The sixth annual Bluesberry Music + Art Festival, presented by Gulf Coast Bank & Trust, will return to Covington’s Bogue Falaya Park on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., showcasing a powerhouse lineup of regional and national blues talent headlined by Texas blues-rock artist Casey James, with performances by Jared Daws, JJ Muggler, Julian Primeaux, and Kevin & The Blues Groovers. Alongside the music, the festival will feature 20+ regional artists, live art demonstrations, interactive painting, a Children’s Village, and the popular Food Truck Roundup offering local cuisine with a blueberry twist, plus craft cocktails, wines, and brews in the Abita Beer Garden. General admission is $25 online or $30 at the gate (free for kids 10 and under), with trolley service available from the St. Tammany Justice Center; details and tickets are at www.thebluesberryfest.com.
–The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in locating 16-year-old runaway Cade Hawxhurst, who was last seen around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 12, on Stafford Road in Tickfaw. Cade is described as a white male with light brown shoulder-length hair, blue eyes, standing 5’8” and weighing 135 pounds, last seen wearing a black Nike sweatshirt, black T-shirt, black basketball slides, and black socks. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Sheriff’s Juvenile Division at 985-902-2031, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa at 1-800-554-5245 or www.tangicrimestoppers.com; tips submitted to Crime Stoppers may be eligible for a cash reward.
–The Slidell Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating 14-year-old Righlyn Dunne, who was last seen around 12:30 a.m. on August 12, 2025, leaving her foster home and getting into an unknown vehicle. She is described as 5’2” with light brown hair, blue/hazel eyes, and piercings on both sides of her nose, and was last seen wearing a sweatshirt of an unknown color. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Slidell Police Department at 985-643-3131.
–The Tangipahoa Chamber will host a members-only luncheon with U.S. Congresswoman Julia Letlow on Monday, August 18, at the Shell Robert Training & Conference Center, offering attendees an opportunity to hear firsthand from Louisiana’s 5th District representative on key legislative issues and initiatives impacting the region. Seating is limited for this special event, and early registration is encouraged at www.tangipahoa.org.
–The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office will join communities nationwide for National Night Out Against Crime 2025 on Tuesday, October 7, from 5 to 8 p.m., hosting free, family-friendly events at district locations in Slidell, Covington, Bush, and in partnership with the Mandeville Police Department at the Mandeville Trailhead. Designed to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and residents, the events will feature bounce houses, food, STPSO vehicle displays, meet-and-greets with deputies, and performances by local dance and cheer teams. Neighborhoods can register their own gatherings for deputy visits, and the STPSO is seeking sponsors, nonprofits, restaurants, and performance groups to participate. More details are available at www.stpso.com.
–For the first time in nearly 30 years, passenger train service between New Orleans and Mobile will resume with Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras Service, launching Monday, August 18, offering two daily departures and stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Travel time is approximately four hours, with tickets starting at $15 each way. The route revives the Gulf Coast Limited, which began in 1996 but ended nine months later, and comes just days before the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, symbolizing regional recovery and economic growth. Amtrak and state officials hope the service will boost development along the Gulf Coast, as seen in Bay St. Louis’ revitalized Depot District. Passengers from Baton Rouge can connect via Greyhound bus to New Orleans, and officials caution that delays may occur due to ongoing infrastructure projects. More information and ticketing details are available at www.amtrak.com.
–The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office is joining other local law enforcement agencies in the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, running August 15 through September 1, to reduce impaired driving fatalities over the Labor Day weekend. Funded by a Louisiana Highway Safety Commission grant, the initiative will include extra deputies on saturated patrols targeting impaired drivers. Sheriff Randy Smith emphasized that the goal is deterrence, not ticket quotas, urging drivers to avoid alcohol and drug impairment—whether from illegal narcotics, prescription, or over-the-counter medications—before getting behind the wheel.
— The Tangipahoa Parish School System is now hiring educators and support staff for the upcoming school year, seeking passionate individuals dedicated to helping students succeed. Interested applicants can browse available positions and apply online at www.tangischools.org/departments/human-resources.
— Ponchatoula Celebrates Veterans has announced that The Victory Belles will perform at its celebration on Saturday, November 1, in honor of all who have served. Organizers say the event is shaping up to be an amazing tribute, and they extend special thanks to Southern Podiatry Clinic LLC and Army National Guard veteran Dr. David Allen for sponsoring The Victory Belles’ performance.
–The Advocate reports that the Denham Springs City Council has upheld its decision to deny Mustard Seed Creamery’s restaurant alcohol permit renewal, citing a city ordinance that prohibits alcohol sales within 300 feet of a church and pointing to the business’s role in hosting Sunday worship services for Mustard Seed Church. Owners Tim and Tasha Levert, who operate the North Range Avenue ice cream and tapas restaurant and lead the church, argued that the venue is primarily a restaurant and offered to move church services elsewhere. While two council members supported granting the license on that condition, the measure failed in a 3-2 vote. The Leverts expressed disappointment in a social media post following the packed council meeting, stating they remain committed to their mission and that “the story is not over.”
