No Struggle, No Progress
No Struggle, No Progress
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Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A woman and her unborn child's life was taken away following a tragic shooting incident that happened in Bastrop, LA, Monday, November 7, 2022. According to the Bastrop Police Department (BPD), a call came in that a shooting occurred at the start of the week. Police arrived on E Cypress St., where the alleged shooting occurred, and found a Black female victim who was deceased in the front yard. According to Bastrop PD, the...
Don’t Call God By Eddie D. Gillis t’s sems that when election time rolls around, two things voters are sure to hear, “send money so we can win this fight”, even though that candidate might be leading by fifty points, and God “is on our side” as you send the money. We know that there is never enough money to spend on ads even though practically everyone knows who is running and most minds are made up before votes will be cast. Nonetheless, there has long been a tendency for many candidates to invoke God because just by mentioning God, a cert...
The Monroe community is in support of a favorable outcome for the Carroll High School football team as members of the Monroe City School Board are scheduled to attend a hearing concerning the incidents of what happened at a Carroll-Franklin Parish football game two weeks ago. The Tuesday night board meeting held November 1, 2022 focused on other issues like how all restroom updates at the school are about 90% completed, construction work done on the Neville High School band room, and painting wo...
By Eddie D. Gillis In last week’s column, this reporter wrote of how things, despite what some will say, are going from bad to worse in this nation and the world. For those of us who read The Dispatch on a regular basis, you know that I end my editorials with the phrase, “Remember, the world is watching. So is God”. The ending to my editorials came to me “in a thought”, as there are not many editorials that end in a phrase reminding us that no matter what we do, He is watching. The singer, Bette Midler also did the same in a song called “F...
Questions continue to arise over an incident that happened at a high school football game between Carroll High School and Franklin Parish on Thursday, October 10, 2022. Initial reports from the Franklin Parish Sheriff's Department say that several Carroll coaches were escorted out of the stadium press box for allegedly using profanity in the presence of others in the press box. Some accounts say that Sheriff Kevin Cobbs went to the press box to escort one of the Carroll coaches back to what was...
Disclaimer: All Persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A domestic altercation between three individuals turned deadly when a male individual was shot and killed in a north Monroe neighborhood. According to a press release from the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office, in the early morning hours of October 20, 2022, deputies were dispatched to a residence on Dillingham Dr. in response to a domestic incident involving a shooting. When the deputies arrived at the scene, they found a male...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. We all want to feel safe when we venture outside our homes as we go through our day. It could be on the job or just going out to do some errands, especially when we go shopping. But things are not like they used to be. According to police reports, a local man was arrested after he allegedly pointed a gun in a Jackson St. business Tuesday morning, October 25, 2022. The man, who Monroe Police identified as suspect Laranza McDaniel,...
This writer is convinced that most of us like to see the glass half full rather than half empty. When the glass is half full, there is room to add more. By contrast, when one sees the glass as half empty, there is the possibility of losing more of what is already in the glass. If one takes an honest look at what is happening in this nation and quite frankly the world, the glass is half empty. As we get ready to go through another election season, we can see the usual attacks coming from both sides of the political system, with each side...
The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus (LLBC) invited the public to what is being called a “road show” which stopped in northeast Louisiana on Monday, October 17, 2022. Topics on the discussion menu included healthcare, education, and redistricting, among other topics, such as the upcoming 2022 midterms elections. Many Democratic leaders are fighting against numerous laws that they say are aimed at keeping Blacks and other minorities from voting in large numbers. The LLBC has been in exi...
The cheering that you heard last week came from those who want to see ex-president Donald Trump face a congressional committee where he will have to swear an oath to tell the truth. Speaking of telling the truth, Trump being a former television reality show host, would have been an outstanding contestant on that old time classic show, “To Tell the Truth”. On that show, many Dispatch readers around my age (past 70) would remember that the show’s panel had to guess which of three contestants was telling the truth. They would answer quest...
