No Struggle, No Progress
No Struggle, No Progress
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According to unconfirmed sources, multiple youths escaped from the Swanson Youth Center here in Monroe on Sunday morning (April 19). If, what some are saying is true, the community needs to hear from officials at Swanson. Residents will recall that it was only several weeks ago, that two inmates escaped from the facility by going over a fence, but they were soon captured. The community was notified in that instance. The community needs answers to questions such as, how did the incident start. Ho...
President Donald Trump appears to be turning up the heat in an effort to reopen the economy sooner rather than later. Last weekend protests by some people in the states of Michigan and Virginia over how their respective governors’ stay at home orders are affecting them caught the president’s attention. The president has seized the opportunity to further push his appeals to reopen the economy, even as more Americans continue to die. President Trump and his surrogates continue to go on media outlets pushing the narrative that it is “es...
It has been a dismal year for sports. The NFL was able to crown new champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, and that was about all there was to it in the world of sports. Golf didn't really get off the ground, as the Masters Tournament was cancelled, possibly to later during the year. March Madness was cancelled and it appears that professional baseball may/may not be played. The only hope that seems to be left is football, but even that is up in the air. Sports seems to be one of the glues that...
There is something inherent about listening to those things that let us know when ominous weather is headed our way. Long before Doppler Radar came on the scene, nature has always given us signs of when bad weather is approaching. Dark ominous clouds are usually the first warning, followed by a sudden drop in the temperature. Ever notice that the birds seem to disappear? Even though we can get updates on incoming bad weather, it is when we look to the heavens, and can almost instantly realize th...
As each day passes into the next, we see a nation that is continually being divided. What was once supposedly seen as a nation where people could be free, has now turned into a nation where two sides are vying for the hearts and minds of its’ citizens. We are divided into conservative and liberal groups where control is the ultimate goal, either to continue on the path that we are on, or go in another direction. Many people are not happy with the way that this nation’s affairs ae being handled. Instead of finding common ground on issues tha...
There is something inherent about listening to those things that let us know when ominous weather is headed our way. Long before Doppler Radar came on the scene, nature has always given us signs of when bad weather is approaching. Dark ominous clouds are usually the first warning, followed by a sudden drop in the temperature. Ever notice that the birds seem to disappear? Even though we can get updates on incoming bad weather, it is when we look to the heavens, and can almost instantly realize th...
As the City of Monroe continue to look for ways to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19, Monroe Transit General Manager Marc Keenan believes that his department can do something about the situation. Knowing that Transit operators of the city bus fleet come in contact with the public on a daily basis, Keenan sent an emergency ordinance to the city council seeking waiver approval of bus fees by passengers. At Tuesday(April 14)night regular city council meeting, the ordinance being...
We often find ourselves in situations and places where others don’t want us to be mostly from the decisions/choices that we make. Most of the time, we make decisions/choices based on what we know and from what we hear from others. Sometimes what we hear is not always good, but we make the decision to act. It is those decisions that we make that we have to live by. When good decisions/choices are made, good things tend to happen for/to us. But when they are bad they can set us on a path that is no good for us. Two teens housed at the Swanson You...
As the world continues to search for answers on how to halt the spread of COVID-19 through hand washing, wearing of face masks and social distancing, researchers are looking for that “smoking gun” clue that may signal a cure for the virus. As the rate of infections and deaths increase, researchers are literally racing against the clock to develop a vaccine either to slow down the virus’ spread, or a cure altogether. There are many voices that we hear from on how people are to cope with the virus, mostly from people who are not the scien...
The Ouachita Parish Police Jury might have a new weapon to use when it comes to getting badly needed resources to meet the parish infrastructure needs. District “A” Juror and former jury president, Scotty Robinson introduced an ordinance at Monday night (April 6) meeting, asking for his colleagues’ support. As jurors discussed various agenda items, the meeting was streamed on Zoom, as Jury President Shane Smiley (dist. E) explained the circumstances of why the meeting was held in the manner that it was held. Smiley said that he was “foll...
