In two budgets proposed Tuesday, the Guillory administration showered funding on infrastructure and Downtown Lafayette. But in its rescue plan budget, the administration allocated little to no money for direct economic aid, housing or attacking the pandemic.
Christiaan Mader
Christiaan Mader founded The Current in 2018, reviving the brand from a short-lived culture magazine he created for Lafayette publisher INDMedia. An award-winning investigative and culture journalist, Christiaan’s work as a writer and reporter has appeared in The New York Times, Vice, Offbeat, Gambit, and The Advocate.
UPDATE: Mouton statue to come down Saturday at 11 a.m.
LCG and the United Daughters of the Confederacy agreed to terms Thursday.
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Guillory to propose spending plan for Lafayette’s $86 million in ARPA funds
Surprising council members, the Guillory administration will introduce Tuesday a plan for spending $83 million in federal coronavirus aid.
5 min read
Lafayette’s moment of Pride
After winning a gesture of acknowledgement, Lafayette’s LGBTQ+ community has a reason — and a safe space — to celebrate.
8 min read
‘Good, not great’: How can Lafayette put it all together?
At the Vibrant Community Summit, presenter Quint Studer counted Lafayette’s blessings and warned against taking them for granted.
7 min read
Is Lafayette a vibrant community? Here’s what readers had to say.
Diversity, social vitality and opportunity are big themes. A vibrant community is a place people from all walks of life are attracted to and can thrive.
3 min read
Big takeaways from Lafayette’s Protect the City draft report
The report’s headline is simple — consolidation is unfair and dysfunctional — but its findings go a bit deeper than that. Here are several big takeaways.
7 min read
Dredging the Vermilion comes full circle — as a navigation project
The $50 million announced last took pretty much everyone by surprise — even the Corps of Engineers. If the Corps dredges the river, it will be for navigation, not reducing floods.
10 min read
Council approves $20 million in emergency spending for stormwater projects and spot dredging Bayou Vermilion
The administration took advantage of emergency declarations made by LCG and the state to push the appropriations through. Now it’s got a pool of funding that can be deployed without going to bid, just ahead of hurricane season.
3 min read
Lafayette e-commerce fulfillment company to take over closed Northside Walmart
The project fills a big hole on the Evangeline Thruway. Years of bad headlines and disinvestment have made the region a tough sell, and local officials hope news like this can polish the area’s image and attract investment down the line.
3 min read
After video of Pellerin’s death is released, calls for greater transparency renew
Pellerin’s family and local activists want Lafayette to adopt a proactive policy for releasing body-worn camera footage.
8 min read