Blog

By Andy Medici-Senior Reporter, The Business Journals, 7/16/21 The Small Business Administration officially closed its Paycheck Protection Program to new loan applications at the end of May, and subsequently closed its Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant program in early July, leaving small business owners with dwindling options for relief. But there are still some grant programsRead more

Throughout the month of July, JT Meleck Distillers is teaming up with Acadiana Veteran Alliance (AVA) to produce “Spirit of Valor,” a collaboration to increase awareness and raise money for Acadiana veterans. “JT Meleck Distillers is proud to be supporting our veterans by partnering with the Acadiana Veteran Alliance through the Spirit of Valor campaign,”Read more

On June 30, 2021, Governor John Bel Edwards announced more then $315 million in federal coronavirus relief aid will be allocated to 290 Louisiana towns and cities under the American Rescue Plan to help them respond to the ongoing COVID-19 emergency and support economic recovery. “The American Rescue Plan provided vital aid for communities largeRead more

By Steve Bandy, Managing Editor of Crowley Post Signal The citizens of Iota are beginning to see the fruits of their labors. For years, a volunteer committee has been holding fund raisers–pausing for COVID-19–in order to build the first-ever community park. Carrie Leckelt, who chairs the all-volunteer group, explained they agreed to name the parkRead more

By Greg Hilburn, Lafayette Daily Advertiser, published on June 25, 2021.  Louisiana adults will be able to access grants to pay for education for high-demand, high-paying careers beginning next summer at the state’s community and technical colleges after Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the MJ Foster Promise program into law. Louisiana Community and Technical College System President MontyRead more

One Acadiana announced on Thursday, June 24, that they, in collaboration with Louisiana Economic Development, will host the sixth cohort of the Acadiana CEO Roundtable program. The 2021 Acadiana CEO Roundtable program will begin on August 5, 2021. CEO Roundtables bring together groups of 15-18 key decision makers from Louisiana-based small businesses 10 times overRead more

BATON ROUGE, LA (June 10, 2021)–As the 2021 Regular Legislative Session wrapped up Thursday, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) singled out its list of landmark bills passed by the legislature that can truly change the Louisiana business climate for the better. “This has been an extremely collaborative session where legislators worked togetherRead more

Members of the Acadia Parish Chamber of Commerce have elected four new members to the 2021-22 Board of Directors and were honored at the recent Acadia Parish Honors on May 20, 2021. Newly elected board members to serve a three year term beginning July 1, 2021, are Sondra Broussard, Acadiana Security Plus; Michael Doughty, PlatinumRead more

For those of us living along the Gulf Coast, hurricane season is a yearly issue, with new updates of possible storms and getting ready for the weather. Particularly in Louisiana, the extremely active 2020 hurricane season brought devastation to last year. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there were a total ofRead more

Every three years, Ochsner Lafayette General and Our Lady of Lourdes conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). This year, these long-standing healthcare organizations have partnered together with United Way of Acadiana to intentionally listen and respond to the needs of the community. The three entities are now asking for community input in the formRead more