Kenneth Volentine
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Lee Volentine is a livestock and dairy farmer
who previously served as a state representative
and sheriff
of his native Claiborne Parish
in north Louisiana
.
, Louisiana, in the building now occupied by Mt. Olive Christian School. He and his wife, the former Beverly Ann Pixley (born 1940), reside in Athens, a rural community in southern Claiborne Parish. They have a son, Kenny B. Volentine of Athens. Volentine also has two brothers, Edwin "Bo" Volentine (born 1942) and Dan Volentine, both of Athens, and a sister, Wanda V. Head of Shreveport
, Louisiana.
Volentine is one of seven members of the Claiborne Industrial Development Board.
, Volentine served a single term in the state House of Representatives. Volentine was unseated in the general election
held on November 16, 1991, by his fellow Democrat
Pinkie C. Wilkerson
, an African American
attorney from Grambling
in Lincoln Parish
. Volentine's defeat occurred after redistricting
and in the same election in which Edwin Washington Edwards returned to the Louisiana governorship for his fourth term in a ringing defeat of the Republican
State Representative David Duke
. Volentine had led Wilkerson in the nonpartisan blanket primary held in October 1991. He received 6,150 votes (46.9 percent) to Wilkerson’s 4,358 ballots (33.2 percent). Two other candidates held the remaining 20 percent of the vote. In the general election, Wilkerson unseated Volentine, 8,590 (51.8 percent) to 7,992 (48.2 percent).
. Incumbent J. R. "Snap" Oakes retired, and in a two-candidate race Volentine defeated fellow Democrat Donald Ray "Chic" Ceccarelli (born 1965) of Homer, 3,760 (61.5 percent) to 2,350 votes (38.5 percent).In 1999, Ceccarelli ran again, this time as a "No Party" candidate. Volentine prevailed, 3,619 (69 percent) to 1,487 (28.4 percent). Another 141 ballots went a second "No Party" candidate.
In July 2003, the Baton Rouge
firm Utopia Entertainment, Inc., sued Claiborne Parish, through Sheriff Volentine, and LaSalle Management Company, under contract to manage the men's division of the parish jail. The company claimed copyright-infringement because inmates and visitors to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center for a $3 fee could purchase pirated copies of recordings by such performers as Eminen, John Tesh
, and George Strait
. An inmate named Bo Fain was specifically cited for having made the recordings.
In July 2003, Volentine joined another former state representative from the area, Virgil Orr
of Ruston
, in supporting the unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial contender Randy Ewing
of Jackson Parish
, a former member of the Louisiana State Senate
. The position ultimately went to another Democrat, Kathleen Blanco
of Lafayette
.
In 2003, Volentine did not seek a third term as sheriff and was succeeded by Kenneth R. Bailey of Homer (born 1958), runaway victor in the nonpartisan blanket primary held that fall.
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
who previously served as a state representative
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
and sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of his native Claiborne Parish
Claiborne Parish, Louisiana
Claiborne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Homer and as of 2000, the population is 16,851.-History:The parish is named for the first Louisiana governor, William C. C. Claiborne....
in north Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
Background
Volentine is the son of Fred Volentine (1921-2011) and the former Sudie Bernice Lee, also deceased. His paternal grandparents were Daniel Bell Volentine, Jr. (1892-1968) and Cleo Volentine (1894-1968). Volentine graduated in 1960 as the class president at Athens High School in AthensAthens, Louisiana
Athens is a village in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 262 at the 2000 census.The Pilgrim's Pride poultry hatchery in Athens was designated for closure early in 2009, along with other company businesses in nearby Arcadia in Bienville Parish, Choudrant in Lincoln...
, Louisiana, in the building now occupied by Mt. Olive Christian School. He and his wife, the former Beverly Ann Pixley (born 1940), reside in Athens, a rural community in southern Claiborne Parish. They have a son, Kenny B. Volentine of Athens. Volentine also has two brothers, Edwin "Bo" Volentine (born 1942) and Dan Volentine, both of Athens, and a sister, Wanda V. Head of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Louisiana.
Volentine is one of seven members of the Claiborne Industrial Development Board.
State representative
From 1988-1992, during the administration of Governor Buddy RoemerBuddy Roemer
Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III is an American politician who served as the 52nd Governor of Louisiana, from 1988 to 1992. He was elected as a Democrat but switched to the Republican Party on March 11, 1991...
