Tea Party not organized against tax renewal

The Red River Tea Party is not taking a stand on the Bossier City Tax renewal. A spokesman for the local Tea Party said that any signs people are putting up encouraging a ‘no’ vote only reflect their individual view.
Some signs have appeared in Greenacres Place in the last couple of days. The TEA in Tea Party is an acronym for taxed enough already.
As I have said, ad nauseum, this is a renewal of a tax that was put into place 20 years ago, it is not a new tax. The City Council had rolled the 6 mill tax back to 4.86 mills, but rather than proposing a new tax, they just voted to renew the tax that is in place.
I fully understand anyone who wants to demand accountability from elected officials. The problem with voting this tax renewal down is that the people you will be punishing will the citizens of Bossier City and some very fine individuals who have sworn to serve.
Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.

Pay the ransom for our police and firefighters - they would do it for you

Blog post at Save Bossier

If Tea Partiers mean what they say

They will heed this advice. Tea partiers are in favor of smaller government and fewer taxes. If they hope for success, the must walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
John Samples directs the Cato Institute’s Center for Representative Government and teaches in the government program at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C.

1. Republicans aren’t always your friends.
2. Some tea partiers like big government.
3. Democrats aren’t always your enemies
4. Smaller government demands restraint abroad.
5. Leave social issues to the states.

H/T to Below the Beltway

Sibley man confesses to rape of child

A Sibley man walked into the Webster Parish Sheriff’s office yesterday and confessed to forced sexual acts with a young girl. The unusual part of this was that no report had been made.
“It was an unusual confession,” criminal investigations supervisor Maj. Steve Cropper said in the release. “In this case we had the confession of a perpetrator, but no victim. So this investigation began differently.”
Phillips turned himself in after his young victim divulged her experiences of abuse to her church youth pastor and mother, the release states.
James Reuben Phillips II was booked on a charge of aggravated rape of a child under 13 years of age. He was transported for booking to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.
Full story in The Times

Peeping Tom arrested in North Bossier

A Bossier City man was arrested early Saturday morning for being a Peeping Tom, for simple assault and trespassing, said Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen.
Courtney Dennard Fears, 29, of the 1700 block of Castlewood Drive, was taken into custody after he was seen peeping in the window of a neighborhood residence. After being confronted by the witness, Fears balled up his first and made as though he was going to hit the witness.
After Bossier Sheriff’s deputies arrived, the witness positively identified Fears as the one he confronted as the Peeping Tom. Fears was standing in the bushes at the window of the neighborhood residence, on the property without consent.
Fears was transported to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility and booked. His bond was set at $2,200.
From Bossier Parish Sheriff

Bossier City Voters Face an Inconvenient Truth

This Saturday Bossier City Voters will go to the polls to answer a very simple yes or no question. A lot of those voters are upset with the mayor and council for what they percieve to be mismanagement. Some people are questioning why the current 6% rate was rolled back to 4.86% when the city was facing shortfalls and the nation was in a recession.
Some people think that the facts were hidden from the public in order to have a smooth election cycle last year. Had this been foreseen, there certainly would have been a plethora of challengers; as it was, only the at-large incumbents were challenged. They both won. All of the other incumbents had no challengers.
Of course, if people had been paying attention, they would have known what the situation was. The problem was that no one attended council meetings unless they had a specific issue to address. No one kept up with what the council was doing.
In addition to this, the Tea Party movement is making waves all over the country and their target is government spending of any kind. A number of people are saying that they will not vote for the renewal in order to send a message to the mayor and council.
The problem is, they are not going to be sending the message they intend.
What they want to tell the elected officials is ‘We believe that you have not managed our money very well and we are very unhappy about it.’ That’s the message they intend to send.
The inconvenient truth for voters is that the message they will actually send is ‘fire 30 more policemen and 30 more firemen, we want a tax cut’.
The other message you are sending is to the policemen and firemen themselves, and that message is ‘take a hike’, we don’t need your services any longer. Morale is already very low, and this would be devastating.
I truly don’t think that people really want that outcome, but they must understand that if this dedicated tax is not passed, the cuts will be made in the public safety sector because that is where the revenue goes. This will come on top of a 13% cut already made this year.
That simple yes or no question is whether or not you want to maintain the police and fire departments at their already reduced levels?
Yes or no?

