BC worse off than exiting councilors found it

While they may have gone out with varying degrees of class, the four departing Bossier City Council members leave with a legacy of managing not to break the city, but having blown an incredible opportunity to make the city much more than what it is – America’s biggest small town – leaving it worse off than when each had entered office.

At the final Council meeting prior to a new panel taking shape at the start of next month (and meeting initially almost immediately after taking their oaths of office), the four outgoing councilors – Republicans David Montgomery (24 years) and Jeff Free (12 years) and Democrat Bubba Williams (28 years), who had eschewed reelection attempts, and independent Jeff Darby (32 years of the last 36), defeated in his reelection attempt – were feted through proclamation by their colleagues, all rookies, for their willingness to show them the ropes of governance and for service. Republican Mayor Tommy Chandler also joined in the presentations from the city for service.

In their speeches, continuing councilors (Republicans Chris Smith and Brian Hammons; the GOP’s Vince Maggio was absent) and Chandler were gracious in listing several significant policy decisions stretching back to the era of Darby’s first election, 1989. The problem was, few of these listed were positive accomplishments.

Miguez Senate race entry further damages Cassidy

All in all, the entry of Republican state Sen. Blake Miguez into the GOP Senate nomination for the 2026 contest actually doesn’t change much the dynamics so far working against incumbent Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy.

Miguez joins heavyweight candidate GOP Treas. John Fleming and lightweight hospital administrator Sammy Wyatt. He has conservative credentials that match Fleming’s, if not his experience in Congress and in the White House, and becomes easily the youngest candidate in the race.

Cassidy’s problem is that, for reasons when analyzed rather unconvincing other than personal dislike for Trump, he voted to convict Republican Pres. Donald Trump of spurious impeachment charges, as well as cozied up to fiscal elements of Democrats’ agenda in the first half of the Democrat former Pres. Joe Biden’s term. It’s not been forgotten and while Cassidy’s campaign has a formidable bankroll to try to induce that memory lapse among GOP voters Fleming’s has more than enough to remind them of that.

Monroe fire chief selection addled by race

Maybe the Monroe City Council should build their own Monroe Fire Department chief, if that even would be possible given the contradictory signals they continue to give in rejecting independent Mayor Friday Ellis’ choices for the job.

Ellis now has had two choices to helm the department shot down by the same three black Democrats who comprise the majority of the Council: Rodney McFarland, Verbon Muhammad, and Juanita Woods. His first, longtime MFD firefighter Daniel Overturf, occurred last year. While Overturf was considered a highly popular choice as a poll of the department revealed, the so-called “Brown Bombers” then said his middle-of-the-pack scoring on the state exam all municipal chief candidates must take and alleged communications from constituents against the pick led to their rejection.

The next choice, Bastrop Fire Chief Timothy Williams, seemed to negate these complaints. He scored highest of all on the exam, was the only one among the five finalists with chief experience, and no alleged opposition in the community against his nomination was noted. Further, prior to his becoming Bastrop chief three years ago he had guided the department to the highest fire rating possible, as part of a history of achievement within the department. And, multiple times Ellis had solicited input from councilors about this choice, without receiving any.