Dear Friends – As 2011 comes to an end and we begin a new year, it's important to reflect on the challenges we've overcome and recharge as we prepa...

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Dear friends, As we enter the final days of 2011 and having enjoyed the celebrations of Christmas, Hanukkah and the fellowship of friends and famil...

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From Ken--- While the historic decline of the Tangipahoa School System remains the top story in the Florida Parishes, there's usually no point in ...

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Dear Editor at Action News 17,    The Tickfaw Area Chamber of Commerce would like to thank Mayor Tony Lamonte and all our council members...

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From Senator Jack Donahue of Covington, pictured with his wife Maura   With the holidays here, it is the perfect time to share with you my grat...

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I am writing to tell you about my friend Amy. Christmas is the time where people is the most generous, which I am very grateful for but it is Jesus’s ...

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Why are so many local politicians, dependent on public opinion to remain in office, afraid of offending Mark Kolwe? Shouldn't they worry about offendi...

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  Parents Way Around KolweParents in Tangipahoa Parish: you have a way around the uncaring and horrible school board that doesn't include private...

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You know what they say, "Timing is everything." Those who attended the Tangipahoa Parish School Board meeting Tuesday night got a great lesson in jus...

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From Ken--- When a backwards and utterly undemocratic hermit dictatorship like Burma or North Korea appoints a "new" leader, there is no suspense...

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New Blog from Ken: Who's the unfairest in the land? The Tangipahoa School Board will probably stop a charter school from offering an alternativ...

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The coach who can't be firedIn November with great sadness I reported that Southeastern had opted to fire Head Football Coach Mike Lucas, obviously be...

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Pat Farris, Communications Director for Leadership Tangipahoa is shown here with Sheree Pack-Hookfin. Farris supplied the following Letter to the Edit...

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The song remains the sameDespite the lowest ranking in the history of the Tangipahoa School System,  the school board has not changed anything. Are yo...

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Lessons from the election Here are some thoughts now that the fall election cycle is over.1)  Negative campaigns often fail.People always look for abs...

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Crime Doesn't PayBy State Treasurer John KennedyNovember 18, 2011Most people don't think of education when they think of prison.  They think of punish...

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 From Travis Clark:When I was appointed by the Walker Board of Aldermen in January 2004 to serve out the remainder of Mike Grimmer’s term as May...

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It's all your fault, Ponchatoula If you live anywhere between Bedico and Pumpkin Center, you deserve 100% of the "credit" for the Tangipahoa School...

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Once again, I watched the national news this morning in shock as another tragic incident of child sexual abuse unfolds. I still find myself asking how...

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 From Governor Bobby Jindal:Louisiana winning praise for economic development, in the Alexandria Town Talk"It is profoundly good news that Louisi...

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Election results underwhelmingLast night for the first time in weeks I ate a big, fast food dinner.You can easily imagine how I felt afterwards.That's...

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Dear Friends – This week we received more good news about our state's economic climate.  Site Selection magazine ranked Louisiana the #7 busi...

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To whom it may concern,   I am a tax paying, law abiding citizen concerned about the number of DUI'S a person is allowed to get in this parish ...

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I am Corey Delahoussaye owner and President of C-Del Inc of Denham Springs and I proud to announce a contest whereby our leaders of tomorrow have a vo...

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This week the Department of Education issued its report card on the quality of our schools and it shows we've got a lot of work to do to make sure tha...

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Dear Editor​I am supporting Carlos Notariano in the upcoming election for parish president.Gordon Burgess has given the parish creditable service as p...

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H. BUTCH BROWNING STATE FIRE MARSHAL                                ...

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 Why don't we keep score? Blog from Ken  Two weeks ago, when the AP poll was released naming the LSU Tigers #1 by a wide margin, t...

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MEYERS AGREES WITH SONGY THAT ROEMER POLL MISLEADINGDenham Springs, LA—Elizabeth “Beth” Meyers, a retired Livingston Parish teacher also challenging R...

