It’s a timely gift for members of the Louisiana National Guard’s 1023rd Engineer Company, as the unit returns today from a 10-month deployment. Over 150 soldiers will arrive in Monroe this afternoon after spending much of 2015 in Kuwait. Ross Bethea is the Captain of the 10-23rd Engineer Company…

cut 13 (09) “get home”

Betha says they also completed missions in Iraq, Jordan and Afghanistan.

Governor-elect John Bel Edwards is looking forward to spending the next couple of days with family for the Christmas holiday. He says he will spend a portion of the holiday reflecting on the huge challenge in front of him, one that he embraces…

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He says one of their family Christmas traditions is to watch the black-and-white version of “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

The annual Bonfires on the Levee celebration takes place tonight in St. James Parish. If you plan on heading to the celebration, it’s recommended that you get into the area before 6PM. St. James Parish President Timothy Roussel says, if you’ve never seen the bonfires before, it is a sight to see…

cut 5 (11) “at 7PM”

For safety reasons, the structures are 15 feet tall instead of 20 feet, as in year’s past.

Many “candlelight services” will take place this Christmas and the State Fire Marshal’s Office is issuing guidelines to organizations who plan to utilize candles this season. Marshal Butch Browning says stationery candles should be on a strong base so that they don’t tip over in large crowds…

cut 8 (08) “could burn”

Browning adds that candles should never be issued to young children.