Good morning, Slidell.

Many Halloween events will take place in St. Tammany this October.

Organizers plan family activities such as Monster Mash on Oct. 18, a spooky walk along Blue Swamp Creek on Oct. 18, a trunk-or-treat at Aldersgate UMC on Oct. 19, a zombie crawl in Slidell on Oct. 24, and free trick-or-treat fun on Oct. 31—offering a range of options for all ages.

The second Abita Springs Opry fall concert will take place Oct.

18 and will feature four acts—The Bad Penny Pleasuremakers, Crosswind, Miss Martha and her Good Time Gang, and Johnny J. and the Hit Men—that will play a mix of traditional country, bluegrass and New Orleans rhythm and blues in honor of local musical roots.

The 2025 Fall Seminar is scheduled for October 17 at Church of the King (22205 Little Creek Road) in Mandeville and will feature talks by former White House floral designer Laura Dowling and seed-saving specialist John Coykendall; tickets cost $60 per person and include lunch with proceeds supporting local outreach projects.

Voters in Slidell and nearby areas will vote on renewing a $39 fee for fire protection on Oct.

11 to help fund the parish’s largest fire department. The fee will also appear on the ballot along with the mayoral race to fill Greg Cromer’s term until June 2026 — a measure designed to keep local services steady.

Louisiana health officials announced that Medicaid providers will now get 85% of the Medicare rate, up from 73%, to bring more doctors into the system.

Lawmakers set aside $258 million to support the change—boosting access to care for patients.