CHANDLER ELECTION CREATED SHOCK WAVES IN BOSSIER CITY

John SettleA major earthquake upset Bossier City politics when Tommy Chandler beat incumbent Mayor Lo Walker on March 20. Although Chandler does not take office until July 1, his election has upset many apple carts with the old guard in Bossier.

U.S. TREASURY RELEASES GUIDELINES ON AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN EXPENDITURES

On May 10 the U.S. Treasury released details on how the American Rescue Funds can be used to respond to acute pandemic response needs, fill revenue shortfalls among governments, and support the communities and populations hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis.

CITIES PARADING NEW MARDI GRAS ROUTES?

JOHN E. SETTLE JR.What will be the Gemini and Centaur Mardi Gras parade routes next year?Currently, no one knows.

MAYOR ADRIAN PERKINS WILL HOLD COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS

A SHOT ACROSS THE BOW OF THE GOOD OL’ BOYS

REX MONCRIEFSomething incredible started happening in Baton Rouge on April 28.

LEGISLATURE: RESTORE JIMMIE DAVIS BRIDGE

JOHN PERKINSThere was a sense of irrational exuberance inside the Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments’ (NLCOG) meeting room in the late spring 2019 monthly meeting. The room was filled with the usual business leaders from this third-largest city in one of the top 50 states in the Union.

SCHOOL ZONES ARE NOT SPEED ZONES

JOHN E. SETTLE JR.How many speed through Shreveport school zones?The short answer is “too many.”As in way, way too many.Recent information provided to the Shreveport City Council by a photo speed enforcement vendor was eye-opening to say the least.

SHREVEPORT SALES TAXES HIT RECORD

KEN KREFFTShreveport’s April 2021 sales tax receipts reached an alltime monthly high of $13,756,900, easily surpassing the prior mark of $13,000,330, just established in January this year.This is a jump of 28.2% above April 2020. Year-to-date a $46,475,034 total has been received.

CITIES PARADING NEW MARDI GRAS ROUTES?

Mardi Gras parade routes next year? Currently, no one knows. The contracts with both krewes with the city of Shreveport and both the Krewe of Gemini and the Krewe of Centaur that allow the current routes down Clyde Fant Parkway, Shreveport-Barksdale Highway and East Kings Highway have expired.

BREKA PEOPLES OUT OF LINE WITH BULLHORN AT CRIME PRESS CONFERENCE

The big press conference at Government Plaza on Wed. was well attended by many public officials.These included Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins, Shreveport Police Chief Ben Raymond, Shreveport Fire Chief Scott Wolverton, Shreveport council members Tabatha Taylor and Jerry Bowman Jr.

SHABBY TACTICS BY ATTORNEY JONES AND HER EEOC CLIENTS

Legal cases are tried in a court of law.EEOC complaints are investigated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.Shreveport attorney Allison Jones and her clients - Dr. Jennifer Woerner, Dr. Sharon Dunn, Dr. Christina Notarianna, and Dr.

MARKETING BLITZ TO OPEN TEXAS CASINOS NOT GOOD NEWS

JOHN E. SETTLE JR.The Las Vegas Sands has launched a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign on radio and TV to promote its aim of opening a casino in Texas.Actually, the campaign pushes four casinos: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin.

MARIJUANA, LEGALIZE IT ALREADY

JOHN PERKINSStanding on Cargill’s soccer field 1B with a group of soccer dads back in 2008, talk turned from presidential politics to raising young athletes in the new century. One conservative dad said something that I had never heard before.

WHAT WILL POSSIBLE AMAZON CENTER DELIVER?

JOHN E. SETTLE JR.The quiet hype and guarded optimism on the construction of an Amazon fulfillment center in north Shreveport is a good start for a hoped-for rebound in the local economy this year.

CLOCK TICKING FOR CADDO COMMISSION ON ZONING AND PLANNING

Effective January first, the Caddo Shreveport Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) will no longer have zoning/planning jurisdiction over the five mile zone outside the Shreveport City limits.State Rep. Billy McCormich from north Caddo sponsored legislation that was passed last year.