Discover Lafayette

Louisiana State Senator Gerald Boudreaux of Lafayette is our guest. Representing Senate District 24, he serves as Vice-Chair of Local and Municipal Affairs, and on the Finance and Health & Welfare Committees of the Senate. His District encompasses most of St. Landry Parish, northern parts of Lafayette Parish (where Boudreaux lives), and the region near Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish. Sen. Boudreaux is serving in his second term as Senator.

He is well-known for his long tenure with Lafayette's Park and Recreation Department, serving as Director for 35 years. He got his start with the department as a freshman at USL and retired in June 2020 after having served under six Lafayette mayors. Boudreaux is proud of the growth of the department over the years, providing much-needed services through a system of connected and strategically placed infrastructure which grew according to ongoing needs assessments to determine how the community could be best served.

Steep budget cuts including the closure of four recreation centers, all of which are located in North Lafayette, have stirred deep controversy in the local community. It's not only young people who have been affected by the current budget cuts affecting North Lafayette facilities, but also services to the elderly community as the Greenhouse Senior Center and the Rosehouse Senior Center have been shuttered. Boudreaux explained that the current millage, paid only by the City of Lafayette, is still at the level as when it was established in 1961 when Lafayette only had five parks, two recreation centers, and one municipal golf course. Today, that millage is expected to cover operations of 1800 acres of park grounds which encompass 35 park (28 in the city of Lafayette), three golf courses, ten recreation centers, two tennis centers, five swimming pools, and a campground.

Today with the advent of two separate city and parish councils, there is a large split in belief as to who can or should pay for services. Many families rely upon the parks system for its amenities, especially the areas of North Lafayette where transportation can be an issue for people looking for healthy outlets for recreation. Boudreaux challenges the parish council to be creative and establish a funding source to enable services to continue. When Lafayette Parish took gambling off the table 22 years ago as a source of revenue, a potential source of funding for parish services also dried up. Yet, "for those who want to gamble, they will. People travel to St. Landry and St. Martin parishes" for gambling outlets. "How is Lafayette going to generate revenue to pay for parish needs? The City of Lafayette cannot continue to sustain this effort," Boudreaux says. Perhaps it is time to revisit this issue and other ways to fund services that offer the quality of life amenities that enhance our community.

Sen. Boudreaux shared his thoughts on how law enforcement officials were never consolidated under the Lafayette Parish 1996 consolidation plan. "You have to wonder, did someone have a crystal ball then to see that it would never work? Maybe that's where we are....still trying to put a square peg into a round hole. With annexation by the cities, it's been a 'grab and take. There are only little pockets of parish property remaining."

Sen.Gerald Boudreaux shared his thoughts on how law enforcement officials were never consolidated under the Lafayette Parish 1996 consolidation plan. "You have to wonder, did someone have a crystal ball then to see that it would never work? Maybe that's where we are....still trying to put a square peg into a round hole."

A Northside High graduate, Sen. Boudreaux was a point guard on the school's basketball team and captain of the football team. When he saw that playing college sports wasn't in the cards,

Big Brothers Big Sisters' Executive Director, Kalli Christ, and RADER's Director of Growth, Whitney Savoie, joined Jan Swift to discuss how the annual Acadiana Po-Boy Festival pandemic has pivoted in its mission to help the non-profit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana raise much-needed funding.

Whitney Savoie, Director of Growth of RADER, Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette, and Kalli Christ, Executive Director of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Acadiana, at taping of Discover Lafayette podcast.

Over the past five years, the Acadiana Po-Boy Festival has raised more than $30,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters, all due to the generous organizational efforts of Social Entertainment. With the COVID shutdown limiting the number of people who can attend events, Kalli Christ says that it has been necessary to "pivot" as 2020's challenges have unfolded.

RADER stepped up to partner with Big Brothers Big Sisters and assist in holding a safe Acadiana Po-Boy Festival that will take place from September 1st through September 30th, 2020.

https://www.facebook.com/acadianapoboyplatelunchfestival/videos/1045232832600194

Whitney Savoie of RADER discusses the importance of supporting local causes such as Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The "Pandemic Edition" of the Po-boy Festival is divided into two events: first, a Po-Boy Tasting, and second, an online Fundraising Art Raffle, which is designed to support local restaurants while it also supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. With the shutdown still in full force, RADER felt this was an excellent opportunity to promote our local restaurants while also aiding in efforts to fund BBBS.

