David Conner, Alliance VP of Economic Development, will be meeting with regional Police Juries to discuss the Alliance's Housing Study. The Housing Study was compiled as a document to be used as critical data for the upcoming Housing Strategic Plan for the 5 parishes of Southwest Louisiana.  The strategic plan will be underway in the next few months. David will be at the Cameron Parish Police Jury meeting on January 30, at 6pm in the Cameron Police Jury Office, and then at the Allen Parish Police Jury meeting on February 4, at 6:30pm at the Allen Police Jury office. For more information about the study, contact David at dconner@allianceswla.org. 

The Louisiana Crossroads series continues as The City of Lake Charles presents Joel Savoy's Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round & Special Guests on Wednesday, January 30, at 7pm at Central School Theater, 809 Kirby Street. Advance tickets for the Lake Charles shows are $10 and can be purchased at the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana on the second floor of Central School or online at www.louisianacrossroads.org. Tickets at the door will be $12. For more information, please call (337) 491-9159 or visit the department of cultural affairs at www.cityoflakecharles.com.

Tomorrow, Join Chick-fil-A at Lumpkin Plaza for Free Breakfast Thursdays! They are serving Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuits! Each Chick-fil-A customer is encouraged to ask for their "Free Breakfast Thursday" item. (You must request it to receive it!) This offer is good for the advertised item only, no substitutions. Limit - 1 item per Customer per Thursday.

The American Heart Association is asking everyone to Wear Red on February 1, 2013. This all-day event supports awareness of the #1 Killer of Women - Heart Disease. The Alliance supports this cause and asks those who want to participate to donate $5 or more to the American Heart Association through this link: http://www.goredforwomen.org/wearredday/donate/advocatedonationform.html?kwoAdvocateId=6J9ZO29

The Institute for Industry-Education Collaboration at McNeese State University offers the following classes: Private Investigator Basic Training on Fri, Sat, Sun, Feb. 1-3 & 8-10; from 6pm-10pm, and Sat & Sun from 8am-5pm; OSHA 10-HR Standards for General Industry on Wed and Thur, Feb 6 (8am-4:30pm) and Feb 7 (8am-11:30am); Fundamentals of Project Management on Fri, Feb 8 from 8am-3pm; and Introduction to Cyber Security on Tue, Feb 19 from 8am-5pm. For more information, go to www.mcneese.edu/iiec or call 562-4139.

The Arts Council of SWLA announces that the application for the Lake Charles Partnership Grant is available for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. This competitive grant program is funded annually by the City of Lake Charles and administered by the Arts Council, and it expands the accessibility of the arts by providing arts organizations and community groups the opportunity to develop arts programming within Lake Charles. Applicants may apply for up to $3,000 for project assistance for events occurring between April 2013 and March 2014. Eligible applicants may also apply for up to $2,000 for organizational support which provides funding for operating expenses of arts organizations, such as salaries and supplies. Applications may be downloaded at www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org or picked up at the Arts Council office, located at 809 Kirby Street, Suite 202 in Lake Charles. Applications must be received, not post-marked, by Friday, February 1, at 5pm in the Arts Council office; applications may not be submitted to the City of Lake Charles.

Come out to the Park to Park Half Marathon and One Mile Fun Run/Walk on Saturday, February 2, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 301 Center Circle Ave., in Sulphur. The half marathon kicks off at 7:30 am, and the one mile begins at 8am. This year, runners are helping Erin Davidson, a cancer survivor, raise money for her medical bills and traveling fees.

Yayi Beads, Gems and Gallery schedules of upcoming events and classes are as follows: Saturday February 2, 10am to 1pm focuses on Leather Wraps Bracelet: very popular bracelet with endless possibilities in your design. (Class Fee $20 plus supplies); and Saturday February 16, 10am to 1pm features Wire Wrapping techniques: Start to accent your Cobochons enhances (large gemstone bead) with wire (Class Fee $25 plus supplies). Call us at (337) 494-9294 for more information and to register for any of the dates of these great classes. Please remember to register at least three days prior any scheduled class.

