Teams from the National Weather Service Office here in Shreveport, the local American Red Cross chapter and the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office are all out today, assessing damage from yesterday’s severe storms.

NWS Hydrologist C.S. Ross tells KEEL News he was on Barron Road, right in the thick of all the mess.  “I estimated winds at least 70 miles per hour, and I observed on Barron Road — which is the very south part of Caddo Parish, right next to Wallace Lake — numerous trees down onto power lines, bringing them down,” Ross says.  He says he also saw a manufactured home split into thirds as two trees fell onto it.

He says he got reports of up to baseball-sized hail in the area.  “I can attest to that.  My car is completely full of hail dents.”

DeSoto Parish was also hard-hit.  Sheriff’s Office Liaison Jenny Reynolds tells us there are a lot of homes with significant damage.  “A handful of homes that I would consider severely damaged, and probably close to another hundred that have some level of minor damage,” she says.

Reynolds says that damage was from a combination of the strong winds and large hail.  She’s reporting up to half-dollar-sized ice chunks, which accumulated between 8 and 12 inches in some places.  There’s no word on when SWEPCO will be able to restore power, but we’re hearing that some folks might be in the dark until 5 this evening.

Reynolds suggests, for those who are able, to check the DeSoto Sheriff’s Office Facebook page for any updates.  “The Command Post is constantly putting updated information on there for the public,” she says.

In the meantime, the local American Red Cross chapter is out helping residents in the affected areas.  “We have both of our Emergency Response Vehicles [out],” says Assistant Director Michelle Davison.  “One is handling Caddo Parish, the other is handling DeSoto Parish.  And they’re going to be distributing things like the comfort kits, clean-up kits, water.”

Davison says there’s also a shelter set up at Grace Community Church on Ellerbe Road.  Only four people stayed there overnight, but she’s already heard from several families requesting shelter for this evening. 

The photo gallery is of a tree that fell on a house in Greenwood.

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“We say it every day, ‘It’s not a matter of if, but rather when’ when it comes to an active shooter situation in our area,” said Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington. “Ensuring our deputies are trained to be proactive and keep a situation like that from arising in the first place, or being able to properly respond if it does, is vital. Lives will depend on it.”

The Sheriff’s Office converted an old warehouse in Plain Dealing into a place that has cardboard walls, rooms and fake furniture to simulate a home or workplace. The deputies then go through training exercises in response to various scenarios such as an active shooter in a school or shopping center, a gunman in a courtroom, a hostage situation, workplace violence or an alarm call at a residence or business.

“We’re teaching them basic skill sets like ‘slicing the pie’ and ‘quick peek’ that they can use in a variety of situations,” said Capt. Al Langley, an active shooter instructor with 30 years in law enforcement. Langley says the training is a proactive approach to handling these volatile situations and ensures officer safety and quick removal or elimination of the threat.

“Some of our scenarios are based on events that have already happened, and we are using simunitions to make it as real as it can get,” he continued. Simunitions are a specific type of ammunition used by law enforcement and the military that provide a simulated effect of gun fire with the sound and smell, but are still non-lethal training ammunition.”

The three days of training was held for deputies who work security for the Bossier Parish Courthouse, bailiffs, and some Patrol deputies who haven’t been through basic SWAT and advanced training. For trainee Deputy Tony Broadway, having the proper skills to respond to these dangerous situations, along with the right mindset, gives him the confidence to know he’ll be ready to respond.

“When we get 10-8 [ready for duty], I’m always thinking, ‘never get complacent’,” said Broadway, who patrols the Haughton area. “You may work one call like a domestic, and you may get 12 calls and they are smooth sailing, but it may be that 13th one, and it’s all different. Never get complacent…never let your guard down. Training like this is very important.”

For Sgt. Guy Whiddon, supervisor for bailiffs in the Bossier Parish Courthouse, his job is about being prepared to take care of anything from the front door to the courtroom. With recent shootings at courthouses in Texas and Delaware, training for the “what-if” becomes even more vital.

“The courthouse is dangerous – you’ve got criminals up there every day,” said Whiddon, a 10-year veteran with the Bossier Sheriff’s Office. “You’ve got what we call ‘pots and pans’ which is civil court, with people getting divorces, protective orders, non-support…people get mad up there. Hopefully we can control it here with our mouths first [de-escalate a situation with verbal commands], and if not, we’ve got to be prepared for the next step.”
Langley also noted that criminals today seem to have a different mindset.

