Joan Rivers' Friday show benefits Stuller Place
“This face has seen more knives than a Benihana! Am I smiling? I can’t tell. I can’t feel my face.” In legendary comedienne Joan Rivers’ new television ad campaign for Geico, Rivers displays one of...
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Saints trade for tight end Shockey
The biggest drama of the New Orleans Saints’ offseason has been resolved, as the team finally acquired tight end Jeremy Shockey from the New York Giants. The Saints have been aggressively pursuing...
Louisiana doesn't lead the fat pack
When it comes to occupying the top spot in less-than-flattering ranking studies (think worst roads, least healthy state , etc.), being No. 1 is a regular and unfortunate Louisiana tradition. But...
Savoie gearing up for UL sports fundraising campaign?
In a one-on-one Independent Weekly interview with new UL Lafayette President E. Joseph Savoie, the UL leader sounds like he’s gearing up for a major fundraising campaign for the university — one that...
LeAnn Rimes returns the favor for Marc Broussard
Expect a blizzard of publicity in mid-September for Carencro soul man Marc Broussard. Atlantic Records is gearing up for the Sept. 16 release of Keep Coming Back, Broussard’s debut album for the famed...
ASO, Romero team up for free downtown July 4 concert
If you’re still pondering your 4th of July options, downtown Lafayette plays host to the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra’s free annual Independence Day concert tomorrow night, which promises musical...
Now that Gov. Bobby Jindal has vetoed the legislative pay raise, the biggest looming question is what the fallout will be with the Legislature — and possibly Jindal’s staff. Relations between...
Jindal vetoes legislative pay raise
After weeks of saying that he would not veto the legislative pay raise that doubles legislator salaries, Gov. Bobby Jindal reversed course this morning and announced at a press conference that he’s...
Lafayette's Perret resigns from ethics board
In an unsurprising move, Lafayette attorney Hank Perret has resigned as chairman of the Louisiana Board of Ethics. The well-respected Perret, who was courted by the Jindal administration to be its...
You know you're from Lafayette if ...
The Independent Weekly editorial staff is working on a project, and we want your input. The premise is simple: Complete the phrase, “You know you’re from Lafayette if ...” Some examples: You know...
PAR delivers withering session critique
Louisiana government watchdog Public Affairs Research Council has issued its commentary and assessment of the legislative session that ended Monday — and it’s a blistering critique of Gov. Bobby...
C-Span's Campaign 2008 coming to Lafayette on Thursday
The Road to the White House comes through Lafayette this Thursday. C-Span’s signature politics show, currently celebrating its 20th year, is bringing its traveling Campaign 2008 tour bus to town for...
Conservatives and core supporters blasting Jindal
With his repeated pledge not to veto the pay raise that will double legislators’ salaries, Gov. Bobby Jindal continues to woefully underestimate how much his lack of action is enraging conservatives...
Multiple Acadiana legislators donating pay raise to charity
The furor over the legislative pay raise continues. Gov. Bobby Jindal continues to say he won’t veto the bill, but yesterday political blogger C.B. Forgotston unearthed Jindal’s 2007 campaign...
Will creationism bill rouse the Flying Spaghetti Monster?
Now that Senate Bill 733 — the Louisiana Science Education Act — passed 36-0 in the Senate and only awaits Gov. Bobby Jindal’s signature to become law, will it rouse the Flying Spaghetti Monster? The...
It's showdown time in the Legislature
Around 8:30 a.m. this morning, Republican state Rep. Page Cortez was in Baton Rouge getting ready for the morning that promises high drama in the Legislature. “I just walked through the Chamber, and...
Epic legislator pay raise showdown set for Friday
Friday is shaping up as an epic showdown in the Louisiana Legislature that will be a defining moment for Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal and numerous lawmakers. What started out as a ridiculous bill...
Big Brown trainer points finger at Desormeaux
Four days after Big Brown’s stunning loss in the Belmont Stakes vanquished hopes for the first Triple Crown in 30 years, Maurice native and jockey Kent Desormeaux is having to deal with more scrutiny...
George Rodrigue's NOMA exhibit breaks attendance record
Renowned Acadiana artist George Rodrigue has made the New Orleans Museum of Art very, very happy. On March 1, NOMA debuted Rodrigue’s Louisiana: Cajuns, Blue Dogs, and Beyond Katrina, a 40-year...
Independent Weekly wins national design award
The winners of the 13th annual Altweekly Awards were announced in Philadelphia at last weekend’s annual convention of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, and The Independent Weekly took home...
Major hurricane could push gas to $6 per gallon ' or higher
As if there wasn’t enough to worry about during hurricane season, economic analysts are predicting the economic fallout if a major hurricane hits the Gulf Coast this year — and it isn’t a pretty...