Survivor Villian Russell Hantz arrested in Lafayette

Lafayette Police say that Russell Hantz of Survivor fame may need another immunity idol after he was charged yesterday for simple battery.
He was booked into the Lafayette Parish Jail after pushing a woman to the ground in downtown Lafayette.

Two Saints head for the heavens in F-16’s

Jabari Greer and Drew Brees soared off into the clouds courtesy of the Thunderbirds, and courtesy of KTBS here is the video.

Living in Clover

Well, our friend Riley is . . .

Coming Up: Bossier Parish School Board Elections

Bossier Parish School Board elections are coming up in just a few months. Every member of the board will be up for re-election.
A lot has changed in the last four years.
Ken Kruithof retired after all of the scandals last year, and the board refused to mount even a regional search for a new superintendent. It was pretty well determined before any applicants were interviewed that D. C. Machen would get the job.
Machen was the Assistant Superintendent for Administration during the time that several employees and a vendor were stealing almost $1,000,000 from the system, a few thousand at a time. The board refused to hold anyone in a management or supervisory position responsible for the debacle. The (now) former employees were all sentenced to prison.
A lot of people were grumbling at the time, and some were outspoken in their criticism of the board, promising to hold them accountable at election time.
We’ll see.
It’s not a good time to be an incumbent in any office at any level. The Tea Party movement is very active in Bossier Parish, and they are out for accountability. Whether that will reach to the school board, I have no idea.
Rumors have been floating that Michael Mosura, the Board President, may run for the state legislature in 2011, the same rumor is making the rounds about Kostelka.
Qualifying will be in July or August, and we’ll find out at that time who’s in and who’s out so far as candidacy. I do predict that there will be more challengers than we have seen in the past.
Below is the current board.

District 1
Jack Raley
P.O. Box 85
Haughton, LA 71037
318-949-3675
jack.raley@bossierschools.org

District 2
Brad L. Bockhaus
111 Harvest Ln.
Haughton, LA 71037
318-949-6680
brad.bockhaus@bossierschools.org

District 3
Dr. Allison Brigham, VP
511 Lee Street
Benton, LA 71006
318-426-2911
allison.brigham@bossierschools.org

District 4
Tammy Smith
183 Willow Bend Road
Benton, LA 71006
318-965-9839
tammy.smith@bossierschools.org

District 5
Michael S. Mosura II, President
6014 Jason Street
Bossier City, LA 71111
318-742-3700
michael.mosura@bossierschools.org

District 6
William C. Kostelka
309 Audubon Drive
Bossier City, LA 71111
318-747-6966
bill.kostelka@bossierschools.org

District 7
J. W. Slack
2424 Douglas Drive
Bossier City, LA 71111
318-746-5752
jw.slack@bossierschools.org

District 8
Kenneth M. Wiggins
3201 Cloverdale Place
Bossier City, LA 71111
318-742-0251
kenneth.wiggins@bossierschools.org

District 9
Eddy Ray Presley
1816 Lee Street
Bossier City, LA 71112
318-286-9049
eddy.presley@bossierschools.org

District 10
Julian Darby
1130 Beverly Street
Bossier City, LA 71112
318-747-0818
julian.darby@bossierschools.org

District 11
Lindell Webb
1830 Venus Drive
Bossier City, LA 71112
318-746-0672
lindell.webb@bossierschools.org

District 12
Mack Knotts
5007 Kenilworth Drvie
Bossier City, LA 71112
318-747-4166
mack.knotts@bossierschools.org

Foster Campbell for Lt. Governor?

John Maginnis is reporting that Bossier's Foster Campbell is considering a run for Lt. Governor. Campbell, a Public Service Commissioner and former State Senator, did not return Maginnis' phone calls to comment.

Personally, I'm opposed to the idea of eliminating the position. I believe it provides a good constitutional check to the governor. I also like the idea that it is an independent office, and that the Lt. Governor is not just a 'yes man' on the Governor's ticket.

In the early days of the Republic, the vice-president was the person who received the second largest number of delegates in the electoral college. I think we would be very well served to go back to that system on the national level.

Citizens for Ethics: Jindal is one of the worst governors in the country

Citizens for Ethics (CREW) has named Bobby Jindal #4 in the worst 11 governors in the country. These are their charges.

Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal (R-LA) was elected governor of Louisiana in 2007 and is running for reelection in 2011.
Gov. Jindal:
• Prevented the public release of government records and has fought legislation to make
government more transparent
• Weakened the authority of the state ethics board
• Refused to accept federal stimulus funds to expand unemployment insurance and to fund
other important programs
• Rewarded campaign donors with government jobs and contracts
• Has been fined for ethics violations

CHARGE ONE: TRANSPARENCY
During the 2009 legislative session, Gov. Jindal killed a bill that would have greatly expanded
transparency in the governor’s office. House Bill 169 would have extended the Public Records
Act to the governor’s office and made most books, records, writings, accounts, letters and other
executive branch communications available to the public on request. Gov. Jindal said the bill
would violate executive privilege and helped to kill it in committee.
Instead, Gov. Jindal backed Senate Bill 278, a rival measure riddled with loopholes, but which
became law on July 10, 2009. Gov. Jindal asserted the new law would increase government
transparency, but opponents charged that it would forever seal some records regarding who and what influenced a governor’s decisions.
Gov. Jindal has voiced his opposition to legislation aimed at expanding access to records of the
governor’s office. During the 2010 legislative session, two state legislators introduced bills to
strengthen the open records policy by making clear that gubernatorial records are public and
creating narrow exceptions to shield specific documents from the public domain. One bill
directs the governor’s office to preserve records exempt from public disclosure and transfer them to the state archives at the end of the governor’s tenure; the documents would become public.

CHARGE TWO: UNDERCUTTING ETHICS ENFORCEMENT
After a special legislative session passed Gov. Jindal-backed legislation gutting the Louisiana
Board of Ethics, ten of its 11 members resigned. Seven of the ten members resigned because
the legislation transferred ethics enforcement power from the state ethics board to administrative
law judges, rendering the board useless. Under the new law, administrative law judges,
selected by an appointee of the governor, determine the guilt or innocence of public officials.
Opponents of the legislation contend this will hinder ethics reform and promote political
gamesmanship because lawmakers may be able to choose the judges they will face. The new
law also requires a tougher standard for evidence to prove ethics violations. Gov. Jindal
proposed the legislation while he was under investigation by the Louisiana Board of Ethics.
Other proponents of the new law were accused of holding grudges against the ethics board.

CHARGE THREE: HYPOCRISY IN REJECTING STIMULUS MONEY
Gov. Jindal declined $98 million in federal stimulus funds intended to help the state expand
unemployment insurance. He also rejected $9.5 million in stimulus funds to temporarily
expand Medicaid to families who left welfare for a job and turned back $55.3 million to provide
health care for people without insurance. Gov. Jindal also refused to apply for $300 million in
stimulus money to potentially fund a high-speed rail line between New Orleans and Baton
Rouge, upsetting even some fellow Louisiana Republicans, including Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao.
In marked contrast, Gov. Jindal accepted and dispersed one billion in stimulus money to shore up
Louisiana’s budget. The governor also publicly presented a $521,000 check he signed
personally to the First Baptist Church in Anacoco, but failed to disclose its source: the muchmaligned federal stimulus law.

CHARGE FOUR: PATRONAGE FOR DONORS
Gov. Jindal appointed more than 200 campaign contributors—who donated in excess of
$784,000 to the governor’s election campaign in 2007 and 2008—to positions in Louisiana state
government. In addition, 12 of the 16 doctors appointed by Gov. Jindal to the Louisiana
Medical Advisory Board were found to be campaign donors as well.
Gov. Jindal has sought to keep such connections from becoming public. During the 2009
legislative session, the governor helped kill House Bill 243, a measure which would have
required him to disclose the names of campaign contributors appointed to government
positions. It was not the first time Gov. Jindal tried to keep the legislature from forcing him to
divulge his ties to donors; he vetoed similar legislation in 2008.
Gov. Jindal also has awarded millions of dollars in work and incentives to campaign donors.
In one egregious case, the state announced plans to invest $10 million in the Port of Terrebonne, to the benefit of Gary Chouest. Mr. Chouest, his business and his closest family members
were responsible for at least 18 separate donations to Gov. Jindal’s campaign war-chest, totaling
$85,000.30

CHARGE FIVE: ETHICS VIOLATIONS
Gov. Jindal was fined $2,500 by the Louisiana Board of Ethics for violating campaign finance
laws by failing to disclose in a timely manner more than $118,000 in direct mail expenses the
Louisiana Republican Party made on his behalf.

H/T to Central La Politics

Deepwater Rig Collapses

Reports are in that the burning deepwater rig in the Gulf of Mexico has collapsed. Twelve people are confirmed missing. Opinionated Catholic has a link to video.

