No Struggle, No Progress
No Struggle, No Progress
Sorted by date Results 651 - 691 of 691
When Oliver "Friday" Ellis was sworn in as Monroe's newest mayor, one of the first things on his agenda was to make a change to the Chief of Police position. Ellis, being new to politics, surprised the region when he defeated former and longtime mayor, Jamie Mayo. Oliver Ellis became the first white mayor to sit at City Hall for almost twenty years. Ellis stressed that crime was an issue in Monroe, but he was never critical of operations at MPD, but one could acknowledge that Ellis' vision for...
A look at the agenda for Tuesday night's December 1 meeting for the Monroe City Schools Board seemed to be a typical one where there wasn't anything that would lead attendees to think that it would last long. There were several guests who spoke on matters before the board that was routine in that it was informative, and did not require any action from board members. That was until it was time for each board member to give their report of what was going on in their districts or anything else...
President Donald Trump is milking the last remaining days of his presidency for all that they are worth by doing his best to remain relevant in the minds of his supporters. With practically all of his lawsuits aimed at overturning the results of state’s election where he lost, dismissed or tossed out, the president is past gasping for straws. He is going down for the third time and the only life preserver left to hold on to is in the Supreme Court and the Electors who will cast their vote for the presidency. In presidential elections past, t...
Gov. John Bel Edwards must feel like the Apostle Paul of the New Testament, as he continues to ward off political attacks by Republicans who have been trying to usurp his power since he became governor. Though the methods from different attacks have been around Edwards’ way of governing, much of the attacks has been from his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana. It was only a few months ago when Louisiana Republicans tried to limit Edwards’ authority to impose emergencies in the state and how long those emergencies may last. When Repu...
Verbon Muhammad is no stranger to civic involvement. The former District 4 Monroe City Schools Board member has lent his voice and talents to make the city better through his tenure on the school board and his work within the Black community. Muhammad appeared before the Monroe City Council Tuesday (Nov.24) seeking approval to a request seeking permission from the city to open a religious themed initiative on Winnsboro Road. In order for Muhamad to move forward with his project, he voluntary agreed to a waiver whereby anyone who had an...
Presidential historians will record that President Donald Trump seemed to have a peculiar fascination with men whom we would label as authoritarians or strongmen when ruling their countries. Those individuals are ones who have complete authority over their country’s affairs even if they have legislative or judicial bodies within their borders. Men like Russia’s Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jung Un are two prime examples that President Trump has shown a certain “admiration” for how they rule. It doesn’t seem to matter to Mr. Trump that...
Anyone who knows Pastor David Lloyd will tell you that he is a hard working man. Pastor Lloyd, 63, says it is “just in him” when it comes to working. He freely admitted that he often put in many hours daily working and he wouldn’t have it any other way. But there was a time in Lloyd’s life where his parents was told that because he was born with numerous health issues, that without surgery, he would not live long. He would live, and during his teen years, he couldn’t do things as other teens could because he would have seizures and some saw him...
The light that President Trump thought he saw at the end of his “election results lawsuits” tunnel, appears to have dimmed to a flicker, as funds for president-elect Joe Biden’s transition team have been approved. The head of the General Services Administration(GSA), Emily Murphy had refused to released federally mandated funds allocated by law to the Biden transition team so there could be what many thought, wouldn’t be a smooth transition to the new administration. Before president Trump, there was the traditional peaceful transition between...
Parkview has a problem. A big one. According to Monroe Mayor, Friday Ellis, it is one that has been a thorn in the city's side for the last twenty years. In a press release, the mayor said, "The situation at Parkview is deplorable and has put a tremendous strain on the residents and law enforcement". Friday continued by adding that, "The safety and security of the residents of Parkview is our number one priority. We believe that it is time for the owners to take whatever steps necessary to do...
"If I didn't tell those incompetent officers that I was an LSU football player, there's no telling if I wouldn't be here to tell my story", said LSU football player Koy Moore. Why are those words so important to a young Black man who was stopped by cops that hasn't (as of press time) been explained by law enforcement officials in Baton Rouge or the mayor, as to why Moore was stopped. It only adds to the narrative of how Black men are continued to be signaled out by police officers, adding...
