Columns & Opinions

Oct. 26 through Nov. 12 is the remarkable 117th run of the State Fair of Louisiana, and the excitement about both it and the cooler weather that it always seems to bring is growing.

For a relatively short span of 40 years, Shreveport had a Grand Opera House. The structure, built in 1888, sat at the corner of Texas Street and Edwards Street at the site of the 400 Texas Street office tower today. Though its tenure was short, while it was here, the Grand played host to all the important performers of the day. Shreveport had had theaters before. Most were on the second floor of buildings over first-floor bars but in 1886, a group of well-heeled Shreveport investors got together and decided to pool their money and sell stock in a topflight municipal theater. They hired the most important theater architect of the day, J.B. McElfatrick of New York City to draw the plans. How big a deal was Mr. McElfatrick? BIG. Though we can find no photo of him, he is legendary in theater design for his innovative ideas. He worked to improve sight lines, added multiple exits, fire sprinkler systems and continuous rows of seating (without aisles) on the main floor of each theatre.

First of all, let me explain the dilemma I had with choosing the word “fear.” Fear, as I understand it, is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. Trepidation and anxiety were also considered, but fear was thought to be best to illustrate what seems to be what is a detriment to the city of Shreveport moving forward via expanding the Black middle class. So who or what is in possession of this fear?

“Oppenheimer,” the epic biopic film directed by Christopher Nolan, opens with a stunning display of cinematic brilliance, an explosion of imagery visualizing the thinking process of J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy), the theoretical physicist who spearheaded the development of the atomic bomb via the Manhattan Project.

The citizens of Shreveport recently approved a bond to fund the construction of police substations across the city. While the intent behind this decision is to combat violent crime and improve public safety, it is crucial to evaluate whether investing in bricks and mortar is the most effective approach. We know that everything is higher now with respect to supplies and materials and labor costs, which should be taken into consideration.

When you vote for someone based on their campaign promises and rhetoric, do you expect them to honor what they said? Or do you expect them to betray you and sell your values for projects? I ask because those are the questions you need to be asking during this campaign season.

Whitehorn Interview on Keeping It Real Podcast/Broadcast

Whenever a disaster strikes locally, whether it’s a natural disaster like a tornado or 2021’s Snowmageddon or a manmade disaster, such as a hazardous material spill, the Caddo Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP) is waiting in the wings to keep the city running as smoothly as possible while mitigating the problem.