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John Bel Edwards

Gov. Edwards eases some COVID mitigation measures

BATON ROUGE — Following months of sustained improvement in COVID hospitalizations and an increase in the supply and availability of vaccines, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that some mitigation measures will be eased and, starting Wednesday, April 28, the statewide mask mandate will be lifted.
Mask policies in Louisiana will be set by local leaders and business owners. Under the Governor’s new public health order, masks will still be required on public transit and in state government buildings, K-12 schools, early childhood education centers, colleges and universities, and healthcare facilities.
More than one in four Louisianans are now fully vaccinated, including two-thirds of those 65 and older. The state of Louisiana joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal and medical officials in recommending that people wear masks in public or when they are with unvaccinated people outside of their households.
All Louisianans 16 and older have been eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine for more than a month and Louisiana was one of the first states to broaden vaccine eligibility to the full population. The three safe and effective COVID vaccines are widely available in Louisiana.
“Many Louisianans have been wearing masks for more than a year now and the statewide mask mandate has been in place for nearly 10 months. We know masks work – the science is clear and we’ve seen the positive impact in our own state. It’s intuitive for people to protect themselves with masks in higher risk situations, and this important mitigation measure should continue. But we have many more tools for slowing the spread of COVID than we did even a few months ago, including better treatments and, most importantly, several highly effective and safe vaccines,” Gov. Edwards said. “I want to be clear: this is not the end of wearing masks in public, as COVID-19 and the spread of variants are still a real threat in our communities. Louisianans should respect each other and businesses and places where masks will be required as we move into a new phase of slowing the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. I will continue to wear a mask in government buildings and in public, especially when I do not know if someone around me has been vaccinated, and I encourage everyone to do this as well.”
The order the Governor signed Tuesday also eases restrictions on live music and allows some businesses, like salons, to re-open their waiting areas. Outdoor events will no longer have crowd limitations.
Social distancing and masking are recommended by both the state of Louisiana and the CDC.
Lifting of the mask mandate does not affect the COVID-19 liability protections that were enacted by the Louisiana Legislature which require businesses and schools to follow the recommendations of state and federal health authorities, all of which recommend continued mask wearing.
For theaters, event spaces, festivals and fairs and other outdoor events, there will be no limitations on outdoor capacity. Indoors, a facility may choose to operate at 75 percent capacity while enforcing six feet of social distancing or at 100 percent capacity with masking required and enforced.
For indoor sporting events, capacity is limited to 75 percent of capacity with social distancing, or 100 percent capacity if a mask mandate is enforced at the venue. Capacity will not be limited outdoors.
For live music, new regulations will require 10 feet of space between the stage and the audience and crowds must be seated. Bars will still only be open to those 21 and older.
State agencies may choose to opt-out of the mask mandate for state-owned buildings in writing to the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and also must inform people entering the building that masks are not mandatory. All state agencies in the Governor’s cabinet and under the Governor’s authority will keep their mask mandates.
The Department of Health additionally will issue a state health officer order that will mandate masks in all health care facilities.
Additional details for businesses about COVID-safe operations are posted on OpenSafely.la.gov.

MASKING RECOMMENDATIONS

The Louisiana Department of Health recommends that the public follow the “Two out of Three” rule to keep themselves safe during COVID.
When in doubt about whether to wear a mask at a certain activity where people outside of a person’s everyday household will be present, they can stay safe by:
Making sure everyone around them is vaccinated, or
Maintaining the 2 out of 3 Rule: To lower risk for COVID-19, make sure the activity meets two out of the following three conditions: Outdoors, Distanced and Masked.
Outdoors + Distanced = No Mask Recommended
Outdoors + Not Distanced = Mask Recommended
Indoor + Distanced = Mask Recommended
Residents can call the Bring Back Louisiana COVID-19 vaccine hotline at 1-855-453-0774 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. The hotline can help residents schedule vaccine appointments, find vaccine providers in their area and connect people with medical professionals who can answer vaccine-related questions.

