Section R. Reese Fuller

FEMA's new trailers are tricked out?

FEMA unveiled new mobile homes for citizens who are victims of natural disasters, and the Associated Press declares in its headline: “FEMA tricks out new trailers for next disaster.” Uh, are there...

Rachel Alexandra is the early favorite

Rachel Alexandra is officially the early favorite for Saturday's Preakness Stakes, and Calvin Borel will be riding her. There's been much drama over whether Rachel Alexandra would race after Borel's...

Vitter's throwing another TEA party

What's a senator to do while he's blocking the nomination of the new head of FEMA and it's less than a month from hurricane season, The New York Times tells him to “get out of the way,” and he has a...

HBO picks up Treme

There will be a new TV series about life in post-Katrina New Orleans, but this time it won't come from the folks at Fox, but rather from HBO. According to Variety, David Simon' s pilot for Treme has...

Bo-Rail strikes again

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more. Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more. Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and...

The Road Home gets new contractor

Louisiana's contract with ICF International, which has been much maligned for its handling of the Road Home program, is set to expire in June. Yesterday, the state announced that it had selected the...

Solar car rolls into New Orleans, gets burglarized

Marcelo da Luz drove his solar-powered car into New Orleans on Sunday, with a support crew trailing him. But The Times-Picayune reports that after the van was parked in the French Quarter for less...

Pete Seeger recounts rebuff in Lafayette

This weekend in an interview during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Pete Seeger recalled a visit to Lafayette in 1955. The legendary folk singer says he was invited to play “a little...

David Duke booted from Czech Republic

David Duke, the former KKK Grand Wizard and Louisiana representative, was expelled from the Czech Republic by government officials over the weekend. Duke had been scheduled to give a lecture at a...

Barred in the bar? Smokers under siege

If paying nearly $6 a pack doesn't get you to quit smoking cigarettes, Louisiana lawmakers just might. One of the last bastions of smokedom — the bar — is now under fire. Rep. Gary Smith of Norco...

Local group opposes fluoridation

On Tuesday night, after members of the Lafayette City-Parish Council debated whether to oppose the state's mandate for municipalities to fluoridate their water supplies, there was another conversation...

Bunk helps rebuild New Orleans

Wendell Pierce, the New Orleans native and actor who portrayed Bunk Moreland in The Wire, is working to rebuild Pontchartrain Park, the neighborhood in which he was raised and which was flooded during...

Pine Leaf Boys take the Middle East by sand storm

The Pine Leaf Boys are in the Middle East for a 16-day tour performing Cajun music. The National reports in "Unquiet Americans": Assembled in a plush anteroom at Qunicy House, the US...

Tremé wraps up filming in NOLA

If you haven't already, check out Gambit Weekly's cover story this week — "Post-K-ville" — about David Simon's pilot for Tremé, which just wrapped up shooting in New Orleans. There's also...

NPR gets hip to the triangle

Well it's about time. It took Valcour Records and Christine Balfa producing an entire album of Cajun music on nothing but a triangle, but the national media is starting to pay attention and to...

NOLA group to fly protest banner during Jazz Fest

In a video for the Gulf Restoration Network, Dr. John sits in the yard of his New Orleans home. "I like sitting here," he says, "and I hate having to evacuate to some place I don't feel...

Not so fast: LCG snafu delays public notice

On Thursday morning, Lafayette Consolidated Government sent out an e-mail to local officials and media stating that the agenda for the April 14 council meeting wasn't available on LCG's Web site...

1.3 million Louisiana residents uninsured

Families USA reports that during 2007-2008, 1.3 million Louisiana residents, 36.2 percent of residents under age 65, were uninsured at some point. The health consumer organization estimates that of...

Louisiana's so happy

Nebraska's the best place to be, but apparently Louisiana's not so shabby either. The Web site MainStreet.com has devised its new Happiness Index, and out of the 50 states (and Washington, D.C.)...

La. as the test for national economic stimulus

On Sunday, The New York Times took a look at the more than $50 billion in federal money for Louisiana since Hurricane Katrina. The experiment is still playing out, but some indicators suggest that...

Saving seeds through waltzes, two-steps

On Sunday at the Blue Moon Saloon, beginning at 1 p.m., catch the Lost Bayou Ramblers, Vin Bruce, Joe Hall and the Cane Cutters, Les Freres Michot, and the Vrai Boys, which includes Horace Trahan,...

Charlie Louvin at Bourque's

Charlie Louvin — half of the legendary close harmony gospel and country duo the Louvin Brothers — will take the stage at Bourque's Social Club on Sunday night in Scott. 2007 saw Louvin celebrate his...

Feds may forgive Katrina/Rita loans

Louisiana's coastal areas hardest hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 may find some relief if rules proposed Monday are approved. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Federal...

Report: Katrina still breaking hearts in New Orleans

Hurricane Katrina may still be causing health problems for south Louisiana residents, even causing more heart attacks. In a report that was presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in...

NOLA brews

In a travel piece today, The New York Times takes a look at the state of beer brewed in New Orleans and illustrates how the land of Falstaff, Jax, Regal and Dixie is giving way to Abita, Heiner Brau...

Final curtain for Carmike

Thursday is the last night you'll be able to catch a movie at the Carmike Cinema 10 by the Mall of Acadiana. The Advocate reports that it was the last cinema in Louisiana for the Georgia-based...

TSA clears Vitter

U.S. Sen. David Vitter might have had an "airport freakout," but the Transportation Security Administration has concluded that the Congressman didn't violate the airport's security rules. In...

Trail rides gone wild?

St. Landry Parish President Don Menard says he will propose a revision to an existing ordinance that will limit the sizes of trail rides to 1,000 people. Yesterday, the Daily World reported that there...

Mamou Playboys at a Crossroads

Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys wrap up this season of Louisiana Crossroads this week. Accordionist Riley, fiddler David Greely, guitarist Sam Broussard, bassist Brazos Huval, and drummer Kevin...

NY Times to Jindal: Take the money

The New York Times published a recent editorial titled "While Mr. Perry and Mr. Jindal Fiddle." The paper calls for Gov. Bobby Jindal and Texas Gov. Rick Perry to take the federal aid and do...

Eddie Bo passes away

Eddie Bo, the New Orleans piano great, died on Wednesday from a massive heart attack. He was 78 years old. Read more from the Blog of New...

Blues Traveler travels to Alexandria

Tonight, Blues Traveler takes the stage in Alexandria for the fourth annual Que'in on the Red barbecue festival. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. in the North Levee Park on Third Street. The festival runs...

Plea talks for Jena Six

The remaining five members of the Jena Six who haven't gone to trial could strike a plea deal with the LaSalle Parish district attorney to resolve their criminal cases. The Associated Press reports...

Update: Cockfighting busts abound

On Saturday afternoon, Louisiana State Police raided the Little Bayou Club in Sulphur and busted an illegal cockfighting ring. Louisiana was the last state to implement a ban on cockfighting, which...

