Good morning, Lafayette.

CGI employees packed over 20,000 meals for local food banks—Second Harvest of Acadiana, UL's Campus Cupboard, and the Pantry at South Louisiana Community College—to fight food insecurity in Acadiana during their annual Feed the Funnel event.

Maddie's Footprints was named Non-Profit of the Month for August by Doran & Cawthorne Attorneys at Law in Lafayette; the group received a $500 donation to support families coping with miscarriage, stillbirth and infant loss.

Owner Morgan Reed of Piece of Cake and Louisiana Baking Supply in Lafayette showed how simple substitutions can turn a box cake mix into a bakery-style dessert during a Friday Feed visit, sponsored by Kirk's U Needa Butcher.

SpaceX is offering eligible Vermilion Parish residents 50% off Starlink internet as it prepares to build a $100 billion spaceport nearby.

The reduced pricing appears automatically on bills (eligibility is based on service address), and the discount ends when residents move outside the zone.

UL Lafayette President Ramesh Kolluru said the university began fiscal year 2027 with a $3.6M surplus and balanced budget on Aug.

19 after earlier projections warned of a $26M deficit. Faculty through the AAUP, who sent a letter on Aug. 26, are asking for more details on cost cuts and spending with a reply requested by Friday, Sept. 4.

UL professor emeritus Durga Poudel said that the severe flooding in Nepal, which has killed nearly 400 people and left over 1,400 missing (including several Americans), is unfolding just as his climate research warned, showing how vital it is for authorities to act on scientific findings.

State Farm started mailing dividend payments to eligible Louisiana auto policy customers based on 2025 premiums, with amounts averaging about $100 per vehicle.

Payments began mid-July; customers will receive instructions to claim checks & digital payments using the company’s payment portal.

Louisiana will launch the Love our Waterways initiative on September 1 to tackle a nearly $100 million annual cost from street litter entering waterways, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said.

Keep Lafayette Beautiful will host a cleanup event on Sunday, September 13 at Camellia Bridge Canoe and Kayak Launch.