Two shootings that happened hours apart last Tuesday, March 24, are a big concern for residents in the two neighborhoods, but all over the city of Monroe. The first shooting that occurred in the parking lot of Roy Shelling Elementary School on Elm St. was about an alleged altercation over a female, according to sources. As in so many instances, an alleged fight ensued, and someone produced a gun, and shots were fired. The victim that was engaged in the alleged altercation was shot in the hand...
The Dispatch recently reported that the Swanson Youth Center here in Monroe allegedly received five teens from the New Orleans area, with many who were said to have had high temperatures upon arrival at the facility. There has not been any information shared with the community confirming this allegation involving any of the teens at the facility. One of the symptoms of COVID-19 is a high temperature. There have been several teen deaths attributed to COVID-19, which would raise concerns about...
President Donald Trump is trying his best to get America back to work despite the fact that America is a sick nation with more people getting sicker by the hour. Don’t believe me? Just ask your mayor or governor and see what they tell you. That’s because our mayors and governors are on the front line battling the devastating disease COVID-19, while our president seems to be thinking more about the economy instead of saving lives. It was just recently, President Trump said that he would like to see Americans “all come together” on Easter...
An unidentified local man died at St. Francis Medical Facility Sunday (March 22)evening, a death that has brought a new uncertainty for residents in the city of Monroe. Though details of the individual’s death were limited, hospital officials did confirm that the man was infected with the coronavirus or COVID-19 by its medical name. The hospital did confirm that all medical protocol was taken when the virus was detected. The man was also alleged to have had pre-existing health conditions when he contracted the virus. But to a community, parish,...
As we go through the next phase of the coronavirus pandemic, we see a frightening world wondering when, yes when, things will end. That answer is known only by God. We can see in the actions, though they be commendable, but for far too many of us, it is not enough. People are buying everything in sight regardless of what the next person may need. We are being told to limit our contact with each other, and now the Governor of Louisiana wants everyone to stay home. Only those that need to be gone from home are allowed to do so. There are some, wh...
For the last eleven years of Barack Obama’s life, the former President of the U.S. has been hounded and criticized by one individual. That individual is Donald Trump. During the early years of Mr. Obama’s presidency, non-candidate Trump wasted no opportunity to question every move by President Obama, as he would not let the “birther” issue die despite all of the evidence to the contrary concerning where Mr. Obama was born. Now, three years after Mr. Obama has left office and is enjoying life as a private citizen, Donald Trump, even as Preside...
The wheels of the city government continued to roll as the Monroe City Council held its regular Tuesday night, March 24 meeting despite the coronavirus pandemic that has the world in its grip. Leaders in various governments all over the world have made adjustments in how they conduct public affairs for its citizens. The city of Monroe was no different Tuesday night. Council members that were present were District 3 Chairwoman Juanita Woods, District 1 Councilman Doug Harvey, District 2 Councilwoman/ Vice-Chair Gretchen Ezernack, and District 4...
Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo held a press briefing Monday(March 23)morning underscoring the increasing danger of the coronavirus and the effect that it is having in Ouachita Parish and the city of Monroe. Mayo is urging citizens in the city to heed Gov. John Bel Edwards’ directive for citizens to stay at home beginning at 5 p.m. on March 23. Edwards and Mayo want two things to happen: (1) that there be a reduction in crowd size, hopefully reducing the chance of further exposure and infections, and (2) social distancing where people simply stay at ho...
Breshatta Davis is an aspiring young woman who believes that God’s purpose for her is to help make a change in people’s lives through as an attorney. As a child, Davis saw the plight of living in poverty with her single mother and her sister. She remembers seeing fights in her Oak Manor neighborhood and the effects that poverty had on people. She believed that the beginning of the forces that would shape her desire to do something for people began there. As she was growing up, she lost one broth...
“I don’t take responsibility at all” are words said by President Trump that will be quoted and written by historians and students of history until the cows come home. Someone will need to remind the nation the last(first?) time a president has said that he “doesn’t take” responsibility for his actions during a national crisis that will only get worse. The coronavirus or COVID-19 as it is medically known has turned the lives of billions of people the world over upside down, as the world heads into an unknown/uncertain future. Few things can...
