By T. Scott Boatright
It’s that time of the season in Lincoln Parish.
Football season is in full swing as Louisiana Tech and Grambling State, both of which will host home games on Saturday.
But it’s also election season in Lincoln Parish as candidates work to spread their platforms and campaign for the Oct. 14 primary election.
On Monday, 14 candidates for Lincoln Parish Police Jury seats along with coroner candidate Dr. James Belue appeared before a packed house at Grambling City Hall for a election forum sponsored by the Grambling Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority in conjunction with the Grambling branch of the NAACP, the Greater Grambling Chamber of Commerce and the Grambling State University student chapter of Delta Iota.
It was the first of three political forums featuring candidates up for election for Lincoln Parish Police Jury seats, with another set for 6 p.m. today at the Lincoln Parish Library Events Center and a third slated for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the same location.
Tonight’s forum will feature candidates running for LPPJ in Districts 1, 2, 3 and 6 while Tuesday’s will showcase those vying for seats in Districts 9, 10 and 11.
This year’s LPPJ elections have drawn considerable attention because of a movement in the parish to “Flip the Jury,” following a year-long process to select an ambulance service for parish residents outside Ruston city limits, which multiple incumbent candidates voiced opposition to.
Last January the LPPJ voted to re-sign with the Ruston Fire Department for a price that increased from the city of Ruston’s original offer of $120,000 for the partnership to more than $500,000.
Some of the jurors wanted to accept their own deal for parish residents not living in Ruston with Pafford Ambulance Service, which does not provide rescue service.
Three candidates — District 10 juror Milton Melton, the LPPJ’s current vice president, District 10 candidate Gary Baldwin and District 2 candidate Tommie Woods — were in attendance but did not participate in the forum after not following pre-forum protocol to let organizers know who planned to participate.
District 1 candidate Will Edwards spoke first.
“I’ve been in Lincoln Parish for about 10 years now and am a tow-truck driver for Ace Automotive,” Edwards said as he opened. “A lot of y’all have seen me, a lot of y’all have used me. I’m also a volunteer for Lincoln Parish Fire Department.
“One of the reasons I’m running is it’s time for a change. Let’s get back to the basics. Let’s love our neighbors. Let’s build our relationship back with our neighbors, our community and let’s try to make it a better place. That’s really it right now.
District 1 candidate Gregory “Big Coach” Williams told those in attendance that the ambulance selection ordeal was a big reason behind his decision to run.
“I became known here as a coach for both Ruston High School and Grambling (Laboratory High School). And if you trusted your children with me, you can trust me to take care of your roads and your trash.”
Williams then got to the heart of the matter, telling the audience about a time last year when he personally required an ambulance.
“One thing I can tell you, if that ambulance wouldn’t have come, ‘Big Coach’ wouldn’t be here talking,” Williams said. “And somebody on the police jury voted that we shouldn’t fund the ambulance, and I disagree with that because you must have ambulance service.
“The Jury and the School Board sit on an executive plan and you are the judicial part. And right now it’s time for a change. We must be consistent in what we’re doing. Two things heightened my awareness in this — ambulance service and economic development, which is a part of the police jury. When I was in the third grade, I came on a field trip to Grambling, and downtown Grambling has not changed. Not a bit. I’m running for juror to make a difference.
“There’s a formula that says input divided by output multiplied by 100 equals efficiency. If you’re not efficient at what you’re doing, it’s time to do something else. And right now the Police Jury is not efficient.”
District 1 incumbent Theresa Wyatt, who voted last January against renewing a deal with the city of Ruston for ambulance and rescue service, opened her speech by holding up a “Flip the Jury” sign, asking the crowd how many had seen the sign and what it means.
“I have chosen to speak on why I want to be reelected as your juror,” Wyatt said. “This sign has been in place for months and very few people saw it or knew what it meant. Even though I have a multitude of accomplishments, in January’s Police Jury meeting I did not cast a vote in favor of an employee that I thought was not working for the best interest of the parish.
“Previously I did not vote for the ambulance service not knowing where the funds would come from. I did not like the terms of the contract. I believe and still do that because I am a rural juror, it is in the best interest of the parish to strengthen the Lincoln Parish Fire Department by adding ambulance and rescue to their duties.”