Students oppose proposed budget cuts

There's a group of LSU students who run a blog that focuses on the proposed education cuts in the state's budget. SOS - Save Our Schools held a press conference yesterday at the LSU student union in...

'Alleged cockfighting ring' busted

KPLC TV in Lake Charles reports that Louisiana State Police busted "an alleged cockfighting ring" between Westlake and Sulphur. 7 News has confirmed the location where the bust took place...

A Golden premiere

If you're going to be in Austin this upcoming week for South by Southwest, be sure to catch the world premiere of The Promised Land: A Swamp Pop Journey. It's a documentary that focuses on Lafayette's...

Vitter's 'airport freakout'

Roll Call is reporting that Sen. David Vitter recently had a small meltdown in Dulles airport. Among Members of Congress, there’s a long-standing, proud tradition of the Airport Freakout. Add to the...

Raising funds for culture and eco-tourism

On Thursday night, it's an evening of food and music to benefit the Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism. Por l’amour de la Louisiana kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at UL Lafayette's Alumni Center, with music...

HSUS responds to UL's defense

In a recent blog entry, Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, addresses UL Lafayette's recent defense of HSUS' investigation into the New Iberia Research Center...

Pink dolphin in Calcasieu Lake

You've probably heard the one about the pink dolphin they found in Calcasieu Lake. No? Well, it's not a joke, at least according to the UK's Telegraph. Erik Rue, 42, a charter boat captain claims to...

UL on the defensive

Yesterday, UL Lafayette officials held a press conference at the New Iberia Research Center to address allegations of primate abuse raised recently by the Humane Society of the United States and aired...

Nightline probes UL's NIRC

Last night Nightline aired a segment about UL Lafayette's New Iberia Research Center. The report relied heavily on video obtained by the Humane Society of the United States in a nine-month undercover...

More allegations against UL's primate center

The Daily Advertiser declares in an editorial today, "Animals not abused at UL center ": UL moved quickly in responding to charges of wrongdoing at the university's New Iberia Research...

1 in 55 behind bars

The Pew Center on the States reports that 1 in 31 adults in America is in prison or jail, or on probation or parole. In a report released yesterday, the group says 25 years ago, that number was 1 in...

Jindal's 12 minutes

There wasn’t much in Sunday night’s 60 Minutes profile of Gov. Bobby Jindal that Louisiana residents didn’t know already. Morley Safer condensed Jindal’s familiar story down to 12 minutes - his...

Jindal's Katrina story starts to smell

Ben Smith writes today on Politico: A spokeswoman for Bobby Jindal says the Louisiana governor didn't intend to imply that an anecdote about battling bureaucrats during Katrina directly involved the...

Jindal on 60 Minutes

The Chicago Tribune's The Swamp reports that Gov. Bobby Jindal will be featured in a 60 Minutes profile by Morley Safer this Sunday evening. After the governor's live television performance on Mardi...

Tony Perkins eyes Vitter's seat

Politico reports that Tony Perkins may be eyeing U.S. Senate David Vitter's seat. Perkins is the president of the Family Research Council, the conservative Christian public policy foundation. In...

Swamp Pop Reunion IV

The city of Ville Platte is hosting the fourth Swamp Pop Reunion on Monday evening. Beginning at 8 p.m., over a dozen swamp pop legends will take the stage throughout the night - including Johnnie...

So long, Snooks

SnooksEaglin2006.jpg Snooks Eaglin at Rock 'n Bowl in New Orleans on May 5, 2006 photo courtesy of Masahiro Sumori Yesterday, New Orlans R&B guitarist Snooks Eaglin passed away. He was 72 years...

Downtown Alive! announces spring lineup

Downtown Alive! kicks back into gear on Friday, March 13 in Parc International with T.K. Hulin, Steve Adams and Smoke, with special guest Charlene Howard. The free weekly outdoor music series on...

La. eyes chickens before they hatch

President Barack Obama will soon sign the $787 billion economic stimulus bill into law, but state officials are looking at the numbers, trying to figure out where Louisiana fits into the plan. The...

National eyes on La. Science Education Act

On Friday, National Public Radio put the spotlight on Louisiana and its Science Education Act. The All Things Considered segment was less than flattering. Meet West Monroe assistant principal Danny...

Treme ready to roll

The pilot for a new HBO television series, Treme, begins shooting in New Orleans on March 9. The series - written by David Simon (The Wire, Homicide: Life on the Street, Generation Kill) and Eric...

Bad Roads at Crossroads

The Bad Roads take the stage tonight at Vermilionville as part of the Louisiana Crossroads music series. The band rocked Lake Charles in a live broadcast on KRVS 88.7 FM. Tonight, the Roads make it...

Winnfield man arrested in D.C.

A Winnfield man drove up to the U.S. Capitol yesterday and said he had a delivery for President Barack Obama. After some questioning, the 64-year-old Alfred Brock admitted that he had a rifle in his...

Pou seeks legal fees

The Associated Press reports that Dr. Anna Pou is looking to the state of Louisiana to pay her legal fees. Pou, along with two nurses, was accused of  giving patients lethal doses of drugs in the days...

Stormy conditions ahead

If yesterday was any indication, the speculation over Stormy Daniels running for David Vitter's U.S. Senate seat is not going to die down anytime soon. The porn star and Baton Rouge native was the...

And the Grammy goes to ...

BeauSoleil picked up its second Grammy Award last night at the 51st Grammy Awards. The recognition was for the album Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, available from...

Theresa Andersson on Conan

As Kevin Allman at Gambit points out this morning, Theresa Andersson will appear on Late Night with Conan O'Brien tonight on NBC. We've been digging Andersson's latest album, Hummingbird, Go!, since...

Storm Warning IV

In the days leading up to this year's hurricane season, America's Wetland Foundation is hosting a series of events in hopes of raising national awareness of the loss of coastal wetlands and the need...

No Shadeaux

Punxsutawney Phil up there in Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., might have seen his shadow this morning, meaning six more weeks of winter. But down here, that wasn't the case. It was pretty...

Santeria goes all hippie on us

(NEPOTISM ALERT: Santeria frontman Dege Legg is employed by The Independent Weekly and sometimes works here.) For being an open-air, back-porch venue in the Free Town neighborhood, the Blue Moon...

UL responds to primate abuse allegations

In a statement issued today, UL Lafayette responded to the allegations raised by Stop Animal Exploitation Now that negligence and inadequate care have led to the death of nine primates at the New...

Group alleges primate abuse

The animal rights group Stop Animal Exploitation Now alleges that UL Lafayette's New Iberia Research Center's negligence and inadequate care have led to the deaths of nine primates. In a statement...

The Radiators will crank up the heat

The Radiators are bringing their "fish head music" to southwest Louisiana. In celebration of the New Orleans' band's 30-year anniversary, The Radiators will play three shows as part of the...

Meet the LeBlancs

CNN is producing a series of reports about "economic survival in this time of financial crisis." In the first installment, CNN tells the story of the LeBlanc family from Lafayette. The...

