Ode to Forgetfulness

Today is my wife's birthday. She is 63, I'm 62. I never let her forget that, especially on the big ones, like when she turned 50 I had three months to tell her "I'm in my 40's, you're in your 50's." This video was sent to me by my friend Patty, it really seems to fit these days!

The murder of a child

UPDATE: A Facebook page has been set up in Justin's memory. If you would like to offer your condolences, you may do it there. So far almost 2000 people signed on.

How do you wrap your mind around the murder of a 12 year old boy?
Justin Bloxom was described by a teacher as a bright, attentive, well-behaved student. This week is spring break at his school, and he was spending the night with friends. The boys stayed up half the night, probably watching movies and just being young teenagers. There is nothing wrong with that, everyone who has raised kids has been through it.
In this case, something went terribly wrong. When the other boys woke up, Justin was gone and no one knew where.
The police were called and an amber alert was issued. Yesterday afternoon Justin’s body was found beside Hwy. 171. A suspect, Brian Horn, was soon identified, questioned and charged.
I have heard from one source that there was possibly a Facebook connection between Justin and the suspect. If that is true, it will come out. Police are doing forensics on computers from both Justin and the suspect.
Justin’s phone was missing. A broken cell phone was found in Horn’s taxicab, and Bossier City police are determining if it is Justin’s phone and if it can be restored. In any event, the service provider will be able to furnish every call made in and out of Justin’s phone.
An autopsy should be completed today and the exact cause of death will be known.
The entire area is under a pall, trying to understand what happened and why.
We can only imagine the trauma that Justin’s family is going through. This is a hard case for police to deal with too, but I have no doubt that they will come through in their best professional manner.
Justin’s friends and schoolmates are likewise in shock and disbelief. How do you discuss something like this with young people when you can’t even begin to understand it yourself? The answer is that kids have to learn, as we do, that sometimes horrible things happen despite all of our best efforts.
I don’t know what I am trying to accomplish with this blog post, other than to verbalize what I and so many others are feeling today.
Our prayers and thoughts are with Justin’s heartbroken family. Nothing anyone can say can make this better for them, but they need to know that the entire community is at their side.

Brian Horn charged with murder of Justin Bloxom

Brian Douglas Horn, the taxi driver who was detained for questioning this afternoon in the murder of 12 year old Justin Bloxom has been charged with 2nd degree murder.
Police report that Horn was seen coming out of the woods where Justin's body was found and that additional evidence was found in Horn's home.
First post here.

Body of 12 year old boy found in DeSoto Parish: Sex offender being questioned

The body of a missing 12-year-old DeSoto Parish boy was found this afternoon in woods near Stonewall in the north part of the parish.
Authorities in DeSoto Parish say a known sex offender, Brian Douglas Horn, is in custody and being questioned now at the DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office substation on Hwy. 171.
Authorities said the body is believed to be that of Justin Bloxom, who was last seen about 3 a.m. at his home in Stonewall.

Justin's body was found about 1:30 p.m. Deputies said it was approximately 100 yards off U.S. 171.
KTBS

The Stripper vs The Zipper: Stormy seeks to unseat Vitter

Opinionated Catholic is reporting that Stormy Daniels appears to be ready to throw her hat – or something – into the ring and announce for the U. S. Senate against Republican David Vitter.
At one time Stormy said that if Vitter wouldn’t meet her in a debate, she’d be happy to take him on in a wrestling match.
All in favor of the wrestling option raise your hand!

Warning: Legislature in Session

The Louisiana Legislature is now is session. The Times has sent questionaires to each of our local representatives. I am cherry picking some questions and answers from Senators Robert Adley and Buddy Shaw and from Representatives Henry Burns and Jane Smith and adding my comments. Feel free to chime in.
Here is a link to The Times opinion page so you can read the answers given by all of the local reps.

What areas or budget reductions would you change in the governor's proposed budget?
Adley: Remove cuts to war veterans homes totaling $1 million statewide.
Shaw: I am genuinely concerned about care for the handicapped and mentally ill, such as those housed at the northwest facility in Bossier City and other locations that service those people.
Burns: Early childhood education.
No disagreement on any of these

What are the top bills you plan to introduce and focus on during the session?
Adley: The executive branch still ranks dead last in transparency. I will have legislation to bring more sunshine on the executive process, especially budget information.
Adley: I passed legislation two years ago to prohibit undersecretaries and prohibit family from having state contracts in the same way as are legislators. The administration opposed stopping family members; but the person impacted is no longer with the administration, so I will try to finish the job.
Good on both of these. For all of the governor's spiels on talk shows and in the national media about the 'gold standard' of ethics, he has continually blocked any efforts to place ethics restrictions on his office. Of all governor's offices in the country, it is dead last on transparency. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Adley: Change pedophile law for a spouse to report pedophiles without fear of reprisal. Spouses are afraid to take action for fear of retaliation of the other spouse.
I don't understand how the legislature passing a law of this nature will offer any real protection to anyone. There are already remedies in place (domestic abuse restraining orders).
Shaw: Require retailers to provide certain information to a consumer who purchases an iguana.
Okay, I won't even go there.
Shaw: Provide that funeral policies pay the cash value on the face of the policy or the amount equal to the total premiums paid, whichever is greater.
Don't understand this one, don't insurance policies already have to do this?
Burns: Provide an opportunity for places of worship to establish a security plan, amending the state's concealed handgun provisions. (House Bill 68)
Apparently being done on behalf of a constituent. If the need is there, I'm not opposed. I'm not sure this will go anywhere.
Smith: Provide that the director of the Division of Administrative Law is appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court rather than the governor's office (House Bill 1077). This bill is a work in progress in how to address some of the concerns that the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana had concerning the administrative law judges and the Ethics Board.
Excellent proposal. This is at the heart of the ethics debate. During the special session on ethics a couple of years ago, power to enforce was removed from the Ethics Board and given to administrative law judges that are appointed by the governor. That didn't pass the 'smell test' and needs to be rectified.

Should the office of lieutenant governor be abolished? If so, who/where should the duties of lieutenant governor be assigned to?
Adley: I do not think we should abolish the office for several reasons. I am not for creating "kings and kingdoms." I support a balanced government with as many checks and balances as possible.
Burns: I would consider abolishing the office of lieutenant governor. I would place the majority of this office's duties and responsibilities with the secretary of state.
I am 100% with Adley on this one. It is very important to have that constitutional check. I am lukewarm on combining the office with Secretary of State. I believe we should think long and hard about this one.
(As a side note, when Paul Cyr was Lieutenant Governor in the Huey P. Long days, he attempted to take over the governorship when Long refused to resign after being elected to the Senate. In 1931, Cyr filed suit to have himself declared governor.)
From Wikipedia:
"He had a justice of the peace in Shreveport give him the oath of office in the Caddo Parish courthouse. Cyr arrived in Baton Rouge and threatened to take over the governor's mansion. Long ordered the National Guard to mobilize, and troops surrounded the capitol with strict orders not to admit Cyr. After a few days, state police replaced the guardsmen. For a time, the city was an "armed camp", with both Long and Cyr packing pistols."

