My Bossier

Young Marines To Graduate Largest Class

2012-01-27T19:42:00.000-06:00

(Press release from Bossier Sheriff's Office)
By Lt. Bill Davis
The Bossier Sheriff Young Marines will graduate its largest class of recruits Tuesday, January 31, at 6:30 p.m. at the Bossier Sheriff's Substation, 2510 Viking Drive in Bossier City.
Class 23 will graduate 62 recruits after completing 13 weekends of training, which included physical training, team motivation, confidence building skills and more. Classes in the Bossier Sheriff Young Marines have steadily grown over its 10-year existence, with Class 23 starting out with 81 recruits.
The guest speaker will be Michael Nerren, Assistant District Attorney, Juvenile Division, of the 26th Judicial District Court.
The Young Marines program is a national program founded in 1958 and is the official youth program of the United States Marine Corps. The Bossier Sheriff's Department was the first law enforcement agency in North Louisiana to implement the program, which began its first class of recruits on Dec. 7, 2002. Since then, the lives of more than 900 young men and women have been impacted by the Bossier Sheriff Young Marines program.
During the ceremony, the Young Marines will show off some of the ceremonial skills they have learned, as well as receive awards and promotions.
"I am very proud to honor these young men and women as they officially become Bossier Sheriff Young Marines," said Bossier Sheriff Larry C. Deen. "They have worked extremely hard over the past 13 weekends, and they can hold their heads up high as they reap the success of their accomplishments in training."
Lt. Norman Craig, a former Marine and current commanding officer of the Bossier Sheriff Young Marines for the past five years, has seen hundreds of kids "grow up" in the program.
"This is a program that teaches young people self-discipline which helps foster the growth for self-confidence, teamwork and leadership," Craig said. "When they arrive here on day one, many are scared, and they don't know what to expect," said Craig. "But you can see the growth - the lack of assurance becomes self-confidence and rebellious attitudes give way to self-discipline - and they learn to hold themselves to a higher standard and not be drug down by peer pressure."
Another key character change is making wise choices. "We teach young men and women that they need to make good choices in life and that there are consequences for every choice they make," Craig noted. "Every young person can benefit from that."
Along with parents, family members and friends at the ceremony will be members of the Bossier and Caddo Parish School Boards, Bossier Parish Police Jury, Office of Juvenile Justice, Office of the District Attorney, and area judges. Also attending will be principals, teachers, school resource officers and members of the local chapter of the Marine Corps League.
The Young Marines program is open to all Bossier Parish school-aged youth, ages 8-18, and is sponsored and administered by Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen and the Bossier Sheriff's Department. Volunteer instructors from the United States Marine Corps assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines here in Bossier City are also an integral part in the training. Applications are now being accepted for the next class which begins Feb. 18. For more information on how to enroll your youth, contact Lt. Craig at 318-965-3500.

NAACP calls for review of Shreveport Police shooting

2012-01-27T09:19:00.001-06:00

On December 15^th, Shreveport Police Cpl. Bryan Lauzon was working private security at the Fair Park Terrace Apartments. When he spotted 44 year old Michael Gilyard riding his bicycle on the sidewalk coming from an area of the apartments where there had been complaints of drug activity, Lauzon stopped him and questioned him.
You can watch the dashcam video of the stop here.
After some initial conversation, Gilyard consented to being patted down. When Cpl. Lauzon found a pistol concealed on Gilyard, he was attacked and Gilyard attempted to get possession of Lauzon’s service weapon. Lauzon warned Gilyard that he would shoot him, but Gilyard persisted. Lauzon shot him. Gilyard was pronounced dead at the hospital.
After an extensive investigation, DA Charles Scott announced this week that Lauzon was within his rights to use deadly force.
In the Times article, Scott is quoted as saying "All the evidence clearly shows no wrongdoing in the actions of Officer Lauzon, either during the initial stop of Michael Gilyard or the subsequent altercation which resulted in the shooting."
"Investigators found 16.8 grams of marijuana, 3.8 grams of crack cocaine packaged for individual sale, over $5,000 in cash and a .45-caliber handgun in Gilyard's clothing. A criminal conviction for the possession of the firearm alone would have resulted in a minimum of 10 years in prison for Gilyard."
Enter the NAACP. They are asking for a review of the case by the Louisiana Attorney General and the U. S. Justice Department. While DA Scott says he welcomes the review, I don’t understand their reasoning; I suppose they believe that Lauzon should have submitted and allowed Gilyard to shoot him.
It is a terrible thing when something like this happens, but in the words of DA Scott "When you attack a fully armed officer, it probably won't end well".
A Facebook page has been set up to show support for Cpl. Lauzon. If you are on Facebook, be sure to go the the page and click the ‘like’ button.
Support Shreveport Police Cpl. Bryan Lauzon

Video Voyeurism in an unexpected place

2012-01-25T12:13:00.000-06:00

Some things are just difficult to understand.
Take the case of Paul E. Holmes of Haughton, who was arrested and charged with Video Voyeurism and Child Porn.
If you are not familiar with the story, The Times has it online.
Assuming you have read it or seen it on the news, I will proceed with a few thoughts.
This is a case of a 55 year old man, active in his church, placing video cameras in a bathroom during a church connected sleepover for teenage girls at his home.
He apparently has no record of such behavior, and no criminal record. The church can’t be blamed. The parents of the girls showed due diligence in allowing their daughters to attend, it was in the home of one of their own church members, and they had absolutely no reason to even remotely suspect that something like this would, or could, happen.
I feel for the victims; a great mental and emotional stress attaches itself to something like this.
I feel for his family. I can only imagine what his wife and children are suffering.
I have heard of cases where someone with a brain tumor displayed a similar type of behavior, and I wondered if there is something like that going on with this man. I’m not looking for an excuse for him, but with no record of any similar behavior for 55 years, it makes you wonder.
If my daughter or one of my granddaughters was victimized in this way, I know that I would not look at it in such a subjective manner, I would only react to the event itself. And that reaction would not be good.
As my friend Rex pointed out in a Facebook exchange, thank goodness that one of the girls was aware of her surroundings and called her mother and let her know what was going on. That mother is the one who notified the police.
If there is a lesson here, it is to teach your children at an early age to be aware, and never to hesitate to talk to you, or to report to someone in authority if something out of the ordinary arouses their suspicions.

Bossier Schools Planning & Development Committee working on plan

2012-01-20T14:40:00.000-06:00

The School Board Planning & Development Committee is having a series of meetings to assimilate a plan of action to present to the public with the proposed $210,000,000 bond proposal. The SGB-Yates plan is comprehensive, and the board has to narrow it down to priorities.
The proposed Phase I would deal with:

Benton – $21 million for a new elementary school, which would help relieve Legacy and Apollo.
Haughton - $45 million for a new middle school, to convert the current middle school to elementary and for a 24 room wing for Haughton High School.
Bossier High School – would consolidate Rusheon Middle School into BHS and would renovate Rusheon Middle School to house all of the non-STEM technical programs (at a cost of $17 million). It would also call for a plan to lease 47,000 square feet at CIC with an estimated ten year lease of $7 million. It would move Bossier Learning to an empty wing at Butler, and finally would relocate Charlotte Mitchell to the old BPCC South Campus.
Parkway – $1 million to remove T-buildings from Sun City, add two classrooms and realign the attendance zone.
Airline High School - $29.7 million for renovation, addition of 24 room wing & expansion of cafeteria. This would also build five classrooms and a rear driveway at Legacy and would add 12 room wings at Greenacres & Cope, and three four-room wings at Cope.

Phase I would also set aside $2.5 million to purchase land for two new elementary schools and for one new high school, and around $8 million for road improvements for new schools and for miscellaneous paving projects.
The main thing I question in this phase of the plan would be spending $7 million to lease space from CIC for the STEM students. School districts all over the country have STEM programs, which is a good thing. By integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics into one discipline, schools hope to boost what has been a dwindling college enrollment in these subjects.
I don’t understand the advantage in spending $7 million at CIC. What does CIC offer that the school board could not provide in a facility of its own? Does CIC offer facilities that the board could not duplicate on its own?
Of course, the committee hasn't decided to do that, it is just a proposal.
it's a sincere question, I don't know the answer. It seems to me that $7 million should provide amply for classrooms and facilities to train these students without leasing space from CIC which would have to be re-negotiated or abandoned in ten years.
Perhaps someone can shed some light on this.

Sweet Thang

2012-01-17T15:20:00.001-06:00

One more and then I’ll stop. Really.
Our blog friend ‘Alex’ mentioned Nat Stuckey in a comment on the last blog post.
Nat Stuckey was born over in Cass County, Texas in 1933. He earned a degree in radio and television from Arlington State College.
His first job was with KALT in Atlanta, Texas, in his home county of Cass.
He then moved to KWKH, and also became a member of the Louisiana Hayride. He wrote several hit songs, including co-writing ‘Waitin’ in your Welfare Line’ with Buck Owens. He then wrote and recorded ‘Sweet Thang’ on Paula Records, a local label. Jim Ed Brown recorded his song ‘Pop A Top’. He went on to record jingles, both nationally and regionally. He also operated a talent booking agency in Nashville.
Shortly before his death in 1988, Randy Travis released "Diggin’ Up Bones" which Stuckey co-wrote.

You're the Reason our Kids are Ugly - more country music

2012-01-17T12:43:00.000-06:00

This country music thing just won't stop.
Country music as we know it began in the 1920’s in the South, and took its roots from folk and western music. At the time, it was referred to as hillbilly music. In the 1940’s the term country music came to being.
The Louisiana Hayride got its start in Shreveport in 1948, and was second only to The Grand Ole Opry in presenting country singers to the world.
There have been so many country singers and songs over the years, but I will give you a taste of the first two ‘hillbilly’ stars: Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family.
Jimmie Rodgers, The Singing Brakeman, recorded his first songs, "The Soldier's Sweetheart" and "Sleep, Baby, Sleep" for Victor. He received $100 for his efforts. Rodgers died in 1933 from TB at the age of 35.

The original Carter Family consisted of A. P. Carter (1891–1960), his wife Sara (1898–1979), and his sister-in-law Maybelle Carter (1909–1978). Maybelle was the mother of June Carter Cash. They made their first recordings in 1927, receiving $50 for each song.

The original group disbanded after A. P. and Sara divorced in 1944, but Maybelle kept performing with her daughters, June, Anita and Helen.

And to wrap it up, a song that I think represents the genre perfectly, from Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty.

The Gift

2012-01-16T13:16:00.000-06:00

I did a blog post a couple of weeks ago entitled This was Country, brought on by a Facebook friend posting a Hank Williams song.
A friend of mine read the post and told me if I like Hank Williams, that he had a gift for me.
I met up with my friend and his wife a few days later and he gave me a beautiful box set of Hank Williams CD's, ten of them, with a nice booklet full of information and pictures. When I told him I would have to blog on it, he asked me not to use his name, so I won't. I really did enjoy our short visit, and got a couple of great hugs from Mrs. Friend.
They also gave me a baggie full of Lesbian cookies, properly titled The Best Cookies in the World. They were awesomely great.
Seriously, this is a great gift and greatly appreciated.
Thank You!

Mother of five year old Celeste Lowe files suit

2012-01-12T21:53:00.000-06:00

Jamie Mercer, the mother of five year old Anna Celeste Lowe, who was taken to WK Pierremont last January two hours after she had died, filed suit for damages Tuesday in Bossier District Court. The suit names as defendants:

Wesley Lowe (Father of the child)
Catherine “Cat” Lowe (Step-mother of the child)
State of Louisiana, Department of Children and Family Services
Tameika Monday (Employee of Children & Family Services)
Larry C Deen (Sheriff of Bossier Parish)
Debra McKay (Detective)
Buddy Caldwell (State Attorney General)
Louisiana Office of Risk Management
Mercer's suit alleges that the Department of Children and Family Services placed Anna Celeste into the custody of her father and step-mother without investigating Lowe and his background, and if they had done so would not have placed the child with him based on their own criteria. It further alleges that the Department did not conduct a home inspection or evaluation of any sort.
The suit says that on December 9, 2010, a teacher reported suspected abuse of Anna Celeste to the Sheriff’s Office. Detective McKay spoke to Wesley Lowe, in whose custody Anna Celeste was at the time, and with someone with the Department of Children and Family Services. Both Lowe and the Department blamed Jamie Mercer. Detective McKay did not contact Mercer. Mercer says that if she had been contacted, she could have told the detective that she had not seen Anna Celeste since October 30, over five weeks prior to the teacher’s report.
Mercer is being represented by Attorney Charles L. Kincade of Monroe.
Catherine Lowe was charged with 2nd Degree Murder by DA Schuyler Marvin. She was due to go to trial on February 13, but on January 6 her attorney, Randal Fish, was granted a continuance until May 21. The case is being heard by Judge Bolin.
Wesley Lowe has been charged with Negligent Homicide and trial is set for February 13.

Bossier School Board: Plans under consideration

2012-01-11T18:09:00.000-06:00

I told a couple of commenters that I would follow up and attempt to find out what priorities, if any, have been set for use of the proposed bond money.
I emailed Sonja Bailes and received a very prompt reply. Rather than paraphrasing what she said, I will just print it verbatim.
1. I am glad that the 5% salary increase for teachers in included.
2. Remember, the meetings are public.

Mr. Wells,
I am attaching the latest "options" plan from the architect with SGB/Yates that the board is considering as part of the bond proposition. Let me emphasize that the board has not adopted a plan as of yet, only the resolution to bring it forth to voters in April which I am also attaching. The proposed construction plan will be taken up again at tomorrow’s school board meeting at 6 p.m. at Central Office in Benton.
May I also point out that the bond proposition is a continuation of what we are now operating under. It will not cost taxpayers in Bossier Parish one penny more than what they are already paying.
There will also be two tax propositions on the ballot seeking a $3 million recurring technology fund, something that Bossier Schools does not have right now but greatly needs. We will also ask the citizens of Bossier Parish to support our educators and faculty by approving a 5% salary increase. If I can be of further assistance please let me know.
Sonja Bailes
Public Relations Liaison
Bossier Parish School Board

ATTACHMENT

BCPD promotes five

2012-01-11T16:17:00.000-06:00

Five Bossier City Police officers were promoted to the rank of Sergeant this morning. Congratulations to:

Darren Barclay, Violent Crimes Unit
Chris Estess, K-9 unit
Kevin Humphrey, Internal Affairs Division
Jeremy Kennedy, United States Marshal’s Violent Fugitive Task Force
Murray Wells, Training Division. As some of you know, Murray is my son. I'm a very proud dad today.

