City Council Chairlady Juanita Woods ate crow Tuesday night and voted with the council majority to seat Doug Harvey as the council member from District 1. Harvey was elected without opposition in the November elections. When council member Micheal Echols…
Category: Editorial
Kobe’s death was like a death in the family
Dear Editor, I am caught off guard. A death of someone I did not know personally but the death felt like family. Not a distant relative but more the sadness and despondence and emptiness you feel when you lose a…
Crime pays for bail bondsmen, private prisons, others
Is it possible that those who become tangled in the criminal justice system, unwittingly become commodities for trade and profit? Prisons, bail bonding agencies, and a plethora of other fringe industries have found a new market in our area, which…
Vagrancy laws are the last of slavery laws that need abolishing
Last year, Governor John Bel Edwards, working with the Legislative Black Caucus and others passed a set of laws that began the reformation of the state’s criminal justice system. It was a giant step, but there is so much more…
New decade places local governments on brink of change or status quo
The year 2020 will undoubtedly be a historic year for Monroe, as it appears that the leadership of several government entities will potentially be infused with new leadership. With new leadership comes new ideas, enthusiasm, and possibly direction. OUACHITA PARISH…
Black businesses here growing, but changing methods
It’s been 34 years since we printed our last Black Business directory, as our staff scanned the pages of the 1985 directory, they were surprised to see the variety of minority businesses that existed. Contrary to common belief, the African-American…
Hats off to city judges for warrant amnesty day
Monroe City Court judges are pretty tough on those who skip court; they will issue warrants to arrest court skippers in the blink of an eye. But at the core they are all soft hearts! That’s a good thing! Once…