NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR: PAT COOPER
It’s difficult to say exactly when relations between the talented, capable and at-times mercurial administrator and a school board that once supported him began their inexorable slide toward enmity and rancor, but slide they did.
Just hours before this issue was going to press, Coldwell Banker Pelican Real Estate’s Steven Hebert delivered more upbeat news: “With some amazement, I can report that at some point last week, Lafayette Parish real estate sales surpassed last year’s annual record of $674 million."
When Mike Neustrom became sheriff of Lafayette Parish in 2000, he brought a scholarly approach to law enforcement, and when he retires next year, he’ll leave the office a much better place than he found it.
Most Expensive Home Sales of 2014
Residential real estate in Lafayette Parish did it again in 2014, besting 2013’s total sales of 3,184 homes by 3.2 percent to set yet another record.
For most, Festival International is something they experience one week out of the year. For Lisa Stafford, it's a year-round affair.
Local bankers say they won’t run from oil and gas because it will bounce back; they also believe the area economy is strong enough to see the industry through this down cycle.
Freshman year is a time of discovery — what it takes to make it on your own, thrive in a crowd of thousands often many miles from home, and how to cook an entire meal on $3 and a contraband hot plate. Two Lafayette natives post-freshman year weigh in on the lessons they've learned.
Freshman year is a time of discovery — what it takes to make it on your own, thrive in a crowd of thousands often many miles from home, and how to cook an entire meal on $3 and a contraband hot plate. Two Lafayette natives post-freshman year weigh in on the lessons they’ve learned.
C’EST BON: Housing the Homeless
A new collaborative effort involving government and nonprofit agencies seeks to address one of the CBD's historically nagging issues.
Price of Oil Getting Political in LouisianaWhile oil prices, and predictions about where they’re going, don’t paint a pretty picture for the state of Louisiana, we’re unlikely to see a true and complete portrait of their effect on the current fiscal year budget until the next governor is sworn in.
Butch Darce, Cathi Pavy to Receive Entrepreneurship Awards
Now in its second year, the ABiz Entrepreneurship Symposium is slated for Nov. 12 at the Cajundome Convention Center.
Regions Ins., Regions Bank Again Sponsor ABiz Entrepreneur of the Year Symposium
The ABiz Entrepreneur of the Year Symposium debuted last December featuring a panel of three of Acadiana’s most respected names in business, and the audience was totally immersed in the exchange.
River Oaks Catering and Event Center was once again the gathering place for ABiz’s annual Women Who Mean Business Awards, a program now in its 16th year.
Independent, ABiz, INNOV8 Acadiana and Downtown Lafayette collaborate in first-ever Celebration of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Nov. 12-14
Innovators of the Year Unveiled
Innovation award winners will be featured in a panel discussion during the INNOV8 Acadiana Technology and Entrepreneurial Summit on Saturday, Nov. 14, at LITE.
ABiz 2015 Entrepreneur of the Year Butch Darce’s Taylors International is a real meat-and-potatoes business.
Last month, I wrote about LEDA’s economic impact on Lafayette’s economy and some of our core services— visitation program, site identification and market research. This month I’ll share information about LEDA’s remaining services that contribute to the organization’s more than $1.
It’s the most glamorous time of the year — Mardi Gras. Ball gowns with feathers for days, cropped tops paired with billowing ball gown skirts and svelte fishtails. Beauty is simple with a focus on flowing hair and fresh skin.
Quality Companies USA, a Youngsville-based oil and gas contractor operating in the Gulf of Mexico and throughout the U.S., was awarded the ISO 9001:2008 certificate for its commitment to continuous improvement and quality.
It’s the most festival time of the year. The streets fill with Festival-International-goers, the hippie girls come out. No matter our style the rest of the year, it’s the most wonderful time to get boho head to toe.
What Better Time to Eat, Lafayette?
The local eats campaign is doing important work: Keeping our food culture afloat while we wait out the storm.
Despite an extremely challenging year brought on by a severe downturn in the oil and gas industry, Acadian Cos. assumes the No. 1 spot on this year’s list.
Port Activity Offsets Some Energy Losses
Several multimillion-dollar projects, including a $14 million expansion of the Bayou Companies, are either underway or planned at the port.
INDesign Awards: Of Time and Place
Back in 2005, after realizing that the Acadiana region lacked significant recognition of the talented work of local architects, home designers and interior designers and decorators, The Independent launched The INDesign Awards.
LPSO to Privatize Recovery Center
Sheriff Mark Garber says the Acadiana Recovery Center has been hemorrhaging money; plans are underway to turn it over to a private operator.
In the midst of an ongoing economic downturn, this year’s LEDA Job Fair will be critical in connecting employers with their most valuable resource — employees.