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Catholic schools in Vermilion Parish will be closed on Thursday and Friday

Wed, 10/07/2020 - 11:58am

Mount Carmel School and Vermilion Catholic High School in Abbeville and Maltrait Memorial Catholic School in Kaplan will be closed on Thursday and Friday.
Bishop Douglas Deshotel has announced that all Catholic schools in the Diocese of Lafayette will be closed Thursday, October 8 and Friday, October 9 due to the advance of Hurricane Delta.
The Central Offices of the Diocese of Lafayette will also be closed tomorrow and Friday. In addition, over the next few days, some Catholic church parishes in parts of the Diocese may have to cancel certain Masses, go to your parish’s website or Facebook page or our Diocesan Facebook page for the latest information. Please join us in praying for the safety of all those in the path of this dangerous storm.

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Public schools in Vermilion Parish will be closed on Thursday, Friday

Wed, 10/07/2020 - 11:01am

All public schools in Vermilion Parish will be closed on Thursday and Friday due to the possible impact from Hurricane Delta.
The Vermilion Parish School System central office will close at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Vermilion Parish Superintendent Tommy Byler made the announcement Wednesday morning.
Hurricane Delta is currently expected to make landfall as a category 2 or 3 hurricane on Friday in southwest or south central Louisiana.
“We are closely watching what this Hurricane Delta is going to do,” Byler said in a social media post. “We hope that everyone has time to make the appropriate plans. Heed all advice from public officials.”
“Everyone, please stay safe.”

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Photo from lsusports.net

MISSOURI AT LSU GAME MOVED TO COLUMBIA DUE TO HURRICANE DELTA

Wed, 10/07/2020 - 10:42am

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – The Missouri at LSU football game scheduled for Saturday night in Baton Rouge has been moved to Columbia, Missouri due to Hurricane Delta, it was announced Wednesday.
The game will kick off at 11 am CT on Saturday on an ESPN platform to be announced.
“Due to the pending impact of Hurricane Delta on Louisiana and the surrounding area, it is in the best interest for the safety of everyone involved to move the game to Columbia,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. “It was critical to relocate the game to an SEC campus where SEC COVID-19 management protocols are in place and readily applied. I appreciate the cooperation of the schools who are working closely to make the appropriate operational adjustments in order to prioritize the health and safety of our student-athletes while accommodating this change in the schedule.”
The SEC continues to monitor the path of Hurricane Delta and remains in communication with member schools to evaluate its potential impact on other athletic events this week.
Statement from LSU Athletic Director Scott Woodward
“While we are disappointed to not play in Tiger Stadium this weekend, Hurricane Delta’s current path and the need to play in a venue with SEC COVID-19 protocols in place made this change an absolute necessity. I want to thank Missouri Athletic Director Jim Sterk for accommodating this on such short notice and Commissioner Sankey for his continued leadership of our conference. I also want to thank those in other cities and venues who reached out to assist, including Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins and his staff. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those in the path of this dangerous storm. Be safe.”