Jim Wells, Murray Wells

Bossier School Board: $210,000,000 bond proposition

2012-01-10T15:40:00.000-06:00

The Bossier Parish School Board will be asking for a special election to approve a new $210,000,000 bond proposition.

BOND PROPOSITION

Summary: To authorize not exceeding $210,000,000 of not exceeding 20 year

General Obligation Bonds of Parishwide School District of the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana, for the purpose of acquiring and/or improving lands for building sites and playgrounds, including construction of necessary sidewalks and streets adjacent thereto; purchasing, erecting and/or improving school buildings and other school related facilities within and for the District and acquiring the necessary equipment and furnishings therefor, and refunding and extending outstanding certificates of indebtedness.

Shall Parishwide School District of the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana (the "District"), incur debt and issue in series from time to time not exceeding Two Hundred Ten Million Dollars ($210,000,000) of general obligation bonds to run not exceeding twenty (20) years from date thereof, with interest at a rate or rates not exceeding nine per centum (9%) per annum, to be sold at par, premium or discount, approximately $202,500,000 of which bonds to be issued for the purpose of acquiring and/or improving lands for building sites and playgrounds, including construction of necessary sidewalks and streets adjacent thereto; purchasing, erecting and/or improving school buildings and other school related facilities within and for the District and acquiring the necessary equipment and furnishings therefor, title to which shall be in the public, and approximately $7,500,000 of which bonds to be issued for refunding and extending the outstanding Certificates of Indebtedness, Series 2008, of the Parish School Board of the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana; all of which bonds will be general obligations of the District and will be payable from ad valorem taxes to be levied and collected in the manner provided by Article VI, Section 33 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1974 and statutory authority supplemental thereto, with no estimated increase in the millage rate to be levied in the first year of issue above the 13.55 mills currently being levied to pay General Obligation Bonds of the District?

Congratulations Alabama

2012-01-09T22:38:00.000-06:00

Jordan Jefferson, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Hopefully with Mettenberger and Kiel next year LSU will have an offense.

Jane Smith appointed Deputy Director of Revenue for State

2012-01-07T10:57:00.000-06:00

The Times is reporting that Jane Smith has been appointed to a job in the Jindal Administration.
Jane Smith, a Republican whose term as the District 8 member of the state House of Representatives ends Monday, is taking an appointment as deputy secretary of the Louisiana Revenue Department, it was announced today.
Smith will help Revenue Secretary Cynthia Bridges with administrative and legislative affairs, the department says.
I take this to mean that among other things, Mrs. Smith will be a de facto lobbyist for the Department. She should be very effective, as she knows the legislature inside-out.
Smith was endorsed by the governor and the State Republican Party when she ran for State Senate last fall and lost to Barrow Peacock.

This was Country

2012-01-05T23:00:00.001-06:00

My Facebook friend Michael Beam posted an old Hank Williams song, Honky Tonk Blues, earlier and it made me start thinking.
Northwest Louisiana was really a hub for country music - real country music - back in the day.
Hank Williams played at the Louisiana Hayride, heck, Hank Jr. was born here.
In 1966 my brother owned a service station right smack on the Bossier Strip and I used to work for him some on the night shift. Of course, it was a 24 hour operation.
One of his other employees was Harmie Smith, who, with his Ozark Mountaineers, was on the very first Louisiana Hayride. Harmie was older, and lived just off East Texas Street. He had some great stories. He would talk about Hank Williams, how he would show up so drunk at the Louisiana Hayride that they had to prop him up and walk him onto the stage. "And he would sing like a bird", Harmie would tell me.
Old friends would come over to the service station to see him when they were in town, people like the Wilburn Brothers. I was there when they showed up.
Harmie went on to DJ at KENT radio in Shreveport and died a couple of years later.

I can't remember the exact year, maybe 1967 or 1968, the Hayride ended it's long run at the Municipal Auditorium. I went to some of the last shows and they were great.
I got to hear Ferlin Husky singing Snow White Dove, Sonny James singing Young Love and Running Bear. Marty Robbins sang El Paso (posted below), and the Statler Brothers opened for Johnny Cash singing Flowers on the Wall.
Johnny Cash and June Carter were amazing performers, they could electrify an audience. They sang, among others, Jackson, which I have posted below.
I have a lot of younger friends who claim to love country music, but I don't think any of them would know a good country song if it walked up and kicked them in the ass (yes, I can say that, it's my blog).
This was country.

Pay Raise!

2012-01-05T09:06:00.000-06:00

Great news, I got a 34% pay raise!
Oh wait, that's not me, it's the Bossier Parish Police Jury. From $1,200 per month to $1,600 per month.
Yep, right after election.
No, not one of them discussed this during the election cycle. I suppose they thought if they campaigned on a pay raise for Jurors that they would not be elected/re-elected.
They were right, better to do it on the DL.
Wow.

Out with the old, In with the new

2011-12-31T11:29:00.000-06:00

In the world of politics, Bossier saw some changes in 2011. Lynn Austin is the new City Marshal. Jeff Thompson will be the new representative for District 8 in the State House. Barrow Peacock defeated Jane Smith for State Senate, even though Smith had the strong endorsement of the governor and the state Republican Party. All the better for the district, they now have a state senator who is not beholden to anyone.
Julian Whittington was elected sheriff and will take office in 2012, after Larry Deen announced that he would not run and Doyle Dempsey wisely bowed out before he got started.
Now it’s time to look to 2012 and the presidential & congressional races, along with some local ones. I don’t do a lot on national politics, I stay updated at And So it Goes in Shreveport. Pat is on top of that stuff.
The Town of Benton has a special election for Mayor in March. Interim mayor Wayne Cathcart has announced as well as Ken Shiflett. This one might get interesting.
I haven’t blogged a lot in the last couple of weeks, everyone (including me) has been busy with family and holiday festivities – the truly important things in life.
To everyone who lost someone dear to them this year, our sympathies are with you.
I was blessed with another granddaughter in April, and she is a joy. Welcome to all of the new arrivals, I know that you will all leave this world a better place than you are finding it.

Mary Celeste

So without a lot of fanfare, I am telling 2011 farewell and saying welcome to 2012.
May all of you have a healthy and prosperous new year.

Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men

2011-12-24T23:12:00.000-06:00

So this is Christmas

2011-12-24T12:06:00.002-06:00

Christmas Time

2011-12-22T19:53:00.000-06:00

I'll get back to regular blogging next week. In the meantime, I'll do a couple of Christmas blogs.
Take a minute and be still and listen to the song, it's a good one.

Who stole the wreath?

2011-12-21T11:51:00.000-06:00

Some things are just harder to understand than others.
For instance, I can understand a crackhead stealing his grandmother's microwave to sell for dope. After all, he is a crackhead and has a serious addiction.
I can understand a deadbeat shoplifting a couple of cans of beer, after all, he is a deadbeat.
I can't understand someone stealing a memorial wreath left for a friend who died in a car accident just a few short months ago. That is what happened to this memorial wreath left by a friend of Melissa Maggio's at the scene of the accident on Benton Road.
If you have any idea who stole this wreath, please ask them to return it.

Benton man drunk in Legacy Elementary Parking Lot

2011-12-13T12:14:00.001-06:00

A man was arrested late last night for driving while intoxicated and disturbing the peace drunk.
Brandon Kane Butler, 29, of the 4500 block of Lawndale in Benton, was found in the driver's seat of his parked truck in Legacy Elementary parking lot after 11:00 p.m. last night. Butler stated that he was driving and realized that he was too drunk to do so. He then pulled into the school parking lot and turned his parking lights on. He showed signs of intoxication and performed poorly on the standard field sobriety test.
Butler was arrested and transported to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility for booking. He refused the Intoxilyzer. Butler's bond is set at $1150.
From Bossier Parish Sheriff

Special Award: Princeton man clocked at 102 on Hwy 80

2011-12-12T17:16:00.001-06:00

A Princeton man was arrested over the weekend when he was caught traveling east on Highway 80 in Haughton more than 100 miles per hour.
A Bossier deputy tracked on radar 18-year-old Garrett W. Smith of the 1700 block of Allenwood driving his Mustang on Highway 80 near the Haughton Animal Hospital at 102 miles per hour around 11 p.m. Saturday night. The posted speed limit is 55 mph. The deputy pursued the speeding vehicle with his lights and siren activated, but Smith wouldn't stop. Smith turned north on Princeton Road and then stopped on Jennifer Lane. When the deputy made contact with driver, he asked Smith if he saw him in pursuit, to which Smith replied, "Yes." When the deputy asked Smith why he didn't stop when he saw the deputy, Smith said, "I don't know."
Smith was charged with speeding, flight from an officer and careless operation and then transported to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility for booking; his bond is set at $1,500.
From Bossier Parish Sheriff

2011: Crime and Convictions

2011-12-09T10:08:00.001-06:00

I decided to just concentrate this one on what I consider to be the three worst crimes of 2011 in Bossier.
We still have three weeks left in 2011. I hope I won’t have to amend this and include another.

Celeste Lowe

Catherine
Lowe

In January, Wesley and Catherine Lowe were arrested and originally charged with negligent homicide in the death of 5 year old Anna Celeste Lowe. The child died from internal bleeding caused by severe trauma.
After watching the child suffer for two days, Stepmother Catherine Lowe finally took her to Willis-Knighton Pierremont. Celeste had been dead for two hours when they arrived at the hospital.
Catherine Lowe was then charged with 1st Degree Murder, which was later dropped to 2nd Degree. In October, the DA offered her a plea of manslaughter. Just this week Lowe refused the offer.
The trial is set to begin on February 13th.
Wesley Lowe is also set for trial on February 13th on the negligent homicide charge. He also was charged in June with possession of Schedule II & Schedule IV CDS.

Bill Norris Appliance Triple Murder

Compliments of Rex Moncrief

On April 12th, Bossier City was rocked by the triple murder at Bill Norris Appliance on Barksdale Boulevard.

Ten days later, BCPD arrested Gerald Cortez Needham aka Copperhead and charged him with the murders. Needham has a long criminal history and Bossier City detectives zeroed in on him as their prime suspect.

Fast forward to July. A robbery at Emerson’s store in Haughton resulted in the suspect, Robert L. Clark, firing a gun (fortunately, no one was injured). The bullet that was fired came from the pistol used in the Norris killings.

In the continuing story, Needham was charged by the Feds with being a felon in possession of ammunition. 100 bullets were found at his residence when Bossier Police executed the arrest warrant and a search warrant.

Needham was found guilty this week and faces up to 10 years in prison.

Clark has not been charged with the Norris murders, and is not like to be charged. DA Schuyler Marvin said that with a conviction on the armed robbery charge, he will seek to have Clark sentenced as a habitual felon under the ‘three strikes’ law. The case isn’t set for trial yet, but is set for a status conference on January 17th.

"Miss Gaye"

On August 30th, Angela Gaye Haltom was shot to death on a parking lot at First Baptist Church in Bossier City, where she was employed by the Wee Center daycare.

When she left work to go to her car, she was met by her estranged husband, Allan Haltom, who killed her and then killed himself.

Mrs. Haltom had been in District Court that very morning renewing a protective order against Haltom. He also was facing criminal charges from an incident at the family home in Haughton. Haltom had rented a car that his wife wouldn’t recognize when she left work. From there he ambushed her.

“Miss Gaye”, as she was known to the children at the daycare, was well loved by the kids and the parents alike.

A Day that will live in infamy

2011-12-07T09:57:00.000-06:00

Today is the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Greg Aymond at Central La Politics posted this video from The Times Picayune. I hope he won't mind me following suit.
Pat also has a good writeup on it at And So it Goes in Shreveport.

Judge Bolin to retire

2011-12-05T16:43:00.000-06:00

It is not a secret, although I’ve seen no official announcement, that Judge Bruce M. Bolin is retiring from the 26^th JDC effective the end of January. Judge Bolin has served since 1991. He also served in the State Legislature from 1979 to 1990.
The governor must call a special election to replace him, in the meantime a temporary appointee will be named by the Supreme Court. Quite often a former judge is chosen, and the person chosen cannot run for the position in the subsequent election.
I don’t know when the special election will be held, but I am hearing that attorneys Mike Nerren and Whit Graves are interested in running.
The next election for judges is in 2014, and word is that Judge Stinson and possibly Judge Robinson will retire at that time.
Stay tuned for more when we get it.

LSU 13-0, On to New Orleans

2011-12-03T19:17:00.000-06:00

2011 LSU Tigers Football Schedule Current Record: 11-0, 7-0 (SEC)
Date		Opponent	Time/TV
Saturday 09/03/11		Oregon Ducks Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX	Won 40-27
Saturday 09/10/11		Northwestern State Demons Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA	Won 49-3
Thursday 09/15/11		at Mississippi State Bulldogs Davis Wade Stadium, Starkville, MS	Won 19-6
Saturday 09/24/11		at West Virginia Mountaineers Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV	Won 47-21
Saturday 10/01/11		Kentucky Wildcats Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA	Won 35-7
Saturday 10/08/11		Florida Gators Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA	Won 41-11
Saturday 10/15/11		at Tennessee Volunteers Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN	Won 38-7
Saturday 10/22/11		Auburn Tigers Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA	Won 45-10
Saturday 10/29/11	---	Open Date	---
Saturday 11/05/11		at Alabama Crimson Tide Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL	Won 9-6
Saturday 11/12/11		Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA	Won 42-9
Saturday 11/19/11		at Ole Miss Rebels Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, MS	Won 52-3
Friday 11/25/11		Arkansas Razorbacks Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA	Won 41-17
Saturday 12/03/11		SEC Championship Game Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA	Won 42-10

Bossier Deputies deserve better

2011-11-30T22:16:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to understand exactly what happened in the "under-withholding" that the sheriff reported, and the ensuing confusion over repayment to the IRS.
The official explanations were as clear as mud, and in fact misleading.
Nothing was "under-withheld". Income was incorrectly reported on Sheriff’s employees pay stubs and W-2’s for 10 years. Ten years until an employee looked at her pay stub and realized that it was incorrect.
Ten years without, apparently, any oversight that would have caught this error.
From what I am able to gather from people in the know, the sheriff agreed in 2002 to start paying 2% that employees had been paying toward retirement. The problem was, that although the sheriff paid the retirement system, employees’ pay still reflected that 2% as deferred income, rather than as taxable income. The result of this, of course, was that when these employees filed their yearly return, the income they reported was actually lower than it should have been.
The IRS only has records, according to the sheriff, for the last 3 years. The cumulative total of what is owed for 2008, 2009 and 2010, and I would assume that this would include interest and penalties, is $689,000.
Employees were given the option to pay their share by December 5^th, or alternately to have 2% deducted from their pay until it is paid. This, supposedly, was part of an agreement reached with the IRS. How it will be credited to each individual employee, I have no idea. Why the sheriff couldn’t just issue corrected W-2’s and let each employee deal with it at tax time, I have no idea.
Of course, to add insult to injury in a manner that only Larry Deen could come up with, was his ‘joking’ statement to deputies that their paycheck would have a bonus included. Just joking.
Wow.
Oh, and they won’t get that raise next year. Although they are paying their part of the money owed, someone has to pay the interest and penalties. That will be offset by deputies not receiving a raise.
Meanwhile, Larry Deen is sitting on almost half a million dollars in unused campaign contributions. The law closely governs how he can disburse that money to certain non-profit and charitable donations.
Shame he can’t donate it to the Sheriff’s office or to a non-profit set up for that purpose, and relieve the employees of about 2/3 of their burden.