“In the past, our suspects have typically had negotiable issues – wanting to free these people or see those people, wanting money or something like that,” he said. “The problem is people who are doing these shootings now seem to have no negotiation, and they’re just going in to do damage until they can’t do damage anymore.

“If it happens, we are going to be ready,” he assured. “We’re going to do everything we can, number one, to prevent it, and number two, be ready to take care of the situation if it does happen so we can stop it as fast as possible.”

The traffic lights at the intersection of Bert Kouns Industrial Loop and Youree Drive in Shreveport near IHOP and Walmart were knocked down by an 18-wheeler into the middle of the busy intersection Tuesday afternoon around 3 p.m.

The lights fell near IHOP and Walmart, cutting off one end of the street from the other.

We received the below pictures from a 710 KEEL listener, Leigh Anne Jones,  who also told us that at least one car appeared to have metal on top of it. No injuries have been reported so far.

Motorists are being asked to avoid the intersection of Bert Kouns and Youree Drive for the next several hours while city work crews scramble to restore a traffic signal downed by an 18-wheeler.

The repair work required is extensive and the intersection has been closed to traffic in all directions. There is no immediate estimate for how long the repairs will take but commuters should plan to use alternate routes such as East Kings Highway or Millicent Way until further notice.

We will update this story as more information comes available.

Looking for an emu?  The owner of an emu named Big Bird in East Texas wants to find him a new home.

Teresa Moss has owned ‘Big Bird’ for three years after Troup, TX, police corralled him and asked her to hold him.  Moss offered to house the emu until the owner was found.  However, no owner was ever found.

“I didn’t know if it was male or female, so I just called it Big Bird and it comes to me.”

So, Moss kept Big Bird on her property with some of her other animals.  At first, the emu was kept in the backyard, but after pecking the back door of her house, he got moved to her field.

“One day, it’d come up, and start pecking my french doors,” explained Moss.  ”So, I chased it with a broom and it didn’t have any problem at all running across my backyard.  So I figured, ‘okay, it’s time for you to go out to the field.’”

Moss says Big Bird is a nice emu, looks over your shoulder to see what you are doing and follows the more interesting kid around the yard.

“It follows me around when I’m out there, looks over my shoulders whenever I’m trying to do something out there,” Moss shared.  ”I have grandkids seven down to two.  Big Bird will follow the two-year-old around out in the pasture, seeing what she is doing and when she stops to look at a flower or something, the bird will stop at look at it with her.”

However, the emu’s owner needs to get rid of the bird and preferably to someone who already owns one.

“It hasn’t ever laid an egg in two years, so it must be a guy.  So, yeah, it’d like some girly chicks probably,” Moss noted.

How many people want Big Bird?  Moss tells 710 KEEL she’s gotten over 20 responses in the first 24 hours of the listing being posted.

If you want an emu, check out the listing on Craigslist.

A Princeton woman admits to taking over $100,000 from her grandmother, but denies that she stole from her.

Alyson Jones is accused of stealing her 84-year-old grandmother’s identity and purchasing more than $100,000 in vehicles, computers, and home improvements without her grandmother’s knowledge. Her grandmother suffers from dementia and bad eyesight.

Bossier Financial Crimes Task Force found after a four month investigation that Jones had stolen all of her grandmother’s finances since 2009.

So how did this ploy unravel?

Turns out the grandmother was moved to Princeton from North Carolina in 2009.  The grandmother moved back to North Carolina in October 2012 to live with another relative.  When that relative was getting the grandmother’s finances in order, it was discovered credit cards were opened under the grandmother’s name and her savings were depleted.

Jones spent her grandmother’s $1,500 monthly Social Security benefit for three years and withdrew funds from her annuity policy.  Detectives say just that alone totaled near $60,000.

What did she buy?  A double-wide trailer, Kia Sedona, Chevrolet Silverado, Harley Davidson motorcycle, computers, etc.

Jones admitted to detectives she took advantage of her grandmother, but she says she did not steal from her.  She was charged with eight counts of money laundering, four counts of identity theft, 11 counts of felony theft, and one county of racketeering.

She is now in the Bossier Maximum Security Facility and booked with a $130,000 bond.

What looked to be the start of a dreary day for Easter on the Bayou turned out to be a great day full of fun. There were many colorful, candy-filled eggs scattered throughout the woods for the children to hunt, good food and other fun activities for the families to enjoy.

The gates opened about 8 a.m. and the Easter egg hunting and activities began at 10. Children enjoyed bouncy houses, inflatable slides, face painting booths and an inflatable rock climbing wall. Vendors such as McAlister’s and Newk’s Restaurants, as well as the event sponsor, MetroPCS, had booths set up down by the picnic area where some families enjoyed lunch down by the water. Overall, a good time was had by all.