Why is he still alive?

The Times reported this morning that Danny Irish, who is on death row at Angola for a Caddo Parish murder that occurred in 1996, was denied pornography in a lawsuit that he had filed. Danny’s suit claimed that it was ‘educational’ material.

Danny was looking for pen-pals a few years ago on the internet.

Hi, I am Danny! Nice to meet you! I am white, 26 years old, brown hair, blue eyes, 170 lbs., DOB 2-12-78. I’m currently on Death Row. I love to write. I am open-minded and can talk about anything.

I am looking for a pen pal, hopefully a strong friendship. If you are sincere about an everlasting friendship and writing and think you can keep up, if you are interested, please write to me.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I am looking forward in hearing from you. Much love and laughs.

Always, Danny

Daniel Irish
# 399680
Death Row
Louisiana State Penitentiary
Angola, LA 70712
USA

Now let’s see why Mr. ‘love and laughs’ is on death row.

Here is an account that is on the Louisiana Supreme Court’s website from his appeal on the death penalty.

In December 1996, the then 18-year-old defendant and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Kristee Kline, were living in a mobile home owned by Russ Rowland, a local building contractor. Because the defendant and Kline were unemployed, they had not paid their rent for two months and thus owed Rowland $500.00. In addition, they had numerous overdue bills and recently had their phone service disconnected. Faced with financial hardship, the defendant often talked about robbing and killing someone with a lot of money. Approximately three days before the instant offense, the defendant told Kline and friends Audy Keith and Jason Guin that he wanted to rob and kill Rowland. The defendant informed them that he planned to lure Rowland to the trailer, kill him, and dispose of the body in a nearby swamp.

On the morning of December 30, 1996, the defendant went to Rowland's office and asked Rowland to come to the trailer to collect the overdue rent. Rowland arrived shortly thereafter, but the defendant did not follow through with his plan and instead told Rowland that he had misplaced his checkbook and asked Rowland to come back that afternoon. Later that day, while driving home from a local Wal-Mart store with Kline, Keith and Guin, the defendant reiterated his need for money and his intent to rob and kill Rowland. The defendant stopped at a convenience store and called Rowland's office from a pay phone, leaving a message with Rowland's secretary that he "had what Russ needs," and that if Rowland would come by the trailer he would "take care of it."

At approximately 3:00 p.m., Rowland arrived at the trailer and ascended the steps to the front door. When he approached the open door, Keith fired one shot from the defendant's twelve-gauge shotgun, hitting Rowland in the abdomen. Rowland collapsed on the porch outside the front door and began screaming in pain. The defendant then took the shotgun from Keith and attempted to shoot Rowland again, but the gun malfunctioned and would not fire. The defendant then picked up his 30-30 rifle, pointed it at Rowland and, despite Rowland's repeated pleas that the defendant not shoot him, fired the rifle into Rowland's right eye, blowing away a large portion of his head. Thereafter, the defendant told Keith to search Rowland's truck for Rowland's wallet, which Keith found and turned over to the defendant. The defendant subsequently removed $141.00 from the wallet and hid the wallet and money under a couch cushion.

The defendant next asked Keith to help drag Rowland's body into the trailer, but Keith refused. Kline, who had hidden in the bedroom when Rowland approached the trailer, emerged and began cleaning up the blood on the carpet where the defendant had dragged Rowland's body down the hallway. Guin, who had seen Rowland's truck drive by and then heard two gunshots, came over to the trailer to see what had happened. Guin noticed that the front porch was wet and that there was a "big black mark like a trail" going down the hall. Guin also observed Kline on her knees scrubbing at the black mark. Guin asked where the defendant was and Keith pointed to the back of the trailer. Guin walked down the hall and saw Rowland's body on the floor. When the defendant asked Guin to help him move the body, Guin refused. The defendant then picked up the shotgun and began to load it. When the defendant turned toward Guin with the shotgun, Guin ran out the back door and into the wooded area behind the trailer. Guin eventually went to a neighbor's house and called 911 to report the murder.

During this time, one of the defendant's neighbors called 911 to report that she had heard two gunshots coming from the west of her trailer and that one shot had hit her mobile home. She also reported that she saw someone searching Rowland's white pickup truck, which was parked in front of the defendant's trailer. Two deputies responded to the call and searched her trailer for a bullet hole. The deputies eventually walked over to the defendant's trailer and observed that the front porch had recently been washed with a nearby garden hose that was still running. Upon closer inspection, the deputies discovered shotgun wadding, blood, tissue, and bone fragments on the ground near the porch. While trying to determine whether the blood, tissue and bone fragments were of human origin, the deputies received information from headquarters of Guin's report of a homicide at the defendant's trailer. Sheriff's investigators soon arrived and entered the unlocked back door of the trailer to see if anyone inside was injured. Once inside, they discovered Rowland's body, and later his wallet and the $141.00 in cash hidden under the couch cushion. In addition, deputies discovered Rowland's receipt book which contained a receipt made out to the defendant in the amount of $500.00.

Immediately after the shooting, Keith left the trailer and went to a neighbor's house where he stayed until his parents delivered him to the authorities later that evening. In addition, the defendant and Kline left the trailer in Kline's car and drove to the office of a local bondsman, Steve Dement, and then to Dement's house. The defendant informed Dement that there was a dead body in his trailer and Dement instructed the defendant to "go back and check your house out . . . [because] there may not be anybody there." While driving back to the trailer, the defendant was spotted by a sheriff's deputy and taken into custody. The defendant informed the deputy that Kline was still at Dement's house and deputies arrested her without incident. In their several statements, Kline and the defendant maintained that Keith shot Rowland with both the shotgun and the rifle, but Keith maintained that the defendant pulled the trigger of the shotgun as Keith held it and then shot Rowland with the rifle.

On February 13, 1997, a Caddo Parish grand jury separately indicted the defendant and Keith with one count of first degree murder in violation of La. R.S. 14:30. Before the defendant's trial, Keith pled guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. Keith eventually turned state's witness and testified at the defendant's trial that he had indeed fired the first shot, but that the defendant forced him to do so at gunpoint, and that the defendant then shot Rowland in the head with the rifle. The jury found the defendant guilty of first degree murder.

I know that my questions have all been through every court in the land, but legal or not, some things are just wrong.

1. Why is he allowed to file a frivolous lawsuit such as the one seeking pornography?
2. Why is he allowed use of the internet?

These are privileges and should not be considered basic rights. He had the right to due process, and received it. That included a mandated appeal of his sentence. Beyond that, we owe him nothing.

About the only right the Rowland family has left is to take flowers to the cemetery and place on the grave of their loved one.

This makes me sick.

A Glimpse of Bossier Parish History

I have done a couple of blogs recently on the history of the Bossier Strip. Let's go a little further back in time, 125 years this week to be exact.
This old boy was my great-great-great grandfather. He was a gunsmith at the Caddo Indian Agency at one time and moved to what is now Bossier Parish and established a home and plantation at Irwin's Bluff, on the river just outside of Benton.
He was married to Mary Edwards, the daughter of Larkin Edwards who was the interpreter for the Caddo Indians. Larkin Edwards is said to be buried at Coates Bluff, just across Burt Boulevard from the courthouse in Benton.
Coleville is about 5 or 6 miles east of Benton.