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Jeremy Broussard

Wed, 10/07/2020 - 10:38am

SOUTHSIDE — A Catholic Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2020, at 2:00 PM in Martin & Castille's La Fleur de Lis Chapel in Lafayette, for Jeremy Broussard, 43, who peacefully passed away Tuesday morning, October 6, 2020 at his residence in Youngsville, surrounded by his family.
Inurnment will be in St. Joseph Cemetery in Milton.
Reverend William Schambough, Pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milton, will conduct the memorial services.
The family requests that visitation be observed in Martin & Castille's SOUTHSIDE location on Wednesday from 9:00 AM until time of service.
A Rosary will be prayed by the Catholic Daughters at 12:00 PM in Martin & Castille Funeral Home.
For family members and friends who are unable to attend on Wednesday, at 2:00 PM, the service will be live-streamed to a Memorial Facebook Group dedicated to Jeremy. To join the group, click the link below and then "join group". The video will appear on this group at service time (2:00 PM). You may also share memories, pictures and condolences to the family in this group.
Facebook link: www.facebook.com/groups/JeremyBroussard
Survivors include his wife and high school sweetheart, Jennifer Langlinais Broussard; his beloved children, Bailey Michelle Broussard and Carter Michael Broussard; his parents, Bert Broussard, Jr. and Sheron Schexnayder Landry; his brother, Bubba James Broussard and wife, Heather; his in-laws, Michael and Jocelyn Langlinais; his brother-in-law, Jon Langlinais and wife, Kacey Langlinais; his sister-in-law, Amy Silinsky and wife Jennifer Silinsky; and several nieces and nephews that he loved dearly (most of the time).
He was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents and his nephew, Kalix Broussard.
A resident of Youngsville, Louisiana for most of his life, Jeremy was a loving husband, a devoted father, a cherished son-in-law and a friend to many. Jeremy was a 1994 graduate of Abbeville High School where he met the love of his life, Jennifer Langlinais. They met as sophomores, he was a football player and she was a cheerleader. After graduation, Jeremy began working in the oil industry. He had various jobs within the industry. At the time of his passing, he was a valued employee of Talos Energy as a Deepwater Construction Superintendent.
Jeremy was an avid hunter and fisherman. A devoted LSU Tiger Fan, he attended as many games as he could. Jeremy also loved to camp and enjoy the outdoors. He loved his trucks, vintage and current models, and loved his Ford (just kidding).
Jeremy could've been considered a wallflower, until you brought him to Disney World. He was quiet and reserved but had a heart of gold.
Jeremy courageously fought cancer for over 6 months. His memory will be kept alive in the hearts of all who loved him.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Mark Greenly, Jon Langlinais, Chris "Bubcat" Broussard, Dion Garber, and Chad Romero.
Memorial contributions can be made in Jeremy Broussard's name to Acadian Hospice, 413 Travis Street, Unit 100, Lafayette, Louisiana, 70503.
A heartfelt appreciation is extended by the Broussard family to the doctors and staff of Acadian Hospice and nurse Laura for their excellent care and tender compassion given to Jeremy and our family during this difficult time. The family would also like to thank the staff and doctors of Tulane Medical Center with special thanks to Dr. Christopher Trevino.
View the obituary and guestbook online at www.mourning.com
Martin & Castille-SOUTHSIDE-600 E. Farrel Rd., Lafayette, LA 70508, 337-984-2811.

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Hurricane Delta will enter Gulf of Mexico Wednesday afternoon

Wed, 10/07/2020 - 10:34am

Delta made landfall this morning near Puerto Morelos, Mexico. It will come into the Gulf of Mexico this afternoon.
Landfall projections for the US shows a category 2 or 3 hurricane on Friday in southwest or south central Louisiana.
Life-threatening storm surge, dangerous hurricane force winds, and heavy rain are expected along and east of the track of Delta as it moves inland across Louisiana.
Weather officials now have watches in place across our region:

Hurricane Watch:
Southeast Texas: Jefferson and Orange County
Southwest Louisiana: Allen, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jeff Davis Parish
South Central Louisiana: Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion Parish

Storm Surge Watch:
Southeast Texas: Jefferson County
Southwest Louisiana: Cameron and Jeff Davis Parish
South Central Louisiana: Acadia, Iberia, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion Parish

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Quang Dinh Nguyen

Wed, 10/07/2020 - 8:27am

May 11, 1941 ~ October 4, 2020

ABBEVILLE — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church honoring the life of Quang Dinh Nguyen, 79, who died Sunday, October 4, 2020 at his residence. He will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Rev. James Nguyen officiating the services.
Quang is survived by his wife. Vinh Nguyen; two sons, Quan Nguyen and Hung Nguyen (Nqoc); three daughters, Quynh Nguyen, Quyen Nguyen and Van Nguyen; one brother, Tuyen Nguyen; one sister, Trung Nguyen; and twelve grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ninh and Thiep Nguyen.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 from 10:00 AM until 10:00 PM; Wednesday, October 7, 2020 from 10:00 AM until 10:00 PM; Thursday, October 8, 2020 from 10:00 AM until 10:00 PM; Friday, October 9, 2020 from 10:00 AM until 10:00 PM; Saturday, October 10, 2020 from 8:00 AM until 12:45 PM when the procession will depart for the church.
In observance of the state’s mandate, the family requests that visitors wear masks and please practice social distancing.
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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Wilfred “Gail” Luquette Jr.