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Counterfeit currency found in Vermilion Parish

According to Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office’s PIO Eddie Langlinais, in the last couple of days, a business person in Vermilion parish reported an incident where the use of counterfeit currency was used to purchase goods.
In most cases, a person receiving counterfeit money as payment for goods and/or services is unaware that the cash payment being received is counterfeit money because they simply do not know how to tell the difference.
Often times, the recipient might not even know it’s counterfeit until trying to use it for payment and/or when it reaches the bank, making it difficult to determine who actually passed it.  Unless you can provide accurate record of who gave the counterfeit money to you, you end up becoming a victim by suffering the loss because the money is worthless.  
Sheriff Mike Couvillon is urging residents of Vermilion Parish to please be vigilant when receiving cash money, and recommends using the below link from the Secret Service as a tutorial that might help to avoid receiving counterfeit currency.
Secret Service offers a downloadable PDF called “Know Your Money” at www.secretservice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2020-12/KnowYourMoney.pdf that points out key features to look at to determine if a bill is real or fake.
If you believe you have received counterfeit currency, the United States Treasury advises you to do the following:
• Do not put yourself in danger.
• Do not return the bill to the passer.
• Delay the passer with some excuse, if possible.
• Observe the passer’s description – and their companion’s descriptions.
• Write down their vehicle description and license plate numbers if you can.
• Contact your local law enforcement agency or call your local Secret Service office.
• Write your initials and date in the white border area of the suspected counterfeit note.
• Do not handle the counterfeit note. Place it inside a protective cover, a plastic bag, or envelope to protect it until you place it in the hands of an identified Secret Service Special Agent. You can also mail it to your nearest Secret Service office.
• Remember, if you are passed a counterfeit bill, you own it. So when accepting cash, it pays to be knowledgeable about the currency you are receiving.
Finally, Sheriff Couvillon says, “If it doesn’t look or feel right, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. If you’re passed a counterfeit bill, you own it. So when accepting cash, it pays to be knowledgeable about the currency you are receiving”.

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Raywood Joseph Menard

November 12, 1929 ~ April 27, 2021

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, April 30, 2021 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Raywood Joseph Menard, 91, who died Tuesday, April 27, 2021 at Eastridge Nursing Center. He will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Deacon William "Billy" Vincent officiating the services.
He is survived by his wife, Rose Champagne Menard; two sons, Randy Menard and his wife Theresa of Kaplan, and Ricky Menard of Abbeville; seven grandchildren, Nichole Stansbury, Dawn Thibodeaux, Tracy Dore, Randi Menard, Kylie Simon, Vicky Menard, and April Menard; and thirteen great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Telesmar Menard and the former Velia Marceaux; two grandchildren, Jane Menard and Randy Menard; and sisters, Anite Menard, Eunice Hebert, Viola Bertrand and Amy LeMaire.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Friday, April 30, 2021 from 9:00 AM until time of services.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

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Maurice no longer under boil water advisory

MAURICE — The Village of Maurice is no longer under a boil water advisory for the area south of West Etienne.
This is the area at Picard Farms subdivision and Prairie Cove subdivision.
“The major leak at the intersection of East Etienne and Hwy 167 has been repaired and all testing has been done with positive results,” Maurice Mayor Wayne Theriot said Wednesday morning. “The Village of Maurice regrets the inconvenience that the problem caused the residents of Picard Farms and Prairie Cove.”

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North Vermilion’s Tyson LeBlanc (14) crosses home plate and touches helmets with John Touchet (9) after Tyson hit a 2-RBI home run in the first inning. Lane Patin (19) crosses home plate in front of LeBlanc.

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John Touchet started on the hill for NV and pitched two innings and gave up two hits and zero runs.

