Strapped for cash, some Louisiana cities are working to balance the needs of businesses and housing in how they use federal coronavirus relief.
Coronavirus
‘Very slow’ reopening of parish courthouse starts Monday
The gist: There won’t be any civil or criminal jury trials in the 15th Judicial District until at least July 1, but the Lafayette Parish Courthouse will reopen Monday in line with the state’s Phase 1 guidelines.
Guillory proposes using HUD coronavirus relief for small business grant programs, not housing assistance
Housing advocates say the money is better used to help stabilize growing housing insecurity in the region. The proposal will go before the council next week for approval.
Reader Q: My daughter is an RN working on the front line. I haven’t been able to see/touch her since the beginning of March. Is it safe to finally visit/hug her?
Answer: That remains a challenging question.
Analysis: Balancing Lafayette’s city budget is going to hurt
Lafayette’s city general fund is facing such large deficits that even zeroing out what critics call government waste won’t be enough to close the gap.
COLUMN: With slight expansion of absentee balloting, Louisiana will test pandemic voting on low turnout primaries
Louisiana’s emergency election plan only applies to the July and August elections, though it could serve, if needed, as a foundation for an emergency plan for the November presidential election.
LGH offering antibody testing for its employees
Lafayette General Health began offering voluntary coronavirus antibody testing to its employees this week. It will offer the lab-based serology test to all of its 4,500-plus employees and nearly 1,200 providers across its health system.
Take a (laundry) load off a Lafayette healthcare worker
Lafayette General Foundation is raising money to pay for laundry for hospital employees, giving a boost to a local startup
Virtual Festival gets international ovation
With the pressure ratcheted up, the Festival staff and community responded with admirable speed. Their work is garnering some national attention and applause.
You can get a sofa but not a routine mammogram As elective procedures slowly return, Dr. Henry Kaufman says medicine will never be ‘business as usual’
It’s an understatement to say it’s been a whirlwind since Dr. Henry Kaufman accepted the position of interim chief medical officer at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in early April.
Does being the ‘happiest city’ give Lafayette the edge on coronavirus?
According to the prior findings of social scientists, Lafayette — once famously declared the “happiest city in America” — may be uniquely positioned to come out of all this with its social and emotional landscape intact.
Housing and unemployment ‘a serious crisis, regardless’ as Lafayette commits all HUD coronavirus relief to small business grants
The decision previews potentially tragic choices to come as local and state governments dig their way out of a worsening economic fallout from the coronavirus: Governments have more problems than they can fix.