Parents who work or attend school can seek help in paying for childcare by applying to a child care assistance program.

A child care assistant program helps low-income families pay for child care while parents are working or in school.

Cynthia Cage, the Early Childhood Resource Center Director at the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana, explained that parents only need to provide four consecutive check stubs or proof of taking at least 20 hours in school in order to learn if they qualify for a child care assistance.

When it comes to estate planning, good intentions are unlikely to produce good results.

I most often see this in the case of second marriages…even those in which everybody in both families are getting along great…for now.

I am not an attorney and you should consult one in the state in which you live. But here are the scenarios that I often see…

KEDM Public Radio and the Monroe Chamber of Commerce held a Meet the Candidates Forum for Monroe City Council, Monday, February 17 at 6 p.m. at the Monroe Civic Center Convention Center. 

Candidates for City Districts 2, 3, 4, and 5 answered a variety of questions before an audience of over 100 people. Questions covered topics relating to Monroe government, including crime, infrastructure, a new casino in Monroe, and more.

All the candidates in each district were in attendance,  and the forum was broadcast live on 90.3 KEDM Public Radio.

Writing of the carnage at Vicksburg during the Civil War, a teenage girl living near what is now West Monroe made an interesting natural history observation. She stated: "...we hear from the best and most direct sources that the Yankee dead lie in heaps about our entrenchments; it is horrible to relate, sickening to think, but so curious a fact that I must note it down, all the vultures have left this country, a carcass may lie for days untouched, those creatures have gone eastward in search of nobler game; how terrible is war!"

The Krewe of Janus (KOJ) is hosting its 37th annual Mardi Gras Parade this Saturday, February 15, at 6:00 p.m. The parade will begin on Antique Alley's Natchitoches Street in downtown West Monroe and will work its way through the Twin Cities to end at Oliver Road. This year's theme is 'The Magic of Fairytales'.

Earlier in the day, there will also be a chance to see two other parades sponsored by the Krewe. The Children's Parade will start at 10 a.m. in the Pecanland Mall parking lot, and the PAWs Pet Parade kicks off in downtown West Monroe at 1 p.m. 

In honor of Black History Month, the NELA Delta African American Heritage Museum has invited the community to join them on Saturday, February 15, 2020 from 3 - 5 p.m. to view their newest exhibit of African Wax prints, Wandering Spirits. 

Ross Slacks, executive director of the museum, says that the prints are a tribute to the century-old, handmade designs and patterns on textiles that originated in Indonesia and eventually found a home in Africa. The wax prints were created by repeatedly constructing wax patterns on top of six-yards of fabric and dyeing them with color. 

Adults over the age of 60 possess skills that are consdered valuable to businesses, according to a retired director of a work program for older adults.  

“They have a lot of skills that it’s ashamed to just waste,” said Elizabeth Yielding, former director of The Older Worker Program.

Yielding explained that she saw older adults strive as loyal workers as her time as director.

“They are very loyal. They are very willing to try to accommodate for the people whom they are working for,” Yielding said.

The purpose of auto insurance is to protect the insured financially against damage done to her car and by her car.

The second item (damage done by her car) has a far bigger potential for financial damage, though it’s less common.

These are two really important things to remember when shopping for auto insurance for yourself…but it’s especially important to keep them in mind when shopping for auto insurance for your driving teen or college student.

Here are the basics to keep in mind whenever and for whomever when you shop for auto insurance:

The Krewe of PAWS is hosting their 14th Annual Mardi Gras Pet Parade this Saturday, February 5. The parade will roll through Antique Alley in West Monroe, and the theme is "The Magic of Furry Tales." All types of pets are welcome to join in on the fun. 

The candidates running for mayor of Monroe faced off at the Monroe Chamber of Commerce / KEDM Meet The Candidates Forum. The event was held on February 10 at the Monroe Convention Center. A standing room only crowd was in attendance and the event was aired on 90.3 KEDM Public Radio. 

A second Candidate Forum for candidates who have qualified for Monroe City Council seats will be held on Monday, February 17 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Monroe Civic Center.

The forums are free and open to the public and media.