Tigers Win Again

LSU had no trouble with tonight's game against Minnesota. The #2 Tigers handily beat the #21 Golden Gophers 10 to 3. They now advance to the Super Regional and face the winner of Rice / Kansas St.

Bus Driver Driving Records

There is a Louisiana law on the books that allows a driver, once every two years, to keep a driving offense off their record if they plead no contest, pay a fine and attend a driving class. This is helpful for people to keep their insurance rates low, however, The Lafayette Parish School System relies on driving records when evaluating their bus drivers, and if the offense isn't listed, they don't know it exists. This prompted the Daily Advertiser to investigate and they came up with some pretty interesting statistics.

They found that the driving records of the 308 bus drivers in their personal vehicles and buses show:

• At least 144 drivers, or 47 percent, have at least one driving or criminal offense.
• Eight were cited for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, three in the past 10 years.
• At least 41 were ticketed for wrecks involving heavy damages.
• At least 24 have three or more citations.
• One driver was cited in five wrecks.
• At least 51 were ticketed for careless operation, 18 of them involving heavy damage to a vehicle.

In addition, one driver was ticketed twice for having no child restraints in her personal car and several more were faulted for rear-ending other buses and passing stopped school bus

Here's the full story on what they found

And the story that prompted the investigation.


Photo by: msmail

Ethics Disclosures

Each person holding a public office who represents a voting district is required by the state to file many public disclosures, including campaign finance, lobby activity and personal finance. All of those documents are scanned and available online for anyone to search. Curious about how much money a councilman, police juror or mayor makes? Wonder what non-profit boards your elected officials or their spouses sit on? It's all there in pdf black and white. Click here for the main page of the State Ethics website and here to search financial disclosures by name or office.

Everything INCLUDING the Kitchen Sink...

Recycling is an important part of living green, but what exactly do you do with that old sewing machine, bicycle or sofa you have laying around? Or, maybe you're redoing a room in your house and need a door or some blinds....well, Acadiana Freecycle is a regional organization of the national recycling group Freecycle and they have a yahoo group that anyone can join. Say you have these old sinks or toys - they're still good, but you have no use for them - you can post them on Freecycle and chances are someone will want them. You can request items too and they send out daily or weekly updates, but the catch is - everything must be free. You can't sell anything or offer to pay. And, you have to hurry, because it usually goes pretty fast. Visit the group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AcadianaFreecycle/

UL Loses Longest Game Record

Saturday's 25 inning Texas / Boston College baseball game was not only remarkable because it lasted 25 innings and 7 hours, but also because of who held the record previously. Until yesterday, the UL Ragin' Cajuns had the title of having played the longest NCAA baseball game in history, a title they held for 38 years. The game was in 1971 against McNeese and lasted 23 innings. The Cajuns won by a score of 6-5.

The Associated Press has the full story on the exhausting Texas win.

Tigers win

The LSU Tiger Baseball team just won in extra innings beating the Baylor Bears by a score of 3 to 2. The Tigers go into the regional final at 6pm on Sunday without a loss while the Bears fall into the loser's bracket. LSUSports.net has more.

ShoeFits - Online Shopping Fun

It's great to see local businesses being innovative with new media and ShoeFits is one of those local businesses. Their brick and mortar store is a cute shoe, accessory and handbag shop in Lafayette in the Martial Shopping Center on Kaliste Saloom. On the web, you can find them at www.ShoeFitsOnline.com, where they offer complete online shopping and free next day shipping (except for Saturday delivery). Not only do they ship for free - they also feature a different brand of the month worth a 20% discount AND offer a free pair of Volatile flip flops for referring 5 shoppers to their site. Very fun and an awesome site. Check 'em out today.

Grid Concerns

As hurricane season opens, there are renewed concerns about Louisiana's electrical grid according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. They report that Louisiana's power system lacks necessary improvements to prevent outages in the event of inclement weather. Entergy maintains that they are working to improve the system, but it's costly and time consuming. Click here for the full story.

Entertainment Briefs

This weekend is going to be a perfect time to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather and some of the great things that are happening around Acadiana.

As we mentioned last week - the free AKC Dog show is going on at the Cajundome

Also at the Cajundome - The Cajun Heartland State Fair continues

The Geronimo Music Fest kicks off today at noon.