It was an idea perhaps with good intentions, but one where the start of it, may not be so good. The Monroe City Schools Board will implement a new school concept called "Flex Day", where teachers within the District will have a day to "let teachers have more time to plan, meet with parents or work with students more intensely", according to Superintendent Brent Vidrine. It was also to be a way for the District to get a better handle on how to further address the complications and stress that is...
On March 11, 2020, Gov. John Bel Edwards declared that a state wide public health emergency existed in Louisiana because of COVID-19 and on March 16, he ordered the closure of bars and nightclubs. An ordinance introduced before the Monroe City Council requesting a “one time” waiver of Class A License Fees for bars and nightclubs that were unable to open during the COVID-19 pandemic was up for final passage at Tuesday (Nov.10) night’s city council meeting. By a 4-0 vote, council members passed the ordinance. Council Chairman Doug Harvey was a...
Parkview has a problem. A big one. According to Monroe Mayor, Friday Ellis, it is one that has been a thorn in the city's side for the last twenty years. In a press release, the mayor said, "The situation at Parkview is deplorable and has put a tremendous strain on the residents and law enforcement". Friday continued by adding that, "The safety and security of the residents of Parkview is our number one priority. We believe that it is time for the owners to take whatever steps necessary to do...
"If I didn't tell those incompetent officers that I was an LSU football player, there's no telling if I wouldn't be here to tell my story", said LSU football player Koy Moore. Why are those words so important to a young Black man who was stopped by cops that hasn't (as of press time) been explained by law enforcement officials in Baton Rouge or the mayor, as to why Moore was stopped. It only adds to the narrative of how Black men are continued to be signaled out by police officers, adding...
If there was some doubt that Victor Zordan might not become Monroe’s next police chief, that doubt was erased Tuesday(Oct. 20 )night by the Monroe City Council. Council members gave their approval to confirm Zordan as the next police chief, fulfilling one of Mayor Friday Ellis’ agenda to bring a fresh approach to policing in the city of Monroe. But there was an obstacle that Ellis’ choice to lead MPD had to overcome in the form of opposition from members of the Black community who had reservations about putting someone in charge of the polic...
Many years ago, my wife Berniece and I took our children Nykeshia, Rashan and Avery on a trip to visit their aunt Virgie in Houston. They were at the age that they would rather hang around with their friends (pre-cell phone days) than with mom and pop, taking a long trip. Nonetheless just as Chevy Chase was insistent when he took his kids on vacation in the movies, so was I on the trip to Houston. The first question asked was, how long will the trip take. When I said about six hours, you should have seen their faces. Suffice to say, Keshia,...
No one is hardly talking about this, but is there something wrong with the Monroe Police Department? The question is asked, as the city of Monroe has hired it's third police chief since Quentin Holmes retired over three years ago. Holmes was replaced by Eugene Ellis who had a long career with the department, but he also retired after a few years on the job. He was then followed by Reggie Brown to fill in on an interim basis. Though Brown had let it be known that he had aspirations to be the top cop in the city, but newly elected mayor, Friday...
Has anyone noticed something different this time around as the 2020 presidential election nears? Four years after Donald Trump became the Republican presidential nominee, it was like a rebirth of conservatism in America, as those who proudly called themselves conservative, gave the term new meaning. The primaries clearly showed that Trump was their man when he easily defeated more well known conservative politicians who had made a name for themselves from their years in Washington. To say that Trump was a different politician who brought a raw...
Nine-year-old Ka'Mauri Harrison was given a suspension from a Jefferson Parish School because a BB gun was seen in his home while he was taking part in a virtual school class. The child did not point the BB gun at the computer screen, but simply explained that he picked the gun off the floor after a relative tripped over it. Makes sense to do that. Right? But not to administrators of the Jefferson Parish School Board, as they suspended the child for six days which sparked outrage among...
By Eddie D. Gillis This may be the last gasp for Republicans to rid the nation of the Affordable Care Act, if as expected that Judge Amy Coney Barrett becomes the newest addition on the nation’s Supreme Court. Republicans have said that the ACA is unlawful and has found judges through the appeal system, who have ruled that the ACA should be done away with. Never mind the fact that Republicans have tried over seventy times to repeal the ACA, but Democrats were able to turn them back. Their last hope before the 2020 election is in Supreme C...