Deadria "Dee" Talton has gone through a lot in life. The domestic abuse survivor has gone through an ordeal that has broken many women. She tells her story with humility and honesty, all in an effort to help save the next abuse victim. "I've been there and I know what it's like," said Talton, as she recounts the years that she was with an abuser who took control over her life. "There were times when I questioned my self-worth. I almost gave up." Talton said that her faith in God held her and...
Tensions and emotions were high at the Tuesday, October 11, 2022 meeting for Monroe city council, as a resolution asking Mayor Ellis to reconsider SEDD’s response to the mayor’s Tax Increase Funding (TIF) offer was denied. It was an unexpected reaction for SEDD members and many in the community who came to voice their concerns. But even before any items on the agenda were brought for discussion, Council chairwoman Kema Dawson(District 5) made it abundantly clear that she "did not block” TIF from the agenda as had been rumored. Dawson conti...
Republicans all across America had to accept the consolation prize of being no. 2 following the presidential race of 2020. Despite all of the efforts elevating Donald Trump to “near king status, in the face of an impeachment and headline grabbing political news to bring down Joe Biden, Republicans lost control of Congress. Now with the 2022 midterm election just weeks away, Republicans are hoping that history stays the course of rewarding the minority party control of Congress in an off presidential election year(2022) as it has done so in the...
Three individuals were shot several hours after a football game near Carroll High School Friday, October 1, 2022. Sources say that a female and two males were at the intersection of Renwick and Rogers St., just standing and talking, when an individual suddenly approached them. Sources tell the Monroe Dispatch that without exchanging words, the individual produced a gun and fired multiple shots. The incident happened at about 11:45 PM as the trio attempted to flee, but all were struck by gunfire. The female, sources say, tried to run but couldn...
Life is said to be fleeting. We don't know how much of it we will enjoy because we are here today but could be gone tomorrow. It can be over in an instant, like clicking a light switch on the wall. Enjoy it while you can. A local family will not get to see a loved one's face around the family anymore as Monroe Police are investigating what has been described as a hit-and-run incident. According to MPD, the incident happened Monday, October 3, 2022, near the 7900 block of Desiard St. around 7:30...
Another devastating hurricane has struck the U.S., leading to dozens of deaths and a cleanup/repair bill that is in the billions of dollars range. The state of Florida has a long way to go to get past the life changing effects that people go through when they have to rebuild after a hurricane turns their lives upside down. Everyone in the state of Louisiana remembers Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the efforts and resources that it took to rebuild New Orleans and the Lake Charles/Lafayette area, as the memories will never go away. The same...
Hearts are saddened at the unexpected death of Janetta Gill, who tragically lost her life. Family and friends are still shocked by her untimely passing. Janetta was killed in a shooting a little past midnight Friday, September 23, 2022 on Richwood Rd. No. 2 that also left a male victim wounded. When Monroe Police arrived at the Parkview apartments located on Richwood Rd. No. 2, in Monroe, LA, they found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds. MPD gave few details concerning the shooting as...
The memory of an elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas is still fresh in the minds of many of us, especially those who have children in school. Nothing is more heart-wrenching than hearing of a shooting at their child's school or any school, no matter where it is. Parents in Monroe got to see how devastating that can be when a call was made about an active shooter situation at Neville High School on Thursday, September 22, 2022. MPD quickly responded to the call they received and were able to determine that everything was good. Officers...
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Another individual has lost his life to violence, and the community continues to seek answers in hopes of stopping the violence. One always hopes that differences, no matter what they are, can be settled where all involved will live. Sometimes, it doesn't happen that way. And the question is always, why? A man has been arrested for a fatal shooting on Thelma St. in Richwood on Sunday, September 18, 2022. The victim was identified as...
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It is another school year, and unfortunately, there will be incidents on school grounds or in some other setting where children will be involved. Sometimes, adults will also be involved. A Monroe woman has been arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at several people and making threats simultaneously. According to Monroe Police, on Monday, September 17, 2022, suspect Tara Dena Emanuel, 31, was accused of pointing a firearm at several people....