Major Jacob Irwin, one of the first settlers of this section of Louisiana, died at his residence, in this parish, on last Saturday at 5:30 PM in his 95th year. Maj. Irwin located here many years before Bossier parish was organized, and was, at the time of his death, the oldest citizen of Bossier Parish. Indeed, a venerable landmark has fallen – Bossier’s pioneer has been called home and his earthly labors are ended forever. He has been prominent as a business man and done faithful work in the service of his country. His deeds of charity have been numberless and as noiseless as the falling snow and he goes to his long home now amid expressions from the lips of every class of the community of the love and esteem he has inspired. As a friend and neighbor he was a model in any community. But with it all he was quiet and unostentatious. Major Irwin was a truly good man, in the boradest meaning of that word, and his good deeds and life of usefulness will long be remembered by his relatives and friends
“And to live in hearts we leave behind
is not to die.”
Last Monday morning, at Colveille cemetery, amid many expressions of regret from sorrowing relatives and friends, the mortal remains of Major Jacob Irwin were laid, solemnly to rest in the city of the dead, in faith and hope of the glorious resurrection morning.
Bossier Banner Progress, March 26,1885

North Louisiana Blogging

I started North Louisiana Blogs last year in order to promote all of the blogs in our corner of the state. I think we have some very good blogs and need to let everyone know.
I have been remiss in posting over there, but am pledging to keep it updated.
Check it out today.

Confederate Cemetery at Keatchie

Lost in time, nestled under the pine trees in DeSoto Parish, is the Confederate Memorial Cemetery. After the battle of Mansfield, Keachie College was turned into a hospital to care for the wounded. The 2nd floor was made into a morgue.
I stopped there today to get these pictures to share with you. White irises were blooming at several places in the cemetery, leaving that sickly sweet smell hanging in the air, that smell that we associate with death.

Losing their religion

Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen said Andy Duane Allen Hensley, 43, and Tina Renee Cason, 38, were at their home on Cindy Lane (yep, that’s in Haughton!) Wednesday night when a discussion about religion led to an argument.
Deputies said Hensley told them his girlfriend started swinging at him and he pushed her into the refrigerator.
Both face charges of domestic abuse battery. Hensley was taken to jail; Cason was issued a summons to come to court to answer the charges because she has a 14-year-old son who has no one to care for him, Deen said.
From KTBS

Another Haughton couple was arrested Monday night for domestic abuse battery.
Clyde Davis, 52, and Joe A. Davis, 55, both of the 600 block of Joe Lewis Road, were taken into custody after they got involved in a physical altercation at their house. The verbal confrontation became physical after Clyde Davis put his wife, Joe Davis, in a headlock. Joe Davis, who was armed with a pistol, bit her husband on the arm.
The two ended up on the ground and started wrestling. At that point, Joe Davis dropped her pistol and secured herself in the house. She told Bossier Sheriff’s deputies she then heard one round discharge from the gun as she was calling the Bossier Sheriff’s Department. Clyde Davis would not tell deputies if he fired the pistol. He told them he simply put the gun in his truck.
The couple was transported to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility and booked. Their bonds are pending.
Courtesy Bossier Sheriff

Families of sick children need your help

Imagine having a sick child, and dealing with thousands in medical bills at the same time.
As the health care debate rages on in Washington, people in Shreveport are taking action, helping children with cystic fibrosis.
Find out what you can do to help at Shreveport-Bossier News.

Benton Teacher Dies in Accident

Belinda Krumtum, an English and language arts teacher at Benton Middle School.
Police and witnesses said Krumtum, 50, had been driving erratically on Barksdale Boulevard, then turned on Jimmie Davis Highway and continued weaving on the street Her Toyota Highlander then crashed into the back of the tanker truck, which was stopped in traffic.
KTBS

It seems that she was apparently suffering from some medical condition and just lost control. Our condolences go out to her family, friends and students.

Supplemental Police Pay cuts not likely

I have heard more rumors about proposed cuts in police supplemental pay, some saying that the cuts will amount to $200 per month.
This is not likely. I thought I remembered this being on the ballot a couple of years ago, and it was.
In 2007 state voters approved Act 483 which amended the state constitution to guarantee that supplemental pay can only be cut by a vote of 2/3 of the House and Senate plus the governor’s signature.
The vote was 675,775 (59%) for the amendment and 469,006 (41) against.
I seriously doubt that a vote to cut supplemental pay could pass a simple majority, much less a super-majority of both houses.

James Dupré getting national attention

I first blogged about James Dupré last July, then again in December when he announced the release date of his album. It’s out now and you can purchase it here.
Now he has been invited to appear on The Ellen Show, and plans to accept.
I don’t know the young man, I just know that he has a bucketful of talent and a voice that’s made for country music.
Congratulations and good luck to James!

Proposed budget asks for Police, Corrections cuts

The legislature will convene week after next and tackle the proposed 2011 budget.
Among the cuts proposed by the Governor is a 5% across the board cut in police supplemental pay. This would equal about $25 per officer.
The only local legislator we have contacted, Henry Burns, said that he will vote against this cut.
The new budget also calls for cuts in the corrections budget, but I don’t have any details at this time.
We will outline more details of proposed budget cuts in the coming days.

Double Dipper Bank Robber Caught

Citizens National Bank on Benton Road was robbed again this morning just after 10AM. Police believe that it was the same man who robbed the bank about two weeks ago.
This time he was caught, with the money.
I'll have more details as they come in, hopefully with a name and a picture. We all want to know what someone this stupid looks like.
UPDATE: His name is Ronald Lee Broset. Here's the video from KTBS.

Twin Cities Accountant arrested for theft

Stephanie Hall of Bossier City was arrested by Caddo Parish authorities today and charged with stealing nearly $300,000 when she worked as an accountant for Twin Cities Development.
Twin Cities is a player in the Haynesville Shale, leasing for Cheseapeake Energy. According to a news release, Hall manipulated lease purchase reports, computer programs and company records in order to generate fictitious checks, which she fraudulently negotiated through her personal bank account. She is accused of stealing $294,272 between May 2008 and December 2009.

The Times

A Fascist Socialist State?