Sonja Bailes - from the frying pan into the fire

2011-11-27T11:14:00.000-06:00

Word is that KTBS anchor Sonja Bailes is leaving to work for the Bossier Parish School Board. I haven't seen an official announcement, though there may be one out there.
Apparently she will serve as the Ed Baswell/Mark Natale of the school board.
She is a graduate of Airline High School and has a degree in journalism from Louisiana Tech.

LSU 12-0, but I've changed my mind about one thing

2011-11-25T19:28:00.000-06:00

What a game. LSU just won't be beaten this year.
Second to LSU, I have always liked the Razorbacks, and I have really liked Bobby Petrino as their coach.
After this incident today, I have changed my mind. As I so eloquently noted in the comments on Andy's blog, he is a poor loser and an asshole to boot (pardon the pun).
He was upset because LSU kicked a field goal when they were already up 39-17. The reason Les wanted it, of course, was that Alabama beat Arkansas by 24 points, and by going 41-17 so did LSU.
This was Petrino's reaction.

Sheriff’s ‘computer formula error’ raises questions

2011-11-24T05:33:00.000-06:00

An error in the sheriff’s payroll computer system is causing all sorts of problems, some of which are a little hard to understand.
The error in computing taxes caused Federal & State taxes to be withheld at an improper, lower rate, than required. Employees are being required to kick in the difference for their 2011 taxes.
The question I have regards the (quoting from the times) ‘taxes owed from 2008 thru 2010’.
Haven’t the individual employees filed their tax returns for those years and paid any taxes owed, or in some cases, received less of a refund than they otherwise would have received?
How can the sheriff owe $689,000 to the IRS or to the State for ‘taxes’ for a three year period when those taxes have already been paid by the employees?
What is the $689,000 for?
We will get into this more next week.
And So it Goes in Shreveport
The Times

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T21:46:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Proclamation

[New York, 3 October 1789]
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
Go: Washington

Where's my Bottle?

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

You want me to do WHAT with this cup thing? I'm thinking no....

Spam Mail

2011-11-21T16:54:00.000-06:00

Every day it's something. Do you get a lot of these type things?
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To track your package, go to fedex.com (it gives an address that is undoubtedly masked) and insert the tracking number below to view delivery status.Tracking Number: 875531681014
On the tracking page you will see that this package is going to a wrong address. This is because you have refused to give us your cooperation. You are hereby adviced to provide us with the below details so we can immediately have it sent out to our FedEx office at Memphis.
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Margaritaville OK, Brotherton, Bennett & Cook win Police Jury

2011-11-19T21:44:00.000-06:00

Bossier Parish Police Jury

District 1 – Brotherton over Small
District 3 – Bennett over Cooper
District 4 – Cook over Carter

The proposition to allow another riverboat in Bossier City has passed.
In Shreveport, Barbara Norton was re-elected with 56% of the vote in House District 3.

Sheva Sims won the race for City Judge against Shante` Wells.

Election Day Saturday

2011-11-18T04:54:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is election day, here are a few of the choices that need to be made with my recommendations on some of them.

Amendment 1

To prohibit the levy of new taxes or fees upon the sale or transfer of immovable property, including documentary transaction taxes or fees, or any other tax or fee, by the state or any of its political subdivisions after November 30, 2011. (November 30, 2011) (Adds Article VII, Section 2.3)

Bossier Parish Proposition
Shall Bossier Casino Venture LLC, or its successor(s), be allowed to conduct riverboat gaming along land situated in the Parish of Bossier, State of Louisiana pursuant to approval of petition for change of berth from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board?

Police Jury
In the Police Jury runoffs, voters are faced with the following choices. I have no recommendation, the voters in each district know their candidates better than I do.
District 1: Brotherton-Small
District 3: Bennett-Cooper
District 4: Carter-Cook

Caddo Races
A couple of other races that are catching some attention are the Senate District 39 race between incumbent Lydia Jackson and former Senator Greg Tarver.
Also the race in Caddo Parish between Lynn Cawthorne and Barbara Norton for the House seat currently held by Norton. Cawthorne is well qualified and would represent the district well. For this reason, and because Barbara Norton is a disgrace, I recommend Cawthorne.

A Scandal or Not?

2011-11-14T20:25:00.000-06:00

I very rarely comment on national politics, but with the input today of a Ruston Physician I am ready to jump in.
Herman Cain, who is wildly popular in these parts, has been accused by 5 women who worked for him at the National Restaurant Association of making inappropriate sexual advances. Today Dr. Victor Zuckerman, who is a pediatrician in Ruston, came out in support of his former girlfriend, Sharon Bialek, who was the first accuser.
She said that Cain acted inappropriately.
Cain says he has no idea who Sharon Bialek is. Zuckerman said that Bialek introduced him to Cain years ago, and that Bialek also told him about the incident with Cain.
As for the other 4 women, I’m not that familiar with their stories.
A lot of people are suggesting that the Democrats are behind the women coming out, but I don’t buy that. The timing just isn’t right. If it is being orchestrated, and it probably is, it is by another one of the Republican contenders.
Indeed, Cain himself has blamed Rick Perry, saying it is ‘despicable’. Perry, in turn, blamed Mitt Romney.
I’m withholding judgment for a couple of reasons.
First of all, if there is more it will come out. So far it is ‘she said, he said’. It is better to have this fully vetted now. If Cain should get the nomination (and I don’t believe there is a chance of that), imagine more coming out when he is actually a candidate.
I’m also holding back because I have seen this a lot of times. It is a pattern, and hopefully Cain will be the exception.
1. The accusation.
2. The denial (I did not have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky).
3. The attack on the accusers by the poltician and his minions.
4. More damning information comes out and there is an apology of sorts (I committed a serious sin).
That’s why I’m going to wait and see.
Now Herman Cain may be the biggest horndog in the country, or not. I have no idea. The problem I would have, as I have had with countless others, is that if something is proven, he has been lying to cover up. I don’t like liars.
If nothing more comes up, all the better, he can survive the storm.

Pat has this over at And So it Goes in Shreveport

What the Bossier Parish School Board is facing

2011-11-12T09:09:00.000-06:00

The Bossier Parish School Board is faced with a daunting task, namely looking at all of the facts and figures and deciding if they can accommodate the anticipated growth in the system on the current tax millage, or if they need to seek an increase.
The Board tasked the joint venture of SGB Architects & Yates Construction to assess and propose needed changes. A number of proposals were put forth, from building of new schools to extensive renovations and additions.
Among the possibilities are a new Airline High School and a new Benton High School.
The new Airline would carry a price tag of $53,000,000 plus an additional $10,000,000 for an athletic complex. The alternative for Airline would be an addition of 24 classrooms, a cafeteria expansion and other renovations for a total of just over $21,000,000.
A new Benton High School would cost just over $40,000,000 plus $10,000,000 for an athletic complex. Also being considered is building a new Benton Middle School at a cost of $20,000,000, moving Benton Elementary into the current Benton Middle School after adding a 12 classroom wing at a cost of $2,500,000. The alternative would be spending $16,000,000 for additions and renovations on all three Benton schools.
Other upgrades, additions and renovations that are on the table include:

Apollo Elementary $6,819,179
Bellaire Elementary $2,208,834
Bossier Elementary $4,746,233
Bossier High $8,601,330
Butler Educational Complex $1,701,378
Carrie Martin Elementary $3,324,053
Central Park $3,249,607
Greenacres Middle $9,216,840
Haughton Middle $5,802,217
Haughton High $16,377,093
Kerr Elementary $2,767,968
LA New Tech Plain Dealing $4,691,050
Legacy Elementary $374,400
Meadowview Elementary $3,467,454
Parkway High $5,430,000
Plantation Park $5,494,782
Platt Elementary $2,365,620
Princeton Elementary $4,115,652
Rodes Elementary $2,010,578
Rusheon Middle $4,168,727
Stockwell Place $2,462,555
Sun City Elementary $4,611,582
W.T. Lewis Elementary $2,625,000
Waller Elementary $3,290,139

The board is also looking at building a new technical school at a possible cost of $25,000,000, probably on the campus of Bossier High School.
Board member Jack Raley is pushing for the technical school, while Mike Mosura and Glen Bullard are very vocal in favor of a new Airline High School.
Board President Alison Brigham has the job of trying to keep everyone focused on the big picture.
That big picture, at this point, is that going with all necessary renovations and additions would cost just over $200,000,000, while the ‘full monty’ would be about $450,000,000.
The costs of two new high schools will force more talk of a consolidation of, at least, Airline and Benton High Schools.
The board will meet again next Thursday (November 17th) to begin to piece it together. Expect a bond issue next spring to finance whatever is decided.

Channel 12 does series on Danielle Cox

2011-11-12T06:34:00.000-06:00

I blogged back in August and September about Danielle Cox, the 15 year old Parkway High School student who committed suicide earlier this year.
Remembering Danielle
Bullying has Consequences
Jason Patrick Thomas of Bossier City is facing charges of Criminal Assistance to Suicide.
Thomas had sent more than 100 messages to Danielle encouraging her to kill herself.
In case you missed them, KSLA did a series focusing on this case.
If you have a teenager, I would encourage you to have them watch these videos. High-Schoolers need to be reminded that their actions have consequences.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
The case will be back in court on November 22^nd for a status conference.
Defense attorney Elton Richey was granted a motion for the State to present a bill of particulars to furnish:

The facts the State contends supports the allegation that Jason Thomas knowingly and intentionally advised, or encouraged, D.C. to commit suicide on or about January 25, 2011.
The facts the State contends supports the allegation that Jason Thomas participated in an act on or about January 25^th, 2011, which caused D.C. to commit suicide.
The specific acts that the state intends to prove at trial on the merits that constitute any of the following elements of the offense of Criminal Assistance to Suicide:

a. That Jason Thomas advised D.C. to commit suicide.

b. That Jason Thomas encouraged D.C. to commit suicide.

c. The particular acts purportedly participated in by Jason Thomas, which caused D.C. to commit suicide.

Veterans Day 2011

2011-11-11T05:33:00.000-06:00

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as "the Great War." Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.
History of Veterans Day

Welcome Luke to his new home

2011-11-10T18:06:00.000-06:00

Matt Sciba and his wife Mikki are in Chicago to finalize the adoption of their second child, Luke.
Luke faces some challenges, but will be well cared for in a loving home. Luke should be home, hopefully, just before Thanksgiving.
All of the regular readers of My Bossier know Matt from his association with the Northwest Louisiana Tea Party Alliance, and quite possibly from discussions on the comment section of various blog posts.
Agree with Matt politically or not, and it’s a mix, I hope everyone will stand with me and congratulate Matt, and wish the very best to Mikki, Mary and Luke.
Mikki and Matt are blogging their experiences at A Concrete Way of Love.
Luke, welcome to Bossier.

The ongoing story of MPERS

2011-11-09T18:55:00.000-06:00

In the ongoing story of MPERS, an interesting side note.
MPERS has sued both Bossier Parish and Bossier City to refund the ad valorem taxes they paid for 2010. This is the first year that they have done so.
MPERS paid, under protest, $190,166.70 to the Parish and $13,967.67 to the City for 2010.
In January they filed suit against both the Parish naming Larry Deen as Tax Collector and Bobby Edmiston as Assessor. They also filed against the City, naming William Buffington, Finance Director.
The suits were filed by Kimberly L. Robinson of the Baton Rouge law firm of Jones Walker.
The suits maintain that they are exempt because according to their theory, they fall under the Louisiana Constitutional definition of “public lands, other public property used for public purposes”.
I’m not a lawyer, but the “used for public purposes” doesn’t seem to fit (in my opinion) golf courses.
The lawyers and the judge will figure it out.
It just seems a little strange to me that they paid the taxes for all of those years, and now want to challenge the assessment.
I suppose desperate times require desperate measures.
We will have a lot more on MPERS in the very near future.

Time to take the flag down

2011-11-03T21:07:00.001-05:00

Today the Caddo Parish Commission voted 11-1 to remove the Confederate flag from the front of the courthouse.
I think that it is time to fold the flag and put it up.
I have heard the arguments both pro and con. On the pro side is the argument that it is part of our heritage. Generally speaking that might be true, but the flag at the courthouse doesn’t represent that heritage. It is true that the last Confederate flag to come down was at that location, and that should be properly noted. The flag at the courthouse isn't there to commemorate that event.
I love history, and I love the history of our area. I love the history of my family and try to pass it down to the younger people in the family.
Three of my four great-grandfathers fought in the Confederate army.
But that flag doesn’t represent them, the history of the location or even of the era. That flag was put up in my lifetime, and it was put up in defiance of an ever growing civil rights movement.
There were things that had to change, and needed to change. The flag at the courthouse was put up in opposition to that change. Simply put, the change came and it is time to take it down.

MPERS lawyer sentenced - more convictions to come?

2011-11-03T19:19:00.001-05:00

Today the former attorney for The Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System (MPERS), Randy Zinna, was sentenced to 30 months incarceration in Federal Court for stealing more than $1,500,000 from several sources.
I have blogged about MPERS on several occasions, here and here, particularly zeroing in on some bad investments.
One of those, of course, is Olde Oaks in Bossier Parish, which the system sunk more than $15,000,000 into, yet it ended up with a net worth of just over $3,000,000. Because of mismanagement of the system, police officers across the state are having to pay an addition 2.5% of their salary into contributions. The amount that the municipalities involved must contribute has risen exponentially.
The $1.2 billion program went from fully funded to $836.3 million short of meeting future retirement obligations.
Zinna was ordered to make restitution of $501,318.11 to MPERS and $136,614.10 to Olde Oaks. He also must make restitution to the Employers’ Retirement System for East Baton Rouge in the amount of $340,392.93, as well as $546,351.82 that he had swindled from a widow.
Zinna could have received up to 20 years in prison, but the U.S. Attorney filed a report indicating that Mr. Zinna should be allowed a three-level downgrade for sentencing guideline purposes due to his cooperation with the investigation and assistance with respect to other potential violators.
That’s where it gets interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if more indictments follow.
More complete articles here, here and here.

