The agriculture industry is a vital part of the economy in Southwest Louisiana. The SWLA Economic Development Alliance would appreciate your input on ways that we can collaborate to continue to grow this segment of our regional economy. We invite you to share your thoughts and ideas at the following sessions: Beauregard Parish, Wednesday, February 6, 10am to 11:30am at the War Memorial Civic Center (250 West 7th Street in DeRidder); Jeff Davis Parish, Thursday, February 7, from 9am to 10:30am at the Jeff Davis Extension Service Office; Calcasieu Parish, February 28, from 10am to 11:30am at the LSU Ag Center (7101 Gulf Highway, Lake Charles); and Cameron Parish, Thursday, March 14, from 10am to 11:30am at the LSU Ag Center, 180 Henry Street in Cameron. Please let us know of your participation by calling the SWLA Alliance/Chamber office, 337-433-3632 or emailing lclark@allianceswla.org.
McNeese Leisure Learning is offering the following courses: Concealed Handgun and Digital Cameras: Understanding the Fundamentals start Tuesday, Feb 5.; Yoga, Beginning Photoshop, iPad-Moving Beyond the Basics (Wait List), ACT Grammar Review, QuickBooks II: Setting Up Payroll, Financial Reports & Misc. Transactions, Professional Floral Design 101; Getting Started with iPad, Spanish for Travelers, Frank Thompson's Stained Glass for Beginners, Excel I, Sec. A, Word I, Sec. A, and a Food & Wine Pairing Dinner at Graywood. For more information, www.mcneese.edu/leisure Call 337-475-5616 to register.
The Institute for Industry-Education Collaboration at McNeese State University offers the following classes: 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.
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 performedas 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 benefits 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.
McNeese's Small Business Development Center is hosting Starting and Financing a Small Business on February 21. The seminar will be at the Burton Business Center, Room 121 on campus. Registration begins at 4:30pm and seminar runs from 5pm to 7pm. Participants will discover if they are really an entrepreneur, get information on financing, learn how to write a business plan, and understand what a banker really wants to know. This seminar is free. Pre-register by phoning 337-475-5529 or emailing lsbdc.msu@lsbdc.org.
All members of the Chamber Southwest are invited to attend the February 26, 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 Hospital is 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 arrange 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 Petrol 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.
American Cancer Society is having its Bark For Life - A Canine Event to Fight Cancer on Saturday, March 23 from 9am to 1pm at the Lake Charles Civic Center. This event is $20 entry per dog. For more information contact BarkForLifeSWLA@gmail.com or visit www.facebook.com/BarkForLifeSWLA.
Women & Children's Hospital is a presenting sponsor for the 2013 Lake Charles March for Babies Walk, which will be held on Saturday, April 20 at Prien Lake Park. Anyone interested in starting a company or family team can sign up at http://www.marchforbabies.org. This is the 75th anniversary for the March of Dimes and the walk will include a big birthday celebration for the organization. Call Community Director, Martha Grant at (337) 233-8476 for more information.
Prien Lake Mall will host National Mom's Nite Out, presented by Lysol, Thursday, May 9, from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in Sears Court. Mom's Nite Out is a much deserved night out with the "girls", this free event for Mom's is a great way for local moms to have a night out at Prien Lake Mall! It's also a great way for your business to advertise to this consumer! If you are interested in sponsoring or reserving a table for Mom's Nite Out please Contact Nikki Buxton at 337-477-7487 or email to abuxton@simon.com.
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.
Prien Lake Mall, KPLC-TV and Entergy are pleased to announce the Fifth Annual Hurricane Preparedness Event on Saturday, May 18, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., with presentations in Food Court and tables set up throughout the mall. If you would like to be part of this exciting event, please call Nikki Buxton at 337-477-7487 or email at abuxton@simon.com.
Adrian L. Wallace has been named the Executive Director of the Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and Economic Development (SEED) Center's Business Incubator. Formerly with the City of Lake Charles, Adrian has worked on this project since its inception and has recently earned his Incubator Management Certification. He also has a B.S. degree in Chemistry (Texas Southern University) and a MBA (McNeese State University). 
If you are a new or existing member of the Chamber Southwest, you are invited to our Membership Orientation on February 20th from 8am to 9am. This quick breakfast meeting will overview the programs, projects and services of the Chamber Southwest, the Alliance, and our Alliance Foundation. It will be held on the 7th Floor of the Magnolia Building (1011 Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles).
Intensive Outpatient Program