Laura Hartt was appointed Treasurer at Thursday night’s meeting of the Lincoln Parish Police Jury (LPPJ).
See here her Linkedin profile.
She has a BS in Finance and Accounting from Louisiana Tech, and an MBA from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Last Monday’s Jackson Parish Police Jury (JPPJ) meeting saw another significant action item tabled – a $50 thousand appropriation to the Town of Jonesboro for repairs to the town’s infrastructure.
From the minutes of the 10/26/15 meeting:
The president called for public comments. Ms. Linda Devine thanked the jury for their work in amending the parish road ordinance. She asked about the purpose of the agenda item to appropriate $50,000 to the Town of Jonesboro. Members of the jury stated that the appropriation was for emergency repairs to the town’s infrastructure.
Motion Mr. Garrett seconded Ms. Monroe to appropriate $50,000 to the Town of Jonesboro from the General Fund. The president called for a roll call vote.
Motion Mr. Treadway seconded Mr. Bryant to table action on the proposed appropriation until the mayor submitted a letter detailing the use of the funds. Motion carried with Ms. Monroe and Mr. Garrett voting nay.
Fourth Judicial (Morehouse, Ouachita Parishes) Division G Judge Carl Sharp’s ruling last August on a motion that he be recused in Palowski v Cork was not valid. Sharp had ruled that he would not recuse himself, even though all the other judges in the district had done so.
Once a motion for recusal is made, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals said, the judge that is the subject of the motion cannot rule upon himself, and that another judge must hear the motion.
See here the Zach Parker story in the 10/29/15 Ouachita Citizen.
Palowski v Cork – Application for Supervisory Writs of Review
There will be a special called meeting of the Lincoln Parish Police Jury (LPPJ) tomorrow at 4:00 PM, to interview the four finalists for the position of Parish Treasurer, and then take action on a hire.
Here is the agenda.
The meeting will be at the Lincoln Parish Court House, third floor.
On a motion by Jackson Parish Police Jury’s Chuck Garrett (Ward 6), and seconded by Lynn Treadway (Ward 7), an agenda item to restore a pay cut for jurors instituted two years ago was tabled unanimously at last night’s meeting of the jury.
As the situation now stands, monthly pay for each juror will be cut to $600/month, effective 1/11/16. That action was taken at the 12/16/13 meeting, almost two years ago.
Presently, jurors are paid $1,200/month, with the president’s pay set at $1,350/month.
Last night’s activity comes right after last Saturday’s election that saw four of the seven jury seats settled, but with three others to be decided in a Saturday, November 21 runoff election.
Elected without opposition last Saturday were Eddie Langston (Ward 2), and Maxie Monroe (Ward 5). Todd Culpepper (Ward 1) bested his opponent Tom Goss, 477 to 419. Goss had previously served as Ward 1 juror.
Also winning outright in Ward 6 was Regina Rowe over Rod Potts, Jr., 287 to 234. Incumbent Chuck Garrett didn’t seek reelection.
To be decided are:
Ward 3 – Amy McGee (Incumbent) vs Allen Lindsay
Ward 4 – Billy Bryant (Incumbent) vs Johnny McCarty
Ward 7 – Lynn Treadway (Incumbent) vs Rodney Potts
The Monroe City Council will meet tonight (10/27), 6:00 PM, Monroe City Hall, 400 Lea Joyner Expressway.
Here is the agenda.
All the incumbent Lincoln Parish Police Jurors who were opposed in yesterday’s election were re-elected. Annette Straughter was elected in District 12.
District 1
Charles Owens IV – 260 (45%)
Theresa Wyatt – 317 (55%)
District 2
Larry Gipson – 149 (41%)
Hazel Hunter – 214 (59%)
District 4
Roy Glover – 309 (43%)
Walter Pullen – 415 (57%)
Distric 7
Tim Babcock – 529 (45%)
Jody Backus – 645 (55%)
District 8
Rodney Bagwell – 199 (24%)
Skip Russell – 627 (76%)
District 12
Claire Givens – 215 (47%)
Annette Straughter – 243 (53%)
Four term (16 year) incumbent Ouachita Parish Police Juror Mack Calhoun (District B) was defeated by challenger Jack Clampit last night.
Mack Calhoun – 2,443 (47%)
Jack Clampit – 2,746 (53%)
Clampit campaigned on the hot button issue of water quality for West Ouachita Parish. Residents have had issues with brown water from Greater Ouachita Water Company.
Judge Ad Hoc Jerome Barbera, a retired judge from the 17th Judicial (Lafourche Parish) District who is presiding over the case Palowsky v Campbell, was once sued ten years ago in federal court for allegedly violating an individual’s civil rights in a divorce case.
U. S. District Judge Helen Berrigan dismissed the suit, ruling that Barbera was protected by “judicial immunity.”
Plaintiff Keith Labat, himself an attorney at the time, alleged that Barbera, among other things:
…had numerous ex parte conversations with plaintiff’s former spouse’s attorney to fabricate numerous stories of plaintiff’s having a drug and alcohol problem in order to give plaintiff’s former spouse preferential custody treatment from the divorce proceedings.
Another judge from the district, John LeBlanc, was also named in the lawsuit.
See here the documents from that lawsuit:
Federal Claim – Labat v Barbera & LeBlanc
Motion to Dismiss Plaintiff’s Complaint
Memo in Opposition to Motion to Dismiss
Order and Reasons
Labat was later charged with and pled guilty to felony theft, forger, and issuing worthless checks.
He claimed the two judges froze his bank accounts and left him unable to manage his finances.
In 2008, Labat was disbarred by the Louisiana Supreme Court.
In the suit now at hand, Palowski alleges that Campbell destroyed court documents in another civil case (Palowski v Cork), and that several Fourth Judicial District judges covered up her wrongdoing.
The Board of Commissioners of Fire Protection District No. 1 of Lincoln Parish will meet in regular session at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at the Vienna Station of the Lincoln Parish Fire Protection District No. 1, located at 4786 Highway 167.
Here is the agenda.
Lincoln Parish News Online 