The Daylily Festival is taking place a Magdalin Square in Abbeville until 3pm. It features plants, arts and crafts

The Miracle Worker is being performed at Cite des Arts

The Abbey Players are performing Cheating Cheaters

and it's Pet Adoption Day until 1pm today at Main Street in River Ranch

Radical Visions at the Art Museum

There is a new photography exhibit at the Paul and Lulu Hillard Art Museum that recently opened - Radical Visions: The Revolution in American Photography, 1945-1980 is a collection of American photographic images from the post-war years, a time of great innovation and discovery in the art world. The exhibit runs now through September 5th.

photo credit: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, 1953/1990s

LSU Baseball Win

The LSU Baseball team pulled out a win yesterday against Southern in Game 1 of the NCAA Regional Tournament in Baton Rouge. The Tigers will now face Baylor this afternoon at 6pm. That game will be broadcast on CST Cox channel 37. LSUSports.net has a full report.

Louisiana Earmark Requests: Ask You Get, Don't You Won't....

Senators Vitter and Landrieu are requesting almost $5 billion in Appropriation Spending - "earmarks" - and now, each requesting Senator must post on their website what they are asking for and why. Keep in mind though, these are requests, the Appropriations Committee has yet to allocate their FY2010 federal funds.

Senator Vitter's Acadiana requests:
$100,000 to the City of Crowley Police Department to construct an emergency operations facility
$400,000 to Lafayette Consolidated Government for a mobile data terminal and mobile radio replacements
$2,500,000 to Lafayette Consolidated Government for drinking water line relocations and sanitary sewerage collection system relocations and upgrades
$1,400,000 to C&C Technologies to develop sensor enhancements for the Navy’s semi-submersive UUV
$4,000,000 to Gravois Aluminum Boats of Jeanerette for National Defence Force Protection Boats
$2,000,000 to the Lafayette Airport Commission for infrastructure construction
$1,500,000 to the City of Opelousas for I49 / US190 interchange construction
$2,400,000 to the Army Corps of Engineers in Iberia Parish for the Port
$10,400,000 to the Port of Iberia for dredging
$1,500,000 to Dr. Robert Stewart of UL to study carbon-rich waste streams
$1,200,000 to Vermilion Parish for Bayou Teche dredging
$415,000 to Vermilion Parish for debris removal
$27,000,000 to Southwest Louisiana / Calcasieu River for port and waterway improvements


Senator Landrieu's Acadiana requests
$400,000 to Lafayette Consolidated Government for mobile upgrades for the police
$4,000,000 to Gravois Aluminum Boats of Jeanerette for National Defence Force Protection Boats
$2,000,000 to C&C Technologies to develop sensor enhancements for the Navy’s semi-submersive UUV
$5,200,000 to Iberia Parish to dredge the Bayou Teche
$10,400,000 to the Port of Iberia for dredging
$15,660,000 to the City of Lafayette to relocate water and sewer lines for the Verot Road widening project
$30,000,000 to the City of New Iberia for sanitary sewer improvements
$250,000 to Iberia Parish to backfill two holding ponds no longer being used
$5,000,000 to Iberia Parish for Acadiana Regional Airport sewage projects
$910,000 to the City of Crowley to renovate the Grand Opera House
$1,000,000 to the City of Jennings for an Oil and Gas Museum
$1,500,000 to the Acadiana Outreach Center to build a mixed income housing development
$1,000,000 to the City of Opelousas for Transportation
$3,000,000 to Iberia Parish for Eagle Park improvements
$10,000,000 to Iberia Parish for road resurfacing
$980,000 to the City of Lafayette for Airport runway improvements
$7,500,000 to Iberia Parish for the Lewis Street road widening project
$1,000,000 to the City of New Iberia to build a multi-use conference center
$10,900,000 to Iberia Parish for road improvements
$1,000,000 to the Town of Sunset to construct a Town Hall

The Times-Picayune has a full story.

Click here to see all of Senator Vitter's appropriations requests
Click here to see all of Senator Landrieu's appropriations requests

Throw Me Some Tax-Free Beads Mista

A Daily Meaux reader submitted this piece from the Times-Picayune today. According to the story, a bill passed unanimously through the Senate today saying that members of Mardi Gras Krewes should not pay state sales tax on Mardi Gras throws that they purchase from their organizations. The bill would exempt all Mardi Gras related throws, including dubloons, beads, and cups purchased directly from their Krewe. To qualify for the tax exemption, the Krewe must be a state certified non-profit organization. The bill moves to the House for more debate. Great find Erik....thanks for the submission!

None of the Above Passes

80 year old L.D. "None of the Above" Knox died Wednesday in North Louisiana. The Winnsboro native legally changed his middle name in 1979 adding 'None of the Above'. Knox said that he wanted to give Louisiana voters a choice to call a new election if they didn't care for any of the candidates running. He never did win an election but came close in the 1960s losing his bid for State Rep by 18 votes. The NY Times has a full story on Knox's life and career.