State House District 3 Race - Lynn Cawthorne

2011-11-02T15:14:00.002-05:00

I blogged yesterday about State Representative Barbara Norton. Fortunately for the people of District 3, they not only have an alternative, but a good one.
Lynn Cawthorne is managing partner of Cawthorne Financial Group. He has a degree in Business Finance from Dillard University and an MBA from Troy State. Here is his biographical info from his WEBSITE.
• Lynn D. Cawthorne is the 7th child of 13 born to Mrs. Fannie Johnson Cawthorne and the late Robert Cawthorne, Sr. He is the proud father of two children; Tatyana age 15 and 10 year-old Tylinn.
• He is a 1985 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School where he served as Senior Class President. He went on to graduate from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana with a degree in Business Finance. He also holds an MBA from Troy State University.
• His career has spanned more than 20 years working at all levels in the financial community. He began his career with Whitney National Bank in New Orleans where he rose to the position of vice-president before moving into the investment industry at UBS Paine Webber and Axa Advisors. He is currently managing partner of Cawthorne Financial Group.
• Lynn is actively involved in his community. He is the General Manager and Coach of the Caddo Heights Storm Spar League Football Team. He is the Founder of the Booker T. Washington Scholar's Society, as well as President of United Citizens and Neighborhoods (UCAN) Community Development Corporation. In 2010 he served on the Citizen's Bond Study Committee. He has been a featured panelist on Dateline Shreveport in addition to serving on the Shreveport Times Editorial/Community Board.
• Lynn is a member of Shady Grove #2 Baptist Church and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
Representing an inner city district that is plagued by poverty and crime is a difficult challenge. Cawthorne has a platform that stresses education and economic development.
• Promote laws to improve education for inner city students
• Retool educational opportunities for public school students
• Establish legislation that will create Business Enterprise Zones
• Enact laws that will assist in reducing crime
The people of District 3 deserve a representative who will do his best to build the district, not to embarrass it; to serve the people of the district, not to serve himself; and to be a credit to not only District 3, but to Shreveport and all of Louisiana.
Lynn Cawthorne is that person.
Cawthorne has a YouTube channel with several videos. You can check it out for yourself here.
There are five videos on the channel, so I picked one at random to share with you.

State House District 3 Race - Barbara Norton

2011-11-01T19:32:00.002-05:00

I was going to do this in one blog post, but it would be too much. I’ll take a look at Barbara Norton tonight and then Lynn Cawthorne tomorrow.
District 3 runs from Midway Street south to part of Cedar Grove down to the Innerloop and west across 70th Street and Hollywood to the Airport. You can find that district map here.
We’re all familiar with Barbara Norton, who has represented this district for the last 3½ years. The infamous Norton, of course, is renowned for her cursing of Shreveport Police officers on the streets of downtown during her African-American History Parade last year. To refresh your memory, here’s what happened, and it was verified by video and by eyewitness accounts.
The City of Shreveport has a law that says that drivers of parade floats must be cleared by the police department to drive in a parade. Norton did not turn in the required paperwork ahead of time so the police were checking all of the drivers as best they could.
Norton went ballistic. How dare they question her, a former ‘community activist’ turned state legislator?
Calling one officer a white motherfucker and the other, a black officer, an Uncle Tom, Norton had to be calmed down by then Chief Henry Whitehorn.
She should have been arrested, not calmed down.
In fairness, I searched for a campaign website and could not find one to link to.
Barbara Norton is a blight on the community and a disgrace to the district she serves, indeed to the Louisiana State House of Representatives.
As for issues, she is against corporal punishment in school and she didn’t like Henry Burns’ bill (which passed) to allow guns in churches with approval and under certain circumstances.
Other than that, it is hard to find anything substantive at all about Norton.
I did get the video below, in which she refused to answer questions and referred them to her ‘assistant’.
Video thanks to Shmuffinman on You Tube.
Tomorrow we’ll take a look at her opponent, local businessman Lynn Cawthorne. There is a lot to recommend him other than just not being Barbara Norton.

Oceans Two – The Great Jet Ski Escape

2011-11-01T15:30:00.000-05:00

That is just a representation of the Jet Ski that was used.
That really isn't Regis either.

It was a plan worthy of James Bond. Rob a Riverboat Casino and escape on a jet ski. My imagination runs wild, did they have a jet waiting to take them to Switzerland to a private villa to enjoy their ill-gotten loot?
Very James Bondish, except, you know, for the part about being caught and bitten by a police dog.
LaNorris Weathers and Regis Demond Hamilton tried to rob a cashier’s cage at Sam’s Town Casino in Shreveport at about 2:50 this morning.
Despite the best laid plans of mice and men, it backfired. LaNorris was captured by police in the casino. Regis apparently took the Jet Ski and wound up near the wastewater treatment plant in Bossier City, where a short time later BCPD found it and some wet clothes. A Bossier City police dog tracked Regis down and bit him in the process. He was treated at the hospital before being booked by SPD with his partner, LaNorris.

Nibbling on Sponge Cake

2011-11-01T10:26:00.000-05:00

The Margaritaville story continues. With the yes or no vote coming up in just over two weeks, I have tried to get all of the facts that I can in order to help the readers of My Bossier make an educated decision.
Some concern has been expressed by commenters over the involvement of the city in the development. As previously noted, the city has to be involved in a couple of ways.
First of all, they owned the land just north of Bass Pro Shops where the casino and hotel will be located.
Second, the city will have to provide infrastucture for the development, as it would for any other development, be it a shopping mall, church or whatever.
The earliest projected costs, and at this point they are just projections, is about $5,000,000 for water, sewerage, a lift station and an intersection providing access to the casino/hotel. This would be recovered in projected taxes in a matter of months.
Another benefit that is showing up already, even before the vote, is that the other players in town are already stepping up their game. From physical improvements to existing casinos to better comp offers in an effort to cement their player bases, the proposed competition is already reaping some benefits.
Bossier City casinos are the city’s second largest employer, trailing only Barksdale Air Force Base. The casinos currently employ more than 3,500 people compared to Barksdale’s 10,000 plus.
Margaritaville will add an estimated 1,200 more positions.
Since casino gambling was approved in Louisiana in the 1990’s, the state has benefited by billions in tax dollars, and local governments across the state in hundreds of millions.
These are just facts, not a sales pitch for the Margaritaville development, although I have said that I support it. Some people believe that it will shut down or cripple other casinos. I don’t share that view.
If you are opposed to gambling through your moral or religious convictions, I have absolute respect for your opinion.
The fact is, however, that this is a legal and legitimate business in Louisiana and as such, the market should be allowed to operate freely.

Bossier School Board considering consolidating Bossier, Benton & Airline

2011-10-31T15:10:00.000-05:00

For the moment I am going to ignore the upcoming November 19th general election. Don't worry, I'll be back to it tomorrow.
We have known that the Bossier Parish School Board would be coming up with a proposition by the end of the year. Teacher pay is one thing that is being discussed, and I think people would approve teachers' raises.
More controversial, however, is talk about combining Bossier High School, Airline High School and Benton High School into a single school somewhere north of I-220.
As I understand it, some of the Bossier High kids would go to Parkway, but the rest, along with Airline and Benton students, would go to the new high school.
This may look great on paper, and may (or may not) be economically feasible.
My personal opinion is that this one will be dead in the water if they do propose it. Simply put, Airline folks and Benton folks will never go along with it.

Halloween decorations coming up missing

2011-10-26T16:08:00.001-05:00

If you live in Palmetto Park or any of the other subdivisions around the country club you may want to keep an eye out. It may just be kids vandalizing, but there is no excuse for it. I received this letter today:
I live on Parkridge Drive in Benton, Louisiana and would like to let my neighbors know we have a thief in the neighborhood. I noticed the other morning that some of our Halloween decorations were stolen out of our yard and then again this morning I noticed that the decorations that I have on our porch were also stolen. Please post this and see if anyone else in my neighborhood is having this problem and maybe we can catch this thief!!!!!

Margaritaville on ballot for November 19th

2011-10-24T20:36:00.000-05:00

Bossier City voters are being asked to vote yes or no on allowing the Margaritaville Resort Casino development to continue.
I'm pretty sure it will get a yes vote, and that's all right with me.
The upside is that this is a very strong brand and will bring new people in. The downside is that people who are against gambling don't want another casino.
Gambling is already here. If you don't like that, then start a move to get it outlawed.
Dealing with reality, since it is here let the marketplace work.

A look at the Police Jury

2011-10-24T07:18:00.000-05:00

Three incumbent Bossier Parish Police Jurors were defeated in Saturday’s primary election. Winfred Johnston, Barry Butler and Brad Cummings will not return to the jury. Incumbent Wanda Bennett is facing a runoff with Lucy Cooper.
Here is a rundown.
District 1
Incumbent Hank Meachum did not seek re-election. This one resulted in a runoff between Brotherton and Small.
District 2
Glenn Benton won re-election over challenger Mark Toloso.
District 3
Incumbent Wanda Bennett is facing a runoff against challenger Lucy Cooper.
District 4
Incumbent Winfred Johnston got only 12% of the vote. This one will be a runoff between Jerry Carter and Sonny Cook.
District 5
Jack ‘Bump’ Skaggs defeated incumbent Barry Butler.
District 6
Incumbent Rick Avery had no opposition.
District 7
Jimmy Cochran was unopposed.
District 8
Doug Rimmer defeated incumbent Brad Cummings.
District 9
Freddie Shewmake took 72% in a resounding win against Gary Binyon. Incumbent Juror and Parish Administrator Bill Altimus did not seek re-election.
District 10
Jerome Darby had no opposition.
District 11
Wayne Hammack was unopposed.
District 12
Paul Plummer was also unopposed.

Thoughts on the Election

2011-10-23T11:20:00.000-05:00

Statewide, it was a good day for incumbents. No one doubted the outcome of the Governor’s race, and Bobby Jindal carried 65.82% of the vote.
Jay Dardenne had a sound win over Billy Nungesser, winning 53.13% of the vote to Nungesser’s 46.87%.
Secretary of State Tom Schedler had a closer encounter, winning 50.48% of the vote to Jim Tucker’s 49.52%. (Senator David Vitter had supported both Nungesser and Jim Tucker, in what some saw as a power move in the state Republican Party. He lost)
Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain and Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon were both back in with substantial leads.
In our Bossier Races, Julian Whittington was elected sheriff with 68% of the vote. Assessor Bobby Edmiston won 73% for a landslide victory.
When campaigns go negative, regardless of who you think started it, someone is going to pay. In yesterday’s elections, it was Duke Lowrie and Jane Smith who paid the price. In the Lowrie-Thompson race, the negativity came from both sides.
In the Peacock-Smith race for Senate District 37, most of the negativity came from Smith. This might have contributed to her carrying only 52% of the Bossier vote. Smith accused Peacock of being ‘soft’ on abortion, and when Peacock questioned her voting record she acted as if she was being personally attacked. This apparently didn’t set well with voters on either side of the river. I wasn’t surprised at Peacock’s win, but was slightly surprised at the margin – 55% to 45% district-wide.
Caddo Races
Not surprisingly, Sheriff Steve Prator won re-election with 78% of the vote. Assessor Charles Hennington beat back a challenge by Tea Party favorite Royal Alexander, winning 65% to 35%. I think voters in both parishes realize that they have voted for the taxes they pay, and that the assessor’s job is to properly assess property in the parish, not to attempt to lower taxes by lowering assessments.
Incumbent State Senator Sherri Smith Cheek won re-election handily over challenger Troy Terrell with 55% of the vote.
In Senate District 39, incumbent Lydia Jackson is headed into a runoff with Greg Tarver, who previously held the seat. Jackson got 9393 votes, Tarver 9015 while challenger Jim Slagle received 3,215 votes. It is hard to know which way the wind will blow in this one.
In the Representatives’ races, Alan Seabaugh won a whopping 80% of the vote to hold on to his District 5 seat. In District 7, Richie Burford won re-election with 68% over Cindy Williams.
In what I consider to be great news, 3rd District State Representative Barbara Norton will be in a runoff with Lynn Cawthorne in an effort to save her ~~ass~~ seat.

I will have a separate post on the Bossier Police Jury races, which were very interesting.

Squeaker in City Council Race

2011-10-22T22:50:00.000-05:00

District 5 City Council Special Election
Larry Hanisee 1167 (50.09%)
Tommy Harvey 1163 (49.91%)

This one will go to a recount.

Wind up (most of) Election 2011

2011-10-22T22:25:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Julian Whittington, Bobby Edmiston, Jeff Thompson and Barrow Peacock for wins tonight.
We'll look at the Police Jury results and the runoffs tomorrow.
Best news of the night - Barbara Norton is forced into a runoff.
Numbers and more tomorrow.
Good Night!

The day before: wrap up on the election

2011-10-21T21:20:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is election day, and at this point everyone pretty well knows who they are voting for.
I haven't covered any statewide races, but the race for Lt. Governor between Jay Dardenne and Billy Nungesser has gotten pretty hot.
Secretary of State Tom Schedler is challenged by Jim Tucker. Bobby Jindal will be re-elected as governor.
The major races for Bossier residents are for Sheriff, Assessor, State Representative District 8 and Senate District 37. Here are the candidates, with links to information they sent My Bossier about their candidacies.
Sheriff
Mike McConnell
Julian Whittington
Assessor
Bobby Edmiston
Ryal Siem, Sr.
State Representative District 8
Duke Lowrie
Jeff Thompson
State Senate District 37
Barrow Peacock
Jane Smith

I'm not listing all of the candidates for Police Jury.
Links to the candidates who sent us information.
District 1:
Troy Ogletree
District 2:
Mark Toloso
District 3:
Martha Peace Reyenga
Lucy Cooper

These are my endorsements:
Julian Whittington for Sheriff
Bobby Edmiston for Assessor
Duke Lowrie for State Representative

Below are other blog posts about the candidates and the election.
Mike McConnell: Why I’m running for Sheriff
Election 2011: The Final Week
October races are shaping up
Candidate Profile: Mark Toloso
Duke Lowrie receives major endorsements from Business, Oil & Gas Groups
Lowrie sues Thompson for defamation, breach of Attorney-Client privilege
Lowrie Thompson race heats up
A friend’s perspective on Duke Lowrie

Videos that have been sent to My Bossier by the Candidates.

