Wednesday, July 8, 2020
June gun sales in America set a new record. Some retailers have reported the rush on guns and ammunition has drained their stock nearly dry. A total of 2.3 million firearms were sold in June, representing an increase of 145.3 percent over June 2019. This was up 1.7 million from the number sold in May and 1.8 million over April, which was just shy of the all-time monthly record of 2.5 million set in March.
There have been an estimated 8.3 million firearms sold in the United States since March of this year. This record-setting pace is likely to make 2020 the greatest year for gun sales in American history if the trend continues.
When Barak Obama was President, a lot of folks purchased guns because they were afraid that his view on guns would result in legislation that would take our guns away.
With the present COVID-19 plague and rampant lawlessness, many people feel threatened now also and are taking steps to defend themselves. There are a lot of folks who feel if the arson, theft and lack of control by the outlaws we see in the news continue, then it could end up at our front doors.
We asked our good friend Lauren Moore of Nichols about gun sales in their Many, Leesville, Coushatta and Winnfield stores. She responded, “We have certainly seen an increase in our firearms and ammo sales. Our Sporting Goods Department in all locations are up 40-50 percent over last year’s sales. Currently there are shortages on all handguns and handgun ammunition. These shortages are seen nationwide. Typically, we would buy directly through the manufacturers, but due to the high demand they have been unable to ship. We are now working hand and hand with several large distributors that are helping us source these hard-to-find items,” she shared.
The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) firearm background check numbers for 2020 in Louisiana are as follows: January – 23,686; February – 24,696; March – 42,015; April – 31,559; May – 32,565; and June – 44,903.
A crowd of about 200 gathered on the front lawn of the Sabine Parish Courthouse last Wednesday morning, July 1, to see Aaron Mitchell take over as Sabine Parish Sheriff. Aaron is very passionate about doing a good job, which is a welcomed change.
Brad Walker was sworn in as Chief Deputy, and the entire staff of deputies and other civil servants of the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Department also took the oath of office.
The gathering opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, then Gene Wright, Mitchell’s father-in-law, started the ceremony with a beautiful prayer based on Romans 13 about how persons in leadership are ordained by God. He prayed for the new sheriff and his entire team that they would have courage, mental toughness and dedication to the job. He also prayed for their protection and for the officers’ families.
“It is an honor to serve you,” the newly sworn-in Sheriff said in his remarks immediately after the swearing in. “We are going to do our absolute best for you. We have a lot to do, and we’re committed to getting it done.”
The Sheriff emphasized the effort his department will put into addressing the problems of meth, domestic violence and crime, which he noted are sometimes interrelated. He also reiterated his personal and the department’s open door policy.
“If you have a problem, if you know of something that needs our attention, you tell us. We want to hear from you,” Sheriff Mitchell said.
The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Department phone number is (318) 256-9241.
It appears the newly sworn in crew has hit the ground running with several arrests made in the last week, including arrests for everything from growing marijuana and theft to driving under suspension, possession of drugs, unauthorized entry, failure to appear, domestic abuse battery, home invasion, aggravated assault, armed robbery, disturbing the peace, sexual battery and more.
Since taking office, Sheriff Mitchell also announced that he will continue to work with the Sabine Parish School Board to provide deputies to local schools.
Observations joins the hundreds who have, online and in person, wished Sheriff Mitchell, Chief Deputy Walker and the entire Sabine Sheriff’s Department the very best as they work to make our parish and town a better place to live.
The Many Police Department has been busily at work to curtail local crime, making another arrest related to the rash of recent vehicle burglaries and thefts.
Arrested was a juvenile, as had been suspected by those in neighborhoods that have been hard hit. Several residents of the Blake Subdivision and Blake Addition had seen what looked to be a young person out prowling around.
The youth admitted to seven counts of burglary, attempted theft of a movable and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He has been placed in a juvenile facility. Because he is a juvenile, his name will not be released.
As of Tuesday morning, a total of three persons had been arrested by the Many PD in connection with the burglaries.
“Since these arrests, we have had little to no burglary reports,” stated Officer Kyle Cook. “The July 4th weekend was relatively quiet,” he continued, “Although we did have sexual assault and possession of methamphetamine charges [that were made.]”
