DNA frees man to test system, again

Leesville's Rickey Johnson is a free man, wrongly convicted of rape in 1983. Some conflicting evidence at the time might have raised issues, but it took DNA and more than 25 years for Johnson to find true freedom after a miscarriage of justice.

In a January 15 Times story, Johnson said, "I can never get back what I lost and I'm not going to try. I'm just going to focus on the future." Concerned about whether he could get a driver's license, he did that first.

But he should get some compensation, a nest egg, thanks to legislation passed in 2005. When the euphoria of the moment passes, this is money he will need and should pursue.

When Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover was a legislator, he stood before a large group gathered at the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Group at the now-closed Pete Harris Cafe touting cases of other wrongly convicted people. His inspiring message alongside the testimony of people like Calvin Willis, wrongly convicted of rape and freed on DNA evidence after 21 years in jail, helped gain support for a bill that offers some compensation for the state's error.

Willis still hasn't received any money for his unjust incarceration. Will Johnson get the $150K he is due given his now-clean slate? Will the system fail again?

Photo by Vickie Welborn/The Times: Rickey Johnson wipes tears from his eyes while holding onto a sister after reading a judge's order that formally declares him free of the aggravated rape charge of which he was wrongly convicted in January 1983. Johnson, 52, of Leesville, was freed Monday after more than 25 years of wrongful incarceration.

Bayou Bliss; LSU triumphs, again

“From fake field goals to close calls to triple-overtime losses to coaching rumors to BCS shakeups, there’s never been a college football season like this one. From start to finish, each weekend felt like a no-one-could-have-scripted-it-this-way event. And at the forefront were our LSU Tigers. Sure, they started the season ranked at the top of the polls, but no one could predict how they would finish there. “

James Carville, an LSU alum and political consultant, shares his passion for LSU football writing the Foreword for The Times’ new book, “Bayou Bliss”.

The 176-page labor of love is available thanks to some of Louisiana’s greatest sports journalists. Five newspapers came together to create this one-of-a-kind coffee-table book of photos, stories and stats for each game. It is a document of an amazing football season for LSU. The 34-page championship chapter is complete.

“… And it sure feels good to win!”

Carville is an author, actor, producer, speaker, and restaurateur. Currently, Carville is hosting XM Satellite Radio's "60/20 Sports". He became America's best-known political consultant after he helped William Jefferson Clinton win the Presidency in 1992.

LSU photos posted are by Greg Pearson/The Times. These and more can be viewed in photo galleries posted at LSUbeat.com and shreveporttimes.com.

Off "The Island" ... New Orleans still hurts

"This city remains in shambles," says Times columnist.
Roy Lang III, assistant sports editor on assignment to the BCS National Championship in New Orleans, is struck by the contrast between the normalcy of life in the French Quarter and what lies a short drive away: "Many will assume New Orleans has recovered from the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall 28 months ago. New Orleanians wouldn't want it any other way — the people of this city need folks to believe such a recovery has been made."
Journalists descending on New Orleans report inside and outside the Superdome. Lang's headline: " 'The Island' will shine tonight while rest of New Orleans cries for help"

Photos by Mike Silva/The Times: 1. After all this time a teddy bear still remains in a home that was flooded when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. 2. A group of pink tents sit in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans. They are part of the Make it Right Project started by actor Brad Pitt in hopes of repopulating the ravaged area.
See the gallery of Katrina Damage.

Troop deployment photos iconic

Times photographer Douglas Collier captured memorable and classic images from the Louisiana Army National Guard’s 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion deployment. Many of the moments shared in his photo gallery speak volumes about the sacrifice and commitment of our neighbors and friends beginning their mission in Iraq.

Photo by Douglas Collier/The Times: Major James Allen of Bossier City, La. kisses his son goodbye while he and his fellow members of the Louisiana Army National Guard's 165th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion were deployed January 6, 2007 from the Combat Support Sustainment Battalion HQ in Bossier City to Mississippi for training.

This image is iconic like many we've seen in Life, Time or other news magazines' wartime coverage.

See the photo gallery of Saturday's farewell event in Bossier City.