City Employees should receive raise

2011-10-19T11:49:00.002-05:00

The Bossier City Council met yesterday and amended Mayor Lo Walker's proposed budget. Among other things, they cut out a 2% raise for all non-classified city workers. Civil Service employees get a mandated 2% raise yearly.
The workforce has been cut in the last year, and workers have handled those cuts without a decrease in service to the people of the city. In my opinion, the employees deserve the increase.
Council President David Montgomery said that the city will pay an additional 10% on health insurance that the workers would otherwise have to pay themselves. Mayor Walker said that he would prefer the council give the 2% raise and pick up the insurance cost.
The council also nixed plans to allow for hiring additional police and fire personnel to make up for anticipated openings in those departments.
Councilman David Jones was the only dissenting voice, saying that he believed that all city employees should get the 2% increase. He also favored beginning the hiring process on an additional 8 police officers.

Lowrie-Thompson race heats up

2011-10-17T19:42:00.000-05:00

Not surprisingly, the race between Duke Lowrie and Jeff Thompson has heated up - again. This is Lowrie's latest flyer.

In response, an email was sent out today from Thompson's office to various lawyers in the area.
Dear Colleague:
As you may know, Jeff Thompson is a candidate for the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 08. The election is this Saturday, October 22nd. Getting people to the polls is going to be crucial, and is made more challenging by the LSU home game against Auburn that day.
Rather than address the issues, Jeff’s opponent has resorted to negative and false attacks. Lowrie has already spent more than $175,000 of his own money in this race and now recognizes the fact he must resort to false allegations and attacks to in an all-out effort to defeat Jeff at any cost. He has even filed a completely meritless lawsuit alleging that Jeff violated attorney/client privilege. This suit is a political stunt and is an abuse of the legal system. It is an example of frivolous litigation Lowrie claims to oppose.
The attacks Lowrie has resorted to also include a series of all out assaults on our profession. Attached are copies of the various direct mail pieces sent throughout the district. Please take a moment to read over them and see for yourself the ridiculous claims asserted. If you share my frustration at the implications and assault not only on Jeff, but on our profession, I ask that you please join me in this final week of the campaign and help.
How can you do that?

 Make a financial contribution to help offset the tens of thousands of dollars in media buys and efforts Lowrie is making as a final effort in continuing the vicious, unfounded attacks which are certain to come in the last days leading up to the election. You can do that by making a secure online donation right now by clicking (LINK). You can also write a check, which we will gladly come and pick up. Just call me at (318) 747-7466 and let me know and someone will be right over.

 Early voting has already ended, so if you live in Bossier or Benton, please be sure to vote this Saturday, October 22, and take your family and friends with you!

 Help us with volunteers. You, your family members, runners or office staff could be used to assist with the campaign in these final days. We have things to do all day every day, so no matter when someone wants to help, we can put them to work! We are particularly working for a large turnout of volunteers for this Friday and Saturday. No amount of time is too small and all efforts would be very much appreciated. Just let us know by reply email or telephone call when volunteers may be available.

Desperate candidates do desperate things, and this election cycle has seen some incredible instances of mudslinging, misrepresentations, unfounded attacks and outright lies. We cannot sit idly by and allow these meritless assaults to continue. The price of getting that message out to the voters is increasing and your assistance in defense of not only our friend and colleague, but of our profession, calls us all to action. Please act now (CONTRIBUTION LINK). Please also ask others to join us.
Thank you.

Election 2011: The Final Week

2011-10-17T08:52:00.000-05:00

Two things are certain this Saturday evening - LSU will be 8-0 and the two most bitterly contested races in Bossier will be settled.
Because we all know that LSU will beat Auburn.
And we know that the race for House District 8 and Senate District 37 will both have a winner.
There have been fireworks in both of these races, really revving up a little over a week ago in District 8 when Jeff Thompson sent out his now infamous flyer "Duke Lowrie, a record of deceit", in which he said that Lowrie was suspended from BCFD for 'lying'.
Lowrie promptly responded with a lawsuit for defamation and violation of attorney/client privilege.
In the Senate race, long time Rep. Jane Smith zeroed in on opponent Barrow Peacock, accusing him of being soft on social issues.
Peacock responded by attacking Smith on her Achilles heel, tax increases.
Look for more fireworks in both of these races this week.
Meanwhile, not every race has been so contentious. In the race for Bossier City Council District 5, candidates Tommy Harvey and former Council Member Larry Hanisee have conducted a clean, straightforward campaign. These are both good, qualified candidates, and District 5 will be the winner in the end.
The Assessor's race between incumbent Bobby Edmiston and challenger Ryal Siem has also been free of personal attacks. I have endorsed Bobby in this race, but tip my hat to Ryal Siem for a race well run.
In the police jury races, Mark Toloso seems to be giving incumbent Glenn Benton a run for his money in District 2.
In District 3, Martha Peace Reyenga and Lucy Cooper are both campaigning hard for the seat held by Wanda Bennett.
Incumbent Winfred Johnston has 5 challengers in District 4. It isn't hard to predict a runoff in this one, but I have no idea who the final 2 will be.
I'll keep my ear to the ground and pass on anything I hear.

A Friend's perspective on Duke Lowrie

2011-10-13T20:23:00.000-05:00

This is a guest blog by Mike Dooley, a retired fireman who worked with Duke Lowrie for a number of years. Mike is very outspoken.
I can honestly say that Duke is the man to send to Baton Rouge. He is one of the most honest and hard working guys I know. He was one of the most educated firemen on the job and his work ethics showed it.
The deal that Jeff whats his name is stirring up is hog wash. Duke stood up to the establishment and won that fight because it was something he believed in.
He was the one that got the rules changed because it wasn't right. He will never back down from hard work or what is right.
I told him these attacks would come during his race, even though the whole thing is false. Jeff couldn't make a pimple on Dukes butt!!
This burns me up that Jeff is being dishonest telling these lies on Duke. I know the truth and Jeff needs to get his facts straight!!!! Thats my take !!!!

Update on Thompson lawsuit

2011-10-12T19:25:00.002-05:00

Jeff Thompson told Channel 3 today that he never established an attorney/client privilege with Duke Lowrie.
He didn't mention the lying flyer.
I promised to put up copies of the documents filed in the Lowrie-Thompson lawsuit yesterday. Forward Now has posted the entire lawsuit and the exhibits here.
Rex at Conservative Drink has his take on the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, And So it Goes in Shreveport has endorsed Barrow Peacock for the District 37 Senate seat.

Comment Moderation

2011-10-12T07:55:00.001-05:00

The first time I used comment moderation was during the city marshal's race back in March. This is what I published then:
I am instituting comment moderation on the blog, this means that I will have to read and approve any comments that are left before they go up.
I am doing this because a lot of unnecessary comments, some bordering on slander, some silly and some just outrageous, have been left lately.
You will still be able to fully express your view, support your candidates, and discuss your agreement/disagreement with any candidate or their platform. What you won't be able to do is make accusatory remarks that can't be substantiated.
Let's see if it improves the level of our discussions.
Now I am forced to do it again, and I hope we don't have to keep it up until the election. I detest doing this to my regular readers, who comment all the time and are accustomed to seeing their comments go up immediately. It is necessary, however. I'll turn it off from time to time over the next couple of days and see if we can get back to normal.

Lowrie sues Thompson for Defamation and Breach of Attorney-Client privilege

2011-10-11T17:47:00.002-05:00

Attorneys for Duke Lowrie filed a lawsuit in Bossier District Court today against Jeff Thompson for damages for defamation and breach of attorney-client privilege. Lowrie and Thompson are both running for the District 8 House seat left open by Jane Smith.
The lawsuit is in reponse to a flyer that Thompson sent out a few days ago saying that Lowrie was ‘suspended for lying’. In short, Lowrie faced disciplinary action for ‘padding’ his time sheet with two hours for continuing education training. At the time, hours were ‘rounded up’, not only by Lowrie, but by all employees. Lowrie was the only one called to task.
The petition goes on to say that Lowrie

"did in fact comply with the said rules of the Bossier City Fire Department Training Department. The said rules of the Bossier City Fire Department Training Department at the time of operation (2002) did, in fact, violate the Louisiana Bureau of EMS Education Policy. These rules did not comply with state or national standards in that they allowed for (1) rounding of the number of hours spent in training, and (2) duplication of video hours spent in training. Both of the policies resulted in EMT’S being credited with more training time than they may have actually acquired. These policies resulted in Plaintiff, Michael D Lowrie’s being inaccurately credited with two (2) hours of training."

As a result of this, the lawsuit contends that the campaign flyer sent out by Jeff Thompson made untrue and defamatory statements relative to Lowrie.
Here is the portion of the flyer that the lawsuit is referring to.

The lawsuit also says that:

"In 2003, Plaintiff, Michael D. Lowrie, went to Defendant, Jeff R. Thompson, an attorney and neighbor, for a second opinion as to what his rights and remedies may have been. In so doing, he established client/attorney confidentiality or privilege. This confidentiality/privilege was violated by Defendant, Jeff R. Thompson when he mailed out his said campaign flyer, wherein he wrongfully and maliciously accused the Plaintiff, Michael D. Lowrie, of lying."

I will get into a more detailed account of the events laid out in the case in the next day or so, and will provide a link to copies of backup documents filed as exhibits in the case.

The Police Jury Races

2011-10-10T22:13:00.001-05:00

I haven't spent a lot of time on the Police Jury races. The following candidates have sent us information to publish:
District 1: Troy Ogletree
District 2: Mark Toloso
District 3:
Martha Peace Reyenga
Lucy Cooper

Marty Carlson has talked to the candidates in all of the contested races. Here are links to her columns in the Bossier Press Tribune about the races:
Districts 1 & 2

If you are unsure what district you live in, here is a map of the districts.

On the Light Side

2011-10-10T18:37:00.000-05:00

Go ahead and take 5 minutes and listen to it. This is funny stuff.

Endorsement: Julian Whittington for Sheriff

2011-10-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

My Bossier is endorsing Julian Whittington for Sheriff of Bossier Parish.

Julian grew up in Benton, has an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from BPCC and a Bachelors in Criminal Justice from Northeast Louisiana University (now UL Monroe).

Julian served Bossier City as a reserve officer for 4 years, from 1983-1987, then worked as a Detention Coordinator for Rutherford house before becoming a probation officer for the Caddo Parish Juvenile Probation Office.

In 1988 he started on patrol with the Bossier Sheriff’s Department and was P.O.S.T. certified in 1989.

In his years with the Sheriff’s Office, he has served as Supervisor for the Bossier City Substation, Supervisor/Manager of the Special Services Division, Public Information Officer, and Supervisor of the Tax and Civil Division.

He was one of the department’s first D.A.R.E officers, organizing the D.A.R.E Summer Camp at Barksdale. He also trained other D.A.R.E. officers from around the country. He was elected President of the Louisiana D.A.R.E. Officer’s Association.

In 2005 Julian attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico, which involves intense physical training and law enforcement education. On his return home he was promoted to Chief Criminal Deputy and served in that capacity for over 5 years, supervising and administering all of the departments in the office. He also served as Inspector General, overseeing all legal issues.

He is also a Boy Scout Leader, has been active in 4-H all of his life, and belongs to the Bossier Noon Exchange Club, Bossier City Lions Club, and the Bossier Chamber of Commerce.

He has been married to his wife, Melissa, for 28 years and has two children. Julian and Melissa are members of Cypress Baptist Church.

In considering the candidates and their experience, I considered several things.

First of all, the character of the candidates. On this test, all three pass with flying colors.

Then experience in law enforcement. The other candidates may have more patrol and detective experience, but with four years as a Bossier City reserve officer, two years on patrol and five years as Chief Criminal Deputy, Julian is well qualified in this area.

The policing that the sheriff does is somewhat unique, in that he offers direct policing and patrol to less than half of the population of the parish, but that is spread out over 843 square miles. Of course, the sheriff always stands ready to assist the local police departments.

The Sheriff is also in charge of courthouse security.

You also have to consider that the sheriff is the executive officer of the Bossier Parish District Court system, and as such has to serve citations, summons, subpoenas, notices, and other process, and shall execute writs, mandates, orders, and judgments directed to him by the district courts, the courts of appeal, and the Supreme Court.

The Sheriff executes service on almost 20,000 papers per year.

Upon the execution of a writ of attachment, sequestration, fieri facias or seizure and sale under executory process, the sheriff is directed by the court to seize the subject property. And, in some cases, these seizures may lead to the public auction of the seized property.

The sheriff is also the ex-officio tax collector for the parish, and as such collects all property taxes and disburses them to the proper taxing authorities.

In addition to that, the Sheriff operates three prisons, and must have first hand knowledge of daily operations and of the laws governing that operation.

Julian Whittington is the only candidate who has experience not only in working in all of these departments, but in supervising them. The new sheriff must not only have experience on the streets and roads enforcing the law (which Julian has), but must first and foremost be a good manager.

Julian Whittington is the clear choice for Sheriff of Bossier Parish.

Candidate Forum: Troy Ogletree for Police Jury District 1

2011-10-06T19:51:00.002-05:00

My name is Troy Ogletree
I was born and raised in Bossier Parish.
I live in Elm Grove and am a graduate of Airline High School.
I have been married for 33 years to Barbara Ogletree and we have 2 daughters
and 4 grandchildren.
I am currently employed in management with New World International and have been very successful there for the last twenty years. My management and team building skills will make me an outstanding contributor on the Jury.
I would appreciate the opportunity to represent the voters in District 1
And to make a positive impact on the Bossier Parish Police Jury.

If you have any questions, please EMAIL me.
Here is a link for a map of the districts.