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District 2 Parish Council Candidate Danny Long at his home east of Ponchatoula Thank you very much for the opportunity to express my views of the b...

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Friends –   New national figures that came out this week make our case clear: our work in prioritizing job creation and creating an economic en...

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Louisiana Candidate Filing – Day 3 (Things heat up – a little – on the last day) By John Couvillion Candidate filing has concluded in Louisiana. T...

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Dear Editor:   Let me get this straight,  police confiscated 49 pairs of athletic shoes (sneakers?) from LSU quarter back Jefferson’s apar...

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Think with your brain in the next election Sometimes, it makes you wonder. Do people vote backwards? Why are the most important elections the on...

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR SUBMISSION Monday, August 15, 2011 In its recent session, the Louisiana Legislature faced a $1.6 billion budget deficit, pr...

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HOW THE LEGISLATURE BALANCED THE BUDGETBy State Treasurer John KennedyIn its recent session, the Louisiana Legislature faced a $1.6 billion budget def...

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Please allow me to break format and write about national issues. US loses AAA rating, according to Standard and Poor's If $20 is missing from th...

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As President Obama celebrates his 50th birthday this week, it is a time to reflect. Reflecting on the last few years, we remember when the President t...

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Hello: I am writing to for two reasons.  First and foremost, I want to say thank you for your recent reports about St. Helena Parish. Having lived and...

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The Tangipahoa School Board have made their bed. Sadly, the whole parish has to lie in it. Let's get one thing straight: The school board decided t...

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Punish the achievers, Reward failure By Ken Benitez For years the joke about the Tangipahoa School System was that if a teacher or principal ...

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WHERE ARE THE TEACHER UNIONS TODAY?      I may be misinformed or just assumed something someone told me recently was true, but ...

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The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker . . . no, more like the builder, the farmer, the hardware store owner . . . or perhaps the teacher, the ...

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 For whom the bell tolls By Ken Benitez Ever since the desegregation plan was unveiled by the Tangipahoa School Board more than two years a...

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Use All the Crayons! There is a wave in our culture that is capable of doing great damage. It seems to be more prevalent during the political seaso...

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So As It Was in the Days of Noah...... "So as it was in the days of Noah....," we can see the signs all across our country. It's like riding on a f...

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Well, first of all the title probably should read ” The Tangipahoa Parish School Board Problem .” It appears to me that the school board certainly ha...

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Traditionally, politicians said that the public didn't care about the national debt. And they were correct, at the time. Many good statesmen, like ...

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The price of apathyIn 1982 the voters of Tangipahoa Parish were very skeptical of local government. They had repeatedly turned down taxes for the poli...

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A glossary for school board speak In George Orwell's "1984", the Ministry of Plenty kept the people poor, the Ministry of Love was responsible for ...

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From Ken: Let's be fair. When Parish Councilman Nicky Muscarello made a motion to offer a simple resolution endorsing a charter school proposed for H...

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Don't blame the judge or the NAACP. The Tangipahoa School Board is 100% responsible, which means that it is your fault. By Ken Benitez In any su...

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Governor Bobby Jindal's 40th birthday columnWe are coming down to the final days of the Legislative Session in Baton Rouge and I wanted to give a quic...

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The Lawyers Reign  in School Board World By Ken Benitez According to the paradigm created by the  Tangipahoa School Board, all we can ...

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At Dawn We Slept Is there no limit to the treachery of the Tangipahoa School Board? After spending six months behind closed doors writing a fantas...

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Dear Friends,This week we announced another great economic development win for Baton Rouge and our entire state. BitRaider, a digital media company th...

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They don't get it. Tangipahoa voters who expected change following the historic April 30 election have been disappointed that the school board has ...

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Dear Editor:   RE:  LEAP test results   LEAP scores continue to rise and everyone seems pleased.  I, for one,  am cautiou...

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The Case for Ron Paul   Recently, Texas Congressman Ron Paul announced that he is seeking the nomination for the Republican Party to compete ag...

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Will the school board bow to public opinion or stick with their plan? By Ken Benitez Let me say right off the bat that there is absolutely, posi...

