Council approves DOTD agreement for lighting, sidewalks for interchanges connecting to the new 4-lane Jimmie Davis Bridge
Council approves DOTD agreement for lighting, sidewalks for interchanges connecting to the new 4-lane Jimmie Davis Bridge
Plus — Honoring a Bossier City Chick-fil-A legend. The Biden debate: A lesson for local term limits?
Beyond Bossier
Nearly 70 ice cream products recalled nationwide for possible listeria.
Jury rules NFL violated antitrust laws in 'Sunday Ticket' case.
Multivitamins have no relationship to lower risk of death, study says.
Council approves DOTD agreement for lighting, sidewalks for interchanges connecting to the new 4-lane Jimmie Davis Bridge
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article reported that the Bossier City Council would be considering at its Tuesday meeting a resolution regarding improvements to the old Jimmie Davis Bridge for its conversion to a “linear park.” That was incorrect.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development agreement attached to the resolution was for roadway lighting, sidewalks and pedestrian facilities for the connecting interchanges from Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, Sunflower Boulevard, Brookshire Arena Drive, Zach Avenue and Reeves Marine Drive to the new JDB.
While a linear park to replace the old span is planned and was mentioned in the agreement, it was not part of the current DOTD infrastructure participation agreement presented to the council on Tuesday.
We regret the error.
Chick-fil-A owner and operator recognized for his 30 years of service
To say the Bossier City Chick-fil-A on Airline Drive is successful would be an understatement. The slow crawl of cars in line around the building daily (except, of course, on Sunday) is proof.
John Roden is an integral part of that success. Local officials gathered last Thursday to honor Roden as he celebrated 30 years as an owner-operator of the popular eatery.
Born and raised in Bossier City, John Roden's journey with Chick-fil-A began in 1982 at the age of 17. As an original team member at the Pierre Bossier Mall location, his dedication and passion for the brand led him to become an assistant manager. He decided to pursue Chick-fil-A as a career when he took over operations for the mall location in 1994.
In 2007, Roden became the owner and operator of the Airline Drive free-standing location, where he remains today.
Shane Cheatham, Regional Director of the Louisiana Governor's Office of Rural Development's Northwest Region Office, presented Roden with a ‘Letter of Special Recognition’ signed by Governor Jeff Landry. The letter commemorated Mr. Roden's dedication and leadership over three decades at Chick-fil-A and emphasized his role in fostering excellence and community spirit.
Bossier City Mayor Tommy Chandler proclaimed June 27, 2024, as "John Roden Day" in the city. The mayor expressed gratitude for Mr. Roden's unwavering commitment to quality service and his integral role in enhancing the local dining experience.
Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington said, “Thank you for your contribution to our community by bringing us the ‘Lord’s Chicken,’ on behalf of all of us in Bossier City. We wish you were open on Sundays, but, we understand even the Lord needs a day of rest.”
Reflecting on his journey, Roden expressed gratitude for the support of his team, customers and the Bossier City community.
"It has been an incredible honor to serve this community for the past 30 years. I am thankful for the opportunity to have played a role in the lives of so many wonderful people," he said.
The Biden debate performance: knowing when to call it quits. A lesson for local term limits? [OPINION]
After President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance at the June 27, 2024, debate, many Democrats have raced to ring the alarm bell, proclaiming that it’s time for him to step aside — time to let someone else take the reins in Democratic hopes of defeating Donald Trump in November.
With that in mind, we recount three moments from history when men and women faced the difficult decision to stay or go.
President Lyndon Johnson, 1968
On the final night of March 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson, known universally as “LBJ,” spoke to the nation from the Oval Office to say that the United States would unilaterally halt nearly all its bombing in North Vietnam.
But as his address came to a close, he had something more to say:
Shocking his audience, LBJ added: “I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president.”
Johnson was 59 years old. Three-and-a-half years earlier, he had scored one of the greatest landslides in American history, winning 61% of the vote and 44 states in the 1964 presidential election.
A scant few individuals so aptly defined the term “political animal” as LBJ. He had come to Washington as a young man bursting with ambition and succeeded like few others.
Indeed, since becoming president after John F. Kennedy’s 1963 assassination, Johnson had ushered through Congress an avalanche of progressive legislation, including the historic 1964 Civil Rights and 1965 Voting Rights acts. With the possible exception of Franklin D. Roosevelt, no other president had achieved so much legislatively.
But on that March day in 1968, at a time of growing antiwar protests and the accelerating pull of rival candidates for the Democratic nomination, he understood that he now led a country coming apart at the seams. Despite having declared his candidacy for reelection, seeking another term might make things worse.
It was time for someone else to have a turn.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 2013
As one of us recounts in his book, “A Supreme Court Unlike Any Other: The Deepening Divide Between the Justices and the People,” President Barack Obama invited Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg for a private lunch at the White House in the summer of 2013.