Candidate Forum: Julian Whittington for Sheriff Commercial

2011-10-05T13:47:00.002-05:00

Duke Lowrie receives major endorsements from Business, Oil & Gas Groups

2011-10-04T14:44:00.003-05:00

NORTHPAC, one of the political action arms of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), has endorsed Duke Lowrie for District 8 Representative.
The PAC, which represents business interests across North Louisiana, also sent a $2,500 contribution to Lowrie’s campaign.
LOGPAC, the political action committee for the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association, has also endorsed Lowrie. LOGPAC, in their endorsement letter, said that “the business climate is constantly changing and the oil & gas industry is a constant target for lawsuits, environmentalists and politicians looking to make a name for themselves and to bring down the industry. LOGPAC believes you have the ability and desire to stand up against those who wish to do harm and that you will provide support to our industry in your district, parish and state.” With the Haynesville Shale action, the oil and gas business is a major economic force in the area.
Bossier City Firefighters Association Local 1051 has also endorsed Lowrie, who himself is retired from the Bossier City Fire Department.
Both the LABI and the Oil & Gas Association endorsements are big deals. Apparently they looked at the field and decided to go with the person who is actually a businessman and not the lawyer who has tried hard to assume that mantle.
Copy of LOGPAC letter endorsing Lowrie
Copy of NORTHPAC letter endorsing Lowrie
Copy of Firefighters letter endorsing Lowrie

Candidate Forum: Mike McConnell for Sheriff Commercial

2011-10-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

Endorsement: Bobby Edmiston for Assessor

2011-10-02T22:13:00.000-05:00

Tax Assessor.
Just the title itself stirs people up. In fact, of course, the people vote on all property taxes. Let that sink in – you voted for the taxes that you are paying.
The job of the assessor is to provide accurate property assessments so that the taxes you voted for can be properly collected.
The office of Assessor has operated well since Bobby’s election in 1998. There is now a Bossier City satellite office to assist taxpayers, and a user friendly website that is second to none.
The law calls for the assessor to fairly assess all property in the parish, providing updated assessments every four years. If anyone feels that their assessment is incorrect, they can appeal to the assessor. If that fails, they can appeal to the Louisiana Tax Commission.
As far as property taxes go, Louisiana has some of the lowest tax rates in the country. Sales taxes, on the other hand, are generally higher.
Bobby Edmiston has done a good job as Assessor. I believe that he should be re-elected.

Man charged in Child Porn case in Bossier City was convicted of triple murder in Ohio

2011-09-30T11:52:00.000-05:00

The Times is reporting that Clifford Chase II, who was arrested for having child porn on his computer when he took it to Best Buy for repairs, was convicted of the triple murder of his parents and his brother in 1974.
Apparently Chase completed his sentence, so there is an argument that he served his time so he should be left alone concerning that case.
There is also an argument that if a convicted triple murderer is living in your neighborhood, you have a right to know it.
I was not able to find a lot of details, but with some research online did find that he was still in prison in 1996, training guide dogs for the blind.
I also found these headlines from The Columbus Dispatch.

THREE MEMBERS OF A WORTHINGTON FAMILY ARE FOUND SHOT TO DEATH AT THEIR MANSION HOME; DEAD ARE ROBERT CHASE, 44, HIS WIFE, JOAN, 42, AND THEIR SON, ROBERT WHITTIER AMES, 17* Monday, February 4, 1974

19-YEAR-OLD CLIFFORD CHASE II ADMITS TO KILLING HIS FATHER, ROBERT, HIS MOTHER, JOAN, AND HIS BROTHER, ROBERT, IN THEIR HOME AT 340 TUCKER DRIVE, AFTER AN ARGUMENT Tuesday, February 5, 1974

PLEAS OF INNOCENT AND INNOCENT BY REASON OF INSANITY ARE ENTERED ON BEHALF OF CLIFFORD CHASE II ON CHARGES OF AGGRAVATED MURDER IN THE SLAYING OF HIS PARENTS AND BROTHER Friday, February 15, 1974

THE FRANKLIN COUNTY COURT OF APPEALS REVERSED A LOWER COURT RULING AND HELD THAT AN ORAL & SIGNED CONFESSION BY CLIFFORD CHASE TO THE TRIPLE HOMICIDE CAN BE USED IN HIS TRIAL Wednesday, December 18, 1974

THE PROSECUTION CLAIMED THAT CLIFFORD G CHASE II KILLED HIS MOTHER AND BROTHER BECAUSE THEY WITNESSED THE SLAYING OF ROBERT CHASE, 44 Thursday, October 2, 1975

ROBERT (WHIT) CHASE, 17, APPARENTLY STRUGGLED AND TRIED TO TAKE THE GUN AWAY FROM THE PERSON WHO FIRED TWO BULLETS INTO HIS CHEST ACCORDING TO A FIREARMS EXPERT Friday, October 3, 1975

CLIFFORD G CHASE II WAS FOUND GUILTY OF ONE COUNT OF MURDER IN THE SLAYING OF HIS FATHER AND TWO COUNTS OF VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER IN THE SLAYING OF HIS MOTHER AND BROTHER Saturday, October 11, 1975

CLIFFORD G CHASE II WAS SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR THE MURDER OF THREE MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY Wednesday, October 15, 1975

THE OHIO SUPREME COURT RULES THAT CLIFFORD CHASE MUST BE RETRIED IN THE 1974 MURDERS OF HIS FAMILY BECAUSE A COMMON PLEAS CT JURY WAS NOT TOLD HOW TO CONSIDER HIS INSANITY DEFENSE Thursday, August 3, 1978

CLIFFORD CHASE, 23, PLEADS GUILTY TO THREE COUNTS OF VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER IN THE MURDER OF HIS FAMILY ROBERT, JOAN, AND ROBERT (WHIT) CHASE ON FEB 3, 1974 Tuesday, November 14, 1978

Candidate Information Election 2011

2011-09-27T14:58:00.001-05:00

Just for your perusal, in case you missed them the first time, here are the announcements and profiles My Bossier has published this election season for various candidates.

Sheriff
Mike McConnell
Julian Whittington

Assessor
Bobby Edmiston
Ryal Siem, Sr.

State Representative District 8
Duke Lowrie
Duke Lowrie (endorsement)

State Senate District 37
Barrow Peacock

Police Jury District 2
Mark Toloso

Police Jury District 3
Martha Peace Reyenga
Lucy Cooper

If you are a candidate for any public office and would like to present your message in My Bossier, write it up and send it to us at mybossier@gmail.com

Candidate Forum: Martha Peace Reyenga for Police Jury District 3

2011-09-26T21:34:00.001-05:00

Martha Peace REYENGA
District 3
Police Juror
Bossier Parish
“Hometown Girl wishes to serve her community as District 3 – Police Juror”
After much thought, I have decided to become a candidate for Bossier Parish Police Juror – District 3. I am dedicated to bringing change to this government body.
Raised in the country (Benton) and educated in Bossier Parish schools, my mother was the late Rona Clements Peace, lifelong resident of Benton. My husband was the late Ralph Windell Reyenga of Benton. I have three daughters who attended Benton schools (Mary Moore Wilks, Rona Moore Durbin, and Winde Reyenga Chambers) and a stepdaughter and stepson (Leslie Reyenga Matthews and Matt Reyenga). My grandchildren currently attend Bossier Parish Community College, Benton, and Legacy schools.
I was employed with the St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company prior to my employment with the United States Postal Service. My career with the USPS consisted of 31+ years, rising through the ranks to retire as Postmaster, Shreveport, in June 2010. I was responsible for over 350 employees--managing a 30+ million dollar operating budget. I graduated the Advanced Leadership Management Program, Potomac, Maryland.
My Postal career revolved around being a servant to the public. I want to continue that tradition by serving the residents of Bossier Parish as Police Juror. You deserve a determined individual, hard-worker, and a servant with strong values!
You will find that my strongest attributes include: an extensive leadership background, managing within budget constraints, maintaining a proper work ethics environment, and being honest.
I will support and work for the residents of District 3--bringing a much needed change to our government body!

Candidate Forum: Lucy Cooper for Police Jury District 3

2011-09-26T08:29:00.000-05:00

LUCY COOPER
MY NAME IS LUCY COOPER; I AM A CANDIDATE FOR POLICE JURY DISTRICT 3. MY GREAT GRANDFATHER, JOHN D. GLEASON, MOVED TO PLAIN DEALING IN 1860 AND MY FAMILY HAS LIVED IN BOSSIER PARISH EVER SINCE.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PLAIN DEALING AND HAVE SPENT 60 YEARS IN BOSSIER PARISH. IN 1995, AFTER 20 YEARS OF SERVICE, I RETIRED FROM A BOSSIER CITY BASED COMPANY THAT HAD OVER 200 MILLION IN SALES
ANNUALLY. I SERVED AS CONTROLLER AND EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT. FOR THE PAST 16 YEARS I HAVE BEEN PRESIDENT AND OWNER OF COOPER’S COUNTRY CORNER WITH OPERATIONS IN NORTH BOSSIER AND EAST
TEXAS.
AS POLICE JUROR YOU CAN DEPEND ON ME TO:

BE COMMMITTED AND WORK HARD. MY FAMILY HAS BEEN IN BOSSIER PARISH FOR NEARLY 150 YEARS
ADDRESS ZONING ISSUES. SPECIFICALLY I BELIEVE THAT SURROUNDING PROPERTY OWNERS SHOULD
HAVE THE SAME APPEAL RIGHTS AS PROPERTY OWNERS REQUESTING ZONING CHANGES.
MAKE DECISIONS THAT PROTECT THE VALUE OF OUR HOMES.
RESPONSIBLY SPEND THE TAX DOLLARS OF THIS PARISH AND VOTE TO RETURN UNUSED TAX REVENUE TO IT’S CITIZENS.
SUPPORT CHANGES IN POLICE JURY MEETING TIME. EVENING MEETINGS ARE MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR
HOMEMAKERS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE.
PARISH WIDE ZONING WILL BE CONSIDERED DURING THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. SPECIFICALLY THIS WILL
PROHIBIT, AS CURRENTLY WRITTEN, THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS FROM OPERATING A BUSINESS FROM THEIR HOMES. I WILL VOTE TO PUT THIS ISSUE BFORE THE VOTERS.
WORK DILIGENTLY TO FUND AND REPAIR THE OPEN SEWERAGE BEING DUMPED INTO THE FLAT RIVER CREEK OFF LINTON ROAD. THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR OVER FOUR YEARS.
BE AVAILABLE TO AND RESPONSIBLY AND COURTEOUSLY RESPOND TO THE CITIZENS.

BOSSIER PARISH AND SPECIFICALLY DISTRICT 3 ARE GROWING AT AN UNPRECEDENTED RATE AND IT IS VITAL
THAT WE BE REPRESENTED BY QUALIFIED AND EMOTIONALLY COMMITTED LEADERS.
CANDIDATE FOR POLICE JURY DISTRICT 3
SHOW US THE MONEY
TWO YEARS INTO THIS POLICY JURY TERM, 2009, WE WERE FACED WITH A 6.5 MILLION DOLLARS DEFICIT. DURING THIS TIME YOU WILL RECALL OUR HOMES WERE ALL “RE-ASSESSED” AND PROPERTY INCREASED AS A RESULT. THIS VOTER NOW PAYS 25% MORE. WHY? THE CURRENT POLICE JURY ELECTED TO INVEST $25 MILLION DOLLARS IN CYBER INNOVATION CENTER (CIC) TAXYPAYERS WERE TOLD THIS INVESTMENT WOULD BRING 10,000 FAMILIES TO OUR AREA, PROVIDE JOBS AND CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
WHAT DID WE BUY? A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING AND 58 ACRES. TOTAL INVESTMENT BY STATE, BOSSIER CITY, AND YOU AND ME IS OVER $107,000,000. THAT’S 107 MILLION DOLLARS. SO FAR WE HAVE NOT ADDED
FAMILIES, NEW JOBS, OR OPPORTUNITIES AND THERE’S TALK OF INVESTING MORE MONEY IN THIS VENTURE. AS YOUR POLICE JUROR I WILL NOT VOTE TO SPEND MONEY AT THE RISK OR CREATING DEFICITS. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT WHILE THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING MONEY THEY MOST CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT BE MAKING DEFICITS.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH ME : 318-426-1057 OR LCOOPER100@AOL.COM.
I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU R VOTE FOR DISTRICT 3 POLICE JUROR.

October Races are shaping up

2011-09-25T13:26:00.000-05:00

The political races are taking on a life of their own, and the first reports have been filed with the Ethics Board. These don’t necessarily reflect public support, but they aren’t a bad guide either. Go to this website to see the reports.
These are my impressions so far.
Sheriff
Julian Whittington has raised $400,000. Neither Mike McConnell nor John Hall Matlock filed.
This one probably is reflective of the race, look for Whittington by a landslide. I know I have readers who support the other candidates, but it may be time to wake up and smell the coffee.
Assessor
Incumbent Bobby Edmiston has a strong challenger in Ryal Siem. Both are hitting the streets and talking to voters. I give the edge to Bobby.
State Senate District 37
Jane Smith will carry Bossier. I think the election hinges on what support she can pull from Southeast Shreveport. Barrow Peacock has almost won a couple of elections, and this may be the big one for him. I have no prediction here.
Representative District 8
Jeff Thompson has the establishment support, but I believe that Duke Lowrie has the voters. Simply put, Jeff Thompson is being out-campaigned by Lowrie. My prediction is Lowrie in a close election.
Police Jury
I can’t begin to do the Police Jury races justice, but Marty Carlson can. Check out her columns in the Bossier Press-Tribune for ongoing coverage of the Police Jury races.
In the next few days, we will have more comprehensive coverage of the races I outlined today, including at least one endorsement.

Bossier Qualifying - Day 3

2011-09-08T16:42:00.001-05:00

No surprises today, as only two more candidates qualified, Jerry Carter in the Police Jury District 4 free-for-all and Troy Ogletree in District 1. Looks like Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 are going to be the hot police jury races. It will be interesting to watch District 9 and see who replaces Bill Altimus.
Cindy Johnston is unopposed for Clerk of Court, Henry Burns for District 9 State Representative, Robert Adley for State Senate District 36 and Dr. Chandler for coroner. Several incumbent police jury members are also unchallenged.

