Good morning, Lafayette.

Belkis Mendes won a $100,000 Powerball prize by matching four white balls and the Powerball on a local ticket bought at Royal Food Store on West Congress Street during the Aug.

31 drawing. Mendes claimed the prize on Sept. 8 and took home $73,000 after taxes.

SpaceX has begun hiring for four jobs at its Vermilion Parish spaceport near *Pecan Island* with postings on Tuesday morning.

Some roles based in Texas will relocate to Louisiana in early 2027 as part of the $100 billion project.

SpaceX posted new job openings for its Starbase facility on Pecan Island today, including roles for a civil engineer, a senior construction project manager, a government affairs manager and a senior counsel with positions based in Texas that will later move to Louisiana; one role requires residence near Vermilion Parish.

Blu Basil Asian Fusion, operating at 5451 Johnston St. in the Time Plaza shopping center for over 10 years, is closing.

It will be replaced by Sen Viet Kitchen & Bar, which is expected to open next month offering Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, and Cajun-Asian dishes.

Plush Syndicate, a new downtown bar featuring AI bartenders and automated systems, passed zoning commission approval Monday at 201 Jefferson St., Suite B with conditions including 21+ entry and membership requirements; final permit approval is set for city council next month.

This past weekend, downtown Lafayette hosted a craft beer festival where News 15 Marketing Director Laura Hanes was named Gulf Brew Queen and raised over $8,000 for the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

The funds will bolster local arts education programs.

An Acadiana-made horror-comedy called The Fois: Revenge of Maw Maw Claudette will have its sold-out world premiere Oct.

3 at Rice Theatre in Crowley (additional screenings run Oct. 4-11 at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.).

Louisiana residents face higher utility bills due to soaring heat + rising fuel costs, a Slemco report finds.

The findings, published on Sep. 22, highlight how energy expenses continue to burden local consumers.

Local activist Suzanne Higginbotham sued the school board on Monday, challenging its consent agenda process and public comment rules and alleging these practices breach open meetings law (she had raised concerns over Comeaux High School’s closure).

She seeks court orders to enforce stricter guidelines.

St. Landry Parish will start a new addiction treatment program funded by opioid recovery money as Acadiana allocates resources to battle addiction.

The program is planned to launch soon to help residents access care.

High school football enters Week 4 with Acadiana’s Class 5A opener against St. Thomas More (STM) and Westgate hosting Opelousas, while Notre Dame and Lafayette Christian Academy face Catholic rivals.

Experts predict scores of 35-33 for Acadiana, 45-21 for Westgate, 27-14 for Notre Dame, and 35-14 for LCA.