Wed, 10/07/2020 - 8:14am

August 13, 1949 ~ October 2, 2020

ABBEVILLE — Memorial services will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday, October 16, 2020 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church honoring the life of Wilfred Gail Luquette Jr., 71, who died Friday, October 2, 2020 at Ochsner Medical Center. He will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Father Donald Bernard officiating the services.
Gail is survived by his wife of 47 years, Becky Luquette of Abbeville; two daughters, Jennifer “Jennie” Russo and her husband Russell of Abbeville and Jeanne Luquette of Abbeville; mother, Norma Luquette of Abbeville; brother, Michael Luquette and his wife Dana of Erath; sister, Jeanette Landry and her husband Timothy of Abbeville; brother-in-law, Ulyesse Bourque and his wife Helen of McKinney, TX; and a granddaughter, Alayna Russo of Abbeville.
He was preceded in death by his father, Wilfred Luquette, Sr.; brother, Curtis James Luquette; and parents-in-law, Laodis and Faye Bourque.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Friday, October 16, 2020 from 12:00 PM until 1:45 PM when the procession will depart for the church.
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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Gov. Edwards declares State of Emergency in advance of Hurricane Delta

Tue, 10/06/2020 - 3:21pm

BATON ROUGE — Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Delta, which is forecast to make landfall in South Louisiana on Friday or Saturday.
The Governor will host a Unified Command Group meeting this afternoon, followed by a media briefing at 3 p.m., which will be streamed at gov.louisiana.gov. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness’ Emergency Operations Center will begin 24 hour operations on Wednesday.
Hurricane Delta is currently a Category 4 storm and will enter into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, with wind speeds greater than 130 miles per hour. While it is currently projected to weaken a bit before landfall, it may be a Category 3 storm and significant impacts are expected. Wind, rain and surge will likely be substantial.
“Hurricane Delta is an incredibly dangerous storm that will bring heavy winds, rain and life threatening flooding and storm surge to coastal Louisiana. Everyone in South Louisiana should pay close attention to the weather in the coming days and heed the advice and directions of their local officials. Now is the time to make preparations for Delta’s impacts,” Gov. Edwards said. “All of Louisiana’s coast is in the tracking cone, and we are well aware that impacts can be felt outside of the track.”
“We have seen an active hurricane season already, with a devastating hit in Southwest Louisiana from Hurricane Laura. It would be a mistake for anyone in Louisiana to let down their guard. Be prepared,” Gov. Edwards said.
Louisianans can get updates from the Governor’s office via text by texting 'HurricaneDelta' to 67283.

PREPAREDNESS TIPS

Please remember, if flash flooding becomes a problem due to heavy rainfall, never drive on flooded roadways. Check out the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s website www.511la.org for updated road closure information.

Finalize an emergency communications plan with your family and co-workers.

Check your emergency supplies. Remember to include any items needed to sustain each family member for at least 3 days.

Supply kits should include:

A three to five- day supply of water (one gallon per person per day) and food that won't spoil
A supply of face coverings, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes due to COVID-19 concerns
One change of clothing and footwear per person, and one blanket or sleeping bag per person
A first aid kit that includes your family's prescription medications
Emergency tools including a battery-powered radio, flashlight and plenty of extra batteries
An extra set of car keys and a credit card, cash or traveler's checks
Sanitation supplies
Special items for infant, elderly or disabled family members
An extra pair of glasses
Important family documents in a portable, waterproof container
Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
Paper and pencil
Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
Infant formula and diapers
Pet food and water
The Governor’s office will share updates about Delta, Hurricane Laura response and recovery and COVID-19 through its texting system. People may opt-in by texting 'HurricaneDelta' to 67283 and sign up for phone calls by going to Smart911.

Find more tips on weather and preparedness on GOHSEP’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Listen to conversations on all aspects of emergency management by downloading GOHSEP’s The Get A Game Plan Podcast. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. The Get A Game Plan App is another resource available to help you and your family prepare for any type of emergency. You can download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.

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Former Louisiana Gov. Mike Foster funeral services announced