Sheriff

Cindy Johnston

• Julian Whittington
• John Matlock
• Mike McConnell
Clerk of Court
• Cindy Johnston
Tax Assessor
• Bobby Edmiston
• Ryal Siem
State Representative District 8
• Jeff Thompson
• Duke Lowrie
State Representative District 9
• Henry Burns
State Senate District 36
• Robert Adley
State Senate District 37
• Jane Smith
• Barrow Peacock (qualified in Caddo)
Bossier City Council District 5
• Tommy Harvey
• Larry Hanisee
Coroner
• John Chandler
Police Jury
District 1
• Robert Brotherton
• Larry Small
• Thomas Hayes
• Troy Ogletree
District 2
• Mark Toloso
• Glenn Benton
District 3
• Wanda Bennett
• Martha Peace Reyenga
• Lucy Cooper
District 4
• Johnnie E. Jorden
• Douglas Cook
• Larry Richardson
• Loyd Dodson
• Wnfred Johnston
• Jerry W Carter
District 5
• Jack Skaggs
• Barry Butler
District 6
• Ricky Avery
District 7
• James Cochran
District 8
• Brad Cummings
• Douglas Rimmer
District 9
• Fred Shewmake Jr
• Gary Binyon
District 10
• Jerome Darby
District 11
• William Hammack
District 12
• Paul Plummer

Bossier Qualifying - Day 2

2011-09-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

Ryal Siem qualified today for the office of Tax Assessor. Winfred Johnston, Brad Cummings, William Hammack, Paul Plummer, Barry Butler, Jimmy Cochran, Gary Binyon and Douglas Rimmer all qualified for Police Jury. They are listed below in the updated list.
Tomorrow is the last day of qualifying, and I will publish a complete list of candidates then.
Sheriff
• Julian Whittington
• John Matlock
• Mike McConnell
Clerk of Court
• Cindy Johnston
Tax Assessor
• Bobby Edmiston
• Ryal Siem
State Representative District 8
• Jeff Thompson
• Duke Lowrie
State Representative District 9
• Henry Burns
State Senate District 36
• Robert Adley
State Senate District 37
• Jane Smith
• Barrow Peacock (qualified in Caddo)
Bossier City Council District 5
• Tommy Harvey
Coroner
• John Chandler
Police Jury
District 1
• Robert Brotherton
• Larry Small
• Thomas Hayes
District 2
• Mark Toloso
• Glenn Benton
District 3
• Wanda Bennett
• Martha Peace Reyenga
• Lucy Cooper
District 4
• Johnnie E. Jorden
• Douglas Cook
• Larry Richardson
• Loyd Dodson
• Wnfred Johnston
District 5
• Jack Skaggs
• Barry Butler
District 6
• Ricky Avery
District 7
• James Cochran
District 8
• Brad Cummings
• Douglas Rimmer
District 9
• Fred Shewmake Jr
• Gary Binyon
District 10
• Jerome Darby
District 11
• William Hammack
District 12
• Paul Plummer

Bossier Qualifying - Day 1

2011-09-06T16:37:00.000-05:00

The following people qualified with the Bossier Parish Clerk of Court today and are now official candidates. I will update tomorrow and Thursday.

Julian Whittington

Sheriff
• Julian Whittington
• John Matlock
• Mike McConnell
Clerk of Court
• Cindy Johnston
Tax Assessor
• Bobby Edmiston
State Representative District 8
• Jeff Thompson
• Duke Lowrie
State Representative District 9
• Henry Burns
State Senate District 36

Duke Lowrie

• Robert Adley
State Senate District 37
• Jane Smith
• Barrow Peacock (qualified in Caddo)
Bossier City Council District 5
• Tommy Harvey
• Larry Hanisee
Coroner
• John Chandler
Police Jury
District 1
• Robert Brotherton
• Larry Small
• Thomas Hayes
District 2
• Mark Toloso
• Glenn Benton
District 3
• Wanda Bennett
• Martha Peace Reyenga
• Lucy Cooper
District 4
• Johnnie E. Jorden
• Douglas Cook
• Larry Richardson
• Loyd Dodson
District 5
• Jack Skaggs
District 6
• Ricky Avery
District 7
District 8
District 9
• Fred Shewmake Jr
District 10
• Jerome Darby

The Code of Support

2011-09-05T23:10:00.000-05:00

You can sign the pledge tomorrow (Tuesday, September 6) between 4:30pm & 7:30pm, at the Bossier Civic Center.
The Code of Support provides all Americans with a simple set of promises that we can make to our service members, our wounded warriors, our veterans and all of their families in recognition of the sacrifices that they have made, and continue to make, on our behalf.
The campaign is intended to raise national awareness of those sacrifices. It will focus on asking Americans (the 99%) to sign their pledge to follow the Code of Support, and by so doing, become part of a new Corps of Support for our troops (the 1%). The campaign goal is to create a million-member Corps of Support!
Corps members are further asked to “get involved” by donating to or volunteering for one of the many vetted organizations that currently provide direct material support to the troops, our veterans and their families. This is truly a multi-organization umbrella campaign that will ultimately be of enormous benefit to our troops and their families by helping those who help them!
The campaign kicked off with an exciting “Patriots & Heroes Relay: From the Pacific to the Potomac,” and is carrying a special scroll containing the Code of Support from the west coast, along a route passing near many major military installations through 11 states, culminating in the delivery of the Code with thousands of pledge signatures to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington DC, just prior to the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Candidate Profile: Bobby Edmiston for Bossier Parish Tax Assessor

2011-09-05T19:47:00.004-05:00

Bobby W. Edmiston is well known in Bossier Parish. He is a lifelong resident. He is a graduate of Airline High School and Louisiana Tech University, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He is married to Stephanie Delay Edmiston and they have two children, Ashley and Jesse. After graduating from College he worked in the banking industry for 14 years, finishing his career as a Vice-President with Bank One.
He has over 350 hours of education from the International Association of Assessing Officers and is a Certified Louisiana Assessor.
In 1998 he was elected Bossier Parish Assessor. He has implemented many valuable changes as Assessor. He opened a satellite office in Bossier City, to make it more convenient for citizens to use the Assessor’s office; created an interactive website for on-line use; created a GIS (Geographic Information
System) to assist in location and identification of Parish property, roads, waterways and other development features; has assembled a professional and courteous staff to provide services needed to meet Bossier Parish’s growing needs; has been a legislative leader working in conjunction with the
Assessor’s Association and our local delegation to ensure that the rights of our citizens are protected and preserved.
He has been active in our community. He serves on the Republican Parish Executive Committee, the Governor’s Interstate 49 task force, as a member and past President of the Bossier City Rotary Club,
As an Ex-Officio Director of the Bossier Chamber of Commerce. He and his family are members of Airline Baptist Church. He is also a member of VFW Post 4588. He is a member of the Louisiana National Guard and served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn.

This week is official start of election season

2011-09-05T10:37:00.000-05:00

All candidates for public office this fall will be qualifying for election Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
I will post a list every evening of the candidates who have qualified on that day.
I'm wondering how many surprises there will be?
I'm also wondering if Robert Adley will have some competition. The rumor has been that Bill Altimus will mount a challenge. We'll see.
I also heard that Henry Burns may be challenged. Again, we'll see.
Of course, ~~some~~ most of the races are already pretty well defined.
We know that we will have a new sheriff and a new representative from District 8 when the dust settles. Bossier City will have a new councilman for District 5, and the Police Jury will see some new faces.
Hold on to your hats, we could have a couple of good races shaping up.

Bullying has Consequences

2011-09-01T18:28:00.000-05:00

Early last week I did a blog post entitled Remember Danielle. If you have not read it, do so now. Danielle was a 15 year old student at Parkway High School when she killed herself in May.
I mentioned in the article that Danielle had received over 100 messages from one individual, a 17 year old, encouraging her to go ahead and commit suicide.
The young man, Jason Patrick Thomas, was charged in February with Cyberbullying.

A. Cyberbullying is Read the entire statute (LRS 14:40.7).
the transmission of any electronic textual, visual, written, or oral communication with the malicious and willful intent to coerce, abuse, torment, or intimidate a person under the age of eighteen.

Last week that charge was amended to Criminal Assistance to Suicide. Thomas will be arraigned on that amended charge next Tuesday, September 6th. He is represented by Shreveport attorney Elton Richey.

A. Criminal assistance to suicide is Read the entire statute (LRS 14:32.12)
(1) The intentional advising or encouraging of another person to commit suicide or the providing of the physical means or the knowledge of such means to another person for the purpose of enabling the other person to commit or attempt to commit suicide.
(2) The intentional advising, encouraging, or assisting of another person to commit suicide, or the participation in any physical act which causes, aids, abets, or assists another person in committing or attempting to commit suicide.

Danielle’s family has set up a Facebook page ‘Smiles for Danielle’ on Facebook designed to help prevent teen bullying and suicide. By mid-September a website will be up.

Bossier Church Shooting: Allan Haltom also faced criminal charges

2011-08-31T07:52:00.000-05:00

Allan Corby Haltom, who police believe shot his wife Angela on the parking lot at First Baptist Church in Bossier yesterday, was under a restraining order that had just been re-issued yesterday morning.
He also was facing criminal charges from an incident that occurred in June.
On June 5th, according to filings in the Bossier Clerk of Court’s office, Haltom told his estranged wife that she could bring the children and get some personal items and that he would not be at the house.
When they entered the house, he was hidden in an armoire and came out with a pistol in his hand. When Angela Haltom ran down the hall, he told her ‘it’s not for you’. He then allowed the young people to leave the house.
Police were called and he came out of the house without incident.
After the incident, it was discovered that he had dead-bolted the doors to the house and had unplugged the garage door opener. He also had left some savings bonds and a note outside for his mother, stating that he was sorry for what he was going to do to himself and Angela.
Within the next 4 days, Angela filed for divorce and for a protective order, which is a civil proceeding. That order was issued on June 9th, and on that same day Allan Haltom was charged with one count of kidnapping and with four counts of aggravated assault. Bond was set at $75,000 on the kidnapping charge and at $20,000 on each charge of aggravated assault, for a total of $155,000. His attorney immediately filed for bond reduction, noting that he was well settled in the area, retired after 20 years of military sevice and had no criminal history.
Judge Bolin signed an order reducing bond to $2,500 for each charge of aggravated assault and $10,000 for kidnapping, for a total of $20,000.
The order reducing bond also required that Haltom check into VA hospital and not leave until a Doctor opined that he was not a threat to himself or others, and that he continue with follow-up care and enroll with the Sheriff’s Probation Department so his progress could be monitored. I was unable to find out how long he stayed in the hospital or if he had followed up.
Angela Haltom was back in court yesterday morning with an application to have the protective order re-issued, as it was set to expire. The court approved it.
That all led up to the events yesterday afternoon.

BCPD charges ten year old with rape

2011-08-30T16:41:00.001-05:00

Bossier City Police have charged a 10 year old boy with the forcible rape of an 11 year old girl. The incident took place on the grounds of Bossier Elementary School on August 11th while school was not in session.
Complete story at KSLA

What is a coach’s responsibility to his players at a Middle School level?

2011-08-29T22:01:00.000-05:00

I received this letter a couple of days ago. Ordinarily I wouldn't print anything without identifying the person who wrote it, but in this case I think the reason is pretty obvious. I even deleted the name of the school, but will tell you that it is a Bossier Parish school.
What is a coach’s responsibility to his players at a Middle School level?
We are new to Louisiana and to Middle School. This is my son’s first year playing football for this school and we were warned that this was “football Country” out here and football, even at a Middle School level, was political and fueled by favoritism. We had heard great things out this school and weren’t too worried about the rumors; after all it is Middle School right? These are young boys in early adolescence, not quite true athletes yet- but wanting to be. Waiting to be mentored and molded. Coached and validated. Waiting to grow into upper division athletes, all while dealing with hormones, puberty, pimples and the myriad of other Middle School things to worry about, all the while looking up to their coach as their hero, their demi-god while on the field.
During football season these boys spend more time with their coach on the field than they do with their own families during the week, and that affects them. The coaches become important to them. So then what is the coaches outlook when they have 50 plus young boys all looking to them for so many things during this overwhelming and confusing times in their lives? Do the coaches look through these boys not seeing the individual young men they are, and only seeing if they are played will they win? Do they not see them as young men needing to be taught, mentored, molded, encouraged to be the best they can be? Or are they just numbers on a playbook.
Do the coaches just want to win at any cost, and ignoring and forgetting some kids on the team is the price they are willing to pay? Is winning so important now that coaches have forgotten how incredibly important their jobs are at this crucial time in a young boys life. That they are there to TEACH young men how to become athletes, to foster each child’s individual talent, and encourage and teach new skills, as after all, they are teachers – right?
We had an incident at our Middle School Game last night. It was just a scrimmage game mind you – a scrimmage – and the coach chose to not play the entire team.
It was a scrimmage.
A game atmosphere in the stadium.
A great opportunity as a coach to play each player and see what they can bring to the table. An opportunity of a measuring tool for himself to see what each kid has. How they handle playing in a game situation. If the child should be used in a certain position? And above all, where he needs to work more with each kid.
They are children, remember – not just numbers. Simple, right – perfect opportunity to be fair, play everyone, to evaluate each child and let them experience play time and show the coach their stuff, especially since the score doesn’t even count.
It’s just a scrimmage after all, right?
I mean we are here for the kids, right? We are fostering their desire and optimism to play a sport they are so passionate about, and have paid their dues training for 2 hours a night in the heat, going to bed late because they have to stay up and finish homework. Well, that is not what happened at our school. Apparently we were proved wrong in not believing the rumors about politic and favoritism at this level.
The coach chose to not play all of the kids. This is Middle School – not Jr. – Sr. High school ball. This is Middle School where are boys are just learning to become men, to become athletes, to become themselves! The coach chose to not play every child that was new. Really? Ten young men who were new to the school or to the team were intentionally not played in a “scrimmage” game, their first game (that did not count).
What message is the coach sending to these young boys? “You are not good enough – not even to play in a scrimmage game” – WOW!!
To be betrayed by a coach that way – at this level – at a scrimmage game that every one knows, means NOTHING to the stats…. Was that really the best message to send to our children?
Was it because they were new?
Because you haven’t played with me since “Dixie League” you need to pay your dues?
Politics? Well, if so, shame on him. Then you are not a coach – you are a puppet and you should be removed from your position, because this is not just football you are teaching our kids here. Your position is so much more important. I am not a whining mommy who is throwing a fit just because my kid didn’t play… None of the new kids played. That is odd and it speaks volumes about what is really going on in our schools athletic system.
When my son walked out to the car, the light had gone out behind his eyes. He looked devastated and was just shaking his head like he didn’t understand what happened.
The only thing he said on the way home is “I am so embarrassed to go to school tomorrow”. Being a new kid is tough enough, throw in the atmosphere the school has created and allowed behind Football Rules the School and add the coaches decision to not play the new kids… what do you have?
What you have is someone out to win at any cost, even if it IS our children.
Shame on you ****** Middle School Coaches!! Perhaps the reason you lost the scrimmage last night is BECAUSE you didn’t play one of those kids. You never know, THEY could have made the difference in that game. What I do know is YOU could have made a difference to them!

