News and Events

Opelousas to Turn Traffic Boxes into Works of Art

Tuesday, January 07, 2020

(Opelousas, LA) - Ordinary metal traffic bozes in Opelousas will be transformed into canvases for art that will showcase the community's charter and culture. The project, titled Boxed Art, is one of the activities planned for the City's 300-year celebration which takes place this year. Led by Opelousas Tourism, with support from Mayor Alsandor and organizational support from the Celebrate Opelousas 300 Commission and Opelousas Main Street, Inc., the goal of the Boxed Art project is to enliven community space while showcasing the talent of artists in our area. A total of twelve (12) boxes are targeted for the project. Boxed Art will feature artwor...

St. Landry académie focuses on language, heritage

Tuesday, January 07, 2020

The loss of the French language in south Louisiana would be the loss of an essential part of the culture that has formed who we are, that continues to set us apart, and that must be a part of our future. But it will disappear unless students are taught to speak it, and to understand its value. That is the premise of the Académie Franco-Louisianaise, a French immersion elementary school that will begin classes in the old Sunset High School in August, according to Lindsay Smythe Doucet, its principal. As a French immersion elementary school, all of the académie's courses will b...

Innovative Partnership with SLCC, St. Landry Parish Schools Making Students Job-Ready

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

South Louisiana Community College and the St. Landry Parish School Board are bringing a program to high school students that will make them job-ready in just two weeks. The college and school board have partnered to offer a Basic Industrial Scaffolding course to high schools students. This course is offered through the Corporate College division at SLCC. The Basic Industrial Scaffolding course will include one week of classroom training in St. Landry Parish and one week of hands-on training at SLCC’s New Iberia campus. Students will learn how to erect and dismantle scaffolding, safety, tool use, working in a team, and persona...

Opelousas-Opoly game on sale for city's tricentennial celebration

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

To ring in 300 years since the founding of Opelousas, Opelousas-Opoly will bring the history and culture of the city in a board game. Opelousas-Opoly is a limited edition, Monopoly-style board game in which properties are local landmarks or businesses that sponsored the city's year-long tricentennial celebration in 2020. So instead of Boardwalk, Park Place and Mediterranean Avenue, players can land on Morrow & Morrow Law Firm, Going, Sebastien, Fisher & LeBouef CPAs; St. Landry Chamber of Commerce, and Tony Chachere's. For game pieces, instead of a car, a shoe or a top hat, they feature a book, a train, a jukebox, a...

Savoie’s Foods Announces $12.7 Million Expansion In St. Landry Parish

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Expansion will result in 16 new jobs, retention of 100 jobs; company to expand distribution area ST. LANDRY PARISH, La. — Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards and President Frederick Lafleur of Savoie’s Sausage and Food Products Inc. announced a $12.7 million expansion of the company’s food production facility in St. Landry Parish near Opelousas. With the expansion, the company will broaden its distribution area, bringing Cajun-style sausage and other food products to a wider region. The project includes construction of a 41,000-square-foot facility and installation of new production equipment. The larger facility will enable Savoie’s to nearly double its production. Through th...

Opelousas moving forward with street repairs

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Street repairs for the city of Opelousas are beginning to move forward, said Mayor Julius Alsandor, as funding becomes available for what he describes a series of long overdue projects. Alsandor and members of his administration have compiled a list of 17 paved streets that need repair or resurfacing as his administration completes an initial year. One of the complaints voters voiced during the 2018 mayoral election, which Alsandor won in a runoff, was the condition of city’s streets, which have received little attention since the first John Joseph administration began in 1987. Before he became mayor, Alsandor was a two-term member o...

City of Opelousas asking residents to take part in 300th anniversary celebration

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The City of Opelousas will celebrate its tricentennial in 2020 and the community is being asked to take part in the celebration. Residents will be able to contribute to the creation of a new mural designed to celebrate the city's 300 year anniversary. Once complete, the collaborative mural, which is part of the Celebrate Opelousas 300 activities, will be digitally printed and used for the official 300 anniversary poster. A grant was recently awarded in the amount of $2,695 to Opelousas Tourism by the Acadiana Center for the Arts through the Louisiana Division of the Arts. The grant will help fund th...

Former St. Luke Hospital in Arnaudville to Become French Immersion Center After St. Landry and St. Martin Parish Sell It

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Original article posted on KADN The former St. Luke Hospital in Arnaudville is about to get a face lift and a new purpose. The goal is transform the hospital into the St. Luc French Immersion and Cultural Center. Not only would be it the first french immersion program for adults in Louisiana, but also the first one of its kind in the United States. “Ça veut dire que mon cœur chant.” said Mavis Fruge which translates to “this makes my heart sing. Fruge has envisioned turning the hospital into an french immersion center back in 2006. The problem was the facility was owned by St. Landr...

