Katherine Haik crowned Miss Teen USA

Residents from Franklinton and surrounding areas gathered at numerous places last Saturday and although the locations might have been different, the reason was not.

People of all ages huddled around laptops, tablets and large projection screens to watch Franklinton native Katherine Haik compete in the Miss Teen USA pageant.

After being crowned Miss Louisiana Teen USA, Katherine would represent Louisiana in the Miss Teen USA pageant held at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. The daughter of Tim and Jennifer Haik and younger sister of Caroline, Katherine became the youngest young lady to win the Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageant. She is the granddaughter of Vick and Verna Haik of Bogalusa and Terry and the late J.Y. Seal of Franklinton.

At the Miss Teen USA pageant, Katherine would compete against 50 other contestants vying for the title. Contestants arrived the week before Saturday's big event and enjoyed planned events while preparing for Friday and Saturday.

Katherine was joined in the Bahamas by her parents, her sister and her Aunt Rebecca. Her maternal grandmother, Terry, watched the event with approximately 200 others at Caddy Shack Restaurant on the outside deck on a large projection screen.

Preliminaries of the Miss Teen USA pageant were held Friday with the main part of the competition coming on Saturday.

Once the show began, it wasn't long before the 51 contestants were reduced to 15. Katherine was selected to join 14 others who would compete for the title.

While watching with so many others, her grandmother, Terry, commented on how nervous she was and how thankful she was that Katherine made the first cut.  "I was so nervous and just thanked God when she made the Top 15."

After hearing talks from Miss USA and Miss Universe, the final 15 were on stage for the swimsuit competition while all 51 participants came out for the evening gown competition.

The announcement of the Final 5 contestants followed. The Final 5 included Hannah Green from Tennessee, Sophie Baird from Massachusetts, Jane Axhoj from North Carolina, Melanie Mitchell from California and Louisiana's Katherine Haik. There were a few anxious moments as Katherine was the last of the five to be announced.

The Final 5 contestants were then each asked a question with the exception of Katherine. The host told Katherine that he had heard that she could recite each of the United States Presidents while singing. He then asked her to perform her trademark song which she did flawlessly. People from the Bahamas to Louisiana clapped along as she sang. Numerous Facebook videos showed Franklinton-area crowds joining along with her.

Her grandmother, Terry, was one of those clapping. "I was so thrilled that she had made the Top 5. I was extremely happy that she was going to be able to place in the top five of the competition."

Each finalist then picked a name from a bowl that contained the name of one of the judges. The judge selected would then ask that contestant a question.

Katherine selected Fred Nelson as the judge to ask her a question. Nelson asked her what historical woman should have her picture on the new $10 bill and why.

"I would have to go with Rosa Parks," said Katherine. "I love how she stood up for what she believed in and I really respect that of her bravery. I think if we, as a generation, learn to do that then we would be even better. So, just standing up for what we believe in and doing what's right."

Following the announcements of Miss Photogenic and Miss Congeniality and an announcement from 2014 Miss Teen USA K. Lee Graham, the moment that everyone had been waiting for had arrived.

One by one, Final 5 contestants were eliminated beginning with Massachusetts, Tennessee, and North Carolina. Miss California was the only one between Katherine and the Miss Teen USA title. As the two nervously awaited the announcement, the judge finally announced the word that so many in our area had been hoping to hear: Louisiana.

As our new Miss Teen USA was hugged by Miss California, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds lit up with posts from supporters of Katherine's. Videos were shown of numerous watch parties and their responses as Katherine was announced as the winner. People were clapping and hugging each other, quite a few were shedding tears of joy and some didn't have the words to express how happy and excited they were.

Included in that group was Ms. Terry, Katherine's grandmother who was in Louisiana celebrating with others. "I was totally speechless and didn't know what to say. I was extremely proud of her though."

As Katherine was crowned and presented with flowers, she took her first walk as the 2015 Miss Teen USA. When asked by the hosts to make a comment, she was nearly speechless like so many others who had been cheering her on for the last two hours. At the age of 15, Katherine becomes the youngest person to ever win the Miss Teen USA title.

Katherine was whisked away to New York the following morning for a week of interviews and other events. She will spend much of her time in the next year away from Franklinton while representing Louisiana and the USA in different parts of the country.

With the personality of such a wonderful young lady, she will surely have Franklinton in her heart wherever her travels take her on this wonderful journey.

Meteorologist Discusses Upcoming Hurricane Season

With hurricane season already underway, Ken Graham of the National Weather Service (NWS) made a presentation about hurricane preparedness at a recent Washington Parish Government meeting.

