News
Louisiana Travel Association Honors DMWM and JAC’s Craft Smokehouse
Ouachita Parish shined at the 2025 Louisiana Travel Association Annual Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025, at ULM Bayou Pointe Event Center. The association honored Discover Monroe-West Monroe as CVB of the Year, which operated on a budget of $1 million and above. Ouachita Parish scored a tourism economic impact of $30.11 million in 2024. The parish had an impressive year with hosting 191 events, and visitors spent $199 per day. During the awards ceremony, the announcer highlighted sports tourism as one of
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Long-Range Transportation Plan: Public Survey
Participate in the Monroe 2050 MTP Process! The Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) is the long-range transportation strategy for the Monroe Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), also known as the Ouachita Council of Governments (OCOG). The plan covers a 25-year horizon and is updated every five years to incorporate current conditions, transportation needs, and valuable input from the community and stakeholders. This helps create a prioritized list of fiscally responsible transportation projects to
Discover Monroe-West Monroe Invites Ouachita Parish to Celebrate Destination Professionals Day
Discover Monroe-West Monroe (DMWM), the organization dedicated to promoting all of Ouachita Parish as a visitor destination, is proud to celebrate Feb. 19, 2025, as Destination Professionals Day to honor the people and organizations that drive tourism, economic growth and community vitality worldwide. Today, there are more than 10,000 destination organizations around the world representing a broad spectrum of entities, including destination marketing organizations (DMOs), convention and visitors bureaus
West Monroe West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce Welcomes New Office Manager
The West Monroe West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the addition of Patti Jones as the organization’s new Office Manager.A recent transplant to North Louisiana, Patti brings an impressive background in sales and real estate, making her a valuable asset to the Chamber team. With her extensive experience in client relations, business development, and organizational management, she is well-equipped to support the Chamber’s mission of fostering economic growth and community engagement.“We are
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Living Well Foundation Announces Grant Cycle 2025
Grant Cycle 2025 The Board of Directors of the Living Well Foundation announces that a grant cycle will open February 17, 2025, to accept letters of intent, with applications to be completed by March 31, 2025. All requests must be submitted through the online software portal at www.livingwellfoundation.net by the completion date. Priorities for the grant cycle: Healthy lifestyles, including nutrition and food insecurity, physical activity, and wellness Access to healthcare, including medical,
Chamber's Adopt-A School Program Presents Checks to 2025 Grantees
The West Monroe-West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce and Adopt-A-School Committee presented checks to five area teachers during the Ouachita Parish School Board Meeting on Tuesday. These five teachers were the winners of the 2025 Building Bridges Grant from the Chamber’s Adopt-A-School Program with generous sponsorship by Pattern Energy.The grant program is in its second year and had double the amount of applicants from the year prior. The five teachers participated in a competitive application process that
West Monroe Recycling Center to open expanded facility, beginning February 10
The West Monroe Recycling Center is proud to announce it is moving to an expanded facility and will open to the public on Monday, Feb. 10. The expanded facility is located at 607 Grantham Avenue in West Monroe. The current facility at 409 Lincoln Street will no longer be a drop-off location for recyclable materials. The expanded facility is made possible through an EPA “SWIFR” grant awarded last year to the City of West Monroe. The grant was awarded to the city for the expansion of recycling
Callihan named Director of ULM Kitty DeGree School of Nursing
The University of Louisiana Monroe has named Dr. Michael Callhan as the Director of the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing (KDSON). Callihan began in the role in the Fall 2024 semester. He comes to ULM after most recently working as an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Callihan has also worked as an assistant professor at Miami University (Ohio), Auburn University, and the University of Alabama, as well as a nurse in a variety of medical settings. Dr. Wendy Bailes,
27TH ANNUAL SPRING MARKET SHOPPING EVENT TICKETS AVAILABLE
THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF MONROE’S ANNUAL SPRING MARKET SHOPPING EVENT FUNDS MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY IMPACT MONROE, LA, FEBRUARY 6TH, 2025 – TICKETS FOR NORTHEAST LOUISIANA’S LARGEST 3-DAY SHOPPING EVENT ARE ON SALE NOW! WHEN YOU ATTEND ANY SPRING MARKET EVENT, THE FUNDS GENERATED HELP SUPPORT COMMUNITY NEEDS, PROJECTS, AND INITIATIVES SUPPORTED BY THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF MONROE. THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF MONROE’S 27TH ANNUAL SPRING MARKET SHOPPING EVENT, WHICH IS TITLE SPONSORED BY ORIGIN BANK, RETURNS TO THE MONROE
ULM hosts 2nd annual KidWind Challenge
