No Struggle, No Progress
No Struggle, No Progress
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Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It is hard being a child these days. In their world, they have to contend with growing pains, peer pressure, school shootings and in some cases, domestic issues at home. Sexual assault on a child is a traumatizing ordeal for a child, male or female, as those alleged to having committing such acts, deserve the full brunt of the law. An 8-year-pld victim was taken to Glenwood Regional Medical Center recently because she had been...
If there was a honeymoon period between Mayor Friday Ellis and members of the Monroe City Council before they began to butt heads, it was a brief one. At Tuesday night's September 10, 2024 regular council meeting, the issue of vetoes and repeals took center stage as two ordinances were introduced. One ordinance sought to repeal Ordinance No. 12,225, which relates to purchasing and bidding procedures, and the other was Ordinance No. 12,220, which concerns the special tax election. District 4 Councilman Rodney McFarland and District 5 Councilman...
Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis seems to be gaining a reputation as an official frequently absent from his duties. There has been talk around town of the mayor seemingly stepping back from his open door policy, which was intended to make him accessible to the public. At a recent city council meeting, one councilman noted that he has yet to secure an audience with the mayor. Citizens are beginning to wonder what happened to the mayor who once promised to listen to the people of "Oneroe." Adding to...
Disclaimer: These are Pastor Ike Byrd's comments, not of the Monroe Dispatch. The words, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. remain as relevant today as ever. His thoughts emphasize that those who are trapped within the confines of their own minds will never experience true freedom. When your mind is enslaved, you become your own greatest obstacle to liberation. There has been significant discussion among Monroe citizens following the city council's decision to reject the appointment of...
For the second time in two months, Secret Service agents have had to intervene in an incident to protect the life of Donald Trump. The latest incident occurred Sunday (Sept. 15, 2024) at Trump's Florida Golf Course where an armed white male allegedly pointed an AK-style weapon where Trump was golfing. Quick action by federal agents who were protecting Trump prevented what may have been an assassination's attempt, as shots were fired at the individual. As of press time, the individual identified as Ryan Wesley Routh is being held on federal gun...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Children in the company of some adults when left alone with them, can be a formula for heartbreak. This is true whether they are in the company or left alone with a member of the family or in the presence of a "family friend" with whom a female may be acquainted. A sexual assault of some kind will likely occur more than people would like to think. According to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office, on August 31, 2024, deputies...
It has been two weeks since members of the Monroe City Council, by a 3-2 vote, rejected Mayor Friday Ellis's nomination of Pastor Ike Byrd as Director of Community Affairs. Prior to the vote, many believed that Pastor Byrd would be unanimously approved due to his strong reputation within the community. However, three council members voted against Byrd's appointment, not due to personal feelings as some in the community speculated, but because the appointment conflicted with the guidelines...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Monroe Police Department (MPD) has been investigating an incident near Bayou Bowl, where a shooting occurred. Officers responded to the establishment on August 30, 2024, where the victim was seriously injured. After days of investigation, several out-of-town suspects have been arrested and are now behind bars. According to MPD, 25-year-old Reginald Jackson Jr. traveled from Kansas to Monroe due to an alleged altercation with...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A Texas man is under arrest for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run incident in Monroe LA. Law enforcement authorities from the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office said that the accident that resulted in a fatality occurred on Friday August 1, 2024 on Sterlington Road. Officials said that 28-year-old Billterrious Lewis allegedly crashed his vehicle into the victim while he was crossing Sterlington Road. The unidentified (as of...
Owning a home remains a dream for millions of Americans, even though home prices in some areas are still out of reach for many. However, a former Monroe native is working to change that. Derrick Johnson, who now resides in Dallas, once lived in the same neighborhood as the Powell Community Center in District 3, and he's putting his money where his mouth is. Johnson has been investing in the Monroe area and aims to build affordable homes, as seen with the recent Magnolia Johnson Estates groundbreaking ceremony. Monroe City Councilwoman Juanita...