Obama wanted to nudge Ginsburg into retirement. The 80-year-old justice was a two-time survivor of pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest of all cancers. She had already served on the high court for two decades and had carved out a legacy as a staunch liberal and champion of women’s equality.
Additionally, Obama was concerned about the upcoming midterm elections. If the Democrats lost the Senate, he would be unable to replace her with a like-minded justice because a GOP-run Senate would not confirm such a nominee.
Ginsburg didn’t take Obama’s hint.
Soon after the lunch, she noted, “I think one should stay as long as she can do the job.”
Ginsburg died in mid-September 2020, just weeks before Joe Biden would oust Donald Trump from the White House. But significantly, Trump had sufficient time to fill Ginsburg’s seat with the conservative Amy Coney Barrett.
Philadelphia Eagle Jason Kelce, 2024
Skeptics said he was too small to play among the giants on an offensive line in the NFL. Not strong enough. Not tough enough. A former walk-on who had been drafted in 2011 in the sixth round.
But in a short space of time, Jason Kelce redefined the position of center and helped guide his team to its first-ever Super Bowl win.
In 2024, Kelce’s team, the Philadelphia Eagles, was still one of the best in the NFL. It had been to the Super Bowl just a year earlier, and Kelce was still considered to be playing near the top of his game.
But Kelce had had enough. It was time for him to end his playing days.
Sitting before a packed room of reporters and family members, the bare-armed and burly-chested 36-year-old Kelce set out to say goodbye.
But before he could even get a sentence out, his emotions took over, forcing him to pause for several moments. He held his head in his hands, sobbing, sniffling, snorting, taking deep breaths. Tears streamed down his face throughout the news conference. Repeatedly, he had to stop and wipe them away with a washcloth someone tossed to him.
As he struggled to get through his statement, listeners could hear him motivate himself several times with the phrase, “Come on.”
The ‘courage to call it quits’
Kelce’s retirement announcement is both difficult and extraordinarily captivating to watch. During those 40 minutes, he displays the courage it takes to call it quits when there is still something to be gained.
The picture was of a man coming to terms with his fate. Not because of injury or lack of skill, but because he believed it was necessary to take this step before those things forced him out.
Are there moments when we can judge for another when it is time to bow out? Most assuredly, there are. Hopefully, we do so with compassion and gratitude, but there are simply times when conscience demands an honest reckoning and unflinching truth-telling.
– By Kevin J. McMahon, Professor of Political Science, Trinity College, and Michael Paris Chairperson and Associate Professor of Law, College of Staten Island, CUNY for The Conversation. McMahon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Paris occasionally volunteers with Democratic organizations.
Bossier City free time calendar
Live music in Bossier City and other notable events in the area for your free time consideration.
July 13: Pro Football Hall of Famer and Shreveport native Terry Bradshaw at the Paradise Theatre in the Margaritaville Casino.
July 26: Fan favorite Dan Smalley returns to put on another incredible performance in the legendary listening room at Louisiana Grandstand. If you've never seen this Shreveport native perform, plan to see what you've been missing.
August 31: Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Elle King at the Paradise Theatre in the Margaritaville Casino.
September 7: The Cleverlys, a one-of-a-kind, unique comedy and music experience at the Louisiana Grandstand. "If Dolly Parton, Earl Scruggs, and Spinal Tap spawned a litter of puppies, it would be The Cleverlys," says the New York Times.
September 12: Pony Bradshaw makes a rare Louisiana stop at the legendary listening room of Louisiana Grandstand. Catch Pony Bradshaw as he fuses Americana, rock, folk and many other styles.
September 13: Comedian Rodney Carrington at the Paradise Theatre in the Margaritaville Casino.
September 14: Cody Johnson, The Leather Tour at the BGA.
October 18: Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Darrell Scott at the Louisiana Grandstand.
October 20: Jelly Roll, The Beautifully Broken Tour, with Warren Zeiders and Alexandra Kay at the BGA.
October 26: Daughtry at the Paradise Theatre in the Margaritaville Casino.
November 1-3: Disney On Ice presents Frozen & Encanto at the BGA.
November 16: Creed, Are You Ready? Tour at the BGA with 3 Doors Down and Mammoth WVH.
November 23: William Clark Green brings his "Whole Lotta Lubbock" tour to his debut appearance at the Louisiana Grandstand. Green is tearing up Texas dance halls and filling venues all over the country with his hits like "She Likes The Beatles" and "West Texas in My Eye."
Bossier news: Ad-free, reader-supported.
BossierNow's mission is to provide ad-free, conflict-of-interest-free, independent news coverage of Bossier. We are funded strictly by our readers, not by out-of-town billionaires or deep-pocketed foundations.
A subscription costs just $5 monthly, and you can cancel anytime. Email addresses are never shared with third parties.
We welcome your input, press releases and news tips at email@bossiernow.com.