King cakes have been in high demand this Mardi Gras season. Aside from the normal demand this time of year, plenty of customers are stocking up on the sweet treats for Super Bowl parties, as the New Orleans Saints take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

PRAIRIEVILLE – Fire Chief Mark Stewart has been called to duty in Haiti to assist with the recovery effort in the earthquake-stricken country.

Time, sprinkled liberally with fear, were what allowed a murder fugitive to hide out at a Fort Polk residence for at least two days before law enforcement agencies apprehended him.

A capital murder suspect believed to have killed a Shelby County, Texas woman was apprehended Tuesday afternoon on Fort Polk.

With Haitian citizens struggling to find food and shelter amid chaos and lawlessness after the Jan. 12 earthquake, it's no wonder that Fort Polk's 209th Military Police was recently alerted to deploy to the tiny island.

Chief of Staff for the Army Gen. George W. Casey, Jr. visited Fort Polk last week to keep abreast of current training. For more photos of the general's visit, click here.

The 209th, which is made of four platoons of about 40 soldiers each, received little notice of its upcoming deployment, said Capt. Andrew Hoeprich, commander of the  209th expects to leave in the next few days, but has no guarantee of a date of departure.

Valley Electric Membership Cooperative will be offering rides from a number of locations to its voting station in Natchitoches on Jan. 30. The co-op needs at least 1,500 members to vote, with at least two-thirds of those voting agreeing to the proposed dissolution, before it can move forward with its merger with SWEPCO. 

The 2010 Census is fast approaching, and participation could be the difference for federal funding, school districts, and the number of votes Louisiana has in the United States House of Representatives.

Officials say they don't know how long the baby boy, abandoned at Fire Station No. 1 on Fort Polk, had been outside. Though he suffered from a slightly low temperature and dehydration, the infant is apparently free from major health complications.

ALEXANDRIA–The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), announced Wednesday that La. 467 in Leesville at the KCS depot will be closed.

A large crowd turned out to enjoy the festivities following Monday morning's Martin Luther King Day parade.

The state budget crisis won't be solved by raising taxes, state treasurer John Kennedy said Thursday.

Two of the three men who beat and robbed an eldery woman in 2008 were sentenced last month to 30 years hard labor in the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

At least three City Council members expressed the desire to see future planning endeavors for the growth of the city and parish include a better representation of racial minorities.