Columns & Opinions

At dusk on Friday, July 14, the inimitable Irene Cara’s theme song from the movie “Flashdance” reverberated over the airways along the racetrack at Louisiana Downs in Bossier City. When the announcer for the Red River Balloon Rally called for the “all illume,” flares whooshed from under the balloons in unison and lit the sky for a spectacular “candlelight” glow show. The nearly 100-degree heat was all but forgotten as the balloon pilots made their passion happen and enjoyed the response of the roaring crowd, which included Bossier City Mayor Tommy Chandler and other dignitaries, as both young and elderly alike swayed to rhythm of the music. Even the Puddy Cat and Tweety Bird balloons caught the spirit and bobbed with the audience in their own dance of sorts.

Settle Talk

Why isn’t anyone doing an article about the background of the victims? I tried to look it up on Truthfinder. The 17-year-old of course is not on there. One was not found. The other two, one had an illegal firearm charge and the other had a resisting a police officer. This was likely a targeted crime by people with criminal backgrounds and/or practices. The 'root causes' of these incidents across the country are mostly these kinds of incidents. Until we start calling it out and doing something about it at a local level, it will continue to get worse. My 2 cents.

The retail investment industry has spent decades reeducating and redirecting the masses – away from stock and bond trading to asset allocation-based asset management. One reason is self-preservation. Trading is transactional and commoditized. The emergence of discount brokerages initiated a race to the bottom for trading commissions. The other reason, the one I will address, is the application of modern portfolio theory.

For years, the state of Louisiana has proudly held the moniker of “Hollywood South” due to the lucrative tax credits offered to film and television productions shooting on location in the state. But those film tax credits were set to expire in 2025.

Back in January 2009 when the Clyde Fant Parkway Recreation Plan (CFPRP) was being assembled and presented, I was teaching high school Social Studies in Albuquerque, NM. Little did I know that this 55-page slide presentation would rear its head to coincide with the already complex decisions about the reconstruction of the Jimmie Davis Bridge. Although the plan states that these are recommendations, one was a trail to Teague Parkway on Future Bridge Span. On paper this looked to be a narrow trail just south of the new four-lane bridge that will be constructed north of the current structure. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) design plan calls for a linear park that will connect the existing bicycle and pedestrian trails across the Red River, to be created from the rehabilitation of the current Jimmie Davis Bridge. Even though the new construction will not affect the recommended development of Hamel's Memorial Park, the city of Shreveport appears to have had a small voice, if any, in the discussion of the linear park bridge versus the CFPRP’s recommended trail to Teague Parkway. This is important because the original cost of the linear park bridge was approximately $50 million, and even with 10 percent inflation, the new cost should’ve only increased the cost by $5 million. Once complete, the cost of maintaining the linear bridge will outpace the cost to maintain the trail to Teague Parkway.

My friends and family called me this week to tell me that Shreveport was on the national news, and at that moment, I knew it was not good. I knew that it was not one of those uplifting stories that we see from time to time on the national news, and a feeling of dread immediately ensued.

My decision to be a candidate in the October 2024 Sheriff’s race has been made. My family and I have discussed it at length as well as prayed for a safe and clean race for all candidates who choose to enter the race. As I do intend to qualify, I also intend to do my very best to earn the majority of votes necessary to earn the position of Caddo Sheriff. As we can all agree, I have worked hard for this to say the least. My focus is on my race as a candidate for sheriff. I am not running “against” anyone as it pertains to making it personal about any other candidate. I have a great deal of respect for the current candidate that has formally announced his candidacy. I am simply running for the office of “Caddo Parish Sheriff” as it is a race that I would love to win for every citizen of Caddo Parish. Any issues or differences of opinion that may have existed prior to this decision are in the past. My mission is in forward motion. It is important for me to note that I have been in law enforcement for close to 20 years after first working as a “court-appointed special advocate” in Caddo Juvenile Court, where one of my first cases was a young child who was locked in a room with a padlocked door and starved until his death. That child suffered as his sisters snuck candy under his door in an attempt to keep him alive. This case was followed by many others. However, that case led me to a career in law enforcement in hopes of helping others who may be in need as well as working with other skilled professionals within our judicial system who share my same passion for honest justice accompanied by a moral compass.