It’s only Tuesday and I’m sure plenty of contenders will step up to the plate, but we may have our quote-of-the-week winner from the Louisiana Legislature. WAFB has a story today that begins: At the...
The Advertiser's runaway horse
Shortly after 5:30 p.m. yesterday, the Daily Advertiser posted this “story” on its Web site : "A horse has been spotted running westbound on I-10 at 5:15 p.m. today. Drivers in the area should...
The dueling Jindal-as-VP speculation
In the ongoing John McCain veepstakes, two camps have emerged as Gov. Bobby Jindal’s name continues to be bandied about as a possible running mate for Sen. McCain. Behind Door Number One, most...
The dueling Jindal-as-VP speculation
In the ongoing John McCain veepstakes, two camps have emerged as Gov. Bobby Jindal’s name continues to be bandied about as a possible running mate for Sen. McCain. Behind Door Number One, most...
According to co-owner Robert Guercio, he and his two partners have given up the reins to 307 Downtown, their Jefferson Street nightclub, and the Memorial Day weekend was the club’s swan song. Guercio...
La. Supreme Court sides with insurer in landmark Rita case
On the heels of its recent April ruling in favor of the Lafayette Insurance Company in a landmark Hurricane Katrina-related case, the Louisiana Supreme Court issued a ruling yesterday in a major...
With losses to Democrats in three recent special elections in solid Republican territory — including Louisiana’s 6th District — the national Republican Party continues to fret about its fall...
More editorial upheaval at Times of Acadiana
In what’s become a familiar pattern at The Times of Acadiana, another editor is jumping ship. This time it’s Managing Editor Jan Risher, who becomes the fourth editor in four years to disappear from...
Multiple tornadoes in Vermilion Parish
Lafayette Parish wasn’t the only one hit hard by this morning’s intense storm system. Vermilion Parish Sheriff Mike Couvillon is reporting multiple tornadoes; Couvillon says that shortly after 6 a.m....
Praising the back-pay settlement
It took nearly a decade, more than $1 million in attorneys’ fees and countless hours of negotiations, but Lafayette Consolidated Government and firefighters and policemen have hammered out an...
Louisiana's super-lobbyist supports legislator pay raises
With an estimated $820 million surplus flowing into state coffers thanks to higher oil prices, Louisiana legislators think it’s an appropriate time for them to get raises. Yesterday Senate Bill 672 ,...
IberiaBank acquires nine Arkansas branches
Continuing an aggressive expansion into Arkansas, IberiaBank is taking over nine bank branches in northwest Arkansas this morning. Under terms of an agreement reached last Friday, IberiaBank...
Another day, another GOP icon touts Jindal for VP
It’s become crystal clear that until Republican presidential nominee John McCain announces his vice presidential pick — or unless Gov. Bobby Jindal issues a preemptive, unequivocal statement that he...
Gingrich: Louisiana election a precursor to potential Republican disaster
Last Saturday’s special congressional election to replace retired Republican Congressman Richard Baker of Baton Rouge has national Republicans bracing for potentially brutal losses in the November...
Add NYT's Kristol to the Jindal-for-VP boosters
The Gov. Jindal-as-VP-pick chatter just won’t go away, and now it’s gotten a high-profile boost in the New York Times. Conservative columnist William Kristol used his NYT column yesterday to push the...
Louisiana Sen. Smith explains sex toys
Ask anyone in Louisiana to name the most pressing challenges facing the state, and you’ll get a laundry list of serious issues: our woeful public education system, battered infrastructure, rising...
Sen. McPherson gets 'cutesy' with tax-repeal vote
There are lots of adjectives to describe the qualities that voters hope for in politicians. Committed. Principled. Decisive. But when there’s $302 million in annual tax reductions for Louisiana...
Sweet vindication for Byron Scott tonight?
If you haven’t been watching this year, the New Orleans Hornets have blossomed into one of the NBA’s most exciting teams. After the past three losing seasons, Coach Byron Scott’s plan to build the...
Historic Blind Boys/Preservation Hall tour launches tonight at Festival International
“The dream has been that nothing comes without hard work, and if you can dream the dream and do the work and keep the faith, everything’s going to be alright. All the doors we hoped would come open...
Festival International kicks off tonight
When T-Salé Cajun Band hits the Southern Comfort Scène Fais Do Do stage at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Festival International 2008 is officially underway. Chris Ardoin & NuStep follow at 8:15 p.m., paving...
Bush raises funds for Kennedy as old GOP attack dossier surfaces
After his scheduled New Orleans meetings and events at the North American Leaders’ Summit, President George Bush will be in Baton Rouge tonight hosting a fundraiser for Democrat-turned-Republican...
Hurricane volunteer database meeting tomorrow
With hurricane season approaching June 1, The Louisiana Emergency Medical Unit and the Junior League of Lafayette are partnering to compile a database of volunteers who can help out in the event of a...
