We remind all that tomorrow night is the big night for those who wish to have their voices heard by the Sabine Parish School Board regarding Gov. John Bel Edwards’ mandate that schoolchildren over age 5 be masked at school. A special Sabine Parish School Board meeting will be held Thursday, Aug. 26 at Many High School Gym at 5:30 p.m.
The special meeting was called at the request of “Unmask our Kids Sabine Parish” spokesperson and organizer Kresha Matkin, a nurse and mother of three school-age children who, along with several hundred local parents, is concerned about the physical, emotional and psychological impact of mask-wearing on students.
According to event organizers, those who wish to speak at the meeting are required to fill out a card at the door before those persons will be placed on the speaking schedule. Masks are required for all attending.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry was on Tedd Dumas’ popular “Open Line” radio program Wednesday morning, Aug. 11, and reported that Gov. John Bel Edwards does not have the constitutional authority to require school students to wear masks. Might remind you that Landry is Louisiana’s top lawyer.
Also on the program with Landry was Kresha Matkin who started the Facebook group page “Unmask our Kids Sabine Parish.” Just recently organized, already there are some 1,100 members who are concerned about the physical, emotional and psychological effects of masking schoolchildren.
In the radio interview, Landry supported Ms. Matkin and her group one hundred percent. He urged persons to start calling their School Board Members, and to let them know how they feel. He added if School Board Members won’t listen to the public, then next election vote them out.
The Attorney General told the big radio audience that it is up to the School Board of each parish to decide whether or not the students should wear a mask.
Now just over the line in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have issued Executive Order GA-38 which prohibits governmental entities and officials from mandating face coverings. It has the force and effect of state law and supersedes local rules and regulations. Any school district, public university or local government official that decides to defy the order will be taken to court.
Said the Governor, “The path forward relies on personal responsibility - not government mandates. The State of Texas will continue to vigorously fight the temporary restraining order to protect the rights and freedoms of all Texans.”
Sabine Sheriff Aaron Mitchell recently issued the list of Felony Narcotics arrests for July. There were 19 persons arrested on drug charges.
Approximately 187 grams of marijuana, 865 Xanax pills, 407 Ecstasy pills, 160 grams of methamphetamine, five firearms including one that was stolen, and various drug paraphernalia were seized during the arrests.
Sheriff Mitchell, Chief Deputy Brad Walker and the Tactical Narcotics Team and Patrol Deputies continue the fight against illegal drug use and sales in Sabine Parish. Keep up the good work!
I want to thank and compliment Sabine Sheriff’s Detective David Wade “D.W.” Seegers for the great job he is doing in handling news for the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office.
In October of last year, Sheriff Aaron Mitchell and Chief Deputy Brad Walker asked him to handle the Sheriff’s Department’s news releases through social media on Facebook and for the Sheriff’s App, and to also supply the office’s news to local and area media. It is very important that the public stay informed, and Sheriff Mitchell has taken steps to see that happens. He’s got a good guy on the job.
Seegers, 48, was graduated from Many High and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Northwestern. He has worked at the Sheriff’s Office for 20 years, starting in the jail, moving to patrol, then as a patrol sergeant for four years. He has been a Detective since January 2018.
He completed the P.O.S.T. Academy in 2001 at Bossier Parish Community College Criminal Justice Institute in Bellevue, where he received the Academic Award and qualified as Expert in firearms.
In addition, he was fortunate to work for the State Police for a short time and completed the intense LSP Training Academy in Baton Rouge in 2007. He handled digital forensic investigations including digital device extractions, cellular phone records and tracking, and social media.
Seegers received the FBI-LEEDA (Law Enforcement Executive Development Association) Trilogy Award in October for attending the Supervisor Leadership Institute, the Command Leadership Institute and the Executive Leadership Institute training courses during the past year. Each of the three five-day training courses teach law enforcement how to become an effective leader, how to build more leaders, personality traits, credibility, liability, trust and dealing with change.
And the training continues. On Aug. 23, Seegers will attend the FBI-LEEDA Media and Public Relations five-day training course in Lafayette. He enjoys his job, and it shows. And we are thankful to have him as a Sheriff’s Deputy. He is passionate about his work. Thanks, my good man, and stay safe.