Ten Lafayette restaurants are participating and will sell their signature "special" po-boy this month. $1 per po-boy sold will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. Participating restaurants include:

Poupart's BakeryC'est Bon MangerAcadian SuperetteCentral Pizza & BarPop's PoboysDean-O's PizzaBroaddus BurgersTchoup's Midcity SmokehouseBlack CaféJohnson's Boucaniere

The second part of the festival this year is an online Facebook Fundraising Art Raffle to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. Your donation of any amount gives you a chance to win the Official 2020 Acadiana Po-Boy painting, created by local artist Trent Oubre. You can contribute here.

2020 Acadiana Po-Boy Festival Painting Designed by artist Trent Oubre will be auctioned off. You can donate here.

Social Entertainment will officially merge the Acadiana Po-Boy & Plate Lunch Festival into one event moving forward. The inaugural Acadiana Po-Boy & Plate Lunch Festival is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 3, 2021, in Downtown Lafayette.

It cost approximately $1200 per child per year to offer services to mentor, tutor, and work with a child that is under the umbrella of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana. Volunteers do not need to underwrite the cost involved in being part of the program, but many components such as background checks and training must be covered through the fundraising efforts of BBBS.

"For more than 115 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to thrive. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country. They develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people." There is no better gift that you can give to a young person than a hand up to a better life through your time and...

Michele Billeaud, candidate for 15th Judicial District Court Judge in Lafayette Parish joined Jan Swift of the Discover Lafayette podcast.

The election will be held on November 3, 2020, and is slated to have a high turnout as it coincides with many other local races such as District Attorney, City Marshall, and of course, the presidential election. Billeaud is running for Judge in Division "K" which has 115,000 registered voters and encompasses Youngsville, Broussard, most of Scott and Duson, and a majority of the City of Lafayette located south of Cameron Street.

https://www.facebook.com/101349674790880/videos/580285362690022

Michele Billeaud explains what areas encompass Division K in Lafayette Parish.

Billeaud started her legal career 26 years ago. A New Orleans native, she took time off after college to follow her best friend and move out to California. While the adventure was fun, she realized that she needed to figure out "what to do with her life." She studied law in California and on the day she graduated, returned home to study and take the Louisiana bar exam.

Billeaud's first job was in the Orleans Parish DA’s Office where she had a heavy caseload and gained invaluable experience trying all levels of criminal cases. While working there, she met Lawrence "Moose" Billeaud, a Lafayette native. The couple dated long-distance before she moved to Lafayette when they got married. While Moose is one of 17 children in the close-knit and loving family of the late Bozo and Millie Billeaud, he told Michele they could live anywhere she wanted; Michele had fallen in love with Lafayette when she visited and elected to start their married life here. The couple have two children, Ethan and Quinn.

Michele and Lawrence "Moose" Billeaud with their children, Ethan and Quinn.

Billeaud joined the law firm of Lisa Brener in Lafayette and handled civil matters such as divorce, child custody, age discrimination, and sexual harassment claims. Upon Brener's retirement, Billaud started her own law firm; she also worked for the Lafayette Parish Public Defender's Office where she was appointed Section Chief in charge of all full-time public defenders as a result of the extensive criminal law experience she had garnered in the Orleans DA's office.

Since January 2002, Billeaud has worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Lafayette Parish. She serves as felony track leader, trying everything from felony theft to the most violent crimes. 

A founding team member of the Lafayette Parish Drug Court Program, Billeaud is "a big proponent of specialty courts." The drug court helps nonviolent offenders get back on track by getting appropriate treatment, obtain job training, find employment, adequate shelter, and other things necessary to turn their lives around. She believes that anytime you can help someone help themselves, it's good for our community. Billeaud recounted that she's seen people she previously tried cases against show up in court to help others get into drug court so that they may also become a healthy, contributing member of society.

Under the direction of Judge Jules Edwards, Lafayette has also set up a Veteran's specialty Court; Billeaud would also like to see the addition of a Mental Health Court to help those most vulnerable and who end up in jail due to a lack of resources to obtain help.

