Bossier City Mayor on Boardwalk development, hiring a city engineer, and higher utility rates for apartments
Plus — Traffic stop for faulty tail lights leads to drug bust.
Bossier City weather — Today: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then mostly cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the lower 90s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%. Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening, then partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Patchy fog after midnight. Lows in the lower 70s. South winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Wednesday: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the upper 80s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Beyond Bossier
The latest on the flash floods in Texas that killed over 100 people
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Bossier City Mayor Chandler on the Boardwalk, hiring a city engineer, and higher public works rates for apartments
Following the most recent Bossier City Council meeting, BossierNow spoke with Mayor Tommy Chandler about several issues, including the investigation into off-the-books free driveways.
In this excerpt, we asked about the future of the Louisiana Boardwalk, the hiring of a city engineer, and the complaints from local apartment owners regarding the increase in public works rates.
Here are highlights from that conversation.
BossierNow: You spoke to the folks with BoardWalk. What did they tell you about tenants leaving and the BoardWalk needing to be redeveloped?
Mayor Chandler: Well, basically, they have a program that they're going to be working with to make more people come down. The Picklr [a pickleball franchise] is coming down there. It's under construction. It will be completed in the next six or seven months. There's a lot of things that are expected to happen down there, and I will be very, very happy to tell you when I am told. I'm very optimistic.
BossierNow: When Manchac came on board, at the beginning of your term, with Ben Rauschenbach [acting as city engineer], it was a big deal. Many people didn't understand the concept of a public-private partnership. And then a few weeks ago, you hired an engineer. Tell me about your thought process there.
Mayor Chandler: I told everybody during my campaign that I was going to hire a city engineer. So I finally came up with Andy [Bajnauth]. Andy is doing a very great job.
BossierNow: So there was no issue with Ben Rauschenbach?
Mayor Chandler: No, no. He's done an excellent job. But I promised the city that I would hire a city engineer.
BossierNow: Do you think it will save the city money by adopting a single-engineer process?
Mayor Chandler: Yes. A lot.
BossierNow: A lot?
Mayor Chandler: I don't know the figures on it, but I know it will.
BossierNow: So, the public works rates that the apartment owners were concerned with, where does that issue stand?
Mayor Chandler: Like it was when it got voted in. It's already been voted in. So, I mean, it's not going away.
BossierNow: So, you've heard from the owners and managers, and they've shared their concerns. And what was your reaction?
Mayor Chandler: Well, my reaction was, I don't get it. I am for them being charged in the business because everybody in those complexes get the same benefits as me and you do. I mean, these owners can get their money back, but I'm not trying to penalize the renters. But they still get the benefit as a regular homeowner does. So why not? And we needed that money because we've been under a deficit for over two years in our charter, and we have to do something about it. We've got to keep the roads clean, the grass cut. You know, weeds taken care of, mosquito spray. I want Bossier to be clean.
Traffic stop for faulty tail lights leads to drug bust
A 4th of July holiday weekend traffic stop in Bossier Parish led to a drug bust by Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office deputies.
Saturday, July 5, BPSO deputy Wolverton, assigned to the Joint Criminal Apprehension Team, conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle pulling a trailer with inoperable tail lights. During the stop, "indicators of criminal activity led to a request for K9 assistance," the Sheriff's office said in a release.
BPSO deputy Bell along with K9 Bady also responded, with K9 Bady immediately showing a positive response for the odor of illegal narcotics.
JCAT personnel recovered 12.9 pounds of marijuana divided into 12 separate vacuum sealed bags, 20 THC vapes, and three bottles of THC cough syrup.
Kedric Dorsey was arrested and booked into the Bossier Max for the following charges:
Manufacture/distribution/possession with intent (marijuana)
Tail lamps required
Silver Alert: assistance needed locating Bossier City man
The Louisiana State Police has issued a Silver Alert on behalf of the Bossier City Police Department for 77-year-old Claude Jackson. He was discovered missing from his home on Camellia Lane in Bossier City on July 6, 2025, at approximately 12:34 am.
Jackson is a black male with brown eyes and gray hair. He is 5’7” and weighs approximately 160 pounds. Jackson suffers from a medical condition that may impair his judgment.
Jackson was last seen wearing a multi-colored plaid shirt and light blue jeans. He is believed to be traveling on foot.
Anyone with information regarding Jackson’s whereabouts is asked to immediately contact the Bossier City Police Department at (318) 741-8977 or dial 911.
Louisiana first responders assist in flood recovery efforts in Central Texas
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s office has deployed 14 first responders to assist with search and rescue efforts following the fatal weekend flooding in central Texas.
More than 100 people are dead and others are still missing after flash flooding hit Kerr County, Texas, over the holiday weekend. The victims include dozens of children and counselors from Camp Mystic along the Guadalupe River.
Search-and-rescue personnel from Louisiana sent to Texas include boat operators, crew and personnel from the state fire marshalls, as well as additional staff for emergency response support and planning.
“These men and women will always step up when disaster strikes,” Landry said Monday in a news release. “Louisiana will always answer the call to help our neighbors in need.”
The first responders, trained in swift water rescue, are from fire departments in Baton Rouge, Zachary, West Feliciana Parish and Shreveport.
– By Elise Plunk/Louisiana Illuminator
Haughton neighborhood to experience water outage today
Town of Haughton water system customers along a stretch of Hwy 3327 will experience a temporary water outage Tuesday. The outage will occur as new water lines are installed.
Affected areas will stretch along Hwy 3227 from Hwy 157 to Haughton Middle School. The work will begin Tuesday, July 8th, at 10:00 pm. Water service is expected to be restored by 6:00 am Wednesday, July 9th.
Today: Lane closure on I-220 bridge scheduled
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development says that on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the I-220 eastbound bridge over the Red River in Bossier and Caddo Parishes will be reduced to one lane.
This lane closure is scheduled to take place from approximately 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, and is necessary to allow for routine bridge inspection.
Restrictions/Permits: This lane closure will allow vehicles 14 feet wide or smaller to pass through the inspection zone. Larger vehicles must detour utilizing an alternate route.
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