The Kids Are Alright

Lots of cool bands playing the Geronimo Music Festival this weekend. Headlining the event are Quintron and Miss Pussycat and Jambang, Greg Ginn's (founder of Black Flag) new outfit. Frankly, these two acts alone would be worth the price of admission, ($15 for an all day pass) but The Geronimo fest offers a lot more music. Other acts perfoming include Fleur de Tease, The Howdies, Mattrock and the Powerboxx, Dege Legg, and Arbor Vitae. There are many different styles of music represented, and both electric and acoustic stages. This is a really creative endeavour produced locally to highlight local bands from the Gulf Coast. To those who complain that there's no local bands outside of the Cajun and Zydeco genres, this is your chance to support the music and the musicians you love....right here in Lafayette.

Cyril Neville Rocking The Rhythms Tonight

Cyril Neville will be performing tonight at Rhythms On The River in River Ranch tonight. Show runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Get there early, as there is sure to be a big crowd for this one.

Cuban Invests In Louisiana's NAKEDPizza

Robin Wauters is reporting for Tech Crunch that Dallas Maverick's owner, Mark Cuban, has invested in New Orleans based NAKEDPizza. The restaurant has used Twitter to do must of it's marketing, and it focuses on all natural pizza. Here’s what convinced him to invest in NAKEDpizza:

“Simply the Worlds Healthiest Pizza. Based in New Orleans, it tastes good. They work their asses off.”

More NAKEDness and details can be found here.

Editors note: The Caps on Naked was their idea.

Jindal Protested On Stimulus Funds

WAFB's Greg Meriwether is reporting about 200 protesters marched to the Governor's Mansion to deliver a petition protesting Gov. Jindal's decision to refuse federal stimulus funds. Jindal opposes changes in state unemployment laws that would make it possible to for the state to get $98 million in additional federal stimulus dollars for unemployment benefits. The Governor has contended that would lead to higher taxes for businesses down the road. More here.

This Stuff Makes My Head Hurt

NPR's Frank James ran a story of a Supreme Court ruling on it's blog The Two Way. The court's descision involved the case Montejo vs. Louisiana. "The Supreme Court ruled that police can now continue to question criminal suspects in some instances even after they've asked for a lawyer." The details (if you can follow them) are here.

Mini-Camp Next Weekend; and Saint's Updates

Brian Allee-Walsh reported for the Times-Picayune that two practices during next weekend's min-camp will be open to the public. The mini-camp will run from June 5-7, and will consist of five practices. See the article here.

In other Saint's news, the House passed a bill that will allow the State to lease office space from Saints owner Tom Benson. Details here.


And finally, the NFL Players Union announced it will appeal the rulings on the
suspensions of five NFL players, including Saints Will Smith, Charles Grant, and recently released Deuce McAllister. Details here.

Give Your Eyes a Break

LA Specs opened in River Ranch about 2 years ago by Dr. Jim Piccione and his wife Carol Ann and features over 24 collections of fabulous brand name glasses and sunglasses. It's a very hip shop and they've got a pretty cool website. On it you can browse the collections they offer and take a peek into the store as they feature lots of photos. You can even email them and request specific frames if you happen to see a pair you really like online somewhere. So this summer, vow to toss those $5 Walgreens sunglasses away, and do your eyes a favor, treat them to a new pair of sunglasses. You'll tell the difference and people will certainly notice.

Free School Supplies

Students in Kindergarten through Third Grade in Acadia Parish won't have to worry about providing their own school supplies next year. The Acadia Parish School Board voted unanimously to provide approximately 3200 kids with the necessary Kleenex and crayons that grace the school supply lists at the front of WalMart every summer. They hope this will lessen the financial burden on families and keep the focus on school work. Kudos Acadia Parish! Crowley-Today has the full story.

Bikini Bandits

2 Bikini Clad women were caught on tape stealing items from parked cars in an area apartment complex. They were able to make off with a pair of sunglasses, a wallet, and a GPS system. The KATC story doesn't name the apartment complex specifically but does say that it's on Martial Ave. A quick Google search of apartments on Martial Ave only came up with one - the new luxury apartments, Lafayette Gardens.

[[5/30 UPDATE: One of the alleged bandits has been arrested by the Lafayette Police Department, but her friend still remains at large]]

Unemployment Rates Climb

As we mentioned last week, the State Bureau of Labor Statistics was scheduled to release new Louisiana jobless numbers today for the month of April. According to The Advocate, the report issued said that the state's unemployment rate rose to 6.2 percent (up from 5.8 in March). The good news is Baton Rouge, Alexandria and Houma are holding steady, but Lafayette lost 200 jobs in April, bringing the year to date total to 1400.

