The year of our Lord 2020 will go down in the memory books as one filled of disease, civil unrest, a highly contested and controversial presidential election, and a whole host of other phenomena appearing to come out of the Book of Revelation. Remember the murder hornets?
Here, in Allen, the year produced many news stories that will leave their mark on the local psyche.
The following are some of the major stories of the past memorable year.
January 16
• Oakdale City Council met for the first time in 2020 and heard good news concerning the Oakdale Police Department (OPD). The budget is back in the black after two months of serious belt tightening where the spending is concerned.
• The Allen Parish Police Jury and 2019 President Matt Fontenot kicked off the first meeting of 2020 and Fontenot’s last, by welcoming district six’s new juror Alan Courville. All jurors were sworn into office by Judge David Deshotel as each juror is beginning a new term. After which Fontenot said his final goodbye and thanked all the people of Allen Parish for all their support during his time as a juror.
January 23
• The City of Oakdale recently completed their annual end of the fiscal year audit for July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019. Overall the numbers were positive and Royce Scimemi had very few findings on his report.
There was one big ding the city reported. Scimemi found that the city may have violated the state Constitution when it granted city employees a one-time supplemental pay.
February 13
• Allen Parish District Attorney Todd Nesom has decided to not run for re-election this fall. He released a statement this week thanking his constituents for all their support.
• Former Oakdale police chief Joseph Lockett Sr., has been arrested for non-consensual disclosure of a private image.
Lockett, 45, is also charged with cyberstalking and obstruction of justice.
Lockett turned himself in Monday morning on an indictment from November 19, 2019, according to information from the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Clerk of Court’s Office.
Lockett resigned as police chief in December after a tumultuous first term. Scotty Laborde – the previous police chief – is serving as interim chief. The seat will go up for election this coming November.
Lockett was previously indicted for malfeasance in office, injuring public records and public payroll fraud.
Lockett ran for Allen Parish Sheriff last year but lost to incumbent Doug Hebert. Hebert said his office turned the investigation into the non-consensual disclosure of a private image over to state police because they were in the middle of an election.
March 12
•Did you hear about the time a panther kicked over a hornet’s nest? Well, it happened last Friday night at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.
One minute and change into the Class B Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Girls’ Basketball State Championship Game, Rylee Jinks scored to put Fairview ahead 2-0. That basket kicked up a swarm of Hathaway Lady Hornets out of their nest. What ensued was a back-and-forth volley of baskets going through the hoop.
As the volley of shots died down and the dust cleared, it was the Lady Panthers of Fairview who came out on top 65-55 to win the state championship.
March 19
•Due to the current outbreak of the coronavirus all public schools in Allen Parish and the state were closed beginning March 16, and will resume on April 13, 2020.
•On Monday, March 16, Governor John Bel Edwards announced the state is limiting gatherings to fewer than 50 people. Louisiana is also closing casinos, bars and movie theaters. This will also include limiting restaurants to delivery and drive-through orders only. Edwards announced this will also affect gyms and fitness centers.
March 26
•COVID-19 has come to Allen Parish. As of Monday there were two confirmed cases all in the Oakdale Area, both were federal inmates.
According to a post made to the Oakdale Community Hospital Facebook page (which was also shared by the City of Oakdale) one inmate was seen by the Oakdale Community Hospital and later transferred to a medical facility in Rapides Parish. The second one has been quarantined.
In the Facebook post, the Oakdale Community Hospital said the first case did not originate in the community.
April 2
•Stress and anxiety are running high at this time especially among our healthcare workers, law enforcement, city officials and even our correctional officers.
The first death from the COVID-19 (coronavirus) in regards to the Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex occurred Saturday, March 28. It’s not only prisoners at risk in Louisiana’s prison systems but its employees.
May 21
•The Allen Parish School Board learned the administration has been working hard trying to prepare for future issues related to education and COVID-19.
Superintendent Kent Reed said the staff is busy dealing with present issues as well as considering what can be done in the future. He said plans are being developed and aligned toward phases. For example, Phase One would be everyone returning to school – a normal day. Phase Two would be a combination of students at school and home, and Phase Three would be virtual learning at home. The state could also add mandates like the number of students in a classroom or even riding a bus.
July 2
•Newly elected Clerk of Court Stacey Hurst was sworn in on Monday, June 29, by sitting Clerk of Court Gerald Harrington. Harrington served as clerk of court for Allen Parish for 24 years. Hurst was elected in October 2019 and will be the first female clerk of court for Allen Parish.
August 6
•The Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office received a complaint which led to the arrest of an Oberlin police officer last week.
Sheriff Doug Hebert III said detectives with the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office received a complaint from parents stating James Berry, an officer with the Oberlin Police Department, was having inappropriate, sexual conversations with their 16-year-old daughter via social media.
•The Allen Parish Police Jury welcomed a new juror for district seven during the meeting on Monday night. Chad Sanders was appointed to be interim juror to replace Kent Fontenot who retired last month. Sanders will serve until an election can be held.
August 27
•The Village of Elizabeth has become the first municipality in Allen Parish to have a female police chief. Katrina Ford of Elizabeth was sworn in on Thursday, August 13 by the Allen Parish Clerk of Courts Office and will be completing the previous chief’s term until January 2023.
Ford was born and raised in Oakdale. She is a 1991 graduate of Oakdale High School. She and her children are active members of Christ Church in Oakdale.
September 3
•Hurricane Laura left a path of destruction in the wake of her winds and rain.
An Oakdale resident, Darlene Odom, 64, passed after a tree fell on her home.
Two other AP residents, 84 year-old Robert Ray and 80 year-old Me Corsey passed in their home located on Sycamore St. from carbon monoxide poisoning from their generators.
The Oakdale Fire Department is requesting that residents all take every precaution when dealing with generators.
September 17
•On Thursday, September 10, officials gathered from across the parish to hear Governor John Bell Edwards thoughts on debris clean-up during his visit to the Allen Parish Police Jury office.
He stated, “The cleanup process is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. We have requested FEMA assistance in every category they offer. They have approved this coverage; all you need to do is apply. We have also requested the cost share be waived. Texas received it for Hurricane Harvey.”
“We made it through the worst hurricane since 1856 with only one death, due to the hurricane itself. There have been 28 in total. We need to work on generator safety in the future.”
November 12
•Sixty percent of Oakdale’s voters decided Gene Paul (1,139) was doing an excellent job as mayor. His opponent James Vidrine received 40 percent (746 votes).
The new lawman in Oakdale will be Chad Doyle, who received 70 percent (1,310 votes) of the vote for police chief. Bryan Hargrove received 30 percent (568 votes).
Doyle was previously city marshal for about 10 years. He said he plans on meeting with employees to learn strengths and weaknesses.
December 10
• In unofficial results at press time, Allen Parish residents elected Judi Abrusley as the district judge for the 33rd Judicial District Court, Division A, on Saturday, December 12.
Abrusley received 58 percent of the votes (2,532) against Chad Guidry, who received 42 percent (1,852) of the votes.