Retired Firefighter speaks out on Tax Renewal

A lot has been said pro and con about the tax renewal election coming up on May 1st. Citizens need to keep in mind that it is a renewal of a tax that was received a favorable vote 10 years ago, and it is dedicated to police and fire operations.
What it comes down to is that if it is not passed, approximately $3,000,000 per year will be cut from the public safety budget. On top of a 13% cut that came at the first of the year, most observers feel that this would effectively cripple the fire and police departments.
I spoke to Duke Lowrie earlier this week. Duke just retired this month from the Bossier City Fire Department and had this to say:
As a retired firefighter who walked the sreets in 1990, 2000 and one who would have walked the sreets even today under the circumstances, I would simply ask when will the fire and police be able to stop walking the streets? Will public safety officers always be responsible for ensuring funding of public safety in Bossier? I believe the citizens of Bossier expect to have strong public safety, and deserve it without strings attached!
That's a pretty powerful statement - 'Will public safety officers always be responsbile for ensuring funding of public safety in Bossier?'.
People are very unhappy with government at all levels, and rightfully so. The thing that we have to realize, however, is that not all government is bad and some taxes are necessary. Government does have legitimate functions and public safety is one of them.
Like it or not, the citizens of Bossier City are caught between a rock and a hard place. One thing is certain, and that is if this tax is not renewed there will be very bad consequences.
As a side note, we will be talking more about Lowrie. His retirement plans include a run for the State House seat being vacated next year by Jane Smith, who is term limited.

Iguana Bill Passes Louisiana State Senate

When Senator Buddy Shaw's Iquana bill was due to come to a vote today, Senator Rob Marionneaux, according to the Times-Picayune, strode to the chamber podium with one of the bright-green lizards on his arm in an attempt to poke fun at his colleague for offering an iguana-friendly bill.
But after all the laughs, Shaw's bill passed 21-14, much to the approval of a young couple from Bossier City who are making a serious effort to limit a public nuisance and reduce animal suffering by decreasing the number of iguanas released into the wild by pet owners unprepared for the real responsibilities of keeping the popular reptiles.
Sara and Chris Gwerder operate Raptor Rescue, a nonprofit organization modeled after dog rescue groups to provide a temporary abode and to locate new homes for rejected or abandoned iguanas. Sara Gwerder, who testified in the Senate Commerce Committee last week, works for the U.S. Air Force.

What makes a teenager choose a criminal life?

It's not a trick question. Why would an 18 year old choose this sort of life? I know nothing about his background, but I'd bet there is a juvenile record.
I know nothing about his parents or what kind of guidance he had. Sometimes this sort of thing happens in the very best of families, with parents who have been loving and nurturing.
What's the answer to it? Be tougher, be more lenient? I don't think this young man will see much leniency, he's in too deep. He was scheduled to be in court last Wednesday on charges from last month, but he didn't show up and a bench warrant was issued.
I understand teenagers making bad choices and doing stupid things, but to this extent? What is the answer for him, can the system do anything for him at this point?
I am afraid not. At some point you have to man up and take responsibility. I hope that this will open this young man's eyes and that he will do that.

From the Bossier Parish Sheriff:
A teen that was being investigated in connection with a car burglary ring has been arrested on multiple drug and weapons charges, said Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen.
Trey Michael Sheppard, 18, of the 2200 block of Loreco Street, was arrested Friday afternoon because of his involvement with a car burglary ring. When stopped by detectives, Sheppard consented to the search of his vehicle. They found a small amount of loose marijuana and marijuana cigars. Sheppard then admitted that he had more in his bedroom at home.
Sheppard and his mother signed a consent to search form to allow detectives to search the home. Detectives located a jar containing several grams of marijuana in Sheppard’s bedroom. They then found a shoebox containing small blue baggies, used for packaging narcotics. Marijuana was found in the bottom of the shoebox along with tools used for cutting and dividing the drugs. A foil pipe was found in an ashtray next to his bed.
Detectives then found a Colt .32 caliber semiautomatic pistol and a box of .32 caliber cartridges inside a pillow in the closet. Sheppard admitted that the pistol was stolen, but he was unaware that it was in his room.
Sheppard was arrested and transported to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility. He is charged with possession of schedule I with intent to distribute, illegal carry of a weapon in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, illegal possession of a stolen firearm, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is also facing two counts of illegal possession of stolen things from Bossier City Police Department. His bond is set at $66,000.