Lafayette Man Catches Rare Pink Dolphin on Film

This photo submitted to the AP by Stephen Fournet of Lafayette, La., was taken on May 18, 2009 shows an albino dolphin, left and a darker dolphin in the lower Calcasieu Ship Channel south of Lake Charles, La. Biologists say albino dolphins are rare...so rare in fact that the Lake Charles animal is just the 14th reliably reported worldwide, and the third in the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/Courtesy Stephen Fournet). Click here for the full story.


Here's another photo of this amazing dolphin taken by Calcasieu Charter Service and posted on WDSU.com.

Special Series II: Bands Appearing at Geronimo

As we mentioned yesterday, there will be over 40 different bands playing in town this Saturday as a part of the Geronimo Music Festival. Here is the list of bands playing and links to all their websites or myspace pages so you can check them out.
♪ Quintron & Miss Pussycat♪ Matt Rock & The Powerboxx Reunion♪ JAMBANG♪ Snarky Puppy♪ A Living Soundtrack♪ MyNameIsJohnMichael♪ The Crackbabies♪ Caddywhompus♪ Arbor Vitae♪ Oso Closo ♪Magic Legs♪ Big Rock Candy Mountain♪ Markings♪ Ginger Lee♪ Uma Zuma♪ Giant Cloud♪ The Specklers♪ Hatch ♪Vagabond Swing♪ Langolier♪ Dege Legg♪ Julie Williams Band♪ The Mundanes ♪ Ruby Rendrag♪ J Burton♪ Dane Broussard♪ ImagineIAM♪ VoSteen♪ Lovehog♪ Smurl♪ Herb Christopher ♪ Unicorn Fukr♪ Cama Lama♪ OttO♪ Rekanize♪ Jason Robo♪ Wop♪ Black Swan♪ Jinks aka Yellow♪ FlowTribe♪ Fleur De Tease♪ The Howdies

Advance wristbands are $15 and available at: http://geronimo.eventbrite.com. You can also purchase a wristband the day of the show at participating venues:
Artmosphere, Blue Moon Saloon, or Sadies.

(Note: If you buy a wristband online, you MUST pick them up the day of the festival at the hospitality tent before 1pm, with a valid id and a printed receipt of your purchase)

Amen Brother

Author Donald Link made NPR's list of Top 10 Summer Cookbooks of 2009 with his book simply titled Real Cajun. Quoting Link, his recipe for his Super Bowl Sunday Seafood Gumbo starts with "At least 6 cold beers for the chef." Next thing you know, you'll be preaching okra to anyone who will listen and biting the heads off raw jalapenos without batting a lash." Read who else made the list here.

The Balance Between Commerce And The Environment

Representative Charlie Melancon found himself on a list of House Democrats that could swing votes away from the American Clean Energy & Security Act. The Huffington Post linked to a story from Grist.org that composed the list they call the Carbon 9. From the article:

They’re all Democrats and all men. The nine mostly rural districts they represent are among the country’s most economically reliant on fossil fuels; their districts’ per-capita carbon emissions are, on average, more than three times higher than the national median. (This doesn’t mean people in those districts use more power than average folk, only that the industries located in those districts are carbon-intensive.)

Read more here

I Said Lady, I Ain't Got Time!

This video has made the rounds for a while, but that doesn't make it any less hilarious. Then KATC reporter, (now awesome blogger at onthegreaux.com) Louis David, shows the patience of Job as he interviews this witness of a purse snatching.

Stop that emfuh

Time for a New Bag

Etsy.com is a great place to search for anything Vintage or hand made. Jewelry, accessories, art....so many awesome things to spend time looking at....but one of the really neat parts about Etsy is that you can search by location with their "Shop Local" feature (on the front page, when you click on 'Buy' there are many choices - you can search by item, color or locale). That's where I came across these cute handbags by an artist in Thibodeaux ("Bags by Colette"). She's got a bunch of really adorable totes and purses and will even custom make one for you upon request. I think this particular bag would make such a great new summer tote...so fresh and fun! Shopping on Etsy.com is simple and safe....they take credit cards and Paypal and you buy directly from the artists themselves. Worth a click, or 2 or 20, so if you haven't been, check it out.

