Good morning, Lake Charles.

A Lake Charles aid group will host a food giveaway amid SNAP benefits uncertainty—local officials hope to help residents who may struggle to buy food.

They plan to distribute supplies and offer support as the issue continues to affect households.

Officials and community members gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony at Epps Library on November 4 to celebrate the facility's reopening and new services.

The event featured brief remarks from library leaders and a tour of the updated space—an important milestone for local community offerings.

The Traveling Vietnam Wall is on display this week in Kinder to honor the over 58,000 service members killed in the Vietnam War (photos by Doris Maricle).

Wade Rousse, president of McNeese State, was chosen by the LSU Board of Supervisors to be LSU's next president with a 12-to-1 vote on November 4th, and some LSU students expressed concern over his ties to Gov. Jeff Landry.

Rousse said he felt honored and plans to bring leadership changes to improve LSU—while McNeese officials remain confident that the school will continue its strong progress.

LSU’s Board of Supervisors named Wade Rousse, McNeese State’s president, as the university’s 29th chief on Tuesday; he will guide LSU as his tenure at McNeese boosted enrollment + some students expressed concern about his close ties with Gov. Jeff Landry.

Local and national environmental groups including the Environmental Integrity Project called for stricter oversight of LNG terminals after a report found that facilities such as Sabine Pass LNG, Calcasieu Pass LNG and Cameron LNG repeatedly violated water and air pollution permits with minimal penalties—ongoing expansion may further risk local ecosystems and community health if tighter controls are not enforced.

West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital officials filed a petition accusing Lake Charles Memorial Health System of operating in their service district without proper consent—Memorial officials said they will release a statement later this week.

Vinton Lions head coach Tyler Lavergne outlined a new playbook strategy in a press interview on November 4th—he said the plan will help improve the team in upcoming games.

Wild Cajun Trail Runs

6 a.m. — Sam Houston Jones State Park — Registration fees apply — Conquer the scenic trails of Southeast Louisiana with a range of distances from 10K to 40M.

Object-Oriented Programming in C# Training

N/A — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — SOWELA Regional Training Center — $2250 — Enhance your programming skills with hands-on C# training in a local expert-led course.

Smoke & Barrel Weekend 2025

1-5 p.m. — Calcasieu Clerk of Court — Tickets vary — Savor a weekend of over 80 bourbons, whiskeys, and exquisite BBQ from top pitmasters.

The Nutcracker

7:00-8:30 p.m. — Rosa Hart Theatre — Ticket prices vary — Experience the enchanting journey of Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in this classic holiday ballet.

Christmas In The Air

2:00 – 3:30 PM — Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel & Casino — Ticket prices vary — Celebrate the holiday spirit with a festive event for the whole family.

Cowboy Christmas Celebration

9 AM - 5 PM — The Stables At LeBocage — Free admission — Experience the magic of Christmas with festive shopping, live music, and Southern traditions.