Rakeya " Brighty" Wiley had dreams when she was growing up. Just before she finished high school, she wanted to attend Baylor University. One thing that was certain in her life, and that was her desire to leave Monroe. A relative told her to get out of the city while she was in the ninth grade. Success, she was told, would be easier to attain outside of Monroe, and even Louisiana. Wiley would go on to attend McNeese State University located in Lake Charles, LA which became home for her. By the t...
Last week The Dispatch published an article detailing the seriousness of the spreading coronavirus and the devastating effects that it is already having in some sections of the country. The states of Washington and California are having difficult times grappling with how to handle, if not contain the virus because as we can see, it has spread from the west coast to the east coast in just a matter of days. It is not just a China tragedy anymore, as Europe is being affected, parts of the Middle East and now America. There is widespread agreement...
For the second time in three years, money has been found to be missing at a Monroe City School. An audit conducted by an accounting firm showed several findings in its report to the school board, most noticeably almost $30,000 missing from Roy N. Shelling Elementary School. According to media reports, the audit was a part of the overall findings for the school system, but the Shelling revelation of the missing money had already been known by the school board and the incident was according to Supt. Brent Vidrine, was handled in “an appropriate...
This nation is about to face what could be its most deadly encounter with an enemy that can kill thousands if not millions, yet it continues to be divided. That enemy is a health threat that is showing no signs of abating its presence in nations that thought that they were once “safe”. The Coronavirus Virus is a medical disaster in the making that has shown that it can’t be stopped at its present rate of being transferred from one person to the next in this ever contracting(not expanding)world. The Chinese government has its hands full tryin...
The Ouachita Parish Police Jury passed a resolution to buy certain from the Ouachita Parish School Board (OPSB) Monday night (March 2). The resolution sponsored by Jury President Shane Smiley (dist. E), will “authorize and empower” him to execute Act(S) of Sale and related documents on behalf of the Ouachita Parish Police Jury. The parish school board had announced plans some time ago to move its central office and sell its properties on Bry Street (the “Central Office), Saint John Street (the “Media center”) and Jackson Street (the “IT Build...
A request for the records of current and former Monroe Police Department officers took on a new twist at the Monroe City Council meeting Tuesday (Feb.25) night. Monroe resident Nicholas Farrar presented a letter to council members(Eddie Clark was absent)”respectfully” asking that the city council “votes to authorize the request of an Attorney General Opinion(AGO)in regards to what Internal Affairs records are public and what is confidential”. The request by Farrar and other interested parties comes on the heels of a suit that the city filed in...
President Donald Trump is using up a tremendous amount of fuel flying around on Air Force One lately. With no one to challenge him seriously in the Republican primaries, Mr. Trump is holding one campaign rally after another. The president is laying down the framework of his intentions to remain in office should he lose in the November election. At just about every rally, the president continues to talk about himself being in office well past a second term. With an acquittal following an impeachment trial(sham)in the rear view mirror, Mr. Trump...
Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo has taken a lot of heat over the last several years concerning the city’s rising crime rate. Information released from the city has shown an increase in crime, as one study depicted Monroe as the “most dangerous” city in the nation. Mayor Mayo and then MPD Chief Eugene Ellis vigorously contested those findings from the study and presented statistics that showed the study as being flawed. Nevertheless, the seed had already been planted, as the city would experience what...
The City of Monroe informed the community several days ago that there have been numerous requests made through the City to attain certain information regarding the records of former and current Monroe police officers. While no other details were provided, the public’s interest into conduct of police officers is of vital interest since they are public servants on the taxpayers’ payroll. Monroe, like any other community that has a police department, must ensure that the interest and rights of all of its’ citizens are protected through trans...
The voters of the city of Monroe had the opportunity last week to hear from those individuals that are running for mayor in an effort to unseat the current incumbent mayor, Jamie Mayo. This week it was candidates from Districts 2, 3, 4 and 5 who shared the debate stage to become council leaders from their respective districts. The debates were held once again at the Civic Center sponsored by community radio station KDEM Monday(Feb.17)night before a crowd of concerned voters. The time to answer...
