Good morning, Lake Charles.

Calcasieu Community Clinic will host its annual Wine Down fundraiser at L’Auberge Casino Resort’s Event Center on Thursday, Sept.

24 at 6 p.m. Guests will taste French wines with hors d’oeuvres (each $125 ticket supports local healthcare services).

10-year-old Evelyn Smith (from DeRidder), known for greeting everyone with a warm hug, will have her photo displayed in Times Square on Saturday, Sept.

12 during the National Down Syndrome Society's Buddy Walk in New York City; her family says her kindness brings joy to the community.

Local dance teams, marching bands, theater groups, and vintage car clubs are invited to join the Light Up the Lake Christmas Walking Parade on Nov.

28 at 1 p.m. along Bord du Lac Drive at the Lakefront; groups must register by Nov. 15 (deadline) to join the holiday event.

A study shows that nearly 18,000 residents in southwest Louisiana are not working and may need help finding jobs.

Local leaders may use the results to plan support programs for the area's workforce.

The higher education board updated its anti-hazing policy on Wednesday, adding an online reporting system, mandatory two-hour training, and a permanent ban for organizations linked to fatal hazing incidents.

The revisions incorporate the Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act and apply to college campuses statewide.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is continuing to deliver free books to children in Cenla.

The program honors the late singer’s legacy by partnering with local schools and community centers to promote early reading.

Louisiana public schools will begin new physical education standards in the 2027-28 school year, requiring kindergarten students to take fitness tests; local systems can decide how to administer assessments and share results, plus the state will offer professional training in advance.

Louisiana will receive more than $180 million from a Meta settlement that requires Facebook and Instagram to limit teen usage.

The payment will be made over nine years to support enforcement, education and mental health research, Attorney General Liz Murrill said.

A federal appeals court on Tuesday, Aug.

25 rejected a petition by local fishermen and environmental groups contesting FERC’s approval of Venture Global’s CP2 LNG terminal in Cameron Parish (shipping is expected to begin in the second half of 2027).

Sulphur High students painted City Hall today (to honor Suicide Awareness Month) to raise mental health awareness in the community.