The nation is split over the decision of the congress to pass the Obama healthcare bill. To be honest, the nation was already split, this is just a manifestation of that fact.
I have seen a lot of commentaries today about our country ‘plunging into socialism’. We’re not plunging anywhere, we’ve been there since before I was born (and that’s a long time ago).
Don’t think so? What do you think Social Security is? Medicare? Medicaid? WIC? AFDC?
That doesn’t even touch the corporate welfare that is putting us trillions of dollars in debt. Of course, that corporate welfare is more fascist than socialist, but I guess the two could combine and make a socialist-fascist state. Has that ever been tried before?
As to the people who are crying about the healthcare bill being unconstitutional, of course it is. So were all of the others. The constitution provides that any powers not enumerated to the Federal Government belong to the states.
Just for the record on the constitutionality of the new law: Some of the ‘Conservative Republicans’ who are up in arms because of the constitutional aspects were strangely silent (or not) when they voted for the infamous ‘Patriot Act’, which clearly raped and pillaged that document.
We like to think that the people we elect to represent us vote their conscience, and not a party line. Perhaps they did, but when every Republican in the House voted no, it certainly looks like a political gambit to me. Ditto the Dems.
If the "R"s are so worried about big spending, where were they when they had control of both houses and the executive? I'll tell you where they were, they were sidled up to the trough.
When Social Security was passed in 1935, the vote wasn’t nearly as polarized. When the final vote was counted, 284 Democrats voted yes, 15 no, and 20 did not vote. 81 Republicans voted yes, 15 no, 4 didn’t vote, and 2 voted present.
When the final vote on Medicare was tallied, 237 Democrats had voted yes, 48 no. 70 Republicans voted yes and 68 no.
Where do we go from here? One thing is certain, if you keep voting “R”s and “D”s into office, you’re going to get the same thing you’ve had for all of our lives.
I say a pox on both of their houses.
You want to undo socialism? I'm with you. Repeal Social Security, Medicare, Healthcare and a myriad of other socialist programs (including the Patriot Act).
Want to live by the constitution? Then embrace the whole thing; it's not a buffet that you can choose from.
I'm through. For now.
(Want some interesting reading? Check out the original debate on the Social Security Bill.)

The Purpose of this Blog

Lamar White, Jr. is an Alexandria blogger who is also an employee of Mayor Jacques Roy. He recently posted this about a particular situation that exists in the blogging community in Alexandria. One of his major points is that the local media have very limited resources when it comes to in-depth reporting, and that too often the slack is taken up by bloggers assuming the role of journalists.
I will note that Shreveport is fortunate to have some really good local reporters at the Times, primarily Alison Bath, Adam Causey & J. A. Prime, who all dig into local stories and cover them very well. I don’t intend to slight any other local sources, but these reporters keep my attention.
While some of Lamar’s blog post doesn’t really apply to our area, his comments on blogging are excellent and I endorse his views.
Excerpt:
When I created this blog more than four years ago, it was never my intent to serve as a source of local “hard” news. I don’t approach this blog as if it is a news outlet; this is primarily about commentary.
…… Still, it is important to remember that journalism is a profession. You need sources and access; above all, you need to be engaged.
So, faced with the absence of information, we substitute credible journalism with conjecture and opinion. Suddenly, the news becomes someone else’s half-informed opinion of their impression of someone else’s newspaper story.
And this conjecture and opinion can be compelling. It’s often spot-on. But it’s not news. It’s commentary.
I think that this description can aptly be applied to My Bossier. While on a few rare occasions we have offered up ‘hard news’, our purpose is to open up discussions about local news events.
This is usually done with a blog post containing my opinion about any given situation that has been reported. We may discuss local events that aren't getting as much attention from the press.
The process is completed by the people who comment on My Bossier, and it is these commenters who give the blog real substance.
The point of the whole thing is that news is reported by professionals who are bound to report the facts, while the blog can take those facts and conjecture on their meaning and effect.
Good food for thought.

To Kenya: A Higher Calling

I have known Naomi Reeves for several years. Naomi spent most of last summer in Kenya aiding a group of missionaries. Now, she has been accepted as a missionary and will be returning to Kenya for a full two years.
Check out Asinyen, her blog.
At the bottom of this page you can sign up for regular newsletters from Naomi.
(That’s Naomi on the far right in the picture above.)

He Leadeth Me…
I never dreamed of serving “on the field!” Until last June, the Turkana were not even a blip on my heart’s radar. As one of the most-quoted passages of the Scriptures proclaim, though, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). I can testify that God’s Word proves true, yet again (Psalm 18:30)! Last summer, I planned to get away for 10 weeks and to take refuge in Him with no distractions. I planned to whole-heartedly serve the Turkana and temporarily aid the missionaries who labor in their districts day after day, month after month, and year after year. I planned to get a small taste of “missionary life.”
To my surprise and utter delight, for CHRIST is my Delight, GOD had other plans! He has prepared a place for me in KENYA!
When I recognized His pull and submitted myself to it, I started making plans to go back. Again, God gently reminded me that we are blessed when we do things His way. I have had an amazing (not easy, mind you– it is painful to crumple my plans) and beautiful year of trusting and obeying and submitting myself to the will of God. He has blessed me richly and taught me so much about Himself and about how He leads His people. In hindsight, I am so happy that I didn’t miss out on traveling with Him.
At this moment, I am preparing to go BACK to Kenya! I have sought the counsel of my pastor and elders and of other mature godly men and women. I have recently finished the application and interview process and have been accepted as a missionary for Pioneers*. I will arrive in Orlando for a week of Pre-Field Training on February 28th.
Trinity Baptist Church, in Shreveport sends me with their confidence, blessing, and support. I will return to Nairobi, Kenya with a two-year commitment, as quickly as the LORD leads and provides.
This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
~Psalm 18:30
Would You Like to Know More?
Over the next several months, I would be happy to meet with any and all who are interested in hearing more about how God is expanding Christ’s Kingdom, and laying hold of Turkana hearts.
If you, your church, Bible study group, Sunday school class or friends would like to hear a testimony of God’s faithfulness and outpourings of grace on the other side of the world, please feel free to contact me.
Naomi Reeves
Asinyen@gmail.com
SEND ME AN EMAIL TO RECEIVE MY REGULAR NEWSLETTER:
ATAMWAGILIA

What if the Ho was a He not a She?

You would try to shoot him of course. After the fact.
I just couldn't pass this one up.
That's what happened to two men who shot at an Alexandria man early Wednesday morning after they discovered that the victim, who was dressed as a woman and had just performed sexual acts on both men, really was a man, authorities reported.
Jeffery Ray Allen and Troherro Keith Batiste were arrested and charged with assault by drive-by shooting. Both are in the Rapides Parish jail.

Robert Adley comes to the rescue

I told another Bossier Blogger in an email last week that blogging was slow because the politicians seemed to be behaving themselves.
Knowing that couldn't last, I just decided to bide my time. Sure enough, Robert Adley came through! (Note: don't get indignant if you are a 'friend of Adley', I've been nice to him the last two times I've blogged about him.)
He is proposing a bill to ban sales of energy drinks to kids under 16 because of the bad effects of caffeine. Now I don't think the things are good, don't misunderstand.
Adley is supposed to be a conservative, so what is this nanny government thing about? Doesn't he believe that kids' parents can guide them?
Besides, it would seem much more logical to ban them for folks over 50, they are the ones that are having the heart problems and strokes that caffeine can aggravate.

The legislative session will begin in 2 weeks.

H/T to The Norla Blog for bringing this to our attention.