Tue, 10/06/2020 - 1:30pm

FRANKLIN, La. – Governor Murphy James “Mike” Foster, Jr., a retired businessman and sugar cane farmer from St. Mary Parish, left this earth on Sunday, October 4, 2020 surrounded by family and close friends.
Mike Foster became Louisiana’s 53rd governor after running for office as a little-known senator to fix things that were broken. He served Louisiana as its chief executive from 1996 – 2004.
The first thing Governor Foster handed to his senior staff members were coins that read, “Do the Right Thing.” That was the mantra that he lived by, the standard that he held his staff to, and that to which he insisted Louisiana government aspire.
He began his construction company, Bayou Sale, so his farm employees would have work during the off season. He was also an avid outdoorsman who loved fishing along the Louisiana coast and hunting in southwest Louisiana on Pecan Island.
Governor Foster was first elected to the state senate in 1988 at the age of 58. He was an Eagle Scout, a veteran who served as a Captain of the United States Air Force in the Korean War, and grandson of former Louisiana Governor Murphy J. Foster (1892 -1900). He became the first GOP governor since Reconstruction to serve two terms as the state’s chief executive.
One of his most significant accomplishments as a legislator, the creation of the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation, lives on today and has saved Louisiana employers tens of millions of dollars.
As Governor, Mike Foster brought honesty and integrity to state government. He restored fiscal sanity by balancing budgets, running surpluses, ending the repeated pattern of budgeting by crisis, and making massive new investments in infrastructure and education, both K-12 and Higher Ed, to position Louisiana more competitively for the future.
He called a special session early in his first year in office and successfully pushed the legislature to restore balance to Louisiana’s legal system. He created the Louisiana Workforce Commission and then persuaded legislators and voters to catch Louisiana up with the rest of the country by creating the Louisiana Community and Technical College System—which has been Louisiana’s fastest growing workforce development system ever since. He fought fraud, abuse, and runaway spending in the Medicaid program, ensuring money was available for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and brought the Charity Hospital system under the supervision of LSU Medical School.
Governor Foster paid down state debt more than any other Governor while investing hundreds of millions of dollars into new university buildings and deferred maintenance and reimagining the entire state government complex which rebuilt and revitalized downtown Baton Rouge.
He made restoring Louisiana’s coast a national issue as well as a statewide priority, passing constitutional amendments that required new federal funding dedicated to coastal restoration.
In 2002 in a special session, he not only ensured the Saints would stay in New Orleans, but that Louisiana would secure an NBA franchise, while planting the seeds for economic development successes to come by modernizing the Quality Jobs Act, expanding the film and video production incentives, and creating the research and development and technology commercialization tax credits. He also guided $100 million in investments in biosciences and information technology to build Louisiana’s capability in the industries of the future.
In K-12 education he passed teacher pay raises, created charter schools, the LA-4 pre-K program and the school and district accountability framework that has led to dramatic increases in student academic performance and high school graduation rates. To retain Louisiana’s most talented high school students, he created the TOPS scholarship program that has provided scholarships to tens of thousands of students in the past two decades.
Governor Foster also spearheaded the building of the renowned New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, giving New Orleans the finest performing, visual, literary, and culinary arts programs in any secondary school in the nation.
When he left office in 2004, Louisiana was in a dramatically better place financially and the foundation had been laid for future success in all other areas of state government. He credited his success as a legislator and as Governor to his non-partisan approach, always putting Louisiana’s needs and priorities first.
Governor Foster graduated from Louisiana State University in 1952 with a Bachelor of science in chemistry and he also managed, while in office, to complete his courses at the Southern University Law School and graduated with a juris doctorate in 2004. He was never happy with lawyers telling him he couldn’t accomplish his objectives in state government because it “was against the law” and sought to change those laws by further understanding how it could best be done.
In 2003, Governor Foster was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame.
His curiosity and commitment to learning new things that were practical always drove him. Always looking to learn a new craft, Governor Foster was also a certified welder, had fixed wing and helicopter pilots’ licenses, loved riding his motorcycles, had a 20-ton boat captain’s license, and completed EMT courses.
Above all, Governor Foster was a loving husband to his wife, Alice, and father to his son, Murphy J. Foster, III (Diane) and daughter Ramelle Foster, and sons Paul West (Lisette) and Troy West (Sandra). Governor Foster’s legacy includes nine grandchildren (Murphy J. Foster, IV, Clark Foster, John West, Jennifer Harding, Michelle Eunice, Christopher West, Zachary West, Spencer West, and David West) and five great-grandchildren (Murphy J. Foster, V, Charles Foster, Matthew West, Hudson West, and Graham West).
He is also survived by his devoted employees, friends, and caregivers, Ann Cortez and Leslie Braud, and his dear friend, confidant, and CPA, Randy Battaglio. He is preceded in death by his parents, Murphy J. and Olive Robert Foster, and his brother, William Prescott Foster.
We are a better people and a better state because Murphy J. “Mike” Foster, Jr. came our way.
The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to Beverly Broussard and Heart of Hospice for their assistance and care.
Private services will be held at Oaklawn Manor on Wednesday, October 7 at 11:00 a.m. followed by a public military graveside service at 12:30 p.m. at Franklin Cemetery. Pallbearers will be his grandsons. Honorary pallbearers are Randy Battaglio, Charlie Billodeau, Bernie Boudreaux, Leslie Braud, Dr. Tom Kramer, Donnie Stiel, and Dr. C. T. Stirling. Please observe normal guidelines for face coverings and social distancing. In lieu of flowers, contributions to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Franklin or the Coastal Conservation Association of Louisiana (CCA) are appreciated.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Franklin, LA.

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