We captured plenty of photos during Easter on the Bayou, so be sure to check them out to see if you recognize anyone! Happy Easter!

“An amazing experience of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit moving through the people, the cardinals, the saints, and our new Pope. Inspiring to have the opportunity to pray at St. Peters during the entire experience. To be able to be a part of the blessing of Pope Francis was incredible before his blessing on the church. Love you all. Each of you were in my prayers throughout the experience,”

The April 13 Sprint Cup race will be held at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth and the National Rifle Association is the new sponsor.

This makes the second time the NRA has sponsored a NASCAR event.

Just two monts ago Michael Waltrip drove a Toyota in the Daytona 500, the paint job on the car was in support of a relief fund for the December school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

Michael Waltrip Toyota Photos

Via [USA TODAY]

I’m happy to say that we have made it through the much over hyped sequester! The sky isn’t falling and life goes on normally as it always has.

I believe this proves once again that Barack Obama was pulling our legs. He is like an actor in the movies, always giving us another performance that is fictional — like a bad Hollywood drama.

According to Net Right Daily, Obama said the sequester would “imperil our economy, our national security (and) vital programs that middle class families depend on.” Further, it would be a “a huge blow to middle-class families and our economy as a whole.”

How many of us bought into this nonsense? I have to admit, he had me going for a while. But now I can relax, well at least until Obama pulls another rabbit out of the hat or a card hidden up his sleeve.

When it comes right down to it, the sequester was only a reduction of one dollar from every six dollars of spending increases. More of our hard-earned American dollars will be spent by the government next year than it will this year. The sequester was no more than a reduction in spending growth rates.

After all the hype that was thrown around by Obama and the Washington, D.C. politicians about the impending doom, nothing earth-shaking has happened. Life goes on.

Public outrage hit a fever pitch last week when it was discovered that $8,000 worth of deer meat donated by hunters to feed the homeless was destroyed by the State Department of Health and Hospitals. However, local politicians have delivered a quick response and a promise: this won’t happen again.

Louisiana State Representative Jeff Thompson (R-Bossier City) held a press conference on Monday (Feb. 25) to discuss how Louisiana will handle hunters’ donations in the future and how the destroyed venison will be replaced.

A Way to Say ‘Yes’

Speaking to a group of reporters at the Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission in downtown Shreveport, Rep. Thompson pledged that there would never again be a situation where donated deer meat would go to waste.

“Government across this nation oftentimes seems out of control. I think everybody here is devoted to making sure that each and every branch of government, each and every agency, should work on behalf of taxpayers to find the way to say yes, not an excuse or reason to say no,” said Thompson. “Through the various departments before you today, I’m glad to say that we’ve worked together so far to find a way to say yes, to resolve the issue regarding the donations to great organizations like this rescue mission and programs like Hunters for the Hungry.”

Rep. Thompson was referring to the seizure and destruction in January of hundreds of pounds of deer meat donated by local hunters.

Solidarity Among Lawmakers

Thompson then introduced Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain, who flew in from Baton Rouge to address the press.

Strain said that while most will never know what it’s like to be hungry, it’s a daily crisis for many citizens. To ensure the donated venison that was destroyed by the DHH would be replaced, Strain reached out to Foster Farms, who promised 1,600 pounds of meat. A $750 donation was also provided.

But what about the laws in place that caused the situation in the first place? Dr. Strain said that discussion will be had soon.

“The good thing is, we’re going into session real soon. And what we’re going to do is craft legislation that will permit the donation of deer and other proteins that can be processed and donated to facilities like [the Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission],” said Strain.

Also in attendance were Senator Sherri Buffington, Senator Neil Riser, Representative Roy Burrell, Reverend Henry Martin of the Shreveport Bossier Rescue Mission and Jimmy Anthony, Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

The Future of Donating Deer Meat

Is this the happy ending those outraged by the DHH’s original decision had envisioned? It appears as such.  The future seems a lot brighter for hunters interested in donating to a good cause. That same future is brighter for those in need of the services of the Shreveport/Bossier Rescue Mission and due to the generous donation of 1400 pounds of chicken from Foster Farms and a $750 check from the Louisiana Cattleman’s Association, all the destroyed meat has been replaced.

“This program is viable, it’s a great way to contribute to the community, and next year come back and redouble your efforts,” said Rep. Thompson. “We lost 1,400 pounds, we’re 1,400 pounds back to the good plus more, and we’re not stopping there.”

