Mattress storein Shreveport, LA

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - Shreveport City Councilman Jim Taliaferro says he plans on proposing a pause on the controversial school zone speed camera program.

Hundreds of complaints have been made to KSLA about the cameras reportedly issuing erroneous tickets. The Shreveport City Council will meet Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. for an administrative meeting.

Many have also complained about the $50 fee that must be paid to Blue Line Solutions, the Tennessee company that operates the cameras, to dispute a ticket.

The cameras were first installed in some school zones across Shreveport at the start of the 2022-23 school year. Not long after they were put up, many people reached out to KSLA claiming they’d been ticketed outside of posted school zone times, when the lights weren’t flashing in the school zones, and even on weekends and holidays when school was not in session. The cameras automatically issue tickets to those speeding in school zones, however, some say the cameras do not work well and have been issuing tickets to the wrong cars.

Speeding tickets in school zones, during times when the driver wasn’t even speeding is an issue many Shreveport residents say they’re facing.

Longtime Shreveport resident Willie Dobin says he’s lived in the area for over 30 years and never received a speeding ticket on Jewella Avenue until the cameras were installed. He’s received two speeding tickets from the cameras and believes they aren’t accurate.

“We don’t have hard earned money to just pay you because you decide to put a camera up in an area that’s going to issue out tickets to poor people. I think it’s unfair. I think it’s wrong,” Dobin said.

[RELATED>>> SPD says speeding down thanks to school zone cameras]

Edith Nelson, another Shreveport resident says she frequents the school zone on Jewella Avenue because she picks up here children from school each day. She’s received over 20 tickets from this school zone, ranging from $50 to $150 dollars per ticket. She says she never speeds through the area.

“I come through this area and still get a ticket; I don’t know if it’s this or this. I just know I’m getting a picture of my car in the mail,” Nelson said.

Nelson says she even gets tickets in this school zone on the weekends when school isn’t even in session.

“So, if you’re clocking me for going 42 on Jewella on a Sunday in this school zone, do you think that it’s because the camera thinks school is in session?”

As Taliaferro heard complaints from residence, he wants to pause all school zone speeding tickets until the city can reassess each camera.

Copyright 2023 KSLA. All rights reserved.

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) — An Alabama-based infrastructure company that’s planning to build a privately funded toll bridge connecting Bossier and Caddo parishes is seeking approval of its required permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Back in 2022, the parishes approved and executed cooperative endeavor agreements with the company, Tim James Inc., allowing the development and construction of its tollway in the southern part of the parishes. The bridge will connect Shreveport and Bossier City over the Red River.

The company plans to build about eight miles of infrastructure that should alleviate traffic issues on both sides of the river. This will include stretches of new, free roads and will not replace any free roads or bridges in the parishes.

“The Red River Express is an eight-mile roadway that will be constructed in south Caddo Parish and south Bossier Parish,” project spokesman William Bradford said.

Red River Express will run between somewhere along Flournoy Lucas Road in Shreveport and some point along US 71 in Bossier City.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE>>> Developer seeks approval of toll bridge connecting Bossier, Caddo parishes

Tim James Inc. is trying to obtain the required permits for the bridge and roadway. KSA Engineers Inc. and Evans-Graves Engineers Inc. have been hired to guide the construction company through this process.

Tim James, Inc. is trying to obtain the required permits for the bridge and roadway.

“We are confident that we will be awarded our permits and that we will begin construction in 2024,” Tim James Sr. said. “[W]e will work hand in glove with each parish, the LaDOTD, other governmental agencies and stakeholders during the design, development and construction of this project.”

Those involved with the project believe the bridge will be impactful.

“South Bossier and South Caddo Parish are the fastest-growing economic corridors in our community,” Bradford said. “This has a major impact on the accessibility of the port, which is a huge economic driver of the community.

“We think this will have a massive impact on our position as a distribution hub for the nation,” the attorney continued. “It also connects the south sides of Caddo and Bossier parishes for headways and roadway times. It helps drive times. It helps alleviate traffic. We know that south Bossier has some major traffic concerns and are encumbered by those traffic concerns in their growth model.”

Many viewers of KSLA News 12 reached out to us on social media, saying they are upset at the idea of using taxpayer dollars to fund the bridge. But project leaders say that’s not the case.

“We are not taking dollars from the taxpayer. This is a private loan. In any scenario, this will be a privately funded project,” Bradford explained. “The developer will take (out) a loan and repay with interest to whomever the lender is. In no instance will we require a taxpayer to use our bridge, nor will we require a taxpayer to fund this bridge directly.”

Through private funding, the bridge will cost up to $100 million.

If you choose to use the tollway, you’ll have to pay at least $2 per vehicle. The heavier the vehicle, the higher the fee.

But leaders wanted to stress, using the Red River Express is still your choice.