Celebrate your Irish (singalong)

Six Firefighters trained by Bossier go to Shreveport

This morning, Shreveport Fire Department will kick off its 53rd Basic Training class which includes firefighters who recently were laid off in Bossier City.
The class will be a five week abbreviated version of the department’s normal 18-22 week training class.

“We are honored to bring these firefighters into the Shreveport Fire department family and look forward to their immediate service to our department and the citizens of Shreveport,” Chief Brian Crawford said.
The class consists of six Bossier City firefighters, who were laid off due to city budget cuts; one City of Natchitoches firefighter; and one firefighter from south Bossier Parish Fire District.
The Times

Congratulations to each of these individuals. I'm glad that Shreveport needs them and can afford to offer them employment.

The Bossier Strip Part 2: Red River Babylon

Vivian native and mystery writer Eric Wilder agreed to share some of his memories of the Bossier Strip with the readers of My Bossier.

Red River Babylon
While growing up in north Louisiana, I wasted many hours at a place known locally as the Bossier Strip. Billed as the largest bit of neon between Las Vegas and Miami Beach, this three-mile row of nightclubs, restaurants, liquor stores, and striptease joints had it all.
Probably the biggest and most popular nightclub was Sak’s Boom Boom Room, later known as Sak’s Whisk-a-go-go. Clad in flashing neon of reds and yellows, the building looked like a rocket under full launch from Cape Canaveral. There was always live music of all varieties along the strip, but Sak’s provided the biggest venue to the biggest soon-to-be-famous artists.
The thing I remember most about Sak’s was the bikini-clad go-go dancer suspended in a cage above the dance floor. There was no nudity but a distinct aura of sex abounded along with the loud live music, strong drinks and uninhibited dancing. I saw many acts and a friend recently reminded me of the comedian and singer Rusty Warren performing her bawdy ballad Knockers Up.
The Bossier Strip prospered because it had a captive audience – the men and women of Barksdale Air Force Base, the largest SAC base in the world. Even the smallest of clubs had live music, along with the mystique of illegal gambling and prostitution, courtesy of the Southern Mafia.
Today, the “Strip” is mostly history, replaced by legal gambling in gaudy riverboats moored along the Red River between Shreveport and Bossier City. Many music venues still exist, along with the palpable undercurrent of sex and danger that provided the place with an excitement like no other, and will likely never disappear.

Cyber Innovation Center foots $2,000 booze bill at Mardi Gras Dinner

Alison Bath and Adam Causey of The Times are still extracting (slowly, painfully) information from local officials about expenditures at the Washington Mardi Gras.

The six Bossier Parish police jurors have agreed to repay their share of one social event as well as their part at a $1,470 luncheon with the Caddo Commission.

The jurors receive a per diem allowance when they are traveling.

Bossier's $100,000 per year lobbyist also made it clear that the Cyber Innovation Center will be paying $2,070 tab for booze at a dinner on January 22. Caddo and Bossier split the $2,600 cost of the food.

Read the entire story in The Times

On Dealing with Abusive Relationships

I received this email from a reader in another part of the state. He had read a couple of blog posts in My Bossier dealing with domestic abuse and child abuse. I am printing this first hand account of dealing with abusive people with his permission. If you have any questions for the writer, he will be glad to answer them, just leave a comment with your question.

By 'John Q':
My daughter from my first marriage began to like someone we disapproved of and she knew it and kept it hidden. I finally caught up with them and after a chase exceeding 100 mph I came to my senses when I saw he was headed into an area that I knew I didn't need to follow and he was on his cell and I figured he was calling for backup. I thought, now what am I going to do if I catch him? Probably get the crap beat out of me or worse.
I went back to my sister in laws house where I saw my daughter headed and she moved out for a couple weeks. It broke my wife's heart.
Eventually that relationship finally faded and another boy came along that grabbed her attention. We figured he was ok, especially since he was constantly keeping track of her, the same thing we had been doing. Now we could take a break, because if she was headed back into the other relationship, he would find out and we would know.
The blessing of this all is that during this time, I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior and He has been the most important thing in my life since.
But this boy turned out to be abusive. One of the signs of an abusive person is that they are possessive. Remember I said he kept constant track of her. He also hid his temper rather well from us, for a while, it always comes out eventually. I caught him verbally abusing her one evening and told him I would go to jail for my daughter. He proceeded to tell her that I threatened to kill him. An abusive person will always try to alienate them from the parents and friends so he is her world.
Eventually a small incident involving the breaking of a $5 vase he had gotten her by my son and someone else wrestling brought out his anger. He threatened to kill my son. I ushered him out of the house and on the way out he got in my face and said, I will take your daughter away and you will never see her again. At which point I told him to leave and never come back.
My sister showed up after church that morning and wanted to talk with me. She told me she only met the boy once and noticed the interaction between my daughter and him and said, this is an abusive relationship. How'd she know? She had been in one. He showed back up that afternoon and we had a discussion in the living room. I told him I believed he was an abusive person and told my daughter if she wanted to leave him I would support her. A few weeks later she had the guts to break it off and said it was because of what I said. But during this whole relationship, she came to me and wanted me to lead her to the Lord in salvation. Wow!!! You just don't know. She is married to a good man now.
Since then though, I have had to deal with young girls in my church youth group who had fallen into these relationships. It is amazing how fast they advance from not knowing each other to it looks like they were married. It usually occurs in less than a week. It will blow your mind. My pastor and I were able to stop one rather quickly and the boy went straight to another girl. I couldn't stop that one and was threatened by him. The boy was just out of jail for violence and was still married with a child. I spent many nights on the couch just waiting for him to show up with a gun, especially since his brother had moved in with us and the last time he had talked with his brother was years before and was told he would kill him the next time he saw him. He was also over 21 and the first girl was just 14 and the girl we were unsuccessful with was 16. She moved in with him and from time to time show up with certain injuries at the hospital. Eventually she got out of that relationship.
This boy always went after the girls who were not the most attractive and have a weight problem. Another words they have a self esteem problem. That is why it is important for the father to compliment his daughter and affirm her.
This is not just contained to the guys. I saw also at least 2 relationships where the girl was the abuser. There form mostly was the possessive type. Being called 21 times a day and telling the boy that the parents don't want them to see her and have fun, and the parents just want to control them.
Now I am gonna get religious if you don't mind. We need to teach kids to see others as God sees us. That takes a true understanding of how God sees us. We also need to change our view of dating. This involves not stirring the flames of desire until the wedding night.
Hint: the first time you hold hands those flames are stirred. If it occurs at the age of 13, that is a long way until you are able to marry. But we need to be open with our kids and teach them that there are predators out there and they deserve to be treated as God would treat them.

Do you know this dog? Black Lab found in Haughton

Found Dog in Bossier/Haughton/Just east of Louisiana Downs area

Female, Black Lab with white chest. Brown collar with no tag-part of a leash is attached to her collar. At least 4-5 years old and very friendly.

I saw her last week but now she is in my back yard. If you know anyone in this area (Country Place - Dogwood included) who is missing this dog, please email mybossier@gmail.com and we will put you in touch.

