The Current Media

The Current is a nonprofit news outlet dedicated to serving Lafayette and southern Louisiana. Established in 2018 by a group of local journalists, The Current delves into the region's politics and culture, highlighting their significance and fostering civic participation. Our news coverage is offered as a public service, free for all readers. This is made possible through the generous support of our audience, along with grants, major donations, and advertising. You can view our list of key supporters. We feature journalism from a diverse range of contributors who represent the varied voices and perspectives within our community. Our commitment is to accuracy, fairness, transparency, and inclusivity in everything we produce. You can read more about our policies here.

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Katrena King to step down from Leadership Institute of Acadiana

1 day ago | thecurrentla.com | Christiaan Mader

Katrena King will resign her post as executive director of Leadership Institute of Acadiana in July, the organization announced Friday. She’ll be taking a position with another organization, not yet announced. King was hired in 2021, succeeding Ashley Mudd. LIA operates several programs but is best-known for Leadership Lafayette, now in its 36th year. Others include Acadiana OnBoard, Intro Lafayette and Community Impact Fellows, which King launched.
Music industry incentive to sunset after Landry veto

3 days ago | thecurrentla.com | Christiaan Mader

Louisiana’s sound recording tax incentive is set expire at the end of this month after Gov. Jeff Landry vetoed a bill that would have extended the program another five years. Designed to stimulate the state’s recording industry, the Louisiana Sound Recording Incentive Program had not been accessed as widely as hoped. But HB 653, authored by Rep.
A fiddle for Staff - how grief can make a violin sing

3 days ago | thecurrentla.com | Christiaan Mader

To make a fiddle, you start with a rib structure — a thin strip of wood bent into an hour-glass strut. Nearly 40 years ago, Will Whedbee, a Chicago-based instrument maker, started a rib structure in his spare time and got detoured by a cello commission. The rib hung in his shop and ambered into a yellow patina over the years. And every time he reached for it to start a new violin, he couldn’t bring himself to use it — it was too beautiful. It needed a special purpose. In tragedy, he found one.
Lafayette to adopt faster process for clearing blight

5 days ago | thecurrentla.com | Christiaan Mader

A change in state law enables Lafayette Consolidated Government to create a streamlined process for removing blighted property. LCG estimates the updated procedure could cut by 45 days the time to condemn a property deemed hazardous. Currently, condemnations go through the councils one-by-one. Legislation carried by Sen.
UL’s Hilliard Art Museum showcases permanent collection

5 days ago | thecurrentla.com | Marie Elizabeth Oliver

Hanging on a gallery wall drenched in candy apple red, “Woman In Tignon” holds court, surrounded by a collage of portraits from the Hilliard Art Museum’s permanent collection. The 1844 oil on canvas depicts a smartly dressed Creole woman, who was once misidentified as Marie Laveau, the 19th century Voodoo priestess.
LPSS turns over forgery investigation to LPD

1 week ago | thecurrentla.com | Leslie Turk

The Lafayette Parish School System has turned over the investigation into alleged forgeries of construction quotes to the Lafayette Police Department. “It is both disappointing and disheartening to believe that anyone — whether a current or former employee — could have taken advantage of their position and betrayed the trust placed in them,” LPSS Superintendent Francis Touchet said in a press release Wednesday afternoon.
Northgate Mall sold for redevelopment

1 week ago | thecurrentla.com | Christiaan Mader

A local builder has bought the Northgate Mall with plans to redevelop the long-struggling property as a mixed-use center anchored by a spa and fitness center. Jacoby Landry, a Breaux Bridge-based contractor, closed his purchase of the 20.8-acre site last week for $2.8 million, . The Lafayette Economic Development Authority announced the deal this week and will serve as a partner on the project.
UL pulls affirmative action and equal opportunity policies

2 weeks ago | thecurrentla.com | Christiaan Mader

Citing a Trump administration order, UL informed staff it is removing its affirmative action and equal opportunity employment policies, the Advocate reports. The Trump administration has cracked down on diversity programs in public life, with an intense focus on universities, arguing that such policies are fundamentally discriminatory and unconstitutional. A key justification for the White House is a 2023 Supreme Court decision that held race-based admission practices to be unconstitutional.
LPSB’s Hidalgo defends actions in light of ethics board decision

2 weeks ago | thecurrentla.com | Leslie Turk

In reaction to a decision by the Louisiana Board of Ethics prohibiting school vendors from sponsoring events at his Broussard bar, Lafayette Parish School Board member Jeremy Hidalgo defended his handling of the ethical conflict. “What matters is this — I didn’t hide, I didn’t wait, and I didn’t play games. I asked. That’s what real leadership looks like. I don’t operate in [the] shadows,” Hidalgo told The Current in a Tuesday text message.
Girard Park pool opening delayed to June 23

2 weeks ago | thecurrentla.com | Christiaan Mader

Starting Memorial Day weekend, three out of four Lafayette public pools will open for the summer. An assessment of OJ Mouton, the still-closed Olympic-sized pool, is also on the horizon. A failed pump has pushed back reopening of the Girard Park pool until at least June 23, Lafayette Consolidated Government announced Tuesday. The pool has not been open since 2019. LCG operates five pools through its parks department, but three have been closed for long stretches.