Great Lakes Boot Camp Graduation April 16, 2010

This is one of those times when a personal post is mandatory. These are the pictures from boot camp graduation at Great Lakes Naval Station on Friday.
My 19 year old grandson Tyler was among the graduates. My daughter, son-in-law and Tyler's girlfriend Courtney went up there for the big event.
(You can probably catch more about this ceremony at Mean Ol' Meany - Paul's son was there too!)
I think Tyler was trying to look tough in the picture with his parents, so I put one of him and little brother Cody so you can see what he really looks like. Needless to say, I'm a proud grandpa.

Meadowview Elementary class visits Courthouse

Thought this was worth sharing. Deputy Clerk of Court Cindy Jett explains courthouse functions to a very well behaved group from Meadowview. Sorry I didn't get the teacher's name. When they got ready to leave, they all gave Mrs. Jett big hugs. When they were told they were going to the sheriff's office next, one little boy said "Ut Oh". Better keep your eye on that one!

Benton Exterminator TV Star arrested for Pot

It was more than a roach that got Ricky Lee Bertherton this week. TMZ is reporting that Bretherton -- one of the bug fighters on the A&E reality show -- was arrested on April 10 in Leesville.
According to Leesville PD, officers approached Bretherton's car and located a "quantity of suspected marijuana as well as a container that had more suspected marijuana as well as drug paraphernalia."
Bretherton and a female passenger were each arrested. Bretherton was charged with felony weed possession, felony drug paraphernalia possession and a traffic charge.

Vice President of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Shreveport-Bossier arrested on felony theft charges

Adrienne Lynnette Davis, 43, of Shreveport has been arrested on felony theft charges.
Police said Davis` company, Minority Suppliers and Contractors, was hired by the Bossier City company last September to broker the purchase of promotional key chains from a Missouri company.
The key chains were delivered and the Bossier City business paid for them, but the Missouri company didn't get the $30,000 it was owed, police said.
Complete story at KTBS

According to the Secretary of State's corporations database, Minority Suppliers and Contractors is a trade name registered by Affinity Construction & Demolition, LLC, which is owned by Davis. The LLC is not in good standing due to failure to file annual reports.

Horn indicted for 1st Degree Murder, pleads not guilty

Brian Horn was indicted this morning for first degree murder in the killing of 12 year old Justin Bloxom. At his arraignment, he entered a plea of not guilty.
I was looking on YouTube the other day for memorial videos of Justin, and came across the family's YouTube channel. One recent video was of Justin playing in the snow back in February. Even though it is public domain, I won't post the video on here without permission from his family. If you want to see it, this is the link. I warn you, it is hearbreaking to see this young teenager having the time of his life with who I assume is his dad and brother, and to realize that he would have less than two months to live.

DeSoto Parish grand jury will hear evidence against Brian Horn tomorrow

A grand jury will convene in Mansfield tomorrow to hear the District Attorney ask for a first-degree murder indictment against Brian Horn, who is accused of murdering 12 year old Justin Bloxom.
District Attorney Richard Johnson has said that if the grand jury does return an indictment for first degree murder, he will seek the death penalty.
We will follow up on this when the grand jury's decision becomes public.

New Police Chief says morale is number one priority

New Bossier City Police Chief Shane McWilliams says that he doesn’t plan any major changes right away, but will evaluate the department first.
McWilliams came to BCPD in 1993 and was promoted to sergeant in 2007. He has broad experience in the department, having served in patrol, criminal investigations and as supervisor of the violent crimes unit.
Speaking of the officers he will lead, McWilliams had this to say:
...."I want them to know they're not just employees and actually serve a purpose and have the opportunity to be heard.”
....“I think the morale issue had to do with the layoffs. There's always the possibility of having additional layoffs which we hope that doesn't happen.”
....“I will do everything I can to prevent any further layoffs, any cutbacks."
...."We have an outstanding department and employees. We're going to strive to continue going in the right direction and work with other agencies as well as the people we have here. We're going to do better to make sure the residents feel safe and maintain the confidence of the residents of Bossier City.”

McWilliams named Police Chief

Mayor Lo Walker announced this morning that Shane McWilliams will replace Mike Halphen as police chief of Bossier City.
We will be blogging more about this in the next couple of days.
Here's the video from KTBS.

Will Mayor announce new chief tomorrow?

