re: LaTech QB Ryan Higgins Arrested for DWI

Ruston and Monroe bars suck now compared to the 90's.

I say he was at a frat part/house party or he was just drinking with some buddies and d cider to go on a food/alcohol run.

Cajuns weren't in bad shape. Bustle recruited pretty well.. Perhaps better than Hudspeth.

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why Ruston can never support a program any bigger than it is now.


Ummmmm - look at the proposed lower floater bond activity happening / proposed in Ruston:

Airport expansion to become a national primary catagory airport (we were shown the drawings - it will be fine)

Hotel infrastructure just northwest of the stadium across I20 - at least 2 full service hotels with a Marriott and Hyatt as the anchors

The new press box at the football stadium

The north end zone mezzanine and corporate seating area

The Technology park development - the university is already generating tons of cash off of nano and micro engineering and biology applications - they are in their 3rd phase

Student housing will all be less than 15 years old within the next 3 years 1 the last phase starts early fall

A new highway structure that will loop just north of Ruston and connect to a new proposed medical plaza

A hospital group is looking at putting in a regional NICU facility and women's center that will be a regional service provider

A new Olypmic sports park / plaza the City of Ruston, Grambling University and Louisiana Tech will utilize

A multi million dollar baseball facility upgrade - will be state of the art and capable of hosting a super regional

The Australians are looking a constructing a state of the art toll road that will run from the new airport to just shy of Barksdale

Banks are fighting for each of these projects - this does not include what their new mayor is doing downtown

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This is exciting, though it seems awfully ambitious. Tech is actually a great school for the sciences and a few other things--it's severely underrated by most who havent experienced it. But what it needs to grow is for Ruston to grow, both populationaly, but also progressively. There are too many old, curmudgeonly, powerful rich folks who seem to squash any type of progression. It's like a big country club that is very exclusive. That appears to be changing, however, having just recently(a few years ago) finally allowed for the sales of hard liquor in the city limits. That brought more business that wouldn't have come otherwise. But it also kept people in town instead of having to drive 30 minutes east to Monroe or an hour west to Shreveport.

I went to a small day-long seminar about 10 years or so ago(on the Tech campus ironically) and the "keynote speaker" said a city needs 3 things to really thrive economically (I.e attract new businesses and employees for those businesses).

1) need a place of higher education that produces skilled graduates and an overall culture of education--Ruston certainly has that.

2) need a vibrant arts scene that will help attract and keep potential employers. To me, Ruston is--or at least was--severely lacking. There was almost no arts scene whatsoever outside of the University. And this may be a chicken-and-egg thing, but Tech seems so isolated from the city itself. It's like it's own little town inside another town that it has very little to do with. The city needs to embrace the university--and vice versa--and collaboratively grow the arts. This may be difficult, as Ruston is ultra conservative and most of the arts and artists tend to be more liberal by their very nature.

3) was a body of water. I thought this interesting. Of course it makes some sense--major cities throughout human civilization have always bordered major rivers and bays. I can't recall, though, if the speaker meant for providing more jobs and trade in the city, or for the entertainment value(skiing, fishing, camping). Likely both. Ruston does have a few lakes close by--and a fantastic parish park. But I wonder if no river limits it's potential growth.


The thing I took most from that lecture, though, was how Monroe hits all 3 and how their leadership has really let them down and squandered a ton of resources. Besides having ULM and a very respectable arts culture for a city its size, the Ouachita River was once mentioned on a National Geographic list of most scenic rivers in the world(I think). And some of the architecture of downtown on the river is fantastic if you can see past all the rust, dust, and decay. Some businesses are starting to open up along the river (Cotton, for one), but they really need to invest in downtown development and elect the right people to get it done.


But I digress--why the frick was this idiot speeding down Alabama at 3 in the morning?

RIP: Norton's Tavern, Stowe's, Qnasty, Brass Lantern

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Whatever it was called after cooter bay

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It was The Dugout at some point.

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The karaoke bar in pecan land mall when you first walked in

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Chelsea's

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Country bar that kicked it every Thursday night in Monroe off Louisville ave

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The Honky Tonk


Also Mickey's, Sal's, 6th St., the Airport Lounge, the Bait Shack, and the Blue Monkey in Monroe. Ponchatoula's in Ruston.

Maybe's in Monroe

was on older crowd but teh tuesday night 2 for 1 ribeye deal was legit....and the bar area was always packed...guys that gambled did their book work there.

some older ladies there

No suspension for Higgins, but will not start @ ARK

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Higgins, who was arrested on charges of DWI and speeding early Friday, is subject to a variety of disciplinary measures from the incident, which includes counseling, drinking and driving education and community service.

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LINK

IA, I'd rather see Wilson start anyway

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Ruston and Monroe bars suck now compared to the 90's.



Very few college bars left in Monroe anymore

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Damn liquor laws and the vigilant enforcement of them has led to a prudish culture.