THE
ACADIANA
ADVOCATE
T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M
|
W e d n e s d ay, F e b r u a ry 19, 2025
$2.00X
Delay on new library sparks outrage Board indefinitely postpones action on Northeast Regional branch
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR
Staff writer
The Lafayette Public Library Board of Control sparked outrage and disappointment among some residents and a Parish Council member when it voted Monday to indefinitely delay selecting a design option for the proposed Northeast Regional Library, which would serve a largely Black com-
munity. Parish Council member A.B. Rubin accused board member Robert Judge of trying to kill the library, which has been on the table since funding was approved in 2019. After the vote, a member of the community who had volunteered on committees to make recommendations for the new library approached the seated board members and ripped up their pa-
formation is obtained about the proposal or add it to the regular monthly agenda, Judge said. The term “indefinitely” is insultper nameplates while yelling and budgeted by the former Lafayette City-Parish Council in 2019. cursing. ing, said Mary Lib Guercio, who The library director said the sys- served on the committee. It plays Judge, who was appointed by the Parish Council to the unpaid posi- tem has enough money in reserve to residents’ fears that there will be no action, she said, calling the tion, prompted the reactions at to cover the $5 million. The long-discussed library board’s decision a breach of trust. Monday evening’s meeting when “The Northeast Library is needhe made an unexpected motion would serve a socioeconomically indefinitely to postpone action on challenged area of the parish cut ed to help lift these people up. To a recommendation by a commit- off geographically from other li- give them hope, a place to gather safely,” Guercio said. tee to build a 20,500-square-foot braries by major roadways. The board president may call library that would cost about $5 ä See LIBRARY, page 5A million more than the $8 million a special meeting after more in-
Work begins on new behavioral health hospital
Doctors push back against vaccine rollback Policy shift draws criticism from Cassidy, health officials
BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer
IMAGES PROVIDED By OCHSNER LAFAyETTE GENERAL/OCEANS HEALTHCARE
Renderings show plans for a new mental health hospital being built in Lafayette as part of a partnership between Ochsner Lafayette General and Oceans Healthcare.
Ochsner, Oceans announce Lafayette site for region’s largest facility BY ALENA MASCHKE
Staff writer
A project that has been a long time in the making, a new behavioral health hospital that will be the largest in the region, has broken ground, Ochsner Lafayette General and Oceans Healthcare announced Monday. The 100-bed hospital, which will offer inpatient services for adolescents, adults and geriatric patients, and outpatient treatment options for those experiencing mental health challenges and co-occurring substance use disorders, was
WEATHER HIGH 43 LOW 40 PAGE 6B
first announced in 2022. Now, the partners behind the project announced that construction was already underway on Youngsville Highway, near the corner of Pinhook Road. Oceans already operates a smaller behavioral health hospital offering inpatient and outpatient treatment nearby in Broussard. The new facility will operate on a combined license with the existing hospital in Broussard, adding 60 new beds. Construction is scheduled to be completed in early 2026
ä See HOSPITAL, page 4A
Renderings show plans for a new 100-bed mental health hospital that will offer inpatient services and outpatient treatment options.
Business ...................10C Commentary ................5B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................2B Living............................5C Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
Dr. Sydney Crackower NOW OFFERING Weight Loss Injections
Days after Louisiana’s top health official ordered to an end to mass vaccination efforts and promotions in the state, Louisiana doctors, New Orleans health officials and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, are defending immunizations as a necessary medical intervention and say the decision comes with serious risks. A group of nine medical organizations representing thousands of Louisiana doctors said in a statement Monday that vaccines “should not be politicized.” The head of the New Orleans Health Department, meanwhile, said the city would continue its own vaccine promotion and distribution efforts, despite the state’s decision to withdraw its support. “We are looking to alternative ways to find resources so that we can fill the gap left by the state not supporting mass vaccination events as they have in the past,” said Dr. Jennifer Avegno. And Cassidy, a gastroenterologist, said the policy “ignores the reality of people’s lives.” The comments come after Dr. Ralph Abraham, Louisiana’s surgeon general, warned state employees in a memo to refrain from recommending that people “receive any and all vaccines” and instead to provide data about the
ä See VACCINE, page 4A
100TH yEAR, NO. 234
Helping People Lose Weight For Over 50 Years.
337-988-4116 • sydneycrackowermd.com 701 Robley Drive #100, Lafayette 70503