Greene County Democrat

Tag: Louisiana

  • Eutaw City Council approves raises for Mayor and Council

    At its regular meeting on February 13, 2025, the Eutaw City Council agreed to approve Ordinance 2025-2, which raises the monthly stipend of the Mayor and City Council members, effective when the newly elected officials take seats after the August 2025 elections, probably in November 2025.

    The ordinance provides for an increase in the stipend for City Council members from $300 per month to $ 800 per month. The stipend for the Mayor is increased from $ 23,000 a year to $26,000 ($2,166.67 per month).
    All five councilmembers voted in favor of the ordinance. Mayor Johnson voted against the increase, saying, “I feel the raise is too much especially when we are having financial difficulties and cannot give a raise to our employees.”

    The Council also received a report from their Financial Adviser,Ralph Liverman.  In his report, Liverman says to wait with any pay increase to employees until after March 31, which is the midway point of the fiscal year. “At that point, you will have a good estimate of general fund revenues and expenditures and can better decide on employee raises,” said Liverman.
    He also comments on plans to raise the stipends paid to councilmembers and the mayor, saying he does not agree to the amount of the raises and warns the council that voters are outraged and may take out their anger at the increases in the next election. Liverman also points to several reserve funds that have not been funded since the beginning of the calendar year.

    The Council voted not to approve a travel reimbursement for Assistant Police Chief William Smith for a trip to an FBI training in Rushton, Louisiana in January. The Council was concerned that Smith went on the trip, in a city vehicle, without prior approval. The Council also questioned whether the trip was ‘mandatory’. Mayor Johnson said she authorized Smith to go on short notice because she felt the trip was mandatory and would help strength the city’s law enforcement capacity. Smith was not there to defend his actions and request for reimbursement. Councilman Woodruff said, “We have to make an example of staff who do not follow our policies and instructions. This trip was not authorized in a city vehicle, and we are not sure if it was a mandatory training.

    In other actions, the Eutaw City Council:
    • Tabled actions on filling vacancies on the Zoning Board, Cemetery Committee and the Airport Authority Board.
    • Referred Verna Nickson’s zoning issue to City Attorney Zane Willingham for resolution.
    • Accepted for review a report from AVENU Insights and Analytics on their work in collecting sales taxes and Business license fees for the city.
    • Approved travel for Sha’Kelvia Spencer and Joe Powell to attend a clerks training in Point Clear on April 23-25; also approved annual dues to the AAMCA for the two clerks.
    • Approved annual dues for the Municipal Court Clerks and Magistrates Association.
    • Approved quote from Henley’s Air Quality Control for heat pump systems and multi-zone damper system for City Hall.
    • Approved payment of n claim of $2,162.76 from Banks and Company for replacement of front window.
    • Tabled consideration of Ordinance 2025-3 granting a non-exclusive franchise for Fiber Utility Network Inc. to provide middle mile broadband service to the City of Eutaw.
    • Approved request from Nicholas and Akira Spencer for streetlight near their home at 415 Eatman Avenue.
    • Approved $1,000 to support the Police Ball and $500 for two tables for the BBCF Sneaker Ball, from DARE funds.
    • Approved payment of bills.

    Mayor Johnson said that she could not do her job without the support of God, the City Council, her staff of dedicated workers and the citizens of the city.

    Council member Valerie Watkins asked when the ditch behind Roebuck Avenue would be scheduled for repair because it floods when it rains. The Mayor said it was on the repair list and staff had looked at it.

    Councilmembers reported on their trip to Montgomery for an “advocacy day with the Legislature. They reported on various topics including Medicaid Expansion and other steps to help hospitals stay open.

  • ‘Newswire: Suspicious fires’ fires burn three churches in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana

    From CNN and KLFY-TV in Lafayette reports

    Three historically Black churches in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana were burned between March 26 and April 4, 2019. State Fire marshals

    and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are investigating the cause of the fires.

    The fires destroyed St. Mary Baptist Church in the community of Port Barre, and Greater Union Baptist Church and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas, the parish seat.

   The churches in rural St. Landry Parish -- about 30 miles north of Lafayette -- have burned since March 26 in what officials have described as "suspicious circumstances."

"There is clearly something happening in this community," State Fire Marshal H. Browning said in a statement.

    Standing outside the charred remains of the Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas — which burned on Tuesday — Pastor Harry Richard said he looked forward to meeting elsewhere with his congregation on Sunday.

    "Quite naturally, something like this would shake us up," he told CNN affiliate KLFY. "I'm very concerned but I'm very optimistic because of our faith in God and, no matter what happens, I feel like this is his plan," Richard said. "He's going to bring me through this."

The first fire occurred March 26 at St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre. Greater Union burned on Tuesday and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, also in Opelousas, suffered a fire on Thursday.

"We believe these three fires are suspicious," Browning said. "We are falling short of talking about what caused the fires, falling short of saying they are related, however cognizant that there is a problem and no coincidence that there are three fires."

Officials were also investigating a fourth, smaller fire last Sunday at the predominantly white Vivian United Pentecostal Church in Caddo Parish more than 200 miles north of St. Landry. The blaze was intentionally set
"The three fires in St. Landry Parish contain suspicious elements, but we have not yet classified them," said Ashley Rodrigue, a spokeswoman for the state fire marshal.

Gov. John Bell Edwards this week appealed for the public's help with the investigations. "Our churches are sacred, central parts of our communities and everyone should feel safe in their place of worship, " he said in a statement. "We do not know the cause of these fires in St. Landry and Caddo parishes, but my heart goes out to each of the congregations and all of those who call these churches home."

    Law enforcement presence increases at houses of worship

    Browning said the remains of the three historically black churches in St. Landry Parish are considered crime scenes.

    “Investigating a fire is a very lengthy process,” he said. “It’s one of the most complicated and unconventional crime scenes you’ll ever enter because most of the evidence is burned away.
    “
    The FBI and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were assisting in the investigations. “It’s imperative that the citizens of this community be part of our effort to figure out what it is,” Browning said.

    St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said authorities were "doing everything we can" to protect churches and determine the cause of the fires. Law enforcement presence at houses of worship has increased.

"You got to have a certain degree of anger because there's no reason for this," Deacon Earnest Hines of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas told CNN affiliate WBRZ.

"You know the history of our country. During the civil rights struggle, they had all these incidents that would happen and sometimes that happens again," he said.

Richard told CNN affiliate KATC Greater Union Baptist Church embodied more than 100 years of history. "Our parents, grandparents went here," he said. "Buried in the back there, some of them are."

    On Sunday, he told KLFY he planned to preach about God’s grace to his displaced congregation.

    This incident of burning Black churches reminds people in Greene County, Alabama of 1995 when five Black churches in rural parts of the county were burned.