Special Series: Geronimo Music Festival

This Saturday the 2nd Annual Geronimo Music Festival will take place all around Downtown Lafayette....think SXSW, but all in 1 day and in Lafayette. Since there's going to be over 40 bands on at least 5 different stages, we're going to devote a column to it each day. This is how one of the festival organizers Teddy Lamson describe it:

"Geronimo Music Festival is dedicated to help expand the community's involvement in the music scene by exploring other types of music from around the Gulf Coast region! We are determined to show Lafayette that through their support of the local independent music scene we can in turn help downtown development of all the arts. Geronimo Productions is geared towards inspiring people to get up and be active, creative, and productive and support the musicians that are right here in the area!

Sure we have festivals that do that such as Festival Internationale and Black Pot, etc but THIS particular one is focused on all those over-looked other types of music. We want to expand the minds of South Louisiana and develop a tight-knit musical community that will grow into something spectacular to unite people of all varieties."

Visit their website at: http://www.myspace.com/geronimoproduction
And be sure to listen to The Medicine Ball Caravan at 11am tomorrow on KRVS to hear the organizers talk more about the event with Cecil Doyle.
Full schedules will appear in this weeks Times and Independent.

Jennings in Todays New York Times

The town of Jennings was featured in the pages of The New York Times today in an article about the growing willingness of Big Oil to consider partnering with Ethenol and Biofuel developers. The interest expressed by big oil companies is coming in the nick of time for small companies that desperately need capital and cannot find it these days in the private markets. Take the case of Verenium Corporation, a small company based in Cambridge, Mass., that here in Jennings is testing new forms of biofuels in alliance with BP. Instead of ethanol made from food crops, the partners are devising a version from grasses in the sugar cane family. Full story by Clifford Krauss
here.

Photo by Michael Stravato for The New York Times

State Sales Tax Holiday For Hurricane Preparedness Items

There will be no state sales tax on Hurricane-preparedness items this weekend. Two years ago the Legislature approved an annual sales tax holiday for hurricane preparedness items and supplies such as flashlights and batteries bought on the last Saturday and Sunday in May, before the Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1. More details can be found in Ronette King's story for the Times-Picayune here.

Louisiana Delagation Tours Dutch Flood Defense Systems

The Huffington Post had a story today about a Louisiana delegation including Sen. Mary Landrieu and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, Lisa Jackson, which traveled to the Netherlands to learn more about the Dutch strategies dealing with flood management. The history of the Netherlands, where two-thirds of the 16 million population lives below sea level, has been shaped by its struggle to keep dry. The country is renowned for its hard-won expertise in water management and flood defenses. See the story filed by Dave Burdick here.


AP Photo/Peter Dejong

Fire Near Courthouse

A fire downtown caused the temporary evacuation of the Lafayette Parish Courthouse this morning. The Daily Advertiser reporter Claudia B. Laws filed a video report here on the Advertisers website.

Wetlands Demonstrations

America's Wetland Foundation is sponsoring the 4Th Annual Storm Warning, Last Stand for America's Wetland, events this weekend to bring attention to the opening of hurricane season, and what this means to the rapidly receding wetlands of the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Festivities will begin on Saturday, May 30, and continue for 24 hours in several Louisiana cities. On June 1, the official opening of the Atlantic hurricane season, Lake Charles will host the “Sustaining the Unique Coastal Culture of Louisiana Summit” to discuss challenges and potential solutions for addressing the issues of sustainability unique to this vanishing landscape. Details here.

Saint's Meachem Getting More Reps

Fox Sports Team report states that Saint's receiver Robert Meachem is working with the first team in New Orleans off season workouts. Injuries to the Saint's top receivers Marques Colston, and Lance Moore have kept them out of the workouts. Saint's tight-end Jeremy Shockey's first full offseaon to work with quarterback Drew Brees took a slight detour this weekend when he had to be wheeled out of a Las Vegas pool party. He was brought to a Las Vegas hospital and released that same day after suffering the effects of dehydration. Details of Shockey's weekend adventure can be found here.

Photo by: Chuck Cook / Times-Picayune

Our First Guest Contributor!

Paul Conover has been gracious enough to contribute a Birding column. Paul has pursued this hobby for many years, and is well versed on the various types of birds seen here in Southwest Louisiana. He writes:

Over the last few decades, Louisiana has had its share of avian invaders. House Finches from the east, Eurasian Collared Doves from the southeast, even Tree Swallows from the north have arrived and set up shop here. However, the biggest source of new arrivals has been from the south and west. Many birds that were once uncommon or rare in the state, such as White-winged and Inca Doves, are now common. Swainson's Hawks have been documented as breeders and are no longer a surprising summer sight in SW Louisiana.