The number of voters expected to go to the polls in November should be aware that their votes may not count. Or matter. There appears to be a concerted effort by Republican candidates running for office in the midterms, to openly declare that if they should happen to lose the races that they are in, they plan on not accepting the results. In other words, 2016 will be front and center in 2022 over some Republicans candidates not willing to accept defeat at the polls. There have not been moments in history where a candidate from either party...
It is not often that a student gets to enter a new school in a different school year, especially when the name of the school is the same. But that is what’s happening for students who attend Martin Luther King, Jr. Junior High School on the South side of Monroe, LA. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Friday, September 9, 2022, at the school to celebrate what some are calling a “school of the future”. It is a “state-of-the-art” school that did not come without some controversy. When the Monroe City Schools Board decided to replace the old MLK s...
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. When an individual commits a crime or is alleged to have committed one, the community hopes for a quick capture. Sometimes that occurs, and sometimes capture takes a little while. Still, those in law enforcement are persistent in their diligence in apprehending criminal suspects and keeping us safe. Law enforcement announced two arrests over the last several days that culminated in the arrests of two alleged suspects. The first arrest...
Another school year is well underway, as thousands of children go to one of the places where they want to should feel safe. Friendships are reacquainted, expectations are high, classrooms are being kept covid-free as much as they can, leaving the academics to school faculty and students into a year that will bring more cherish memories. That will happen for most of the returning students, but not all of them, because some of those students will face bullying and other types of harassments from other students that continues to be a problem....
It is amazing how one man has been able to turn the rule of law upside down on its face. There are serious conversations being held by people with influential voices over whether Donald Trump should be tried for his alleged crimes of taking government documents that are vital to national security. The line in the sand was drawn a long time ago when Donald Trump became president and with that newfound power, Mr. Trump appeared to show how power absolute can rule. Mr. Trump came into office demanding loyalty to him first and not the nation, nor t...
A recent alleged incident at a local dentist's office has some in the community talking. Sources tell the Monroe Dispatch that a minor was at the dentist's office when something unfortunate happened. Sources say that the minor was having a procedure performed when the minor suddenly had a medical emergency. As an employee was attending to the minor, the procedure was allegedly interrupted as the minor began to experience complications that needed an immediate response from those with him. According to unconfirmed sources, the minor was said to...
A local woman says that a headstone that she ordered for her father has yet to be delivered. The woman said she ordered and paid $950.00 for the headstone from a local business on Desiard St. in June of 2021. Seeing that it's been over a year since the transaction, she recently decided to go speak to the owner of the Desiard St. business. When she got to the business, she said she spoke to someone who did not sell her the headstone back in 2021. As she told the man behind the counter why she...
A controversial Richwood town ordinance initiated by Mayor Gerald Brown was challenged in a Ouachita Parish courtroom by a Richwood businessman, resulting in his tickets being dismissed, along with others with tickets and were present in the courtroom. Aaron Rayburn, who operates Angelina Bail Bond, located on Hwy 165, argued his case after receiving three tickets from a speed control program initiated by the town. The ordinance has been in effect for weeks, resulting in thousands of tickets...
Customers for Louisiana's only energy source have been paying to help keep the utility giant going for decades through utility bill payments. Many customers believe they are still paying for the damages caused by natural disasters like Hurricane Rita in order not to affect the company's bottom line and keep shareholders happy. That is the assessment of angry customers who continue to not only pay utility bills but pay bills that continue climbing higher, and a continuation from disaster-related incidents. Many customers, including local residen...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. There is a saying that goes, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" which may be justifiable to some, but when bodily harm is possible, a line has to be drawn. That doesn't happen in all cases. On Sunday, September 4, 2022 a woman was allegedly armed with a knife and chased an unnamed victim with a knife and a broom. According to Monroe Police, officers were called to the Parkview Apartments to answer a disturbance at the...
