Beauregard News

01/07/2025

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy is urging Americans to not live in fear — instead “live in freedom.” Cassidy, in a press call with Louisiana journalists on Tuesday, condemned the evil New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans in which Texas native Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck into a Bourbon Street cro...

01/06/2025

Southwest Louisiana can expect daytime temperatures in the mid-30s to low-40s through the end of the week. “It’s going to be very cold and it’s going to stick around for a long period of time,” said National Weather Service Lake Charles Meteorologist Donald Jones. “Precautions should be ta...

12/27/2024

A DeRidder man was killed in a single-vehicle Christmas Day crash on La. 1147 near Charles Graham Road in Beauregard Parish. Louisiana State Police Trooper Matt Gaspard said 55-year-old Scott Earl Thigpen of DeRidder was killed in the 11 pm crash. Gaspard said Thigpen was driving a 2004 Toyota Tundr...

12/19/2024

DeRidder Elementary School is proud to announce its first nine weeks banner roll and honor roll students. They are: Second Grade Banner Roll: Blaise Kyler Dayne Allen, Jolene Faye Anderson, Mila Roux Bassard, Maelynn Bristol Best, Adeline Rebel Boswell, Alaina Quinn Breaux, Finlee Reese Burks, Crens...

12/18/2024

The 2024-2025 Beauregard Parish Students of the Year were recognized at the December School Board meeting and presented plaques in commemoration of their accomplishments. Gracie Caldarera, from left, was honored as the Beauregard Parish Elementary Student of the Year. Lawton Hardwick was honored as....

12/12/2024

The DeRidder Christmas Light Show will be shining brightly on S. Washington Street; Santa will make his way throughout downtown; and hot chocolate will be served by the DeRidder Fire Department.

Special to the News Leader The DeRidder Main Street office is hoping to return some Christmas nostalgia to the downtown area tonight. Residents of a certain age remember downtown shops staying open late during Christmases past. Santa was there, as well as hot chocolate — and the streets were abuzz...

12/05/2024

In DeRidder, the start of the holiday season is paired with miracles on Washington Street.

By Emily Burleigh In DeRidder, the start of the holiday season is paired with miracles on Washington Street. The annual Miracle on Washington Street Christmas Festival returns this Saturday. Each year offers a joyful day of music, shopping, entertainment and holiday spirit. The festival kicks off wi...

11/28/2024

By Emily Burleigh The best gift residents can give to downtown DeRidder is to shop locally. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, DeRidder is celebrating Small Business Saturday with “The Holiday Inn,” an inaugural downtown Christmas market that encourages locals to “shop small first” be...

11/25/2024

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces the patch, mill, and overlay work on U.S. 171 from La. 112 to Lemon Street in Beauregard Parish is scheduled to begin on Monday, Dec. 2. Work is expected to last until January.

11/21/2024

By Emily Burleigh The Beauregard Parish School Board rejected an industrial tax exemption request for Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) with a split vote at a meeting last week. PCA is a containerboard mill in DeRidder with 562 employees. It is the only PCA location in Louisiana and manufacture...

11/14/2024

By Emily Burleigh The Timber Rock Railroad (TIBR), which tracks in DeRidder, is getting updated with federal funds. The Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program funds projects that improve intercity passenger and freight rail safety, efficiency, and reliability throug...

11/12/2024

The next chance for rain in Southwest Louisiana is Wednesday as a cold front approaches the region with accompanying scattered showers and thunderstorms along and ahead of it. National Weather Service Lake Charles Meteorologist Donald Jones said some of these storms will be capable of producing heav...

11/08/2024

Caroline Jagneaux is this week's Teacher of the Week.

By Emily Burleigh Carolina Jagneaux teaches high school Spanish because she is passionate about promoting cross-cultural understanding and language learning. “I believe that learning a new language opens doors to understanding different cultures and perspectives,” she explained. “Engaging stud...

10/31/2024

Third-grade students at South Beauregard Elementary are getting a chance to participate in the Robotics Club to promote and support STEM learning. The club kicked off in October with students beginning to build the VEX Robotics Super Car. STEM (science, technology, engineer, and math) teacher Monica...

10/31/2024

Special to the Beauregard News East Beauregard Elementary is proud to announce our first quarter banner roll and honor roll students. They are: First Grade Honor Roll: Gracie Boggs, Ryker Corbin, Mason Eder, Blayne LaBorde, Karlsyn Lopez, Wyatt Simmons, Charlee Bailey, Wyatt Bushnell, Ryker Clouse,....

10/25/2024

By Emily Burleigh When Christina Haugen was a child, she knew two things: she wanted to join the Air Force and she wanted to be a teacher. Her dad was in the Army. She was born in Germany and attended the Department of Defense Dependent School. Throughout her grade school education, she attended sev...

10/24/2024

Special to the Beauregard News Members of the Scalfi family — siblings Sindy Scalfi and Susan Scalfi — recently donated an original Elton Louviere painting for display at the Beauregard Parish Courthouse. The painting was commissioned by their father, Robert A. Scalfi Jr., in 1993. The late arti...

10/24/2024

Special to the Beauregard News An old building is getting new life in downtown DeRidder on West 1st Street. The late Paul Harlow owned this building and it housed his collection of antiques and curiosities for years as the “Golden Pond Asylum,” according to the DeRidder Main Street organization....