🦉Chimney Cakes in Lafayette

Almost to the weekend, Lafayette!

There is plenty to do around town and a new place to check out. I won’t keep you long here.

Let’s get into it:

Chimney cakes coming soon
Lafayette history
An impressive feat for a hospital
Calling all plant people
Event after event

By the way, the answer to Tuesday’s Lafayette Trivia question (what year was Lafayette founded?) was 1825. Winners, unfortunately you win nothing because this is the trivia where everything’s made up and the points don’t matter.

Kürtőskalács

Did you know that the only European chimney cake bakery in the state is going to live right here in Lafayette on Main Street? And if you have no idea what a chimney cake is, check out the pictures above and this video.

Take a look at their menu and all the different options and flavors they have. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to trying a new dessert in town.

While they have not announced their grand opening, the shop has had some soft openings in the previous week. For more updates and to follow along, here is their Instagram page.

John Purdue

There won’t be enough space here to do justice telling some of John Purdue’s story. But, I will give short bits of who John Purdue was and how a university came to be named after the man.

John was born in the early 1800s into an extremely poor family in Pennsylvania. His father farmed and taught him about the trade (which becomes a huge part of his story). At about 18 years old, John and his family moved to Ohio where he would teach and become a savvy businessman. His skill was raising hogs and turning a profit. In fact, at one point of his life, John was called “the king of pork.”

In the early 1830s John bought some land in the Lafayette area and in 1837 he moved to Lafayette. He never married and had no children, but he became fairly wealthy in his time here. He started several different ventures. The most well known of course is the university in West Lafayette.

In 1869, he dropped $150,000 (worth close to $3 million today) to found Purdue University. The place was his greatest achievement and brought him a great deal of happiness at the tail end of his life. Purdue actually died on the first day of class in the university’s third year.

Franciscan Health Lafayette East

Franciscan Health Lafayette East earned a spot on Healthgrades' 2026 America's 250 Best Hospitals list. This is a recognition is not based on surveys or a hospital’s reputation, but rather patient outcomes.

How is this determined?

Healthgrades analyzed three years of Medicare data from nearly 4,500 hospitals nationwide. They measured survival rates and complication rates across 31 common procedures and conditions.

I said above that they base this recognition on outcomes, but those outcomes are adjusted for patient differences. A hospital that is treating sicker, older patients with multiple health issues is not compared the same way as a hospital with healthier patients.

After accounting for patient risk factors, Franciscan Lafayette East consistently delivered better than expected outcomes (fewer deaths. Fewer complications) across multiple types of care.

Why is this important?

Only about 5% of U.S. hospitals make this list. When you or a loved one needs care, this recognition means Franciscan Lafayette East is performing at the highest level.

Thank you to everyone who serves our community at Franciscan!

Men’s CBB

12 Purdue at Maryland

2/1 | 1 pm tip-off (Game is on CBS)

Women’s CBB

Purdue at Minnesota

2/1 | 3 pm tip-off (Game is on B1G+)

The Plant Pub

Looking for a fun Friday night activity? The Plant Pub in Battle Ground is hosting a Succulent Terrarium Workshop this Friday, January 30th at 6 pm.

You'll create your own 5-inch terrarium complete with two succulents and all the fun extras (rocks, shells, fairy garden decor). The workshop itself takes under an hour, but stick around to socialize and grab a drink (beer, wine, and wine slushies available for 21+).

I need a ticket