When pressed on whether a governmental agency would ever again douse donated meat with bleach, Rep. Thompson responded firmly.

“That’s not going to happen again under these circumstances in Louisiana, I guarantee it,” said Rep. Thompson.

WrestleMania features a big, week-long party leading up to the event. New Orleans is the party capital of the world. So, the WWE’s decision to bring WWE WrestleMania 30 to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on April 6, 2014 is a match made in heaven.

WrestleMania is more than the event itself. There is the Hall of Fame ceremony; Monday Night Raw the following night; and the entire week leading up to WrestleMania, which is known as Axxess.

New Orleans has long been a popular destination for big events, most recently hosting Super Bowl 47.

[button href="http://www.1130thetiger.com/12-things-about-vince-mcmahon-wwe/" title="12 Things You Probably Didn't Know About WWE Owner Vince McMahon" align="center"]

[via Bleacher Report]

My weekend was full of so much fun with some of my best friends. Saturday, we set up our little tent and grill on East Kings right by the duck pond.

Victoria was our chef for the day and she got marriage proposals for her grilled chicken. It was magnificent. Leslie made a Jack Daniels cake which was yummy! Kasi brought out some special Cherry Vodka Coke concoction…..nice! We hung out and watched the crowd and enjoyed great food and fun!

On Sunday I met up with Tina, Lisa, Kim and many other friends to ride on in the Highland Parade. I had plenty of throws and our float even had a T-shirt gun. It was so fun to watch our guys launch those shirts down the neighborhood streets.

After the rains moved out, the crowds came out in force and the sun was blazing down for another super Sunday of Mardi Gras.

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Check out all the great photos we took during the parade and let us know if you see yourself in any of them!

All Photos Courtesy Amanda Currier

Yesterday was my first Barkus & Meoux parade experience…and it was pretty cool! My 4-year-old daughter was so excited to see all the animals being ushered around downtown Shreveport’s Riverview Park.  We saw plenty of dogs, a few cats…and even a miniature horse, a couple of goats and a baby pig — all dressed up to reflect the “Stars, Guitars and Animals From Mars” theme.  That pony, believe it or not, was dressed up like Elvis…and it won for best costume.  A young girl and her adorable little pup won for best pet and pet owner look-alike.

In addition to the influx of animals and their people, there were also lots of booths set up — either selling wares or for informational purposes.  The Pet Education Project had a complete kids’ section with fun games the little ones could play to win prizes.  And it came with a puppet show, a visit from the PEP cat, and a scavenger hunt of sorts — where the kids could go around to different stations and get a card punched at each.  At the end, they got a cute prize.  Other fun things for the kids included amazing face-painting — and clowns making balloon animals — complete with Sharpie-faces and features.

Awards were handed out in several categories, and there was an obedience contest, too.  It was great running into several friends who brought their pets out for the event, and the little one managed to catch a few beads, and lots of candy (can we say “wired”??)

Should we have brought our cat with us?  Honestly, I’m glad we didn’t.  She’s already so skittish around most people…I have a feeling she wouldn’t have done well with all those dogs.  But WE will definitely be there again next year!

Take a look at the rest of my photos below…

The Krewe of Centaur members gathered to get some final instructions for parade day and have a little fun during parade week. All of the members we talked with are thrilled that the forecast looks great for the big day. The parade is set to roll at 4:30 Saturday afternoon from the corner of Lake and Clyde Fant Parkway. There’s is a family zone near Stoner. No alcohol will be allowed in that area and several bounce houses will be set up for the children. For $20 your youngsters can play all day.

Guests entered through a foyer with cut outs of the royal court and segued to the bal room to find not one, but two stages of entertainment. The Tableau was spectacular with their royalty presented in a dazzling array of lights! The crowd was charmed by hosts Ed Walsh and Jody Lowery from KTBS. The blessing was provided by Father Provenza. Susan Shofner was honored with the Captains award. The Krewe of Centaur parade is coming up Saturday, February 2nd and we will be broadcasting live from The Office which is on the parade route. Keep listening to win special passes to Centaur’s inflatable kids area on the parade route as well! All Hail Centaur! Town Square Media is proud to be a corporate sponsor!

The crowd was festive and the royalty resplendent! As you can tell from the pictures, the costuming and decorations were first rate. The band Lipstick Blonde out of Nashville had the party going the second one stepped foot inside the Riverdome. Congrats to the Krewe of Justinian on a successful event!

Here are a few pictures we snapped of the eager employers and the even more eager prospective employees.