VIDEO LINK: Max Air Helicopters is now offering Sky Cam, a remote controlled aerial vehicle that shoots Gyro-Stabilized HD video. It's small and unobtrusive and can actually be flown into and through buildings while rendering extraordinary video. Maybe there is a use for it in making an aerial video for your website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlbHJOpi3aA.

Employees at the following companies donated to the United Way: iBERIABANK ($34,333.00),

CARC ($32,946.00), Acadian Ambulance ($13,298.00) and SGS Petroleum ($6,518.00).

CHRISTUS St. Patrick Center for Advanced Wound Healing recently annouced that Tyson Green, DPM, as their new Medical Director and Mauro Callaba as the center's new Clinical Supervisor.

CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital Regional Cancer Center has received a three-year accreditation with commendation from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS). Accreditation by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. A facility receives a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation following the on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor, during which the facility demonstrates a Commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement). 

McNeese's Leisure Learning is offering the following classes: Basic Blacksmithing Skills, Couponing- How to Save Big for Summer Vacation, ACT Math Review, The Magic of High Dynamic Range & Panorama Photos, College Success Tips for Starting or Returning to College, Flower Arranging for Prosperity, Romance and Health, Audubon Pilgrimage Trip to St. Francisville, Intermediate Adobe Photoshop, and Making Country Wines at Home. For course descriptions, visit www.mcneese.edu/leisure. To register, call 337-475-5616.

Please be advised that residents are now permitted to bring their scrap metal to the Calcasieu Parish Solid Waste Convenience Centers. Collection of scrap metal was temporarily suspended last year to allow Public Works officials to install new machinery that monitors the collected materials for environmental standards. Regular Convenience Center hours are 7am to 5pm, Thursday through Monday, and closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information, please call: 337-721-3700.

The Foreman-Reynaud Community Center is now offering swim lessons! For $5 a day, your child can learn how to swim from 5pm to 6pm, Monday through Friday. Three to four year olds are starting now, five to six year olds start April 2nd, seven to eight year olds start April 29th, nine to ten year olds start June 3rd, and eleven to twelve year olds start July 8th. For more information, call 436-2500.

In March and April, Mediated Solutions & Coaching, LLC is offering courses on Managing Emotions, Relationships, Parenting, and Helping Someone Deal with Separation/Divorce. Group discounts are available for family members and companies. To learn more about these courses and to register, go to www.mediatorandcoach.com.

The City of Lake Charles and Team Green of Southwest Louisiana, a Mayor's Commission and an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Louisiana Beautiful, will host the 17th Annual Litter Law Enforcement Luncheon on Thursday, March 7, at 11:30am, in the Jean Lafitte Room of the Lake Charles Civic Center. The event is sponsored by Arabie Environmental Solutions, First Federal Bank, and Walmart. The event is open to the public.  For more information, call Rachel Warrick at 491-1481.                                                                   

Women & Children's Hospital will also host their next free Healthy Woman event on Thursday, March 7, from 5:30pm to 7pm at the Lake Charles Country Club located at 3350 Country Club Drive. Board-certified cardiologist Thomas Mulhearn IV, M.D. will discuss the topic of Women and Heart Disease. Attendees will learn about individual risk factors for heart disease and methods to reduce those risks. Free blood pressure and BMI screenings will be offered. Anyone interested in attending this event or in joining Healthy Woman should register at www.women-childrens.com/healthywoman or call Lisa Guerrero at 337-475-4064. Door prizes and refreshments will be provided following the program.  

CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation is revving up for the third annual Run with the Nuns Motorcycle Ride and Charity Event, which will take place on Saturday, March 16, at presenting sponsor L'Auberge Casino Resort at 9am. The pre-registration deadline for Run with the Nuns is Friday, March 8. Registration is $30 for each driver and $20 for each passenger and includes an event t-shirt for registration by deadline, lunch, medal and door prize ticket. The ride will depart L'Auberge Casino Resort at 9:30 a.m. and will make its way on a 117-mile scenic route through Southwest Louisiana along the Creole Nature Trail. There will also be a rice and gravy cook-off during the Run with the Nuns event. The entry fee is $150 per team and includes meat, rice and water for cooking. For more information or to register, visit www.stpatrickfoundation.org. Run with the Nuns Motorcycle Ride and Charity Event benefits Wellness and Diagnostics Services at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital.

The 26th annual Black Heritage Festival will take place in Lake Charles on March 8th through the 10th, and will include with mouthwatering food, entertainment featuring national headliners, and great family fun.  The festival brings together the cultures of Africa and Southwest Louisiana and highlights the best in the community.  Celebrating diversity, culture and education, the festival is filled with legendary Zydeco, Jazz and Gospel performers. The Black Heritage Festival was chosen as a Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society for the first quarter of 2013.  This award is a coveted honor among 12 member states.  For ticket prices for the various events and for more information, call (337) 304-0620 or visit www.bhflc.org.

The Arts Council of SWLA and the City of Lake Charles are proud to announce that the second season of Live @ the Lakefront Music Fest will take place on three consecutive Fridays on March 8th, 15th, and 22nd, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Lakefront Promenade. The 2013 season line-up includes City Heat (jazz/R&B) with the Barbe Show Choir (cover rock) on March 8th, Grammy-nominated Lost Bayou Ramblers (crossover zydeco) with John Guidroz (indie rock) on March 15th, and Ashes of Babylon (reggae) with the Lochness Mobsters (rock) closing the season on March 22nd. For details, visit www.facebook.com/ArtsCouncilSWLA or call (337) 439-2787.

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.

The American Ad Federation of Lake Charles is hosting "Getting the Most out of LinkedIn" with guest speaker Amy Kinnaird on March 12. This luncheon will be from 11:30am to 1pm at Reeves Uptown Catering. Admission is $13 for AAF members, $20 for guests, and $10 for students. RSVP to aaflakecharles@gmail.com.

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 Cameron Parish meeting on 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. 

On Thursday, March 14, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital (WCCH) will hold its monthly "Pink Crusade" Breast Cancer Support Group meeting.  The meeting will be held at 6pm at Dynamic Dimensions in Sulphur, located at 545 Cypress Street.  Venisa Prudhomme, licensed aesthetician with the ENT & Aesthetic Center of WCCH, will speak about aesthetic care for patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Refreshments will be served.  For more information, call (337) 528-7320.

The City of Lake Charles will host a new traveling exhibition, Pueblo to Pueblo: The Legacy of Southwest Indian Pottery. The exhibition will be on display at the 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center at 1001 Ryan Street beginning with an opening reception on March 15 from 5:30-8 p.m. and will run through May 25. All ages are welcome at no charge and refreshments will be served.

Goodwill Industries of Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana is holding their Back to the Beginning Saturday Night Fever 40th Anniversary Gala on March 15, at the Holiday Inn Grand Ballroom in Beaumont. There will be a silent auction, dinner, and dancing. Tickets are $60 each. For more information or to register, call 409-838-9911.

The Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana's Department of Commerce, along with the Imperial Calcasieu Resource Conservation and Development Council, will present a major Agri-Business Marketing Conference on Tuesday, March 19. This half-day conference will take place at the Coushatta Multi-Purpose Complex, 1974 C.C. Bel Road, in Elton, La. It will feature sessions on a variety of topics, including agricultural trends in Southwest Louisiana; farmers' markets; agricultural tourism and marketing; the Coushatta Tribe's hydroponic gardening project and long-leaf pine tree farming operation; and successful 4-H and Future Farmers of America efforts in Allen Parish and Jeff Davis Parish. Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the event. The conference will focus on discussion of regional and Tribal agricultural efforts and success stories, and it will offer educational programs for area farmers, students and agricultural industry leaders. Attendance is open to the public, but registration is required and the cost is $10 per attendee. To register, visit http://coushattaagribusiness.eventbrite.com or contact Shana Harmon of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana Department of Commerce at 337-584-1435 or shanajohn@CoushattaTribeLA.org.

