will return your call.
– If approved, the program will cover 50 per cent of the cost, unless you are on Medicare or Medicaid, then 100 per cent of the cost will be covered. (Please be advised you cannot use your child’s eligibility to qualify.)
From January until November of last year, Shelter Activity numbers came in as follows:
Intakes – 1,325
Owner surrenders – 449
Strays – 585
Seized – 256
Returned to owner – 41
Adoptions – 182
Rescues – 255
Average number of animals at the Shelter each month – 50-80
The Sabine Humane Society Animal Shelter is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for adoptions, and Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. for drop-offs. Adoptions on weekends are available by appointment only by calling (318) 256-2275.
We must also mention the Sabine Humane Society is part of the AmazonSmile program benefiting charitable organizations. Amazon will donate 0.5 per cent of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Sabine Humane Society whenever you shop on AmazonSmile and select the Sabine Humane Society as your charitable organization.
For more information about the group’s acitivities, visit sabinehumanesociety.com.
A special thank you to the Sabine Humane Society for providing all of the information above.
That is all for this first day of 2020. Hard to believe another year has ended and it’s time to start anew! Thanks for reading. I welcome your thoughts, ideas and suggestions for future articles. Please send an email to robertrgentry@gmail.com or call me at (318) 332-8653. I always love to hear from you. To save, send or print this week’s column, click on the appropriate icon below. To see Observations of the past year, follow the pages below. To see older, archived ones, visit our Facebook page, where they are listed by date under Photo Albums.
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