Gardens of Southgate HOA surrenders

2011-08-27T09:12:00.001-05:00

All of the news outlets are reporting that a settlement has been reached in the Corey Burr sign dispute. The Gardens of Southgate HOA is dropping their lawsuit and the Burrs get to keep their sign until Corey returns home. I love a good compromise.
Why the HOA wouldn’t bend a little on this is still puzzling to me.
Congratulations to the Burrs and their supporters.
And so it goes in Shreveport

Bossier City Building Maintenance Part I

2011-08-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

KTBS has a good story up on the Bossier City Building maintenance brouhaha. In case you are not familiar with it, according to the article “Discrepancies have surfaced of three employees not being paid tens of thousands of dollars worth of overtime. Building maintenance director Charles DuBois has resigned and the city has agreed to pay the employees.”
That is bad enough in itself, but it appears to just be sympomatic of an endemic problem in the department. The City website describes the department thusly:
Department of Building Maintenance
This department is responsible for, but not limited to, in-house repair, renovation and maintenance of city owned buildings and other approved facilities. DBM also does the grounds keeping for the Municipal Complex and Civic Center.
This department employs electricians, heating and air conditioning technicians, carpenters, maintenance mechanics, laborers, locksmiths, and clerical personnel to meet the City's needs.
Yet despite having 6 full time employees and a budget of 1.8 million dollars, the city has already spend $200,000 this year on outside contractors.
District 3 councilman Don Williams has proposed that the city consider privatizing the entire department.
The mayor said that it is ‘too early’ to comment and that this would have to be covered in the budget talks this fall.
I contacted Councilman Williams and asked him just two questions:
1. Do you think the council will get behind you on this proposal?
2. In addition to increasing efficiency, do you think that the city would save money through privatization?
This was his response:
“I really believe this will get some traction by the council. I will start talking to other council members about going ahead and sending out RFP's so we can have an idea of contractor cost before the budget starts and then we can make an informed decision. I think we could definitely save anywhere from $500,000 to 1 million dollars a year. I have some ideas already on how to approach this situation.
I know the average person changes light bulbs in their house, unplugs toilets, fixes leaking faucets or changes toilets seats. I know I do everything I can to save a buck. This was the kind of stuff the city was paying contractors to do. As you can see I truly believe what I'm doing is the right thing. Not saying it will happen because I'm still looking into it and will do what's best for the city, but I will guarantee there will be changes in that department.
Really, if the Mayor would pull his head out of the sand and look at what is going on and take care of business, things like this would not occur.”
You will notice that I titled this ‘Part I’. The reason for that is simple; as this develops, for every question answered five more pop up. I am planning to look deep into the background of this situation and see how it was allowed to develop to the point that it has.
I’ll have more soon.

Remembering Danielle

2011-08-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

A candlelight vigil was held last week for Danielle Cox, a Parkway student who killed herself in May.
Danielle had diabetes and suffered from depression.
Earlier this year, when she was going through a problem with the depression, she sent a text message to a friend saying that she was going to hurt herself. The friend posted her number on Facebook, asking people to encourage her.
One male Parkway student sent her about 150 messages encouraging her to do it.
Danielle’s stepdad, John Morton, said “We didn't realize the impact, at all, that this had done, she thought that so many people did not like her because of the actions of that boy”.
On May 20th, Danielle committed suicide. She was 15 years old.
There are so many lessons here. First, of course, is that there always is hope. Second, our actions do have consequences. If someone is reaching out for help, don’t treat it lightly. Finally, Facebook, Twitter and the other social media outlets are great – but they are not the place to take your problems.
Depression and bullying are a deadly combination.
That’s why John & Jessica Morton have started a Facebook page, Smiles for Danielle.

Smiles For Danielle is a group created in her memory. Our hope is through education and awareness, those who suffer from mental illness will no longer see suicide as a viable solution. Welcome to this group, we look forward to doing great things and thank you for your support.

If you are on Facebook, join the group and keep up with their efforts to help other kids and families.
The Bossier Press Tribune had a story on Danielle last week, here is the link.

Christmas 2010
John and Jessica Morton with Danielle, Jake and Emilie

About the Video

The last photo we have of Danielle is a photo she took of herself holding a paper smile in front of her tear stained face....hence the group's name Smiles for Danielle. This video contains many of the smiles photos that were created in her memory in response to her death.

Wasting away in Margaritaville

2011-08-18T13:28:00.000-05:00

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has approved moving the Grand Palais Riverboat to Bossier City from Lake Charles to become the Margaritaville Casino.
The Police Jury will now get it on the ballot for Bossier City voters in the elections this fall. If approved, Bossier City will have another casino.
Jimmy Buffett's website

Guest Post: Parker Ward on the Republican Debate

2011-08-12T09:45:00.000-05:00

Last night the major presidential candidates for the GOP debated in Iowa. I have to say I am shocked at the outcome.

Newt Gingrich- Came off as strong by not answering the 'gotcha' questions. He stood up on his record and seemed to be a strong candidate last night. His performance was good. I think the average GOP voter was satisfied with his answers.
Jon Huntsman- RINO! He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. His answers were not insightful and I was really turned off by his answer about the Chinese.
Tim Pawlenty- Tpaw came off as weak last night. He had a funny one-liner when he was asked about “I will come to your house and cook you dinner, or I will mow your yard….only one acre for Mitt” and attacking Michele Bachmann. He is weak and a vanilla type of person. I believe last night was the final straw for the Pawlenty campaign.
Michele Bachmann- Bachmann seemed to lose some of her steam after the first tussle with Pawlenty. I was dissatisfied with her performance and seemed to lose interest because she lost her fire. I was shocked; her performance was not as good this time as it was in the CNN debate. I was really sad to see that.
Mitt Romney- Mitt seemed to come off as usual. He really did not take any swings at any of the other candidates. All of his swings were for Obama. It was funny when Pawlenty went after Obamney Care and Mitt said “I liked his first answer better.”
Ron Paul- OMGOSH! He got on my last nerve. He rambled about his disillusion of the Constitution. He is a 2-issue candidate pull the troops and audit the fed. Every time he came on the TV, I cringed and wanted to turn the TV to mute. He rambled about every question. He came off as a liberal last night. He should be on the Democrat stage.
Herman Cain- Insightful as always but he is playing down his anti-Muslim views now. He is losing his Tea Party support because of that. I believe his performance in the first Fox News debate was better. His campaign will lose some steam after last night’s debate.
Rick Santorum- Rick came off strong last night. He has really energized the base of the party, Social Conservatives. He took real social conservative stances. He came off last night as insightful and strong. I believe after last night’s debate that his campaign will go on to be in the top four candidates.

The winners were Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum.
After last night, I have changed my support from Bachmann to Santorum. I am a hard-core social conservative and so it Rick Santorum. Last night was a game changer in the GOP 2012 Race for President.
It’s really starting to get interesting.
I predict that:
Pawlenty, Huntsman, Herman Cain, and Newt Gingrich will be one of the first to drop out of the race.
LET NOT FORGET RICK PERRY! He is jumping in Saturday.

As a high school senior, Parker Ward was a candidate for Shreveport Mayor in 2010. He is very actively involved in politics and in his church.

Did Adley and Marvin cut a deal to get Richey Jackson out of the State Senate race?

2011-08-10T13:51:00.000-05:00

Richey Jackson sent an email to Lou Burnett at Fax-Net Daily on Monday telling him that he had decided not to run for the State Senate District 36 seat against Robert Adley.
Jackson was due to host a fundraiser last night, and as of early afternoon a number of people who had been invited had not been notified that he was not running.
What happened?
My sources tell me that Schuyler Marvin had a meeting with Jackson (his employee), and encouraged him to drop out of the running because he couldn’t raise enough money to take on the incumbent.
(This is a little strange, considering that a 19 year old college student, Tyler Nezat, ran against Adley last time, didn’t campaign, didn’t raise a penny, and got 27% of the vote).
What really happened?
Consider some background. For the last year or two there has been a move to split the 26^th JDC, which is comprised of Bossier & Webster Parishes, into two separate judicial districts. Adley has been the point man for the split in Baton Rouge.
DA Marvin, who lives in Webster Parish, has been strongly opposed. The logical outcome of such a split would be that Marvin would be left as the DA in Webster Parish, and Bossier would elect someone new. Marvin would lose the bigger part of his current constituency.
Of course, this is conjecture on my part. Did Marvin and Adley cut a deal for Jackson to drop out, and in return for Adley to drop his efforts to split the 26^th?
Will Adley continue his efforts to split the 26th or will he quietly drop them? As I said, this is only conjecture, but the proof will be in the pudding.
Hide and watch.

Eternal Father

2011-08-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

Shreveport Natives Rob Reeves and Jonas Kelsall were among the 22 Navy Seals who died when the helicopter in which they were riding was shot down in Afghanistan.
Words can’t express our sorrow for their families.

Dead Dog and Animal Porn

2011-08-06T13:18:00.000-05:00

You can't make this stuff up.
You think Bossier Parish politics are interesting? Look at Rapides Parish, where a former sheriff’s detective has accused the current sheriff of covering up the killing of a dog by a friend.
He sent a tape of the incident to PETA, which of course asked for an investigation.
The plot thickens. The deputy’s wife, who works for the Rapides Clerk of Court, was accused of stealing a dog from the sheriff’s house and a pot bellied pig from one of the sheriff’s neighbors. The deputy husband was fired for sending a copy of the investigation to a lawyer.
A spokesman for the sheriff says that when investigators were checking the deputy’s work computer for information about sending the copy to the lawyer, they found animal porn and hard core people porn that had been downloaded.
And yes, they are involved in an election.
And yes, the former deputy is supporting the sheriff’s opponent.
Read the Town Talk story here.

Endorsement: Duke Lowrie for State Representative

2011-08-05T21:08:00.002-05:00

Michael "Duke" Lowrie is a retired Bossier City Firefighter, who retired with the rank of Captain. He and his wife Kara own Acadiana Mortgage.
Duke has been a public servant in the best sense of the word, and I believe that he will represent District 8 in the State House of Representatives well.
Duke’s opponent paints himself a businessman, but the only business I can find that he is involved with is his own law firm. In addition to Acadiana Mortgage, Duke also raises crawfish in North Bossier Parish.
Bossier needs someone to represent the interests and beliefs of the people, and Duke reflects those views and will not back down to special interests once elected.
He hasn’t been anointed by the powers that be in the parish and the city, but the only votes that count are those of all the people.
I believe that Duke Lowrie will receive those votes.
For more information about Duke, check out his website.

Elections 2011: Endorsements

2011-08-04T22:01:00.000-05:00

I'm going to go ahead in the next few days and put in my 2 cents worth about a couple of the local races.
I was going to wait until qualifying in September, but there are 2 or 3 candidates that I have decided to support, so I'll do the first one this weekend.
This doesn't mean that I won't publish anything that their opponent desires to put on My Bossier. I made the promise that anyone running for office can email me information and I will be glad to publish it. That offer stands.
I know I don't have to encourage you all to comment on my choices; the readers of My Bossier are prolific commenters.
I'll go further than that. If any of you feel strongly against my choices, and want to write an endorsement for your guy, I will publish it.
Of course, you will have to be willing to put your name to it.
A couple of these races are going to get pretty nasty, so batten down the hatches and get ready for a ride!

Major power outage in Benton

2011-08-04T07:28:00.000-05:00

Due to a fire at a substation on Linton Cutoff Road, 1,900 Benton households will have no power for the next 24 hours. The news account on KSLA says that flames shot as high as 60 to 80 feet in the air.
This is much more than an inconvenience, but is a dangerous situation with the area under an excessive heat warning. Temperatures today are supposed to hit 109 degrees, with the 100 degree + days continuing all week.

Today

Hot

Hi 109 °F

Tonight

Partly
Cloudy
Lo 82 °F

Friday

Slight Chc
Tstms
Hi 107 °F

Friday
Night

Slight Chc
Tstms
Lo 79 °F

Saturday

Hot

Hi 106 °F

Duke Lowrie on Moon Griffon

2011-08-01T22:12:00.001-05:00

A sad loss

2011-07-31T22:09:00.000-05:00

Life is so fragile. Our sincerest sympathy to the family and loved ones of Melissa Maggio.

Early impressions on the fall elections

2011-07-28T15:41:00.000-05:00

Just some personal opinions on what I see happening right now. It's still 5 weeks until qualifying and 3 months until elections, but a lot of campaigning is already going on.

House District 8
This is the seat that Jane Smith is vacating due to term limits. Duke Lowrie was the first to announce, and then Jeff Thompson. Some signs are going up on both sides, and some door to door.
Lowrie has been working hard and knocking on doors with volunteers. I haven't heard so much about Thompson doing this, but I'm sure he is.
With two candidates who have never held office before, Lowrie a businessman and retired firefighter, and Thompson an attorney, I have thought from the beginning that the seat would go to the person who wanted it the most and worked the hardest.
From what I can tell to date, this would be Lowrie.
The battle is not always to the strongest, or the race to the swiftest (but that's the way to bet).

House District 9
Has anyone even announced against Henry Burns? I don't think so. Even if they do, I believe it would be futile. Burns is very popular among his constituents.

Senate District 36
This race will pit Richey Jackson against Robert Adley. Jackson, who came within 87 votes of defeating Burns in House District 9 last time, is a retired educator who currently heads up the truancy program for the DA.
Adley, a seasoned veteran, tried to attack through Jackson's son, Parish Attorney Patrick Jackson, by having a sudden epiphany about the way younger Jackson is paid. It was such an obvious political attack that even other senators held their nose as they shelved the bill.
I wouldn't be suprised to see Jackson pull it off.

Senate District 37
This is Buddy Shaw's seat. Shaw announced that he won't seek another term, which gave Jane Smith a convenient slot to fit into. Barrow Peacock also announced for the seat. I don't know if the Southeast Shreveporter can pull the votes to beat Smith, but I'll call this one up in the air at the present time.

Tax Assessor
Ryal Siem is challenging incumbent Bobby Edmiston. Both have started putting signs up and that race will swing into gear soon. I will be writing more about it.

Police Jury
There are several races that I will get into after qualifying is complete in September. Already Winfred Johnston is in a free-for-all, with something like 6 people running against him. These may be some interesting races.

Sheriff
Julian Whittington has a huge advantage in money and in the fact that he served for 20 years, and knows nearly everyone in Bossier Parish. Mike McConnell has been working hard for several months, but is at a financial disadvantage.

More letters regarding Gardens of Southgate HOA

2011-07-26T15:21:00.000-05:00

Letter #3
You should be ashamed of yourselves. Honor that family, not sue them. You are so stupid, you will lose and look like fools when this over. Public opinion will rightly make you reverse your Un American decision. I hope you spend a lot of your HOA funds on this and it costs you everything. No one will buy a home from you as long as you are this asinine.

Letter #4
Does BOSS HOG run your HOA, It sounds like it!!!!!!!

Letter #5
Dear HOA,
As a former Marine and Louisiana native, I find such rules to be inappropriate,considering that all manner of signage is displayed already. The fact that someone serving our country is singled out is un-American. If any"looking the other way", takes place it should be prioritized in favor of importance.
The MARINE.
The below link is a patriotic message I wrote as a Marine Corps bugler,during Iraqi Freedom(2004) with fellow Louisiana native,Wynton Marsalis.