Billeaud loves being in court and says the most fun part of being an attorney is" having to think on your feet." She enjoys being a prosecutor and feels a calling for public service and working in the public sector. She never thought about running for judge. But when the current Division "K" Judge Rick Michot was rendered incapable of running for re-election due...

Gregg Gothreaux, President and CEO of Lafayette Economic Development Authority, joined host, Jan Swift, to discuss the economic impacts of the COVID-19 shutdown. LEDA is a full-service, tax-funded government entity dedicated to helping the business community of Lafayette Parish.

This pandemic crisis has affected not only our nation's physical health but its economic health. Gothreaux stressed that it has also brought to the forefront issues that we need to address as our country moves forward to ensure future prosperity and provide the wherewithal to withstand the inevitable, yet unforeseeable challenges which may once again shake our economy.

LEDA's program of work involves long term economic development strategy, and the focus is on attracting new business to our community while sustaining business conditions for existing enterprises, both large and small, who are the backbone of our economy. The talented staff works to help businesses grow, find the right employees, find tax incentives, and tax breaks that exist and should be utilized.

Lafayette's forefathers did much to diversity our local economy and Gothreaux gives them much credit in forging the path for our area's creative business entrepreneurs.

In LEDA's early days in the 1970s (when it was known as the "Lafayette Harbor, Terminal and Industrial Development District"), one of its first actions was to create a business park in Broussard known as "Southpark Industrial Park." This organized investment of business space provided Lafayette Parish with the ability to compete effectively with other regions of the country and be able to offer a desirable and business-ready locale for businesses from around the country to locate in Acadiana.

Gothreaux recounted that one of the first businesses locating in SouthPark was International Paper which made corrugated boxes; the company is still there today in 2020 but operating under a different name. Countless other thriving businesses are operating in LEDA's Industrial Parks throughout the parish and include BlueBell, AT&T, Cintas, Home Furniture Distribution, and many, many others. For an overview of all of Lafayette Parish's business parks, visit LEDA's website here.

Today's office buildings are our "industrial parks," according to Gothreaux. LEDA and its protege, the Opportunity Machine, work to fill office buildings and warehouses across our community by helping businesses thrive. There is no more need to build industrial parks as the current push is to fill existing office space. An example shared was the repurposing of the former Mid-South Bank Building on Versailles Blvd. near downtown by CGI. As the economy diversifies and continues to attract IT and medical-related companies, existing office space can readily accommodate needs and supply sufficient space for new companies.

SchoolMint is Lafayette's most recent success story, illustrating our region's ability to attract software firms from the West Coast who are looking for a more appropriate place to locate headquarters. Offering 178 new positions at an average salary of $75,000, SchoolMint is relocating to Lafayette from San Francisco. One of the key players in this story was Casey Bienvenu, a Carencro and UL-Lafayette grad, who is the company's chief software architect and the force who developed the original software utilized by SchoolMint. The company is taking the country by storm with its unique way of pairing students and educational institutions with strategic enrollment platforms.

This move by SchoolMint is unusual on its face, as most companies moving out of California tend to relocate to other Western U. S. states; in this case, existing relationships with Lafayette Parish natives paved the way for a highly successful and growing firm t...

Kyle Bacon, head of Jones Walkers' Lafayette office, joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss developments in downtown Lafayette, as well as today’s commercial business climate.

A Lafayette native and graduate of Lafayette High, UL-Lafayette, and LSU Law School where he was on the Louisiana Law Review, Bacon is a co-leader of Jones Walker’s commercial transactions team. His clients’ interests include oil and gas, banking, real estate, healthcare, and manufacturing.

The Lafayette office of Jones Walker is one of 13 offices the firm has across the country and is the largest law firm situated in downtown Lafayette with 17 lawyers on site. Jones Walker began in New Orleans and has had a presence in Lafayette for over 30 years; the Lafayette group was its first office outside of the New Orleans market. Situated at the top of Chase Tower on Jefferson Street, Bacon's office offers a bird's-eye view of downtown activities.

