Tech Tip: Learn the dos and don’ts of Artificial Intelligence
From Two-Step to Tango: One man’s mission to get Louisiana on its feet
By Emily Burleigh
Three places to buy local seasonal produce
1. The Charlestown Farmers Market
On Bilbo Street behind Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center, 1001 Ryan St.,
2. Moss Bluff Farmers Market
From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday at 325 Sam Houston Jones Pwky.
3. Westlake Farmers Market
Every Saturday outside of Miller’s Super Saver, 1514 Sampson St., every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Three experiences
Three ways to get outside
1. Visit a pumpkin patch
2. Haunt the Lost Hollows
SW La.’s most popular Halloween attraction The Lost Hollows will be open September 27 through November 1.
3. Stretch it out
From 9 to 10(ish) on Saturday mornings local artist and yoga instructor Maegan Gonzales hosts “Yoga Under the Oak” under the Sallier Oak at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, 204 W. Sallier St. Check ICM’s
Pick up some pumpkins at the annual Moss Bluff United Facebook for monthly session dates. Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch, set to open October 12.
1. The Cal Cam Fair October 3-5, West Cal Arena and Events Center, 401 Arena Road, Sulphur
2. Chuck Fest October 19, from 12 p.m. to 11:15 p.m., throughout downtown Lake Charles
3. Smoke & Barrel November 14-17, 1 to 5 p.m., on the lawn of the Calcasieu Parish Courthouse, 1000 Ryan St.
A Haunting on Sallier Street
By Emily Burleigh
Are you ready to get spooked?
It’s no trick. The Imperial Calcasieu Museum is treating Southwest Louisiana to a “spine-chilling” haunted experience for the Halloween season. From 7:30 to 9 p.m. on October 26 at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum, 204 W. Sallier St., the museum will host the Haunted Candlelight Tour.
The tour will bring guests and ghouls on a journey with history-based tales of the paranormal. Guided by docents, audiences can expect to explore the history and “claims of hauntings” of nine different SW La. locations, including Barnes Creek, the ACTS Theatre and Ellis Hill.
Instead of visiting each location, the entire tour will take place at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum. History panels, artifacts and photography will be set up throughout the museum to enhance discussion on the locations. By conducting the entire tour at the museum, the haunt is accessible to people of every ability, said Ashley Royer, creative coordinator.
A listening station will be set up for guests to listen to electronic voice phenomena (EVPs) — sounds on electronic recordings that are interpreted as spirit voices by ghost hunters and parapsychologists — that have been collected during the Old No. 7 Society’s paranormal investigations.
Members of the paranormal team will be there to answer questions about their investigations and equipment during and after the tour.
“The paranormal team was the one we worked with to put this exhibit together, their experiences are invaluable and sometimes chilling,” she said.
Royer said that while this event will be a perfect scary experience for the Halloween season, it also serves as a way to connect with the community in an educational way.
“Haunted Histories and the Haunted Candlelight Tour reframe our history in fun ways for our community,” Royer said. “We love being able to engage with a more diverse audience, to be able to foster a love for history. Each site is not just a haunted tale, but also a unique place that is sentimental to a person or persons.”
Guests are encouraged to show up in their favorite Halloween costumes.
“Each site is not just a haunted tale, but also a unique place that is sentimental to a person or persons.”
-Ashley Royer
This spooktacular event is for guests aged 13 and over due to some of the historical content.
Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for educators and children and $2 for seniors. Imperial Calcasieu Museum members get in free.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 337439-3797 or in person and will be available at the door until 7:50 p.m. the day of the tour. The tour begins at 8 p.m.
tech tech tech tip tip tip
A A A
Artificial Intelligence
and how not to use it
Dr. Steven Dabelow, Ph.D
Information Systems Technology Instructor Sowela Technical Community College
rtificial Intelligence (AI) has become a new norm. Many of the things that we use every day, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Apple, etc., are implementing AI into their software, and, either directly or indirectly, into our lives and society.
And it's not just big tech; businesses are also implementing and using AI to increase their profit margins and make their products better and services more efficient.
The growth of AI in just the past five years has been staggering to say the least, and it’s not slowing down any time soon.
Now before you panic, no you don’t need to worry about the Terminator robots running around anytime soon (if ever) seeking world domination or the eradication of humanity. We are nowhere near Skynet, HAL 9000, or any of the other evil AI that you have read or heard about from science fiction. However, that doesn’t mean that we can breathe a sigh of relief and just let people do whatever they want with AI. AI can still be dangerous, and there are ways in which we can use AI unethically.
It’s worth noting that AI is a machine at the end of the day. In other words, it only knows what the creator and/or trainer tells it, and what it learns from when we ask it something (if we allow it to learn). Depending on what that data was we trained the AI on, it may not yield the most reliable and/or credible results.
Consider an AI like ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a generative AI that was trained on data from Reddit. So, if you asked ChatGPT to write a report for you, the information you receive from it may not be accurate.
Additionally, where that information comes from becomes an issue. If the AI states information from a paper, but doesn’t provide adequate citation, that may be considered plagiarism. And while there do exist AI that provide citations, such as Perplexity, the information may come from Facebook, Reddit, and other nonpeerreviewed sources.
Now that doesn’t mean AI isn’t useful. You can use it to generate a template for a new company policy. Or you could use it to get some suggestions on certain points you should focus on for a business presentation. The list is endless. But just because it can do a huge variety of things, that doesn’t mean that you should use it for such things.
The idea of an AI is that it replicates the thought process of a human being. We humans have neurons in our brains that allow us to learn. In the field of Artificial Intelligence, we use something called an artificial neural network to attempt to replicate this human behavior; and if we are not careful with what we ask or train our AI on, it could learn about something that may be confidential (such as your bank history, credit score, grades, address, etc.). So even though some AI are trained from places like Reddit, that doesn’t mean that it can’t learn personal information about you.
So how do we go about preventing this from happening? How do we prevent AI from knowing our personal information?
We can start by first analyzing the data or information that we are asking the AI. Don’t just type your personal information into ChatGPT. Likewise, if you’re dealing with data about your company or other people, make sure you make that data as confidential as possible. Avoid including names, social security numbers, addresses, or anything like that.