Officer involved in macing on leave from Linwood Middle School

Are you kidding me? They should give him a medal. I won't go on a rant, but I easily could.
He had 3 choices:
1. Ignore the fight (he would be damned if he did).
2. Charge in and physically separate the students (he would be damned if he did).
3. Spray some mace into the air to dispel the unruly thugs (he did and was damned).
He took the more prudent action and where does it get him?
One thing for sure, I doubt that it will break his heart if he never sees the school again.
According to Channel 3, There's new information about yesterday's incident at Linwood Public Charter School. The school resource officer who sprayed mace into a crowd to break up a fight is now on leave from the school, pending an outcome of the investigation.
Shreveport Police Sgt. Joey Willis sprayed mace into the air while trying to break up a fight between two girls. Thirty students and teachers were hit with the mace. Paramedics were called to the school to treat them.
In his statement, Officer Willis says he thought there was a riot or multiple fights going on when he arrived at the scene. He says that's why he chose to use mace to break it up. But officials say that's not necessarily the school's policy.

The Bossier Strip

For those who aren’t old enough to remember, I intend to do a couple of blog posts on the Bossier strip. This was suggested by a regular commenter who goes by the non de plume of Realist and is a great idea. I have a few recollections that I can share, and hopefully some other people will chime in.
The Bossier strip ran from the foot of the Texas Street bridge where the old Hurricane Lounge was located. It continued out to roughly Swan Lake Road where the donut shop is now.
The strip consisted of nightclubs and bars, with a few restaurants and motels thrown in.
Everyone ended up their night (at about 2 in the morning) at the Kickapoo on the corner of Benton Road and East Texas Street. The Kickapoo was a restaurant and motel.
People would order up some steak and eggs and begin the sobering up process, but there was a party atmosphere in the restaurant as the wee hours waned on.
Entertainers from all of the clubs would come there too and mingle with the other customers. It was a heckuva good time!
Let it suffice to say that I knew three or four high school boys who would make the trek out to Sak’s Boom Boom Room on a regular basis. (I know there are a couple of Mamas looking down from heaven saying ‘I knew it!’)
There you would get a tiny glass of beer for $1 and sip it while you enjoyed the live bands. Most of the clubs had live music, and some pretty good entertainers appeared out there.
At the Boom Boom Room we used to go hear Wayne Cochran and the CC Riders. Cochran was fairly well known and made a pretty good niche for himself. The video is very representative of what he did.
I think what we enjoyed most was when he would do Sam the Sham’s Wooly Bully. He could tear that song up.
Note: At the time, you could purchase beer at the age of 18, you had to be 21 for hard drinks. Not to say that we didn’t go there before we were 18, if you behaved yourself and had a buck you were in. I never heard of anyone being ID’d. How did they get away with it? Well, that’s another story for another day. In the meantime, enjoy the outrageous Wayne Cochran.

Latest information on missing Haughton woman

We have posted on this already, but it is really troubling. I can't help but wonder what any of us would do if this was a member of our family. Apparently Ms. Miller has medical problems, and according to this release seemed to be confused when last seen.

From the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office:
We still need your help in locating Nancy Miller of Haughton.
Nancy Miller, 39, of East Highland Mobile Home Park in Haughton, according to earlier reports, was last seen on Wednesday, March 3rd at home by her father.
We have gained information revealing that Nancy may have walked into a local store and then down Hwy. 80 on Thursday, March 4th. A witness stated that they saw someone fitting Nancy’s description walk into Reflections on Hwy. 80, across from East Highland Mobile Home Park. The female opened the door, walked into the doorway, looking confused. She then turned around and walked out and across Hwy. 80 toward the westbound lane. She was wearing a blue housecoat or robe with jogging pants and no shoes. Nancy’s parents confirm that the blue housecoat that she often wears is missing from her home and none of her shoes are gone.
Additionally, canine trackers have confirmed the story of the witness. The canine was able to track Nancy’s scent from her home to the Reflections doorway, back out onto Hwy. 80.
Investigators believe that Nancy may have gotten into a car with someone along the highway. They have sent out two B.O.L.O. (be on the lookout) notices to neighboring states and law enforcement agencies in the area.
Nancy is described as being 5’ 6” tall and around 240 pounds. She has dark reddish-brown, auburn hair.
We are urging anyone who may have seen someone fitting Nancy’s description to call the Bossier Sheriff’s Office at 318-965-2203.

Bossier City father charged with fracturing 2-month old's skull

Nicholas Edwin Selser of Bossier City has been arrested for fracturing his two month old son's skull.

Officials say he threw the child onto a couch because he wouldn't take his bottle. The child's head hit a wooden section of the armrest resulting in a fractured skull.

The baby is in ICU at Christus Schumpert in fair condition.

Story in The Times

Have any suggestions?

I put a poll on the sidebar titled "What do you want me to blog about"?
Of course I'll continue to blog the same stuff as in the past, but I really do like to get feedback. Tell me what you like to see in My Bossier.
If you have any specific suggestions, please leave them in the comment section. I know that's really asking for it, but bring it on!

Word verification for comments

My Bossier has had too many spam comments. The straw that broke the camel's back was the 'penis enlargement' link on a recent post.
Enough is enough.
When you comment, just type in the word shown and continue to comment as you always have. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Deputies find nine year old Lake Charles boy tied to doorknob with a dog leash

A 27-year-old Lake Charles woman has been charged with 25 counts of cruelty to a juvenile after deputies found her 9-year-old stepson malnourished and tied up in a room.
Jaime B. Day was also booked with two counts of second-degree cruelty. A judge set her bond at $5.5 million.
Her husband, 30-year-old Murry Dalton Day, was booked with five counts of cruelty and one count of second-degree cruelty. His bond was set at $2 million. Murry Day turned himself in Tuesday.
The Times

According to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's office, deputies found the boy tied to a door knob with a dog leash. He weighed about 38 pounds.
A nine year old boy, 38 pounds. Tied with a dog leash. How do you even begin to understand what they were thinking.
If you are a praying person, pray for this child. And deliver us from evil.

Updated photo of missing Haughton woman

Nancy Miller's hair is now a more reddish/auburn color.
Nancy was last seen Thursday, March 4, 2010 at her home in East Highland Mobile Home Park. She is 5'6", approximately 240 lbs. and has auburn hair. She lives alone and left everything behind including her purse, car, medication and keys. This photo of Nancy is dated. She is older, heavier, and has redder (hair) now. If you have any information, you are asked to call the Bossier Sheriff's Office at 318-965-2203.

Haughton Woman Missing

Nancy Miller
Nancy was last seen Thursday, March 4, 2010 at her home in East Highland Mobile Home Park. She is 5'6", approximately 240 lbs. and has auburn hair. She lives alone and left everything behind including her purse, car, medication and keys. This photo of Nancy is dated. She is older, heavier, and has redder (hair) now. If you have any information, you are asked to call the Bossier Sheriff's Office at 318-965-2203.

