By Garry Blanson As of today, there are less than 19 days until…
Category: Editorial
Council should fine tune new fees before passage
On January 26, the Monroe City Council will vote on a proposal to nearly double residential garbage fees, raising the monthly rate from approximately $17 to $28 per can. While city leaders argue that these hikes are necessary to modernize…
Our Rich Black Heritage: Fredessa J. Shamlin Payne
By Garry Blanson Every day, as time goes by, I learn more and more about how much of the local history and accomplishments of our Black ancestors are fading away—right along with our Black loved ones. Regretfully, among the many…
Our City, Our Community
By Marie Brown The United States celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this past Monday. It is the only federal holiday designated for national service by law (the King Holiday and Service Act of 1994). The focus is on…
At the CES in Vegas, I glimpsed the future
I recently returned from the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a four-million-square-foot glimpse into our immediate future. There were 150,000 select individuals from around the world who saw what up close what tomorrow will be. It was a…
Our Rich Black Heritage: Rosaline Parker Saunders, “Esteemed Negro Music Teacher of Monroe, Louisiana”
By Garry Blanson Once upon a time in Monroe, Louisiana, when Negroes weren’t allowed to shop at white-owned grocery stores, Negroes established their own grocery stores to help take care of the needs of the people in their communities. Reportedly,…
Christmas spirit stirs hope in Monroe’s future
As this year comes to a close, Monroe pauses to look back. We have walked through days of sorrow and nights of worry. We have mourned lives lost to violence, stood with grieving families, and felt the heavy weight of…