Good morning, Lake Charles.

The second annual Black Pot Cook-Off will be held Saturday, Sept.

19 at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resort, where local cooks compete for a trophy while visitors enjoy camping overnight. Louisiana music legend Wayne Toups will perform live under the pavilion (7 to 9 p.m.) to cap off the day.

A survey by Visit Lake Charles shows 91% of Calcasieu residents believe tourism benefits local growth, though only 35% feel consulted on new developments in the area.

The study, conducted (Feb. 24 to March 13), highlights strong support for tourism driving economic opportunities in the city.

Southwest Louisiana will heat up tomorrow at the inaugural SWLA Hot Sauce Festival at West Cal Arena and Events Center in Sulphur — featuring Billy Lucas’ torch-lighting, a cornhole tournament, a kid’s gummy worm challenge, a chili pepper eating contest and a taco-eating contest with cash prizes and medals.

Jeanette Floyd opened her solo exhibition last Friday at the Black Heritage Gallery (located in Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center at 1001 Ryan St.) showcasing 31 artwork quilts that reflect her healing journey and community dedication.

The exhibit runs through Sept. 25.

Gas prices in Lake Charles dropped slightly on Aug.

13, with regular gas averaging $3.69 per gallon and some stations offering rates as low as $3.26 — although prices remain notably above last year's levels.

Calcasieu Parish schools will welcome students back for the 2026-27 school year as district officials prepare updated schedules and protocols for classrooms and extracurricular programs.

A LendingTree study shows that Louisiana drivers with poor credit pay about 68.2% more for full coverage auto insurance compared with those with good credit (an extra $2,666.50 per year, almost $8,000 more over three years).

Over 16% of Louisiana youth have been diagnosed with ADHD (CDC data), prompting local experts to advise parents and teachers in Lake Charles to look for signs like distractibility, fidgeting, and forgetfulness and consult pediatricians as needed.

Football season in Lake Charles will see tailgate parties featuring 10 essential Louisiana dishes, including Cajun gumbo + smoky BBQ pork, to fuel local fans ahead of game day.

Both McNeese men’s and women’s basketball teams released their 2026-27 Southland Conference schedules on Thursday.

The teams will open nonconference play in early November, begin conference games in December at home, and compete in a tournament returning to Lake Charles in March.