Life

BOSSIER BEAT

State highway construction crews have begun work on expansion of the exit lane off Interstate 49 onto the Southern Loop. The state Department of Transportation and Development will spend $1.5 million to construct a second exit lane adjacent to the existing one. The existing ramp will remain open during construction, though motorists should be aware of crews and equipment on site and drive St. Mary Medical Center is proud to announce its Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) has been awarded the Silver Beacon Award for Excellence by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). This recognition places the PICU in a select group of hospital units across the nation delivering top-tier critical care. Ochsner LSU Health is one of only four hospitals in the state to currently hold this designation and the only location outside of New Orleans. It is the only pediatric unit in Louisiana to earn this award. If you plan to visit Government Plaza you can expect a different experience. Visitors will now need to check in at a kiosk, place their belongings through an X-ray machine and walk through a metal detector. For those attending City Council or Caddo Commission meetings, there’s a slightly different process. New cameras have been installed, and more deputies will be in the building to keep people safe. The total cost for the security upgrades is nearly $160,000.

The Bossier Parish Police Jury (BPPJ) took key steps to improve local infrastructure during its regular meeting on April 2, 2025, awarding a contract for drainage improvements and approving a traffic congestion relief initiative. The BPPJ awarded the Request for Proposals (RFP) for administrative services to Frye Magee, LLC, as part of the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant Mitigation (LCDBG-MIT) Program. This contract focuses on the Espanita Drainage Improvements project in Police Jury District 2, which falls under the Louisiana Watershed Initiative Round 2. In another significant development, the BPPJ approved an agreement with Volkert, Inc. to move forward with the Bossier Parish Congestion Relief Winfield Road Project. This initiative aims to improve traffic flow and safety by connecting Winfield Road to Highway 3.

CHRISTUS Shreveport-Bossier Health System celebrates a successful year of fundraising, receiving $800,000 through Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) donations.

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CHRISTUS Shreveport-Bossier Health System celebrates a successful year of fundraising, receiving $800,000 through Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) donations. The hospital’s foundation will honor its CMN corporate partners and donors at a breakfast celebration on April 2, 2025, at the CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center.

The American Cornhole Organization, based in Camp Dennison, Ohio, will hold a Major Tournament in Shreveport, Louisiana, at The Bossier Civic Center on April 4-5. The event features a Pro Series competition and is open to all skill levels. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) has announced that 18 infrastructure projects across the state have received bids totaling $44.4 million in March, with a focus on improvements in Bossier Parish. Among the awarded projects is Phase 2 of the intersection realignment of LA 3227 at LA 157 in Bossier Parish, which received an apparent low bid of $6,495,936.18. This realignment is expected to

Shreveport Firefighters recognized the bravery and lifesaving efforts of a local 10-year-old this week.