North Vermilion Patriots score 11 runs in first two innings, cruise to win

Things went according to plan for the North Vermilion Patriots in the Class 4A baseball playoffs on Monday.
For starters, they won their first round playoff game, beating No. 30 Hunnington 13-0 in five innings.
The No. 3 Patriots will play host the winner of No. 14 Carencro/No. 19 Belle Chassee game. Those two teams played Tuesday night, after the Meridional went to press.
The second round match up is the best two out of three series that will be played this weekend in Kaplan.
North Vermilion head coach Jeremy Trahan was not overlooking its first round game by no means. He is thrilled his team won, plus, Trahan was able to play a majority of his players.
“I hate playing the first round because you never know,” said Trahan. “A couple of years back, we were 27-3 and got beat in the first round. Today, we came out scored early and got a lot of players in. I was able to use it as a bull pen day for pitchers John Touchet and Allen Johnson.”
“We wanted to go into the second round full strength.”
The Patriots used four pitchers. Touchet started and gave up two hits and struck out five in two innings.
With an 11-0 lead, Coach Trahan rested Touchet and put in pitcher Allen Johnson in the top of third inning. All Allen did was strike out all six batters he faced in two innings of work.
Camden Breaux and Braxton Savant pitched the final innings for NV.
The four NV pitchers combined to give up only two hits and struck out 13.
The Patriots scored two runs in the first inning when Tyson LeBlanc hit a 2-RBI home run.
Then in the second frame, they blew it open with nine runs.
NV had three singles, a double and a home run in the big inning.
Dale Martin launched a 3-RBI home run in the inning that made it 9-0.
Top hitters for NV were LeBlanc (2-for-4, 4 RBI), Dylan Naquin (2-for-2 2 RBI), Camden Breaux (1-for-3, 1 RBI,), Martin (1-for-2, 2 RBI), Ethan Frederick (1-for-1, 1 RBI) and Bradley Christ (1-for-1, RBI).

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Reece Hardee, shown making a catch in the outfield, had the game-winning hit for Kaplan in the first round of the playoffs.

Pirates stun Pine Prairie in first round

Hardee doubles home two runs in top of 7th inning to give Kaplan a victory

The Kaplan Pirates advanced to the second round of the Class 3A Baseball Playoffs with somewhat of an upset win.
The No. 18 Pirates scored two runs in the top of the seventh frame for a 3-1 victory over No. 15 Pine Prairie on Monday.
Kaplan moves on to battle No. 2 South Beauregard in the second round. South Beauregard beat No. 31 St. Martinville, 9-0, on Monday.
The Pirates and South Beauregard will meet Friday at 6 p.m. in the first game of a three-game series.
The two teams play the second game at 1 p.m. on Saturday and 3:30 p.m. if needed.
Kaplan head coach Tyler Domingue said, “It feels to good to get the win,” said Domingue. “This groups of kids has really impressed me with the way they have played the past 10 games.”
The game was tied at one with the Pirates batting in the top of the seventh when Reece Hardee doubled on a 0-2 count, scoring two runs.
Payton Ford and Grant Campbell scored on Hardee’s double. Both players singled to get on base.
It was also Hardee’s only hit of the game.
Ford, on the other hand, had three hits and Logan Hebert had two.
Canden Campisi had a solo home run for KHS in the fourth inning.
The pitching was strong on both sides. Peyton Ford struck out seven, while Pine Prairie’s pitcher fanned 12 Kaplan batters.
Ford took the win for the Pirates. The pitcher surrendered one run on five hits over seven innings, striking out seven and walking zero.

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Maurice City Hall is located at 405 Lastie Ave.