Festivals reminders of St. Landry’s bountiful harvest

Monday, November 11, 2019

Harvest festivals blossoming across south Louisiana at this time of year are annual reminders that this is a place where we can grow practically anything, and do. Agribusiness is big business across the region and is an important segment of the St. Landry Parish economy. Crops and animals produced in St. Landry had a value of nearly $150 million at the farm gate in 2018, and will likely have at least that value when 2019 totals are calculated. Dr. Kurt Guidry, director of the LSU AgCenter’s southwest region, says that value would likely double when agriculture’s effects throughout the loca...

Zydeco Capital Jam

Saturday, November 09, 2019

Zydeco Capital Jam is a monthly jam session for zydeco musicians and fans taking place on the second Saturday of every month at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center at I-49 exit 23, just north of Opelousas. The Zydeco Capital Jam is the first of its kind in nearly a decade recalling the tradition from when zydeco legend Roy Carrier would jam with other great musicians at the Offshore Lounge in Lawtell. Where better to revive the tradition of zydeco music jams than in the Zydeco Music Capital of the World – Opelousas, Louisiana. Bring your favorite instrument and jam with fellow zydeco music enthusiasts o...

Grants give boost to downtown Opelousas revival

Sunday, November 03, 2019

Two grants have given a boost to efforts to revitalize the heart of Opelousas, one of the primary goals of St. Landry civic, government, and economic leaders. Bodemuller the Printer, one of the oldest family businesses in the parish, has been selected as a recipient of a $10,000 Louisiana Main Street Grant to help revamp its façade, and the City of Opelousas has received an AARP Community Challenge Grant to help enhance public spaces. The grants come as a reorganized Opelousas Downtown Development Authority is beginning projects to improve the infrastructure of the center of one of Louisiana’s oldest communities. ...

Events bring new focus to St. Landry airport

Friday, November 01, 2019

St. Landry Parish has an airport that can handle just about any corporate or private airplane flying. But until recently it has been one of the parish’s better kept secrets. David Allen, who was appointed St. Landry Parish airport manager this spring, is working to do something about that. He has scheduled events in October and November to reintroduce the airport to local consumers and to aviators as a regional stopover for small planes. October 12 has been designated Young Eagles Day, and from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. youngsters can get free rides in small planes, some of whic...

Crews prepare for work at Judson Walsh Bridge site

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Work on the Judson Walsh Bridge in Opelousas could be getting started soon. Officials say that crews were out at the bridge site on Thursday October 17, to remove utility lines in preparation for work to begin. The bridge was closed in April after an inspection in 2018 revealed that the structure was severely eroded. Traffic including school buses had to be detoured after the closure. The bridge is not expected to be reopened until mid to late 2020. Full article here.

Gateway to Acadiana Project is on the Rise

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Plans are moving ahead for the Gateway to Acadiana project in Opelousas. The facility near Evangeline Downs Racetrack-casino will feature a multi-use expo and event center. Also, an RV resort will be next door to the racetrack, adjacent to I-49. “…when you think about this intersection on I-49 and highway 190, its really the crossroads of Louisiana and not just Acadiana. So for something like this to come on the I-49, the I-49 is such a valuable resource to us in Acadiana. This being an anchor component that I-49 corridor is what I would call the potential for a transformational project.” sai...

St. Landry schools launches 'Be Loyal, Shop Local' campaign to increase tax revenue

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Original article posted on Daily World The St. Landry Parish school district has launched a campaign aimed at increasing local sales tax revenue and promoting retail shopping in the parish. District officials started the campaign last week that has received the endorsement of the parish economic district officials and members of the chamber of commerce. Advertised as the “Be Loyal, Shop Local” program, the goals are to help to create more local jobs and to educate the public in shopping with locally owned businesses that school officials said specialize in personal service. Tricia Fontenot, the district’s instructional and technology facilitator is in charge of the effort. Individuals can help the campaign by visitin...

Central St. Landry Economic Development District

Monday, May 27, 2019

The Central St. Landry Economic Development District is creating more opportunities for growth in the Opelousas and St. Landry Parish area by expanding the Economic Development District (EDD). Recent expansion of this district will lead to the development of commercial space for things like shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, and other businesses. This will increase the workforce and provide more jobs for local and commuting residents. There will also be room for growth in entertainment and leisure for the surrounding communities within the St. Landry Parish region, including room for new entertainment facilities, RV parks, and more! The Central St. Landry Economi...

Opelousas Downtown Development District Provides Expansion and Growth Opportunities!

Monday, July 29, 2019

Opelousas’s Downtown Development District is providing businesses with expansion and growth opportunities! Located in the St. Landry Parish region of Louisiana, Opelousas is a thriving community that is devoted to the growth and sustainability of its community. The Downtown Development Project is collaborating with other local organizations and investors to increase economic growth and development in the downtown area of Opelousas. Development within this downtown district would improve pedestrian and bicycle access, enhance lighting and security, advocate for anchor building redevelopment projects and more, all within the downtown area. Opelousas is committed to a long-term master plan to continue to increas...

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