Noose in the GOHSEP office

In a story that's making national headlines, a black employee with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness found a small noose made of twine on her desk. The Advocate...

Folk Roots and politics don't mix

With yesterday's inauguration of President Barack Obama, most of us have put the 2008 political campaign season behind us. But a pro-Obama video posted to YouTube in the days leading up the election...

One more for the road

On the Late Show, David Letterman recently bid farewell to the show's segment "Great Moments in Presidential...

Scientific American dissects creationism

The Jan. 2009 edition of Scientific American focuses on evolution, but one article takes a look at creationism in the classroom and uses the Louisiana Science Education Act as its primary focus. It...

A day of service

Today's not only a national holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., as well the eve of a historic presidential inauguration, it's also a national day for service. President-elect Barack...

Creation stories in science class?

Patti Garner of the Louisiana chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State brings up an interesting point about the Louisiana Science Education Act. Now that the restriction...

Lafayette rakes in Humanities honors

When the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities holds its annual awards banquet to honor Louisiana residents who make outstanding contributions to the humanities, Lafayette will be...

The explosive Abita brewery

It was the middle of Monday night when residents of the Covington Manor mobile home park near Abita Springs woke up to a beer-induced ruckus. The Times-Picayune reports that an explosion at the Abita...

Blanco takes on Bush over Katrina

President George W. Bush gave his final press conference yesterday, and the media was quick to challenge his assertions about his own record. The Associated Press reported "FACT CHECK: In final...

The British invent Cajun Squirrel

The headline of The Independent (that one over in England), asks the question: "Is Cajun squirrel the new cheese and onion?" The company Walkers is trying out new flavors (sorry,...

Jonno and Maria's Family Benefit

Maria LoVullo — an art teacher, local fixture in Acadiana and wife of musician Jonno Frishberg — was recently diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer. The couple and their two children were featured in...

UL announces budget cuts

UL Lafayette is facing a state-mandated budget cut of $4.3 million, and yesterday the university announced where those cuts would be made. University officials also indicated that this is the first in...

"Reality" in Louisiana

As if Louisiana doesn't have enough to deal with when it comes to its image, here comes the CW network with a reality TV show set in the Louisiana bayous which premieres tonight. In 13 - Fear is Real,...

Lafayette's first public skate park

This weekend, Lafayette Consolidated Government began construction on Lafayette's first public skate park. Greg Gautreaux, manager of athletic programs/park maintenance, says the first phase of the...

TV anchor sues state rep.

Two men who are accustomed to the public spotlight are heading to court, but it's over a private matter. In Baton Rouge, according to The Advocate, WAFB's 10 p.m. anchor André Moreau is suing state...

Court side with two dads; La. to appeal

Two men, Oren Adar and Mickey Ray Smith, adopted a Louisiana boy in New York, but they now live in San Diego. U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey ruled last week that the Louisiana Office of Vital Records...

No class action for trailer dwellers

Hurricane victims who have been living in campers and exposed to formaldehyde can't bring a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of the trailers and the federal government. Federal District...

Jena 6's Bell shoots himself

The Monroe News-Star reports that Jena 6 defendant Mychal Bell shot himself in the chest with a .22, but that the injury wasn't life-threatening. Monroe Police Sgt. Cassandra Wooten told the paper,...

Joan Baez steals the show at Medicine Show 12

Friday night was an incredible night for music in Lafayette at Grant Street Dancehall for Medicine Show 12. There was the reunion of The Rockin' Shapes and performances from BeauSoleil, Geno Delafose...

What's all the Comeauxtian?

Read this week's cover story to see who The Independent Weekly has named its Persons of the Year. Here's a big hint: "What began as a way for friends to honor the memory of Dr. Tommy Comeaux led...

Mulate's re-opens tomorrow

Mulate's, "The Original Cajun Restaurant" in Breaux Bridge, is set to re-open its doors tomorrow. The Cajun dancing and dining hotspot will reopen on Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.,...

FOX features La. millionaires

In its latest reality TV show, FOX features two Baton Rouge millionaires in Secret Millionaire. Todd Graves, the founder of the growing Raising Cane's chicken fingers chain, and his wife, Gwen...

The towboat master did what?

What a headline from The Times-Picayune: "Towboat master says he left ship involved in oil spill because his girlfriend was spotted with another man." You could read the rest of the story,...

Irvin Mayfield shakes up New Orleans' libraries

Irvin Mayfield Jr. is best known as the New Orleans trumpeter who also leads the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, but he's in the spotlight now for his role as the board chairman for the New Orleans Public...

Tony the Tiger's restraining order

Tony the Tiger will stay put at the Gross Tete truck stop where he lives - at least for the next couple of weeks. The Advocate reports that 18th Judicial District Judge J. Robin Free has signed a...

3 LSU timeouts still up for grabs

If you're still sore about LSU's lose to Arkansas this past weekend, rest assured that you're not the only one. In this post on craigslist, an LSU fan in Baton Rouge is offering up 3 unused LSU...

Louisiana's Grammy nods

In the nominations for the 51st Grammy Awards, Louisiana is well-represented. Acadiana musicians dominate in the Cajun and Zydeco category, and New Orleans' Lil' Wayne leads the entire Grammy pack...

NPR on Theresa Andersson: 'a one-woman wonder'

In a review yesterday of Theresa Andersson's "Birds Fly Away," NPR called the Swedish-born New Orleans musician "a one-woman wonder."  What's equally as impressive is watching...

John Breaux's lifetime achievement

At a reception last night on Capitol Hill, former U.S. Sen. John Breaux was honored with America's Wetland's Lifetime Achievement Award. The Foundation's Chairman R. King Milling said of Breaux: We...

Confusion costs state about $7 million

The Times-Picayune reports that the confusion over Louisiana's emergency food stamp program after hurricanes Gustav and Ike may have cost the state some $7 million. The chief operating officer of the...

So long, dear Rambler

Luderin Darbone, the Cajun swing fiddler and co-founder of the Hackberry Ramblers, died on Friday in Sulphur. Visitation will be held today from 5-9 p.m. at Hixson Sulphur Memorial Funeral Home in...

Film festival fund-raiser

On Saturday night, check out Roddie Romero & The Hub City All-Stars , while helping raise money for the Acadiana Film Festival (the festival formerly known as iDiDx). Doors open at 6 p.m. at The...

El Sido's Thanksgiving zydeco food drive

For the 22nd year, Sid "El Sido" William's is hosting his annual Thanksgiving Zydeco Food Drive tonight. The doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the music kicks off at 7 p.m. with Nathan Williams...

Jamie Bergeron's home burns down

At around 4 a.m. on Friday morning, Jamie Bergeron's mother managed to escape the burning house they shared together in Mire. At the time, Bergeron was at work with Acadian Ambulance. Bergeron is best...