Remembering The Hanging Tree
It was back in October of 1970 when I received a call from the now-late Marion Tannehill. He asked if I knew about “The Hanging Tree.” I told him I had heard about it but did not know much else. He asked if I would like to go and look at it and, of course, I accepted. He picked me up at the Sabine Index office a few days later, and we drove out a short way from Fisher on The Hanging Tree Road. It’s still called by that name.
The term “Hanging Tree” is somewhat deceptive, making most folks imagine a place where justice might have been carried out. But this “Hanging Tree” was different. It was Southern Long Leaf Pine all the way from top to bottom. And it was a logging oddity.
Mr. Tannehill did not know the exact details. A tree had been cut many years prior and when it was cut, it lodged in the top of another nearby pine. The loggers did not have any way to get it down, so they simply left it alone. Somehow the cut tree that lodged got nourishment from the standing tree and lived. When we looked at it back in 1970, some fifty years ago now, the tree that had been cut was lodged on the other at a height of about 35 feet. The butt of the cut tree was about four feet off the ground.
When the story ran in the Index, we asked anyone who might have information about it to let us know. The next week, Mr. S. P. “Pete” Randolph, who lived on the Texas Rd. near Toledo Bend Lake, said he remembered the happening very well. He had lived west of Fisher at one time.
He said the tree was cut down in 1918 by two African Americans who were making railroad ties. Some of the old-timers around Fisher said the tree was cut in April or May. He said they had no way to get the hanging tree down, so they just let it hang because the standing tree was too big to make ties. Even though it was cut, the bark was apparently skinned off both trees, so the cut one was able to take nourishment from the standing tree.
Mr. Randolph said he remembered the year the tree was cut because it was the same year they took up the logging tram that came into Fisher.
He recalled the ones cutting the tree as being either George Smith or Coleman Drew. It has also been reported that they worked for Louisiana Long Leaf Lumber Co. at Fisher.
We recently asked Mr. Tannehill’s son, Brian, if the hanging tree was still standing. He said he understood it was cut down some years ago. Too bad. It was a very interesting story and a very interesting sight.
WE GET LETTERS: This one, right on target, from Ronald Byrd of South Boston, VA, as follows:
“Robert: Kresha Matkin, Dale Skinner, other Board members, and the many protesters present deserve everyone’s praise. Ms Matkin and her supporters have legitimate complaints and are presenting their case in an impressive and positive manner, unlike what you see regularly when leftists protest. It is really refreshing to see the system working without rancor, finger-pointing, and name-calling. Both the Board and the protesters really should be commended. Board member Dale Skinner’s comments which you quoted were reasonable and on-target and seemed to represent the general feeling of both those inside and outside of the venue. However, the problem lies with the Governor’s dictate and that was based on information and opinions from the CDC, which shift and change with the weather. The only thing that is clear is that we seem to be moving towards a model in which the Marxist collective dominates over individual freedoms. Freedom of speech is no longer a fact in the liberal-dominated big cities. The Second Amendment to the Constitution is under constant threat, and fearmongering by the present administration is a tool being used to fight dissent over masking and vaccinations. One problem is that we no longer know who or what to trust. I have faith in America and believe that what is happening in Many and Sabine Parish is occurring or going to occur across our Nation and that we will ultimately defeat the advocates of totalitarianism, socialism, and Marxism. Common sense will tell you that’s so; those all have a long history of eventual failures. We will prevail, my friend! Ronny”
Laurie and I attended a singing by her parents, Bill and Vicki Sky, down at Pisgah Baptist Church in Toro community a few Sunday nights ago which we enjoyed much. We are told the Pisgah Church Loop Road had been worked for the Sabine Parish Police Jury the first week in August, including putting some rock in the really bad spots. “It is better than it’s been in a long time,” one gentleman told us. And the members of the Pisgah Baptist are thankful. The Rev. C. M. Kelly is pastor there.
We noted in this column a couple of weeks ago the higher gas prices we’re all paying. Since then and as gas costs steadily climb, we saw Pres. Biden urging OPEC to boost oil production. And why wouldn’t he? Depending on sometimes-unfriendly, sometimes-hostile foreign countries for oil has worked so well for fifty years.
Now, with the left’s closure of pipeline projects in this country and their renewed eagerness to source oil from anywhere but here, we see the leader of the free world begging OPEC to please play nice. And gas isn’t the only thing getting more expensive. Milk, eggs and other necessities are going up, up, up.
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