PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 3, 2025

CVB Contact: Alana Cooper
Phone: 318.387.5691
E-mail: acooper@monroe-westmonroe.org

Monroe Receives Nomination for The Nicest Places in America 2025 by Reader’s Digest

MONROE, La. ― Monroe became a 2025 Winner of The Nicest Places in America by Reader’s Digest at the end of September!

The Nicest Places in America is the publication’s yearly search for communities where kindness thrives, differences are embraced, and people come together to make life better for everyone.

Reader’s Digest noticed those qualities in Monroe when Discover Monroe-West Monroe submitted a nomination that told the story of how a local charity, The Tarver Braddock Foundation, began giving back to communities in Monroe and across northeast Louisiana through random acts of kindness to honor their son, Tarver Braddock.

Braddock, who was a Neville High School student, lost his life in 2024 during a tragic fire accident at a deer camp in Mississippi. The high school is celebrating its homecoming on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, at Bill Ruple Stadium in Monroe.

While Asheville, North Carolina receives the No. 1 spot for this year’s celebration, Monroe is one of the five winners:

1. Asheville, North Carolina
2. Chicago, Illinois
3. Monroe, Louisiana
4. Medina, Ohio
5. Peru, Indiana

Monroe is featured for the first time in Reader’s Digest. Read the full article here: https://www.rd.com/article/mon...


About Discover Monroe-West Monroe

Discover Monroe-West Monroe promotes Ouachita Parish as a destination for leisure travel, conventions, meetings and sporting events, creating a positive economic impact for our local community through increased visitor spending and sales tax collections. For more information about Discover Monroe-West Monroe, visit https://www.monroe-westmonroe....