There are some places in society where respect is not only expected, but demanded when one is present. There is the courtroom, the schoolroom, a house of worship and the place where we all will one day go...the cemetery. Those places are ingrained in our psyche to maintain a modem of decorum because that's the way a society conducts itself where its members congregate. We learn that when we are young and it is something that is passed down through the generations. So, what happened when Donald Trump and his entourage of campaign workers and...
New Day New Way A "spirited" discussion took place regarding the city budget, focusing on how funds are allocated for projects in Monroe. District 4 Councilman Bishop Rodney McFarland and District 5 Councilman Verbon Muhammad expressed concerns at the August 27, 2024, meeting about two projects totaling around $6 million, primarily benefiting the downtown area and a small part of District 4. McFarland was particularly concerned that the project’s impact did not extend into more areas of District 4. Tensions rose as McFarland and Muhammad questi...
Richwood LA "God's Country" has serious issues which when aren't addressed will only get worse. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Those are the sentiments of a Richwood resident who said that the town under Richwood Mayor Gerald Brown is making it difficult for business owners. The actions by the town's council are pushing three businesses to the brink of going out of business. The changing of an ordinance that compels businesses to shut down their business by 2:15 AM, or face the possibility of arrest. The reason the town...
Pastor Ike Byrd has been a fixture in northeast Louisiana for decades as the shepherd of Mount Zion Baptist Church and one of the community's most valued leaders. He has served in various civic and religious capacities, where his passion has been preaching the gospel. Recently, Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis announced Byrd as the city's next Community Affairs Director. A resolution for his appointment was on the agenda for the August 27, 2024, city council meeting, where it was expected to pass but...
The House Speaker of the Louisiana Legislative body was in Monroe on August 26,2024, to address citizens' concerns about what the legislature's goals are in the coming years. House Speaker Phillip DDeVillier's visit to Monroe comes on the heels of Gov. Jeff Landry, who gave his state of the state address on the status of Louisiana since he became governor. As DeVillier travels from parish to parish across Louisiana, the concerns that he hears are the same. While saying that there are three...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A Monroe man is behind bars after he allegedly committed criminal acts against multiple individuals over an hours-long crime spree at several locations. According to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office, on August 23, 2024, around 9:00 AM deputies responded to a carjacking incident on Smith St. in West Monroe LA. The victim of the carjacking said an individual who would later be identified as 51-year-old Rodney L. Sims,...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. When a dispute occurs between two individuals, and there is no possible resolution in sight, the best thing we are told to do is walk away. A dispute can be for any reason, but violence is not the solution to solve it. Usually someone pays a bigger price for their actions. A local woman is behind bars from being in a dispute where violence was allegedly involved. According to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office, deputies...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Trust is a real issue in the world we live in. Your word used to be your bond, but now it often needs to be written down or paid up front. It's increasingly difficult to trust people these days. The elderly are often preyed upon by those who seek to take advantage of them, especially if they are financially independent. Some elderly individuals trust those they believe will keep their best interests at heart. However, there are...
Donald Trump is an individual who marches to the beat of his own drum, even if it is just in his head. He is a "my way or the highway" kind of person who is always telling himself that his way is the best way. Even as his presidential campaign is stuck in neutral. If one listens to him at one of his rallies he is up bigly in the polls, he is drawing ten times the crowds that Vice President Kamala Harris has and he is going to make America great again. Never mind that he doesn't say how he will make America great again, but if one keeps playing...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The sound of gunfire is terrifying to hear. The sound of it can instantly send a feeling of fear and even that of dread, knowing that a life might hang in the balance. Adults usually can cope/fend for themselves if they are able to when they hear the sound of gunfire. But what about those who are unable to, such as a 6-year-old child? According to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office, on August 13, Jamarion Jalil Godfrey 18, was...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Having a gun seems to be a way of life in America. Guns are more prevalent than ever before, as gun manufacturers continue to churn out more deadly weapons. This nation undoubtedly leads the world in the number of guns available to the public, so it is not surprising to see them everywhere. The presence of guns keeps the public vigilant, but it also makes it more difficult for law enforcement to do their job when they confront...