Feufollet on NPR

Today at 4:50 p.m., National Public Radio's All Things Considered is scheduled to air an 8-minute piece about Feufollet. This young band from Lafayette are blazing a hot trail through Cajun music,...

FEMA's new recovery site

As part of its Transparency Initiative, FEMA has launched a new Web site with the help of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding. FEMArecovery.org details where and how...

Jefferson's appeal denied

U.S. Rep William Jefferson may be heading to another campaign victory, but the bribery charges against him are sticking, according to a federal appeals court. In 2005, FBI agents raided Jefferson's...

NY Times on Ville Platte High

The New York Times takes a look at the possible closure of Ville Platte High School through the eyes of its football team, the Bulldogs. This tiny, rural town in Cajun country is struggling again to...

At the Crossroads

Grammy Award winner Terrance Simien teams up tonight with Susan Cowsill and friends for the first of three shows for Louisiana Crossroads. Tonight at 7 p.m. they take the stage in Lake Charles at...

Why Jindal wasn't vetted

The Washington Post reports that Gov. Bobby Jindal was never even vetted to be a VP pick for the McCain ticket, bolstering the governor's public affirmation that he had no desire for the job and was...

More problems with Gustav response

The Advocate reports that there were more problems than just long lines for food stamps after Hurricane Gustav. The daily Baton Rouge paper has combed through thousands of pages of e-mails from the...

UL's jazz week

Starting on Monday, UL Lafayette's Jazz Ensemble presents Jazz Week. Catch three nights of jazz at Angelle Hall, beginning each night at 7:30 p.m. On Monday night, it's the UL Jazz Ensemble and Jazz...

IRS says $233,000 unclaimed in Lafayette

The Internal Revenue Service says $233,465 in tax refunds and economic stimulus payments are owed to nearly 300 Lafayette Parish residents. Seventy-six residents are owed an average of $838, and 268...

Three amendments pass

Of the seven constitutional amendments on the the ballot in Louisiana yesterday, three of them were approved by voters. The amendments will impose term limits for certain board and commission members,...

Spotlighting UL's BeauSoleil home

Students at the UL School of Architecture and Design are hard at work building the BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home. The school was selected as only one of 20 teams of university students to compete in...

Louisiana turning blue?

In a poll conducted by Southeastern Louisiana University and reported on Tuesday by The Times-Picayune, Republican Sen. John McCain held a lead over Democratic Sen. Barack Obama in the race for...

Thunderbirds fly into town

This afternoon, don't be alarmed if you see F-16s buzzing Lafayette. Starting at 2 p.m., for about 45 minutes, the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbirds will fly throughout Lafayette's skies. The elite...

Obama sign torched

Three weeks ago, Bill Goode erected a Barack Obama campaign sign in front of his law firm's office on Johnston Street. The two-sided, 4x8 sign faces both lanes of traffic on Lafayette's busy four-lane...

Gannett to cut over 3,000 jobs

As expected, after announcing that Gannett Co.'s profits fell 32 percent due to declining ad revenue, the nation's largest newspaper publisher will eliminate 10 percent of its work force by early...

Obama vs. Huey

When Sen. John McCain first re-introduced us to Joe The Plumber during the final presidential debate, he also reminded us of Sen. Barack Obama's remarks that his tax plan would "spread the wealth...

25 years later, local man found

The Advocate today tells the intriguing tale of Louis Emery Roger, a local man who disappeared 25 years ago. Roger's 1981 Cadillac Fleetwood was found in the Vermilion River on Sunday while local...

The local take on "Yes We Can"

Some local musicians and supporters of Sen. Barack Obama have created a music video in support of his bid for the presidency, similar to other online viral hits like Will.i.am's "Yes We...

Bush to visit Alexandria

As part of his ongong to effort to understand how the ailing economy is affecting "Main Street," President George W. Bush turns his attention to central Louisiana. The Town Talk reports that...

GOP pulls ads in La.'s senate race

The National Republican Senatorial Committee will pull its TV ads out of Louisiana in support of state treasurer John Kennedy's bid to overtake incumbent Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu. The National...

Boudreauxes acquitted of dogfighting

Floyd Boudreaux and his son, Guy, were acquitted of 48 counts of dogfighting yesterday. Floyd Boudreaux and his son, Guy, were acquitted of 48 counts of dogfighting yesterday. District Judge Kristian...

Benoit and Medica at Crossroads

The ninth season of Louisiana Crossroads kicks off Thursday night with Houma bluesman Tab Benoit and Alexandria bassist Leon Medica. Tomorrow night, the ninth season of Louisiana Crossroads kicks off...

A Glen Pitre film premiere

In post-Civil War Thibodaux, freedmen strike against the plantations they work, and only one white man sides with them in their struggle. Meet the courageous Reese Paxton - portrayed by Eric Braeden,...

Downtown Alive! kickstarts weekend

Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-Stars kickoff this Festivals Acadiens et Creole weekend for Downtown Alive! The show starts at 5:30 p.m. in Parc International in downtown Lafayette. Then at 7:30...

Brad Pitt's first Make It Right house

Three years after the Ninth Ward flooded in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the first of the homes rebuilt there under Brad Pitt's Make It Right program opened yesterday. The foundation aims to...

UL suspends two frats

UL Lafayette has suspended two of its fraternities, placing them on temporary inactive status until it concludes investigations into the frats' activities. Sigma Alpha Epsilon (Louisiana Alpha...

Landrieu/Kennedy debates start tonight

Today's the first of four debates between incumbent U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and her challenger, state treasurer John Kennedy. The debate, hosted by the Press Club of Baton Rouge, will not be...

Esquire on Jindal

In its October issue, Esquire marks its 75 anniversary with a cover story that takes "an epic look at the people and ideas shaping our world, including the 75 most influential people of the 21st...

Stipe named to Gaming Control Board

Local attorney Mark Stipe has been appointed by Gov. Bobby Jindal to the state Gaming Control Board, which regulates the state’s gaming industry. Stipe is vice president of and general counsel for...

Sonny Landreth on NPR

On Saturday, Sonny Landreth was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, where he was referred to as a "wizard of the slide." Landreth talks with John Burnett, who comments: "If you listen to...

Recovering caskets and remains

Since Sunday, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been working with officials in Cameron and Calcasieu parishes recovering caskets and human remains disturbed by Hurriance Ike....

C-130s battle mosquitoes

Today's the third anniversary of Hurricane Rita making landfall, and this evening Lafayette residents will be buzzed by U.S. Air Force cargo planes as part of a mosquito abatement program for south...

ICF gets $99 million

In the final days of her administration, former Gov. Kathleen Blanco inked a deal for a $156 million increase in the contract with ICF International to administer the Road Home program. Gov. Bobby...

Gustav's price tag: $384 million

As expected, the state's cost for Hurricane Gustav continus to rise. Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis estimates Louisiana's expenditures at $383.9 million. The state is seeking 100 percent...

