No Struggle, No Progress
No Struggle, No Progress
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The public is hereby legally notified that individuals must stay at least 25 feet away from law enforcement officers when they are handling a potential crime scene. The Louisiana Legislature passed a bill, signed into law by Gov. Jeff Landry, making it a misdemeanor to be within 25 feet of officers after being instructed to get back. In this day and age, people are naturally drawn to scenes involving police officers, not necessarily to interfere, but as "concerned observers." The public may...
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has signed a number of bills into law, getting most of what he wanted, but not everything. This is significant for the citizens of Louisiana, despite having a Republican-led government. One bill that hasn't been made public to this reporter is the one sponsored by Mike Johnson (R-Pineville, not that M.J.), which will shield the whereabouts of the First family when they are in public. The bill was initially intended to protect the information of public employees. However, as often happens in the last days of legisl...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It must have been karma. How else could someone allegedly commit a crime against someone and then almost instantly need their help? According to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office (OPSO), such an incident occurred on May 19, 2024, when deputies responded to gunshots. Authorities reported that the chain of events began when the suspect, Makiejaalliuna Vallaire, traveled to Monroe from Acadia with others, bringing a female...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A local man is behind bars because he allegedly refused to understand what "no" means. In Louisiana, sexual assault and domestic abuse have high rates and continue to rise, as evident by a recent incident. Spencer D. Simon, 32, was taken to Ouachita Correctional Center (OCC) on a charge of rape. According to Monroe Police (MPD), detectives began an investigation on May 20, 2024, into an alleged sexual encounter that occurred at...
The Ellis administration is attempting to get the lame-duck Monroe City Council to pass a tax renewal before new council members are seated on July 1, 2024. At Tuesday night's, May 28, 2024 council meeting, an ordinance sponsored by the Ellis administration was introduced to call for a special election to authorize the rededication, levy, and collection of a special tax, applying to the Louisiana State Bond Commission. The introduction of the ordinance appeared to come as a surprise to those in attendance, prompting questions from concerned...
Another one has fallen in line or as they say, kissed the ring. It was an unexpected move, as the time that it took to make the move was perhaps "showmanship", but one to stay relevant. Nikki Haley, who wanted to do what Hillary Clinton couldn't, recently announced to the world that she was going to vote for Donald Trump in November. Seriously? Folks, that is not news, something like the old "dog bites man" bit. If Haley had said that she is not voting for Trump, that would have been news showing that she had some "spunk", the kind that she...
One of the happiest moments for parents and their children is high school graduation, creating lifelong memories. Unfortunately, some high school memories are best forgotten. A local mother and her daughter spoke to the Monroe Dispatch about two alleged incidents at Neville High School in Monroe, LA, that have profoundly affected them. The mother chose to speak out only after her daughter graduated, fearing earlier disclosure might have jeopardized her daughter’s credits and diploma. The mother alleges the first incident occurred on S...
Young Black children face an alarming risk of dying at the hands of others, both known and unknown. Those responsible for children and grandchildren must step up to keep a watchful eye on their loved ones. This troubling trend of shootings will not go away anytime soon, and vigilance is a necessity. Many young people only know how to settle disputes in one way, and when the trigger is pulled, it's too late. This shooting epidemic is happening throughout Black communities in the United States. Si...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. On March 30, 2024, around 5:20 PM, a shooting occurred at Bernstein Park on Wilson St. in Monroe, LA. According to Monroe Police (MPD) , two victims were found and transported to a local hospital for treatment. During their investigation, officers questioned Laz'beon D. Harris at a later date, who allegedly had knowledge of the other suspects. Before the shooting, multiple suspects arrived at a gas station on Jackson St. in a red Nissan Versa, which then headed towards Wilson...
People are talking about Donald Trump and his "fitness" to serve as president when he suddenly appeared to "freeze" when he stopped talking for about 30 seconds while speaking to members of National Rifle Association (NRA) over the weekend. Some reports have said that Trump's "freeze" was more than 30 seconds and at times, his speech was incoherent. The Biden campaign naturally asserted that the episode clearly showed that Trump is unfit to serve as president. The full video clip showed the ex-president speaking and in the next second didn't...
