By T. Scott Boatright

Sometimes the squeaky wheel needs to be oiled for good reason.

Even though the road there was long.

But that’s exactly what happened during the Lincoln Parish Police Department’s grand jury session on Tuesday at the Lincoln Parish Courthouse.

After several meetings between the LPPJ and the congregation of St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church, led by Pastor Dennis Woods, requesting assistance after the road to the church and adjacent homes on a street between Longstraw Road and Highway 146 was closed due to the expansion of the Ruston Regional Airport, there was finally a glimmer of hope for a solution.

Because thanks to a little help from State Representative Chris Turner, who was present at Tuesday’s meeting, there is hope for a positive solution for everyone.

At last week’s meeting, the LPPJ voted to do just that: it plans to submit an investment proposal and hopes to finance a cul-de-sac that will provide better access to the church and surrounding homes.

Without Turner’s help, it might not have happened.

“Representative Turner felt that a capital spending request might be a good way to address this issue,” said Courtney Hall, Lincoln Township Administrator.

Now it’s all about patience and timing.

If the project is included in an upcoming capital budget, financing could come sooner rather than later.

Or it could take years.

Hope is what drives Woods and his community.

“We just want what is right and just,” Woods said. “We have to find our way back. And we will not stop fighting for that.”

Follow the Lincoln Parish Journal delivered straight to your inbox every morning at 6:55 a.m. It’s FREE! Simply click HERE to register.