Cameron struggles after Ike

Three years after Hurricane Rita devastated Cameron Parish, residents there find themselves in a familiar recovery situation. In yesterday's edition of The Advocate, Richard Burgess take a look at...

Willie, Gustav and Ike

Country music legend Willie Nelson announced yesterday that Farm Aid will give $30,000 to help farmers in Texas and Louisiana affected by hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Associated Press reports four...

Renaissance becomes Sadie's Downtown

Judd Kennedy, owner of Renaissance Niteclub, announced last week that he was switching gears at his 9-year-old downtown Lafayette nightclub. Citing a decrease in revenues on nights with both DJs and...

Louisiana Crossroad's 9th season

Tomorrow night at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, Louisiana Crossroads will unveil its musical lineup - with 17 scheduled musical performances - and artwork by Fred Daspit for its ninth season....

Herman Fuselier leaves The Daily Advertiser

The Daily Advertiser's loss is a boon for KBON 101.1 FM in Eunice. The daily paper's longtime Arts and Entertainment Editor Herman Fuseiler has accepted a full-time gig manning the radio station's...

Galveston in the crosshairs

As Hurricane Ike heads toward Texas, a hurricane warning is in effect for the Gulf Coast from Morgan City to Baffin Bay, Texas, according to the National Hurricane Center. Ike is a Category 2...

State price tag for Gustav: $210 million

Gov. Bobby Jindal estimates that the cost of Hurricane Gustav to the state of Louisiana is around $210 million, but that number is expected to rise. Last week, Jindal sent a letter to the White House...

Texas in Ike's path

The latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center indicates that Hurricane Ike is expected to land near Corpus Christi, Texas on Saturday morning. Ike has entered the Gulf Of Mexico and is...

Sonny shines on the cover of Guitar Player

Sonny Landreth owns the cover of this month's Guitar Player magazine. In an interview that spans 15 pages (with an additional 6-page "master lesson"), Lafayette's native stepson and Breaux...

Ike headed to Texas?

As Hurricane Ike plows through Cuba, the latest update from the National Hurricane Center places the storm heading for south Texas. Just a sliver of south Louisiana, a portion of Cameron Parish,...

All eyes on Ike

Here's the latest on Hurricane Ike from the National Hurricane Center, issued at 10 a.m.: Extrapolation suggests that the center will be back over water south of Cuba soon. If this materializes Ike...

Saintsline returns to AOC

Your "Pal Spidey," aka Milton Guidry, returns to cable TV this Sunday with Saintslines on Acadiana Open Channel. Tune into channel 16 on Sunday at 3 p.m. to catch Guidry & Co.'s views on...

David Egan brings Trouble to Barnes & Noble

photo by Terri Fensel Still in shock from Hurricane Gustav? Tired of checking on Hurricane Ike's path? Trying to avoid cleaning up the limbs in your yard? Looking to just get out of the house for...

LUS: All power back today

Lafayette Uilities System's Director Terry Huval says that only 950 LUS customers are currently without power and that all of them will have electricity by the end of today. "We plan to get...

Gustav hits Lafayette as a Category 1

The Category 1 hurricane force winds from Hurricane Gustav began pounding Lafayette today around 1:30 p.m., according to Joe Rua, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service in Lake Charles....

Water overtops Industrial Canal

The Times-Picayune reports that water is overtopping the western side of the Industrial Canal floodwall in New Orleans but that Army Corps of Engineers officials say that it is not a major...

Gustav slams Louisiana

The National Hurricane Center reports that Gustav made landfall this morning near Cocodrie as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm is expected to weaken as it moves inland. But the threat of high storm...

Lafayette boards up

Local photographer Isabel LaSala has posted some photos of downtown Lafayette boarding up in advance of Hurricane...

Keeping an eye on Gustav

The National Hurricane Center's latest forecast indicates that the strengthening of Gustav is "imminent and could even be rapid." The tropical storm could cross Cuba in 36 hours....

Gustav heads toward Acadiana

The National Hurricane Center's latest forecast indicates that the strengthening of Gustav is "imminent and could even be rapid." The tropical storm could cross Cuba in 36 hours. "There...

Gov. Jindal on Katrina and Rita recovery

In The Wall Street Journal today, Gov. Bobby Jindal makes his case for why Louisiana's economy is strong, three years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit Louisiana. In the guest column "Fiscal...

Jindal to hold press conference on Gustav

Gov. Bobby Jindal will hold a press conference in Baton Rouge at 4:45 p.m. concerning Hurricane Gustav with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator R....

Waiting for Gustav

Over the last couple of days, the National Hurricane Center's prediction of when Gustav will make landfall keeps getting pushed back. The NHC's last predicted path, issued at 10 a.m., puts the center...

Meet Tropical Storm Hanna

As if we didn't have enough to contend with watching Gustav, meet Hanna, the newest tropical storm brewing in the Atlantic. It's too early to tell where she will go exactly or how strong of how much...

Hurricane Gustav heads for the Gulf

Hurricane Gustav is expected to hit Haiti today and weaken some, but it will gain strength again before it hits Cuba tomorrow. According to the National Hurricane Center, Gustav is currently a...

Meet Hurricane Gustav

What began yesterday as Tropical Depression Seven is now Hurricane Gustav. With sustained winds at 90 miles per hour, Gustav is a Category 1 hurricane. The National Hurricane Center predicts that the...

Keep your eyes on the Gulf

Fay is fizzling out, but another potential problem in the Caribbean could develop into a hurricane by this weekend. The National Hurricane Center is uncertain at this point whether Tropical Depression...

NY Times on Bayou Lafourche

It's a story south Louisiana knows all too well, but The New York Times tells the story again of how Louisiana is losing its coast. Coastal erosion is eating away at the culture, the livelihood and,...

C.C. Adcock's hanging with vampires

Lafayette's very own rocktologist C.C. Adcock is allegedly hanging out with vampires. In his blog, MTV's Kurt Loder reports that Adcock's music will be featured in the upcoming HBO series True Blood,...

Jindal to speak at GOP convention

Rudolph Giuliani may be giving the keynote address at the Republican National Convention next month, but Gov. Bobby Jindal is still scheduled to address the convention on Wednesday, Sept. 3 in...

The Independent wins national honor

For the second time in three years, The Independent Weekly has won second place in the Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards in its division. In its 48th year, the contest recieved more than 1,100...

Festivals Acadiens changes its name

Last year, Festival Acadiens developed its own board and became its own nonprofit organization. This year, the group has changed its names to Festivals Acadiens et Créoles. Since the late '70s, the...

Advertiser to lay off 6 employees

By the end of next week, there will be six fewer employees working for South Louisiana Publishing, the local arm of the media giant Gannett, which owns five newspapers in Louisiana, including The...

Former Winnfield officer indicted in Taser case

A Winn Parish grand jury has indicted a former Winnfield police officer on manslaughter and malfeasance charges for using a Taser on a handcuffed man and killing him. Scott Nugent, a former Winnfield...

