Good morning, Lafayette.

Lafayette Animal Shelter & Care Center is waiving pet adoption fees for dogs and cats today through Sept.

30 as part of the nationwide Empty the Shelters event. The center will ensure each adopted pet is spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before leaving.

Trader Joe's opened its first Lafayette store on Thursday morning at 8 a.m. at a 9,000 sqft location (its sixth in the state), drawing excited shoppers who filled the parking lot.

Lafayette welcomes Trader Joe's first store (over 9,000 sqft) with a busy grand opening on Thursday at 8 a.m. eager shoppers began lining up around 6:30 a.m. as the parking lot filled quickly.

Shoppers lined up before sunrise outside Trader Joe’s for its grand opening today; some arrived as early as 6:30 a.m. and the store filled quickly once the doors opened.

A $100K Smithsonian grant will expand offerings at a free festival featuring Scène ’76 and Cajun/Zydeco music from Oct.

8 to Oct. 11; the grant supports broader cultural programming for event attendees.

Hummingbirds in Louisiana will begin migrating on Sept.

27 and are expected to be sighted only along the Gulf Coast by early October. Residents should keep feeders up until two weeks after the last sighting, typically in late October.

Mortgage rates near 7% give buyers an edge as officials consider condemning Himbola Manor amid unsafe conditions, prompting resident relocation; the Long-Allen Bridge will reopen by the end of 2026 to ease travel between Morgan City and Berwick.

Residents at Himbola Manor Apartments are being relocated as officials consider condemning the complex—citing unsafe, uninhabitable conditions.

The Long-Allen Bridge, closed for more than three years, will reopen by the end of 2026 to improve travel for drivers, first responders and businesses.

Lafayette-area high school football games are in week three with live score updates from Thursday, Sept.

17 and today as undefeated teams keep winning while winless squads aim for first victories — matchups include a 337‑point showdown between Acadiana and Carencro and a revival of the Zydeco Classic.

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt returned to practice on Thursday after back spasms kept him out of Wednesday’s workout (his availability for Saturday’s game against Ole Miss remains uncertain) and updated status will be released before kickoff at 6:30 p.m. in Oxford.