Discussion continues about new Maurice City Hall location

MAURICE — Maurice will eventually have a new city hall building.
Where exactly that new facility will be located remains the question.
Maurice Mayor Wayne Theriot said during Wednesday’s regular Maurice Board of Aldermen meeting that numerous sites are being explored.
“We need to find a location for the city hall,” Theriot said. “I talked to some various people and entities about it.”
Theriot said he spoke to a property owner on La. Hwy. 92.
“They were not interested in selling us just two acres,” Theriot said. “That is what we determined we would need for city hall.”
Theriot also said he spoke to someone about property along U.S. Hwy. 167.
“They were not interested in giving up any of that property on 167,” Theriot said. “That is prime location.”
Government entities can only pay appraised value when purchasing property.
“That property owner does have some land next to the park,” Theriot said. “They would be willing to talk about that. They also have another property on 92.”
Theriot asked Engineer Todd Vincent to look into the possibility of building in one of the new developments, including Prairie Cove and Picard Farms.
“Picard Farms initially presented the idea to us many years ago,” Theriot said. “The plan would have had us in the middle of the development.
“We were hesitant because we didn’t want to have court in the middle of a subdivision.”
Mayor’s court takes place each month at Maurice City Hall. Theriot said an option of building in the front of a development could work.
“We need to look into all options,” Theriot said.
That includes leasing. Theriot asked Village Attorney Ricky LaFleur to look into the legality of the village leasing property.
“I have been in contact with one entity that mentioned the possibility of a lease,” Theriot said. “I had a conversation with another person today. He also mentioned about whether we could go into a lease purchase. I know there are certain stipulations on a public entity leasing.”
Theriot first brought up the idea of a new city hall building during Maurice’s meeting last December. He said it is something that is much needed due to the village’s growth. Some adjustments and improvements to give staff more space were made to city hall during repairs after the 2016 flood. However, the demand for more space remains. Past plans included connecting the city hall building to the Maurice Police Department building, creating a lager complex. Theriot said that plan would create some issues, including blocking access to the water plant.
“I think the most appropriate thing is for us to look at a different location for city hall,” Theriot said in that meeting.
As for funding the project, the village received a $250,000 allocation from the state late last year. Theriot said Rep. Jonathan Goudeau said there could be $800,000 in capital outlay funding from the state. Theriot said the village can also use money from of its own capital outlay sales tax fund. The village would have to match the state’s capital outlay contribution, which is a 75-25 match.
“Rep. Goudeau said they are putting in the $800,000 that we requested,” Theriot said. “He has spoken to the speaker of the house. They are very favorable about putting it in there. Hopefully it does not get vetoed. If that comes through, we should have right about $1 million.”
While those details will be worked out in the future, Theriot said a location for the city hall is the present focus.
“I ask that if you see or know of any locations,” Theriot said to members of the Board of Aldermen, “or if you have any ideas, please let me know.”

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Woke Democrats broke American cities

