Viking Attachments is expanding to full-scale U.S. manufacturing and testing operations in Morgan City, Louisiana. The $160,000 investment will support production of American-made vibratory pile drivers and create up to 38 potential job opportunities in the Bayou Region.

As Louisiana prepares to implement a computer science graduation requirement, students at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts are already applying coding skills through an innovative interdisciplinary course that blends data analysis with history, literature, music, and culture.

The Louisiana Old Governor’s Mansion will present a four-part public history series featuring former Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne. The series opens Thursday, Jan. 22, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. with “Jazz, Culture, and the Louisiana Soundtrack: How a Nation Found Its Rhythm.” The event is free and open to the public.

Deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office Special Crimes Apprehension Team (SCAT) and METRO Narcotics arrested a West Monroe man following an investigation into illegal drug distribution. The suspect was found in possession of multiple controlled dangerous substances, including heroin and fentanyl, and was booked into the Ouachita Correctional Center.

UPDATE: Found safelyKatanna Taylor, 17, is missing from the 120 Canterbury area in Monroe. She is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 118 pounds. She has been known to be in the Garden Lane and Swartz Fairbanks areas. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-329-1200.

St. John currently serves as an attorney with the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute, a conservative legal nonprofit.

Alsaysia Bates, a former LSP corrections sergeant, was arrested for malfeasance in office after contraband cell phones were found in her possession.

Keep Louisiana Beautiful has awarded grants to eight Louisiana universities to fund student-led projects that reduce single-use plastics, expand recycling, and protect local waterways.

Jennifer Bush, Louisiana probation and parole assistant director, becomes the first woman in department history to graduate from the FBI National Academy, an elite 11-week leadership and law enforcement program.

Prospective students and their families are invited to tour the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, meet current students and staff, and experience the school’s unique college-level, residential learning environment at the open house on January 19, 2026.