Graham, the meteorologist in charge of the NWS in Slidell, said he makes these presentations to 22 parishes and 8 counties in Mississippi to make sure people are reminded and aware of the dangers of hurricanes and what his office does to assist the public. He stated that the NWS works closely with local emergency preparedness managers to stay connected to communities during all weather-related times.

"Preparing for a hurricane is tricky because you're almost fighting some of your preconceived notions," said Graham. "Every one of the categories for hurricanes is different; you can't just base it on winds. It could be rain, storm surge, tornadoes. You have to pay attention to everything like that."

"The National Hurricane Center sends us all these different (hurricane) models and blends them together to attract. It's our job to put together what the impact will be for Washington Parish. That's our role and we convey that through the emergency managers here. All parishes have briefings and the charts and information you see, that's us behind the scenes."

Graham stated that the upcoming hurricane season is projected to be below average, but cautioned everyone not to let their guard down. "We are forecasting a below average season because of El Niño. The forecast you see is not a forecast for landfall. That's a forecast for the whole Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. It only takes one," said Graham.

According to Graham, Hurricane Audrey in 1957 was a Category 4 storm in an El Niño year. Hurricane Betsy in 1965 was an El Niño year. Hurricane Andrew was a slight of an El Niño year.

"There weren't a lot of hurricanes in any of those years but it just took the one to get us."

The World Meteorological Association in Geneva puts together the names of hurricanes each year.

In 2005, Graham said that The Weather Service ran out of names and had to go to the Greek alphabet. In 2010, The Weather Service almost ran out of names again. "We don't remember 2010 though because it didn't affect us."

Last season only eight hurricanes formed and all of them went into the Atlantic.

"All you have to do is shift the Bermuda high to the West about 400-500 miles and every one of them would have gotten into the Gulf of Mexico. It would've been an historic season," said Graham.

Graham said he has briefed the Coast Guard and challenged them to take all of their preconceived notions and plans and cut the time in half. He also asked the Parish Government to do the same.

"I've heard of 80 hour plans, 90 hour plans, 120 hour plans and even working on 200 hours. You're not going to get it. Unless something comes off of the African coast and travels all the way across the Atlantic, you're not going to get that kind of timing (to prepare)."

 

Hurricane Audrey wasn't named until 48 hours before the Category 4 storm struck Louisiana. In 1969, Hurricane Camille didn't get a name until 80 hours before landfall. In 2003, Tropical Storm Bill wasn't named until 72 hours before making landfall and dropping large amounts of rainfall over the area. Bill caused over $50 million in damages while being responsible for four deaths along its path. Hurricane Cindy barely reached Category 1 status but drenched South Louisiana with a tremendous amount of water. Hurricane Cindy didn't even exist 72 hours before landfall, but ended up causing a severe blackout in New Orleans along with three deaths along its path even though being downgraded shortly after landfall.

"We're better than we used to be, but we can only put out a warning and a forecast if it exist" stated Graham. "I really encourage everybody to get in a room with the plan you have and cut the time in half and see what happens."

Graham said the National Weather Service has new technology available this season that will provide more information. An Inundation Map has an accuracy of 90% probability of being accurate those values or less. There's also a new prototype storm surge warning product. This also includes river warnings which are also issued through the NWS.

The National Weather Service started in 1870 at the US Customs House on Canal Street in New Orleans. Graham said the Inundation Map had more public input during its creation than any other product in NWS history.

"Once we put out a map or a warning, you'll have a map like this (Inundation Map) to look at. We will put the map out at 48 hours or below."

Graham also highly encouraged tourist and school groups to tour the National Weather Service office in Slidell. The office is located by the Slidell airport. He stated that "we launch a weather balloon twice a day and the kids really get a kick out of that".

He also stated that the NWS in Slidell is one of the few offices where you can call 24 hours a day and reach a live meteorologist to receive weather reports with everyone being trained to give a consistent message.

"The President of United States gets the same briefing as anybody else," said Graham. "We've taken that very seriously since Katrina."

Hurricane season began June 1 and runs through November 30.

Meteorologist Ken Graham can be reached by email at kenneth.graham@noaa.gov

RMC CEO speaks about negotiations with STPH

Dear Editor:

After hearing the response from the public, Riverside Medical Center is making one final attempt to seek a formal, binding agreement with St. Tammany Parish Hospital regarding their operation of Family Medical Clinic. At the Riverside Medical Center Board meeting on Jan. 29 the Riverside Board of Commissioners approved a resolution expressing its desire for St. Tammany Parish Hospital to return to negotiations — specifically, to enact a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 46:1077 and health care privacy laws.