The firm's typical clients are midsize to large and most are in need of business defense matters. Bacon's work focuses on the transactional side of law and he explained that one of the benefits of hiring a large law firm is that they can offer specialized counsel in complex issues that may involve out-of-state matters.

Bacon is a proponent of seeing the continued growth of downtown and says, "It is the front porch of our community. Downtown is the epicenter of our cultural identity here in Lafayette and Acadiana. It's an important connector to the university and it's critical that we keep downtown vibrant. Festival International is such a symbol of what Downtown is all about. It's the center of our community where everyone feels welcome. We can all come together and feel as one."

"Downtown is the epicenter of our cultural identity here in Lafayette and Acadiana. It's an important connector to the university and it's critical that we keep downtown vibrant. Festival International is such a symbol of what Downtown is all about. It's the center of our community where everyone feels welcome."

Most law firms used to be located downtown which made sense as that is the locale of the Lafayette Parish courthouse and other court-related entities. Over time as South Lafayette has expanded, many lawyers have set up shop across the parish. Bacon believes that the trend could be reversed if local government officials made a concerted decision to focus efforts on downtown development. He compared this to how downtown Baton Rouge has blossomed in the past twenty years with state government's push to concentrate its offices downtown in lieu of being scattered across the city. This focus in our State Capitol spurred more development as downtown flourished and enjoyed renewed activity after years of decline.

With the dedicated professionals of Downtown Development Authority working on attracting residential housing and more retail, and the commitment of LEDA's Opportunity Machine and Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission to locate downtown, he's hopeful that more may follow suit. Bacon stated that "these developments can spur additional activity. Other folks will follow. Downtown settings also allow people to interact easily; we're social beings."

Growing up off Johnston Street in Lafayette, Bacon remembers the times when downtown was dormant. He discussed how dead downtown similarly looked during March and April 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 shutdown. When businesses were allowed to reopen in May, downtown started coming back to life but with the resurgence of the pandemic, it's a little slow again.

Jones Walker survived the chaos in getting their offices back to work after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and remembered lessons learned from being a New Orle...

Kelda Poynot, homeschooling consultant, author, and educator has helped hundreds of families navigate the maze of options for schooling their children. She homeschooled her own children over the past 20 years and just graduated her youngest child in May this year. She joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss her journey and share the many benefits of homeschooling.

Kelda was a middle school math and language teacher for seven years and also worked as a school counselor, having earned a BA in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Counseling from Louisiana Tech. She discovered the world of homeschooling when she attended a workshop on behalf of her sister; she left the meeting feeling like she "had been in a tent revival," charged up in realizing how this simple method of teaching offered a wonderful alternative to traditional teaching methods. She never dreamed that homeschooling would become her niche.

Kelda Poynot pictured with her family. All of her children were homeschooled throughout elementary, middle school, and high school, with the exception of her oldest son who attended high school at the Early College Academy at SLCC in Lafayette and who just graduated with an MBA.

While typically 3.3% of the U. S. considers homeschooling a viable choice in educating their children, several surveys have found that over 40% of American families are considering homeschooling during the 2020-2021 school year given the COVID-19 shutdown.

Experts advise that homeschooling is not for everyone, and Poynot concurs and says, "I do not ascribe to the notion that homeschooling is for everyone. There are too many factors to consider, and I don't believe that one size fits all." But for those for whom it works, it is a viable and rewarding path that affords families flexibility in scheduling their time and allows a child to learn at his or her own pace.

Transitioning to homeschooling from traditional schooling takes time, but for many children it's a relief from stress and anxiety. The pace slows down, but the academic structure and curriculums are solid. Poynot shared anecdotes of students who were anxious, almost to the point of being hospitalized when they switched to homeschooling; it typically takes about six months, but predictably, students will slow down their pace, relax and thrive in their schooling.

Poynot stressed that people shouldn't worry about proper socializing of their children if they don't attend traditional public school. Her own kids were very engaged in sports, scouts, church, volunteer activities and clubs. And she said, "When you think about it, when do you hang out with everyone that's the same age at any other time than in school? Once you get out of school, that's never how it is."

Homeschooling is different from the online public school curriculum that Louisiana school districts are offering in that the parents or caretakers take the reins and are responsible for the curriculum.

