The Ouachita Parish Police Jury took an important step Monday (Oct. 1) night at its regularly scheduled meeting, when an ordinance to permit alcohol to be sold on Sunday was on the agenda. No action was taken by Jurors, as the ordinance was only for introductory purposes. Calhoun businessman, Laddie Aulakh went before members of the police jury last year asking why he couldn’t sell alcohol on Sunday. He told jurors that his business was losing money because his customers were not able to purchase alcohol on Sunday, as they went to surrounding parishes. At that meeting, Assistant Dist. Atty. Jay Mitchell told Aulakh that he wasn’t sure what the legal basis was because there had been conflicting rulings/opinions over the years regarding Sunday sales of alcohol in unincorporated areas of Ouachita Parish. However, he said that he would seek an opinion from Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry for clarification. Those previous rulings gave the parish police jury authority to prohibit Sunday alcohol sales, instead of regulating it, except businesses having a Class R license.

It was just recently that Landry rendered his opinion stating that, “any changes to Sunday sales”, would be seen as new regulations, giving the Ouachita Parish Police Jury the green light to introduce an ordinance regulating Sunday sales. An ordinance was introduced Monday night by Dist. “B” Juror Jack Clampit, as the town of Calhoun is in his district. The ordinance based on Landry’s opinion (No. 18-0072), would “authorize the police jury to adopt” ordinances regulating the sale of alcohol in the unincorporated areas of Ouachita Parish. There will be a public hearing at the next regularly scheduled meeting (Mon. Sept. 15) to hear comments from the public concerning who gets to sell alcohol and where.

In other business before jurors, a new director for the Green Oaks Juvenile Detention Facility was named. Rochelle Kendricks was named as the new director, succeeding former interim director Dorothea Bridges. Kendricks who is an Arkansas native is said to have “good managerial skills and mindset”, as he seeks to bring some level of respectability back to the facility following some tumultuous times. Jurors agreed that by selecting Kendricks, he would be a fresh face at the facility, also noting that he was well qualified for the job. Mrs. Bridges was thanked for “her steady hand” at Green Oaks keeping the facility operating, while guiding it through a rough time.