The Monroe City Council passed a set of repeal ordinances for final adoption at its regular Tuesday, August 13, 2024 meeting, fulfilling a promise made by council members from Districts 3, 4, and 5. Newly elected District 4 Councilman Bishop Rodney McFarland and District 5 Councilman Verbon Muhammad, along with veteran District 3 Council Chairwoman Juanita Woods, stood firmly as they voted to repeal several ordinances passed by previous councils. The repealed ordinances included Ordinance No. 12,219, which referred to a video bingo tax rededica...
Donald Trump is an individual who marches to the beat of his own drum, even if it is just in his head. He is a "my way or the highway" kind of person who is always telling himself that his way is the best way. Even as his presidential campaign is stuck in neutral. If one listens to him at one of his rallies he is up bigly in the polls, he is drawing ten times the crowds that Vice President Kamala Harris has and he is going to make America great again. Never mind that he doesn't say how he will make America great again, but if one keeps playing...
Republican Vice-Presidential candidate J. D. Vance of Ohio should have been taking notes when Mike Pence was Donald Trump's Vice President. When Pence agreed to become Trump's running mate, did he do it for love of country while ignoring the fact that the man he was willing to govern with, was a man who questioned the birthright of the nation's first Black president? Or did he forget the meaning of his so-called "family values" platform, as he watched Trump say all manner of things about Rafael "Ted" Cruz's wife and father back in 2015? Plus...
There seems to be a consensus in the community that the current Monroe City Council "is on to something." It's only been two meetings in the new term, and judging from the comments from citizens at the last meeting, it appears that the voters in Districts 3, 4, and 5 like what they are seeing. And that, they say, is good for progress. However, the honeymoon may be short-lived after the conclusion of the August 13, 2024, council meeting. Councilmembers will once again discuss the highly...
Disclaimer: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Science tells us that under extreme temperatures, the mercury in a thermometer isn't the only thing that rises. Our tempers and emotions tend to rise with the heat, often at a time when cooler heads should prevail. Incidents of heat-related violence can happen anywhere at any time, as may have occurred recently in Richwood. According to a law enforcement, deputies from the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's office (OPSO) recently...
A Monroe woman is in a dilemma during one of the hottest times of the year, as the air-conditioning in her apartment has been out since June 28, 2024. It has been a very frustrating time for Sandra Blanche, who has been trying to stay cool despite numerous attempts to repair her unit to no avail. When the Monroe Dispatch interviewed Blanche, it was very hot in her apartment, and two fans were barely making it tolerable to stay inside. Blanche has been living in her apartment for about six...
The family of Jimmy Mitchell, the young man who was killed in an automobile accident, recalled fond memories of him as he is laid to rest. Mitchell was a backseat passenger in a vehicle that hit a tree on Jackson St. at Egan in south Monroe on July 29, 2024. Two other passengers who were injured in the accident survived. The family wants to stress that there was no high-speed chase involving law enforcement; the accident occurred before any pursuit began. An officer in the area saw the vehicle...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. As humans, we often become emotional, sometimes more than we should, depending on the circumstances. Typically, staying calm and walking away is the best course of action, as crossing certain lines can lead to serious consequences. On July 24, 2024, Monroe Police officers (MPD) responded to a report of a stabbing at a residence in the middle of the night. According to authorities, when officers arrived, multiple witnesses...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A Ouachita Parish man is behind bars after allegedly threatening a female victim with death if she didn't give him money. Robert Whitfield, 50, was recently taken into custody for allegedly kidnapping the victim in addition to making the threat. According to Monroe Police (MPD), on July 23, 2024, Whitfield and the victim were at a Chase bank, where the victim reported to an employee that Whitfield had threatened to kill her....
