2009: The year in review

Just thought I’d throw in some highlights from 2009.
The culmination of a bitterly fought judge’s race arrived in January when Mike Craig took the oath as 26th JDC judge. He seems to have had a good first year.
On the negative side, the first of the school board thieves entered a guilty plea in federal court.
The school board was in disarray, Ken Kruithof resigned and in May D. C. Machen, Jr. was appointed superintendent.
June brought a plethora of news and events.
Shreveport rapper Hurricane Chris stirred up a storm when he performed before the Louisiana Legislature.
Pop Culture Icon Michael Jackson passed away, leaving mourning fans around the world.
Kaboom! Billy Mays died at age 50. Seems he had used cocaine a few days earlier and that contributed to his death. Who woulda thought?
LSU won the college world series, Geaux Tigers!
The trashy story of the year also comes out of June. This was a tight one, between Cucumber guy (remember him?), the woman who knocked her mother out in Benton and then pooped on her (Woman knocks Mom out in Benton then poops on her back).
The winner, however, has to be this ballbuster: Woman Attacks Scrotum - Judge Orders Protection
October brought surprises too, the arrest of a 26th JDC ADA and the brouhaha that ensues when a public official is treated as if they were an ordinary citizen.
The story of the year, however, developed when Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker announced the layoff of 117 city employees, most in the Police and Fire Departments. That announcement started a firestorm that finally culminated in the City Council proposing and adopting a budget of their own which had far fewer cuts.
This brings us to My Bossier’s most influential person of the year, Heather Carter.
Since this is still in everyone’s memory, I won’t burden you with a lot of details. Suffice it to say that Heather stood up and led the fight to oppose the cuts, recruited 3,700 people to a Facebook Group in support of that effort, and swayed the City Council and greatly affected the final outcome of the budget process.
Congratulations Heather!



On a sad note, our friend Judge Burchett left us this year.
Listen to Guy Lombardo and raise a glass to Judge Burchett.

Oh Holy Night

Merry Christmas to all!

Jingle Bells

The Night Before Christmas 1920

Recorded by Thomas Edison in 1920

'Twas the Night Before Christmas
(or A Visit from St. Nicholas)
by Clement Clarke Moore

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.
And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.

When out on the roof there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutter, and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
gave the lustre of midday to objects below,
when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
and he whistled and shouted and called them by name:

"Now Dasher! Now Dancer!
Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid!
On, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch!
To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky
so up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head and was turning around,
down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes--how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Uncle Jay's singing year in review

Down South in Virginia

From Steve Weddle on Twitter

Chief Tommy's Last Call

This was filmed Wednesday by Mario Villafuerte for Channel 33 news.
Battalion Chief Tommy Adams of the Shreveport Fire Department was injured in February by a fall from a ladder, and passed away earlier this week.

Bossier Deputy rescues man from icy water

Bossier Parish Deputy Sheriff Harlan Dredge responded to a call on Sligo Road of a man calling for help at about 3AM.
When he arrived at the scene, he heard the cries and realized they were coming from the bayou that runs beside the road.
Thomas Hart lost control of his car in the rain and ran into the bayou and was trapped in 18 ft of water. Dredge jumped into the bayou and pulled the man to safety.
A spokesman for Willis Knighton Pierremont said that Hart's core body temperature was down to 75 degrees when he arrived there.
Good job, Deputy Dredge!

Bake Sale for Madison Johnson

There will be a bake sale this weekend to benefit Madison Johnson.
Madison is a 2nd grader at Bellaire Elementary, is currently receiving treatment at St. Judes in Memphis.
Assorted homemade cookies packaged in Christmas Tins & Other Items Avanilable
Donations will be also accepted at both locations. An account has been set up at Barksdale Federal Credit Union for the Johnson Family.
For more information about the sale or making a direct donation, please call Sun Sport Tanning at 742-4502.

Friday & Saturday

Sun Sport Tanning 7-7 Friday and 10-5 Saturday
River Cities Car Wash - 8am-5pm both days

Officer fired in Sentell arrest appeals to Civil Service Board

Former Bossier Police officer Phillip Vernon has appealed his firing.
Vernon was fired for willfully misrepresenting a matter in a report. The matter that he was alleged to have misrepresented were remarks he, and fired reserve officer Jared Fisher, reported were made by Sherb Sentell, the Webster Parish ADA allegedly threatening to have them fired.
Vernon had said that the remarks were made during transport. The in car video-audio system did not reflect that.
Vernon’s attorney, Joel Pearce, said “I think the public record is very clear that the (Bossier City police) officers have been given a warning that you don’t do this to one of us — a VIP,” Pearce said. “It's a chilling effect.”
The Civil Service Board will probably hear the appeal in February.