SAVE $ 02 6
augusT 20 - 23 THUR FRI
SAT SUN
20
22
21
23
— ONLY —
1397
$
USDA PRIME BEEF BONE-IN
Whole Rib Eye
USDA PRIME BEEF BONE-IN VALUE PACK
15
Rib Eye Steak $
THE
SAVE
When You Buy 2
When You Buy 2
When You Buy 2
up $ to
1
4 DAY SALE rd
SAVE
up $ 18 to
LB
th
SAVE
LB
97 LB
up $ to
4
LIMIT 6
— ONLY —
FRESH
Large Green Bell Peppers
1
2/$
494
98
— ONLY —
16 OZ CONTAINER
Blue Bell Ice Cream
5
2/$
— ONLY —
9
2/$
15 - 29.3 OZ
DiGiorno Pizza
Prices good at all Lafayette, New Iberia and Youngsville stores August 20th - August 23rd, 2026.
ACADIANA
ADVOCATE
T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M
|
F r i d ay, au g u s t 21, 2026
$2.00X
Cassidy says he has issues with FDA nominee PROVIdEd IMAGE
HOTEL LAFAYETTE: After some obstacles, work is expected to begin again on the 83-room hotel planned for downtown Lafayette.
Senator says pick doesn’t have necessary experience
STAFF FILE PHOTO By ENAN CHEdIAK
TRADER JOE’S: The popular grocery store, which opened a location in New Orleans in June, could have its Lafayette store on Camellia Boulevard open by the end of September.
COMING SOON
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy has raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the agency that oversees the safety of food and drugs, citing a lack of experience and questioning her commitment to defending vaccines. As chair of the powerful Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, Cassidy’s wari- Overton ness could pose problems for Dr. Heidi Overton’s nomination. Overton, of Gallup, New Mexico, is a deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. Trump tapped her Wednesday to replace Dr. Marty Makary, who resigned in May. “While I respect Dr. Overton’s experience as a physician, I have strong concerns about her nomination to be FDA Commissioner,” Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, wrote on X moments after Trump announced his nomination. “Her lack of managerial experience does not prepare her well for leading a large organization that is already dealing with staffing and morale issues.” Cassidy has not said when or if he will convene a HELP committee hearing on Overton’s nomination. Every Republican on the panel will have to approve advancing Overton’s nomination for the full Senate to vote on her confirmation. Additionally, Cassidy faulted Overton for standing behind Trump when he released his
New growth draws big commercial, residential developments to Lafayette Parish
BY ADAM DAIGLE
Acadiana business editor While much of Louisiana has lost population, Lafayette Parish has continued to grow, fueling a wave of commercial and residential development. While Acadiana waits for final confirmation on the much-talked-about SpaceX project in neighboring Vermilion Parish, Lafayette Parish’s continued population growth is bringing new businesses, housing and redevelopment projects to the area. From a Trader Joe’s expected to open soon to a $72 million Buc-ee’s project and a massive new residential development in Youngsville, here are five projects worth watching through the rest of 2026 and beyond.
Trader Joe’s This one has people excited and could open up by the end of September. Construction has been busy at the site at the corner of Camellia Boulevard and Bluebird Drive for months. An opening date should be announced soon. The store is expected to be a big draw just for its popularity, but local officials are hoping it will stop what is described as retail leakage — people leaving Lafayette to visit Trader Joe’s store in Baton Rouge or elsewhere. And it’s also not expected to pull away
PROVIdEd IMAGE
NORTHGATE MALL: A rendering shows plans for the former Northgate Mall, Lafayette’s oldest shopping mall. Plans include a rooftop bar. sales from other supermarkets in the area. Trader Joe’s is a specialty grocer, and customers often pair stops there with other stores. It will employ up to 80 people and offer a starting wage of $17-$22 an hour.
Hotel Lafayette Ground was broken just over a year ago on the 83-room hotel planned for downtown Lafayette, but obstacles soon sur-
faced as work began. Now you might see more activity happening at the corner of Lee Avenue and Vermilion Street. The building’s full foundation will be poured early Saturday morning, said Ryan Pecot, part of the hotel’s ownership group. “Once that happens, we should see some red steel and walls getting framed up
ä See SOON, page 4A
ä See FDA, page 4A
Carrier arrives in Middle East to relieve long-deployed USS Lincoln BY BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Asia-based USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East, the U.S. military said Thursday, relieving a long-deployed carrier following reports of mental health challenges and supply shortages aboard while it was supporting the Iran war. U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said on social media that the car-
WEATHER HIGH 97 LOW 78 PAGE 12C
rier arrived in the region Wednesday. It was not clear when the USS Abraham Lincoln would arrive back in the U.S. or whether it would make a port stop along the way, but the journey takes just over a month. The Washington arrived as concerns have grown about the Lincoln’s lengthy deployment, which has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days, and about reports of crew stress and poor mental health, as well as supply shortages, including food and hygiene products. Several Democratic lawmakers have
pressed the Department of Defense for accountability over conditions aboard the Lincoln, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said were “completely misrepresented.” Hegseth spoke with the Lincoln’s crew last week, and Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, visited this past weekend. In an editorial published Sunday by The Wall Street Journal, Cooper said the crew “delivered a performance for the ages, and now you are going home.”
ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO By VICTOR R. CAIVANO
The USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating ä See CARRIER, page 4A in the Middle East.
Business ......................6A Commentary ................3B Nation-World ................2A Classified ..................10C Living............................5C Opinion ........................2B Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
102Nd yEAR, NO. 52