The Times from Shreveport, Louisiana • Page 3

LOCALSTATE 3A Friday, March 16,2012 Me pDiifto iraoti maiou conuceirD? odd ffiire pcoto puter, was used to send the emails with photo attachments. Webster schools Superintendent Steve Dozier said he also would look into the matter involving Sinclair. Any electronic communications during a school day unrelated to education would be "inappropriate," he said. Sexton said his investigators are continuing to review financial information secured from the fire district. And once the probe is complete, the "dominoes will fall where they may when the information is sent to the district attorney." through Hurley to confirm the authenticity of the email, a copy of which was shared with The Times by Hurley without the photo attachments.

Sinclair confirmed the email address is his but denied knowledge of the circulation of the photographs. He said he gave the information to "a cop" and had no more involvement with it. "I don't know what's going on. I'm out of it My opinion is all of it's lies," Sinclair said. It's also unclear what type of electronic device, whether cellphone or com body is using them," Sexton said.

The mix of people said to have received or transferred the photos has raised eyebrows. "From what I hear, people are requesting the photos," Sexton said, adding the actions may not rise to a criminal offense and instead raise ethical questions. However, the photos appear to have been the spark for a majority of the Webster Parish Fire District No. 8 board commissioners to seek removal of 10-year fire department veteran Adam Hurley from his position. Hurley said Wednesday that the photos taken at his home with his personal cellphone were only meant to be shared with his former girlfriend, and he has expressed remorse for the fallout.

But it appears more than Hurley's former girlfriend, Sarah Butts, have seen the photos. According to a copy of an email provided by Fire Chief Dennis Meshell, Butts forwarded the photos Jan. 17 to "Toby" identified by Hurley as Toby Sinclair, a Minden middle school teacher and Cotton Valley tae kwon instructor via his personal email find stability at Providence House hM" lis Families By Michael Doughty mdoughtygannett.com Family, friends and community supporters gathered at First Baptist Church in Bossier City on Thursday evening to celebrate the graduation of 13 families from a Providence House program designed to help them become financially independent. The graduation celebrates the success each family has experienced in taking their first major steps toward self-sufficiency and independence said Denee" Locke, president of the Providence House board of directors. Each of the families has a unique story and reason for being homeless, but they all shared the same goal of success in their personal struggle to end the cycle of homelessness.

"This is the culmination and celebration of what these families have done," said Simone Hennessee, director of development at Providence House. Hennessee said every family to go through the program is given lessons on how to save and budget, as well as be good supportive parents. Hennessee said the success rate for families that go through the program is more than 90 percent. Of those who graduated Thursday, five earned a GED through Providence House's work to learn pro- By Vickie Welborn vwelborneshreveporttimes.com COTTON VALLEY Nude photos of the Cotton Valley assistant fire chief that apparently have been widely circulated throughout the town are not the overriding concern in the criminal investigation being conducted by the Webster Parish sheriff's office, Sheriff Gary Sexton said Thursday. "They don't seem to be a big issue to my guys at this point since it didn't constitute a violation of criminal law or criminal activity.

I'm not saying they don't become that on how some BRIEFLY Emmet Hook Center to hold auditions The Emmet Hook Center will hold auditions for "Harvey," a classic American comedy by Mary Chase, from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday and Monday on the first floor of the Hunter Activities Building at First United Methodist Church, 500 Common in Shreveport. Performances will be May 1 1-20. Rehearsals begin April 2. Reagan Cassanova is the director.

All roles are open. Auditions will include cold readings from the script. For information, call 429-6885 or email to sloanandreaganaol.com. Dog Day Afternoon to benefit dog park The first-ever Dog Day Afternoon will be held Sunday at Marilynn's Place, at 4041 Fern Ave. in Shreveport.

Proceeds from the event will go to the Shreveport Dog Park Alliance for construction of a public dog park. Brunch will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A dog wash will be held from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Cost is $10 per dog.

A special dog inspired menu will also be available. Free health screenings offered David Raines Community Health Center, 128 Homer Road in Mind-en, will offer free health screenings from 8 a.m. to noon March 27. People can get free glaucoma, blood pressure and glucose screenings. The event is open to the public.