For additional background on what has led Riverside Medical Center to these current circumstances, below is a time table of events outlining what has happened:

• July 7, 2014, members of Family Medical Clinic approached the Washington Parish Council to enact a 20-year resolution. This resolution was not approved by Riverside Medical Center.

• Aug. 25, 2014, a public meeting of the Washington Parish Council directed Riverside Medical Center and St. Tammany Parish Hospital to work on a mutually beneficial agreement. Mr. William Jones said this needed to be done expeditiously in a 30-day window.

• Board members of Riverside Medical Center and St. Tammany Parish Hospital met to discuss plans for an agreement on Sept. 12, 2014. Both parties felt positive about the meeting and recommended a follow up meeting with board members, administration and general counsel for additional discussion.

• Board members, general counsel and the CEOs of Riverside Medical Center and St. Tammany Parish Hospital met on Sept. 18, 2014. A verbal, mutually acceptable agreement was reached. After close of the meeting, the attorneys discussed who would draft the agreement. Mr. Jones took the responsibility of drafting but refused to make it a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement.

• Mr. Matthew Brown reached out to Mr. Jones on Oct. 2, 2014, to inquire as to the status of the agreement. Mr. Jones responded that he had just completed the most extensive agreement in St. Tammany Parish Hospital history and would turn full attention to drafting the Riverside Medical Center/St. Tammany Parish Hospital agreement.

• On Nov. 14, 2014, Riverside Medical Center received the St. Tammany Parish Hospital draft of the Memorandum of Understanding. It was an extensive 14-page document, mostly favorable to St. Tammany Parish Hospital, with requirements that had not previously been discussed. The document was reviewed at the Nov. 20, 2014, board meeting, and the attorney was given specific changes by the board, which he began to draft in the form of a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement, according to LA RS 46:1077.

• On Jan. 9, 2015, a revised draft was sent to St. Tammany Parish Hospital, which very simply outlined what had been agreed to at the Sept. 18 meeting. Subsequently, St. Tammany Parish Hospital officials accused Riverside Medical Center and the board of stalling.

• Jan. 13, 2015, the board of Riverside Medical Center received an ultimatum from St. Tammany Parish Hospital instructing Riverside Medical Center to sign the Memorandum of Understanding as presented by Jan. 23, 2015, at 3 p.m., or the negotiations would end, and St. Tammany Parish Hospital would cease operating Family Medical Clinic on or before Oct. 27, 2015.

• Jan. 19, 2015, the Riverside Medical Center board held an emergency meeting to discuss the ultimatum. 

The board passed a resolution requesting a meeting between the hospital boards resulting in a resolution and letter sent to St. Tammany Parish Hospital. The resolution and a letter were sent to St. Tammany Parish Hospital on Jan. 20, 2015.

• St. Tammany Parish Hospital denied the request for the board members to meet and demanded Riverside Medical Center furnish a detailed list of the issues by Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 at 3 p.m.

• On Jan. 21, 2015, after being denied a meeting with St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s board, Riverside Medical Center responded with the following two issues, though were willing to accept other provisions: 1)Remove the reporting requirements imposed by St. Tammany Parish Hospital; and 2) revise the dispute resolution process to protect Riverside Medical Center and the residents of Washington Parish to state that if the Memorandum of Understanding is terminated, St. Tammany Parish Hospital would have 18 months to relocate.

• On Friday, Jan. 23, 2015, at 3:15 p.m., Riverside Medical Center received a response from St. Tammany Parish Hospital that they had revoked their offer after it had expired and was no longer subject to acceptance, though the St. Tammany Parish Hospital board would take into consideration Riverside Medical Center’s response and requested revisions at their Jan. 26 meeting but by no means was this to be considered a new offer or negotiations.

• On Jan. 27, 2015, Riverside Medical Center learned in an article published in the newspaper that St. Tammany Parish Hospital was announcing publically that Family Medical Clinic would cease operations in Franklinton, Louisiana, on or before Oct. 27, 2015, before receiving any prior direct notification from St. Tammany Parish Hospital. Furthermore, Riverside discovered in the minutes of the St. Tammany Parish Facilities meeting of Jan. 12, 2015, that St. Tammany Parish Hospital had authorized its representatives to immediately seek to find a new location for Family Medical Clinic, one day before St. Tammany Parish Hospital submitted the ultimatum to Riverside Medical Center on Jan. 13.

As you can see, the Riverside Medical Center Board of Commissioners and hospital administration have made repeated attempts to negotiate in good faith. However, Riverside is unable to approve a Memorandum of Understanding that requires reporting of patient information that would violate federal patient privacy laws. Further, according to state law a Memorandum of Understanding is not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the law. Our desire is to enact a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement, in accordance with the provisions of LA R.S. 46:1077, that would allow the continued operation of Family Medical Clinic in Franklinton. If St. Tammany Parish Hospital would like to continue delivering world-class health care to their patients in Washington Parish, we sincerely welcome them to contact Riverside Medical Center by noon on Monday, Feb. 9, 2015, expressing its desire to enact a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement.

