There are ways to gauge progress as the SWLA area begins to rebuild and grow. Some might look at fewer and fewer blue roofs, others look at businesses reopening. I specifically look for places to eat that are slowly coming back. I remember when Darrell's opened back up right after Laura; you couldn't have beaten the smile off of my face. All I could think about when I heard was to get in the truck and race down to go catch a sandwich instead of the jambalaya we had been eating for five days in a row.

Practically a staple in Lake Charles, specifically in the downtown area, is Steamboat Bill's. The eatery took a huge hit after Laura, and has been steadily under construction ever since. Rumors have been flying around about when or even if it would finally reopen back in its downtown location. I pass by it every day when I leave work, and noticed more and more progress each  week. I heard a few rumors it was finally back open, but I decided to call for myself as I was typing this. They answered, and they are open and ready to serve.

As we get closer to the weekend, go get out a bit and support all of our local businesses whether you buy something or just share a post from their social media. Lots of them have been hit hard like the rest of us, but together we can help get back to where we were.

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