Another local woman has come forward to tell her story of a harrowing experience she had at LSU/ E.A. Conway Hospital not long ago. The woman who wishes to remain anonymous, tells a story that is very similar to one that the Dispatch ran several weeks ago about a sickle cell patient being rudely treated at the facility. The individual upon reading the article recounted vividly in her memory almost the same details that she encountered as a sickle cell disease patient at the same facility at the...
When the public got notice of another alleged incident of police brutality involving a local man that occurred back in April, there were some who said that nothing was going to come of it. After all, the Monroe Dispatch has reported several instances of alleged police brutality from citizens, where their concerns appeared to have been written off by local authorities. It appears to have been an "us vs. them" version of the facts where the police department usually wins, as there is not enough ev...
Wow! Three days was all it took to bring President Trump back to life. The president spent three days in a Washington, D. C. hospital after the White House said he had contacted the coronavirus. Three days later the president is back in the White House, as he posed for pictures in a show of physical/mental wellness to America that he is more than ready to assume his job as president. While he is back on the job, maybe he can explain “his working” at the hospital in a staged photo showing him signing a piece of paper that appeared to be bla...
When an entire middle school class of students had to go into quarantine recently, it should send a clear message to everyone that getting through the COVID-19 will not be as smooth as some would like to see or have the public to believe. Now that Louisiana is in Phase 3 of the pandemic that continues to take lives, some people are convinced that Phase 3 came too late and opening schools was no exception. There were concerns from parents not just from Louisiana, but all across the nation as fall began which usually signals the start of school,...
Sickle Cell Disease is a disease that can wreak havoc on individuals, especially African Americans. Much has been done for those who suffer from a disease that has life threatening consequences, but more needs to be done. The Trump administration appears to be trying for sufferers of Sickle Cell by starting an initiative, the main goal is to "improve" the lives of Americans who have the disease. It is a blood disorder that can cause tremendous pain/discomfort in people and urgent care is especially important when the disease attacks the body....
Much has been said and continues to be said in the media as to whether President Donald Trump will voluntarily leave the White House on Inaugural Day or will the Secret Service “assist” him out of the door. The Constitution is crystal clear that in January 2021, the newly president elect shall assume the powers of the presidency at noon on that day and whoever is elected shall begin his/her four year reign. That peaceful transfer of power has served the nation well since George Washington’s last day in office as president up until President Bar...
A Louisiana State Trooper who was recently placed on leave stemming from an incident that happened over a year ago, has died in a single vehicle crash. Christopher Hollingsworth died Tuesday from the injuries that he sustained from an early morning accident(Monday 21) near the Bastrop/Colombia Exit on I-20. As of press time, law enforcement authorities from LSP or Monroe Police Department had released little information regarding the accident pending further investigation. Hollingsworth is/was...
A local woman wants to warn the public about what can happen when a consumer does business with a check cashing establishment when money changes hands. The woman went to a check cashing place on the south side to download some money on her debit card so she could pay some bills. The lady at the counter told her that money could be placed on her card, plus a nominal fee. The woman gave the lady at the counter $145.00 and an attempt was made to transfer the money. A few seconds later, a receipt came out of the machine and was handled to the...
One of the persons that we have been told over the years is, never to trust a used car salesman. This is not to bash people who sell used cars, but if a poll was taken, this writer is convinced that more than half of those asked would say, “don’t trust them”. Used car salesmen may have been number 1 over the years, but they have no doubt been replaced by politicians. That has never been more amplified than by the actions of Republicans since Donald Trump became president. To be fair, there have been some Democrats who have “spoken out both si...
Ronald Greene may be a nameless/faceless individual to many of us, but to his family, he is someone who should be alive today if local police officers had treated him better. Greene died the night of May 10 2019 following a chase that started on Desiard Street, when a traffic stop was attempted that ended in Union Parish where Greene wrecked his vehicle where it turned out deadly. The incident was reported locally in the media as well as by The Monroe Dispatch. According to media reports, Greene...
A second alleged shooter in the September 1 homicide deaths of two local men has been arrested and is behind bars at a local correctional facility. Mario Jones was taken into custody on September 10, less than two weeks after the alleged shooting at the Parkview Apartments by Ouachita Parish sheriff deputies. The arrest of Jones follows the arrest of his alleged accomplice Daniel Towns who was apprehended on September 3, leaves lone suspect Delarrious Jones on the run from law enforcement...
