Bossier Parish mourns the loss of 'Coach' Bob Brotherton
Plus: Bossier Schools' Jason Rowland named among national 'Superintendents to Watch'
Bossier City weather — Today: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid-50s. Tonight: Partly cloudy. Cold with lows in the lower 30s. Wednesday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the mid-50s.
Beyond Bossier
Trump's Congressional allies officially lay the groundwork for Greenland purchase
Barbara Corcoran's million-dollar trailer home destroyed in California wildfires
Bossier Parish mourns the loss of 'Coach' Bob Brotherton
The Bossier Parish community is mourning the loss of a beloved figure and dedicated public servant. "Coach" Bob Brotherton, a lifetime resident and respected leader, died at the age of 73 Monday morning.
Brotherton, a familiar face throughout the parish, was known for his decades of service in education and public service. He served on the Bossier Parish Police Jury, representing District 1, and was a tireless advocate for his constituents.
Prior to his public service, Brotherton made a significant impact as an educator and coach. He dedicated his career to mentoring young people, leaving a lasting legacy on countless lives.
Brotherton graduated from Haughton High School and received his B.S. from Northwestern State University. He also completed a master’s degree +30 at Louisiana Tech University.
Brotherton started his education career in 1975 as a teacher/coach at Haughton High School. He served as Head Track Coach, Assistant Football Coach, classroom teacher, and driver’s education instructor. In addition to teaching at Haughton High School, Brotherton was an adjunct professor at Bossier Parish Community College.
A lifetime member of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, he was named District Track Coach of the Year ten times by his peers.
Brotherton was named vice president of the Bossier Parish Police Jury in 2016 and became president in 2017. He served as a member or chairman of 15 committees. In 2017, he was elected to the Executive Board of the Louisiana Police Jury Association, representing Region 4.
The Bossier Parish community will deeply miss Coach Brotherton. His contributions to education, public service, and the lives of countless individuals will long be remembered.
Funeral arrangements had not been announced at the time of publication.
Jason Rowland named among national 'Superintendents to Watch'
Just shy of a year since taking the oath of office, Bossier Schools Superintendent Jason Rowland has been selected as a 2024-25 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association.
The annual award recognizes up to 25 district superintendents across the country with fewer than five years of experience who demonstrate dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core. This year, a record number of nominations were received, making the selection process highly competitive and humbling.
“Communication is a core foundational piece at Bossier Schools,” Rowland said. “We take tremendous pride in harnessing this evolving platform to communicate and connect with our students, employees and community and further enhance our district. I am greatly humbled to be included in this class of superintendents thinking outside the box and utilizing different avenues of communication to move their school systems forward.”
Recognizing the importance of open communication, Rowland started On the Record with Bossier Schools, a bi-monthly podcast on YouTube that spotlights the positive stories and student successes happening in the system and serves as the official source of information about public education.
A district rebranding initiative was also launched, including a district app and notification platform, a refreshed BPSB logo and a new website. He is also credited with forming a Teacher Advisory Council, the Empowering Principals mentoring program, and Assistant Principal Leadership Training to build capacity in the next generation of principals.
Additionally, under his leadership, Rowland established a long-range planning committee to gauge and address growth in Bossier Parish. He strengthened relationships with civic organizations and Barksdale Air Force Base's leadership. Later this month, he will be inducted as an Honorary Commander of the 96th Bomb Squadron.
Rowland will be recognized as a 2024-25 Superintendent to Watch in front of his leadership peers in July at the NSPRA 2025 National Seminar in Washington, D.C.
Bossier Parish Police Jury's Butch Ford honored at retirement party
Long-time Parish Engineer and, most recently, Parish Administrator Butch Ford was honored Monday at a party celebrating his retirement. Ford is retiring this week after over 20 years of service with the Bossier Parish Police Jury.
"I am excited — and going to be very excited to see what this group accomplishes in the next 20 years," Ford said. "It's going to be more than we have done, I can promise you. And so, hey, thank y'all so much. And thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate everyone."
Assistant Administrator Ken Ward will assume the position of Parish Administrator.
Bossier news: Independent, reader-supported.
BossierNow's mission is to provide independent, conflict-of-interest-free news coverage of Bossier City and Bossier Parish.
Support independent coverage of Bossier news with a $5 monthly subscription. 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.