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• Council opts-out on sales tax; Opts-in on "opt-out" Play Video

  February 28, 2012 11:28 PM

  A pair of controversial issues were on Tuesday night's agenda at City-Parish Government. The first, a half-cent sales tax to help pay for public safety. The second, giving LUS customers the option to "opt-out" of smart meters, a new recording system to be installed later this year. City-Parish Council delayed... more »

• Smart Meters' "opt-out" back on table Play Video

  February 20, 2012 10:36 PM

  City-Parish President Joey Durel and LUS talk "smart"... Smart Meters that is. Many people are asking for an "opt-out" plan with these new meters LUS calls "more accurate." Opponents say they're too accurate and invade your privacy. That's how many spent Lundi Gras; instead of throwing beads, some were... more »

• Are LUS Smart Meters too smart? Play Video

  December 15, 2011 10:54 PM

  "It can provide this information about what devices are going on or off in my home and when they are." Joseph Dugal says, "that's surveillance." Dugal is a Lafayette Utilities System customer and he asks, are Smart Meters too smart? That's one of the reasons he doesn't want one installed... more »

• Mayor of Broussard Waiting to Pay 825 Thousand Dollar Water Bill Play Video

  November 30, 2011 7:26 PM

  The Mayor of Broussard, Charles Langlinais, is refusing to pay more than 800 thousand dollars to LUS. He doesn't feel the amount is accurate. The large bill was handed over to the city officials after LUS officials discovered the city has been consuming water for five years from one... more »

• LUS to charge Broussard $800k for uncharged water Play Video

  November 21, 2011 11:40 PM

  Imagine this: No matter how many times you turn on the faucet, it doesn't cost a thing. Lafayette Utilities System Director Terry Huval says that's what happened to one wholesale customer, the city of Broussard. According to LUS, Broussard has been getting free water since 2006 but that's not... more »

• Upgrades Could Cost LUS Millions, Raise Electric Prices

  August 9, 2011 10:53 PM

  Lafayette Utilities Systems will soon be shelling out millions of dollars to upgrade its power plants, and that will likely mean customers will be paying more. This time of year electric bills seem high enough, but a few summers from now, the cost to keep you cool could be... more »

• Lafayette Suing Contractor for "Shoddy Work" on Fiber Lines

  July 8, 2011 8:12 PM

  Lafayette City-Parish Government is suing contractors for millions of dollars, alleging they did "shoddy work" installing fiber optic lines. The problem isn't with the cables, instead it's how they were installed. Lafayette's state of the art internet, telephone and television service first launched in 2009. But a few months... more »

• Meter Reader Fired After Dog Injured

  March 15, 2011 5:32 PM

  The following is a statement from LUS Director Terry Huval: LUS has completed its investigation concerning the actions of a contractor-supplied meter reader on Friday, March 11, 2011, which resulted in an injury to a customer's dog. LUS has determined that the contract meter reader did not follow established... more »

• Man allegedly kicks pet, dog loses an eye

  March 14, 2011 9:45 PM

  A dog loses his eye and pet owners say an LUS meter reader kicked him. However, they say no one is claiming responsibility. "He came limping on three legs." Dog owner, Renie Botha says, "all I saw was his eye hanging out and blood all over." Botha recalls what... more »

• Power Companies Prepare for Ice Storm

  February 3, 2011 7:39 PM

  The four major power companies in Acadiana are closely watching the radars. At their stations, it's all hands on deck. SLEMCO , CLECO , Entergy and LUS are all calling in back up crews from across the state, in preparation for Thursday night's ice storm. "We are preparing. We... more »

• Power Out Across Acadiana

  December 27, 2010 9:10 AM

  A main power line that supplies electricity to all power companies in south Louisiana is down and resulted in power outages throughout Acadiana. According to a spokesperson with LUS, the company is "shedding" power. The practice involves basically rotating power between areas in the grid meaning that an area of... more »

• Bird Knocks Out Power to 5,126 LUS Customers

  October 15, 2010 11:03 AM

  A morning power outage at Johnston and Ambassador Caffery affects 5,126 customers. LUS said the homes and businesses lost power at 9:15 am. It also knocked out some stop lights. All but 1,500 got their power back by 9:51 a.m.. The rest of the customers will get power by 10:30... more »

• Saints Pre-Season Games Available in HD on LUS Fiber

  August 12, 2010 3:22 PM

  LAFAYETTE, LA - LUS Fiber digital video subscribers can view all of the Saints pre-season games in HD on channel 407 beginning at 6:30 pm as the Saints face the New England Patriots. Customers can also watch the Saints play the Houston Texans on Aug. 21 at 7:00 pm and... more »

• Message from Joey Durel About LUS Fiber

  August 3, 2010 2:49 PM

  Message from jJoey Durel: I wanted you to see the Fiber commercial out on TV now. I believe this is just the first step in reminding us all of how important Fiber is to Lafayette's future - and why it is so important. We are a unique community of families,... more »

• Energy Overload May Lead to Blackouts

  June 20, 2010 8:10 PM

  The summer often brings high energy bills, but this year energy companies are worried that some may be left without cool air. Mary Laurent, Communications Manager at Slemco, said the high temperatures aren’t the only thing to blame "we've also had higher than normal growth in our area,... more »

