The 318: Probable omicron COVID case found in Louisiana, Shreveport halts liquor licenses
Good evening, Shreveport. This week, early voting ended Saturday for the infrastructure-focused 2021 bond proposals. Did you vote? Are you concerned about the new COVID variant omicron being reported in New Orleans?
Body found on Youree Drive confirmed as missing elderly woman
Police believe 75-year-old Daisy Walker wandered away from her home in the night. Her family says she suffered from advanced dementia.
Police, family members, the fire department, and other volunteers searched for Walker until 1 a.m. but were initially unsuccessful, planning to resume the search in the morning.
Shreveport Police Department announces candidates for police chief
Nine finalists have been announced for the Chief position at the Shreveport Police Department.
One of those finalists, Marcus Mitchell, was fired from the SPD last month for policy violations.
Interim Chief Wayne Smith has led the force since Ben Raymond resigned from the post Aug. 26. Smith is one of the nine finalists for the permanent position.
The nine finalists will now test for the position. The passing score is 75 percent.
Shriners in Shreveport fires unvaccinated employees
Seven full-time employees at Shriners Hospital for Children in Shreveport were fired this week for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The hospital had set a Dec. 6 deadline to be vaccinated.
Some part-time employees were let go as well, but the hospital did not give an exact number.
Bossier City to close dangerous railroad crossing
Before the vote Tuesday, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell spoke to councilmembers during public comment, lashing out at UP’s moral compass.
“Railroaded – you know where that expression comes from,” Campbell asked councilmembers.
“They’re willing to shut down this great project to get their way, so that tells you who you’re dealing with,” Campbell added.
Shreveport MPC votes to halt liquor licenses
The City Council cited concerns with the high concentration of liquor stores in the city's Black communities. A study on the effects of that concentration will be conducted during the moratorium.
The City Council supported the moratorium 6-1 at its Oct. 26 meeting, with the sole dissenting vote being Grayson Boucher.
"It does send a message to businesses that we may be trying to hinder them," Boucher said.
Early voting on bond proposal ends as critics voice concerns
Critics of the Shreveport bond proposal, like the Greater Shreveport Chamber, say the bonds are expenditures made unnecessary by allocations from federal programs like the recently passed infrastructure bill.
“Congress recently passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill which will bring significant revenues to our city for water and sewer, roads and broadband deployment,” wrote the Chamber in a statement on the bond proposals.
You can expect a new edition of The 318 every Sunday.
Subscribe today for unlimited digital access to all of these stories and more.
Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: The 318: Probable omicron COVID case in Louisiana, liquor licenses halted