Joy Fund exceeds expectations

Smiles galore, food for families and much warmth was provided through The Times Joy Fund. This is due to Times readers who shared their good fortune with those less fortunate. The lists of donations published daily in the newspaper and online are inspiring. The honorariums and memorials are touching.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for contributing.

The Times Joy Fund donations totaled $108,310.30, exceeding the $100K goal for 2007. A few additional donations are still trickling in to start next year’s fund. Of the 26 nonprofit projects proposed, 18 were funded. The Salvation Army received $40K for their ongoing campaign to assure homeless and needy children are cared for during the toughest time of the year.

Here is how the outpouring of generosity made a difference:
1. Caddo Council on Aging prepared meals for 1,000 homebound seniors and goody bags for seniors at 11 sites, $2,800.
2. Joy Home for Boys provided shoes for 22 boys and provided a Christmas event, $2,000.
3. Johnny Gray Jones Regional Shelter purchased Christmas gifts for the youth housed at the shelter who ordinarily would not have a Christmas at all, $1,500.
4. Bossier Council on Aging delivered Christmas stockings to 500 homebound clients, $2,500.
5. Biedenharn Center for Women’s Issues made Christmas better for 12 women and 16 children, $2,000.
6. Community Support Programs provided toys and gifts for abused and neglected children and teenagers, $2,000.
7. Interfaith Pharmacy provided free diabetic supplies – $150 offers a one month’s supply, $3,000.
8. Community Renewal International assisted 10 coordinators with events at their Friendship Houses in at-risk and low income neighborhoods, $5,000.
9. Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana distributed food to 2,000 senior citizens living in poverty and over 500 children, $5,000.
10. Volunteers of America provided gifts and basic assistance to 1,200 children and parents, senior citizens and people with disabilities, $16,000
11. Providence House provided assistance to 65 homeless families and children, $16,000.
12. Martin Luther King Health Center provided laboratory testing for a patient base of 400, $1,500.
13. Hilman House purchased age-specific gifts for children with cystic fibrosis and will purchase food for families in need, $1,700.
14. Unity in Prayer Outreach Ministries provided help for at-risk children and needy families, $1,480.
15. Hope Youth Ranch Inc. provided residential services for 69 boys ages 8-17, $1,530.
16. The Salvation Army provided angel tree gifts for children and helped the homeless and senior citizens with clothing and food, $40,000.30.
17. Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission provided emergency food, clothing and shelter to homeless men in need, $1,800.
18. Philadelphia Center served food and bought gifts for children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, $2,500.

Next year, our goal will be $120K, an amount reached in 2006. The additional monies in the 2008 goal may allow more families in area neighborhoods to receive food and toys. We hope to give more to the VOA and Providence House for their large holiday projects too. For those proposals unfunded this year, we are maintaining a file of the requests as we review the agencies closer and work to receive more funding next year.

It is a joy to live in a community filled with so many caring and giving members. Thank you again for blessing those in need.

Photos (top to bottom):

1. Twins Emma and Gracie Ryan, 2, play at the Highland Center Child Development Center. Their mother, Amy Ryan, is a student who works as a teacher's aide and doesn't have money left for Christmas after paying the bills. (Mike Silva/The Times)

2. Curala Dyer, The Salvation Army's local Angel Tree coordinator, shows off one of the "ornaments" from the tree in Pierre Bossier Mall in Bossier City. (Jim Hudelson/The Times)

Independence Bowl shines bright

The glow of Independence Stadium in Shreveport filled with bowl game fans was a great sight Sunday night. All gathered to see Alabama and Colorado fight for bragging rights following their 6-6 seasons.
'Bama never gave up their early lead. They won 30-24.
What started out as a 'Bama blowout though turned into a game. Colorado's offense finally showed up in the second half and started a run that kept fans worried and hopeful until 2 minutes remained.
Relive the game and review The Times coverage at the Independence Bowl site (located at shreveporttimes.com).