For the full column, check out his blog SW Louisiana Birds

Everything is Better on a Map

I do love a good map, and the Lafayette Consolidated Government has lots of pretty cool time waster maps on their website. You can look up your address on their Crime Map and see every arson, car accident, or home invasion within a 1 mile radius, see when the Mosquito Truck will be spraying, or view a city traffic volume map. Lots of good geeky fun.....check out the crime map here. More LCG maps are available here.

Fun with Cardboard

UL Architecture students Keaton Smith and Jacques Dugal will split a $50 merit prize that they won for the design of a chair and desk combination....made out of....cardboard (pictured). The contest is a national competition called Chair Affair Design Competition put on by the American Institute of Architecture Students. LSU students Sarah Clement and Drew Wallace took home the 2nd place honor and a $975 cash prize for their design as well. KATC has the full story.

Hawkins and Robicheaux Rewarded

UL Senior and homerun leader Scott Hawkins, along with Junior pitcher Justin Robichaux were rewarded for their performances in the Sun Belt Conference Championship with all-tournament honors as voted by the tournament's eight head coaches. NewOrleans.com has the full story. Congratulations guys!

ACA hosts new exhibit

The Acadiana Center for the Arts is hosting a new exhibit - "Southern Open 2009" - in the Main Gallery now through July 25th. The exhibit features 72 pieces of art created by 59 different artists all from either Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama or Florida. For a complete list of artists showing and gallery hours, visit the ACA Website.

The Granny Graduate

Marsha Sills of The Advocate filed a story about Lafayette grandmother Rena Boudreaux earning her GED the same week her grandchildren, Kaleb, 5, and Kaden, 3, both graduated from the early childhood programs at Truman Montessori . Boudreaux is also a cancer survivor. Read more about her inspirational story here

Rockin' Reverend Rallies for Health Care

Reverend Cory Sparks of the Faith Community United Methodist Church in Youngsville is one of the sponsors of a national special interest group airing television ads in a handful of states around the country urging senators to reform health care and make it affordable. Interestingly, he is also, according to the First Community website, a fan of U2 and REM, lists David Sedaris as one of his favorite authors and is a new dad. Read the story about the health care ads in todays Washington Times and read more about Sparks and his church here on the First Community website.

Mahtook Takes Top Tournament Honor

Mikie Mahtook, STM grad and current freshman LSU baseball player, was named the MVP of the SEC Tournament. Here's Mahtook's profile on LSUsports.net and a full story on LSU's tournament win on SECsports.com.

Way to Grow!

Did you know that hidden away on Carmel Drive behind Holy Rosary, is a community co-op garden? Well, EarthShare Gardens is a community supported organic agriculture program in Acadiana that is supported by it's members, who receive a portion of the harvest throughout the year. Unfortunately there is a waiting list for memberships, but the EarthShare Garden folks do have a portion of land adjacent to theirs that is used for a Donation Garden for area food banks maintained by members and volunteers. In addition to the Donation Garden, they have space for individuals to have their own plot for their very own garden. The nice part about that is that there are experienced gardeners around to help with pointers and tips on how to create an organic produce garden. Check out the EarthShare Gardens website at www.earthsharegardens.org.

Saints Players Facing Suspension

Mike Triplet of the Times-Picayune has run two stories on the status of the league suspensions of Will Smith, Charles Grant, and former Saint Deuce McAllister. A federal judge in Minnesota, has thrown out their lawsuit against the NFL contesting their suspensions for testing positive for a banned diuretic during last season.
Triplet also filed a story with the reactions from Saints coach Sean Payton, and McAllister here.

Everything From Head to Toe

I have to admit, when I first heard of Butterfly Bodies, I thought it was a weight loss center (sorry ladies), but I was so pleasantly surprised when I found their website....and you can buy tons of great stuff on it!! Their actual store is located on Kaliste Saloom in the Martial Shopping Center and they have so many cute things. Jeans, tees, intimates, accessories, boots, shoes AND fragrances, hair care, skin care, brushes and more. They even include bonus samples in every order....Oh, and they accept PayPal too.....nice.

Supreme Court Nominee from Louisiana?

NPR's Nina Totenburg did a story on lesser known Supreme Court Nominee potentials and included on the list was Louisiana State Supreme Court Associate Justice Bernette Johnson, who was elected to the Louisiana State Supreme Court in 1994.

