Times When Shreveport-Bossier Made National News

The shooting death of Officer Thomas LaValley was a blow to the citizens of Shreveport-Bossier, especially to those who knew him. Those feelings of grief reverberated throughout the country at a time when officer related shootings were on the rise.

Torrential rains in the north brought destruction to our area when The Red River swelled to its highest levels in nearly 100 years. The flood displaced hundreds of residents and caused millions of dollars in damage. The Flood of 2015 is still very fresh in our mind, and the fact that some folks were still in recovery mode when the recent flood hit made it all that much more worse.

Believe it or not, we even got some national headlines here at Townsquare Media when News Radio 710 KEEL mornings hosts Robert J. Wright and Erin McCarty held an interview with then Senatorial Candidate Mary Landrieu. The interview was a tad one-sided as the hosts tried to ask questions that were all redirected to what Landrieu thought of opponent (and now Senator) Bill Cassidy. Someone somewhere got a hold of the interview, and within 24 hours, we were on Fox News! I say we...because a very new morning show producer named Gary Watson was in there as well...mocking away.

The Cedar Grove riots erupted in September of 1988 after the shooting of a black man at the hands of a white teenage girl. When police, trying to protect the girl, removed her from the escalating scene, residents cried for justice. Those cries quickly became more and more violent. The riots culminated in several homes and businesses being burned to the ground. Several police cars and one KTBS news van were also set ablaze.

"We Will Never Forget" is the slogan used when referring to the attacks of 9/11. That is especially true for those of us who lived around Barksdale Air Force Base, and who got to see Air Force One land before President George W. Bush made his historic "Faceless Coward" speech from the command post at Barksdale. I was actually stationed at Barksdale as an Air Traffic Controller, and I was a first hand witness to that sobering moment. It was one of the few times in my life in which I have felt real fear, and I certainly will never forget.