Blog

Months of dispersion throughout the northeast and southern United States has finally seen the COVID outbreak concentrating in rural areas, surging in remote, sparsely populated towns and inflicting a toll on all communities within them. Alongside this rural surge comes doomsday queries: Will rural America be able to survive this storm? Can rural small businesses-theRead more

Everyone is looking to grow in the beginning of the year. Individuals make New Year’s resolutions and try to better themselves in whatever way they choose. Businesses are no different! Many of our local small businesses will be taking stock of what they can do to create growth for the next year. What better placeRead more

The word “rural” has been thrown around the past few years by everyone. As the word is used more and more frequently, misconceptions begin to grow about what it truly means. The current trend of what is used to define rural America is white, dependent on traditional industries, and characterized by stagnation, decline, and despair.Read more

3. Education and workforce development According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the poverty rate is 33% for people who do not graduate from high school, compared to 5% for those with a bachelor’s degree or higher. It is imperative that educational opportunities and outcomes are maximized and accessible for all Louisianans. Equitable practices within educationRead more

After months of discussion and evaluation, the RLC released a few long-term recommendations for Louisiana. Their recommendations came in five major categories that would lead to a stronger, more inclusive, resilient Louisiana. The five categories are: equity, inclusion, and quality of life; digital access and physical infrastructure; education and workforce development; small business and entrepreneurship;Read more

In May 2020, during the first wave of the COVID pandemic that hit Louisiana, the RLC issued nine recommendations of near-term concerns for resiliency and recovery. These recommendations were pertinent for the beginning of the pandemic, and still hold relevancy today. Following the near-term recommendations set the path for the state to fulfill the long-termRead more

Washington, D.C.-Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) announced today the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will award more than $342 million for rural broadband expansion in Louisiana. The investment comes through the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund and will expand access to nearly 176,000 unserved homes and businesses over the next 10 years. The announcement includes more thanRead more

As 2020 (finally) nears conclusion, the global pandemic that has rocked our economy still continues to influence each and every person, every day. With a vaccine hopefully coming into availability in the near future, things look brighter as the old year ends and the new begins. Yet things will never be the same after this.Read more

As businesses around the country prepare for the holiday shopping frenzy, it is important for communities to support their local small businesses. One way that they can do this is by participating in Small Business Saturday! Celebrated on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the day after Black Friday and before Cyber Monday, SBS is an importantRead more

From Chad LaComb, J.D., Economic Development Planner for APC The Acadiana Planning Commission (APC) is excited to announce the publication and release of the new Church Point Opportunity Zone (OZ) Prospectus as part of the InvestAcadiana Opportunity Zone Initiative. InvestAcadiana is a joint initiative of the APC and One Acadiana to promote revitalization investment throughoutRead more