Another way to address this issue is to install “guardrails.” A guardrail essentially works like this: You train your AI to know only about ancient Egypt with guardrails; if you were to ask it about Taylor Swift, it not only would not know who she is, but it would also never learn who she is.
In the end though, if AI is going to be used ethically, it starts with us humans. AI is here to stay, so we should learn not just how to use it, but also how not to use it so that we may protect ourselves. Yes, it can be scary, but if we focus on learning what to do and what not to do before using AI, we should help to minimize the possibility of this powerful tool learning everything about who we are.
AT THE LIBRARY
Selections from the Calcasieu Parish Public Library
The Magic of Ordinary Days
Author: Ann Howard Creel
Review by Missi Felio
A former college student who's pregnant out of wedlock. She's forced to marry a beet farmer who resides on a remote farm in Colorado.
Set in 1944, near the end of WWII, she befriends JapaneseAmericans in a nearby internment camp, something that is frowned upon because of the tensions from the war.
So what happens with her relationship with this "stranger," her new friendships, a new family, and a new hometown? Well, you'll have to read this book to find out.
Why We Read
Author: Shannon Reed
Review by Sheryl Cha
“Why We Read” chronicles Reed’s journey with reading from her childhood to adulthood. She shares not only her personal experiences but also reflections on other people’s relationships with reading, including students she’s taught in her creative writing courses.
Reed makes it easy to see parallels between one’s own reading journey and hers, and I often found myself wanting to pull out a notebook and journal my own history while enjoying the book.
Author: Kaliane Bradley
Review by Jayme Champagne
time travel. Now they’re testing it out by retrieving a small number of men and women from different eras and monitoring how they respond. Can a body survive time travel? How about the fabric of space-time? Is human experimentation wrong if the subjects were already slated to die in their own timelines? The British government is willing to take the risk.
Follow the story of an unnamed civil servant who stumbles into a new career opportunity: monitoring one of the time travelers. It is her job to be a “bridge,” to help a time traveler who has traveled from the past assimilate to present-day Britain. And who is her assignment? Commander Graham Gore, from 1847, a member of an illfated polar expedition. Our bridge must introduce him to a new world wildly different from his own.
Pick it up for a riveting, emotional read that will have you wondering about the meaning of time and our place in history.
Four Friends
Author: William D. Cohan
Review by Missi Felio
What happened to Cohan's four prep school classmates?
Best-selling author William D. Cohan examines the lives of four men who shared similar situations or consequences. All passed away in their early 40s, and all were violent deaths. Who were they? Why so young, especially when each one had so much promise?
Cohan examines the lives of Will Daniel, a social worker who was run over by a taxi while walking drunk; Harry Bull, a CEO who drowned with his daughters in a boating accident; Jack Berman, child of impoverished Holocaust survivors, was a lawyer who was killed in a mass shooting; and, Camelot’s heir John F. Kennedy, Jr., who crashed his plane into the Atlantic, killing himself, his wife and sister-in-law.
Think you know their stories? Are you sure? Did bad judgement cause their tragic fate? Curious? This could be a book to add to your reading bucket list.
By Rita LeBleu
Making connections can be just as satisfying as good food
‘I fail every day. Every day I don’t crush it 100 percent. But, I don’t quit because if you quit you’re always a failure.’
- Colt Mire
Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp took 12 total categories in this year’s People’s Choice awards, winning best beer selection, brunch, casual dining, chef, cocktail, date night, girl’s night out, gumbo, kid’s meal, margarita, Mexican restaurant and server. No restaurant has ever taken that many categories.
The menu has been tweaked. It’s extensive, with something for everyone. Everything but the chips, tortillas and bread are made from scratch. Gumbo begins with a black iron skillet, flour and grease. Tia’s People’s Choice wins and its move from 2.1 Google stars to 4.5 suggests something more is at play than good, fresh, generously-portioned, seasoned-just-right food.
At the helm is Colt Mire. He said the success of Tia's is due to his staff.
On the day of the interview, Mire excused himself a few times to greet and seat late-afternoon customers, finally settling down
with some chips, salsa and guac from the kitchen. Sitting, eating is a rare thing for him.
“I’m running left and right, working 80 hours a week,” he said. “This is my 63rd day straight and 60 of those were doubles.”
He has been on the cook line, waited tables, tended bar, crafted cocktails, managed people and processes, and doesn’t shy away from a deep clean. (He’s six-foot, three-inches, and looks like he would make a good bouncer, but if that’s on his resume, he didn’t say.)
Experience the best teacher
Life started for him in Kaplan. His mother named him for the original bass player for The Black Crowes, Johnny Colt, who also played with Lynyrd Skynyrd.
He remembers mowing lawns and pulling (weedy) red rice as a kid. In high school, he did a lot of couch surfing, sometimes getting to school ahead of the other students to get cleaned up.
“I wasn’t really talking to my parents,” he said. “I worked at McDonalds and basically lived out of a duffle bag. After I graduated I went to New York for a year. I had $5,000 to my name.”
At the University of Louisiana in Lafayette Mire majored in – and this sums him up to a degree – business, philosophy and psychology.
Mire is constantly reading. Books. And people. And he was doing it before he got his degree.
The Metropolitan, a New Orleans event venue with three rooms and two stories, was his first stop after college. Ruth Chris Steak House was next.
Then a four-star hotel with a burlesque lounge offered him the general manager title.
“I kind of fudged my way into general management," he admitted. “I was a manager, but not a general manager — not up until that point.”
The first year he took the New Orleans business from $400,000 in total sales to $1.1 million. Shows went from one a week to four.
“I fixed the cocktails, the service and I made sure that every person in that place felt like they were seen,” he said.
There you have it, Mire’s secret sauce. He knows the power of making someone feel seen. He understands why people do and say what they do and say. He understands that making connections can be as satisfying as good food, more so for some
people.
When the burlesque business announced it was going to have a new sort of audit in every department, an emotional audit, Mire was the first to call it (expletive) stupid.
Google’s AI overview describes an emotional audit as a research-based tool that measures a workplace’s emotional climate and identifies strengths and weaknesses to promote a desired organizational culture. Think secret shopper, but equipped with questions to help him or her browse the mind and go home with information that stays in a file forever, and could be used against them in a review.
He was concerned. What if the auditor was someone who had a bad day, something he had no control over. He crushed it.