Notes for attending next year:
1. Use the parking shuttles available at area shopping malls. Save yourself the hassle of parking and traffic. The shuttle remained efficient and easy-to-use.
2. If you have bleacher tickets, be prepared to move from assigned seating. People standing and rabble rousers make it hard to watch the game, and shifting to open seats with an open view really isn't a problem after the first quarter.
3. Review the weather carefully. As the temperature dropped Sunday, gloves, jackets and blankets were a godsend watching sweatshirt-clad fans shiver.
4. Consider the crowd. Children will be exposed to cursing and drinking. This is not a major problem until profanity is directed back at the crowd. Some college-aged folks act untamed, and talking reason to them will yield little good. Move again to keep the experience fun.

Multiple photo galleries of fans and action are ready for viewing (sampling of images above right).

No more computer bugs in 2008

As each of us compile our New Year’s resolutions, consider Times reporter Alexandyr Kent’s collection of technology resolutions. Computer guru Thomas Avallone offers compelling testimony to motivate better computer habits, "I've had bugs crawl out of laptops.”

Listed today:
1. De-clutter the desktop
2. Organize your Inbox
3. Audit bookmarks, pictures, music files and buddy lists
4. Smoking is bad for computers, too
5. Keep crumbs and critters at bay
6. Reduce the wire count
7. Secure Wi-Fi home network
8. Update virus software regularly
9. Back up files regularly
10. Consolidate address books

We should note that spraying a can of Raid into a computer to debug is not recommended.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and all that jazz

Joy Fund beginning to make a difference

Thanks to the progress made collecting Joy Fund donations (totaling $72,762.30 at the hour of this post), holiday giving projects are starting to receive the support they need.

1. Caddo Council on Aging is preparing meals for 1000 homebound seniors and goody bags for seniors at eleven sites.
2. Joy Home for Boys will buy shoes for 22 boys and provide a Christmas event.
3. Johnny Gray Jones Regional Shelter will purchase Christmas gifts for the youth housed at the shelter who ordinarily would not have a Christmas at all.
4. Bossier Council on Aging is delivering Christmas stockings to 500 homebound clients.
5. Biedenharn Center for Women’s Issues will help make Christmas better for 12 women and 16 children.
6. Community Support Programs will provide toys and gifts for abused and neglected children and teenagers.

Other Joy Fund projects include efforts by the Salvation Army; Providence House; Northwest Louisiana Interfaith Pharmacy; Volunteers of America of North Louisiana; Shreveport-Bossier Community Renewal; MLK Health Center and The Philadelphia Center.

As annual givers understand, we give a major portion of the fund to the Salvation Army every year ($52K in 2006), buying clothes, blankets, food and gifts for the homeless and underprivileged they serve. This year they will provide gifts for 2,000 families. The Providence House and Volunteers of America have received as much as $20K in good years, bringing Christmas toys and gifts to families and children in their care programs (The after-school LightHouse program is one example). The Philadelphia Center will provide a special event/toys for children touched by AIDS.

Reaching our goal ($100K) will serve the holiday projects mentioned. Exceeding the goal allows some additional projects to receive help just like last year.

More requests keep coming. I have a folder of not-yet-funded events and toy projects for underprivileged children served by churches and agencies in our coverage area.

Please continue to give.

The Times to build $15M press facility; offset European press (WIFAG) expected to roll in 2010

When your company (Gannett) invests in a $15M printing press project against negative prognostications for print newspapers, you say THANK YOU.

The Times has purchased an offset press and will build a facility on our existing property in downtown Shreveport.

What does this mean to local newspaper readers?

· In color and sharpness, think USA Today.

· Crisp, sophisticated graphics.

· Photographs with depth and detail.

· Refined and easier-to-read text.

· A uniquely modern product.

“We believe print is here to stay, even though the Internet is a bigger part of what we do,” Times Publisher Pete Zanmiller says in today’s announcement story. “This press will allow us to give a modern-day paper to the city.”

When The Times puts its 1960s letterpress to rest in 2010, our European press replacement will position your newspaper for the future. Vivid offset color will be available on every page for news and information and for advertisers. The new format will be the more portable and easier-to-handle Berliner format, an 18.5-by-11-inch page size. (The press was developed and manufactured by WIFAG.)

This press will make us the third North American paper to commit to the Berliner format, following the successful 2006 conversion of another Gannett newspaper, Lafayette, Ind., and the expected 2009 conversion of the Reading (Pa) Eagle.

