Rapides Parish
Coverage of Rapides Parish in the Nexus archive.
- Cleco’s $3.6B data center deal could reshape central Louisiana’s energy landscape
Cleco Power plans to build a 756-megawatt natural gas plant to supply electricity to Applied Digital’s $3.6 billion data center in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Applied Digital will fund infrastructure upgrades and a 10-year capacity agreement, while Cleco claims the deal will reduce costs for existing customers by over $700 million over 15 years.
- Sources: Officer killed in fugitive hunt in Alexandria
An officer was killed during a fugitive hunt in Alexandria, Louisiana, on July 13. The incident involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, which is now leading the investigation into an assault on a federal officer. The suspect is in custody, and no ongoing public threat exists.
- MPD and Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice asks for public’s help locating 3 Swanson escapees
The Monroe Police Department and Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice are seeking public assistance to locate three inmates who escaped from Swanson Center for Youth in Monroe on July 11, 2026. The escapees, described as armed and dangerous, include Jamyrione Carter, Lan’den Logan, and Micklo Mendez. Authorities have established a Command Center and entered the youths into the NCIC database.
- $3.6 billion AI data center campus planned for Rapides Parish
Applied Digital Corp. plans to build a $3.6 billion AI data center campus, Delta Forge 1, in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, creating 200 full-time jobs and over 1,000 temporary construction jobs. The project, spanning 300 acres in Boyce, will include two facilities requiring 300 megawatts of electricity from Cleco and is set to begin operations in mid-2027 under a tax-exempt agreement via Act 730.