Not every department fared so well. Instead of accolades, Mire sensed a shift, and it took
him a minute to make sense of it. Not long afterward, he picked up Robert Greene’s, “The Law of Human Nature” and it resonated deeply. He realized the impact of being authentic, and the risks. Recognizing flaws in himself and others, giving and getting forgiveness and grace became not so much the turning point in his life, but a picture of the human condition, a cycle.
His ability to read, lead and accept people while demanding high standards has made him a different sort of manager than most, and he’ll be the first to say he’s not everybody’s cup of tea — but you won’t hear him bad mouthing the hospitality labor pool here. Words are powerful.
“Your staff is like your woman,” he said, then paused before going on. “I don’t want to come off sounding chauvinistic, but yeah, I can. Your woman is a reflection of how you treat her.”
“This industry doesn’t have superstars. You have to build them. The only way it gets better is if we get to work and stop running around fixing things that aren’t actually the problem, playing the blame game.”
He has always known, and research has confirmed, that people want to be a part of something bigger than themselves.
“If an employee is successful here in building some core character traits, they’ll be successful at anything they choose to do,” he said.
Sometimes he fails.
“I fail every day,” he said. “Every day I don’t crush it 100 percent. But I don’t quit because if you quit, you’re always a failure. You know, the only way you can reach any happiness or fulfillment in life, or the only way I can at least, is to complete a job that might be impossible for others."
Now serving brunch
Mire and his staff now serve brunch 10:30 a.m.- 3 p.m. Sundays.
Indulge the sweet tooth with Tres Leches French Toast, crepes or house-made sorbet.
Try the bottomless mimosa, Stellar Beans martini, or the bloody Mary with olives, pickled okra, green beans, steamed shrimp and crispy bacon.
Crab cakes, carnitas, potatoes, chorizo, migas, a shrimp and grits and traditional Mexican stew over green chile grits topped with pickled carrots and in-house cracklins are just an example of other delectables.
Shrimp and grits
Bread bowl plating
Someone You Should Know Someone You Should Know
CCAMERON FULTZ AMERON FULTZ
Arts and Humanities Council of SWLA Executive Director SWLA Executive Director
Arts and Humanities Council of
What fuels your passion for the arts?
I’ve been involved in the arts from an early age. I was lucky enough to fall in love with choir in elementary school, then band in middle school. My passion for music led me to pursue a music education degree from McNeese State University where my eyes were opened to every performing and visual art you can think of! My new interests include community theatre, spoken word performances, and dabbling in graphic design.
What was your last moment of gratitude?
I see every day as an opportunity to make the next just a little bit easier. I wake up every morning ready to tackle what life throws at me, whether it’s work, life, or the weather. I am simply appreciative that all the small decisions in my life led to where I am today. I also realize that I couldn’t have done anything without loads of help from family, friends, and colleagues. I use these little moments of reflection each day to be grateful for what I’ve been given, as well as what I’ve been able to accomplish.
What is the best thing about SW La.?
The people! It seems I can’t go a day without meeting a new face! The resolve and creativity of folks in Southwest Louisiana is unmatched, and I am privileged to do a job I love that directly benefits the quality of life of my community. Without people, you don’t have a culture, and I firmly believe we have an excellent culture here in SWLA. And don’t get me started on the cuisine here!
Name one can't-miss fall event in SW La.
I would be beside myself if I didn’t mention Chuck Fest! I was blessed enough to help bring it back to life in 2022, refine it in 2023, and 2024 looks to be firing on all cylinders for the 10th year anniversary! If you haven’t been before, this is an area favorite for music, art, food, and culture enthusiasts. It will be held on Oct. 19 from noon to midnight in Downtown Lake Charles and it’s free to attend. My favorite non-Arts & Humanities Council fall event must be Rouge et Blanc presented by Banners at McNeese State University. I love getting to volunteer and help coordinate the event every year alongside the dynamic duo of Brook Hanemann and Randy Partin! The weather is always gorgeous, the drinks stay flowing, and it feels like Mardi Gras in the Fall!
FOREVER
Hurricane-ravaged lakefront tower imploded,
CHANGED
forever changing the skyline of Lake Charles
ECON 101 ECON 101
Dr. Akm Rahman Professor and Interim Associate Dean McNeese College of Business
Note
Ups Ups Downs Downs
The The and and of interest rates of interest rates
This column is intended to enhance financial literacy explaining why and how ups and downs occur in interest rates. In subsequent columns, the intention is to shed light on how they impact personal well-being, eleven different sectors of the U.S economy and various major interrelated markets (goods, stocks, bonds, and foreign currencies).
The textbook definition of interest rate is the “opportunity cost of holding money.”
In simple terms, it may also be called ‘cost of borrowing’ and ‘reward for saving.’ Interest rates are classified as a shortterm and long-term. Short-term rate is determined in the money market by demand-supply interactions. Long-term rate is determined in the bond market by demand-supply interactions. Both are normally positive. Long-term rate is usually higher than short-term rate due to liquidity risk premium.
In theory, long-term rate and bond price are negatively related. Also, interest rate is classified as nominal (unadjusted for inflation rate) and real interest rate (nominal interest rate minus inflation rate). Nominal rate is usually positive while the real rate may be positive or zero or negative. The sign depends on the nominal rate and inflation rate differentials. Notably, rates are important for borrowing and lending decisions. The recommendation is to closely observe the trajectory of swings in real interest rates for decision making, to be free from money illusion. To add, short-term rates drive long- term rate as it is the weighted sum of short-term rates spanning over multiple short periods.
Both short-term and long-term rates periodically fluctuate over different phases (recovery and downturn) of the economy. In the state of recovery and accompanying prosperity, rising inflation is in complex formation. In contrast, during the period of economic slowdown and potentially turning into complicating recession, unemployment rate tends to rise.
Mitigation of both poses a policy dilemma for the central bank (the Federal Reserve System) because of their usual/ historical negative relationship (Phillips Curve). Thus, the Fed (Federal Reserve System) can tackle only one problem at a time creating another problem in the foreseeable future by the relevant monetary policy actions.
The Fed’s traditional policy tool box includes changes in required reserve ratio on checking deposits, discount rate at which the member commercial banks can borrow from the Fed as the last resort below the prevailing market rate, and open market operations involving the Fed’s selling and buying of treasury securities in the auction market.