Great Blogging in Northwest Louisiana

I haven’t done a blog roundup in a while, and it is about time. Northwest Louisiana has a number of great blogs with a diversity of opinions.
I’ll start today with Pat Austin over at And so it Goes in Shreveport. It’s a conservative blog, prolific and very well written. Pat has also joined in on a cooperative venture, Potluck, with a few other bloggers from all around the country. Check it out.
Now I have an ulterior motive in picking Pat as my first mention today. For the first time in the history of the world, My Bossier has rated higher than And so it Goes in Shreveport in the weekly influence ratings at Blog Net News. This week I’m tied for 5th Place and Pat is LOWER in the ratings. Of course, in the 12 week rating she is #6 and My Bossier is #12, but I am enjoying my moment of glory! It will probably never happen again. If you aren’t signed up for this site you should give it serious consideration. I believe that they have about 60 or 65 Louisiana blogs and each week they rate the top 20. I hope all of our local bloggers will get on board – even if you consistently beat me. Let’s stand up and make Northwest Louisiana be counted!
My newest blogging bud and fellow Bossier Blogger Andy is a really funny guy. He can be serious too, and writes some really good stuff, but his sense of humor keeps me going.
Chicken Fried Gourmet will make your mouth water every time you click onto the site. Great food and recipes with pictures. It is a real credit to our blogging community.
Along the same lines, Savoring Shreveport does restaurant reviews and does them very well.
These two blogs fill a great niche in the area.
While they feed the body, Darrell helps feed our spiritual side at My God’s been Good.
The Opinionated Catholic deals with both the spiritual and temporal, and does it well.
Donna at Opining Online does just that, and I always enjoy that opining. If you haven’t been reading, then start. You will enjoy it too.
Old Captain Salt has one of the newer blogs, The Captain’s Thoughts. If you share his very conservative (somewhere to the right of Atilla the Hun) views, then read him regularly. He’s a friend and knows I’m just kidding, really – it’s okay!
Alena at The Upside of Downs is another friend and blogs about her sweet Riley. This is a heartwarming read anytime and you always feel better when you leave. That is success in blogging.
I find that I seem to share some of Wheeler’s cynicism of some cultural and political institutions, and I always enjoy reading The Norla Blog. He is very much into cycling, running and physical fitness; we could all learn from his dedication to keeping his body (and mind) in top order.
Our radio guy Todd Nixon of KRMD is very entertaining, after all, that is his day job. The only fault I can find with Todd is that he needs to BLOG MORE. C’mon Todd!
Well, that concludes our little roundup. I want to encourage everyone to keep on blogging, and for those readers who have thought of blogging but haven’t started yet, get with it.

Breakfast at Blackwater

Andy sent me several of these, he got them from his buddy Paul the Fireguy. Andy's been running them over at his place. This one particularly caught my eye and thought you might get a kick out of it. Maybe you have a better name, I thought breakfast at Blackwater hit it on the head.

How to deal with a terrorist

Lafourche Parish sheriff’s deputies cited a fifth-grader on a count of terrorizing after he allegedly told two students that his big brother would shoot them, deputies and school officials said.
The threat, reported to school officials, prompted a lockdown at South Thibodaux Elementary School shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies said in a statement.
Floyd Benoit, parish public schools spokesmen, said Thursday that school officials quickly determined the 11-year-old’s brother was 27, working offshore and not a threat to the school.
Deputies said the school returned to normal by 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
From The Advocate

This is a 10 or 11 year old kid.
1. Tear his butt up in front of the class and make him offer a sniffling apology.
2. Parents tear his butt up when he gets home and keep him grounded for a week or two.
3. Big brother tear his butt up when he gets home from working offshore.

Terrorizing problem solved.

Terrorists in our midst?

Bossier Parish Sheriff Larry Deen has stirred up a hornet’s nest with his ‘Operation Exodus”, which, according to his press release “will provide for self-sufficiency in the event of a manmade or natural disaster or a terrorist attack. Exodus will take local volunteers, train them and use them in response to a catastrophic disaster in the area. These volunteers will work in conjunction with the Bossier Sheriff’s Office to secure and protect viable resources in such an event.”
So far so good. The sheriff has provided very good emergency services when needed, as in the tornadoes last fall. Sheriff’s patrols were out immediately protecting vulnerable areas and offer assistance to the areas affected.
I think he would have been better served to leave the project to ‘emergency preparedness’ and ignore the preceived ‘Islamic Terrorist’ threat which at best is very tenuous, and which seems to some people just a tad paranoid.
I also think using the Biblical connection with ‘Operation Exodus’ could have been a mistake. A spokesman explained that Exodus had nothing to do with the Biblical connotation, but referred to the Sheriff’s office ‘moving outside’ it’s normal boundaries. Unfortunately, when people see Operation Exodus and Islamic Terrorists in the same paragraph they sort of jump to conclusions. Here is a video put out by the sheriff dealing with the program. Doyle Dempsey, chief deputy for support services, says in the video that if the project is successful "we will be ahead of the curve when it comes to fighting Islamic extremists."

The volunteers will be equipped with shotguns, riot shields and batons, according to reports. A .50-caliber machine gun will be mounted on what the sheriff's office calls "the war wagon."
The War Wagon is a .50 caliber machine gun that will be mounted on some sort of rolling conveyance. That makes it sound like they are preparing more for an invasion than a random terrorist act.
The War Wagon troubles me.
Now I know a number of Bossier Parish deputies, and they are a well-trained, professional bunch. Operation Exodus brings everyday citizens into the equation, and although I like my fellow Bossierites, I don’t think I want them wielding a War Wagon down my street. I think I would trust the ‘regulars’ for security.
The program has attracted a lot of national interest, little of it good.
Talking Points Memo interviewed Ed Baswell and this is an excerpt of what they printed.
The office of the Louisiana sheriff who's forming a citizen militia to defend the parish in the event of a terrorist attack says it has information about possible Islamic terrorist activity in its midst.
"We understand, based on some intelligence that we've collected over the last year, year and a half, that there have been cells and people operating even within our parish that have been trained as terrorists or went overseas to be trained as terrorists," Ed Baswell, a spokesman for the Bossier Parrish Sheriff's Office, told TPMmuckraker this morning.
So this is not something that's far, far away," Baswell added. "This is something that is a possibility here in Bossier Parish."
Baswell said that his office believed that the suspected terrorists had been operating in Bossier Parish at one time but have since left. "We have had indications that there have been some that have come and gone from the parish," he said.
"Islamic terrorists have been in and out," he said. "And we've had intelligence information that confirmed that for us."
Baswell added that the sheriff's office had worked with the Feds on the threat. "A lot of our intelligence information has come in conjunction with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies," he said. The FBI's Louisiana field office told TPMmuckraker they would look into the claim.
Baswell said it wasn't entirely clear what the suspected terrorists were up to. "We didn't get the impression they were plotting an attack," he said. "We got the impression they were in training or headed for training overseas." He stressed: "We don't believe in any way shape or form that there is any sort of imminent threat."
Baswell described the intelligence as "just tidbits of information we've gotten over time."
KTBS did a story on it.