Charged was Frank Parker Jr., white male of North Carolina, who was staying at a local motel where he allegedly assaulted a female that needed a room for the night. It is reported the female was also from out of town and it was alleged that drugs were involved.
“Of course, all charged are presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law,” Cook noted.
A tip of the hat to the Many Police Department for their efforts to keep our town safe and free of crime.
Jackson Kleven continues his campaign push to be elected Chief of Police in Florien. You may recall Kleven was featured in Observations some time back when he first announced his run.
Due to the Coronavirus, the election was postponed to this Saturday, July 11, so be sure to go out and vote.
Jackson Kleven impressed Observations as a very articulate young man with a lot of good ideas to improve the Police Department.
He is single and his parents are Genia Nixon Kleven and Keith Kleven.
Jackson graduated from Florien High in 2014 and received a degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in History from LSUA in 2019. He worked for the Sabine Sheriff’s Office for a year as a Corrections Officers and at Market Basket in Leesville as a butcher.
He said seeing a need for change in the Florien Police Department prompted his campaign: “I don’t like the way it is being run,” he said. “I have a degree and could go off and make more money somewhere else, but I want to see change in Florien.”
Some of the issues Kleven promises to address are:
– Waste and mismanagement. “I will use a common sense approach and save taxpayer’s money wherever possible,” he said.
– Speed Trap revenue. He will not let Florien continue to be a speed trap town for the sake of bringing in more revenue.
– Police Car Tinted Windows. The Florien police cars have tinted windows, which is a violation of state law. “I will not have tinted windows, which is a waste of taxpayers’ money,” he says.
– Officers’ Lack of Respect Toward the Law. “They speed to go get coffee and other things,” Kleven reports. “Think about the hypocrisy of it all. You cannot enforce the law if you do not follow it,” he noted.
– The Use of “Ghost Letters” on Patrol Cars. [Ghost letters are the practice of lettering law enforcement cars with text colors that match or are hard to see against the car body color.] “In five states it is illegal. We need well-marked police cars,” he said.
– Using Deterrance as a Cornerstone of the Law. “No criminal is going to do any crime if he sees patrol cars doing their job. I will practice proactive policing,” Jackson explained.
– Job Commitment. He said the current Chief works 40 hours per month, which is the minimum allowed. Jackson vows to work at least 40 hours per week. “I will have a part-time job, but I will manage the Police Department. You can’t manage from afar,” Kleven said.
In other matters, “I will see that all officers are well-trained,” he said. “I will see that police cars are well-maintained. The cost now is extremely too high. I will have patrol cars monitored by GPS so they cannot be used for personal reasons,” he shared.
For more information, go to Jackson Kleven for Florien Police Chief on Facebook.
In closing, Jackson said, “I have been asked by multiple people why I am running and stirring up stuff. It is because this is necessary in a free society. For too long the public has settled for mediocrity from our public officials. Some have been in office for many years and have not accomplished what they were elected to do. These same people keep getting re-elected and it is a never-ending cycle. We must put a stop to this. It is time to stand up for change. I promise if you elect me Police Chief, you will not recognize the Florien Police Department. It will be a department that works for you in preventing crimes and following the law.”
Our friend Ruth Wisher recently posted this on social media, and we think she nailed it. Her writing follows:
Dear America,
I love you so much, but we need to talk. If you expect me to keep loving you, some things need to change. Stop killing people, babies included. Stop hating authority. Stop destroying people’s property, businesses, statues. Stop hating someone because of their skin color and/or because of their uniform. Stop depending on government and stop letting them “rescue” you. Stop using real issues and people’s lives as political talking points.
This is the greatest country in the world, but we keep getting it wrong. We forgot who we are. We forgot what we stand for. We forgot what values we were founded on. It’s not too late, but it’s dangerously close. The stakes are too high to let this continue. We have to do better.
Sincerely,
Your biggest fan
Sales tax collections in Sabine Parish were down by 14.35 per cent for June 2020 compared to the same month in 2019, according to Nolan Rivers, Administrator of the Sales and Use Tax Commission. The drop represents $334,997.08.
His chart for June follows.
Christopher Martinez of North Sabine Fire District posted this list of emergencies the department responded to during the last 11 hours of June:
Tree Fire
Stroke
Choking/obstructed airway
Juvenile abdominal pain
Downed power line
Difficulty breathing/code
Natural gas leak in a residence
And finally, the last call for help on June 30: Horse fell on a man
“Come on, July” Martinez posted on social media.
