Edna Lee Clemons-Thomas, 84, transitioned from this life on April 12, 2026, in Monroe, Louisiana. Visitation will be on Friday, 04/17/2026, held from 3 pm to 5:30 pm at Hester’s Central State Funeral Home, 811 Louise Anne Avenue, Monroe, Louisiana.…
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God understands what we cannot
By Lisa Wilmore Greetings, Dear Hearts! I thank God for you today and send blessings your way. By His grace and mercy, we are given another opportunity to see this blessed day and share words of encouragement through this…
Female Minister Protocols Are Changing
Church life is changing, and so are the customs around women in ministry. Not many years ago, a woman standing in the pulpit was not widely accepted. Today, that picture is different. Doors are opening. Minds are shifting. Much of…
McCallister is a great engineer, but a racist should not be the city’s top officer
Monroe is currently weathering a crisis of leadership that transcends simple budgetary disputes. The recent conduct of City COO and Chief Engineer Morgan McCallister—the Mayor’s right-hand man—has laid bare a reality many in this community have felt for years. By…
Our Rich Black Heritage: Louise “Pudden” Gilbert Tucker
By Garry Blanson “Mary Jane Harper cried last night!” In case you were wondering who Mary Jane Harper is, and why you should care about her crying last night, she was a child character in a 1977 television movie which…
The Choir Stand Pulpit
A Column for Church Musicians & Song Leaders By Robert K. Wright | March 29, 2026 Are We Missing Out Because We’re Caught Up Luke 4:19 • Rev. Tony Butler • New Light Baptist Church I didn’t prepare a single…
Black NELA representatives push variety of bills in legislative session
As the 2026 Louisiana Legislative Session hits its midpoint stride, a powerful coalition of Northeast Louisiana lawmakers is successfully navigating a complex slate of bills through the Capitol, ranging from judicial funding and hospital oversight to the modernization of the…