Almost all of the largest cities in the United States are governed by hard-left Democrats. In fact, there is only one Republican Mayor among the top 15 cities in the country and only three among the 30 largest cities.
All of the problems in our urban areas today are almost exclusively the result of the failed Democratic Party leadership. While previous generations of Democrats might have tried to find bi-partisan solutions to long standing problems, the party’s leaders in 2021 are woke leftists interested only in pushing their radical agenda.
The result has been outmigration, soaring crime rates, a drug epidemic, broken families, failing public schools, an increasing number of blighted properties, high poverty and unemployment rates, an obsession with a race-based agenda and rising antipathy toward law enforcement officers. No wonder people are fleeing our cities in hopes of finding safety and a better quality of life.
Recent headlines show the absolute destruction that is ongoing. In New Orleans, there was another shooting early Saturday morning on Bourbon Street, in the French Quarter, the city’s premier tourist destination. In this case, five people were shot. Sadly, this type of carnage is becoming a regular occurrence in the Crescent City. New Orleans is suffering from a shortage of police officers and an abundance of criminals.
In Philadelphia, police department leaders are lamenting a shortage of officers as few new recruits are coming forward to replace the large number of retirements. Currently, the department is already understaffed, and the problem will only grow worse.
In Los Angeles, crime is skyrocketing while George Gascon, the new woke District Attorney, is pledging to dismantle his office’s Hardcore Gang Division. This decision is baffling to many citizens as statistics show that gang violence has contributed to approximately 60% of the murders in the first 110 days of the year.
Portland, Oregon has been a cesspool of rioting and looting ever since the death of George Floyd made national headlines last Memorial Day. Incredibly, it has never stopped. Last weekend, stores were set ablaze and burglarized. On Friday, a large mob of anarchists spray painted storefronts with graffiti, broke windows, and terrorized diners in a restaurant.
After the latest incidents, the far-left Mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, asked citizens to “call the police” if they see protesters “dressed in all black.” It is much too little, much too late for Wheeler, who has been punched and ridiculed by Antifa affiliated thugs. He has not been able to enjoy a meal in a restaurant or even live peacefully at his home. Protesters, dressed in black, staged a sit-in at Wheeler’s condo building and even hurled “bags of rubbish” and other objects at him as he was walking down a street.
The chaos is also continuing in Seattle, the epicenter of Antifa related violence. In this city, the far left created an autonomous zone, attacked a police precinct headquarters, and basically declared war on law abiding citizens. The craziness never stopped due to incompetent and fearful leadership.
This week, Motion Church, based just south of Seattle, was forced to cancel a speech by Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA. After the speech was announced, a Seattle Antifa organization threatened to destroy the church.
This threat forced the church’s Pastor, Roger Archer, to make his decision. According to Archer, “cops don’t have the manpower to protect the several properties used by the church.” He claimed, “the soft targets of churches, the elderly, women, children, and law-abiding citizens are vulnerable to anarchists who live free of the fear of reprisal.”
Archer also correctly noted that “What recent history has taught us is there’s an apparent lack of interest at the state level of leadership to protect decent, taxpaying citizens. Those terrorist mobs know that there is no consequence for their lawlessness. They have nothing to lose and nothing to fear.”
Archer is right, while the FBI and Department of Justice are busy arresting and prosecuting all the individuals who entered the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, there have been few, if any, repercussions for those involved in approximately 275 riots that have occurred in Seattle and other cities across the country since last summer.
Americans can thank the woke Mayors and the woke Department of Justice for contributing to the anarchy and destruction on the streets of America’s cities.
This is especially true in New York City, led by hopelessly left-wing Mayor, Bill de Blasio. During his tenure, New York is being decimated by not only the pandemic, but also by rising crime. In 2020, shootings increased by almost 100%, while murders increased by 44%.
One factor in this increase is that New York police officers do not feel any support from the Mayor. There have been multiple incidents, many captured on video, of police officers being viciously attacked by criminals, who face almost no penalties for their actions.
It is no surprise that in 2020, an astounding 5,300 police officers retired or quit. This is a 75% increase from 2019. As more police officers leave, the crime rate will continue to rise, and taxpayers and business will continue to flee. In response, Mayor de Blasio has continued to pander to the far left and failed to address the concerns of police and terrified citizens.
In Minneapolis, weak, woke leftist Mayor Jacob Frey has turned over his city to protesters demanding “justice for George Floyd.” However, the no-go zone created near the intersection where Floyd died has seen an enormous reduction in customers, mostly hurting local African American business owners.
One area restaurant proprietor, Alexander W., told the New York Post that city leaders “left me in danger.” He said, “They locked us up…left us behind…left me with no food, no water, nothing to eat.”
Hopefully, the citizens in these woke hellholes will eventually realize that the best way to improve their plight will be to stop voting for Democratic Party politicians, who deliver only poverty, misery, violence and, ultimately, failure.

Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and is a political columnist. For more information, email him at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com

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Bunk Bed, Science Kit Among List of Recently Recalled Child Products

BATON ROUGE, LA – Attorney General Jeff Landry is encouraging Louisiana parents and guardians to be aware of several children’s products that have recently been recalled.
“As the State’s chief legal officer, I am committed to doing all that I can to make Louisiana a safer place to raise our families,” said Attorney General Landry. “For the safety of our State’s youth – I encourage everyone to heed notice of these recalls and remedies.”
Attorney General Jeff Landry noted the following recalled products:
Toy Trumpets by Juratoys
10-in-1 Incredible Inventions Science Kit by Anker Play Products
Children’s Multi-Purpose Helmets by SmartPool
Cabina Bunk Beds by Casa Kids
Shepard Boy Plush Toys with Wire Shepard’s Staff by Parker Squared
To view pictures, descriptions, and remedies of these items – please visit www.agjefflandry.com/safetybox. And to get additional consumer tips, please call Attorney General Landry’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-351-4889.

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Bryan Golden

Dare to Live Without Limits: Don’t Turn Back

When the going gets tough, the idea of turning back is tempting. However, progress in life is never achieved by retreating. “I can’t do this,” “Nothing ever works for me,” or “I always have bad luck,” are thoughts we first experience as children. Carrying them into adulthood is self-defeating.
Anything worthwhile in life takes effort. Nothing is ever accomplished by turning back when faced with adversity. Reaching your goals requires solving problems and overcoming obstacles. The more ambitious your goals, the more effort is required to attain them.
The only way of reaching the top of a mountain is by climbing up. Turning back before getting to the summit prevents you from reaching your goals. Regardless of how steep it gets, you must keep going.
Turning back is a retreat from success. Turning back is akin to failure. Once your forward progress ceases, your objectives won’t be obtained. Only by persisting will you achieve your goals.
Not everything you attempt will work as planned. Encountering roadblocks is normal. Pitfalls are to be expected. Unanticipated problems materialize. Challenges are part of the process. That’s why the maximum, “When the going get tough, the tough get going,” is so true.
Mistakes are never justification for turning back. Mistakes indicate areas needing improvement. Mistakes are a learning opportunity. Mistakes drive innovation and discovery. Mistakes enable you to move forward with more wisdom.
Your life is your responsibility. Turning back negates any progress you’ve made. Don’t whine, complain, or blame others. You have to pick yourself up if you fall, no one will do it for you.
Focus on your strengths in order to move forward. Dwelling on what you consider weaknesses drives the desire to turn back. Your assets are what you already have. Utilize them to push ahead.
Complaining pulls you backward by fixating on problems. Complaining obsesses about what is wrong. Once a problem is identified, devote all of your energy to finding a positive solution. Replace complaining with taking the action necessary to solve your problem.
Eliminate self- defeating thoughts. Tell yourself what you can and will do. Regardless of what obstacles you are facing, there is a way to move forward. Tap into your drive and determination. Unwavering perseverance is a key component of success. If you are going through hell, you must keep going until you emerge.
Keep learning with each step forward. Adapt and adjust as needed. Notice which actions are effective and which are not. Do more of what works while eliminating ineffective strategies. Be willing to make changes when appropriate.
Adversity makes you stronger by identifying areas needing improvement. The more challenges you overcome, the more you are prepared for new challenges. Successful people are adept at problem solving. They understand that obstacles are a part of the journey.
Be friendly to everyone, but be selective as to who your friends are. Connect with others who share your ambitions. You will motivate each other to keep going. Ignore naysayers because they pull you backwards.
Don’t look for issues to be offended by. There is enough to deal with without looking for problems. If someone is offensive, ignore them. If you don’t like what you are watching or reading, stop watching or reading it. When you allow people or circumstances to offend you, you are wasting energy you could be using to move forward.
The road to success starts with leaving your comfort zone. The prospect of turning back towards what is familiar is tempting. Life moves forward, never backwards. Always keep your focus on where you want to go, not on where you have been.

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Vermilion Today

Abbeville Meridional

318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022

The Kaplan Herald

219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548