“We don’t replace Jimmie Davis Bridge. We don’t replace Texas Street bridge. You can still use those routes if you choose,” Bradford said. “We believe that the customer will see that the saving in time and the quality of the roadway will be a benefit such that they use our route and the project will be successful.”

Construction of the toll bridge hopefully will start next year, he added.

Copyright 2023 KSLA. All rights reserved.

This past Sunday I really, really meant to get up, get ready and go to church and in hindsight, as a single woman who lives alone, that would have been the best thing for me, but I didn't. Let me explain why that's important.

I'm a 'partner' at the Simple Church and the series we're in now is called 'partners' and it's all about the importance of human connection. This week's specific service was about finding happiness and that it's not found in any kind of academic or business success or in fame and fortune. It's found in connecting with people. That's why I should I have gotten my tail out of bed and gotten ready and hauled myself to church instead of streaming it from home in bed, alone. Keyword = alone.

Justin Haigler, our pastor at Simple Church, shared some shocking stats from an 85-year-long study from Havard regarding happiness. The end result was that they found that 'positive relationships keep us happier, healthier, and help us live longer. Period.' That's pretty concise if you ask me. He went on to share some more information regarding loneliness, especially in the wake of the pandemic during which a lot of people became more isolated than ever before. Click here for the infographic regarding 'Depression Statistics Everyone Should Know.'

Sadly, 61% of Americans reported feeling lonely in another recent study he sourced... that's up 7% from the previous year. Clearly, this is an issue that needs addressing. FYI, if you're wondering exactly who Gen Z is, they're the folks born in the mid-'90s through the early 2010s.

Statista

Disturbing, isn't it? As a single who lives alone and someone who did so through the majority of the pandemic, I can tell you, yes, I understand what it is to be lonely. If you ever feel like you need to talk and don't feel like you have anyone to talk to, call 988 or you can text "START" to 741-741 and a live, trained specialist will respond back to you. I also invite you to join us at Simple Church. It can be hard, I get it, I really do, but don't give up! YOU ARE WORTH IT!

This weekend is one huge Mardi Gras celebration all across the state of Louisiana. Want to see the parades in New Orleans but don't want to make the drive? We've got you covered! This is your chance to watch all of the biggest Mardi Gras parades New Orleans has to offer via live stream!

So, if you'd like to enjoy your hurricane while relaxing on your couch from the comfort of your own home, you can! I don't know about you, but I don't know if I could handle a Bourbon Street crowd during Mardi Gras anymore. Just thinking about the soupy swamp coating the ground in the French Quarter makes me cringe. Don't get me wrong, I love Mardi Gras, I just like it a little cleaner these days;)

See the complete 2023 Mardi Gras Calendar of Events for NWLA

Here's the schedule of parades in New Orleans through Fat Tuesday. Click here for the NOLA.com parade cam so you don't miss a minute of the action!

French QuarterKrewe of Bosom Buddies 11:30 amUptown New OrleansKrewe of Hermes 5:30 pmKrewe d'Etat 6:30 pmKrewe of Morpheus 7:00 pmSlidellKrewe of Selene 6:30 pm

This cam is perfect for people watching on Bourbon Street

Uptown New OrleansKrewe of Iris 11:00 amKrewe of Tucks 12:00 pmWestbankKrewe of NOMTOC 10:45 amMid-CityKrewe of Endymion 4:00 pmBushKrewe of Bush 9:00 amKennerKrewe of Isis 6:00 pm

MetairieKrewe of Athena 5:00 pmKrewe of AtlasUptown New OrleansKrewe of Okeanos 11:00 amKrewe of Mid-CityKrewe of Thoth 12:00 pmKrewe of Bacchus 5:15 pm

MetairieKrewe of Centurions 6:30 pmUptown New OrleansKrewe of Proteus 5:15 pmKrewe of Orpheus 6:00 pm

MetairieKrewe of Elks JeffersonKrewe of JeffersonKrewe of Argus 12:00 pmUptown New OrleansKrewe of Zulu 8:00 amKrewe of Rex 10:30 amKrewe of Elks OrleansKrewe of Crescent CityCovingtonCarnival in Covington 10:00 amFolsomKrewe of Folsom 2:00 pm

LOS ANGELES - Meet child. Her journey in Los Angeles started three years ago, but before she was an artist and video director, child., she was lovingly called 'child' by her family back home in Shreveport.

“People who know me back home, I play ball, I am a basketball player,” said child., but she’s so much more than that.

She’s a self-proclaimed, free bird. Flying around without a set plan, believing that God has a bigger plan for her to land on.

“I remember graduating from Byrd and everyone knowing what college they were going to and I was like ‘I don’t know, nor do I care, like, wherever God brings me or wherever life brings me is where I’m going to go,” child. said.

child., failed her first year in college and didn’t know what she wanted to do. She worked odd jobs here and there, and her parents made her go to Southern University Shreveport Louisiana where she had a professor that helped shape her future.

