Keith D. Merrill, a Bogalusa community activist and associate minister of the Metropolitan Baptist Church, under the leadership of Pastor M.J. Galloway, announced that he will be a candidate for Bogalusa City Council, District B, in the November 2014 election.

Merrill ran for councilman-at-large in the last city election in 2011.

“I have a strong knowledge of our city government and the experience that is needed to bring fourth the best for District B,” Merrill said.

Merrill is the son of the late Kathryn Curtis-Merrill and Danny Rayford. He is the grandson of Lillie Mae Curtis and the great-grandson of the late Martha Dillon.

Merrill has been a standout in the Bogalusa area ever since his high school tenure, receiving awards for his position of being a positive role model for Louisiana’s youth. He has received awards from the Bogalusa Police Department as a “Young Hero” and received the Daily News Scholar Athlete Award.

He has also received Certificate of Honor from former Gov. Kathleen Blanco, former Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu and former Louisiana Attorney General Richard Ieyoub. Merrill has also received certificates of recognition for his poetry-writing abilities, and he is a former columnist with The Bogalusa Daily News. He is currently a writer/distributor of the Starlight Christian News, which distributes papers across Washington Parish and portions of Mississippi.

Merrill received his ordination license in 2013 from the Metropolitan Baptist Church, granting him legal rights to perform various duties within the Baptist denomination.

Merrill is a member of the Bogalusa Voter’s League and associate member of the Northshore Black Elected Officials Coalition, association member of the local AARP. He was the tour guide for the 2013 Blues and Heritage Festival in Bogalusa and is a member of the American Center for Law and Justice. He is a Court Appointed Special Advocate of the 22nd Judicial District Court for abused and neglected children, an associate of the Robert ‘Bob” Hicks Foundation for Civil Rights, a community advocate for the Istrouma area Boy Scout Council and an associate member of the National Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. He is also the former president of the Bogalusa City-wide Resident Council, Inc.

“It is my honor to be chosen to serve you because I believe that the mark of a good leader is one who never forgets that putting people first is the key to bringing fourth the best for District B,” Merrill said. “I ask that you please examine each candidate and vote for the one who has been your voice in seeking to better our city and communities.”