The Current • Page 3 • News, Culture & Community for Lafayette, La.

UL studies solar farming, despite pushback to renewable energy Louisiana expected to lose out on renewable energy job boom

Just over a mile northwest of the Cajundome is a 5-acre plot of land flanked by neighborhoods of single-family homes and a commercial area to the north — not the type of zone one would normally expect to see a power plant — yet there one is, silently generating enough electricity to run 250 homes without a hint of pollution, waste or human traffic. It is UL Lafayette’s solar farm.

Continue

6 min read

0

Currency

Geoff Daily / August 9

OPINION: Fueled by debt, Guillory’s budget proposes largest capital spending spree in city’s history

Mayor-President Guillory wants the City Council to approve a $406 million five year capital improvement program that would saddle the city with $180 million in new debt. Yet he hasn’t revealed plans, garnered public input, or addressed long-term maintenance liabilities for most of these projects. The City Council should tread carefully.

Continue

7 min read

1

News + Notes

Ty Baniewicz / August 5

Failed veto override changes nothing for Louisiana’s trans athletes

Due to invasive and stigmatizing policy hurdles already codified in LHSAA’s handbook, virtually nothing has changed for transgender students, despite the Legislature’s failure to override the governor’s veto of a bill discriminating against them.

Continue

7 min read

0

News + Notes

Leslie Turk and Christiaan Mader / August 3

Aggressive policing has Lafayette panhandlers caught in a cycle of jail and homelessness

As homelessness rises, panhandlers have been caught up in a months-long police dragnet that critics say is ineffective and inhumane. Soon, the Louisiana Supreme Court will weigh whether it’s constitutional.

Continue

14 min read

2

News + Notes

Geoff Daily / August 2

8/3 Council Preview: Willow Street jail, charter commission, City-Parish Alignment Commission appointments

Some controversial items are up for consideration this week, like declaring a new Willow Street jail a public necessity and calling a charter commission to examine further changes to Lafayette’s home rule charter.

Continue

6 min read

0

Conversations

Ty Baniewicz / August 2

How Should Lafayette spend its ARPA funds? Here’s what readers had to say — so far.

Readers want to see ARPA funds go toward keeping the city afloat (literally) and its residents housed.

Continue

3 min read

0

News + Notes

Leslie Turk / July 29

Amid lawsuit, LEDA turns over applicants for parish’s highest paid public job

The Lafayette Economic Development Authority has turned over the full list of applicants who met the July 14 application deadline for the agency’s top job, by far the highest paid position for a public official — potentially worth an estimated $450,000 in salary and benefits.

Continue

6 min read

0

Currency

Geoff Daily / July 29

OPINION: Guillory’s first proposed budget was too bearish, his second is too bullish

Projecting historically big increases in sales tax revenue, he is championing a quarter billion dollar increase in the city’s five-year capital outlay plan, including $132 million of new debt.

Continue

6 min read

1

News + Notes

July 27

Undercurrent Awards: Here are this year’s Wavemakers

These six honorees have made big waves in our community, taking on some of the defining issues of our time.

Continue

2 min read

0

Solution Hub

Ty Baniewicz / July 26

Door-to-door vaccine outreach finds success in Lafayette’s Latino community

Language and access, not resistance, are big barriers to vaccines for Lafayette’s Latinos. ACLA’s solution is simple: knock on the door.

Continue

6 min read

0

News + Notes

Leslie Turk / July 26

Current Media sues LEDA to compel release of applications for CEO job

The Current has filed a public records lawsuit against the Lafayette Economic Development Authority and its president and CEO, Gregg Gothreaux, to compel the agency to turn over the more than 30 applications/résumés of candidates seeking to replace Gothreaux.

Continue

5 min read

2

News + Notes

Christiaan Mader / July 22

Big money for infrastructure but not pandemic aid in Guillory’s proposed budgets

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.

Continue

6 min read

0