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LOUISIANA UNDER SIEGE BY MISSISSIPPI RIVER! By Jim Brown Randy Newman’s song, Louisiana 1927, hit home to many residents up and down the Mississip...

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Tangi School Board and our money By CB Forgotston   On April 30, the voters of Tangipahoa Parish crushed four tax propositions on the ballot.&...

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Judge Ivan Lemelle – you have violated the Judicial Cannon which is the Code of Conduct for Federal Judges and should recuse yourself immediately. &#...

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Ken's Blog Allow me to bring you the news: In spite of the rejection of the Tangipahoa School Board's plan by the largest majority in the parish's hi...

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 Letter to the Editor... St. Tammany Fire District No.1 says 'Thank You!' On behalf of the members and commissioners of St. Tammany Fire Di...

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Over the course of the next few weeks we expect to see the Mississippi River rise to historical levels and that's why we are taking action right now t...

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Thursday, May 5th, 2011 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WILL OSAMA BIN LADEN CONTINUE TO HAUNT US? The most wanted war criminal in the world is now dea...

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Sign purchased by a voter   People have their say After over two years of behind-the-scenes plotting by the Tangipahoa Parish School Board (...

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Taxes are too low? Now I've heard everything!President Harry Truman famously said,"There are liars, damned liars, and then there are statisticians".Yo...

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We don't need a new stadium. We need a new coach. Great football teams with traditions of winning are not dependent on stadiums. The world-champio...

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The Tangipahoa Parish School Board Tax Proposals April 8, 2011 by Richard Dees In a few weeks there will be an important election in Tangipahoa Par...

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The Tangipahoa Parish School Board ("TPSB") has quietly set about sneaking by the people an election for massive property and sales tax increases in T...

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From Governor Bobby Jindal---Today we announced yet another huge economic development win for Louisiana. A new, state-of-the-art export grain terminal...

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By Ken Benitez       In his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Profiles in Courage", John F. Kennedy told the stories of heroic s...

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We all laugh at the crazy alcohol laws here in Louisiana. Where else can you get a bourbon and coke to go? Where else can you buy cold beer and eve...

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$191 million and they are broke? Apparently, the four tax propositions on the April 30 ballot are all about need. Mark Kolwe says the system needs...

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They call it an election, but what the Tangipahos School Board wants to do on April 30 is the exact opposite of democracy. When Andy Anderson, Chri...

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RAISING CAIN AT THE NORTHSHORE TEA PARTY By Jeff Crouere Last Saturday at the Fleur de Lis Center in Mandeville, LA, Herman Cain wowed a jammed ...

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If you are a school board employee, your assailant wants to send you flowers By Ken Benitez Too strong an analogy? How about this: The thief who...

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From Governor Bobby Jindal---We again had the opportunity to announce more great news for Louisiana's economy on Tuesday, when we joined Bradken Engin...

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By Ken Benitez Every night I watch with wonder and admiration the pictures of brave men and women in Eygpt who have finally had enough. ...

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New blog from Ken Benitez By now, those who value "success" and monetary gain above all else have left Louisiana, much less our Tangipahoa Parish. ...

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Blog from Ken Benitez There is no substitute for courage. A man of average intelligence, like me, can compensate by surrounding himself with people...

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WHY  LOUISIANA SHOULD BE FOR THE GREEN BAY PACKERS? By Jim Brown So who ya’ rootin’ for in the Super Bowl game on Sunday?  It’s an easy ...

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The vote of the Tangipahoa School Board Tuesday night to defy the clear will of the people was stunning and without precedent. In this Tea Party year...

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Dear Mr. Benitez, I just finished reading your "opinion" article titled "A lesson for Tangipahoa teachers:  The only thing we have to fear..."...

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A lesson for Tangipahoa teachers By Ken Benitez

 These days, I am often told of the "climate of fear" in Tangipahoa public schools, not fear of...

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Thursday, January 27th, 2011 New Orleans, Louisiana BOB DYLAN AND THE MURDERS IN NEW ORLEANS! By Jim Brown---New Orleans is off to a fast start...