In Louisiana, children who are homeschooled must be registered with the Department of Education by the time they reach 7 years of age. According to the department’s website, approximately 20,000 families choose homeschooling each year. You do not need teacher certification to educate your child at home.

There are two homeschool education options to choose from in Louisiana: (1) Non-public school (not seeking state approval or accreditation) where the parents agree to home school for 180 days for the school year and are responsible for the curriculum. You submit a letter or email annually to the Department of Education with your intent to homeschool.  The disadvantage of this first option is that children under this program are not eligible for TOPS or pa...

Lafayette General Health System CEO David Callecod joined Jan Swift to discuss how COVID-19 has impacted our healthcare system and way of life. The bottom line is that progressing to Phase III of the pandemic, the full reopening of our economy, and returning to "normal" is totally dependent on our own individual and collective behavior changes: everyone must wear a mask, maintain social distance, wash their hands, and stay home if sick.

The reality is that for the next 18 months (and worst case scenario, the next 24 months), we will not going to be back to the life we experienced and enjoyed as "normal" before the pandemic closed down the U. S in March 2020. Moreover, some people will probably continue to wear masks from here on out, in a manner similar to Asian and European countries pattern, particularly if their immune system is compromised.

We all need to be diligent every day in making good choices as to how we work together and celebrate life as we wait for an effective vaccine to be developed. Callecod shared a telling story about a recent COVID outbreak affecting 18 anesthesiology residents and fellows of the University of Florida Health System following a private party on July 10; even with explicit warnings about private gatherings, these events continue to happen across the U. S., even among our most educated.

Locally, Callecod says it is "absolutely safe" to enter hospitals, as long as people make good choices in wearing a mask and following good hygiene procedures. Cleaning protocols are in place and the hospitals screen people before they enter.

When determining which hospital to bring trauma victims to, emergency medical responders and hospitals rely upon LERN, "Louisiana Emergency Response Network," a statewide system of care coordination that is utilized in the face of large scale emergencies such as COVID. LERN manages data on trauma cases throughout the state, and as long as LGH can handle the case with adequate staff, people will be brought to the main campus. Callecod stated, "As long as LGH can handle it from a staffing standpoint for the patient's particular situation, we'll take the patient."

There are currently over 100 COVID-19 patients at the main Lafayette General campus in the Oil Center, and they are separated from other patients in the facility. Elective procedures have been moved to other LGH campuses such as Lafayette General Orthopaedic Hospital and Lafayette General Surgical Hospital, in order to ensure that staff can take care of emergencies at the main campus which serves as the Level II Trauma Center for the region.

Staff shortages experienced by hospitals has been a hot topic in the news and Callecod explained what is different now from the early days of the pandemic. "On April 13 during the first peak of the pandemic cases, we didn't have a lot of community spread, so we didn't have a lot of workers out. With the peak today, with over 140 COVID patients throughout our entire system, a lot of workers are out sick. There aren't enough nurses and we have 86 employees system wide out today with COVID. Once they're back, they are fatigued and we have to be cautious with our shifts."

At the time of our interview, eight contract nurses had been recruited by LGH from outside of the region and were set to start work. The community spread of the disease is greatly impacting staffing capacity at all hospitals. Healthcare workers are in short supply as Lafayette General and other hospitals; as facilities increase ICU beds and add medical surge capacity needed to address the anticipated increased volume of patients, staffing needs will continue to grow. Typically the hospital could easily recruit out-of-state, but COVID's reach has dramatically affected the supply of available workers.

Erick Knezek, Navy veteran and founder of Oceanetics, Inc, , joined Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette to discuss his company's newest FDA approved COVID-19 medical device, the NRSAVR-100, otherwise known as the "nurse saver." The device was developed with the expertise of Dr. Doug Clement, an ER doctor affiliated with Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette, who is currently treating COVID patients, was instrumental in starting the virus screening program at the Cajundome, and has helped develop methods for testing and keeping healthcare workers safe.

Dr. Clement and Knezek are personal friends and discussed the hazards healthcare workers face when treating COVID patients, as well as the rapid rate in which the hospitals' PPE (personal protective equipment) is depleted as staff move from room to room. In a typical scenario when a patient is intubated, the physician wears an intubation hood ("splash shield") for protection from the potential release of droplets from the patient's airways, but the support staff surrounding the doctor are still subjected to the aerosolized virus particles.

