Good morning, Slidell.

Parish officials and council member Joe Impastato broke ground on a $2 million, 25-acre nature park along Bayou Lacombe on Friday that will be accessible via the Tammany Trace.

The park will include a kayak launch, gardens, boardwalks through wetlands+a historic caboose on a rail spur, and construction is expected to take about a year.

The family of 2-year-old Preston Ordone, known as Okay Baby on TikTok, said they are heartbroken after he was killed in a northshore crash on Interstate 12 just before 11:50 a.m. on Thursday—while state police reported he was improperly restrained in a 2011 Ford F-150, his grandfather disputed that claim and said a witness confirmed he was secured in his car seat.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, officials put a 120-day moratorium on outdoor pop-up vendor events on the agenda for a May 12 vote—local vendors and business owners argued the move would hurt entrepreneurs and disrupt community commerce.

Some council members proposed forming a committee to develop clear rules while others described the proposal as government overreach.

Slidell Mayor Bill Borchert announced that the state transferred nearly the entire stretch of La.

1091 (Robert Boulevard) from East Pinewood Drive to Gause Boulevard and provided $3.687 million for road repairs. The funds will help fix sinkholes and may pave the way for a new traffic circle near John Slidell Park as planned improvements move forward.

The DEA is hosting National Prescription Drug Take Back Day today—offering 30 drop-off sites for safe disposal of old prescriptions.

Residents can bring medications between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.—with nearly 6,500 pounds collected in Louisiana in 2024.

The Louisiana Department of Health said whooping cough cases have risen since September last year, with 154 cases now—up from 153 in 2024 and more than twelve times the number in 2023.

Health officials urge residents to get vaccinated to protect against the illness.

Louisiana International Female Ride Day

2 PM – 12 AM — 38008 Browns Village Rd, Slidell, LA — Bring your own bike — Celebrate female riders with a thrilling day of camaraderie and scenic routes.

Some Enchanted Evening Concert

5-7 p.m. — Heritage Park — Free entry — Enjoy an enchanting evening of music with the Northshore Community Orchestra in the beautiful Heritage Park.

Spades Tournament

5-7 p.m. — Roots Plants + Coffee — $20 to play, free to spectate — Experience an exciting evening of strategic card playing in a friendly competition.