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy (no relation) has certainly made a name for himself by fully embracing his conservative credentials during his tenure in Congress. While he differs greatly from the other famous Kennedys, he has established himself as a "good old boy" with a quick wit that leaves some questioning his ultimate objectives. Kennedy is a highly educated man, which makes his political statements all the more puzzling. A recent example is his reference to Vice President Kamala Harris as a "ding-dong" in an interview. Kennedy spoke with...
As the election of the next president of the United States nears, more attention is being paid to presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. Republican nominee Donald Trump is looking for ways to become relevant now that Harris has taken center stage. Not making light of the attempt on Trump's life, but the truth of the matter is that Trump "wasn't protected" by God, it just was not Trump's time to die. Simple as that. Was Trump in the right place "at the wrong time" or vice versus will not change the fact that the bullet missed him and...
U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown and the Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) announced the availability of approximately $152,565 in PSN grant funds for the Western District of Louisiana. The Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance are seeking applications for funding of a grant under the PSN Program. At least 30% (41,192.55) of the grant funds must be designated for grants under the PSN Program to fund new and/or current violence reduction strategies in the Western District. The PSN approach is...
Louisiana's governor, Jeff Landry, continues to justify placing the Ten Commandments inside all public schools, including universities, despite a legal challenge aimed at halting the program. Meanwhile, Landry attended the Republican Convention, where Donald Trump was officially nominated, as the party believed they were prepared to face President Biden. However, Landry and other Republicans are now aware that they are not up against Hillary Clinton this time but rather Kamala Harris. At the convention, Landry addressed the attempted...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. When thinking of victims of sexual abuse, it is often assumed to be male-on-female, though such crimes can occur in various forms, including female-on-female and male-to-male. Regardless of the circumstances, sexual abuse is wrong. A Monroe man is now behind bars, accused not only of robbing an individual but also of sexually assaulting that person. According to the West Monroe Police Department (WMPD), officers responded to a...
Disclaimer: All persons are innocent until proven guilty. An Ouachita Parish man is dead following a tragic shooting that occurred on Barrington Dr. in Monroe, LA. According to the Monroe Police Department, officers responded to reports of a shooting on Saturday, July 20, 2024. Upon arrival, officers made contact with Kialynshia Jordan, who allegedly stated that she had shot an individual during an altercation. According to police, Jordan waived her Miranda Rights and told officers that she and...
And then there was one. It has been a bad couple of days for Donald Trump and Republicans who just knew that they had the election all sown up. Despite coming off of a lackluster convention that had more showmanship than subject, Republicans were eagerly waiting for the Democrats to hold their convention while they would continue to bash President Biden relentlessly over his age and mental faculties. Funny, how you can want something so bad thinking that you have it in your grasp, and presto, it slips right through your fingers. President...
In what had been a typical Monroe City Schools Board meeting on Tuesday July 16, 2024, got sidetracked over a highly charged political issue between board member Bill Willson and Monroe Federation of Teacher's Union President Sandie Lollie. The verbal exchange between Willson and Lollie occurred near the end of the meeting during the "Report of Board Members" segment on the agenda where each board member gives an update as to what is going on in their respective districts. When it came to...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A shooting in Franklin parish turned deadly, as announced by authorities after an initial investigation. According to the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Office and Winnsboro Police Department, the shooting started after two groups met to exchange firearms. The Sheriff's Office, in a statement, said that "things took a turn for the worse" before the deadly incident. The July 8, 2024 incident resulted in the death of an individual, and...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A shooting on July 10, 2024, left a Monroe man injured alongside another victim. The incident occurred near the intersection of Breece Cir. and South First St. in Monroe, LA. According to police, the victims were in a vehicle when one of them, seated in the right front passenger seat, was struck in the right thigh. The victim alleged that Allen Bolden, 27, allegedly fired at them. He reportedly used a black handgun with an...
