Latest news with #ThomasChandler
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bossier City mayor and council take oath of office
Tuesday marked the beginning of a new era in Bossier City's leadership as the incumbent mayor and seven city council members, including four newcomers, were sworn in at the Bossier Civic Center. Returning to the mayor's office is Mayor Thomas H. Chandler, who is entering his second term after being elected unopposed ahead of the March 29 election. Chandler stated he is committed to continue the progress of his first four years − promising to begin a new chapter where everyone was committed to making a better, stronger and safer Bossier City. "... and we have done that," Chandler stated. "I promise to be a mayor that puts people first. I promise that I will be a mayor for all citizens of Bossier City and that I would listen and serve all the people of our great city. I proudly say that I have done that and I will continue to keep that promise." Chandler said that as the city moves into the newest chapter of Bossier City government that citizens can expect them to be efficient and focused. As leaders, they will provide transparency and accountability because it's what the citizens of Bossier City deserve. "We elect mayors to make sure that essential work of government is done," Chandler said. "I am proud of the things that we have accomplished in our first term." Chandler highlighted the accomplishments of his term term, including crime statistics that are trending down, the high gradings of the city's water and water system and fire department, the passage of term limits, the hiring of a new city engineer and the strengthening of collaborative relationships with community stakeholders such as Barksdale Air Force Base and Bossier Chamber of Commerce, and the significant pay raises of all Bossier City employees. "We will commit to manage our infrastructure so that families and businesses can function and flourish," Chandler said. "We'll be wise and prudent stewards of the public money, spaces and trust, and we will make sure that our citizens continue to feel safe and secure. Leading is not always easy and it means that when we face conflict and disagreements we must work together to find common ground." "As I stand before you today, as your mayor that is proud of the things that we have accomplished but even more accomplished about the bright future that lies ahead − we will see that the future of Bossier City is bright and as your mayor, I will work to promote a Bossier that is business friendly, bolder and better," Chandler said. "I am proud to announce that Bossier City is constantly growing and moving in the right direction. We are moving onward and upward and we will all move this way together." Also sworn in Tuesday were the seven members of the Bossier City Council, including four new members, one of which is the first Black woman to serve on the council. District 1 − Brian Hammons (Incumbent) District 2 − Debra Ross District 3 − Cliff Smith District 4 − Joel Girouard District 5 − Vince Maggio (Incumbent) At Large − Christopher Smith (Incumbent) At Large − Craton Cochran Follow Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinson and on Facebook at This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Bossier City mayor and council sworn into office
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina Struggles With Helene's $60-Billion Recovery Cost
It will cost $60 billion for North Carolina to recover from Hurricane Helene, according to the latest state estimate. But a request released Thursday for additional federal funding notes that only about $10 billion of that has been secured so far. 'The challenges in relation to this are so enormous,' Thomas Chandler, deputy director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, said in a recent interview. The storm wiped out businesses and damaged more than 185,000 homes across the state. Roads, bridges and water systems were destroyed. (MORE: Our Hurricane Helene Recap) The state estimates that 96% of residents with flood damage did not have flood insurance. "Less property overall is going to be rebuilt quickly due to the lack of insurance to cover the costs," Chandler said. "And this is a situation that we're seeing with disaster after disaster, with the increasing frequency of intensity of different types of storms that are striking areas that aren't used to seeing this type of precipitation and flooding." It's not clear where all the money to rebuild will come from. The money already accounted for is from a combination of state, federal, insurance payouts and other funding. States including Florida, where the storm made landfall, and Georgia also sustained billions in losses and damage from Helene, although North Carolina was the hardest hit. In Thursday's funding request, the state asked for an additional $19 billion from the federal government. "Despite a tremendous response from federal, state, local, and private sector and nonprofit partners in the immediate aftermath, five months later, it is clear that much more help is needed to restore and rebuild western North Carolina," Gov. Josh Stein wrote. "We have hit a critical moment on our path to recovery." (MORE: Mules, Horse Who Helped With Helene Recovery Meet Tragic End) The state on Monday started sending out the first round of checks in a $100 million relief program for local communities. Critics complained that program and others, including federal funds, are taking too long to get the money to people who need it. "There can be a lot of challenges with those programs in relation to ensuring that there isn't fraud," Chandler said. "So there's a lot of cross-checking that needs to be done to prevent that type of thing, which can slow the process down and increase the amount of red tape." Asheville resident Caroline Aylward, a producer and editor here at is helping document the rebuilding. "It's been five months since Hurricane Helene," Aylward said. "While there has been so much cleanup that has happened there's still so much that needs to be done and there are still a lot of people who really need help." A brutal winter hasn't made things easier. The average temperature across the state in January was 35.4 degrees, according to the North Carolina Climate Center. That made it the state's 17th-coldest January in records dating back to 1895. Some of the mountain areas hard hit by Helene saw temperatures below zero, and a series of winter storms brought heavy snow and rainfall. "We have to remember that many of the disaster survivors of Hurricane Helene have been experiencing a very harsh winter in housing that has been not insulated, and a lot of types of modular homes and donated housing that has been extremely difficult for people to live and survive," Chandler said. "There's challenges for the rebuilding process to be able to really start the recovery this spring and summer and having the funding to do that before next winter strikes." senior writer Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.
