News
Easter Village 2025 at The Children's Museum
The Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum is hoppy to announce Easter Village 2025 is coming soon! From April 9 to 19th, The Children's Museum will be dEGGorated for Spring! A variety of activities such as cookie dEGGorating, bunny patch visits, make & take a STEM craft, and more are included in your admission fee of $12 per person for ages 2 & up. Tickets for Easter Village are $12 per person and available at the door this year. Tickets for our special events are $18 and can be purchased @nelcm.org soon
2025 St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway
2025 Monroe St. Jude Dream Home Built by BRACO Construction in DeSiard Trace. Estimated value: $440,000 9039 DeSiard Trace Sterlington, LA 71280 Giveaway date: June 12, 2025 House features: Over an acre of land in the DeSiard Trace subdivision including beautiful back porch with open field views Equipped with Generac Home standby Generator, courtesy of Albritton Service Company Contemporary Tudor style home Unique and open floor plan Spacious kitchen with black stainless
West Monroe, Louisiana Nominated for Best Small Town in the South
The USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards program nominated West Monroe, Louisiana for Best Small Town in the South! Voting started Monday, March 3 at 11 a.m. CST and it ends Monday, March 31, 2025, at 10:59 a.m. CST. On Wednesday, April 9, the top 10 winners, as ranked by USA TODAY 10Best readers, will be announced at 11 a.m. CST. The awards program highlights top-notch attractions and businesses, while providing readers with trusted recommendations. “We are honored to once again be named to USA
West Monroe West Ouachita Chamber Announces 2025 Small Business Awards Nominees
The West Monroe West Ouachita Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the nominees for the 2025 Small Business Awards. These awards recognize outstanding businesses, entrepreneurs, and organizations that have demonstrated excellence, innovation, and dedication to the local community.The winners will be celebrated at the Small Business Awards Luncheon on March 20, 2025. The following businesses and individuals have been nominated across multiple award categories:Community Champion AwardRecognizing
United Way of Northeast Louisiana Names Kim Lowery as New President & CEO
United Way of Northeast Louisiana (UWNELA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kim Lowery as its new President & CEO, effective April 1, 2025. Lowery succeeds Janet S. Durden, who will retire on March 31, 2025, after over 40 years of exceptional leadership and service to the community. Lowery, an adaptable and solution-focused nonprofit executive, brings over 14 years of experience advancing community impact, resource development, and organizational excellence at UWNELA. As UWNELA’s Vice President
ULM and The Children’s Coalition announce new location for annual Dragon Boat Festival
The University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) and The Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana announced the date and new location of the annual Dragon Boat Festival at a press conference on the ULM campus. The 2025 festival will take place on Saturday, April 12, on Bayou DeSiard on the ULM campus, near the Warhawk Way bridge and ULM’s Laird Weems Center. The Dragon Boat Festival is an exciting and family-friendly fundraising event for the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana. Proceeds from the
Grow NELA Appoints Brookley Valencia Barnes
Grow NELA, the regional economic development authority serving 10 parishes in Northeast Louisiana, announced today that Brookley Valencia Barnes has been hired as the Director of Economic Development. Barnes, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, has a wealth of experience in business development, strategic communication, and stakeholder engagement. She brings a proven track record of driving economic growth and delivering impactful community projects. “Brookley’s passion for economic growth and her
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
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
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)
