Nearly 300 airmen in the Louisiana National Guard are deploying to Europe, and a farewell ceremony is being held in their honor on Saturday in New Orleans. Maj. Jesse Hasenkampf says they’re sending 270 airmen and 12 F-15 fighter jets to the European Command…:
Cut 9 (12) “in Europe”
Also tomorrow, more than a dozen Airmen with the Louisiana National Guard will bid farewell to their families and friends at the Camp Beauregard Post Theater in Pineville at 8am.

The latest West Baton Rouge work release inmate that escaped has been captured by the US Marshal Service at a hotel in Oklahoma City, according to officials. They say 34-year-old David Graham walked off his job Wednesday morning, and he now faces an escape charge on top of an original drug charge, that could lead to an additional six months to a year behind bars. He will also be kicked out of the work release program.

The third annual Louisiana Winter Beer Festival is tomorrow in Lake Charles. Co-chair and co-found of the festival Nick Vallaume says the big focus is on Louisiana breweries. He says over 125 beers are on the menu from about 45 different breweries this year…:
CUT 26 (06) “as well”
Tickets are 50 dollars per person and are available on la-winter-beer-fest-dot-com .

UL-Lafayette hosts it’s first home game of the season in the newly renovated venue now known as M.L. “Tigue” Moore Field at Russo Park. The Cajuns play host to Southern Mississippi for a three-game series, but the stadium isn’t entirely finished. School officials say a new stadium club, new suites and a new upper concourse “will not be accessible” until the stadium is completed.