The University of Louisiana Monroe hosted the 2nd Annual KidWind Challenge in Louisiana on Friday, January 24, 2025, at Bayou Pointe Event Center. The event empowers students and educators to explore and engage with the challenges and opportunities of a clean-powered future. Doubling in size from last year, over 120 area middle school and high school students participated in this unique STEM competition, which awarded cash prizes to the winners. Student teams designed, constructed, and tested
AARP Foundation - TAX AIDE
AARP Tax assistance will begin on Monday, February 3 at 9:00 am. No appointment needed.For information call - 318-582-1663 (Richard Taylor)
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BAYOU JAMB BASEBALL SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH 10:00 AM
BAYOU JAMB BASEBALL SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH 10:00 AMMEDIA DAY MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3rd 10:00 AM WMHS EDGEWOOD CENTERWest Monroe, LA – Saturday, February 8, 2025, six teams will gather at West Monroe High School-Shelby Aulds Memorial Baseball Field for the Bayou Jamb Baseball Jamboree powered by D-Bat of Monroe. Each team will have the opportunity to compete in a two-game series to take home bragging rights.Ouachita Christian High School, Neville High School, Ouachita High School, Ruston High School, West
Downtown Arts Alliance Kicks Off the 2025 Gallery Crawl Season
Downtown Monroe and West Monroe will soon be alive with art enthusiasts and fun seekers as the Downtown Gallery Crawl returns for its first event of the 2025 season on Thursday, February 6, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Presented by the Northeast Realtors of Louisiana, this signature event—an initiative of the non-profit Downtown Arts Alliance—continues its mission to enrich the 318 art culture, providing North Louisiana artists with a platform to grow, connect, and showcase their work while contributing to the
Training for Foster Parents, Teachers, Social Workers, and Childcare Professionals in Intervention
The Center for Children & Families is proud to announce the upcoming two-day Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) workshop to be held on February 6th and 7th, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at First West - West Monroe Campus (311 Mill Street, West Monroe, LA). TBRI is an empowering approach that aims to help children from “hard places.” The model is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children and families. This workshop will equip
City of West Monroe seeks artwork for 2025 Art Show at City Hall
The City of West Monroe is seeking visual artwork to be on display at City Hall throughout 2025. A call to artists has been issued centered around the theme of “Artopia.” Local artists are encouraged to submit works of art that illustrate their interpretation of eutopia through abstract or representational art in any medium, including photography. The exhibition also aims to showcase artwork of Kiroli Park, which is celebrating its 100 birthday this year. Those interested in submitting artwork
Louisiana state income tax filing begins Wednesday, Jan. 29 2025
The Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) will begin accepting 2024 state individual income tax returns on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. On Jan. 29, taxpayers can begin filing their state income tax returns electronically through LDR’s Louisiana Taxpayer Access Point (LaTAP) account management portal at www.revenue.louisiana.gov/LaTAP. On LaTAP, taxpayers can file tax returns, make payments, check the status of individual income tax refunds, and view their account history. Taxpayers may also submit
DMWM Releases Travel Guides for Visitors to Ouachita Parish
Discover Monroe-West Monroe has released its travel guides for National Plan for Vacation Day on Jan. 28, 2025! This national recognition for travelers happens annually on the last Tuesday in January. DMWM is joining in on the celebration to remind tourists to place Ouachita Parish on their list of travel plans and destinations. The travel guides offer information for visitors who are searching for family fun ideas, a romantic getaway, history and culture, outdoor adventures, dining experiences and
West Monroe Recycling Trailer to be in downtown West Monroe weekly
The West Monroe Recycling Center is excited to announce its new mobile recycle trailer will now be available in the community to collect recyclable materials. The brand-new mobile recycling trailer is made possible through an EPA “SWIFR” grant awarded last year to the City of West Monroe. The grant was awarded to the city for the expansion of recycling services in the community. The mobile trailer will be located in downtown West Monroe every Thursday, beginning this Thursday, January 30 from 8
Mad Dash 5K
The MAD Dash 5k, Presented by McDonalds, benefiting the Louisiana Cancer Foundation (LCF) is happening April 5th. The NELA Cancer Institute/ LCF are clients of NMY. We’ve worked with them many years and they are an amazing resource in our area! You may remember Monroe’s largest 5k race was the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure, and this NEW race is essentially replacing that fundraiser and is spearheaded by the same amazing team of volunteers. Additionally, this event recognizes ALL cancers. The race
United Way of Northeast Louisiana Announces 2025 VITA Free Tax Preparation: February 3-28
United Way of Northeast Louisiana is pleased to announce that this year’s VITA Free Tax Preparation is happening February 3 to February 28, 2025. This service offers free, fast, and stress-free tax preparation for individuals and families with a household income of less than $67,000. Here’s how the program works:Drop off tax information at one of five convenient locations across Northeast LouisianaParticipate in a 15–20-minute intake interview with an IRS-certified volunteerReturn at a later date to