When the comedians do an impression of former President Richard Nixon, they always use Nixon’s famous “I am not a crook” line during the Watergate time. It works even better when a comedian can not only make a facial expression that looked like Nixon but mimic his voice in such a manner, that if you closed your eyes, you might think that it was actually Nixon doing the talking. Well, move over Dicky. Someone else has taken your place in history that comedians will forever use in their acts to show us just how some politicians can miss the b...
It was a rain soaked Tuesday(Feb.18)night as the Ouachita Parish Police Jury held their meeting instead of Monday, as Monday was President’s day. The agenda was light, as the court room only had a few in attendance as Jurors conducted the parish’s business. District “B” Juror jack Clampit asked his fellow jurors to agree to an proposal that Area 6 of Cheniere Lake be closed until further notice. Clampit said that his request was based on the fact that section of the lake is at a very low level. Clampit also said that other factors such as litt...
The Swanson Correctional Center in Monroe has been in the community for decades, and has not been without its share of controversies. It is in the community to help those young people who have gotten themselves into serious criminal matters with the intent of rehabilitating them, while at the same time keeping them segregated from the adult jail population. Nevertheless, the system is there to ensure that all inmates are treated humanely with the expectation that once released; they will become...
Monroe mayor, Jamie Mayo sat down with his four announced mayoral opponents for a debate that centered on several issues facing the community. The debate that was held Monday evening (Feb.10) at the Civic Center was sponsored by radio station KEDM. All of the candidates running to succeed Mayo would like to come in first in the general election, but each one would also settle for second, believing that Mayo will not garner over 50% of the vote. A recurring theme that will continued to be discuss...
A photo of President Donald Trump holding up a newspaper headline that read, “TRUMP ACQUITTED”, will be in the historical achieves for time immemorial, ending one chapter in U.S. history and beginning another. Or will it be a continuation of the same chapter? One can legitimately ask that because many people are asking themselves when it all will end. Republicans in the U.S. Senate had an opportunity to restore a sense of normalcy to the office of the president by joining Utah’s senator Mitt Romney who voted to impeach the president on the ...
A Monroe woman who was traveling to Farmerville LA was killed in a fiery crash that happened in Sterlington Friday night (Jan.31). Darrica Davis' vehicle, a 2014 Cadillac was struck by Glenn Minor, 20 at the intersection of Hwy. 165 and Hwy 2 in Sterlington LA. According to law enforcement authorities. Minor did not stop at the traffic light, striking Davis as she was turning left onto Hwy 2 causing her vehicle to overturn where it burst into flames. Davis, tragically died at the scene. Minor,...
There is a 99.9% certainty that barring a meteor the size of Brazil hitting the Earth before Senators in Congress cast their final vote in President Trump’s impeachment trial, he will be acquitted. Once that happens, with no surprise to anyone, President Trump will be a “free man”. Free to continue to do anything that he wants, now that the nation has a Republican led Senate that lacks the political courage to protect the Constitution. The president can, according to a GAO ruling, violate an existing law that mandates him to deliver congr...
Ouachita Parish Police Juror Scotty Robinson says “it is time” for parish jurors to be given answers to how thousands of dollars were stolen at G, B. Cooley Hospital without officials knowing about it. The District “B” juror appeared to be frustrated during Monday night(Feb.3) regularly scheduled meeting, seeing that no new information has come from hospital officials. Robinson said that jurors should have been given an update on the status of the individual, as well as what hospital officials can tell them. Edward E. Calloway was alleged...
President Donald Trump hails himself as the consummate dealmaker, a better negotiator and one that can bring people together in order that a fair deal can be made. However, there are some out there who beg to differ with the president, as there are still lawsuits against the president stemming from deals that he made with some businessmen. The impeachment trial of President Trump in the Senate is all about a deal that the president is alleged to have tried to make during his “perfect” phone call with Ukraine president Zelensky. When the pre...
There is always a special relationship between a father and his daughter(s). Fathers are seen as protectors of the family, be it to a son(s), but especially his daughter(s). When a father is seen as strong to his children, they tend to want to be just like him. However, for daughters in a still male dominated world, a daughter has to take on a toughness that some may not want to see, but know that it is necessary. Though daughters may have to take on a veneer of toughness, there is always that gentleness for their father. Darlene Caesar is...
