Courtney Pedersen

5 days ago | theadvocate.com | Courtney Pedersen

Lake Charles will soon have its first Dutch Bros as ground has officially broke on the new site. On Monday, Dutch Bros Coffee, a west-coast coffee shop franchise, said that construction at its new 1775 Country Club Rd. location in Lake Charles is underway and on track to open in the end of 2025. Dutch Bros serves specialty coffee, smoothies, teas, energy drinks and nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee.

5 days ago | theadvocate.com | Courtney Pedersen

McNeese State University will soon be the home of a federal liquefied natural gas research hub, where they will develop new technologies and safety protocols for the fast-growing industry sector. On May 19, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration announced that it has selected Lake Charles' McNeese State University for its National Center of Excellence for Liquefied Natural Gas Safety.

1 week ago | theadvocate.com | Courtney Pedersen

With the next school year just a couple months away, southwest Louisiana families are needed to host foreign exchange students. International Student Exchange regional adviser Catherine Johnson said the organization is looking for host families across the state, but being based in Lake Charles, she is hoping to have more southwest Louisiana families. "Any families that would be interested for any schools, we would try to work with them to get a student placed at their school," Johnson said.

1 week ago | theadvocate.com | Courtney Pedersen

SOWELA Technical Community College broke records with its 2025 summer enrollment numbers. As classes began Tuesday, SOWELA saw a 28.45% year-over-year enrollment increase for its summer term, according to a news release. SOWELA Marketing and Communications ManagerDarlene Hoffpauir told The Advocate that for the summer 2024 term the school had 823 students, and for summer 2025 there are 1,057 students.

1 week ago | nola.com | Courtney Pedersen

Lafayette Second Harvest food bank distribution center opened a location in Lake Charles in February, and for the first time in years, delivery drivers no longer had to make two trips to southwest Louisiana from Lafayette each week. However, nearly four months after its opening, the new food bank distribution center is now rarely stocked and struggles to keep up with demand due to funding shortages.