Baton Rouge Named One of Nations Top College Towns to Find a Job

ABC News and Forbes have compiled a listing of the Top 20 College Towns in which to find a job and Baton Rouge came in #8. Since the Forbes website has a terrible habit of making you scroll through an entire slide show and load a new page for each and every number on the list, we'll save you the time with a copy and paste of what they said about Baton Rouge:
No. 8. College Town: Baton Rouge, La. (Metro area: Baton Rouge)
Primary university: Louisiana State University
Percentage of workers in university jobs: 2.8%
Job growth since 2008: 2.16% Data from Moody’s Economy.com.

Other towns to note: Provo UT, College Station TX, Tuscaloosa AL, and Seattle WA.

Here's the full story from ABC News, which does have a link to the Forbes site if you want to see the whole slide show.

House Approves Bill to Refuse Health Care

The House of Representatives OK'd a bill on Tuesday that would allow physicians and pharmacists to refuse health services on the basis of religious or moral beliefs. The bill was authored by Ville Platte Democrat Bernard LeBas. The full story appears on Forbes.com.

That's Mr. Dural To You

Lafayette's Stanley Dural was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition. Dural, better known as Buckwheat Zydeco, was interviewed from KRVS's studios about his life in music, and his new record Lay Your Burden Down. Click here for the full interview.

Calvin Borel Featured in New York Daily News

Acadiana's own Calvin Borel is making unprecedented Triple Crown history by winning the first two races on two different horses and all eyes are on him for the Belmont. The New York Daily News just published a great feature story on Borel's journey from the bush tracks to the big time.







photo by: Haynes / Reuters

The Sheep Was Probably Over The Line

A high school prank went too far in Crowley. 25 Seniors of Crowley High School won't be attending graduation with their classmates due to their involvement in an act of vandalism at the school. Officials say some of the students stole a key and entered the school after hours. Sources tell Jim Hummel of KATC that once inside, students sprayed fire extinguishers, spray paint and chocolate sauce, and even let loose a sheep.

photo by: brew ha ha

Shaded Parking and Solar Power at the Cajundome

The Cajundome will soon have some solar power AND shaded parking thanks to a Solar Power project that a group of students and teachers from the Louisiana Technical College are working on as part of a national sustainability competition. In an effort to help make Acadiana more energy efficient, they will be building a wind turbine in Washington and adding solar panels to the Cajundome, which will be mounted on poles instead of on the roof so they can serve the dual purpose of also providing shaded parking. KATC has the full report.

Cajuns Out

The Ragin Cajun Baseball team just lost their Sun Belt Tourney game against MT with a score of 6 - 2.

Hip Accessories

Of course you'd think the Louisiana Crafts Guild would be a great place to shop for art, but next time you're in the market for jewelry or accessories, you will definitely want to check them out. The site is nice and easy to navigate and you can shop online 24/7. PLUS, the great thing about buying from local artists is that you're buying from a local artist and each piece is handmade and one of a kind. Pretty special and super chic.

Cajuns Lose

The Ragin Cajun Baseball team just lost their Sun Belt Tournament game against #1 ranked Middle Tennessee State by a score of 17 to 8. Even though the Cajuns started out strong and had early leads of 4 to 0 and 7 to 3, MT rallied and the Cajuns struggled to keep up. The teams will rematch tomorrow morning and the winner will advance to the Sun Belt Championship game, which will be played tomorrow afternoon at 2pm. The championship game will be broadcast live on CST Cox channel 4.

UL's BeauSoleil House Has New Website

If you aren't familiar with the project, a team of UL students and teachers are working on a really cool assignment. They are designing an energy efficient, solar powered home that will be able to create more energy than it uses, protect occupants from hurricanes, and capture it's own water, solar and wind power. After 2 years of planning and building, the project will compete this October in the US Department of Energy Solar Decathlon in Washington, DC. They are calling the project BeauSoleil - Louisiana Solar Home and they have a new website where you can read all about the program, donate to the cause, read their monthly newsletters and see photos of the progress. They also have a really great Facebook page with many photos and updates. Great job guys!

Police and the Mentally Ill

Joanne Silberner filed a report for NPR's Morning Addition about Police receiving special training on how to deal with difficult disturbances that involve the mentally ill. Part of her story involved police officer Darek Ardoin of the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office in Lake Charles, and his accounts of such encounters. Hear the story here: www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104350808

In other police news, the Lafayette Police Department just concluded a 3 day sting operation that resulted in 26 people being arrested or summoned. The charges included Prostitution, Solicitation, Criminal Trespass, Possession of Crack Cocaine, Crimes Against Nature, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Obscenity, and Possession of Schedule II Narcotics (Methadone). The official police press release can be found on the Lafayette Consolidated Government website.