Both Riverside Medical Center and Family Medical Clinic are a vital part of health care delivery in this area. Riverside is excited about the growth of this hospital and health care delivery, with the expansion of existing services and addition of new services. These include the opening of the new Family Care Clinic, expanding the Riverside Pediatric and Internal Medicine Clinic, adding additional physicians and nurse practitioners, building a new cath lab, establishing an in-house pharmacy for its employees and staff and continuing to recruit other physicians, nurse practitioners and other specialists. We welcome Family Medical Clinic and St. Tammany Parish Hospital to be a part of this growth.

– Thank you,

E. Kyle Magee, M.D.

CEO

Riverside Medical Center

STPH Termination Resolution

The document below is a resolution from the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Board of Directors regarding Riverside Medical Center and terminating STPH's contract with Family Medical Clinic.

Click this link to view the six page document (document may take a few minutes to load)

Family Medical Clinic to leave Franklinton

The following is an ad in the January 28, 2015 edition of The Era-Leader newspaper from St. Tammany Parish Hospital regarding Family Medical Clinic of Franklinton

January 28, 2015

To Our Washington Parish Patients and Families,
We are sad to report that St. Tammany Parish Hospital must end operation of Family Medical Clinic when our current agreement expires October 27, 2015. Our mission is to deliver world-class healthcare to our patients, close to home, and operation of the clinic through employment of Drs. Berthelot, James, Foret and Battles has been a perfect example of that mission.

All Family Medical Clinic patients should rest assured that while our ability to operate the clinic may end, our commitment to the mission will not. Each patient under our care will receive notification of their physician's new office location as soon as possible.

We have worked for months to secure a resolution that would enable St. Tammany Parish Hospital to continue caring for the community in Family Medical Clinic on Riverside Drive in Franklinton, as we have  since 2003. While we were successful in securing a five-year extension from the Washington Parish Council, we were not able to secure an agreement with Riverside Medical Center. We are saddened for the people who live and work in Franklinton and throughout Washington Parish to lose this convenient location.

The St. Tammany Parish Hospital family takes pride in treating our patients as family too. We thank the Washington Parish Council and the residents of the Franklinton area for their tremendous support of Family Medical Clinic for more than a decade. And we ask each of our patients to be attuned to hear from us regarding their doctor's relocation.

Sincerely,

Patti Ellis, STPH President/CEO   Dr. Libeau Berthelot   Dr. Mark James   Dr. Chris Foret   Dr. Caroline Battles

Wise and the Heartbreak Orchestra Return to Franklinton

Cody Wise and The Heartbreak Orchestra will perform live in concert at Bowling Green School in Franklinton, LA.  A 2003 graduate of BGS, Cody will bring his popular show to the school on Saturday, November 22 at 7:00 p.m.

The Heartbreak Orchestra will feature a special performance by David Fontana, son of Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame drummer D.J. Fontana. The elder Fontana served as Elvis Presley's drummer for 14 years. The performance includes Elvis hits from the 50s, his 68 Comeback Special and 70s and features three costume changes and an intermission.

Cody last performed in Franklinton to a sold-out audience at the 1010 Club and again at the Washington Parish Fair.

During his time as an Elvis tribute artist, Cody has played in venues that include the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, MS, the Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, FL, the Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis, MS and the Florida State Fair. He's also performed in Las Vegas, Nevada, Presley's hometown of Tupelo, MS and Memphis, TN which was home to Elvis and his Graceland mansion. In 2013, Cody was also selected to play the part of Elvis in the Broadway hit Million Dollar Quartet.

Tickets for the November 22 performance can be purchased at Bowling Green School, Shirts-n-Things in Franklinton and Citizens Savings Bank (Franklinton and Bogalusa). Tickets are on sale now for $20 when purchased in advance or $25 at the door.

Cody Wise and the Heartbreak Orchestra will perform at Bowling Green School on Saturday, November 22

BGS to host Veterans Day Program

Friday, November 7^th, Bowling Green School will celebrate Veterans Day.  We will begin with breakfast in the cafeteria at 8:15 then move to the gym for our special program for 9:00. 

Immediately following the program, there will be a Service for Dignified Disposal of Unserviceable American Flags. 

If you have a tattered flag and would like it to be part of this special ceremony, please drop the flag off at the school or at The American Legion. BGS encourages all Veterans and their spouses to join us in honoring the men and women who has served our country.