The guessing is about over, Mayor Lo Walker promised an announcement this week. I figure it will come tomorrow, but what do I know?
I've been accused of not going out on a limb and making an educated guess, so here it is:

Kenneth Hamm
Patrick McWilliams
Larry Stockton
William Grumble
James Stewart
Kenny Viola
Gary Aguirre
Perry Montgomery
Larry Hawkins
T.D. Teutsch
Mark Alan Kraus

That's just my guess, what's yours?

I never murdered a chicken, but I enjoyed watching

PETA is back downtown, this time with signs encouraging everyone to spay & neuter their pets. This is a good cause, although I know a few cats and dogs who might take issue with that. In fact, they might just want to get the ACLU to sue PETA for cruelty.
I love animals (primarily steak and fried chicken), and I’m kindhearted. Although I don’t have a pet at the time, I do have a grand-cat and a couple of grand-dogs. That’s my grand-cat Mr. Bojangles Coleman in the picture with his person.

Speaking of PETA, do you remember this woman? She was downtown a few years ago all painted up like a tiger. Didn’t some guy (right in front of the news cameras) walk up and start eating a cheeseburger?
That was really awesome. If I knew who he was, I’d buy him a big double cheeseburger.

Did you know that Ricky Williams of the Dolphins is a vegetarian and big in PETA? I knew he liked green leafy stuff, and I'll bet he can make some great brownies, but I didn't know he had gone that far.
PETA is big on protecting all animals, particularly the edible ones (and in Louisiana that doesn’t leave too many out of the loop).
I have to admit that in addition to eating the fowl, in my younger days I was complicit in the murder of quite a few chickens. My Uncle Lewis (who had a wooden leg) would chase a bird around the chicken yard and when he caught it would wring its neck. Then it would run around, usually in circles, headless, for a few minutes. My cousins and I, about 8 or 10 of us, would be hanging onto the chickenwire fence watching in awe. “Kill another one, Uncle Lewis!”, and he usually did.
My grandfather had two nails driven into a stump in the chicken yard. He would place the unlucky bird’s head between the nails and dispatch it with his little hatchet. Then the chicken, in true form, would run around in circles for a couple of minutes before plopping over.
They sure tasted good fried up for lunch, which we called dinner in those days. Supper was at night. Ah, those were the good old days.
Oh, by the way - neuter and spay.

Arrest made in East Texas mailbox bombings

KLTV is reporting that an arrest has been made in the East Texas mailbox bombing case.
Another device was found this morning in a blue drop-off mail box in a Tyler shopping center.
The U. S. Attorney and ATF have scheduled a 3:30 press conference today with details.

What do you think of the Cross on the Hill?

The 199 foot cross at Central Assembly of God Church in Haughton was dedicated Sunday. A permit to build the cross was originally denied by the MPC because zoning regulations say that a structure in that area can’t be taller than 45 feet.
The Church then appealed to the Police Jury for an exception. This met with a mixed response from members. Wanda Bennett was afraid that it would open a Pandora’s box, allowing giant billboards to be erected.
According to The Times, at a meeting in October Pastor Andy Harris appeared to be threatening political retribution when he said "The common man on the street is going to be looking at who's for the cross and who's not, and we all understand the political ramifications."
In this case, I believe that the police jury made the right decision.
"I was pretty neutral on it," said Bossier Parish Police Jury member Barry Butler said. "My view was: it's their money; it's their land. If they want to spend it that way, it's their option." In the end, the Police Jury allowed the exception.
While this may not have been my choice either, I agree. It’s their land, their church and their money, let them spend it as they will.
A lot of comments have arisen at the Times website, saying basically that the money could have been used for better things, such as feeding and clothing the hungry. While that may be true, it was not our decision to make, it was theirs.
The cross is very striking, even from a distance. It even has a website of its own. There is also a Facebook fan page with over 800 members.
What do you think, should the Police Jury have allowed the exception to build?

Man kills 2 year-old in Slidell

St. Tammany Parish deputies arrested a Mississippi man who they said killed a 2-year-old child by violently shaking her, allowing the girl's head to repeatedly strike the floor after she had a bathroom accident. The girl has been identified as 22 month old Rubie Boland.
Andrew Roberts, 20, of Kiln, Miss., was arrested and charged with one count of second degree murder, St Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain said.
This is very similar to the Bossier Parish case of Lance Thamm, who is set to go on trial April 26th for the January 2008 murder of his 17 month old daughter.
Video courtesy of WWL in New Orleans.