If and when a meaningful conversation will be held by leaders in the Black community and law enforcement officials, one question that should be asked multiple times is the apparent discrepancy in how Black suspects are handled in conjunction with white suspects. That question is important because Black people have seen too many times how they are treated when confronted by white police officers. How many times have people of color witnessed multiple police vehicles around a possible Black...
Residents of the Parkview Apartment Complex can breathe a sense of relief now that one of the three alleged gunmen involved in a double murder has been apprehended. Acting on a tip, Monroe Police Department officers were able to take into custody 22 year old Daniel Towns for his alleged involvement in the Tuesday September 1 shootings at the apartment complex. Towns is currently incarcerated in the Ouachita Correctional Center charged with two counts of Second-Degree Murder and one count of...
A local man says that he is glad to be back among the young people at Carroll High School, now that charges against has been dropped from an October 2019 altercation. Tommy Ballard is a long time member of the Carroll Booster Club and is the only one to have won the "Big Man of The Year Award" that goes to men in the community who are making a difference in their community. But Ballard had some legal issues beginning late year when an alleged Facebook post was circulated that scandalized his rep...
The 2020 presidential election is a mere 60 days away and there are some undecided voters out there who the media is telling the public, really can’t make up their minds for whom to vote. These are the so called “undecided”, the less than 10% of voters who will say that they may stay with the current incumbent or vote for the challenger. Some will say that they may make up their mind on election day because given the choices that they have, the challenge that they face is not going to the dentist or even worse, splitting hairs. That’s how dif...
Sports and Racism By Eddie D. Gillis Normally about this time of year, football stadiums across this nation would be welcoming its legions of fans, as the “king of sports” takes center stage. Sports has always been an entertaining venue for millions of people the world over because bragging rights becomes a fixture all around cities/communities for who is the best or has the best team. Sports is also a place where people from all walks of life come together for a common purpose and that is to win a championship and take home the trophy. Bef...
More Police Shootings, Beatings Who's Next By Eddie D. Gillis Two more shootings involving white police officers and Black men will no doubt ignite more tensions between the Black community and police departments across the nation. A shooting occurred in Kenosha, Wisconsin where a Black man was shot in the back and one even closer to home happened in Lafayette, LA over the weekend, has Black residents upset over how police officers respond when Black people are involved. Lafayette resident...
There is something that is going on in the search for a new Monroe Police Chief that may be perplexing to some. In the span of over three years, the city has gone through two police chiefs (three if you count Chief Holmes' retirement), and a fourth is on the horizon. Who the next police chief will be is anyone’s guess, but it would appear that someone wants a “certain” individual in the chief’s chair and the three individuals that have taken the exam, do not fit the bill. Charles Johnson, Thomas Rhodes, and former interim chief Reggie Brown h...
Postmaster Louis DeJoy sat before a House committee hearing Monday (Aug.24). He was given the opportunity to explain to the American people how the Postal Service has become an agency that has millions of Americans concerned. The post office under DeJoy has come under intense scrutiny after what has been seen as a severe drop in overall ability to deliver the mail in a timely manner. DeJoy has been in charge for about two months, but the motives behind such a severe drop in services has been cynical; many voters/customers who have contacted...
After what seemed to be a "bizarre and unique" election season for local offices, the last remaining race for a local office has been settled. The question of who would occupy the fifth and final seat (Dist.4) on the Monroe City Council was won by Carday Marshall, Sr. Saturday (Aug.15) in a runoff between Marshall and challenger Jesse Smith. Marshall won with 52% of the vote while Smith garnered 48%. A total of 571 votes were cast in the District 4 contest, which is considered a low turnout....
As of August 17, 2020, the state of Louisiana had a total of 138,485 COVID-19 cases, a figure that is mind boggling for a state that does not have a huge population like Texas and California. Nevertheless, that is where the state stands. Gov. John Bel Edwards appears to be using every resource at his command to reduce the number of cases that continue to occur, even doing things that are unpopular with some in the state, although he appears to be acting within his authority as governor. One example is a lawsuit that was filed by some bar...