New Orleans cops cleared

The Associated Press reports that District Judge Raymond Bigelow tossed out charges against seven New Orleans police officers for killing two men on the Danziger Bridge in the aftermath of Hurricane...

N.O. blogger sparks federal probe

On Monday, federal investigators with the FBI and HUD seized documents from the New Orleans Affordable Homeownership Corp. The Times-Picayune reports: The city nonprofit has been under intense...

The Last Drifting Cowboy

Don Helms, the last Drifting Cowboy, died early this morning in Nashville at the age of 81. If you've ever heard a Hank Williams song, you've heard Helms on the steel guitar. He was the last surviving...

Cockfighting ban countdown

The Associated Press has begun the countdown to the cockfighting ban in Louisiana, the last state where the blood sport is still legal. On Friday, cockfighting in Louisiana becomes illegal; gambling...

Pine Leaf Boys sign with Lionsgate

Lionsgate has signed the Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys to a record and publishing deal. In a press release, Lionsgate Music President Jay Faires stated: Their last two records really caught our...

Lafayette man dies in Orange Beach

The Press-Register in Mobile reports that a Lafayette man drowned yesterday afternoon in Orange Beach, Alabama. Ivan Linus Garzotto was with his family swimming in heavy surf from Tropical Storm...

Edouard moves inland

Tropical Storm Edouard is weakening as it moves inland. In its 10 a.m. advisory, the National Weather Service stated that the center of the storm was about 40 miles west of Port Arthur, Texas and...

La. outdoors is big business

A recent report from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries indicates that the great outdoors is great business for the state. In 2006, the most recent data available, outdoor activities...

Harvard surveys hurricane preparedness

Fifty-five percent of Louisiana residents living within 20 miles of the coast are worried that a major hurricane will hit their community during the next six months, but 79 percent of them say they...

Two spills in south Louisiana

This morning, KATC reports that I-10 across the Atchafalaya Basin is closed after a 18-wheeler carrying hazardous materials crashed and caught on fire. And in New Orleans yesterday, where a tanker and...

Courreges leaves The Advocate

Friday was Patrick Courreges' last day on the job with The Advocate's Acadiana bureau. On Monday, he started his new job as the Department of Natural Resource's public information officer. After...

Gulf Brew's second round a success

Organizers of the second annual Gulf Brew are calling this past Saturday's event another success. The fundraiser for the Acadiana Arts Council got underway at Parc International at 4 p.m. on Saturday,...

Dolly in the Gulf

Tropical Storm Dolly, now northwest of the Yucatan Pennisula, is currently moving west/northwest through the Gulf of Mexico at 18 miles per hour, with sustained winds of 50 miles per hour. The...

One Starbucks to close in Lafayette

Earlier this month, Starbucks announced that it would shut down 600 of its  locations. Only one of those is located in Lafayette, at 115 Verot School Road, near the intersection of Pinhook Road....

Blossman won't seek re-election

Public Service Commissioner Jay Blossman won't seek re-election. The Mandeville Republican has served for 12 years and qualified last week to run for a third term. According to The Times-Picayune,...

Beer drinkers unite!

The second annual [Gulf Brew](http:// www.gulfbrew.com) event kicks off tomorrow in Parc International in downtown Lafayette. Under an 8,000-square-foot air-conditioned tent, you can sample more than...

Neuner and Haney named to drug policy board

Gov. Bobby Jindal has made a dozen appointments to the Drug Policy Board, which implements drug control policies to combat illegal drug and alcohol abuse, and two local men have been named. Lafayette...

Dead zone could grow

The Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone" off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas could reach 8,800 square miles, roughly the size of New Jersey. Louisiana scientists and NOAA officials say the recent...

Shreveport movie brawl

Actors Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright, along with five others working on Oliver Stone's latest film W, were arrested in Shreveport during the early hours of Saturday morning. The Shreveport Times...

David Simon to shoot Treme in New Orleans

Back in October, The New Yorker reported that David Simon - former Baltimore Sun reporter and creator of Homicide:Life on the Street and The Wire - was looking to New Orleans for his next project....

Faulk: no contest on pot charge

Yesterday New England Patriots running back Kevin Faulk pled no contest to possession of marijuana. According to KATC, Faulk  was given a misdemeanor summons in February for having "four...

Watch out for Bertha

She's the first named 2008 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, and Bertha's churning with sustained winds at about 90 miles an hour 775 miles east of the Leeward Islands. As of 11 a.m., The National...

Chesapeake and Plains partner on Haynesville

Chesapeake Energy announced yesterday that it will partner with Plains Exploration & Production Co. on the Haynesville Shale. Plains will acquire a 20 percent interest in the leasehold in north...

Habitat seeks out families

The Lafayette Habitat for Humanity is looking for families to move into a 12-home subdivision near Kaplan in rural Vermilion Parish. Six homes are currently under construction, and six more are to...

"Serious Sin" and "Wide Stance" defend marriage

Republican Senators David Vitter and Larry Craig are looking to defend marriage as "the union of a man and a woman," by co-sponsoring a bill that would amend the U.S. Constitution with that...

Lil Wayne rolls into town

The Carter III World Tour rolls into Lafayette tonight at the Cajundome with Lil Wayne and Birdman. The Cash Money Millionaires hail from New Orleans. Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III album was released on...

Fund named for Elemore Morgan Jr.

The Community Foundation of Acadiana has named a fund in honor of the late Elemore Morgan Jr., the beloved local artist and longtime UL professor who passed away on May 18 at the age of 76. Morgan had...

Jindal: Oops! I won't do it again

In a press conference yesterday, Gov. Bobby Jindal commented on the passage of a bill that will double legislators' pay and that has angered Louisiana residents. "I've learned my lesson,"...

National media finally scrutinizes Jindal

With all of the face time Gov. Bobby Jindal has been getting lately -- his knee-slapping appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, his explanation of intelligent design as science on Face the...

Let the intelligent design backlash begin

Where is the Flying Spaghetti Monster when you need him? Will he outstretch his noodly appendage and touch Louisiana? While we wait patiently for his appearance, the backlash over the "Louisiana...

KBON's all-day party

KBON 101. FM in Eunice is throwing an all-day party on Sunday at Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette. The annual Listener Appreciation Party will feature music from Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys,...

Pay raise fuels online fury

If Gov. Bobby Jindal and Louisiana's legislators think that simply ignoring the public outcry over the legislature voting to double their pay is simply going to fizzle out, there are citizens out...

Despite indictment, Dollar Bill seeks re-election

He's facing a 16-count federal indictment, but that won't stop U.S. Rep. William Jefferson from seeking re-election to Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District seat. The Times-Picayune reports that...

New Orleans still at risk

It's been nearly three years since New Orleans's levees broke after Hurricane Katrina, and the city is still vulnerable. The Associated Press reports that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric...

Gov. Jindal on intelligent design

When it comes to "intelligent design," Gov. Bobby Jindal told Face the Nation yesterday that he doesn't think it's an issue that should be decided on the federal or even state level, but on...