Senator Coburn encourages more civility

I don't usually say a lot on My Bossier about national politics, but I thought that this deserved some attention.

TPM Muckraker Talking Points has an article about Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn, who is generally considered to be one of the most conservative Republicans in the Senate. Senator Coburn has often been demonized by the left.
It seems that Senator Coburn last week encouraged people at a Town Hall meeting in Oklahoma City to take a more balanced and civil approach to politics.
When he mentioned Nancy Pelosi and received some boos, he told the crowd "Come on now... how many of you all have met her? She's a nice person, just because somebody disagrees with you, doesn't mean they're not a good person."
"Don't catch yourself being biased by Fox News that somebody's no good."
"Don't just watch Fox News or CNN, watch them both," Coburn said. He said he read both The Washington Post and The New York Times -- plus The Wall Street Journal -- and urged his audience to do likewise. "Listen to the other side, because what it does, it makes you a better person."
Personally, I think it is time for more civility in our political discourse in this country. Demonizing opponents may fire up a lot of people, but it is hardly conducive to a good debate.
You can hear audio of the exchanges here.

Bossier City Tax Renewal: The Proposition

Here's the proposition:
Shall the City of Bossier City, State of Louisiana (the "City"), under the provisions of Article VI, Sections 27(B), 30 and 32 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1974, and other constitutional and statutory authority supplemental thereto, renew the levy and collect a special tax of six (6) mills on all property subject to taxation in said City, for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2011 and ending with the year 2020, with collections from the levy of the Tax estimated to be $3,060,000 for one entire year, for the purpose of operating and maintaining, including salary adjustments, the Fire and police departments of said city.
The discussion so far has been that it will actually be an increase, because the council had rolled the tax back to 4.9%. They could do that again - or not. In order to put the tax up as a renewal, it has to be in the original amount of 6%.
The ramifications are that, if the tax is not passed, the $3,000,000 per year will be cut directly from the fire and police department budgets.
The question is, after cutting approximately 10% from those budgets at the beginning of the year, can the departments suffer another cut of this size without drastically reducing services?

Haughton Couple arrested: children wandering near I-20

From the Bossier Parish Sheriff:
A Haughton man and wife were arrested Saturday evening for child desertion, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of minors, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Charles Arthur Davis, III, 31, and Jennifer Ritter-Davis, 31, both of the 600 block of Chandler Road, were taken into custody after a Bossier Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to I-20 in response to a 911 call
concerning two children on the road. After finding the children within 75
feet of I-20 and approximately 500 yards from their home, the deputy escorted the kids to their residence. Both parents identified the children, ages 3 and 6, as theirs, and both said they did not know the children were gone. They admitted the children had wandered off.
During a search of the residence, deputies recovered one meth pipe and one baggie containing meth residue.
The parents were transported to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility and booked. Their bonds were set at $6,000 each.
Charles Davis was charged in January of 2009 for domestic abuse battery against Jennifer.. The charge was nol-prossed, which usually means the spouse doesn’t want to pursue it.

Brian Horn likely to face 1st Degree Murder charge

DeSoto Parish DA Richard Z. Johnson has announced that he will seek the death penalty for Brian Douglas Horn, who has been accused in the murder of 12 year old Justin Bloxom. When the Grand Jury convenes, Johnson will seek an indictment for First Degree Murder and Aggravated Kidnapping. As I understand it, the kidnapping will qualify it as First Degree Murder.

Louisiana First Degree Murder
LA R.S. 14:30
A. First degree murder is the killing of a human being:
(1) When the offender has specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm and is engaged in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of aggravated kidnapping, second degree kidnapping, aggravated escape, aggravated arson, aggravated rape, forcible rape, aggravated burglary, armed robbery, drive-by shooting, first degree robbery, simple robbery, or terrorism.
(2) When the offender has a specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm upon a fireman, peace officer, or civilian employee of the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory or any other forensic laboratory engaged in the performance of his lawful duties, or when the specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm is directly related to the victim's status as a fireman, peace officer, or civilian employee.
(3) When the offender has a specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm upon more than one person.
(4) When the offender has specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm and has offered, has been offered, has given, or has received anything of value for the killing.
(5) When the offender has the specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm upon a victim who is under the age of twelve or sixty-five years of age or older.
(6) When the offender has the specific intent to kill or to inflict great bodily harm while engaged in the distribution, exchange, sale, or purchase, or any attempt thereof, of a controlled dangerous substance listed in Schedules I, II, III, IV, or V of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law.
(7) When the offender has specific intent to kill and is engaged in the activities prohibited by R.S. 14:107.1(C)(1).
B. For the purposes of Paragraph A(2) of this Section, the term "peace officer" means any peace officer, as defined in R.S. 40:2402, and includes any constable, marshal, deputy marshal, sheriff, deputy sheriff, local or state policeman, commissioned wildlife enforcement agent, federal law enforcement officer, jail or prison guard, parole officer, probation officer, judge, attorney general, assistant attorney general, attorney general's investigator, district attorney, assistant district attorney, or district attorney's investigator.
C. Whoever commits the crime of first degree murder shall be punished by death or life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence in accordance with the determination of the jury.

