by Malcolm Butler
The Lincoln Parish Police Jury suffered a big loss last week with the passing of juror Joe Henderson, who had been battling health issues for a number of years.
I didn’t know Joe prior to my covering Lincoln Parish Police Jury meetings starting in the summer of 2022, but I quickly developed a respect for the spectacled gentleman representing District 9.
And although I didn’t always agree with Joe Henderson’s stance on certain topics, I never doubted his opinions and stances came from the right place.
He seemed sincere in his desire to do what was right, not only for his district but for all of Lincoln Parish.
Joe moved to the area in the early 1980s and was first elected to the Lincoln Parish Police Jury in 1992. More than three decades later, he was still serving.
If my math is right, that mean’s he was in his ninth term on the police jury. You don’t get elected that many times without having the respect and admiration of your constituents. He did.
Most of my experience with Joe came during the latter part of 2022 and early months of 2023, during one of — if not the most — controversial and tumultuous times of the policy jury in recent history.
Between the great debate over the ambulance and rescue contract which was up for renewal as well as the eventual changing of the guard in the administrator role on the police jury, most meetings became tense — and many times heated — when the topics were addressed.
And yet, Joe had a way of taking a strong stand without coming across as agenda driven or combative. I always admired him for that ability because in my opinion that wasn’t the case for everyone involved on the jury at that time.
I truly believe Joe served for all the right reasons.
And as a number of the current policy jury members said to me recently, Joe’s heart was in the right place. No doubt about it.
RIP, Joe.
Lincoln Parish will miss you.