Nicholas Hunter, chef and owner of Harlequin Steaks & Seafood, is hosting a benefit dinner for the Autism Support Alliance a program of Family & Youth Counseling Agency on Sunday, March 17, at 5:30pm. This event will include a wine tasting, a silent auction, and live entertainment. For tickets call 337-436-9533 or email roxanne@fyca.org.

McNeese's Small Business Development Center is hosting "Starting and Financing a Small Business" on March 21st. This evening event will take place at the Burton Business Center (room 121) from 5pm to 7pm. There is no charge, but participants must pre-register by calling 475-5529 or emailing lsbdc.msu@lsbdc.org.

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.

CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital will hold a free foot screening on Saturday, March 23, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Center for Advanced Wound Healing located at the back entrance of the hospital on Lillian Street. Foot screenings can prevent foot problems. If you have poor circulation, nerve damage, previous foot ulcers, high blood sugar levels, skin changes, deformities, shoes that don't fit correctly or frequently walk barefoot, this screening is for you.

The free foot screening is by appointment only and appointments are limited. To register, call 491-7577.

The Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society announces its 38th Annual Palm Sunday Tour of Homes for March 24.  Themed "Windows on the Water" the Tour will feature five distinctive homes with breathtaking lakeshore views on prestigious Shell Beach Drive.  The Tour is set for 1pm to 5pm on that Sunday afternoon.  A separate Traditional Sunday Brunch will be available by reservation with 121 Artisan Bistro (located at the gates of the historic Margaret Place Historic District) between 10:30am and 2:30pm. Tour of Homes ticket sales begin March 1 online at www.calcasieupreservation.org. Pre-sale Tour tickets are available for $10 (by cash or check) from Gordon's Drugs on Lake Street and the Arts and Humanities Council at Historic Central School. Tickets may be purchased on the day of the event for $15.

The Annual Fill the Truck Food Drive will be held this year from March 25 - March 30. Each person who donates 3 cans of food will receive 1 entrée at No Charge! Those who bring in a flat (or case) of cans will receive a free Value Meal! Chick-fil-A of Lake Charles is located at 3435 Nelson Road. Food may be donated between the hours of 6am and 10pm (inside the restaurant) Monday through Saturday.

The West Calcasieu Chamber of Commerce is holding their Empowering Women Luncheon on March 28th from 12pm to 1pm in Frasch Park (400 Picard Road, Sulphur). The keynote speaker is Federal Judge Patricia Minaldi. Tickets are $15 for West Calcasieu Members and $20 for non-members. Call 313-1121 to purchase your tickets.

L'Auberge Casino Resort invites you to Throw Back with Jack, a series of concerts and events starting with the Chee Weez on March 28, Bag of Donuts on March 29, and The Molly Ringwalds on March 30. Tickets are $5 and door open at 8pm.

The Louisiana Economic Development Incentives Seminar will take place on April 17, from 8am to 3pm at the McNeese State University Alumni Center.  Topics will include Industrial Tax Exemption, Quality Jobs, Restoration Tax Abatement, the Enterprise Zone Program and more.  Pre-registration is required for this free seminar. Call 337-475-5529 or email lsbdc.msu@lsbdc.org. 

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.

The Calcasieu Area Council, Boy Scouts of America will hold a "Shuck 'n' Jive" fundraising event on Thursday, April 25, at the Historic Calcasieu Marine National Bank starting at 6pm.  The event will include its annual auction with completely new items, seafood delicacies and music.   This year promises to be a little different.  All proceeds benefit the local Scouting program here in Southwest Louisiana. If you would like to help with the steering committee or have a unique idea, please contact Shawn Chamblee at 436-3376.  Sponsorship and table information will available soon. 

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.