LSU OFFENSE SHOWS OFF SPEED ON FIRST DAY OF PRACTICE 1C THE
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T h u r s d ay, J u ly 31, 2025
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Fed keeps interest rate unchanged
“It’s been an honor and a privilege to have served. And hopefully I’ve still got a little bit of juice left in me.” JOSEPH SAVOIE, retiring president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
UL’s Savoie steps down after 17 years at helm
Powell sticks with patient approach to cuts, brushing off Trump’s demands BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER
AP economics writer
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave little indication on Wednesday of bowing anytime soon to President Donald Trump’s frequent demands that he cut interest rates, even as signs of dissent emerged on the Fed’s governing board. The Fed left its key short-term interest rate unchanged for the fifth time this year, at about 4.3%, as was expected. But Powell also signaled that it could take months Powell for the Fed to determine whether Trump’s sweeping tariffs will push up inflation temporarily or lead to a more persistent bout of higher prices. His comments suggest that a rate cut in September, which had been expected by some economists and investors, is now less likely. “We’ve learned that the process will probably be slower than expected,” Powell said. “We think we have a long way to go to really understand exactly how” the tariffs will affect inflation and the economy. There were some signs of splits in the Fed’s
ä See FED, page 5A
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE
Faculty, staff, and alumni bid farewell to Joseph Savoie following the announcement of his retirement as the sixth president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Wednesday.
Provost Hebert named interim president
a new position as the university’s president emeritus. Mark Romero, the chair of the UL system Board of Supervisors, announced Savoie’s retirement on Wednesday during a board meeting. ”It’s been an interesting 17 years,” Savoie told the board after the anBY MEGAN WYATT and ASHLEY WHITE nouncement. “We’ve made some improvements. Hopefully, we’ve Staff writers left the university in a better place The University of Louisiana at La- than when we found it and got a solid fayette’s longtime president Joseph foundation to continue to grow and Savoie is stepping down from his develop.” Savoie’s decision to step down has role after nearly two decades leading the university, having overseen likely been in the works for weeks expansions of campus research, and comes on the heels of the deparupgrades to campus facilities and a ture of the university’s longtime vice major fundraising campaign. president for administration and fiSavoie, the university’s sixth pres- nance, Jerry Luke LeBlanc. Savoie met July 2 in his office with ident, has led the school since July 2008 and will transition Friday into Romero and UL system President
Rick Gallot. While all three confirmed at the time that the meeting had taken place, they all denied that Savoie was leaving the university when a reporter reached out that day. His term was not set to end until June 30, 2026, according to a Jan. 27 letter of appointment that noted a recent satisfactory evaluation by the UL system board. Savoie’s compensation package included an annual salary of $510,500, housing on the UL campus and the use of a vehicle or a vehicle allowance of $1,000 per month. He’ll keep the salary in his new role of president emeritus, in which he’ll work on “strengthening external partnerships,” according to an email sent
ä See SAVOIE, page 5A
Lafayette fire chief to retire Benoit has been with department since 1979
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR
Staff writer
Lafayette Fire Chief Robert Benoit chased a childhood dream of becoming a firefighter. Fortysix years after joining the department, he is retiring. His official retirement date is Aug. 15. Benoit was hired by the Lafayette Fire Department on May 3, 1979, fulfilling that childhood dream. He rose through the ranks and on Aug. 7, 1993, 32 years ago, Benoit was appointed fire chief. He “dedicated his life to public service,” Jamie Boudreaux, chief communication officer with Lafayette Consolidated Government, wrote in a
ä See CHIEF, page 4A
New La. laws go into effect Friday Changes affect kratom, window tint, frogging and more
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Louisiana drivers, kratom users, voters and frog hunters should all be on alert as a slew of new state laws are set to take effect Friday. The Louisiana Legislature during its regular session this spring passed 516 bills that avoided a veto by Gov. Jeff Landry, many of which take effect Friday. Here are 20 new state laws that
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will apply to those visiting or living in Louisiana.
Driving in the left lane Drivers who dillydally in the left lane by traveling under the posted speed limit could now face tougher fines with the passage of Act 24, sponsored by state Sen. Jay Luneau, D-Alexandria, who has said the legislation is meant to avert road rage incidents, ease passage for commercial drivers and aid officers in enforcing the rules. Those in violation of the law could now be fined $150 for the first offense and then $250 and $350 for subsequent offenses. The penalty had been a maximum of
$100 or 30 days in jail.
No phones while driving Having your phone in your hand while driving is also illegal now under Act 288. The new law targeting distracted driving makes it illegal to hold onto your phone and do things like texting, taking a call, scrolling through social media or generally using any cellphone app. It’s OK to pick up a phone while stopped at a red light or parked, however. Unless it’s a school or construction zone, drivers can only be penalized for violating the hands-free
ä See LAWS, page 4A
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
A new state law that goes into effect on Friday will allow some darker window tinting for cars.
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