• LUS Fiber announced its first major upgrade

  June 17, 2010 6:02 PM

  LAFAYETTE, La. - LUS Fiber announced its first major upgrade to its Fiber-To-The-Home and Business system at a press conference today. The new upgrade will feature a platform developed by world-renowned Microsoft, an industry leader in technology and entertainment. Microsoft Mediaroom is an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) platform that is... more »

• Lafayette's Growth in the 1900s

  May 18, 2010 6:38 PM

  In the early 1900s Lafayette had a population of about 6,000, but it didn’t take long for that number to rapidly grow. One of the first population spikes came after "the people voted to build their own water and electric plant,” Kaliste Saloom Jr., a former Lafayette judge,... more »

• LUS Water Conservation Ordinance Begins May 1

  April 30, 2010 11:25 AM

  Lafayette, LA (April 30, 2010) - In 2001, the Lafayette City-Parish Council adopted a water conservation ordinance aimed at combating low water pressure during peak hours (late afternoon and evening). The ordinance applies only to automated watering systems and sprinklers, not hand-held hose watering. The enforcement of the ordinance is... more »

• Parish President Joey Durel Goes Back to Washington

  March 23, 2010 1:56 PM

  Press Release: In the same month that he was asked to speak by the Federal Communications Commission and the Knight Foundation for Lafayette’s “Fiber to the Home” initiative, City-Parish President Joey Durel has been invited back to Washington, DC to discuss broadband at Google’s headquarters in the nation’s capital.... more »

• LUS Again Moves Toward Rate Hike

  January 18, 2010 4:46 PM

  LUS customers may soon see an increase on their utility bills. This week, the city-parish council will hear the rate hike proposal for the second time. The proposal was denied last month, because council members insisted the proposal lacked a reason for funding. Director Terry Huval says it's... more »

• LUS Closer To Imposing Rate Hikes For Lafayette Parish Residents

  January 7, 2010 6:12 PM

  LUS officials are closer to raising rates. Today, parish officials and LUS board members toured the facilities that will be affected by the increase. At this time, they're suggesting a 7% hike to parish residents. The ordinance won’t go before the LPUA and City-Parish Council until January 19 th ,... more »

• LUS Moves Forward With Rate Hikes

  December 1, 2009 6:05 PM

  LUS Director Terry Huval makes another pitch for utility rate hikes before the city-parish council at the meeting on Tuesday night. Huval told the council increases would be used to fund improvements for water, electric and sewer systems. He's says it's an opportune time to raise rates, because fuel prices... more »

• LUS Rate Hike Hearing

  November 17, 2009 11:39 PM

  LUS Director Terry Huval made his pitch to increase utility rates at a public hearing Tuesday. With low fuel prices, Huval says it's an opportune time to raise rates. "No one, including myself wants these rates to go up, but we have to do what we have to do," Huval... more »

• LUS Moves Forward With Rate Hike Discussions

  November 16, 2009 6:21 PM

  LUS officials say it's an opportune time to raise rates for their customers. The hike may actually have a limited impact on consumers, while at the same time allowing the company to make some improvements. Under the proposal, LUS is hoping to raise an additional $13 million in revenue... more »

• LUS Poised to Present Case for Rate Hike

  November 10, 2009 7:30 PM

  LUS customers could soon see a rate hike to pay for improvements to service. The proposed increases come at a time when fuel prices are low, which LUS officials say is actually a good thing. The rate hikes are expected to generate $13-million in revenue, a cost LUS Director Terry... more »

• Gov. Jindal Announces a $30 Million Commitment for LSU's New Business Education Complex

  November 5, 2009 2:38 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Governor Bobby Jindal held a press conference today to make two announcements: a commitment of $30 million in capital outlay funds for LSU's new business education complex and $303.7 million in collections for the 2009 Louisiana Tax Amnesty Program, surpassing initial estimates for collections. $30 Million... more »

• Carencro HS students lead fiber optic work

  October 29, 2009 8:11 AM

  CARENCRO, La. (AP) - High-speed fiber optic technology offers a new frontier in computing. Among the explorers: students at Carencro High School's Academy of Information Technology. "The increase in speed and quality will revolutionize everything we do in the classroom," said Elijah Parker, 17, a junior at Carencro. Parker is... more »

• LUS Fiber offers service to businesses

  October 21, 2009 1:17 PM

  LAFAYETTE, La. - "LUS Fiber is now providing Internet service to business customers," Terry Huval, Director of Lafayette Utilities System, announced today at a press conference held at the Lafayette Conventions & Visitors Center (LCVC). LCVC was the first business in Lafayette to receive service over the newly constructed Fiber-To-The-Home... more »

• BBB 17th Annual Awards Program Finalist

  October 7, 2009 2:53 PM

  The Better Business Bureau of Acadiana celebrating 35 years of local service has announced their 17th Annual Awards Program Awards to be held on October 29, 2009. At this year's event Mr. Joey Durel, Lafayette City/ Parish President, will be our guest speaker. Mr. Durel is certainly no stranger to... more »

• LUS expected to increase utility rates

  October 5, 2009 9:27 AM

  LAFAYTTE, La. (AP) - A rate increase has been proposed for the Lafayette Utilities System but so far, city-parish council members aren't on board with the idea. Lafayette Utilities System Director Terry Huval said he expected the proposed increase to meet some resistance from some council members. But, he says,... more »