Pro-Jindal group raises nearly $750,000
The cost of gas, health care, and groceries keep going up, up, up, and the economy is struggling. But all’s good if you’re Believe in Louisiana , the non-profit group whose sole mission is to tout...
Lafayette soldier killed in Iraq
From the U.S. Department of Defense: Sgt. Joseph A. Richard III, 27, of Lafayette, La., died [Monday], April 14 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when his vehicle encountered an improvised...
Saints re-sign Deuce McAllister
The New Orleans Saints’ all-time leading rusher, and arguably the heart and soul of the franchise since 2002, is coming back in 2008. McAllister’s future was in question after he suffered the second...
Blossman in hot water over pitch for Acadian salesman
Public Service Commissioner Jay Blossman can now officially be counted in the politicians-without-a-clue category. Blossman thinks it’s perfectly OK for him to use a PSC-generated list of more than...
La. Supreme Court issues landmark hurricane/insurance lawsuit ruling
There are a lot of bitter homeowners and relieved insurance companies today. Yesterday the Louisiana Supreme Court issued its ruling in a landmark Katrina-related insurance lawsuit, and sided with the...
The Vitter embarrassment continues
If he’d just stop stonewalling and answer questions about why his phone number repeatedly turned up in D.C. Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey’s phone logs during the time period when he was serving in the...
Pastorek raise halted; are Moret and Grissom next?
The Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget sent a clear message to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education yesterday, refusing to back State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek’s new...
The Olindo Mare of hurricane predictions
At the U.S. National Hurricane Conference yesterday, William Gray offered this telling quote : “We’re expecting an above average season. The big question we have is, are we going to raise the numbers...
Grand Contemporary owner joins Ducks Unlimited
Jennifer Grand, owner of downtown Lafayette art gallery Grand Contemporary, is returning to the public policy arena. Grand has been hired as the Louisiana governmental affairs representative for Ducks...
Louisiana's troops - five years in Iraq
They came from Albany, Avondale, Batchelor, Baton Rouge, Bogalusa, Bossier City, Bunkie, Columbia, Covington, Crowley, Dubach, Felixville, Ferriday, Gonzales, Houma, Jeanerette, Kaplan, Kinder, Krotz...
Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival lineup announced
It’s springtime in Louisiana, which means music festivals galore. Festival International , the French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival have all released their lineups,...
Louisiana Crossroads' season 8 finale tonight
The Louisiana Crossroads concert series wraps up its eighth season tonight with an all-star revue of blues, soul and R&B women at Grant Street Dancehall. Headliners include current Independent...
Vitter answers the Spitzer/resignation question
I had just taken the burgers off the grill and my family was sitting down to dinner last night when the phone rang. I told my wife that unless it was an emergency, tell whoever it was that we’d call...
Funeral services set for Patrick LeBlanc
Lafayette businessman Patrick LeBlanc, the president of local architecture firm The LeBlanc Group Inc. and owner of private-prison company LCS Corrections Services, was killed Monday night in a plane...
New Orleans Saints hero Gleason retires
It was impossible not to root for Steve Gleason. The undersized, undrafted former linebacker made the New Orleans Saints squad as a special teams player in 2000, and his fearless and disciplined play...
Spitzer's woes doing no favors for Vitter
Louisiana’s Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter can’t be happy with New York Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer today. Yesterday Spitzer, who built his political career in New York as a firebreathing...
McCain's secret New Orleans stop?
Republican presidential nominee John McCain is in Louisiana today, with a 2:30 p.m. fundraiser in Kenner (at $2,300 a pop) the biggest thing on his public schedule. But according to Fox News , there’s...
Cajundome Friday night: The next Shaq, Magic or LeBron?
If history is any indication, basketball fans have a chance to see a future hoops icon this Friday night at the Cajundome. Greg Monroe of Helen Cox high school has cemented his status as the nation’s...
STM alum Walker signs $55 million deal with Raiders
The Denver Broncos’ wide receiver corps was shaping up as an Acadiana showcase for the 2008-2009 NFL season. After Comeaux alum Brandon Stokley signed a three-year, $10.1 million deal with the Broncos...
On the heels of his largely successful ethics-reform special session, Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal isn’t wasting any time calling back the Legislature for Round Two. This morning Jindal is slated to...
Faulk's image goes up in smoke
In the months leading up to Super Bowl XLII, Carencro’s Kevin Faulk could do no wrong. LSU alum and local hero Faulk, who already has three Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots and was a...
Landmark Katrina, Rita insurance cases in La. Supreme Court today
The insurance industry has every reason to be very, very nervous today. More than two years after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Louisiana Supreme Court will hear two separate cases that could open...
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