November Is Native American Month

Washington Parish President Richard Ned Thomas joined in the support of the Museums of Cassidy Park and the Intertribal Council of Louisiana's Nov. 8 Native American Cultural Day by proclaiming the entire month of November “Native American Month,” and Nov. 8 “Native American Cultural Day” in the parish.

Thomas presented the proclamations to ITCL Director Kevin Billiot and MCP President Jo Ann Miller during the parish council meeting on Oct. 27.

The joint project will bring representatives of seven Louisiana tribes to Bogalusa's Cassidy Park to educate visitors about the culture and to demonstrate traditional dance, games, crafts and more. Individuals will be able to check out replicas of traditional dwellings and to ask questions in the intimate setting, and everybody will get a chance to take part in the fun and games.

Traditional craft items and food will be available for purchase, but admission to the 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. event is free of charge.

The proclamation notes, in part, that Native Americans were the first explorers and settlers of the area that now makes up Washington Parish; that large numbers of Native Americans have defended the security of the United States by serving in the armed forces; and that “the unique spiritual, artistic and literary contributions of Native Americans, together with their vibrant customs and celebrations, enliven and enrich our land.”

Thomas also notes that Native American Cultural Day on Nov. 8 at Cassidy Park offers a rare learning opportunity, and he asks all parish citizens to join in the celebration of the “history, heritage and culture of the native people of this great country.”

Cutline information: Washington Parish President Richard Ned Thomas, left, presents a proclamation declaring November “Native American Month” and November 8 “Native American Cultural Day” in the parish to Intertribal Council of Louisiana Director Kevin Billiot and Museums of Cassidy Park President Jo Ann Miller. The ITCL and MCP are partnering to present Native American Cultural Day in Cassidy Park.

Parish President Richard Thomas presented proclamations to ITCL Director Kevin Billiot and MCP President Jo Ann Miller during the parish council meeting on Oct. 27.

Robinson, Magee meet in SEC clash

Franklinton's Josh Robinson and Terrence Magee were on opposite sidelines Saturday night as Mississippi State took on LSU in Tiger Stadium. The two are former teammates from the 2010 FHS state championship team. Robinson was a running back while Magee quarterbacked the Demons to the state title.

Robinson carried 16 times for 197 yards in Mississippi State's win over eighth-ranked LSU. He scored the Bulldogs second touchdown to give MSU a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Magee also got in on the big plays by completing a halfback pass for 44 yards to wide receiver Malachi Dupre. He also caught four passes for 29 yards.

Mississippi State defeated LSU 34-29 on Saturday to break a 14 game LSU winning streak against the Bulldogs.

Josh Robinson (13) takes off on a 66 yard run against the LSU Tigers.

Magee to Represent LSU at SEC Media Days

SEC Media Days begin Monday, July 14 and run through Thursday, July 17. The annual event is a prelude to the upcoming football season and brings players and head coaches together from each of the 14 SEC member schools.

A trio of LSU Tigers will take center stage Wednesday along with Head Coach Les Miles at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Hoover, Alabama. Franklinton's Terrence Magee is one of three Tigers chosen by Miles to represent LSU.

Magee and others will face questions from the national media as well as one-on-one interviews with writers interested in learning more about the 2014 LSU Tigers. Offensive lineman La’el Collins and linebacker D.J. Welker are the other two student-athletes that Coach Miles chose to attend.

An all-state quarterback who led the Franklinton Demons to back-to-back state championship game appearances in 2009 and 2010, Magee enters his senior season at LSU as the leading returning rusher in an extremely talented backfield.

After patiently waiting for playing time his freshman and sophomore years, Magee took advantage of every opportunity in 2013 by rushing for 626 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. He was named the SEC Player of the Week after rushing for 149 yards and a touchdown in LSU's win over Texas A&M in 2013. Magee earned the Alvin Roy Fourth Quarter Award for outstanding performance in LSU's off-season program and the Eric Andolsek Leadership Award for his leadership role in spring drills.

Arguably the ultimate compliment comes from the LSU football website which describes Magee as the "consummate team player who serves as a role model for younger players".

Being selected to represent LSU at SEC Media Days is a tremendous honor for any student-athlete and the usually soft-spoken Magee shouldn't feel any pressure behind the microphones. The former FHS quarterback led his team to the school’s first state championship in 2010 while earning most every high school award in the process.

After numerous losses to the NFL draft, Magee will be looked to more as a leader by his teammates. The Tigers open regular-season play against Wisconsin on August 30 at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX.

Former FHS Demon Terrence Magee to represent LSU at SEC Media Days