Among these policy tools, open market operations are most effective due to their immediate effects on money supply and short-term rate on which the Fed has relatively greater influence than long-term rate.
To tame rising inflation rate toward a 2% annual target, the Fed sells Treasury securities from its holdings in significant amounts for sharp contractions in money supply. In turn, they lead to bouts of increases in short-term rates and hence long-term rates. The Fed started doing so when the inflation rate peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 resulting from overly excess money supply, amid other factors.
Currently, the Fed is still in quantitative tightening mode pending solid evidence of success on the inflation front. To reduce rising unemployment rate towards its natural rate (a nebulous term). The Fed reverses the above course by engaging in significant bouts of purchases of Treasury securities to add to its holdings. Such action results in huge monetary expansion (quantitative easing) causing visible downward movements in short- term rates and hence longterm rates. The Fed took unusual actions in this mode during the 2008-2009 Great Recession when unemployment rate peaked at 10% and the 2019 COVID pandemic period to forestall the recurrence of another Great Recession.
Food & Hospitality Food & Hospitality
Asian Restaurant
Brewery/Distillery
Casual Dining
Peking Garden
SWLA FAVORITES
• Thai Lake Charles
• Umami Japanese Restaurant
& Sushi Bar WINNER
Bakery
Twanie’s
Terrific Treats
SWLA FAVORITES
• Pronia’s Deli & Bakery
• The Bekery WINNER
BBQ
Paul’s Rib Shack Barbecue
SWLA FAVORITES
• BBQ West
• The Hut WINNER
Bartender
Davey JonesMy Place
SWLA FAVORITES
• Coolers Icehouse
• Kari Manuel - Villa Harlequin WINNER
Beer Selection
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• Crying Eagle Brewing Company
• Lake Street Liquors WINNER
Boudin
Market Basket
SWLA FAVORITES
• In-Laws
• Tia Juanita’s WINNER
Bread Pudding
Twanie’s
Terrific Treats
SWLA FAVORITES
• Great Harvest
• Pujo St. Cafe WINNER
Breakfast
WINNER
Southern Spice
SWLA FAVORITES
• Coffee:30
• The Bekery
Crying Eagle Brewing Company
SWLA FAVORITES
• Bayou Rum Distillery
• Yellowfin Distillery WINNER
Brunch
WINNER
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• MacFarlane’s Celtic Pub
• The Bekery
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• Area 337
• Southern Spice WINNER
Catering
Rouses Market
SWLA FAVORITES
• Cajun Cafe Catering & Events Center
• t’Pot Noir Cajun Kitchen WINNER
Burger
Restaurant Calla
SWLA FAVORITES
• OB’s Bar & Grill
• Sunny Side Up Community Cafe WINNER
Cajun Food
Catfish
Seafood Palace
SWLA FAVORITES
• Kat Daddy’s Drive-thru Kitchen
• Steamboat Bill’s on the Lake WINNER
Cheesecake
Pat’s of Henderson
SWLA FAVORITES
• Southern Spice
• Tia Juanita’s WINNER
Twanie’s Terrific Treats
SWLA FAVORITES
• Shenanigan Sprankled Cakery
• The Bekery WINNER
Chef
Coffee
Date Night
Etouffee
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• 121 Artisan Bistro
• Crying Eagle Brewing Company WINNER
Chicken
WINNER
Blazin’ Hot Chicken
SWLA FAVORITES
• Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken
• t’Pot Noir Cajun Kitchen
Chicken Salad
Chicken Salad Chick
SWLA FAVORITES
• Great Harvest
• t’Pot Noir Cajun Kitchen WINNER
Cocktail
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• 121 Artisan Bistro
• Area 337 WINNER
Twanie’s Terrific Treats
SWLA FAVORITES
• Coffee:30
• The Buzz WINNER
Cookies
Twanie’s Terrific Treats
SWLA FAVORITES
• Area 337
• Southern Spice WINNER
Cracklins
Famous Foods
SWLA FAVORITES
• Gillis Meat Market
• In-Laws WINNER
Crawfish
Mr. Bill’s Seafood
SWLA FAVORITES
• Cody’s Crawfish Shop
• S&S Crawfish WINNER
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES WINNER
• 121 Artisan Bistro
• Pat’s of Henderson
Deli
WINNER
Rouses Market
SWLA FAVORITES
• Albertsons
• Pronia’s Deli & Bakery
Donuts
Nelson’s Donuts
SWLA FAVORITES
• Delicious Donuts & Bakery
• Dino’s Donuts WINNER
Drive-Thru Daiquiri
WINNER
Paradise Grill & Daiquiris
SWLA FAVORITES
• Caribbean Hut
• Frosty Factory
t’Pot Noir Cajun Kitchen
SWLA FAVORITES
• Pat’s of Henderson
• Southern Spice WINNER
Fine Dining
WINNER
Mazen’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• Pat’s of Henderson
• Pujo St. Cafe
Food Producer
Fontenot Beef
SWLA FAVORITES
• Carriere Farms
• Salt Revival Oyster Company WINNER
French Fries
Blazin’ Hot Chicken
SWLA FAVORITES
• Big Daddy’s Sports Grill
• Crying Eagle Brewing Company WINNER
Fried Chicken
Happy Hour
Kids Meal
WINNER
Blazin’ Hot Chicken
SWLA FAVORITES
• Ball’s Fried Chicken
• Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken WINNER
Girl’s Night Out
WINNER
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• Area 337
• Coolers Icehouse
Gumbo
WINNER
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• Nina P’s
• Seafood Palace
Guy’s Night Out
WINNER
My Place
SWLA FAVORITES
• Coolers Icehouse
• Pujo St. Cafe
Coolers Icehouse
SWLA FAVORITES
• Fat Pat’s Bar & Grill
• Library Riot WINNER
Hotel
WINNER
Golden Nugget
Lake Charles
SWLA FAVORITES
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites
• L’Auberge Casino Resort
Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• Chick-fil-A
• Rotolo’s Pizzeria
Lunch
WINNER
Blazin’ Hot Chicken
SWLA FAVORITES
• t’Pot Noir Cajun Kitchen
• Tia Juanita’s
Margarita
Mexican Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• Casa Mañana
Mexican Restaurant
• El Tapatio Tres
Mexican Restaurant WINNER
New Restaurant
Blazin’ Hot Chicken
SWLA FAVORITES
• Lighthouse Bend
• Nogal Mexican Cuisine & Bar WINNER
Patio For Dining
Twanie’s
Terrific Treats
SWLA FAVORITES
• Pirate’s Cove Frozen Treats
• Sweet Frog WINNER
Italian Food
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• Laguna’s Mexican Grill
• Nogal Mexican Cuisine & Bar WINNER
Crying Eagle Brewing Company WINNER
SWLA FAVORITES
• Pujo St. Cafe
• Rikenjaks Brewing Company
Plate Lunch
Joe’s Pizza & Pasta
Italian Restaurant
SWLA FAVORITES
• The Villa Harlequin
• Tony’s WINNER
Mediterranean Food Cousin’s
Lebanese Cuisine WINNER
SWLA FAVORITES
• Shwarmas
• Zeus To Go
t’Pot Noir Cajun
Kitchen
SWLA FAVORITES
• Hebert’s Specialty Meats
• Southern Spice WINNER
Po-Boy
WINNER
Darrell’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• Coolers Icehouse
• Tia Juanita’s
Restaurant Server
WINNER
Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
• Gary Cooper - The Villa Harlequin
• Kalie Romero - Southern Spice
Salad Spot
WINNER
The Green House
Salad Co.