, Volentine served a single term in the state House of Representatives. Volentine was unseated in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
held on November 16, 1991, by his fellow Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Pinkie C. Wilkerson
Pinkie C. Wilkerson
Pinkie Carolyn Wilkerson was an African American member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from her native Grambling, west of Ruston, Louisiana, who served from 1992 until her death in a six-vehicle traffic accident on Interstate 20 in Bossier City, Louisiana. Wilkerson was particularly...
, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
attorney from Grambling
Grambling, Louisiana
Grambling is a city in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,693 at the 2000 census. The city is home to Grambling State University and is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area....
in Lincoln Parish
Lincoln Parish, Louisiana
Lincoln Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Ruston. In 2004, its population was estimated to be 42,382...
. Volentine's defeat occurred after redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
and in the same election in which Edwin Washington Edwards returned to the Louisiana governorship for his fourth term in a ringing defeat of the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
State Representative David Duke
David Duke
David Ernest Duke is a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan an American activist and writer, and former Republican Louisiana State Representative. He was also a former candidate in the Republican presidential primaries in 1992, and in the Democratic presidential primaries in...
. Volentine had led Wilkerson in the nonpartisan blanket primary held in October 1991. He received 6,150 votes (46.9 percent) to Wilkerson’s 4,358 ballots (33.2 percent). Two other candidates held the remaining 20 percent of the vote. In the general election, Wilkerson unseated Volentine, 8,590 (51.8 percent) to 7,992 (48.2 percent).
Sheriff Volentine
In 1995, as Wilkerson won easy reelection to the legislature, Volentine secured the first of his two terms as Claiborne Parish sheriff. The office is based in the parish seat of HomerHomer, Louisiana
Homer is present day parish seat of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town was named after the Greek poet Homer and was laid out around the Courthouse Square in 1850 by Frank Vaughn. The present day brick courthouse, built in the Greek Revival style of architecture, is one of only...
. Incumbent J. R. "Snap" Oakes retired, and in a two-candidate race Volentine defeated fellow Democrat Donald Ray "Chic" Ceccarelli (born 1965) of Homer, 3,760 (61.5 percent) to 2,350 votes (38.5 percent).In 1999, Ceccarelli ran again, this time as a "No Party" candidate. Volentine prevailed, 3,619 (69 percent) to 1,487 (28.4 percent). Another 141 ballots went a second "No Party" candidate.
In July 2003, the Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
firm Utopia Entertainment, Inc., sued Claiborne Parish, through Sheriff Volentine, and LaSalle Management Company, under contract to manage the men's division of the parish jail. The company claimed copyright-infringement because inmates and visitors to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center for a $3 fee could purchase pirated copies of recordings by such performers as Eminen, John Tesh
John Tesh
John Frank Tesh is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. His 10-year-old 'Intelligence for Your Life Radio Show' reaches 14.2 Million listeners/week, and is syndicated by Teshmedia on 400 stations in US, Canada, and the UK...
, and George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
. An inmate named Bo Fain was specifically cited for having made the recordings.
In July 2003, Volentine joined another former state representative from the area, Virgil Orr
Virgil Orr
Virgil L. Orr is a retired engineering professor and administrator at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 12 from 1988-1992.-Background:Orr graduated in 1940 from Glenmora High School in Glenmora...
of Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, in supporting the unsuccessful Democratic gubernatorial contender Randy Ewing
Randy Ewing
Randy Lew Ewing is a Jackson Parish businessman who, as a Democrat, represented District 35 in the Louisiana State Senate from 1988 to 2000. He was the State Senate President in his last term from 1996 to 2000, which corresponded with the first term of Republican Governor Murphy J...
of Jackson Parish
Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Jackson Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish was formed in 1845 from parts of Claiborne, Ouachita, and Union Parishes. In 2010, its population was 16,274. The parish seat is Jonesboro...
, a former member of the Louisiana State Senate
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
. The position ultimately went to another Democrat, Kathleen Blanco
Kathleen Blanco
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco was the 54th Governor of Louisiana, having served from January 2004 until January 2008. She was the first woman to be elected to the office of governor of Louisiana....
of Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
.
In 2003, Volentine did not seek a third term as sheriff and was succeeded by Kenneth R. Bailey of Homer (born 1958), runaway victor in the nonpartisan blanket primary held that fall.