It has been five years since local resident Ronald Greene allegedly died at the hands of Louisiana State Troopers on a dark Union Parish road. For five long years, a family has been waiting for any semblance of justice so its members can finally feel a sense of closure in a case where others like Greene, who were killed under highly questionable circumstances, have seen those convicted in a court of law. America has a legal system that is, for lack of a better word, complicated, and some may won...
Mother's Day is a day that holds special meaning for millions, as it is a day we honor the mothers who are no longer with us. Going to the graves of loved ones is a solemn occasion where we talk to our mothers as if they are still alive. It is the serene atmosphere of watching others doing the same thing that gives the day special meaning, honoring and showing love to those who will forever remain in our hearts. A former Monroe city councilman has another reason why he will not forget Mother's...
When it seemed that African American voters had been awarded a second majority congressional voting district, this reporter said that the war was not over, it was only beginning. A lawsuit recently filed by non-African voters was filed against a map outlining the new Black district was rejected by a three federal judge panel citing/agreeing with the group that filed the lawsuit that the map amounted to "constitutional racial gerrymandering" that discriminated against white voters who are represented in Congress by Garrett Graves. Now it seems...
By Eddie D. Gillis If Tuesday (May 14), 2024 night's meeting of the Monroe City Council was an indication of things to come, newly elected city councilmen Bishop Rodney McFarland and Minister Verbon Muhammad who are representing Districts 4 and 5 respectively have hit the ground running. Bishop McFarland addressed council members saying, that he and fellow councilman-elect Muhammad "are not coming on this council to tear down the council or tear down the mayor or tear down the city, or stop...
The alleged campaign violations involving Donald Trump are taking a toll on the former president as some of his Republican allies in Congress come to bat for him. They are probably doing this because there are no mass protests at the courthouse where Trump faces the real possibility of going to jail. This is because the prosecutor's star witness, Michael Cohen, is "spilling the beans" on his former boss, essentially backing up what Trump's former acquaintances said they did when arranging what has been called hush money to Stormy Daniels to...
For the past four years, Matthew Sims' life has been tumultuous. Following a domestic incident with a partner he believed would be in his life permanently, Sims has watched his once stable existence crumble. Previously thriving with a good job and close family ties, his life took a sharp turn following an arrest for alleged physical altercations with his partner. He has since been embroiled in a legal battle to clear his name, facing significant challenges from a prosecutor intent on preventing him from reclaiming his former life. Sims has...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A man sought in connection with an April 22, 2024, shooting on Elm St. has been arrested and is now behind bars. According to Monroe Police (MPD), officers arrested Zacherian Logan as the suspect in the shooting, which caused bystanders, including adults and children, to scramble for safety. On the day of the alleged shooting, Logan and three other female suspects were seen searching for and surrounding a female victim, leading to a fight between the suspects and the victim. As...
Tuesday March 7 was a day in Donald Trump's life that he would not like to live over. Tuesday was the day that Stephanie Clifford otherwise known to the world as Stormy Daniels testified in the hush money trial where Trump is accused of paying Clifford/Daniels thousands of dollars for her to keep quiet over an alleged sexual encounter with Trump. The encounter happened back in 2006, long before Trump entered into politics because he was on top of the world as a businessman and television star on his "Apprentice" show. As the 2016 presidential...
When it seemed that African American voters had been awarded a second majority congressional voting district, this reporter said that the war was not over; it was only beginning. A lawsuit recently filed by non-African American voters against a map outlining the new Black district was rejected by a three-judge federal panel. The panel cited agreement with the group that filed the lawsuit, stating the map amounted to "constitutional racial gerrymandering" that discriminated against White voters represented in Congress by Garrett Graves. Now, it...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A Winnsboro man who was sought for an alleged murder recently surrendered to authorities. According to sources, an arrest warrant was issued for Isaiah Davis in connection with the death of a local man known as "Quay". Allegedly, Davis was robbed by Quay and others. Sources indicate that Davis learned about the alleged robbery from one of the individuals acquainted with Quay, leading him to confront Quay and allegedly shoot him several times. Additionally, sources claim that...