Horn Family receiving death threats
Brian Horn's family has received death threats since his arrest. In an effort to let the public know that Horn's family is as sickened as anyone else over the murder, Horn's brother Kevin released the following statement:
"I want to first start by saying on behalf of myself and my family we are deeply sorry for Justin Bloxom's death.
This has been the hardest thing my family and I have had to deal with, but I know it in no way compares to the pain that the Bloxom family is feeling. I'm not asking for sympathy from anyone. I just want the Bloxom family to realize my family and I are trying to do the right thing.
My family and I have deepest sorrow for Justin and his loved ones.
I, Kevin Horn, brought my brother to DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Substation immediately after finding out that Brian was the prime suspect in this heinous crime. Brian will not find any support from us because we do not condone a murderer.
My family and I have been thrown into this nightmare and do not want to believe that this is true, but unfortunately we have to deal with the facts that are in front of us.
Please do not judge our family as we are the ones that brought Brian in and are in no way trying to protect him from justice. He chose his life and now he must pay for the crime he committed."
Sincerely:
Kevin Horn

Riley in her Easter Bonnet

Yes, her Mom has a blog, but I'm 'borrowing' this picture of Riley for My Bossier. Happy Easter, Riley! Who better to sing about that Easter Bonnet than Gene Austin, who grew up in Minden.

He is not here, but is risen

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
And they remembered his words,
And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest.
It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.

Good Friday

And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots:

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet,

They parted my garments among them,

and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
And sitting down they watched him there;
And set up over his head his accusation written,
THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Scam Alert

UPDATE: I emailed the Credit Union with this information and received this reply:
Mr. Wells,
You were absolutely correct. This is a very big scam. We have been getting calls all week. They are using all different numbers to call back on. Tell everyone you know about this, so that they will not give out any information.
Thanks,
Cindy
Cindy Morris,CEO
TES Regional Healthcare FCU
2050 Line Ave
Shreveport, LA 71104

Just got a message on my cell phone that says:
Regional Healthcare FCU Alert:
Your Card has been Deactivated.
Please contact us at 318-965-6734 to Activate your Card.

Regional Healthcare Federal Credit Union is affiliated with Christus Schumpert, so I went to their website. They have this message up, so this must be an ongoing scam:
FRAUD ALERT!!! DO NOT GIVE OUT YOUR ACCOUNT OR DEBIT CARD NUMBER-EVEN IF YOU RECEIVE A PHONE CALL TELLING YOU TO! THESE ARE FRAUDULENT CALLS!
Since I don’t have an account there, I was sure it was a scam. This seems to verify it.
I will pass it on.
Please, if you do have an account there don't fall for this. Their website assures everyone that they will never send text messages dealing with your account, or ask for your debit card number.

Murderer lured 12 year old to his death

From evidence recovered from the scene by DeSoto Parish Deputies, it was established that Brian Horn lured 12 year old Justin Bloxom to his death by pretending to be a young female.
Sheriff Rodney Arbuckle believes that the scenario that Horn played out was to tell Justin that if he wanted to meet in person, 'she' would send a cab to pick him up. Horn, a driver for Action Taxi, then drove to the residence were Justin was spending the night and picked him up.
Further evidence shows that the 12 year old was smothered to death, dying of asphyxiation, and then was left face down in about a foot of water. It appears that Justin was struggling for his life, but was overcome by the 34 year old Horn. Other evidence was also recovered from the scene.
Arbuckle said the investigation will continue, and that they are not certain how the two came into contact. He believes that it was probably through a social networking site.
A candlelight service is set for 8PM today in the Stonewall Park, where a memorial has been set up with signs, flowers & other momentos.
Funeral services will be held Saturday.