SWLA FAVORITES
• Salata
• The Salad Station
Sandwich
Snowball
Steak
Blazin’ Hot Chicken
SWLA FAVORITES
• Darrell’s
• t’Pot Noir Cajun Kitchen WINNER
Sausage
WINNER
Market Basket
SWLA FAVORITES
• Hebert’s Specialty Meats
• Insane Sausages
Seafood
WINNER
Pat’s of Henderson
SWLA FAVORITES
• t’Pot Noir Cajun Kitchen
• Tia Juanita’s
SWLA FAVORITES
Lulu’s Specialty Cones & More
• Incredible Edibles Sno-Balls
• PT’s Snowballs Coffee & Ice Cream WINNER
Soul Food
WINNER
Leonard’s Food Quarters
SWLA FAVORITES
• Mama Reta’s Kitchen
• Nina P’s
Sport’s Bar
WINNER
Cooler’s Icehouse
SWLA FAVORITES
• Fat Pat’s Bar & Grill
• MacFarlane’s Celtic Pub
Texas Roadhouse
SWLA FAVORITES
• Fontenot Beef
• Mazen’s WINNER
Wine Selection
WINNER
Bodega Wine Dive
SWLA FAVORITES
• Lake Street Liquor
• The Villa Harlequin
Pumpkin spice and everything nice
Cozy coffee fix tips
By Emily Burleigh
Need a pumpkin spice fix?
Here are some of Southwest Louisiana’s coziest coffee shops.
Twanie’s Terrific Treats
For when you need coffee, fresh baked goods and an inviting atmosphere.
Located at 206 W. 11th St, Twanie’s Terrific Treats offers a fresh slate of sweet treats every week. From cheesecake to cookies to cake, any sugary craving will be satisfied.
Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday (or until they sell out).
The Buzz Coffee & More
This newer coffee shop nestled at 1530 E. McNeese St., Suite 8, offers several seasonal coffees,
including classics like the pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin spice cold brew and chai with pumpkin cold foam.
Some of their more unique fall flavors include spice honey pear, blueberry cobbler matcha and butterbeer.
Open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Stellar Beans
For an out-of-this-world coffee experience, stop by this downtown coffee shop at 319 Broad St.
This shop features local art and an in-house roasting station on full display. On the menu, there are hot breakfast options, smoothies and unique coffee selections like the Wookie Cookie, The Froth Awakens and Java the Hutt.
Open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.
Health & Wellness Health & Wellness
Acupuncture/ Dry Needling
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Thrive Physical Thrive Physical Therapy Therapy
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• 3PT Premier Performance
• EPIC Health
Addiction Recovery
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Allen Parish Allen Parish
Community Healthcare Community Healthcare
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• Dyer Psychiatric Services
• New Horizons Counseling Center
Assisted Living
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Sage Oak of Lake Sage of Lake
Charles Charles
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• Lake Charles Care Center
• Villa Maria Retirement Center
Audiology Center
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The Hearing Center of The Hearing Center of Lake Charles Lake Charles
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• Acadian Hearing
• ENT & Allergy Clinic
CBD/Medical Marijuana
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Good Day Farm Good Day Farm
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• 491
• Daniel’s Natural Medicine
Cardiologist
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Kattash Mudar MD Kattash Mudar MD
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• Dr. Brett Goodwin
• Dr. Thomas Mulhearn IV
Chiropractor
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Center for Chiropractic Center for Chiropractic & Rehabilitation Rehabilitation
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• 100% Chiropractic
• Southwest Chiropractic
Dance Instructor
WINNER WINNER
Cathy Kurth Cathy Kurth
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• Jenna Amy - Premier
Dance Studio
• Megan Pottorff -Tammy
Palmer Center Stage
Dance Studio WINNER
Cathy Kurth Cathy Kurth Dance Academy Dance Academy
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• Louisiana Powerhouse
• Tammy Palmer’s Center Stage
Day Spa
WINNER WINNER
Renaitre A Williamson Renaitre A Williamson Cosmetic Center Cosmetic Center
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• Alevan Salon & Spa
• Bauhaus Salon & Spa
Dermatologist
WINNER WINNER
Kerri Kerri Davis-Fonteot Davis-Fonteot
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• Michael E. Cormier, MD
• Shondra L. Smith
Dermatology Clinc
WINNER WINNER
The Gallery The Gallery of Dermatology & of Dermatology & Advanced Aesthetics Advanced Aesthetics
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• Dermatology Associates
• Olivier Dermatology
Dental Clinic
WINNER WINNER
Churchman & Churchman & Roberts Dentistry Roberts Dentistry
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• Robinson Dental Group
• Smile Design Orthodontics
Dentist
WINNER WINNER
Ear, Nose & Throat Doctor
WINNER WINNER
Blake LeBlanc Blake LeBlanc
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• Dr. Bridget Loehn
• Dr. Eugene M. Louviere, MD
Estetician
WINNER WINNER
Dr. Churchman
Dr. Churchman
SWLA FAVORITES
• Dr. Erin Moore Seale
• Dr. John Jet Trahan
Alchemy Alchemy Aesthetics Aesthetics
SWLA FAVORITES
• Abigail Dore - The Skin Studios
• Esthetics by Christine
Eye Care
WINNER WINNER
McCain Family McCain Family Eye Clinic Eye Clinic
SWLA FAVORITES
• Falgoust Eye Medical & Surgical
• The Eye Clinic
Family Medicine
WINNER WINNER
Revitalized Health Revitalized Health
SWLA FAVORITES
• Andres J. Guillermo
• Dr. Benjamin B. Williams
Gymnastics Studio
Louisiana Louisiana Powerhouse Powerhouse
SWLA FAVORITES
• Gymnastics Etc.