A shooting incident unfolded at the Parkview Apartments early Tuesday morning, April 30, 2024, resulting in injuries to three individuals. According to community activist Verbon Muhammad, who is poised to assume office as councilman for Monroe's District 5 council seat, the shooting occurred around 2:00 AM, marking yet another tragic instance of Black-on-Black crime tearing families apart. On April 30, 2024, the Monroe Police Department (MPD) responded to a Shotspotter alert at 1101 Richwood Rd. 2, Parkview Apartments in Monroe, LA. Upon arriva...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Local law enforcement authorities are searching for 25-year-old Brandon Caryell Hubbard in connection with a shooting that resulted in one man's death. The shooting took place on Barrington Dr. on Friday, April 26, around 1:20 PM in Monroe LA. According to police, police and emergency responders swiftly arrived at the scene in the Foster Heights area, prompting a temporary lockdown at Carroll High School as a precautionary measure. Upon arrival, authorities discovered an...
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry continues his crusade to make it mandatory for athletes to be present during the presentation of the national anthem at the start of athletic activities, not just in Louisiana but across the nation. The Lady Tigers of the LSU women's basketball team were not present during the playing of the anthem prior to their Iowa Elite 8 matchup, which drew the ire of Landry. Though Kim Mulkey's team was doing what it had done on previous occasions, going through their pre-game rituals, this particular instance prompted Landry to...
Just when you thought that the dust had finally settled between the Monroe City Schools Board and former Superintendent Brent Vidrine over his controversial retirement. The two now find themselves involved in competing lawsuits. Vidrine fired the first volley across the bow of the school board when he filed a lawsuit claiming that the board failed to properly execute provisions in a contract agreement related to his retirement. In that agreement, the Board was supposed to pay Vidrine funds into his retirement through TRGL, but instead, those...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Monroe Police Department (MPD) has announced the arrest of two more individuals who were allegedly involved in the shooting at a Murphy gas station in Monroe. The shooting, which occurred on March 29, 2024 at the Walmart located on Louisville Ave. and Lamy Ln. and left two people injured, comes as a relief to the community. MPD stated that the arrest of Terrikiris Smith and Tristan Barber follows the arrest of Jaylen Webster on April 14, 2024. According to MPD, Smith and...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A Ouachita Parish man has been arrested after allegedly going to a residence and discharging a weapon. According to the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a disturbance call on April 22, 2024, at a residence on Blackwood Dr. in Monroe. Deputies were informed that the suspect, later identified as 20-year-old Sincere Johnson, allegedly fired two shots from his weapon before leaving in a black Dodge truck. While enroot to the scene, deputies spotted the...
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-LA has an opportunity to change how historians will write about him in history. Johnson just had the opportunity to do what past House Speakers like John Boehner, Paul Ryan and even Kevin McCarthy couldn't do, that is stand in the face of those far-right-over-the-cliff Republicans who will always keep "party first" in their ideology. Make no mistake about it, Johnson is as conservative as they come, but even he knows that once you take the plunge over the cliff, there is no coming back. Over the weekend, Johnson...
A local mom has been trying to get answers to some questions regarding an accident involving her son and a Monroe police officer for the past month. Darris Jefferson said that her son was in his vehicle at the intersection of Armand and Hwy 165 on March 3, 2024, around 10:00 AM, waiting for the light to change. He was in the right lane heading east when a big truck pulled next to him in the left lane. According to Jefferson, the truck pulled to the very edge of Hwy 165, blocking the traffic...
Blacks are losing every time our people are shot and killed by violence. When will we stop this madness that is devastating us and our families, or are we waiting on others to solve our problems, which we see are escalating? We are losing our people, and it doesn't have to be this way! No one in leadership roles has stepped up to fight for us, so we need to fight for ourselves. Don't wait until it's too late; now is the time! A shooting over the weekend on Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Monroe...
