10/05/2026
September Playback: With students back in class and fall routines settling in, September brought new beginnings, community improvements, and moments of reflection across West Lafayette.
At George E. Lommel Park, the community celebrated the opening of a new restroom facility with water fountains, a dog bowl, improved accessibility, and more opportunities for future programming.
The West Lafayette Fire Department also celebrated 14 firefighters completing their training, including 12 new City employees. The graduates are beginning careers with departments across Greater Lafayette.
Mayor Erin R. Easter joined first responders, local leaders, and community members at the Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds to mark the 25th anniversary of September 11. The ceremony honored the lives lost, the first responders who answered the call, and the families and communities forever changed by that day.
Mayor Easter also returned to her alma mater to speak with Purdue University students about local government, public service, leadership, supporting City employees, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who bring different perspectives.
“Sana is amazing and forces me to think about things differently,” Mayor Easter said of her working relationship with Clerk Sana Booker.
West Lafayette received statewide recognition with a 2026 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence for expanding rooftop solar across public facilities. Mayor Easter, Climate Resiliency & Sustainability Officer Clara Lotz, and Utility Director Dave Henderson represented the City at the awards ceremony.
Back home, Mayor Easter helped open the 31st annual Global Fest West Lafayette, celebrating the cultures and people who make Greater Lafayette home through music, performances, food, art, and activities.
Our Street and Sanitation team spent part of September with a much younger audience during its annual Touch-a-Truck visit to Burnett Creek Elementary. Students climbed aboard City vehicles, learned about the work crews do each day, and asked the important questions, including whether a grapple truck could pick up a cow.
Clerk Booker helped close out the month at the University Place groundbreaking, joining local leaders and community members to celebrate an expansion that will add 62 independent-living residences and a new Town Center.
“When I think about groundbreakings, I think about how exciting it is to do something new. To bring something new together,” Booker said. “And this is even better because this is life-changing. It’s about a community that is welcoming and about the people who will be served.”
From neighborhood improvements and public service to culture, sustainability, education, and community growth, September showed the many ways City leaders and employees connected with the West Lafayette community.