• Mimi’s Gymnastics & Power Tumbling WINNER
Health & Fitness Center
WINNER WINNER
Gracie Barra Barra Lake Charles Lake Charles
SWLA FAVORITES
• Fit Body Boot Camp
• Jazzercise Lake Charles
Holistic Services
WINNER WINNER
EPIC Health EPIC Health
SWLA FAVORITES
• Creative Roots
• Daniel Natural Medicine
Home Health Care
SWLA FAVORITES WINNER
• At Home Compassionate Care
• Elara Caring
Allen Parish Allen Parish Community Healthcare Community Healthcare Hospital
WINNER WINNER
Allen Parish Allen Parish Community Healthcare Community Healthcare
SWLA FAVORITES
• CHRISTUS Ochsner
St. Patrick’s Hospital
• Lake Charles Memorial Health System
IV Therapy
WINNER WINNER
IntergrateIV IntergrateIV Hydration Hydration
SWLA FAVORITES
• Headache & Wellness Center of SWLA
• Revitalized Health
Martial Arts
Gracie Barra Gracie Barra
SWLA FAVORITES
• PE Training Center
• Three Brothers Jiu Jitsu WINNER WINNER
Massage Studio
WINNER WINNER
Special Touch Special Touch Therapeutic Massage Therapeutic
SWLA FAVORITES
• 100% Chiropractic
• A Touch of Hope
Medical Spa/Aesthetician
WINNER WINNER
The Skin Studios The Skin Studios
SWLA FAVORITES
• Renaitre A Williamson Cosmetic Center
• The Gallery of Dermatology & Advanced Aesthetics
Metaphysical Shop
WINNER WINNER
Creative Roots Creative Roots
SWLA FAVORITES
• Spanish Moon Healing
Nurse/Nurse Practitioner
Austin Goings Austin Goings
SWLA FAVORITES
• Michael Patrick England, FNP
• Revitalized Health WINNER
Nursing Home
WINNER WINNER
Sage Oak of Sage Oak of Lake Charles Lake Charles
SWLA FAVORITES
• Calcasieu Community Care Center
• Lake Charles Care Center
OB/GYN
WINNER WINNER
Alice Monroe Alice Monroe Babst Babst
SWLA FAVORITES
• Joseph Semien Jr., MD
• Rafine Moreno-Jackson, MD
Oral Surgeon
WINNER WINNER
Louisiana Oral & Louisiana Oral Implant Surgery Implant Surgery
SWLA FAVORITES
• Lake Charles Oral-Facial Surgery
•Sanders Pediatric Dentistry
Orthopedic Surgeon
WINNER WINNER
Brett Cascio, M.D. Brett Cascio, M.D.
SWLA FAVORITES
• James Jackson, M.D.
• Jonathan Foret, M.D.
Pediatrician
WINNER WINNER
Podiatrist
WINNER WINNER
Bradley Jimerson, Bradley Jimerson, D.P.M D.P.M
SWLA FAVORITES
• Daniel T. Hall IV, D.P.M
• Tyson Green, D.P.M
Primary Care
WINNER WINNER
David Wallace, M.D.
David Wallace, M.D.
SWLA FAVORITES
• Kipp B, Ardoin, M.D.
• Stewart Landry, M.D.
Pharmacy
WINNER WINNER
Pettit’s Family Pettit’s Family Pharmacy Pharmacy
SWLA FAVORITES
• Gordon’s Drug Store
• Hobgood Pharmacy
Physical Therapy
WINNER WINNER
Thrive Physical Thrive Physical Therapy Therapy
SWLA FAVORITES
• MAXX Physical Therapy
• S3 Physical Therapy
Paige Harris Paige Harris
SWLA FAVORITES
• Benjamin B. Williams, M.D.
• Darci Portie, APRN, FNPC
Surgery Center
WINNER WINNER
Surgicare of Surgicare of Lake Charles Lake Charles
SWLA FAVORITES
• Joint Replacement Center of Louisiana
• Selim Surgery Center
Urgent Care
WINNER WINNER
Access Access Urgent Care Urgent Care
SWLA FAVORITES
• Imperial Health Urgent Care
• Lake Charles Urgent Care
Weight Loss
WINNER WINNER
Revitalized Health Revitalized Health
SWLA FAVORITES
• Fit Body Boot Camp
• IntegrateIV Hydration
Yoga Studio
WINNER
Mantra Yoga Mantra Yoga Center Center
SWLA FAVORITES
• Edgemont Healing Center
• EPIC Health
Rody Broussard directs Bob Rollins and his partner, Clara Colvin, in a country and western dance lesson.
By Rita LeBleu
When it comes to dancing, it’s the man who leads. When it comes to initiating dance lessons, it’s often the woman who takes charge.
“After their wives and girlfriends get them here, it takes one or two minutes for the guys to relax and start smiling,” Rody Broussard said.
Broussard is a local ballroom and country and western dance instructor who describes dance as an art and a science.
“Some people feel the music and some people, you teach the pattern,” he said.
“Maybe if you’d spit out your gum, it would help,” Clara Colvin tells dance partner Bob Rollins early on in the lesson. He grins and takes his red-headed dance partner, her comment and his first dance lesson in stride. He is having a good time, and it shows.
“It was his idea to take lessons. He’s never danced and wants to learn them all,” Colvin said. The couple travels quite a bit, and venues can include dance floors.
As if on cue, associate dance teacher Joe Davis ambles over in his boots and black felt cowboy hat to see how things are progressing.
