There was the beaded beauty from the 2010 Rock ’n’ Roll New Orleans Half Marathon, my first distance event. There was the heavy, ornate memento from the Marine Corps Marathon in 2012, my last distance event. In between was a compilation of collectibles from trail runs and road races for which I had trained for hours on end.

I have always envied those people who could pull off a week-long retreat between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day to reflect on life and make any course corrections for the upcoming year. Little did I know my first opportunity to be like them would come in a fifth-floor hospital room.

he yellow fever epidemic of 1873 took a heavy toll on the city of Shreveport. Reports estimate Shreveport lost about one-fourth of its population to yellow fever. Now, a move is underway to honor five priests who gave their lives in service to Shreveport during those dark days with sainthood.

Caddo Parish Public Schools launched its magnet school program in the late 1970s to offer parents more choices in educating their children. The end of the 2019-2020 school year and the start of this academic year have forced all of us, including schools, to consider even more alternatives.

His name is Timmy Lane. He has a Facebook page, Reporter Timmy Lane, where he has more than 78,000 followers. Lane has built the page’s reputation on reporting on breaking news from the Shreveport and Bossier City police departments. He has maintained the page for five years.

Pioneering architects Samuel G. and William B. Wiener have been one of Shreveport’s hidden treasures. “Unexpected Modernism,” an upcoming documentary on the Wiener brothers, will shine a light on their work in Shreveport and their impact on the world of architecture.

According to an article on bankrate.com, the housing market could avoid the typical fall and winter slump this year. Experts said summer homes sales were strong after a slowdown in the spring, at the beginning of the pandemic. And they see the trend continuing.

For many people, the COVID-19 global pandemic tested their financial health as well as their physical health: economic slowdowns, Paycheck Protection Plans and more impacted America’s pocketbooks. Many turned to local credit unions for advice and security.