Nearby Communities
State Edition
National Edition
🌱 How would losing Public Works and a transport engineer affect Lafayette?
Cheers Lafayette! We’re back, helping you stay up to date with what’s happening. Let's take on the day together! ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- How would losing Public Works and a transport engineer affect Lafayette?
- Which Lafayette principals were just named 2025 Principals of the Year?
- Where Lafayette’s most vulnerable can turn as this cold snap lingers
📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Lafayette? Post it to Lafayette photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️
Today's riddle: Can February March? 🤔 (Answer below!)
From our Partner
Today's Lafayette Patch AM is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T-Mobile and UScellular have joined forces to connect people from big cities to small towns and everywhere in between. UScellular is now a part of T-Mobile. Find out more at T-Mobile.com/Better-Together.
Find a T-Mobile store near Lafayette.
- Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high of 59 and low of 49 degrees.
- Wednesday: A shower in the a.m.; cloudy, temps: high: 69, low: 58.
- Thursday: A shower and thunderstorm, with a high of 78 and low of 48 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Council Preview: No more Public Works? (thecurrentla.com) — Lafayette Consolidated Government is considering a major overhaul of its Public Works Department, shrinking and renaming it the Capital Improvement Department and eliminating the city-parish transportation engineer role. Officials are also pursuing $125,000 in state funding to study whether Lafayette Parish should get a dedicated mental health crisis center, though no new facility is guaranteed yet. 
2. Lafayette Parish School System announces 2025 Principals of the Year (klfy.com) — Lafayette Parish School System has named its 2025 Principals of the Year, spotlighting campus leaders whose work is shaping student success across the district. Honorees were recognized at the December principals’ meeting, where Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr. praised their impact on school culture and achievement. The announcement underscores LPSS’s emphasis on strong leadership in Lafayette schools.
3. St. Bernadette Community Clinic offers critical care amid Acadiana's cold weather (katc.com) — St. Bernadette Community Clinic in Lafayette is stepping up care for vulnerable residents as Acadiana faces dangerous cold, offering free medical help, housing referrals, and even warm meals. Staff stress that welcoming, no-cost access can prevent minor issues from becoming serious illnesses for neighbors without reliable heat or shelter.
4. UL officials outline plan to fill budget gap (kadn.com) — University of Louisiana at Lafayette leaders are racing to close a remaining $10.5 million budget gap, after shrinking a multi-year deficit from $50 million. Interim president Ramesh Kolluru outlines a five-part plan focused on boosting enrollment, selling non-essential assets, expanding research partnerships, and growing health-related ventures. Students, staff, and alumni in Lafayette are urged to help stabilize the university’s finances over the next seven months.
5. FBI Arrests New Iberia Suspect Accused of Planning Violent NYE Attack (kpel965.com) — Federal agents based out of the Lafayette Resident Agency led the arrest of a New Iberia suspect tied to a pro-Palestinian extremist group and an alleged New Year’s attack plot. It’s the second terror-related case linked to the Lafayette area in just over two months, following an earlier arrest of a man living in Lafayette with alleged Hamas ties.
📸 Around Lafayette
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓
Upcoming Events in
Lafayette
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
-
Toddler Time: South Regional Library In-Person
South Regional Library Story Time Room,
10:00 am -
Button Bananza | South Regional Library In-Person
South Regional Library Conference Room 1,
5:00 pm -
BiblioBop: South Regional Library In-Person
South Regional Library Story Time Room,
10:00 am -
Mah Jongg at the Library (Open Play): South Regional Library In-Person
South Regional Library Large Meeting Room,
1:00 pm -
Café Bibliothèque: South Regional Library In-Person
South Regional Library Conference Room 1,
4:00 pm -
Winter Wonderland Boogie : South Regional Library In-Person
South Regional Library Large Meeting Room,
10:00 am -
Christmas Concert at SRL: South Regional Library In-Person
South Regional Library Auditorium,
1:00 pm -
LEGO Club: South Regional Library In-Person
South Regional Library Story Time Room,
2:00 pm
Wednesday December 17
Thursday December 18
Friday December 19
Monday December 22
📣 Lafayette Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
-
Baby Time: Main Library In-Person
Main Library , Story Castle (1st) , Lafayette
9:30 am -
Toddler Time: Main Library In-Person
Main Library , Story Castle (1st) , Lafayette
10:30 am -
Pajama Time: Main Library In-Person
Main Library , Story Castle (1st) , Lafayette
6:00 pm -
Band Christmas Concert - Cafeteria
Southside High School , Cafeteria , Youngsville
6:30 pm
Tuesday December 16
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Tonight temps are gonna be freezing.
Word of advice if using space heaters please use a minimum size 12-14 awg extension cord if your using a cord. Best place to plug is in the wall but… (Nextdoor Willow Springs) - Yesterday I went to Walmart.
After having back surgery it was not easy but I felt like a normal person again. I felt like a little kid again. As I was entering a checkout lane… (Nextdoor Canberra)
- Person arrested outside Lafayette for failed New Year’s Eve attack, FBI says... (X: NOLAnews)
- The exit ramp from I-10 East to I-49 North (Exit 103B) remains closed due to roadwork. Congestion is minimal at this time. (X: Laf_Traffic)
- Chuy's Tex-Mex Restaurant posted a job opening for Janitorial in Lafayette. Apply here.
- Schwan's Company posted a job opening for Part-Time Merchandiser in Lafayette. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Lafayette here.
Ok Lafayette! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don't know, but April May!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
👉 Help make Patch AM better
- Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
- Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
- List items for sale or services offered
We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.