Producing a higher-quality product on a modern press means we’ll be delivering news to doorsteps for years to come. While more and more people go online, the masses still enjoy their morning newspaper. We are in the hands of more than 130K readers every day (200K on Sundays). Many of those same readers are online too, tracking news updates.

Along with online-only readers, shreveporttimes.com visitors (Over 400K per month) are viewing more than 6M pages of news, photos and videos each month. News consumption isn’t wavering; it’s just changing. And we are changing with it.

If you want to be involved in helping mold The Times of the future, send me a line and a little bit about yourself. I’m building a list of dedicated readers who want to help build the next incarnation of The Times. We’ll have a few informal meetings in 2008 as a prelude to the hands-on work we’ll do in 2009.

With all that is happening in our community ( I-49 to Cyber Command to the burgeoning movie industry (movies coming, extras, Denzel Washington), it’s about time for a face-lift. An offset press producing bright color, crisp text and graphics will showcase many of the great moments yet to come.

Times photo: The Times purchased this four-story, 1991 WIFAG Press from a company in Switzerland. The press is a WIFAG OF 790, currently in operation in Ringier, Switzerland.

Emerging from the dark place

In the past few weeks, I've been to places I hope to never revisit.
My month-long bout with mononucleosis started with garden-variety symptoms that turned inexplicable and harsh: 3 days of non-stop hiccups, a "can't swallow" sore throat, 12 days of not being able to keep food down and daily nausea.
A virus beat me into the fetal position.
Emerging from the darkened bedroom, I long for work and a return to my routine. Fantasies of eating fried chicken or a hamburger are doused by a prescription of bland foods for recovery. Water crackers have been a staple. Interestingly, Raisin Bran has eased my upset stomach along with that diet.
I expect to get back to the December grind next week.
This is a particularly challenging month at many newspapers. The Christmas rush coverage coincides with a flurry of vacations. We are closing a few major 2007 projects alongside preparations for 2008. Independence Bowl coverage and LSU's national championship bid loom. We have a few special news projects to fit into the paper before the end of the year.
It is work we love, but it is daunting piled against the tug and pull of the holidays. My desk has mounds of unanswered mail among other things. Take much of that away, and December still seems a bear.
It happens to many of us every year, rushing to get a month's worth of work completed in only a few weeks. Any vacation plans loom like a cloud of pressure against an intense timeline. We try to squeeze a day off here and there for shopping, too.
Before you know it, HOLIDAY STRESS hits hard (nerves frayed, loved ones shortchanged and loss of sleep). That can be a place you don't want to go, yet we somehow end up there too often.
Resolving not to return to the darkness of my ill retreat and resolving not to end up a holiday mess requires the same focus.
We have to pace ourselves.

A bit under the weather

I haven't been posting lately due to a fight I'm having with a pretty nasty bug (infection). A few rounds of antibiotics these past weeks haven't done the trick. I keep feeling I've got this bug on the ropes, but, alas... I do hope to be back at work and posting on this blog within a week.
Your Sunday Times
Our news team is all set for election coverage tonight. Also, I'm looking forward to our report on the state of the YWCA. Of course, it will be a joy to relive the LSU(41) - Ole Miss(24) game in the Sports section. The game in Oxford did not disappoint this couch-bound editor. The blogs on the LSU game and the Louisiana Tech game are a treat you should review.
Looking ahead to your Thanksgiving Day paper
The Nov. 22 edition is produced as a Sunday-size paper. It is one of the biggest newspapers of the year. In addition to all the news stuffed in the turkey edition, it will be jammed with the holiday sales inserts every shopper will devour. We have to start the presses a few hours early on Wednesday to get out the door for early sales at Wal-Mart and other stores.

Bring a chair to the Fourth Annual Highland Jazz & Blues Festival

Grassroots neighborhood organizations like the Highland Area Partnership know how to throw a party in Shreveport. Their fourth jazz and blues festival begins at noon this Saturday in Columbia Park.
Nov. 17 is an election day too, so cast your votes in the morning and go enjoy classic local performers like the Bluebirds (at right) or Dorothy Prime and the Bluesjumpers. Hear any of the 11 bands slated to play for free. Get more info about the event on a couple blogs: HAP and shreveport.blogspot.com. Read more in Preview Friday.