A special Downtown Alive!

Due to an unforeseen south Louisiana rain, one Downtown Alive! event was postponed this past season. But today, Nik-L Beer makes up that date, while celebrating the band's 30th anniversary. The...

For La. kids, it's the same old tune

For the seventh year running, Louisiana ranks 49th in the quality of life for kids. That's according to data released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Kids Count 2008. The data is compiled...

La. has highest incarceration rate

Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate in the nation. According to numbers released by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics for the first half of 2007, Louisiana had 857...

Spiffy new (old) blog layout

The INDsider's layout has returned to its humble origins. Now when you access the main page of The INDsider, you can read the latest 25 headlines and articles, all on the same page, with the newest...

Louisiana's mixed crime numbers

Nearly two months ago, CQ Press ranked Louisiana as the second most dangerous state in the nation when it came to crime in 2006. Lafayette was ranked as the safest city in the state. Now preliminary...

Katrina's political wake

A book excerpt posted today on Salon.com takes a look at the political wrangling during the days following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. The excerpt is from Paul Alexander's forthcoming book...

Noose bill moves forward

State Rep. Rickey Hardy's bill to outlaw nooses displayed as a threat is another step closer to becoming Louisiana law. On Monday, the House unanimously approved House Bill 726, which "creates...

Presidential politics in Louisiana

Yesterday, while Sen. Barack Obama was shoring his bid to become the nominee for the Democractic Party in the upcoming general election, Sen. John McCain was in Kenner kicking off his general election...

Whittington backs Clinton

Yesterday, in the showdown for Democratic superdelegates, Sen. Hillary Clinton picked up the support of Louisiana Democratic State Chairman Chris Whittington. "Hillary Clinton has what it takes...

NY Times on Jindal

With all the Jindal-as-VP-buzz surrounding John McCain's presidential bid, Louisiana's 36-year-old governor is receiving a fair amount of national attention he might not otherwise be enjoying. Today's...

Levees.org's Day of Action

Yesterday, the New Orleans group Levees.org released two new public service announcements in hopes of spurring an independent investigation by the U.S. Congress into the city's levee failures after...

Library offers digital audiobooks

You can now listen to George Orwell's 1984 or John Grisham's The Appeal online, in addition to several other titles. The Lafayette Public Library offers free audiobooks that can be downloaded through...

Hurricane Preparedness Week

This week, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is encouraging Americans to read up on hurricanes and be ready for the hurricane season which begins June 1 and runs through November 30....

Corporate Challenge: the results are in

On Friday, May 9, more than 1,000 runners participated in the inaugural Corporate Challenge at River Ranch. More than 60 teams of small businesses and large corporations from across Acadiana rose to...

Ogden honors Morgan

"Oak Shape" (1983) by Elemore Morgan Jr. image courtesy of The Ogden Museum of Southern Art/ University of New Orleans Tonight, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans will honor...

Rayne native to head Harvard project

Joshua Benton has been named the founding director of Harvard University's Nieman Digital Journalism Project. The 32-year-old Rayne native made the announcement last week on his blog,...

Mourning Elemore Morgan Jr.

photo by Terri Fensel We have lost a good man, and I've lost a dear friend. But I'm only one of thousands. Elemore Morgan Jr. not only taught and inspired generations of artists, he changed the way...

Voila! The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home

The BeauSoleil Louisiana Solar Home team unveils its design for a self-sufficient and affordable solar home on Saturday, May 17. UL Lafayette's School of Architecture and Design is one of only 20...

Severe damage in the Oil Center and Scott

A downed utility pole in Lafayette's Oil Center See more photos below by Isabelle Tutwiler The National Weather Service says two storms that ripped through Scott and Lafayette's Oil Center this...

Grant Street sold again

Dave Maraist, former co-owner of Grant Street Dancehall photo by Terri Fensel On Wednesday, May 7, Danny Smith became the latest owner of Grant Street Dancehall. Dave Maraist and his partners, the...

"Jireaux" making waves in Japan

One of UL Lafayette's outstanding grads is making waves back in his native Japan. Guitarist and composer Jiro "Jireaux" Hatano recently had his song "Atchafalaya" broadcast on...

Swing on out with Mom

Show Mom how much you love her by taking her out for dancing on Sunday. The Stonewood Foundation and the Performing Arts Society of Acadiana present Spring Swing on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11 at...

Archive Aid V

Archive Aid - the annual benefit for the Archives of Cajun and Creole Folklore at UL Lafayette - kicks off at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Grant Street Dancehall. Scheduled to perform are Geno Delafose &...

Jindal as VP or stonewall?

William Kristol isn't the only national pundit fanning the Jindal-for-VP flames. Speculation grows over whether Gov. Bobby Jindal will be asked to be the running mate of Sen. John McCain for his...

Elemore Morgan Jr. exhibit opens in New Orleans

When Elemore Morgan Jr.’s recent exhibit opened at the Arthur Roger Gallery in New Orleans on Saturday night, Morgan himself was noticeably absent from the event. “It was a great opening,” Roger says....

Desormeaux wins third Kentucky Derby

Maurice native Kent Desormeaux rode Big Brown into his third Kentucky Derby win on Saturday, beating out Eight Belles by 4 3/4 lengths.  Big Brown was favored to win at 5:2. The only other horse to...

Acadiana jockeys for another Derby win

Three of the 20 jockeys riding tomorrow in the 134th Kentucky Derby hail from Acadiana - Robby Albarado, Calvin Borel and Kent Desormeaux. Desormeaux, a Maurice native, will ride the favored Big...

The Boozoo Highway?

The Legislature gets down to the people's business today when the Senate Transportation Committee hears SB 737. The bill by Sen. Dan "Blade" Morrish of Jennings would posthumously honor...

Randy Newman doesn't miss a beat

Randy Newman proved last night that he's still a force to be reckoned with. Playing to a packed auditorium at the Heymann Center in Lafayette, Newman kicked off his solo performance with "Last...

Consider the open source

Matthew Turland, a local programmer and UL Lafayette computer science graduate, has formed the Acadiana Open Source Group, a group where both open source enthusiasts and developers can meet and share...

Randy Newman returns to Lafayette

Sterling LeJeune remembers the first time Randy Newman played Lafayette. It was more than 30 years ago, and the Heymman Center for the Performing Arts was still known as the Lafayette Municipal...

Heeeeeeeere's Bobby!

The chatter over Gov. Bobby Jindal becoming Sen. John McCain's running mate is growing louder. NBC announced yesterday that Jindal would be a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Monday night,...

$30 million for generators

The Louisiana Recovery Authority's Board of Directors has approved the allocation of $30 million of hazard mitigation funds to purchase generators across the state. Under the Hazard Mitigation Grant...

Lake Peigneur bill dies

On Thursday, members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee voted against a bill that would have limited the expansion of natural gas storage caverns under Jefferson Island. It was a major setback...