Donald Trump was back in his element this past weekend. He was getting the kind of attention that he so desperately needs. If there is one thing that Trump loves, it is to be in front of an adoring crowd that loves every word that comes out of his mouth. It doesn’t matter if everything that he says is the truth or how “vicious” the tone of his words may sound. Mr. Trump appeared at a campaign-style rally over the weekend in Pennsylvania to stomp for GOP senatorial candidate Mehmet (Dr.) Oz and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, both of wh...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Monday, August 29, 2022, was a day that parents of school-age children perhaps feared the most. On that day, there were reports of gun-related issues at two schools in the Monroe area. The first reported incident happened at Carroll High School around 8:30 AM when according to reports from Monroe Police, a 14-year-old student was on campus with a handgun in his possession. Based on the information received, a school resource officer was able to find the alleged student and...
Disclaimer: All persons are innocent until proven guilty. According to reports, two incidents involving officers from Monroe Police Department occurred in the area of Plum St. and South 3rd St. On Wednesday afternoon, August 24, 2022, the MPD SWAT Team arrived in the area dressed in heavy tactical gear, as if they were about to go to war with unknown criminals. Residents were very concerned because of the heavy presence of officers and had no clue what was happening. Sources shared that a large...
A program aimed at “restorative practice training” for teachers in the Monroe City School System was approved by the Monroe City Schools Board at its Tuesday Aug. 17, 2022 meeting. The program will be provided by a firm called Time 4 Academics, whose goal is to offer professional learning services to help teachers and students in the school system “with communication and understanding”. Time 4 Academics Representative Frances Hester said that “Human beings need strong, intentional relationships to survive” to board members. Hester went on to sa...
Disclaimer: All suspects are presumed innocence until proven guilty Police officers of the Monroe Police Department and other law enforcement officers within the Ouachita Parish area are looking for a suspected gunman involved in a recent shooting. According to MPD, a shooting happened Aug. 19, 2022 ( Friday) around 2:30 p.m. in the 700 block of Matthew St. in Monroe. The shooting officers said, occurred near the Jesus the Good Shepard School. When officers arrived on the scene, two unidentified individuals were located suffering from gunshot...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocence until proven guilty In a wild scene from a "Starkey and Hutch" television show, a local man was involved in an incident where a Richwood Police Officer was dragged from a moving vehicle during a pursuit. Law enforcement officials say that 39-year-old Sheldon F. Wiley was allegedly involved in a disturbance Sunday Aug. 21 in the 200 block of Thelma St. Wiley was said to have been approached by the Richwood officer, who tried to detain him. But...
A town hall meeting held at the E.P. Robinson Community Center on Jackson St. in Monroe, LA, hosted by District 4 Monroe City Councilman Carday Marshall, Sr., did not appear to go as planned. Marshall and his council colleagues are holding town hall meetings in their respective Districts throughout the city as they try to keep their constituents informed of what is going on at city hall. Marshall brought two representatives from Mayor Ellis’ administration whose task appeared to be for one thing and one thing only. After Marshall extended g...
District 4 Monroe City Councilman Carday Marshall Sr. held a town hall meeting with some of his district 4 constituents, leaving many who attended dissatisfied. According to sources, Councilman Marshall welcomed those who did attend the meeting and soon turned the meeting over to two of Mayor Friday Ellis' representatives, who spoke of what was going on in the downtown area as it related to economic works. Sources say that the ladies representing the city did not specifically address any issues over the entire district, only those centered...
A Robinson Place Family is going through a very difficult time, trying to find closure over the circumstances of a loved one's death. Starley Browhow said that her uncle, Kerron Browhow, was tragically killed by a train at Booth St./Milhaven on August 9, 2022, around 1:00 AM. Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office was soon notified after discovering Browhow's body, and as of press time, the incident is still under investigation by the Sheriff's office. According to Browhow, Kerron was the youngest of...
Drivers in/around the Ouachita Parish area should be aware of a section of Hwy 165 within the town limits of Richwood. Many are being told to be prepared to possibly receive a speeding ticket in the mail. The town of Richwood has implemented a program where an individual is stationed on the side of the roadway with what appears to be a radar speed camera to read license plates on alleged speeders. Some who have received tickets in the mail are angry at Richwood's Mayor Gerald Brown for having...