“These women can make us look wonderful as long as we put them in their place," Davis said with a chuckle. “No, I know better. You can’t make a woman do anything she doesn’t want to. I know. I’m married to one.”
His wife, Nancy, said she was scrolling through Facebook 17 years ago when she saw Broussard’s post for a free country and western, two-step dance lesson. They went, and never stopped.
Broussard is lean, buttoned up, professional and soft-spoken
as he smoothly leads a student. Then he puts on a little music, and after the first couple of lines Horace Trahan’s “That Butt Thing,” any remaining tension in the room seems to evaporate.
“I did that booty shaking thing for a while after I retired from the military,” said Gary Peveto. “My wife pulled me here kicking and screaming 40 years ago and I have enjoyed it ever since.”
Dance connects the brain and the body, and neuroscience is just now finding out what’s going on in the brain when a person dances. It’s more than exercise. Even better, dancing can connect generations.
“We have had an entire family come to classes, a grandmother with three of her grandchildren, husband, wife and college-age son. They’re learning ballroom dancing, having a blast,”
See Dance, Page 41
Home & Garden Home & Garden
Carpet/Flooring
Home Builder WINNER
Foret Flooring
SWLA FAVORITES
• Kenny Fuselier & Co.
• The Floor Trader WINNER
Countertops
Stone Craft
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VT Contracting
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• Brandon Bellon Development
• Manuel Builders
SWLA Design Center
Home Decor
Landscape Company Landscape Management
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• Bloom & Branch Garden & Gift Shop
• Secret Santa Lights Lawn & Landscaping WINNER Lawnmower Sales
Broussard did not set out to get people off their feet and on the dance floor. In the 1980s, he was bartending at Copperfields, a bar by the Keg, when the management decided they wanted all-female bartenders.”
Broussard was hanging out in Grand Chenier when he saw an ad in the American Press for a job for someone who likes to travel and likes people.
Karli Boudreaux
SWLA FAVORITES
• Kristine Alcantara
• Misty Savario WINNER Teacher K-12
“When I showed up, I found out it was work for an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. I was 22 years old and they taught me what all the dances were — the foxtrot, tango, osso bucco, waltz, chacha, rumba.”
His specialty was country and western dance. When the movie “Urban Cowboy” took off, so did Broussard's career. Everyone wanted to learn how to walk, walk, step together – the twostep.
Broussard teaches competition dancing and social dancing, with lessons in DeRidder, Sulphur and Lake Charles – sometimes for free.
Singles and partners are welcome. Teachers and students mix and mingle to make the lesson work out for all. People that think
they know how to dance unlearn habits, starting at the same place as someone who knows he or she doesn’t know how to dance. No hat or boots required. Just because you can’t dance, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t – and it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t learn.
Accounting Firm
Shopping & Shopping & Services Services
Burgess & Burgess CPAs
SWLA FAVORITES
• Gates & Company
• McElroy, Quirk & Burch WINNER
Antique Store Olde & Nu Treasures
SWLA FAVORITES
Auto Repair WINNER
Navarre Auto Group
SWLA FAVORITES
• Bolton Ford
• Lake Charles Collision Center
Bank (Not Credit Union)
Boutique
The Sweat Society
SWLA FAVORITES
• Sway Boutique
• Yaya & Company WINNER
Bridal Registry
• Frances Fitz-Gerald Jewelry
• Muller's Vintage Market WINNER
Applied Behavior Analysis Services
Bloom Behavioral Center
SWLA FAVORITES
• Milestones Behavioral Services
• St. Nicholas Center for Children WINNER
Auto Dealer (New)
Navarre Auto Group
SWLA FAVORITES WINNER
• Bolton Ford
• Lake Charles Toyota
Auto Dealer (Used)
SWLA FAVORITES
• Bolton Ford
• Lake Charles Toyota WINNER Navarre Auto Group
Auto Detail
Navarre Auto Group
SWLA FAVORITES
• It's All About The Detail's
• Shine'em Up Detailing WINNER
Auto Glass
SWLA FAVORITES WINNER
• Allied Glass & Mirror
• NOVUS Auto Glass Repair Navarre Auto Group
Auto Parts Store
NAPA - Landry Supply
SWLA FAVORITES
• NAPA - Fazios
• O'Reilly Auto Parts WINNER
Lakeside Bank
SWLA FAVORITES
• First Federal Bank of Louisiana
• JD Bank WINNER
WINNER
Yaya & Company
SWLA FAVORITES
• Navarra's Jewelry
• Sway Boutique & Gifts
Barber/Men’s Haircut
Car Wash
Beards & Shears
SWLA FAVORITES WINNER
• Barberican of Lake Charles
• Big Al's Barber Shop
Creative Roots
SWLA FAVORITES
• Etie's, a Children's Shoppe
• Paper Heroes Bookstore WINNER
Navarre Auto Group
SWLA FAVORITES
• It's All About the Details
• Mike's Carwash Express WINNER
Casino
Golden Nugget
Lake Charles
SWLA FAVORITES
• Coushatta Casino Resort
• L'Auberge Casino Resort WINNER
Children’s Clothing
WINNER
One in Amelian
Handmade Clothing
SWLA FAVORITES
• Etie's, a Children's Shoppe
• Pink & Blue Avenue
Children’s Entertainment
Lake Area
Adventures
SWLA FAVORITES
• Putt Putt Golf
• We Rock the Spectrum WINNER
Cleaning Services
