Bossier City weekend: VetFest and a powerful tribute to those who've served
Plus — School Board votes to give Live! Casino a tax break. Parish government aids development with water improvements.
Bossier City weekend weather — Today: Cloudy. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms this morning, then showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. Chance of rain 60%. Tonight: Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 70%. Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. Showers likely, mainly in the morning. Highs in the lower 70s. Chance of rain 70%. Saturday night: Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms. Patchy fog. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 70%. Sunday: Mostly cloudy in the morning, then clearing. A slight chance of thunderstorms. A chance of showers, mainly in the morning. Highs in the mid 70s. Chance of rain 40%. Sunday night: Mostly clear. Patchy fog. Lows in the lower 50s.
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Bossier City weekend: VetFest, free admission to the State Fair for veterans, and a powerful tribute to those who've served
It's a weekend honoring veterans in Bossier City.
VetFest returns to the East Bank District Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. It's a family-friendly day of celebration and support for area veterans with live bands, local vendors, a silent auction and a jump house for children.
There will also be guest speakers and access to helpful resources tailored to vVeterans and first responders.
Admission is free.
On Sunday, military members get free parking and free admission to the Louisiana State Fair in Shreveport from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.
On Monday, Bossier Parish Community College will host a powerful tribute to honor our nation’s veterans. BPCC has placed 1,000 American flags on display in the quad, the college’s central outdoor area on its Bossier campus.
The patriotic presentation is to commemorate Veterans Day and recognize the invaluable sacrifices of those who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
The tribute is currently on display and will highlight BPCC's annual Veterans Day ceremony on Monday at 9:30 am. This year’s special guest speaker is Charlton J. Meginley, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veteran Affairs.
The public is invited to join in this salute to the men and women who have served our country.
Flags were available for purchase during the month of October, and all proceeds were donated to the Salvation Army of Northwest Louisiana for their Homeless Veteran Program. A check presentation will be held during the Veterans Day ceremony.
Each flag in the quad represents the honor of those who stood in service, and together, they create a meaningful display of appreciation visible to all. Following the ceremony, guests are invited to walk around the display as a way to show their personal respect.
Bossier Parish School Board joins effort to encourage Live! Casino expansion with tax break
The Bossier Parish School Board has joined other local taxing authorities to encourage Live! Casino and Hotel to expand its construction plans by offering the company a tax break.
BPSB joins the Bossier Parish Police Jury in offering the incentive. The City of Bossier City will consider the cooperative endeavor agreement at a future meeting.
Live! is investing $250 million in the construction and renovation of the gaming facility. The tax break is to encourage the casino to add additional rooms and hotel suites, an additional restaurant and bar, an RV Park, and upgrades to the pool facilities.
Patrick Jackson, attorney for the Bossier Parish Police Jury, explained the tax break to school board members.
"This is an incentive to try to get live casino to invest an additional $20 million into their property," Jackson said. "They're coming to us at a time when Texas is on the cusp of legalizing gambling. That's something that we're very concerned about, so we're trying to encourage all the gaming entities to put a good foot forward and try to build their non-gaming amenities up to a place where it becomes a resort, a destination."
He noted that a tax break was given to the Horseshoe Hotel and Casino some 30 years ago.
"When I first came to work for the Police Jury almost 30 years ago, we did an abatement contract with Horseshoe to incentivize them. At that time, they were going to build a five-story casino, but instead, they built a 20-story casino, and by abating some average tax over a period of 10 years, it incentivized them to do that," Jackson said.
"So what we're asking is that to get Live! to go ahead and invest now and do their phase two and invest the additional 20 million," he added. "The overall net effect to all the taxing entities with their investment is a huge gain, so this would just be a shave off of this phase two now."
"Mr. Jackson, I think one thing that we've talked about, this would be 10 years that we would take to end up paying this initial upfront fee back," Superintendent Jason Rowland asked.
"Yes, sir, so for 10 years, we would have paid ad valorem tax on 20 million of their total $297 million investment," Jackson answered.
A unanimous vote approved the agreement.
Bossier Parish Police Jury aids development with water improvements
The Bossier Parish Police Jury is busy working to aid development in the parish by expanding water and sewer services.
During this week's regular meeting, the jury awarded three bids for the Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District #1: the Winfield Road booster station improvement and the Winfield Road lift station and sewer improvements.
“If you don’t have water and sewer, you don’t have development,” said Glenn Benton, District 2 Juror. Benton said that his goal when he was elected to the jury was to try to furnish water and sewer service throughout the parish.
Two water systems, St. Mary Community Water System Corporation in Plain Dealing and the Bodcau Water Works, Inc., approached him to be incorporated into the system. He said the other, River Point Racing and Equestrian Center, Inc., is a water well that the Department of Health of Shreveport requested be incorporated into the Consolidated district.
“Small systems like these can’t get the grants for improvement that we can, which goes to help maintain clean water, which is what we are striving to do for all our residents in the parish," Benton added.
The jury voted unanimously to begin the process of the possible incorporation of the three independent water systems.
The Bossier Chapter of the Commission for Women, a mentoring program, also visited the meeting.
The mentoring program gives approximately 12 senior girls, two from each high school, the opportunity to cultivate leadership and life skills. Jurors Pam Glorioso, District 9, Juliana Parks, District 5, and Parish Treasurer Stacie Fernandez serve as mentors on the Commission.
Bossier City free time calendar
Live music in Bossier City and other notable events in the area for your free time consideration. If you would like to add an event to the Bossier City free time calendar, send the details to email@bossiernow.com.
November 9: A Candlelit Evening with The Wilder Blue at the Louisiana Grandstand.
November 14: Gabby Barrett live in the Paradise Theater at the Margaritaville Casino.
November 16: Creed, Are You Ready? Tour at the BGA with 3 Doors Down and Mammoth WVH.
November 22: John Michael Montgomery at the Riverdome in the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel.
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 nationwide with his hits like "She Likes The Beatles" and "West Texas in My Eye."
November 29: Neal McCoy in the Paradise Theater at the Margaritaville Casino.
December 5: The Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs The Lost Christmas Eve at the BGA.
December 6: Neo-traditional country artist Braxton Keith at the Louisiana Grandstand.
December 7: Williamson Branch, one of Nashville's fastest-growing family bands, is touring the country with their traditional country sound and will perform at the Louisiana Grandstand.
December 13: Creed Fisher at the Louisiana Grandstand.
December 14: A Candlelit Evening with Marc and Ted Broussard.
December 19: Marcus King, the southern blues & rock guitar phenom, is coming to the Louisiana Grandstand. Marcus will be playing an intimate acoustic evening featuring Drew Smithers.
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