“One of the professors was like you should go to Clark Atlanta," said child. "And that's how I got to Clark Atlanta, which is where I learned and understood that you could get paid for your ideas.”

Though she understood the concept of getting paid for her own creative ideas, the pay didn’t come until further down the road. “A lot of broke nights, a lot of let’s figure it out,” said child.

And figure it out she did, she began taking tour photos of artists thanks to a chance introduction through her best friend's job at Def Jam Records.

“I remember one day Abu and Akon basically was like go grab my camera and record me," said child. "I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, they gave me the camera, I think it was a Canon Mark II or something, they gave me the camera and I went and filmed them at an event and that’s how it happened, that’s how I got introduced to film making.”

In 2018 child. moved to California where she began her career. She is completely anonymous in the industry, meaning you won't see this Shreveport native's name in any credits or headlines, hence the name child. and the facemask.

"I wanted to choose a name that represents me as a whole and I feel like when you are a child you are innocent, you have this whole outlook of life of what life could be or should be before the world kind of takes that or taints that so I always want to create from an honest child presence,” said child.

This year has already started off on a high note for her as a Grammy nominee for her music video with Doja Cat. Now, she's moving forward taking her own advice, allowing herself to feel all sorts of emotions, and opening up to share her story to serve as representation for other young girls and boys, especially her community back home in Shreveport.

Recently, the Shreveport City Council passed a resolution honoring child. for her accomplishments.

(The Center Square) — The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services' error rate for processing federal food assistance jumped dramatically in recent years, particularly for cases that were denied, suspended or terminated.

Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack issued a report on how DCFS administers Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in response to House Resolution 248 from the 2022 regular session, which requested an efficiency audit.

In addition to the high error rates, auditors found an increase in complaints in 2022, as well as longer wait times for DCFS' Customer Service Call Center over the last 14 months.

The report shows that the vast majority of SNAP cases closed by the department were not for income eligibility reasons, but rather non-financial procedural reasons.

"During federal fiscal years 2018 through 2022, 1,202,816 (81.1%) of 1,482,998 SNAP cases that closed were closed for non-financial procedural reasons, and from January 2019 through February 2020, 61,628 (59.5%) of 103,510 cases closed were churned, meaning they were re-opened within 90 days of closure," auditors wrote.

The churn came as DCFS errors increased significantly between 2018 and 2022.

"The percent of active SNAP cases reviewed for (quality control) that had errors rose from 4.4% in federal fiscal year 2018 to 44.9% in 2022, while the percent of negative SNAP cases reviewed for (quality control) and had errors increased from 33.2% to 59.8%," according to the report.

Active cases refers to households participating in SNAP, while the negative cases involves those denied, suspended, or terminated.

Auditors also noted that while DCFS has a process to track complaints about SNAP, missing data means it's difficult to follow trends on whether complaints are valid or resolved.

"For example, while there is a field for inputting if a complaint is valid or invalid, 760 (35.4%) of 2,146 complaint records were blank in this field," according to the LLA report. "During federal fiscal years 2018 through 2022, there were an average of 846,525 SNAP participants each year and during that time, DCFS received at least 2,146 complaints."

A breakdown of the complaints shows 644 in 2018, before declining to a low of 167 in 2020. The complaints then increased to 749 in 2022.

The final finding of the report focuses on the contractual obligations for DCFS' Customer Service Call Center vendor. The DCFS contract calls for the average speed to answer calls not to exceed six minutes, but auditors found times were longer in seven of 14 months reviewed.

"The average speed ranged from a high of 50 minutes and 49 seconds in September 2021 to a low of nine seconds in October 2022," the report read.

DCFS Secretary Terri Ricks responded to the LLA report in a letter to Waguespack on Feb. 17 that concurred with the findings and outlined what DCFS is doing to resolve them.

DCFS sent a corrective action memo to staff on entering complaints into the tracking system, and vowed to follow through with each complaint through resolution with staff assigned to each complaint. Monthly reports on the complaints will also be reviewed by the customer relations manager on a quarterly basis, and will be shared with regional administrators and directors to identify trends or training opportunities, Ricks wrote.

In addition, Ricks vowed DCFS' client services manager will hold weekly meetings with the call center vendor to hold them to contract requirements, and to withhold partial payment if it doesn't resolve issues within a month.

"If the deficiency is not corrected within the 30 days of the corrective action period, the CSC vendor will receive a reduction of 5% of each month's invoice up to 20%, beginning the first month of the corrective action period," Ricks wrote.

For subsequent issues, DCFS will impose the reduction without the 30 day corrective action period.

Ricks also promised to use call data to identify peak times for staffing, as well as employees who may not be conducting proper interviews.