David Raines Community Health Center, 1625 David Raines Road in Shreveport, will offer free health screenings from 8 a.m. to noon March 29. People can get free glaucoma, blood pressure and glucose screenings. The event is open to the public. From Staff Reports address with a note saying, "Here are the pics you wanted." Butts also alleges sexual relations with Hurley occurred at the fire station.

At 11:17 a.m. on the same date, which was a school day, the email with the subject line "re: pictures" was forwarded from Sinclair's personal email address to Terri Hortman, Hurley's current girlfriend, that states, "Those pictures of adam at firestation. Going public." Two unrelated statements follow. It's unclear from the email if the photos were attached. Hortman declined number.

"I feel terrific, fantastic and nervous," said McConnell, a single father graduating from the program after two years. "There were a lot of challenges and hurdles to overcome." McConnell said he joined the program after becoming addicted to substances. He said his wife was also addicted and left him and Austin before they made torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Smith and the unidentified woman were set to appear in court for a custody hearing later that day, police said.

The two got into an argument at a local night club. The woman, who was only in town for the court proceedings, left with Pipkins, and Smith followed them to the 200 block of Webster, police said. The altercation between Smith and the woman continued, and that's when Pipkins got involved. Detectives reported i A IC'. Sb Jiff A Natasha Hayes shows her 3-year-old son, Michael Harris, her diploma Thursday while she is on stage at the Providence House graduation ceremony at First Baptist Church in Bossier City.

For more photos of this event go to shreveporttimes.com. Henrietta WILDSMITHTHE TIMES to graduate and find a job coaching football. "This program literally changed my life," McConnell said. "Without it, there's no telling where I'd be." Community members were also among those to show their support for the graduates. "It's a very worthy cause," said Jim Gallagher, a Shreveport native and Providence House supporter in attendance with his wife, Celia.

The couple said they have supported Providence House for years with clothing donations but became more active in the past few years. "We felt this was a place we can support, their record speaks for itself," Gallagher said. The graduates each enjoyed raucous applause as they were called forward to receive a diploma and a check for an amount they have saved over the course of the program, plus a little extra donated from groups around the city. Some of the 13 families have found new homes, but many still include that among their goals. "This is a difficult program, and not everyone makes it," Hennessee said.

"But when a family graduates, they have kicked drugs, saved 50 percent of their income and created a budget." ton reportedly pulled out a gun, and although he never pointed the gun at anone, he made statements that caused the others in the vehicle to fear for their lives, according to police reports. Pipkins, the driver, allegedly parked the car, got out, pulled out a gun and fired multiple shots at Milton, who was sitting in the backseat. Pipkins was charged with murder, but authorities later ruled the shooting was self-defense. Authorities: Allendale homicide not self-defense their way to Providence House. "I was only three months into recovery from my addiction, it was a tricky first three months," said McConnell, who managed to get his GED and enroll in college.

Now, McConnell is fully employed and attending LSU-Shreveport where he is majoring in physical education. He said he hopes finding a large amount of cocaine and ammunition during a search of Pipkins' home. Police later alerted his attorney they were looking for him, and the attorney took him to the police station. Pipkins was arrested on a charge of second-degree murder. That's the second man Pipkins reportedly killed.

He shot Zambie Milton, 28, after a party in February 2004. Pipkins and two of his friends were giving Milton a ride home when Mil if i gram, two are single fathers and two couples are married. Twenty-one children also graduated with their families. Hennessee said 354 families, made up of 394 adults, 760 children and 25 single women have graduated from to date over the organization's two-decade-long commitment. Sean McConnell and his son Austin now count themselves among that "There is no evidence the victim was armed, and we know he was shot at least five times," Police Detective Rod Demery said.

Police say Smith was arguing with the mother of his children outside of Pipkins' residence when Pipkins apparently entered the dispute. During the altercation, the suspect got a handgun and shot the victim. Officers found Smith's bullet-riddled body lying in the street with at least one gunshot wound to the li 1 I i fl 1 1 By Loresha Wilson lwilsoneshreveporttimes.com Shreveport police have new information in the fatal shooting of a man in the city's Allendale neighborhood that dispute claims of self-defense. There were initial indications that Damien Pipkins, 30, was acting in self-defense when he shot Mc-Daniel Smith in the 200 block of Webster Street in the early morning hours of March 5. But the investigations points to Pipkins being more of an aggressor.

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