Good morning, Lafayette.

Road closures remain near UL Lafayette and Girard Park as work continues on the new Our Lady of Wisdom Church steeple.

A 300-ton crane has been moved to the site and will assemble the steeple Friday, with its new crucifix installed next week.

On Wednesday, Aug. 12, local stargazers can watch six planets align before sunrise, see a partial solar eclipse near noon (with proper solar eclipse glasses), and enjoy the Perseid meteor shower peak under a new moon at night.

Lafayette Comedy Festival starts today at Club 337 inside the DoubleTree Hotel on Pinhook Road, offering nine shows, national headliners, themed performances, brunch events & a live podcast recording.

The four-day event will run until Sunday, Aug. 9.

Elementary teachers in Lafayette Parish are preparing for the 2026-27 school year starting the second week of August.

Superintendent Francis Touchet said teachers are focusing on foundational instruction (building strong ties with students and families) to support a new academic year.

Students across Louisiana have started classes this week & Lafayette students will begin on Aug.

12 as school districts set their own schedules from Aug. 3 to Aug. 10.

Louisiana schools are setting clear policies for using AI tools in homework and classroom activities while cautioning against cheating.

The Louisiana Department of Education is equipping teachers with a guide — outlining safe and ethical practices for adapting AI in lesson plans.

A 2024 study by Feeding America found that 17.4% of residents faced food insecurity in Lafayette, up from 16.1% in 2023.

Local food banks like Second Harvest Food Bank say rising food prices and upcoming SNAP cuts (scheduled for Oct. 1) could worsen aid access.

Chipotle and Qdoba stopped serving jalapeños after the CDC linked them to a salmonella outbreak that infected 345 people including one local resident and caused 36 hospitalizations.

Coast Citrus Distributors is recalling the Sinaloa peppers while the CDC and FDA continue their investigation & testing.

Ochsner Lafayette General is celebrating 10 years as a milk depot for the Mothers' Milk Bank of Louisiana during World Breastfeeding Week & calling for more donations to help feed NICU babies in need.

Lafayette Consolidated Government honored Louisiana Krewe Rush boys soccer team after winning last month's national championship in Salt Lake City (defeating Hartford Athletic), with the team completing a perfect six-match run and several players earning individual honors.

LRCA sophomore Cayman Washington signed a NIL deal with KOK Wings & Things on Aug.

5 at Ambassador Caffery Parkway, becoming a brand ambassador for the wings company. The deal shows the rising trend of NIL agreements in high school sports as Washington aims to boost his football and basketball.