Cleaning by Design WINNER
SWLA FAVORITES
• Down & Dirty Southern Cleaning
• Southerly Clean
Community Outreach
WINNER
Cats of Chase
SWLA FAVORITES
• Sulphur Christian Community Coalition
• United Way of Southwest Louisiana
Consignment
Credit Union (Not Bank)
Dry Cleaner
DTS Tactical Guns & Ammo
SWLA FAVORITES
• CARC Treasure Chest
• Trendy Kidz WINNER
Cosmetic Tattoo
WINNER
Southern Vanity by Jillyan
SWLA FAVORITES
• Complexions Aesthetics & Permanent Cosmetics
• Jennifer Smith Permanent Cosmetics
Cosmetics
Estetics by Christine
SWLA FAVORITES
• Bauhaus Salon + Spa
• Southern Vanity by Jillyan WINNER
Crafting/Artist Store
Lil' Art House WINNER
SWLA FAVORITES
• Creative Roots
• Painting with a Twist
CSE Federal Credit Union
SWLA FAVORITES
• Barksdale Credit Union
• Calcasieu Teachers & Employees Credit Union WINNER
Custom Stationary
Paper Dreamer
SWLA FAVORITES
• PaperSmith
• Stately Oaks Design WINNER
Daycare/Preschool
WINNER
Little Miracles Learning Academy
SWLA FAVORITES
• Our Lady Queen of Heaven School Early Childhood Center
• St. Luke-Simpson Childcare Center
Department Store
Nichols's Dry Goods
SWLA FAVORITES WINNER
• JCPenny
• Marshalls
AAA Drive-In Cleaners
SWLA FAVORITES
• Black Tie Cleaners
• Runte Lake Charles WINNER
Florist
A Daisy A Day
Flower & Gifts
SWLA FAVORITES
• KD Floral & Events
• Paradise Florist WINNER
Formal Attire
Rhinestone & Vows
SWLA FAVORITES
• Bayou A Dress For Less
• Connie's Menswear WINNER
Friendliest Service
Navarre Auto Group WINNER
SWLA FAVORITES
• Fit Body Boot Camp
• Mosquito Elite
Gas Station
Hunting/Tactical
Local Musician
Monogramming Store
Bob's Full Service Station
SWLA FAVORITES
• Circle K
• Sam's Club WINNER
Gift Shop
WINNER
Not Just Christmas
SWLA FAVORITES
• Sway Boutique
• Yaya & Company
Grocery Store
WINNER
Rouses Market
SWLA FAVORITES
• Kroger
• Misse's Grocery
Hair Salon
Beards & Shears
SWLA FAVORITES WINNER
• Bauhaus Salon + Spa
• Solara Salon & Spa
DTS Tactical Guns & Ammo
SWLA FAVORITES
• Academy Sports + Outdoors
• Hunters Supply & Pistol Range WINNER
IT Service
WINNER
Southern Technologies
SWLA FAVORITES
• AOP
• Server At Work
Investment Firm
Merrill Lynch
Wealth Management
SWLA FAVORITES
• Edward Jones - Aaron Quinn
• Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors WINNER
Jewelry Store
Plus 5 Armory WINNER
SWLA FAVORITES
• Creative Roots
• Navarra's Jewelry
Perfectly Good Airplane
SWLA FAVORITES
• Randall Edwards Music
• Rome Murray WINNER
Marine/Outdoor Store
WINNER
Henderson of Lake Charles
SWLA FAVORITES
• Lake Area Marine
• Ship To Shore
WINNER
Mechanic Navarre Auto Group
SWLA FAVORITES
•Mobile Mechanic (Anywhere 2 U)
• Service Tire Pros of Lake Charles & Moss Bluff
Men’s Cloting Store
WINNER
Connie's Menswear
SWLA FAVORITES
• Gaidry's Mens Wear
• New Look Fashions
Queen of Threads Monogramming
SWLA FAVORITES
• Kajun Monograms & Trophies
• Kreations Embroidery & Gifts WINNER
Mortgage Company
Louisiana Mortgage Associates
SWLA FAVORITES
• NOLA Lending Group
• Revolution Mortgage WINNER
Nail Salon
Camellia Nail Room
SWLA FAVORITES
• Allure Nails Salon
• House of Nails By Ashley D WINNER
Office Furniture
WINNER
United Office Supply & Equipment
SWLA FAVORITES
• Lake Charles Office Supply
• The Office Guy
Office Supply
Pawn Shop
Real Estate Agency
Self Storage
United Office Supply & Equipment
SWLA FAVORITES
• Lake Charles Office Supply
• The Office Guy WINNER
Oil Change
WINNER
Navarre Auto Group
SWLA FAVORITES
• Bolton Ford
• Service Tire Pros of Lake Charles & Moss Bluff
Paint & Body Shop
Navarre Auto Group WINNER
SWLA FAVORITES
• Bolton Ford
• Lake Charles Collision Center
Party DJ
WINNER
G&C Music
SWLA FAVORITES
• Cat 5 Productions
• Secret Stache (Colton Schexneider)
Chad's Pawn Shop
SWLA FAVORITES
• Cash America Pawn
• CC's Pawn Superstore WINNER
Permanent Jewelry
Soude Welds
SWLA FAVORITES
• Alicia LaFleur, LLC
• Linked By Jay WINNER
Photographer Mary Alice Hayes
SWLA FAVORITES
• Perfectly Still by Jessica
• Southern Noelle Photography WINNER
Photography Company
Southern Noelle
Photography WINNER
SWLA FAVORITES
• Perfectly Still by Jessica
• Wildwoods Creative
Latter & Blum
SWLA FAVORITES
• Castle Real Estate
• Century 21 Bessette WINNER
Replacement Windows
Superior Window & Door
SWLA FAVORITES
• Allied Glass & Mirror
• Creative Door & Windows WINNER
Rural Lending Firm
WINNER
First South Farm Credit
SWLA FAVORITES
•Bayou Mortgage
• GMFS Mortgage
School K-12
WINNER
Our
Lady
Queen of Heaven School
SWLA FAVORITES
• Immaculate Conception
Cathedral School
• St. Louis Catholic High School
Moss Bluff Storage
SWLA FAVORITES
• Common Street Storage
• Neighborhood Mini Storage WINNER
Sign Company
Elite Signs & Wraps
SWLA FAVORITES
• Acme Sign Co.
• Image 360 Lake Charles WINNER
Sporting Goods
DTS Tactical Guns & Ammo
SWLA FAVORITES
• Athlete's Corner
• Bowie Outfitters WINNER
Tanning Salon
WINNER
Australian Super Tans & Wellness
SWLA FAVORITES
• DarQuest Tan
• Ultimate Experience
Tattoo Shop
Taboo Tatty's Tattoo Shop
SWLA FAVORITES
• Saints & Sinners Studio, Tattoos & Piercings
• Southern Vanity by Jillyan WINNER Tire Store
Navarre Auto Group
SWLA FAVORITES
• Mac Tire
• Service Tire Pros of Lake Charles & Moss Bluff WINNER