A municipality like Monroe needs to operate like a well-oiled machine to meet the needs of its populace. It starts at the top with a mayor supported by a city council representing the community's needs at city hall. Success requires these entities to work together, akin to "one hand washing the other". However, the lifeblood of any municipality is the workforce that keeps it running 24 hours a day—the individuals we see daily performing their jobs. Often taken for granted, these frontline employees are always there when calls for service are m...
Did Donald Trump have a "come to Jesus" moment Saturday when he narrowly missed death by centimeters as a bullet grazed his right ear. This reporter does not make light of what happened at Trump's campaign rally in Pennsylvania, because though Trump survived, an innocent victim lost his life. Much will be said about the shooter as more information becomes available. It is moments like these that remind us that life is a fleeting entity and can end in an instant. No one was probably thinking that a campaign rally would end without Trump stating...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It was a hot, humid Fourth of July, which is not uncommon for Louisiana. Finding shade under a tree or having the AC on is priority number one until the evening fireworks start. That doesn't include gunfire. According to the Monroe Police Department (MPD), officers on the H.E.A.T. Team responded to shots being fired while working a detail for the Monroe Housing Authority at the Foster Heights location. A suspect was spotted in...
Before the vote, Councilwoman Gretchen Ezernack opposed the resolution, questioning the reasoning behind it and expressing concerns that it could delay city projects. Previously, any council member had until 3:00 PM to add an item to the agenda. Emergency add-ons were typically discussed in meetings where the public could hear and then vote on them. Now, the chairperson will decide if an item will be placed on the agenda, which appears to be on solid legal grounds. Some may view this as a power play by certain council members, potentially...
Imagine if you're on a football team and the championship is at stake. Even though it is a back/forth game, victory can still be yours if you play hard (not conservative) and aggressive. That's exactly what Democrats need to do if they want to win by rallying around their star player who happens to be President Joe Biden. Instead of going on offense as in football, they are letting the defense (Republicans) dictate how the game is being played by putting up the idea that Biden is finished as a leader. The problem with Democrats in the race for...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. On March 30, 2024, a shooting occurred in Charles Johnson Park in Monroe LA, according to the Monroe Police Dept. At the time of the shooting, police made no arrests, though they had a suspect(s) under suspicion that were considered to a person of interest in the case. Two victims were injured in the shooting that happened in the 1400 block Bernstein Park Drive. They were taken to a local hospital for treatment. On June 27,...
Disclaimer: All persons are innocent until proven guilty. Children don't ask to come here! The signs of the times are screaming for us to pay more attention to our children and grandchildren, or they will fall prey to horrible experiences, death, or lifelong trauma. Our Black youth face dangers like never before. Their lives are being devoured either by death or prison. The Bible says, "Better is a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer pays attention to warnings."...
There have been several missing person reports filed in the area over the past few months. Some cases have ended happily, while others have had tragic outcomes. Within the last week, another individual was reported missing. Christopher Muse, 32, reportedly left his Michael Circle residence in Monroe, LA, on June 25, 2024, and was subsequently found deceased. A body discovered in the Ouachita River near the Endom Bridge, which connects Monroe to West Monroe, was confirmed by Monroe Police on...
A ceremony was held for the inauguration and swearing-in of newly re-elected Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis and members of the city council. The festivities took place at the W.L. "Jack" Howard Theater on Monday, July 1, 2024. Ellis was sworn in as mayor after easily winning a second term, an outcome many might call an upset defying political wisdom. Although Ellis is beginning his second term, he will have a different city council body to navigate his agenda through. Corday Marshall, Sr. and Kema...
The debate between President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is over. It should be the last one. Did the voters learn anything new or otherwise. There has never been a debate between presidential contenders (to my recollection) before they became their party's official nominees. It was not a "classic" debate by any stretch of the imagination, because both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump stuck to their scripts. The only good thing about the debate was the rule where the other candidate's mic would be...