They Giveth and They Taketh Away

Two reports on Louisiana employment rates came out today:
The Associated Press is reporting that for the week ending May 16, there were 4,458 new claims for jobless benefits in the state, which is 1073 fewer then the 5,531 from the previous week - but still much higher than the 2,614 filed for the same week a year ago.

CNBC is reporting that Louisiana's unemployment rate rose to 6.2 % in April based on a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A full report from the State's Workforce Commision is expected to be released next Wedensday.

Rock Rock Planet Rock

Dege Legg of The Independent has a story on the Acadiana School of the Arts enrollment drive for their Summer Rock Camp, which will run June 22 - 26. For more information on the school, visit their website at: www.asarts.org/

Then commence to rocking!

Speaking of Clifton...

That's all the excuse we need to post a vintage clip of the late, great King of Zydeco.

In This Day of Science....and the Moon!

There was time when every Lafayette entrepreneur worth his salt wore a crown. The great Clifton Chenier, King of the Zydeco; Albert Leblanc, King of the Mobile Home, and the subject of this post Junior Lagneaux, King of Seafood. What's not to love? A great crown, great food, and especially great prose. This wonderful essay, written by the King himself, still graces the place mats at Lagneaux's seafood restaurant: (click the image for full size)

Sad Irony

The Associated Press ran a story yesterday of 5 men killed near Houma when their boat ran under a moored barge. The men were to take place in a weekend fishing tournament. Ironically, KATC's Sarah Rosario reported, May 16 was the start of Safe Boating week.

Zydeco Extravaganza at EVD

Evangeline Downs Racetrack and Casino in Opelousas will host the 23rd Annual Zydeco Extravaganza this Sunday, May 24th. Scheduled performers include Keith Frank and the Soileau Zydeco Band, Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha Chas, Jeffery Broussard and more. Tickets are $12 in advance. For complete details, visit their website at http://www.zydecoextra.com/.

Not As Good As It’s Been, But Not As Bad Either...

One of the best local websites has to be Van Eaton and Romero's site...they make searching the MLS so fun and easy, and now they have added a blog. On their new blog, they are reporting some pretty exciting upward momentum in the local real estate industry. During the first three months of 2009, average sales prices have only dipped 1.07% and while demand is down, so is supply. Because of this, they are feeling optimistic that the market is close to being where it needs to be and the chance of home prices dropping any more is unlikely. You can see the full blog and even check out what the asking price is of your neighbor's house for sale down the street all on Van Eaton Romero.com

Sometimes Grass IS Greener on the Other Side

Photo by: jmeaux

Cajun Men Win Again!

The UL Baseball team defeated Middle Tennessee State by a score of 5 to 4. The Cajuns advance to the championship portion of the winners brackets tomorrow at 4pm.

House Defeats Equal Pay for Equal Work Act

The Louisiana House of Representatives voted down the proposed Equal Pay for Women Act with a 33-59 vote. The bill would have prohibited employers from paying compensation that discriminates against employees on the basis of gender. The Times-Picayune has the full story.

Business Briefs: Aqua Scapes & Bella Figura

There has been some new business activity on Kaliste Saloom of late. Aqua Scapes is a new swimming pool supply store that has opened in the old Aquatic Pool and Patio building by The Settlement. Also on Kaliste Saloom, Bella Figura restauarant is moving out of their River Ranch location and into the old Hub City Diner II location in the new Martial Shopping Center.

Happy Trails - Acadiana Bicycle Trail May Become a Reality

Over the years, there has been a great deal of discussion about building an Acadiana Bike Trail along the Vermilion River, but now that vision may become a reality. According to The Advocate, the state Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism has allocated $100,000 in funding to the project and said that it could potentially become an annual allotment.

photo by: cybertoad

Louisiana Slave Recollections

Bill Ellzey's column in today's HoumaToday features an excerpt of Octavia Albert's book, The House of Bondage, which was originally published in 1891. The book centers on Albert's conversations with former slaves, including Charlotte Brooks, who recalls many incredible experiences as a slave in Louisiana in late 19th century.

“It was in the fall of 1879 that I met Charlotte Brooks. Brooks had been brought from Virginia and sold to a Louisiana plantation owner years before the Civil War. I have spent hours with her listening to her telling of her sad life of bondage in the cane-fields of Louisiana. She was always willing to speak of ‘old master and mistress.’ ”

The book opens:
"None but those who resided in the South during the time of slavery can realize the terrible punishments that were visited upon the slaves. Virtue and self-respect were denied them."

You can find the book available for sale on Amazon.com