Lake Peigneur residents head to Capitol

Members of Save Lake Peigneur are heading to Baton Rouge tomorrow in support of a proposed Senate bill. The groups says the bill will protect the groundwater surrounding the lake by prohibiting the...

Blue Moon offers free lessons at jam

For the last eight years, the Blue Moon Saloon has hosted a weekly Cajun jam on Wednesday nights. Owner Mark Falgout says through the years the jam has become quite loose, and he's looking to add a...

Jim Olivier dies at 57

Jim Olivier, a veteran broadcaster turned local businessman, died unexpectedly Sunday morning. He was 57 years old. In 1970, Olivier began his career in broadcasting as a country music DJ at KXKW....

State could keep $3.3 million from ICF

The state is giving ICF two weeks to resolve issues with over 600 Road Home applicants or it will withhold $3.3 million. In a press release yesterday, the Louisiana Recovery Authority announced that...

A nonprofit town hall meeting

The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations will host a town hall meeting tomorrow for nonprofit organizations. The meeting will provide local nonprofits the chance to share their concerns,...

Retired generals "insulted" by Jindal

Recently a group of retired generals appointed by Gov. Bobby Jindal assessed the Louisiana National Guard and produced a report. The Jindal administration dismissed portions of it and has refused to...

Road Home usually wrong in appeals

Applicants to the Road Home program learned recently that the program intended to collect on overpayments to more than 350 applicants. In an editorial yesterday, The Times-Picayune wrote that ICF...

TechSouth kicks off on Tuesday

The two-day TechSouth Summit kicks off tomorrow morning at the Cajundome Convention Center in Lafayette. The Gulf South's information and technology conference and trade show is geared for any and...

Tony Tramel's need for speed?

While Lafayette Consolidated Government struggles with how to deal with the flood of violations being issued by its controversial SafeSpeed and SafeLight programs, a Web site alleges that Tony Tramel...

Louisiana: worst state for kids

In the U2 song "Crumbs From Your Table," there's a line that goes: "Where you live should not decide, whether you live or whether you die." And according to a new report from the...

Uncle Donald exits the stage

He was airplane-flyin', limousine-drivin', 6-foot fivin', totally live and full of jive. Donald James Senegal - widely known in Lafayette as Uncle Donald - passed away on Monday, March 31, at our Lady...

Plenty of fools to go around

Combing through the headlines and reading today's news on this April Fools Day - without any notable hoaxes just yet - there's still plenty of foolishness to mark this day in 2008. The U.S. Supreme...

A night of pickin' at Louisiana Crossroads

Whether you're looking to pick up on some guitar-playing pointers or just listen to an evening of acoustic guitar music, check out this evening's Louisiana Crossroads show. At 5:30 p.m., Scott Fore...

Five days of film

Beginning today, the Cinema on the Bayou film festival will showcase documentaries about Louisiana and the South at locations throughout Acadiana. The third annual event kicks off tonight at the...

Paul Prudhomme nicked by a falling bullet

Chef Paul Prudhomme took a shootin' and kept on cookin'. The St. Landry Parish native was setting up a cooking tent at a New Orleans golf tournament on Tuesday when he felt a sting on his right arm....

Closures of FEMA trailer parks on track

FEMA says its on track to close trailer parks in Louisiana by June 1, 2008,  just in time for the hurricane season. The federal agency says that only 20 FEMA parks are still open and that 91 have been...

Popeyes' Al Copeland dies at 64

The chicken man has left the building. According to The Times-Picayune, Al Copeland died yesterday in Munich, Germany. The controversial entrepreneur and founder of Popeyes Fried Chicken had traveled...

America's WETLAND keeps eye on the prizes

The American Wetland Campaign is looking for a few young writers - and photographers and artists. In its ongoing efforts to educate the public about Louisiana's vanishing wetlands, the organization is...

Louisiana's the second most dangerous state

When it came to crime in 2006, the only state more dangerous than Louisiana was Nevada, according to recently released rankings compiled by CQ Press in Crime State Rankings 2008: Crime Across America....

FEMA's $210,000 photocopy fee

FEMA says it will gladly hand over documents requested by The Advocate, but only after the Baton Rouge newspaper coughs up a $209,990 photocopying fee. The federal agency says it will charge 10 cents...

An artistic audit

The Acadiana Arts Council has announced a one-of-a-kind project that will help improve arts education in Lafayette Parish's public schools and schools across the country. The Community Audit for Arts...

Louisiana's African-American Heritage Trail

The state of Louisiana's Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism has announced the opening of Louisiana's African American Heritage Trail. It's a collection of 26 sites across the state that...

AT&T to upgrade Lafayette's wireless service

AT&T says it will add 76 new cell sites throughout Louisiana, at a cost of nearly $104 million, before the end of 2008. The world's largest telecommunications company will also roll out higher...

Sen. Landrieu gets YouTube account

Maybe there's something to this Internet thing. If Sen. Barrack Obama can raise record-breaking contributions month after month, maybe it's worth looking into. On Thursday, Sen. Mary Landrieu's...

Church sues family over tiny island

The Advocate reports today that St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Pierre Part is suing a local family there over a tiny island at the intersection of Bayou Grosbec and Bayou Pierre Part, which...

UL to open the Ernest J. Gaines Center

The third floor of UL's Dupré Library will soon house a center for scholars and students interested in studying the works of Ernest J. Gaines. The noted author who has penned several short stories and...

Dave & Tony's fun for the entire family

Tonight at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, Dave Trainer (pictured) and Tony Davoren present Dave & Tony's Excellent Musical. The duo's performance will feature musical instruments like the...

Hurricane Katrina Day?

If Rep. Juan LaFonta has his way, Louisiana residents could have an annual holiday to remember Hurricane Katrina, and possibly Hurricane Rita. The Times-Picayune reports that the New Orleans Democrat...

LEAPin' ahead

In one week, Louisiana public school students will begin taking the LEAP, iLEAP and GEE standardized tests. Testing begins Monday, March 10, and the Louisiana Department of Education has opened a...

Evangeline Parish Roots Heritage Day

On Saturday, March 1, Louisiana Folk Roots will host the Evangeline Parish Roots Heritage Day at the Ville Platte Civic Center, 704 N. Soileau St. in Ville Platte. Activities for all ages include...

Jindal & Landrieu push for New Orleans debate

Gov. Bobby Jindal and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu have asked the top four presidential contenders to debate in New Orleans this summer. A joint letter sent to Sen. John McCain, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sen....

Louisiana Weekly blasts Nagin

Last week in a television interview with WWL in New Orleans, Mayor Ray Nagin complained about the media's constant scrutiny of him. "It's crossed the line," he said. "It's gotten...

La. man indicted for smuggling cockfighting weapons

After attending an international cockfighting derby in the Philippines, Joseph Marty Toralba tried to smuggle 263 gaffs back into the country when he was arrested at the Honolulu airport. (A gaff is a...


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