A man wanted as a suspect in a shooting that occurred while people were Easter shopping has been arrested. Monroe Police (MPD) announced the arrest of Jaylen Webster on April 14, 2024, as the alleged shooter at a gas station on Lamy Ln. in Monroe. According to authorities, Webster is a suspect in a shooting that occurred on March 29, 2024, around 2:15 PM. Two individuals sustained wounds from multiple gunshots and had to be airlifted to Shreveport for further medical treatment. Authorities said that Webster, who has a record, and another suspec...
He thought that there was a glimmer of hope. After years of trying to put a life-changing experience behind him once and for all, Matthew Sims found out that it wasn’t meant to be. At least not now. Sims has been in a years-long struggle in the judicial system to clear his name and get back on with his life. Sims was arrested almost four years ago after being involved in a domestic disturbance with his then-fiancée, who claimed that he assaulted her. He says that night turned his world upside down as he has spent the remaining years trying to...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Monday, April 15, 2024 is a day that will go down in infamy in the history of a young United States of America when a former president formally went on trial for a criminal offense in a real courtroom. The record will show that what happened in a New York City courthouse was not part of a reality television show, nor was it a dramatic depiction of an incident involving another famous figure like Al Capone who was accused of many crimes, but was never convicted, except for tax ev...
He thought there was a glimmer of hope. After years of trying to put a life-changing experience behind him once and for all, Matthew Sims found out that it wasn’t meant to be. At least not now. Sims has been in a years-long struggle in the judicial system to clear his name and get back on with his life. Sims was arrested almost four years ago after being involved in a domestic disturbance with his then-fiancée, who claimed he assaulted her. He says that night turned his world upside down as he has spent the remaining years trying to have hi...
A Monroe city employee, known for his unwavering dedication to his job, recently shared his unsettling experiences with the Monroe Dispatch. He recounted instances of alleged intimidation, harassment, and retaliation, possibly stemming from a hint of jealousy among some figures in authority. This employee, a long-standing member of the city workforce, has always strived to excel in his role. He was initially recruited by the Parks and Recreation Department, which now falls under Community Affairs in the Jamie Mayo administration. Starting as a...
Donald Trump by all means is not a farmer. He is a little too elite for that. Yes, conservatives don't want to admit it, but just from the results of his fundraiser recently held at his Florida home, he was hanging out with the "fat cats" of wealth. Trump reportedly raised $50 million which will aid him in his fight just to stay out of jail, didn't get all of that much money in one night from the poor people. If that had been someone like Barack Obama doing the same for President Joe Biden, conservatives would have been howling about...
There is a lingering concern and disappointment, rooted in the historical struggle for political representation, that surfaces in the mayor's race and even the governor's race, painting a bleak picture for minorities in Louisiana. In the governor's race, Jeff Landry had the name recognition of being the state's Attorney General and challenging (and losing to) John Bel Edwards four years earlier, but the seeds had already been planted. Though Shawn Wilson had been in state government for over...
Louisiana governor Jeff Landry is in the news, as he had some unkind words to say about the LSU women's basketball team following their loss to Iowa in the NCAA tournament. Somehow, Landry became aware that the Lady Tigers were not on the basketball court during the national anthem playing. Never missing a step to proclaim his love for the country, Landry is now urging the state legislature to draft a bill that he would eagerly sign, revoking the university scholarship of any athlete absent during the national anthem. In a statement, Landry...
Residents of the Francis Tower community, located in downtown Monroe, have reached out to The Monroe Dispatch in the hope that their lone cries for help will be heard by those in the city who can make life a little easier for them. Many residents have lived in the building for years, while others have only been there for a short time. They all share the same complaints about alleged living conditions that they say have persisted for too long. They claim that complaints brought before management...
A report from an audit of former Monroe City Schools Superintendent Brent Vidrine appears to show that he allegedly submitted false records related to his retirement. The information in question was allegedly submitted by Vidrine himself for the purchase of retirement service. At the heart of the audit is an alleged false receipt from the Teacher’s Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) that seems to indicate that Vidrine made a required payment of about $48,184.92 and a false estimate of the cost of purchasing a year of creditable service f...
