CovPD's New Deputy Chief and Music Galore

Collins Named New Deputy Chief

The Covington Police Department is proud to announce the promotion of Lieutenant Kevin Collins to Deputy Chief of Police. This promotion follows the upcoming retirement of Deputy Chief Stephen Culotta, who has honorably served the City of Covington for 28 years.

Deputy Chief Collins, a 12-year veteran of the department, has held key roles in the Criminal Patrol Division and Criminal Investigations Division, where he served as commander. Most recently, he has led as the Training Director in the Professional Standards Division.

In addition to his extensive experience, Deputy Chief Collins is a 2024 graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy, Class 289.

Please join us in congratulating Deputy Chief Collins on this well-earned promotion and in extending our gratitude to Deputy Chief Culotta for his decades of dedicated service. We wish him a happy and fulfilling retirement!

Sunset at the Landing Concerts Return!

Northlake Performing Arts Returns!

Rockin' the Rails Returns!

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Final Friday Block Parties Return!

March 28th

Covington Business Association

Presents

Classic cars, food, music and friends all return to Columbia Street on the final Friday night of each month, March through October ...always a good time.

What's Up With Ellis' Shell?

Corner Boston and Florida Streets

Years ago, when downtown Covington's buildings were vacant and boarded up, parking was easy. One could usually park directly in front of the business door one wished to enter. Well, we all know it's not like that today.

Last Fall, the old service station (more recently an automobile detail shop hosted by a female mannequin) came onto the market. Recognizing that sales tax from retail establishments within the city limits are what fund our Fire Department, Police Department, Public Works, Administration and subsidize our water and sewer bills (what the City receives from property tax is minuscule in this context) and recognizing that retail sales were impeded by the parking challenges, the Council authorized the purchase of the corner so as to improve downtown parking.

Upon acquiring the property, the first thing we did was have Public Works execute a deep clean of the property. I then assessed the building for value. I quickly realized that removing the building would not create that many more parking spaces. However, removing the building would cause the corner to look more like a used car lot.

I was already aware of some storage issues we faced: City-owned Christmas decorations and Mardi Gras decorations were crammed into a shed and into a container. Our tour tram had lost its indoor storage space to Field of Screams. Poor storage is a bad business practice and often leads to lost and broken items.

Public Works built sturdy shelves in the garage area where containers of holiday decorations are now properly stored and easily retrievable. Our downtown street sweepers found a new home in the garage bays … out of the weather and stored in the heart of the area where they are needed.

Behind the building was an old car wash … a perfect home for the tram which, having no reverse, can be pulled into a covered area by one door and be pulled out through the other door.

Now, back to parking … the lot has blossomed into a great success (kudos to the Council). I watch and greet employees from the English Tea Room, Cupcake Concept and the Chop Top Barbershop parking along with scores of others. These employees would have previously been parked curbside directly in front of our retail shops … all day long … another bad business practice.

In The 70s

A few years ago, I was touring downtown Covington with folks from the Tulane College of Architecture. We were updating the architectural historic inventory of our downtown. When rounding the corner near Aladdin's Rug Shop on Boston Street, their eyes lit up at the sight of the old gas station. Full service stations like this covered the nation in the 1960s and 70s but today most are gone. Now that we have established value in the building as needed storage and the addition of much needed parking spaces, the plan is to restore the building back to its heyday as Ellis' Shell. I'll replace the bright blue color with a more neutral tone, add a little signage and perhaps a couple of props.

Ellis was quite the character. A hard-scrabble man from the work-ethic generation who had spent years working at Holden's Texaco and was a graduate of the Pete Holden School of Management. In 1961, Ellis participated in the Sesquicentennial beard growing contest and won for "longest beard."

Today, the City is fortunate to have his grandson, Jordan Talley, serve as one of our own Covington Police officers. Check out that stache.

Replies to this e-mail go directly to Mayor Mark.

Rooted in History, Focused on the Future

City of Covington, How Do I?