Good morning, Monroe.

Newly installed smoke alarms woke a 15-year-old and helped a West Monroe family of seven escape a house fire on (Sept.

4) without injuries, and the State Fire Marshal urges residents to test or replace alarms this weekend before clocks fall back on Sunday, Nov. 1 and to request free installs through Operation Save A Life.

MyLove Daily Cats is offering kittens Puddles and Roe for adoption and is asking for more fosters; the $70 adoption fee covers spay/neuter, shots, and flea treatment, and interested adopters or fosters should contact Cheryl Garrett on Facebook to meet cats or arrange at-home visits.

West Monroe Police issued Halloween safety reminders for trick-or-treaters today, urging reflective costumes, flashlights, adult supervision, and obeying traffic signs as officers increase patrols in busy neighborhoods.

Acadian Ambulance hosted a cookout for first responders in Monroe to thank EMS, fire, and police crews and to hand out food, gear, and outreach information; organizers said more community events are planned.

The Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana opened a new 100,000 sqft warehouse in West Monroe on Friday and launched a $14 million capital campaign to fund renovations and sustainability, saying it has raised $11 million and still needs $3 million to double distribution to 12 parishes.

Strauss Youth Academy for the Arts performed Sherlock Holmes on Friday, Oct.

30 at the academy performance space, featuring student actors and crew.

ULM has earned the 2026 Campus Prevention Network Seal of Prevention from Vector Solutions for campus-wide programs in mental health, violence prevention, and substance-use education; only 12% of institutions earn the seal and recipients report higher student retention and on-time graduation.

Father James Dominic is marking 25 years at St. Francis Medical Center this year, visiting patients daily to pray, lead Mass, and provide spiritual support in the hospital chapel and at bedsides.

Haynesville beat Cedar Creek 29-20 in Haynesville, spoiling Cedar Creek's 8-0 start & delivering Haynesville's first-ever win over them, with Haynesville 7-1 set to play Kentwood next week and Cedar Creek 8-1 hosting Lincoln Prep.

Top high-school teams will battle for playoff position this week as Cedar Creek (7-0) visits Haynesville (6-1), Neville (7-0) hosts Tioga (5-2), and Leesville (7-1) travels to Jena (6-2).

High school football week nine finished across the ArkLaMiss with Haynesville beating Cedar Creek 29-20 and other big wins including Neville 45-14, Ruston 49-14 & Homer 68-0; viewers can rewatch games on KNOE's streaming platforms.

Neville defeated West Ouachita in five sets Thursday night to capture the district volleyball championship.