It appears that former City Councilman Mike Echols is not going to Baton Rouge without firing a parting shot aimed at Monroe Mayor Jamie Mayo. Echols gave up his District 1 City Council seat to become a State Representative in Baton Rouge. Echols was unopposed in his state race as was his heir apparent Doug Harvey, who will be District 1's next City Council member. One of Echols's last order of business was to request that Harvey start serving immediately as a Councilman even though the...
The impeachment trial is underway in the U.S. Senate as Donald Trump is the third U.S. president to be impeached for his conduct while president. He is being tried for what he did (quid pro quo), from the simple fact that what was done, was done at his direction. As they say, you don’t have to “rob the bank”, but if you are the getaway driver, or the mastermind, you are a part of the overall robbery. You will be tried, sentenced and put in prison. Why? Because of your actions, and of those of someone else. The president is said to be asking tho...
“Presumed innocent until proven guilty”, are words we have heard many times when an individual has been apprehended after allegedly committing a crime, and will face a jury trial by his own peers in a court of law. That is how it would normally go. That was until Donald Trump became president of these United States. By the time these words are read, the 45th president of the United States, Donald John Trump may be on trial in the Senate after impeachment charges are in the hands of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. By all accounts in the...
The holiday season may be over as 2020 has arrived, but it seems as though some 2019 habits still linger. People talk about change in a new year, perhaps not realizing that change is more about action than talk. In relationships between people whether it be a couple being together, or being friends/acquaintances with others, making a change can sometimes determine where one may end up. According to media and police reports, a West Monroe woman is behind bars for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend...
What could have been every parent's nightmare involving a school aged child happened Thursday afternoon at Carroll High School. An incident involving a bus belonging to the Monroe City School Board had a lot of students and school personnel frightened, after seeing it crash into a public library. The accident happened on Renwick Street where the Carver-McDaniel Library Branch is located next to Carroll High and Carroll Jr. High Schools. According to sources that witnessed the accident, the bus...
There seems to be no end that Republicans are willing to go in their efforts to slow down the impeachment train that is headed to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. After hearing from witnesses over several weeks, both from executive branch employees and noted constitutional scholars, Republicans are still pushing the narrative that impeachment proceedings are “a charade” because the president has done nothing that is impeachable. They continue to follow President Trump by calling the hearings a witch-hunt or a hoax, as they try their best to use the...
One of the reasons the early settlers came to North America was to get away from the tyranny of European kings. Freedom under kings was limited, as one’s loyalty was to the king and any kind of opposition was met with a swift, sometimes deadly rebuke. English speaking settlers wanted to be “the masters of their own fate”, as they would travel over the vast expanse of an ocean to come to a land that they had only heard. Yes, there would be other people already inhabiting the land, it was their hope that it would be better than where they were....
Members of the Monroe City Council were told that a historic building is facing the demolition ball if the owners doesn’t make the necessary repairs. The Martin Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church located at 1906 Adams St. Monroe LA was the only structure on the council’s agenda for proposed condemnation. The building has been in disrepair for some time, and the city was moved to bring it before council members for their consideration. The city, through Code Enforcement, had given mem...
A "silent march" was held Sat. November 9 to address the issue of crime within the community by the NAACP. Local NAACP president Rev. Ambrose Douzart and other community leaders including members of the clergy are expanding efforts to bring down crime. Crime is everywhere, but more in some places than others. The city of Monroe has seen a rise in crime, particularly in homicides. That rise is happening far too often in the black community. Different groups across the community are coming togethe...
"God bless his little heart", said newly re-elected Louisiana governor, John Bel Edwards as he referred to President Donald Trump during his victory speech Saturday (Nov.16)night in Baton Rouge. Edwards won a race that could have easily gone to his challenger, wealthy businessman Eddie Rispone, had he defined himself as someone who would work for compromise in Baton Rouge instead of tying himself to President Trump. Rispone had no record to run on when it came to politics, as he was short on sub...