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Ask an Attorney   By Parker Layrisson   "Can my Facebook page be used against me legally?"   Think before you click!  Louisi...

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From Jeff Couere---After eight years in prison, Edwin Edwards has finally been released. He started his prison sentence in October 2002 in Fort Worth ...

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Comments made by School Board member Sonya Traylor at the Dec. 7 Board meeting:   I am very thankful for the past two and a half years and feel...

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Save Money by Improving Our Charity Hospitals By State Treasurer John Kennedy Louisiana has 10 state-owned, taxpayer-funded public hospitals, spre...

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"Just" when you think the news from the School Board couldn't get much worse, recent headlines probably have us all a little on edge about what's co...

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Now it's official. US District Judge Ivan "The Terrible" Lemelle has ordered the Tangipahoa School Board to put three tax propositions on the April 2...

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From Ken Benitez--- We can agree and disagree on opinions, but Judge Ivan the Terrible is demonstrably wrong on the facts. Allow me to cite five fa...

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First, let me share with you the exact order issued today in the long-standing Tangipahoa School board desegregation case:   "IT IS ORDERED tha...

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Remember a few years ago when the notorious "meter maids" in downtown New Orleans were widely condemned for overzealous parking ticket writing? In ...

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On Wednesday the Tangipahoa Board of Election Supervisors promulgated the returns from the October 2nd election. Admittedly, that was a pretty boring...

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Those who thought that Saturday's election would put an end to the most unpopular tax package in local history have had a rude awakening. Basically, ...

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If you had any doubt that the current school board was still irrevocably committed to making every effort possible to raise your taxes ENORMOUSLY next...

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Alabama historian Winston Broom has written a new account of the storied siege of Vicksburg that challenges the conventional wisdom of Civil War buffs...

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Military historians and Civil War buffs like me have been fascinated by Pickett's Charge up Cemetery Ridge for almost 150 years. It is arguably the m...

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The loss of Rube Rogers may be impossible to understand for people who have never lived in Tangipahoa Parish.    Let me share that I alwa...

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LOST IN SPACE: OBAMA’S NASA PROGRAM   The idiocy of the Obama administration continues to amaze us, even after eighteen months of leftist polic...

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By: Scott Ploof--Ponchatoula native currently living in New Orleans and former candidate for State Representative ...

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Hell yes, says columnist Jim Brown  Roseanne Roseannadannasummed it up pretty well in trying to make sense out of the trials and tribulations ...

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Board eyes capital needs, awards contract extensions for some administrators, dodges Carmon questions--during public session "A LOT OF MONEY WE'RE TA...

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Curtailing School Board travel? Notes, notes, and more notes....A rain delay halts School Board meeting and the quiet loss of Carmon Moore TAKING...

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This is neither the first time nor the last time that I quote Willie Nelson from his song, "Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth", in reference to the ...

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In a recent letter to the editor of the Hammond paper, Tangipahoa Parish School Board member Al Link defended his ethically-challenged, colleague Dann...

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If you could follow me around for a week or so as I travel across the Florida Parishes you would notice something curious. In Slidell the Sheriff's Of...

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Saturday was a beautiful day in Tangipahoa Parish.  The sun was shining; the temperature hit a high of 75 degrees.  It seemed that people we...

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Finally, we the voters have a problem that no one among us can blame on the reviled "politicians". On Saturday, only 5.1% of approximately 19,500 vot...

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So the fix is in, or that's the conventional wisdom. From those more intelligent, or at least better connected than you or me, the narrative goes lik...

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Traditionally, when only a tax proposition is on the ballot, voter turn-out is low. Of course, politicians know this well and often use this tactic t...

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EDITOR'S NOTE: Political columnist and Louisiana government watchdog C.B. Forgotston of Hammond is a well-known and oft-published editorial writer of ...

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With the myriad of problems facing Louisiana, it is beyond ridiculous that some state legislators are once again worried about the wardrobe of youngst...

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