 Women & Children's Hospital will host a free bariatric seminar Monday, February 4 at 6 pm in the Benjamin Mount Boardroom of the hospital, located at 4200 Nelson Rd. Board-certified general surgeon, Richard Shimer, M.D. will discuss the three surgical weight loss procedures offered at WCH, a designated Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence and will help you find out if weight loss surgery is right for you.  Call 475-4760 to reserve your place.  Feel free to bring a support person with you.

The Girl Scouts are having their National Girl Scout Cookie Day on February 8th! To celebrate this important program and the role it fills in the lives of millions of Girl Scouts, they have created a single day to galvanize cookie lovers across the nation. On February 8, National Girl Scout Cookie Day, the whole country will talk about the skills girls learn, participate in local events, compete in their #onemorebox photo contest, follow live-tweets throughout a day of events and talk shows (and a cookie food truck rolling through the streets of New York City), visit their re-launched Girl Scout Cookies website, download their apps, and buy or order cookies from local Girl Scout Cookie Professionals.

 Mediated Solutions & Coaching, LLC is offering three (3) hours of Free Coaching (Divorce or Negotiation) for 2 adults, valued at $375/person. Divorce Coaching helps individuals/couples with documenting and dividing their community property. The Negotiation and Divorce Coaching provides valuable techniques to manage peoples' emotions in order to create a workable plan that meets both parties' satisfaction. The drawing will be on February 9. Register at www.mediatorandcoach.com.

The Foreman-Reynaud Community Center is having a Fried Catfish Sandwich fundraiser on Wednesday, February 13, from 11am to 1:30pm. For $6, you can have a wonderful lunch which benefits the center. Call in your order by 2/8 and they can deliver lunches for 10 or more people. Call 436-2500 to place your order. The Foreman-Reynaud Community Center is located at 215 Albert Street in Lake Charles.

Over a dozen high school students representing schools and libraries across Southwest Louisiana will come together on Thursday, February 14, to compete for top honors at Poetry Out Loud's Annual Southwest Louisiana Regional Competition in the Central School Theater at 6 p.m. The students who compete at the Regional level have already made it through the first round of competition at their schools or local library. The program is facilitated regionally by the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana.

The Empress of Soul, Gladys Knight, will perform at L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles on February 15, in the Event Center. Gladys Knight is an eight-time Grammy winner and has performed as a solo and group artist over the past 50 years.Tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.com. Floor tickets will be $60, and stadium tickets will be $50. Must be 21 to attend.

Evergreen Life Services and Painting with a Twist invite you to a fun evening of painting, refreshments, and good company on Sunday, February 17 from 2 -5 p.m., all to benefit the individuals served at Evergreen who have disabilities. Cost to attend is $45, of which 50% is donated back to Evergreen. Call 337-478-0955 to reserve your seat. Door prizes will be given out! http://www.paintingwithatwist.com/events/viewEvent.aspx?eventID=65883

The Foreman-Reynaud Community Center, located at 215 Albert Street in Lake Charles, will be hosting Life Guard Classes for ages 15 and up beginning on February 18. For more information, call 337-436-2500. Class registration will be $200.00.

HIRING OUR HEROES returns to the Lake Charles Civic Center on February 19. The career fair for veterans, active duty military members, Guard, Reserve members and their spouses will be held from 9am to noon. To register for this event, go to HOH.GreatJob.net. If you have any questions, email hiringourheroes@uschamber.com or call 202-463-3110.https://hoh.greatjob.net/sc/viewEvent.action?id=738236

Women & Children's Hospital will host a free Heartburn/TIF seminar Tuesday, February 19, at 6 pm in the First Floor Classroom of the hospital, located at 4200 Nelson Rd. Board-certified general surgeon, Keith Chung, M.D. will discuss common symptoms experienced by patients who suffer from GERD including moderate to severe heartburn, chronic cough, chest pain, difficulty or painful swallowing, sore throat and more.  Attendees will also gain a better understanding of the various treatment options available. For more information about the TIF procedure or to register for the free seminar, call 475-4075.