Another election for local School Board leadership is fast approaching. Voters will have an opportunity to see different education leaders or the same that is currently assembled. Elections give the power to the voters to effect change if there is dissatisfaction with the current administration that has led these past few years. Voters should be well informed about each candidate running for School Board leadership roles, have knowledge of their voting record over the last four years, and their vision to take the Monroe City School District to...
Now that the dust surrounding the outcome of Monroe’s latest economic venture, the Walnut St. District Project, is slowly settling, what’s next? Many are hoping that the city is ready to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Southside Economic Development District (SEDD), moving the organization's 2022 plan into motion. At the May 24, 2022, City Council meeting, SEDD Executive Director Charles Theus and SEDD President Tony Little presented their plan and answered numerous questions and concerns from Council members. Council mem...
Local motorists traveling on Hwy 165 near Renwick St. in Monroe cannot miss the ongoing changes on the walkway bridge that serves as a corridor for students who attend nearby Carroll Jr. and Carroll High Schools. The bridge has been seen as an eyesore and even a danger to pedestrians for decades because of its age and neglect. Over the last several months, that outlook is changing. The bridge is undergoing a new makeover in repairs and cosmetic changes like new colors that will recognize one of...
Disclaimer: All persons are innocent until proven guilty. A West Monroe man was arrested recently after allegedly trying to set fire to a residence. Yes, incidences like this happen now and then, but the appalling thing about this particular incident is there were people inside the residence at the time. According to the West Monroe PD, officers responded to a call on Cedar St. on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, on reports of an attempt to set a dwelling on fire. One of the victims told officers that he was awakened by the smell of natural gas from hi...
The flames of disappointed, if not angry, community members, especially those living on the southside of Monroe, must continue to burn in the wake of a 3-2 vote allowing the development of a controversial city project to move forward. The Walnut St. Special District is an economic development project spearheaded by an investor group led by former city councilman Mike Echols who is now a Louisiana state representative from northeast Louisiana. Rep. Echols made a proposal to current Mayor Friday Ellis where he and his investors plan to turn a...
Another shooting into a group of people occurred once again in Monroe on Peach Street. The shooting which occurred Saturday morning after 1 AM happened in the 2000 block of Peach Street outside of an apartment building. This particular shooting according to Monroe police, had fatal consequences. Police said that 18-year old Jesstavioun Moore, died from injuries sustained in the shooting. MPD said that the incident occurred when a group of people who were outside of the apartment, were approached by several other individuals, when more than one...
Cedric Wilson says that he has a love for putting food on a barbecue grill that is like non other. Wilson said that he got hooked on the craft when he was in the third grade. He said that he got his passion to barbecue from his dad, Virgil and it has not left him even unto today. He said that his dad, Virgil had a recipe that he used on his meats that no one could duplicate because it had its own signature taste. Wilson’s father had a car dealership on Winnsboro Road years ago, but it was his love of barbecue and that outstanding taste that had...
An economic development project spearheaded by former Monroe city councilman, Mike Echols, came under fierce opposition from community leaders during the Monroe City Council Tuesday, July 26, 2022. In the most recent meeting, council members wrestled with explaining the intended project and how the city would benefit. The agenda item was slated for further discussion and possible final passage at the July 12 meeting but was canceled because there were not enough council members able to attend. Before council members discussed and voted on...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. In a situation where one could ask what could go wrong, all of the elements of something could go wrong. An unidentified local man is lucky to be alive and can perhaps count his blessings that a bullet didn't have his name on it. Or anyone else, for that matter. As recently reported, Monroe Police were called to the Coca-Cola Plant near I-20 about a shooting. Upon arrival at the business, police were told by a male employee that...
One can see why Republicans in Congress don’t like investigative hearings about Republican misconduct when they are not in charge of Congress, as evident of them largely being silent as the opening rounds of the Jan. 6 insurrection is over. They don’t talk about it only to say that the American people want Congress “to tackle the issues” that Americans care about. They somehow forget that when President Joe Biden tried to do just that, Republican cooperation was almost non-existent. They were too busy licking their chops because of the 6-3 con...
