Monroe Renames Powell Center for Ausberry-Hughey Families

The Powell Community Center now carries the Ausberry-Hughey name, honoring two local families, alongside refurbished parking.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Civic

Smoothly resurfaced asphalt parking lot lined with live oak trees beside a low brick building in Monroe, Louisiana. — The City of Monroe renamed the Powell Community Center the Ausberry-Hughey Community Center at a ribbon-cutting that also marked completed parking lot repairs. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

The City of Monroe renamed the Powell Community Center the Ausberry-Hughey Community Center during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event also marked improvements to the center's parking lot, which had potholes filled, its surface smoothed, and new paint applied.

Why it matters

The renaming recognizes the Ausberry and Hughey families within the Monroe community, and the parking lot work improves access to a public facility used by residents. The event shows the city investing in both the identity and the physical condition of its community spaces.

The facility was renamed in a single ceremony on November 13, 2026, and its parking lot received pothole repair, surface smoothing, and repainting. The source provides no cost or scale figures for either change.

The players

Friday Ellis

Friday Ellis is the mayor of Monroe, Louisiana, who spoke at the ceremony marking the renaming of the community center.

The details

Monroe Mayor Friday Ellis spoke at the ribbon-cutting, which celebrated both the new Ausberry-Hughey Community Center name and the completed parking lot improvements. The renaming replaces the Powell Community Center name at the facility located in Monroe, Louisiana.

November 13, 2026: Ribbon-cutting ceremony held for the renamed center and parking lot improvements.

Civic Legacy

Renaming a city-owned recreation facility after local families follows a longstanding municipal practice of tying public spaces to the people who shaped the community. The Ausberry-Hughey name extends that practice to a center that serves Monroe residents.

Residents who use the center will find it under its new Ausberry-Hughey name, and the repaved parking lot makes arrival and parking easier. The source does not describe changes to programs or hours.

The takeaway

Naming community facilities after local families keeps the people behind them visible in daily life. Residents visiting the center can now see that recognition in its name and in a parking lot that is easier to use.