All members of the Chamber Southwest are invited to attend the February 26th meeting of The Technology Council to learn more about Two-Factor Authentication. Protecting your digital life on the internet is becoming increasingly difficult. Hackers are actively attempting to steal information from both people and businesses, and they are succeeding by an astonishing margin - often due to weak password policies. Two-Factor Authentication is a technology that solves the password problem by combining your normal credentials with an additional security mechanism. Join the Technology Council as they discuss the state of password security and how you can take advantage of the rising availability of Two-Factor Factor Authentication to get ahead of hackers and help protect yourself and your business. The Technology Council meets on the 7th Floor of the Magnolia Building (1011 Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles) at 7:30am. For more information, contact R.B. Smith at rsmith@allianceswla.org.

The Arts Council of SWLA has announced that the application for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Arts Funding Grant is available for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. This competitive grant program is funded annually by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and administered by the Arts Council, and provides up to $5,000.00 for cultural events and projects staged within the Parish each year. Applications may be downloaded at www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org or picked up at the Arts Council office, located at 809 Kirby Street, Suite 202 in Lake Charles. Applications must be received, not post-marked, by Friday, March 1, at 5pm in the Arts Council office; applications may not be submitted to the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury.

Women & Children's Hospitalis proud to present Girl's Night Out on Saturday, March 2, from 4:30 - 8:30 pm. Girls ages 9-16 are invited to come hear physicians, nurses and other professionals engage in direct and honest dialogue concerning a wide array of topics including anatomy, puberty and hygiene, fitness and nutrition, self-esteem, sexual health and more. Pre-registration and a signed parental consent is required. Cost is $20.00 per person, which includes dinner. For more information or to register, call 475-4075 or visit www.Women-Childrens.com/GirlsNightOut

Big Brothers, Big Sisters is hosting The Big Easy (It's easy to be a Big!) Bowl for Kids Sake fundraiser on March 3, at Petro Bowl. Enjoy a fun-filled hour with five of your friends while raising money for the children of Southwest Louisiana. All money raised stays in the region. Bowl a game with a team of 6 ($30 minimum per bowler) and win prizes! Click here for info or to register. http://www.bbbs-swla.net/index.php?id=73

Volunteers of America's Beats & Eats fundraiser will be on Friday, March 8, from 6 to 9 pm at Treasures of Marilyn's.  The casual event will feature live music and a buffet dinner.  As part of the fundraiser, there is a raffle for the Beats & Eats Gift Card Bundle, a  bundle of gift cards worth over $500 to these top retail establishments.  The raffle tickets are only $5 per chance.  Tickets for Beats & Eats are $30 for individuals or $250 for reserved tables of ten before February 25th.  Tickets are $35 per person after February 25th upon availability.  Sponsorships and corporate tables are available.  To purchase event or raffle tickets, call Volunteers of America at (337) 497-0034.

American pop rock band, Matchbox Twenty, will hit the stage of L'Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles on Friday, March 22. Matchbox Twenty recently released its fourth album, "NORTH," which debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. Tickets will go on sale on Feb. 8, and can be purchased for $55 via www.ticketmaster.com. Must be 21. For more information on upcoming concerts log on to www.mylauberge.com or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/laubergedulac.

The 2013 Mac Burns/West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Foundation Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, May 11 at Frasch Golf Course in Sulphur.  The tournament will follow a 4-man scramble format with a double shotgun start at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.  This year's entry fee is $400 per team and covers food, drinks, shirts, range balls and mulligans.  Various levels of sponsorships are available.  For more information or to participate in the tournament, call (337) 527-4241.