Wyatt then said that according to a local paper, a mob assembled to pressure her and others about changing their votes.
“We stood firm in our belief,” Wyatt said. “It fueled one local citizen who came up with the slogan ‘Flip the Jury.’ The implication is get rid of those people who do not vote the way they are told. Other Christian activists stood up and publicly said, ‘We will go into your neighborhood and get people to run against you.
“The meaning is, ‘we will take from them the right to choose. We will pit neighbors and friends against each other. We will divide and we will conquer. We will destroy the purpose of districting.’ Our message today in District 1 should be clear. Districting is our golden goose because it gives us a voice around the table. We will select who we want to be our voice.
“My list of accomplishments speaks for me. I have served you with honor and respect. I have served you with compassion and passion and have a God-granted desire for public service. I want to be reelected because you deserve a juror who cannot be bought, sold or traded. … I deserve the right to be reelected because you deserve to choose who you want to be your voice around the table.”
Karen Ludley was the only District 2 candidate who participated and said the condition of area roads were the biggest complaints she’s heard from her potential voters and that she’s prepared to try and change that.
“I care,” Ludley said. “And if you know me, you know I’m out all the time and when someone asks me to do something, I’m always there. I’m very passionate about this parish because I was born here.
“My platform is to simply stand and spark a change. And that means sometimes you have to light a match under some behinds to get it done.”
Current LPPJ President and District 3 candidate Richard Durrett spoke next, touting his experience, including 17 years as parish administrator, and the good he feels he’s done while in office, including bridge replacements, the Health Hub project, and work to keep dumpster areas as clean as possible, all the while keeping things within budget.
Durrett’s opponent, District 3 candidate Dan Lord, said the LPPJ’s lack of transparency considering the ambulance service ordeal was the spark telling him it was time to run as he had long considered doing.
“We had a chance to get ambulance service for $10,000 a month and it ended up being $53,000 a month,” Lord said. “That’s what we’re going to have to pay now and we’re going to have to try and find where the money is.”
District 6 incumbent Glen Scriber said that while he agrees more transparency on the Jury is needed, his transparency in office is already on record.
“My record will already tell you what I’m going to do,” Scriber said.
District 6 challenger John Cole cited his 34 years as a banker is the reason behind his decision to run.
“Something missing on the jury is someone with a next-level understanding about the budgetary process and legislative audit process,’ Cole said. “I think I can bring that to the table if elected.”
Current District 9 juror Joe Henderson, who has been on the LPPJ for 30 years, touted his experience and success in road and sewer improvements along with the Health Hub project and the fact that he voted for accepting the city of Ruston’s ambulance service offer.
“We don’t need to be flipping the jury with people that don’t know what they’re doing,” Henderson said.
District 9 candidate Nakisha R. Evans, said she helped start the recent parish burn ban after fire came close to her home during the drought and that her home was damaged when her back door was ripped off during a storm “back in 2018, when the hurricane came” and despite a long fight with FEMA, repeated calls to her juror had gone unanswered.
“I took the time to find out what was going on, was I qualified and was I certified, and do I have enough knowledge to hold that position? And I do,” Evans said. … I stand here today to let you know I am qualified.”
While District 10 incumbent Melton and challenger Gary Baldwin didn’t participate, candidate Morris ‘Mo Love” Winters did take a turn at the microphone, saying that lighting in his area is a big concern for him.
“The lighting issue is a big one,” Winters said. “It’s dark on a lot of the roads in our district. We need to work to get grant money to lighten up the area and reduce the crime rate.”
District 11 incumbent Sharyon Mayfield cited upgrades at Lincoln Parish Park, road improvements and the Health Hub projects as accomplishments behind her decision to run again.
Patsy Candler was another candidate said a need for integrity and transparency was behind her bid as a District 11 challenger.
District 11 candidate Diane Heard Richards said that poor parish dumpster conditions, the ambulance service selection process and operation of the Lincoln Parish Detention Center were primary factors in her decision to run
“My constituents have a problem with the detention center,” Richards said. “And they have a juror (Mayfield is on the LPDC Commission) sitting on that board.
“We’ve had people die out there. Why is all of this happening?”