Neighbors in a quiet neighborhood in the Rayville community continue to be in shock as they mourn the loss of a 14-year-old teen who was killed on Sunday, March 24, 2024. The teen, identified as Suh’renity Butler, was killed when the car she was driving crashed into a tree. According to Louisiana State Police officials, Butler, who was said to have been the driver, did not survive the accident and was pronounced dead by paramedics. Four other teen passengers in the vehicle suffered injuries. The accident has affected the whole community b...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. A 20 year-old man wanted on suspicion of murder was arrested by the Morehouse Parish Sheriff Office. According to a Sheriff's Office report, Robert Wilson was the subject of a second-degree murder attempt charge. A shooting that Wilson was allegedly involved in occurred on March 16, 2024, as deputies responded to a crime scene near Ogden Street, according to the report. Deputies found the victim had been shot in the face, as an...
A local community couple says that their protest of working conditions allegedly occurring at Delta Community College in Monroe LA will continue, saying that the community needs to be aware of what their go through on a daily basis. Robert and Samantha Jordan started their protest several weeks ago after she was terminated from her job, followed by her husband being place on administrative leave pending an investigation into alleged threats against employees and creating a hostile work environme...
By Eddie D. Gillis Donald Trump may have dodged a bullet on Monday, March 25, 2024, when a judge ruled that he didn’t have to pay $464 million to keep his empire from crumbling. With seemingly nowhere to turn and no one, not even his fellow billionaires, willing to bail him out, Trump faced further embarrassment. To many Americans, it was a sad spectacle, witnessing someone who had boasted all his adult life about how rich he was and his achievements in real estate. Until late Sunday night, March 24, 2024, that world seemed on the brink of c...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Most of us are taught to help someone when we see them in a situation where they might be in need. That kind of teaching perhaps goes back to the biblical account of The Good Samaritan, where a person in need was passed over by those who could have done something. Since then, people have done things for others in need, sometimes to the peril of their own safety. A local woman who was said to have acted in a similar manner was all...
Congratulations are in order for the men's basketball team at Grambling University as they compete in the college basketball phenomenon known as March Madness. The G-men punched their ticket to be a part of March Madness by winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference on Saturday, March 16, 2024, which gave the team an automatic berth in the NCAA basketball tournament. With that win, the Tigers will make their first appearance in the tournament, a historic achievement for the school and the...
An incident recently occurred where Caderrian White lives, prompting him to call for the aid of law enforcement. When officers from the Monroe Police arrived, he was told that because of his address, there wasn’t anything they could do. It turned out that the Michael Ave. address where White lives was listed as being in the town of Richwood. White became a first-time registered voter about a month ago, as he was looking forward to voting in the upcoming elections. Incumbent Mayor Gerald Brown and the Richwood board of alderpersons are all up f...
Jeff Landry has been governor of Louisiana over two months. Two Months may be a short time in a four-year term, but when one looks at what the governor has done after waiting eight years to sit where he currently is now, the next 45 months surely will undo what John Bel Edwards did in 8 years. Landry is as about as right-wing as other southern governors, as he told voters what his intentions were long before campaigning started, perhaps when it became known early who Republicans in Louisiana were replacing Bel Edwards. He led off with his...
Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The sudden sound of gunfire compelled two individuals to seek cover recently, in a bid to protect their lives. Monroe Police (MPD) responded to a shooting incident on March 8, 2024, following a call. They arrived at a residence on Cairo St. in Monroe, LA, where they encountered two victims of the shooting. The victims informed officers that they were in bed when the shots were fired. They recounted having to roll out of bed to...
The conventions to formally nominate the presumed nominees for the 2024 presidential election have not been held, but try telling that to Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Both men have been trading election rhetoric since clinching the required delegates on Super Tuesday, as it is only a formality to drop the balloons on Trump and Biden because the campaigning is in full swing. Since both parties have paid for their hotel rooms and convention space, they might as well let the delegates go and do what is legally required to officially get...
The Monroe City Schools Board is once again facing scrutiny over irregular findings uncovered during its annual audit, according to Board President Jennifer Haneline. An investigation has been initiated into three employees, all of whom have been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation's outcome. While Haneline did not disclose the school involved, sources indicate it is Neville High School in Monroe, LA. She stated that both the legislative auditor's office and local law...
