Lafayette Crime Stoppers began in 1983 with a mission to assist local law enforcement to fight crime by helping to overcome the two elements that inhibit public involvement: fear and apathy. The program originated in Albuquerque, NM in 1972, and now Lafayette is one of over 1800 communities with an Active Crime Stoppers organization. Crime […]
Reggie Thomas – Veteran Police Officer Shares Importance of Building Trust in Community, Rethinking Policing
Reggie Thomas, a thirty-year veteran of the Lafayette City Police Department who recently retired, shares his journey of growing up in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, joining the police force in 1990, and how an effective police department works to build trust in the entire community in this edition of Discover Lafayette with Jan […]
Discover Lafayette’s Past – Bill Landry Orchestra
The Bill Landry Orchestra, originally assembled and known as the Louisiana Six, played Dixieland jazz all along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Texas. The family band was wildly popular in Cajun Country, and they were mentioned as early as 1918 in The Daily Advertiser when they played at the Martin Dance Hall in Scott. […]
Ben Berthelot of Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission Discusses Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism and Entertainment
Ben Berthelot has served as Executive Director of the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission since 2012 and in that role, is an enthusiastic and effective spokesperson for the restaurants, hotels, and related industry tourism professionals that support our region’s unique cultural attributes. In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Ben visits with Jan Swift about the […]
Leigh Rachal of Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness and Housing – A Wakeup Call on Need for Longterm Community Investment
“Homelessness is one paycheck away for many people in America and Covid-19 is really testing this,” says Leigh Rachal, Executive Director of Acadiana Regional Coalition on Homelessness and Housing (“ARCH). Leigh has served in this capacity for four years and each day she is guided by her “belief in the wild idea that housing is […]