“J. Pat Beaird was a gentleman who was very involved in the Chamber back in the ’40s and 50s. He left us a legacy that we use every year to recognize a business that we call the Industry of the Year, a business that is impactful in the community.

The personnel are easy to spot as well, hard hats and optic yellow vests, shod with boots that have seen many miles and all kinds of terrain and weather. They are seen marching through neighborhoods all over the state. Grim, serious combatants with a massive battle plan to execute: to get Louisiana back on the grid.

Sid Menard is president and owner of the companies, and he explained that they had been spread across Shreveport and Bossier for a while now. Recently, the Home Design Center, which housed United Tile, was sold. Needing a place to move and needing to be moved by Oct.

Three generations of the Sparke family have overseen operations here. The latest is Anna Maria Sparke, no kin to the island. “My grandfather [H. A. Sparke] had it from 1956 until he died in 1984. And my father [R. W. Sparke] took over in 1984, and he ran it until his death in 2020.

Built in 1924, the downtown YMCA is constructed in the Italian Renaissance style. It was designed by Clarence W. King and built for Shreveport entrepreneur Edward Jacobs, bearing a resemblance to Italy’s Villa Medici in Rome. Twin bell towers adorn the roof, which covers the triplearched entrance bordered by Corinthian columns.

“The Shreveport Regional Arts Council has had to pivot away from Christmas in the Sky this year because we don’t want 2,500 people, our favorite people in this city – our guests – to get sick as a dog. So, we are going to change our spots,” said Kallenberg, chair of this year’s event.

In those five weeks, plumbers, electricians and other contractors swarmed over the building to get it ready for new patients, new staff and a renewed lease on life. Chris Mangin is senior vice president of operations for Ochsner LSU, and he said the crews literally worked 24/7 to get the building back online.

About 30 years ago, the elder McCommon started working in video and built a sound studio, and Clint later began doing projects with Red River Radio that became the Shreveport House Concert Series. He and partner Bob Robinson saw an opportunity after Hurricane Katrina brought the movie industry to Shreveport.