A concurrent and expensive need in hospitals treating COVID patients is to have sufficient isolation rooms that keep the patient from spreading the disease to others. Negative pressure rooms are utilized to maintain lower air pressure inside the room so as to keep contaminated air from escaping into non-contaminated areas and infecting others. These rooms are expensive and in relatively short supply.

With guidance from Dr. Clement, Knezek created a design for the nurse saver to create a closed air system that surrounds the cephalic region (head, neck, and shoulders) of the patient with plexiglass and rubber barriers. The device has two valves that pump in air from the hospital's ventilation system but keep contaminated air from being released back into the room. Six rubber shrouds contain armholes so that healthcare workers can stick their arms in to access the patient to intubate, hook up monitors, insert tubes, or deliver medications without breaking the seal. The contaminants are sucked out by the nurse saver which filters the contaminated air. The design was tweaked a bit after testing and the final prototype has received FDA Emergency Use Authorization.

Dr. Doug Clement demonstrating how the NRSAVR-100 ("nurse saver") effectively seals in contaminated air exhaled by COVID-19 patients. Photo by Leslie Westbrook of the Advocate.

Combining the nurse saver with PPE the staff wears dramatically increases the workers' safety. As a comparison, when a patient is on a ventilator, the air is exhaled into the room, thus necessitating a negative pressure room to prevent contamination of the space. Utilizing the nurse saver affords a much more cost-effective solution ($3000 versus the cost of converting space into negative pressure rooms), allows the patient to be transported within the hospital, and eliminates the need for staff to change PPE at every room entry and exit. The device also allows the patient to be flipped to lay on their stomach (proning), to help keep the patient's lungs open.

The first few of the nurse savers have been given to Lafayette General Health and feedback is being provided. The nurse saver is the only negative pressure cephalic environment device on the market at this time. While there have been no sales yet, Knezek expressed his hope that the medical community will see the exceptional value the device provides and its ability to increase isolation capacity 100 fold. For more information on the nurse saver, visit https://www.intubationhood.com/ or https://www.oceanetics.com/.

Knezek is a graduate of Lafayette High and the US Naval Academy who earned a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Ocean Engineering.

Caitlin Russo, the Eco Cajun, joins Jan Swift on Discover Lafayette. Born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, Caitlyn writes the blog Eco Cajun and is a contributing writer for the Times of Acadiana. Caitlin’s passion for environmentalism began at a young age. She credits her parents for the example they set and asked her to follow, such as using cloth bags at the grocery store and helping with the recycling of their paper, plastic, and cans.

Caitlin Russo learned responsible environmentalism at an early age from her parents.

She enjoys helping people discover ways to live more sustainably and spotlighting environmental leaders. Her blog at https://www.ecocajun.com/ covers tips on everything from beauty tips, travel, wellness, style, homemade organic foods, and how to recycle properly. Zero waste is her goal and she lives the message she preaches. While saving money is always a good thing, her motivation to conserve is rooted in her desire to leave the world a better place than it is now for her daughter and future generations.

As she eats out with her family...especially during the COVID pandemic, she works to leave less of a footprint even as she supports our local vendors. "Please don't bag the food, please don't include plastic utensils, please no styrofoam," she implores as the vendors serve the to-go food.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle are the environmentalist's goal and they're listed in that order for a reason. It's best to reduce the use of packaging, to reuse materials when possible, and as a last resort recycle properly according to government guidelines.

Caitlin enjoys making fresh, organic food for her infant daughter, and discusses on her Eco Cajun blog how she uses a hand-me-down Baby Bullet.

Caitlin Russo, the Eco Cajun lives what she preaches. Pictured above while visiting a tiny home owned by Cherie and Jimmy Hebert, and with her young daughter, Caitlin encourages all interested in living more sustainably to start with something small and enjoy the adventure. Perhaps invest in a stainless steel mug or good quality reusable shopping bags to cut down on waste that will end up in the landfill.

