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DOWNTOWN PATROL ON HORSEBACK
Josie is the favorite mount of Owen, the Shreveport Police Department’s mounted police unit’s trainer since 2015. As partners, they patrol the downtown area from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, greeting citizens and visitors, writing tickets and making arrests.

KEEPING AN EYE ON THE RED
Three thousand, four hundred, forty feet above sea level where the states of New Mexico and Texas meet, the Red River begins. It crosses part of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, then turns south and east across Louisiana before emptying into the Atchafalaya and Mississippi water system in West Feliciana Parish.

REPRIEVE FOR HISTORY
On Sept. 14, 2016, the boards of two downtown history museums – the Spring Street Historical Museum, whose exhibits tell the history of Shreveport, and the Shreveport Water Works Museum, the city’s first water plant, opened in 1887 – were invited to a meeting with Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler.

Protect Yourself from Scammers
The New Year doesn’t just ring in with confetti, noise-makers and hopeful anticipation – it also brings new opportunities for scammers and those looking to take advantage of others.

Out with the Old ...
On Friday, Jan. 20, the transfer of power will peacefully take place. Donald J. Trump will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States. President Barack Obama will return to the ranks of being just a citizen. That’s how our democracy works in America, even when there are different political philosophies and issues at stake.

New Administration
It has been said that 10 percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing. And that a positive anything is better than a negative nothing; that it’s better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly. Or, as Winston Churchill put it, “It is better to do something than to do nothing while waiting to do everything.

Grocer Vacates
Madison Park was one of Shreveport’s first shopping centers back in the day, and like many such centers, its attraction faded as the population moved south in Shreveport and especially along the crowded and busy arteries of Line and Youree. However, there has been renewed interested in recent years and, in fact, days in this area.

LIFE IS A PARADE
MARDI GRAS SEASON 2017 is already in full swing, yet this year seems to bring a bit more reflection as one of its most loved celebrants is transitioning to a new stage in life. Krewe of Highland member Robert Trudeau recently retired from his 35-year gig as a Caddo Magnet High School teacher, but no one really sees him slowing down much.

LIFE IS A PARADE
Lucky for us, there are multitudes of events going on in our area. We have Mardi Gras at our fingertips. It'd be silly not to take advantage. Thousands flock to Louisiana every year to take part. We, those rooted in the soil, should not look over the bounty that is Mardi Gras in our region.

REALITIES AND CHALLENGES OF METH ADDICTION
There is the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for breast cancer, the American Diabetes Association’s Step Out, Walk to Stop Diabetes, the Healthy Heart Run Walk, an ALS Recovery Fund 10K Run & 5K, the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis, and on and on.

Healthy Geezer
Balance exercises help prevent falls and, therefore, will keep you from breaking yourself and losing your independence. Each year, U.S. hospitals have 300,000 admissions for broken hips; many of them are the result of falls..

HEALTHY GEEZER
Among older adults, falls are the leading cause of injury deaths and the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma. Of all fall-related fractures, hip breaks cause the greatest number of deaths and lead to the most severe health problems and reduced quality of life.

FEIST-WEILLER CANCER CENTER FAMILY HEALTH DAY
LSU Health is partnering with University Health and ZERO: The End of Prostate Cancer to offer free screenings at Feist-Weiller, located at 1405 Kings Highway in Shreveport. Free screenings will include mammograms, prostate cancer, lung cancer (with low-dose CT scanning), colon cancer, blood pressure and glucose checks.

WEAR RED, RAISE YOUR VOICE
Wear Red Day is part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women campaign to increase awareness of heart disease – the leading cause of death for women – and to inspire women to take charge of their heart health. With your help, thev goal is to end the No.

TALK of the TOWN
THROUGH JAN. 31: “BIRDS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT: PREDECESSORS AND RIVALS OF JOHN JAMES AUDUBON,”.

Mardi Gras
FEB. 17: KREWE OF CENTAUR FLOAT LOADING PARTY,.

Columbia Museum
Hemphill, Texas – I remember exactly where I was on Feb. 1, 2003, when Columbia disintegrated with its seven astronauts while re-entering Earth's atmosphere. I was driving at E. 70th Street and Dixie Garden, running errands for my Mardi Gras ball that night and hearing the horrible news on the radio.

Classic Rock Renaissance
2016 proved to be the most successful since founder Mick Jones re-formed the band in 2004 by adding vocalist Kelly Hansen. Hansen, in a telephone interview, said the weight of the success of the band and its number of hits made him strive to give the songs justice.

on the SCENE
People have high school, college, family and military reunions. But who does an elementary school reunion? The A.C. Steere Class of 1976.

on the SCENE
Sports broadcaster Tim Brando became the 28th person inducted into the Northwest Louisiana Walk of Stars.