We had a great visit via phone last week with widely-known educator and public servant, Dale Skinner. As most of our readers know, Dale’s been battling cancer for several months now.
“I went to my cancer doctor and they said the medicine I am taking is doing better than they thought,” he stated. In addition, Dale said the person who gave him radiation said he is amazed at the good results.
“I can do anything,” he stated. “but I just can’t do much of it.” He gives God all the credit for his remarkable recovery and said it is a miracle. “I have no pain,” he stated. “I’ve been blessed.”
He got sidetracked several weeks ago when he fell and injured a leg. He has been taking treatment and is recovering very well from the accident. We hope and pray the miracle results continue.
Dale recently retired as Natchitoches Parish Superintendent of Schools. He has more than 51 years of service to the field of education. He has dedicated his life to aiding students and being an inspirational leader in education.
In a statement the Natchitoches Parish School Board said: “After acting as a longtime basketball coach and serving as Natchitoches Central High School’s principal, Mr. Skinner stepped into the role of Superintendent and has continued to be an integral part of our Parish for more than six years. We can’t thank him enough for the hard work, commitment and dedication he has shown for our school district. His contributions to our community will always be valued and remembered.”
And lastly, Dale recently celebrated a birthday. We hope it was a good one and that he will have many more.
Our friend William “Duce” Malmay, 78, of Zwolle went to receive his eternal reward earlier this month. Graveside services were held July 6 at St. Joseph Cemetery in Zwolle.
I can’t remember the first time I met Duce, but it was always a pleasure to see him. He always called me “Mr. Gentley.” He could be driving down the street and if he saw me, he would park, jump out and come over to visit.
We extend our sympathy to his wife, Ivylee Malmay, and other members of the family in their loss.
We would also like to extend sympathy to our old friend David Stallings of Nacogdoches, TX in the loss of his wife Jean. David dabbled in the entertainment business for years in many different capacities. He is well known for his character Willie P. Richardson, “The Phone Prankster.” Jean was a retired school teacher and a devout Christian. We send our deepest condolences to her family and friends.
We get letters: “Sure am glad I read the message about the speed trap town of Robeline in Observations. Probably saved me from getting a ticket.”
Voice From the Cistern: “Let’s build a bypass around Robeline.”
Ann Stuckey Davis, widow of Country music great Nat Stuckey, will appear on Tedd Dumas’ popular “Open Line” radio program Monday, July 13, at 7:30 a.m. I am happy to also be participating on the program. She will be talking about the new CD just released titled “Two Together,” and featuring songs by Nat and Connie Smith. The CD has been in the planning stages for several years and has been in the production works for about six months.
Ann said, “Connie and Nat were talented recording artists for RCA Records and they were a perfect blend of voices. These songs are from a duet album titled ‘Young Love.’”
The CD is offered for sale through Music Row Talent Records. It will also be offered on Amazon, CD Baby, Spotify, The Orchard and other online sources. It can also be ordered directly from Music Row Talent Records, 100 Roland Rd., Florien, LA 71429. Send $10, plus $2.50 for shipping and handling. For more information go to lakesong@msn.com.
Ann and her husband Randy Davis live near Florien.
We are looking forward to having her on “Open Line” and we know listeners will enjoy catching up on all Ann’s Country music-related activities.
Coronavirus numbers in Sabine Parish keep climbing up, up, up. This is not the time to abandon the earlier habits we all established to flatten the curve.
Please continue to wash your hands, sanitize hands with hand sanitizer, take care to disinfect all surfaces, cover all your coughs and sneezes, do not breathe on others, be careful to maintain a social distance (including conversation) of six feet from others, and wear a mask if possible.
In many places, the wearing of masks is now mandatory. The only way to avoid that being the case here and to continue to keep our small, local businesses open is to do everything in your power to bring the COVID numbers down.
Be responsible and think of others.
I always welcome your thoughts and suggestions for future articles and I thank you for faithfully reading. Call me at (318) 332-8653 or send an email to robertrgentry@gmail.com. To save, send or print this week’s Observations, please click on the appropriate icon below. To read columns of recent years, follow the pages below. To see older, archived ones, please visit our Facebook page.
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