NFL DRAFT ROUND 2: SAINTS TAKE LOUISVILLE QB SHOUGH 1C THE
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S at u r d ay, a p r i l 26, 2025
Gus Rezendes, left, and Thad Duplechin along with the rest of the band Que Beleza entertain a fired-up crowd at Festival International on Thursday.
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Festival International de Louisiane takes over downtown Lafayette
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Landry orders end to remote work State employees to return to offices by July 1
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Many employees who work in Louisiana state government will be required to work from an office, not from home, beginning July 1 under an executive order issued by Gov. Jeff Landry this week. “No later than June 30, 2025, all state departments, agencies, boards and commissions under the governor’s authority shall require their employees to perform their duties at a designated physical office or facility,” the order states. Landry’s commissioner of administration, Taylor Barras, is also required to create new policies by May 15 to help government agencies to implement the directive. The commissioner is also allowed to approve exceptions to the remote-work ban. The directive also says other state agencies that don’t fall within the governor’s authority “are strongly encouraged” to follow any new return-to-office policies set up by the administration.
ä See REMOTE, page 5A
PHOTOS By ROBIN MAy
Downtown Lafayette is alive with the cultural celebration that is Festival International de Louisiane. The 39th annual festival offers local and global music and cuisines, as well as art, clothing and festival souvenirs from vendors. ABOVE: The opening ceremonies of Festival International features French immersion students carrying flags representing the countries that have bands performing this year. RIGHT: Ava McDowell keeps herself cool while enjoying the music of the band Son De Madera from Mexico on Thursday.
Youngsville development worries residents Some fear project will lead to traffic problems
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
A 700-acre, 1,600-home community is coming to Youngsville, with construction beginning as early as next year. The news of the development elicited concern from some residents, who say rapid growth in the small suburban city has caused outsized traffic problems. But there are plans to alleviate some of the traffic woes the city faces, said Youngsville Mayor Ken Ritter. The largest project in the city currently is the widening of Youngsville Highway on the city’s north side and a major arterial road. The project began in 2023 after
INSIDE ä Moroccan band yallah yallah electrifies the crowd on Thursday at Festival International. Page 1B ä For many festivalgoers, the food is the main event at Festival International. Page 1B
ä See YOUNGSVILLE, page 5A
ICE reverses termination of international students’ legal status More than 1,200 affected across nation
against the Trump administration crackdown, federal officials said Friday. The records in a federal student database maintained by ImmigraBY JANIE HAR and KATE BRUMBACK tion and Customs Enforcement had been terminated in recent Associated Press weeks. Judges across the U.S. had SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. govern- already issued orders temporarment is reversing the termination ily restoring students’ records in of legal status for international dozens of lawsuits challenging the students around the country af- terminations. More than 1,200 students nater many filed court challenges
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tionwide suddenly lost their legal status or had visas revoked, leaving them at risk for deportation. Many said they had only minor infractions on their record or did not know why they were targeted. Some left the country while others have gone into hiding or stopped going to class. In Louisiana, more than a dozen international students have had their visas revoked, according to university officials.
In response to the restoration, U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, confirmed that a number of international Southern University students had their visas restored. “While I’m glad this situation is getting resolved, these sudden and unfounded decisions by the Trump administration continue to cause unnecessary confusion and hardship for students, schools, and families,” Fields said in a statement. “I look forward to working with this
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Congress and this administration to continue fighting for students in my district and throughout this country.” In one of the lawsuits, Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Kurlan read a statement in federal court in Oakland, California, saying ICE was restoring the student status for people whose records were terminated in recent weeks. A similar
ä See ICE, page 5A
100TH yEAR, NO. 300