A big fan of consignment shopping, Caitlin selects secondhand clothing for herself and her daughter whenever possible. Local go-to shops include The Clothing Loft for women and children's clothing and Sugarwolf Outdoor Exchange for outdoor sporting gear and accessories. Sans Paquet is in the same building as Sugarwolf and Hub City Cycles at 501 Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette which sells goods you can buy pieces....no packaging. Rent the Runway is a good option for renting designer evening wear for special occasions as you save money by not purchasing a full price item you may never wear again.

Sans Paquet (Without Packaging!) in downtown Lafayette offers No Waste Bulk Shopping for items such as hand soaps, cleansing powders, towels, and sponges.

Other local vendors who successfully encourage reusing goods are Something Borrowed Blooms and Pack and Paddle. For bridal events, Something Borrowed Blooms will rent beautiful high-end silk floral arrangements which are shipped around the U. S. and Canada. Pack and Paddle hosts annual garage sales which allow people to buy and sell used outdoor gear at great prices. Both Lauren Bercier of Something Borrowed Blooms and John and Becky Williams of Pack and Paddle have been guests on Discover Lafayette and their interviews offer delightful takes on their businesses.

Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep guide is a go-to health site for Caitlin as it indexes thousands of skincare, makeup, and fragrance products on toxicity ranking. The guide has a mobile app you can use while shopping to scan products an...

Dr. Tina Stefanski, Medical Director of the Office of Public Health in Acadiana, joined Jan Swift to discuss the current COVID-19 situation in the region.  Dr. Stefanski oversees the seven parish region of Acadiana for the Department of Health in all matters relating to maintaining and protecting the health of our citizens.

A graduate of the LSU School of Medicine, Dr. Stefanski completed her pediatric residency program at LSU School of Medicine's Medical Clinic and Children's Hospital in New Orleans. A stint on a Public Health rotation ignited her interest in the field and she joined the Louisiana Department of Health immediately after she finished her residency requirements.

The Louisiana Department of Health is involved in all things relating to personal, preventative, and environmental health concerns. Overseeing matters as diverse as ensuring safe drinking water, mental health concerns, working with safety inspectors of restaurants, and preventative health measures such as containing the spread of COVID-19, Dr. Stefanski enjoys the scope of her work and the positive impact it has on our region's health.

She speaks highly of our "very coordinated medical community" who proactively work together to share information and resources when the need arises. One such group that is active now is the Physicians' Leadership Counsel co-chaired by Dr. Andy Blalock and Dr. Steve Reese and includes among its members Dr. Chuck Burnell (Acadian Companies), Dr. Ben Doga (Chief Medical Advisor of LHC Group), Dr. Rod Clark (State Board of Medical Examiners), Dr. Anu Desai (President of the Lafayette Parish Medical Society), and chief medical officers of all area hospitals. This working physician's group discusses best practices and treatments to date on COVID, availability of beds, and other information which will benefit healthcare providers and patients in the region.

In the video below, Dr. Henry Kaufman, Chief Medical Officer of Our Lady of Lourdes, and Dr. Amanda Logue, Chief Medical Officer of Lafayette General Health discuss the spike in pandemic cases, rampant community spread after Phase II rolled out, and the tremendous growth in the number of cases in the 18 to 29 year age group. Both physicians urged the public to wear masks as a way to contain the spread of the virus, slow down the number of hospitalized victims, and be able to get to Phase III to see businesses reopen safely and get back to "normal."

https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteGeneral/videos/404216420503740

Dr. Stefanski's message is premised upon the fact that "no one knows what to predict....there is no way to predict what course this pandemic will take. We're all learning together. We've got to listen to the experts so that we can contain the rate of growth." She further stressed, however, "There is no mixed message as to what needs to be done to contain the spread of the virus. Every credible medical expert in the country has consistently shared the same message as to the importance of social distancing, good hygiene practices, and wearing a mask. The virus is real. Yet the message is not sticking."

"There is no mixed message. We all know now how the virus spreads. Every credible medical expert throughout the country has consistently shared the same message as to the importance of social distancing, good hygiene practices, and wearing a mask. The virus is real. Yet the message is not sticking."

It was initially thought that only symptomatic people would spread the virus, because that is how SARS spread. Now the medical community knows differently. 95 to 96% of cases are coming from community spread, from others who are out and about. When social distancing isn't possible, it is best practices to wear a mask,