Did Chrissie Coile just say that the program ‘comes at no cost to taxpayers’? I would like to hear the justification for that statement. Is it being funded by private donations? Are those donations paying for the use of the training center, the salaries of the officers doing the training? If it is a training operation under the auspices of the Sheriff, then of course it is paid with taxpayer money. I would find it very troubling indeed if something like this was privately funded.
All of the negative aspects to this could have been avoided with a little common sense. The name of the program (if you must name it), could have been 'Operation Preparedness' or something of the kind. The purpose of the program could have been limited to preparing for natural or manmade disasters, not Islamic Terrorism. Had those simple steps have been followed, then this wouldn't even be a story.
Here are just a few of many links available on the story.
USA Today

HOA Nuthouse

The Mike Malloy Show

The Klaxon

Now Public

Craig Considine

Media Monarchy

Arkansas Times

The Zombie Squad

Democratic Underground

Propeller

MSNBC

Princeton Couple facing more charges

A Princeton couple who were arrested yesterday on various drug charges are no strangers to the Bossier Parish Court system. Benton Britnell and wife Tina are at Bossier Max pending bond. Both are out on bond for charges they incurred in January.
Benton Britnell is being charged with Possession of Marijuana 3rd Offense, Use CDS in presence of minor & Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Tina Britnell is charged with Possession of Marijuana 3rd Offense, Use CDS in presence of minor, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia & obstruction of justice. She also had a warrant for nine counts of prohibited acts.
Tina Britnell admitted to flushing marijuana down the toilet, but produced more marijuana, rolling papers and a grinder.
The Britnells’s 8 year old daughter was in the residence at the time.

Both are also facing charges that were filed in January for Possession of Schedule III CDS & obtaining CDS by fraud.

Tina Britnell:
January 2010 – Obtain CDS by fraud (6 counts) & Possession of Schedule III CDS
March 2010 – Possession of Marijuana 3rd Offense, Use CDS in presence of minor, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia & obstruction of justice

Benton Britnell:
1993 - Misdemeanor Theft
May 1996 – Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense ($500 fine)
May 1996 – Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (nol prossed with above sentence)
March 1997 - Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense ($500 fine)
March 1997 - Possession of Drug Paraphernalia ($500 fine)
January 2005 – Manufacture of Methamphetamine (felony) (5 years, suspended – 4 years probation, $750 & costs)
January 2005 – Possession of Schedule II CDS (felony) (nol prossed with above sentence)
January 2005 – Possess CDS in the presence of a minor (nol prossed with above sentence)
January 2005 - Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (nol prossed with above sentence)
June 2007 – Middle Grade Criminal Property Damage (felony) (6 months, suspended, 6 months probation, restitution, costs & fees.
June 2007 – Disturbing the Peace, Language – Status Conference Set July 7 (no other entries in record)
June 2007 – Disturbing the Peace, Intoxicated – Status Conference Set July 7 (no other entries in record)
June 2007 – Resisting an Officer (6 months, suspended, 6 months probation, $500 & costs)
June 2007 – Domestic Abuse Battery - Status Conference Set July 7 (no other entries in record)
January 2010 – Obtain CDS by fraud & Possession of Schedule III CDS
March 2010 – Possession of Marijuana 3rd Offense, Use CDS in presence of minor & Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Mother of boy charged in Rusheon Rape says it was all girl's fault

Ben Wolf of KSLA interviewed the mother of the boy charged with simple rape in the Rusheon Middle School Incident. She just can’t believe she had to bond her 14 year old son out of jail on a rape charge. This is her version of the story.
1. It’s racial profiling (the girl victim was black, the arresting officer white).
2. The girl pulled her son into the bathroom, he didn’t force her. She is responsible for the entire incident.
3. It was just the fact of the young lady going down and coming up. It happened just that fast. So how can you call that rape?
I’m not going to say anything else, I have my opinion of what this young man’s problem may be. You can watch the entire interview here.

Funny Day at My Bossier

Today is funny day at My Bossier (no politicians involved). I must have a weird sense of humor, I found these so hilarious. I put Total Eclipse of the Heart on Facebook and didn’t draw one single comment.
Here’s the deal, what if the people in music videos were singing about what the video is actually showing? Like I said, I think they’re funny. Maybe I just have a warped sense of humor.
Well, not as warped as Andy, but maybe just a little.
Check these out, don’t you think they’re funny too?

Penny Lane

Daydream Believer

Total Eclipse of the Heart

Better check those captions

From The Gambit on Twitter

Two arrested in Arkansas in Benton Home Invasion

From The Bossier Parish Sheriff's Department:
Two more people have been arrested in connection with a home invasion that took place in the 200 block of Hurricane Bluff in Benton early last Thursday morning, said Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen.
Juan Jose Martinez-Flores, 25, of Springdale, Arkansas, and Mark William McKinney, 55, of Rogers, Arkansas, were taken into custody Friday. Martinez-Flores is being held in Springdale, and McKinney is incarcerated in Rogers. Both are fighting extradition.
Their arrests came after three Bossier Sheriff’s investigators went to Springdale and Rogers in an attempt to piece together the events of Thursday morning. With the help of police departments in Springdale and Rogers, they gathered intelligence information that led them to Martinez-Flores and McKinney.
At least one other suspect is still being sought. Miguel “Bear” Escutia, 39, is also believed to be from the Springdale area and is thought to be one of four men who broke into the home of a 68-year-old woman. Bossier Sheriff’s detectives say Escutia, Martinez-Flores, Ricardo Aleman Palos and Gerardo Cortina took a safe and some jewelry from the house. Palos, 35, of Springdale, and Cortina, 26, originally from Elgin, Illinois, are being held in the Bossier Maximum Security Facility, having been captured Thursday. They, along with Martinez-Flores, are charged with aggravated burglary, false imprisonment and simple battery of the infirmed. Investigators say McKinney, who is charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, was the source for the information about a safe being in the house.
The incident began just after midnight on Thursday, Feb. 25th, when the victim was awakened by her dog barking and was confronted by at least three males in ski masks and dark clothing. They bound her with duct tape at the ankles and wrists and put some over her mouth. They kept demanding, “Where’s the safe?”, and repeatedly told her they were not going to harm her.
The men rummaged through the residence and eventually found a safe. They took it and some jewelry and fled the scene in a pickup truck. At that point, the victim, who suffered only a minor injury, was able to free herself and call the Bossier Sheriff’s Office, at which time a B.O.L.O. (be on the lookout) was issued, instructing law enforcement agencies to watch for a suspicious pickup truck.
A Bossier Sheriff’s deputy soon spotted a pickup truck on La. Hwy. 3 at Cash Point Road and saw a large object under a tarp in the bed of the truck. The object looked like a safe. The deputy continued to follow the truck which began to weave from lane to lane in an effort to get away from the deputy.
The truck led the deputy into the Greenacres Subdivision in Bossier City and back out onto Hwy. 3. In the 3900 block of Hwy. 3, the truck stopped, and all four men fled. The deputy was able to apprehend Palos, but the other three men escaped. Cortina was arrested by detectives later that day. At this point, of the four men that entered the house, only Escutia is still at large.
More arrests are possible.