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Column: Will Lafayette accept Landry’s homeless shelter funding veto lying down?
While Gov. Jeff Landry advocates for the Ten Commandments in schools, he just violated a pretty important one: thou shalt not kill. His decision to veto $1 million for Catholic Charities of Acadiana to run its homeless shelter — if left unchecked — could literally kill people. The...
Gov. Landry vetoes $1M for Lafayette homeless shelter
Stunning local social service agencies, Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed $1 million in state dollars earmarked for emergency shelter operations at Catholic Charities of Acadiana. Catholic Charities is the largest shelter provider in the Acadiana region and runs the only shelter available to single adults. The funding loss, which will hit Catholic Charities’ budget when its fiscal year starts Monday, could force the agency to cut back shelter operations or stop them altogether, CEO Kim Boudreaux says.
Housing tops new 232-HELP director’s priorities
Last month, Edie Couvillon Aymond took over the leadership of 232-HELP, the primary point of contact for people in need in Acadiana. As executive director of the organization, Couvillon is tasked with keeping the referral service up and running, managing the direct services offered by 232-HELP and fostering collaborations with other organizations providing housing or food assistance, as well as other services, to callers in need.
City Council issues Pride proclamation
Three City Council members signed onto a proclamation Friday, formally observing June as Pride Month, a period of visibility for the LGBTQ+ community. Advocates have sought recognition from Lafayette Consolidated Government for several years, pointing to the dozens of proclamations made for various interest groups and cultural celebrations. The City Council has been the lone body to make the proclamation since 2022.
Public dollars for private education is coming. When?
At a ceremony at Our Lady of Fatima School this week, Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill creating Louisiana’s education savings account program, formally called the Louisiana GATOR Scholarship Program. The program is the centerpiece of a larger education reform agenda spearheaded by the governor and conservative allies, which...
Lafayette’s Brooke Cellars transforms real-life horror into spooky cinema
Before the streaming era, movie nights took a bit of leg work. Preparation involved running down to the rental store, finding a selection everyone could agree on and remembering to “be kind and rewind.”. It was a time of blockbuster comedies, over-the-top action movies and campy horror flicks. For...
Boulet, councils silent on Pride Month
More than halfway through June, Lafayette Consolidated Government has yet to formally recognize Pride Month. LGBTQ+ advocates publicly petitioned Mayor-President Monique Boulet and the City Council at this week’s council meeting and drew no response from council members or Boulet. Former M-P Josh Guillory faced annual criticism and pressure...
Lafayette libraries to issue restricted cards to all minors
All patrons under 18 will need parental permission to access materials outside of youth collections and to use computers at Lafayette libraries, according to the Acadiana Advocate, under a policy adopted this week. By default, minors will be issued restricted access library cards that prohibit them from checking out “adult”...
LCG hopes to avoid federal fines, more costs on major drainage projects
A trail of regulatory lapses has continued to bog signature projects spearheaded by the Guillory administration. The latest is the ongoing fallout of former Mayor-President Josh Guillory’s decision to forgo federal permitting for major drainage projects. An amicable settlement with federal regulators may be in sight for current Mayor-President...
KRVS to tape Lafayette artists for World Cafe
Lafayette’s KRVS Radio Acadie, the local NPR affiliate, is providing local musicians an opportunity for national exposure on the renowned radio program World Café. Six artists will record sets at Cypress Lake Studio on campus at UL this week, with World Cafe staff selecting acts for a monthly showcase distributed to over 200 U.S. public radio stations starting in September.
Vincent Pierre, Fiber Director Michael Soileau named to LEDA board
Mayor-President Monique B. Boulet has announced two new appointments to the Board of Commissioners for Lafayette Economic Development Authority. Michael D. Soileau, who was named LUS Fiber Director earlier this year, and Vincent Pierre, a former State Representative and a government affairs adviser in Boulet’s office will join the 12-member board.
Lourdes targets maternal health with major Lafayette expansion
Working as a pregnancy navigator for Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Stephanie King is often the first point of contact for expectant mothers on their complicated journey toward childbirth. “I get a lot of phone calls, throughout the day, with patients saying: Hey, I found...
Wanted: Lafayette’s best people
Maybe someone who started a community garden or a free library? What about someone who mentors young people or organizes community clean-ups? Maybe someone who runs a really special small business or offers a service no one else provides?. We’re on a mission to tell the world about Lafayette’s best...
Council Preview: Boulet aims to shake up parish emergency preparedness
Here is a selection of items on the agendas for this week’s meetings of the City and Parish councils. To see the full agendas, check out the links below:. City Agenda (Public Comment Time!) Lafayette 101. Emergency Prep. State law requires every parish to have an office of homeland...
Lafayette seeks new police chief amid staffing challenges
Lafayette’s next police chief, whoever that may be, will take over a short-staffed department. Lafayette is currently in search of its eighth police chief since 2020, after Judith Estorge stepped down in May. Personnel disruptions and stagnant pay have hampered the Lafayette Police Department’s recruitment, former and current police officials say. And there is optimism that the job opening at chief is an opportunity to improve LPD and make it more attractive to men and women seeking careers in law enforcement.
Chubby Carrier, parade top expanded Lafayette Juneteenth
Telling the Juneteenth story, and moreover, clarifying its history, are foremost on the minds of local organizers as area communities prepare to celebrate the national holiday earmarking the June 19, 1865 date when Texan slaves received official news of their freedom. The news, an order that arrived in Galveston and...
LCG: Around 80% of May storm debris collected
Contract crews have cleared 22,000 cubic yards of storm debris, Lafayette Consolidated Government reported Thursday, roughly 80% of the debris leftover from May’s ferocious wind events. LCG has 17 contract trucks working on storm debris collection and expects to complete the current phase of pickup this weekend, with future...
Lafayette Parish owes the city $17M. It’s time to pay it back.
Lafayette Parish government owes the City of Lafayette $17 million for money spent digging pits on Homewood Drive, according to Lafayette Consolidated Government’s annual audit. The question is: Why hasn’t the parish paid the city back?. Believe it or not, Lafayette Parish has the money to do it....
Mouton Park detention pond paused for ‘reevaluation’
LCG paused construction of a detention pond at Mouton Park, a pocket park with a playground near Teurlings Catholic High School and the Larabee neighborhood. City Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux, who represents the district, pushed for the pause, which took effect June 4, the day after construction began. In a press release, the Boulet administration said the project will undergo a “comprehensive reevaluation.”
May storms cause $2 Million in damage to LCG
Lafayette Consolidated Government reported $2 million in damage to its facilities from the May storms that walloped Lafayette with hurricane force winds. Nets were ripped Lafayette’s Hebert municipal golf course, a tree fell through the roof of the planning department’s building on Willow Street and shingles blew off the Broadmoor area fire station.
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