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This is an aerial view of the Texaco Gas Station fire in Delcambre. Photo by Tylar Lewis

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Volunteer firemen battle the flames.

Closing of Texaco Station due to fire will have major impact to community of Delcambre

Champagne family releases a statement about the fire

DELCAMBRE - The loss of the Texaco Gas Station is going to have a major impact on the town of Delcambre.
A fire broke out at the Hot Food Corner restaurant within the Texaco gas station on Veterans Memorial, resulting in the complete loss of the building and the fuel depot.
Despite the efforts of six fire departments, including Delcambre, Iberia, Fire District 1, Rynella, Erath, and BOM, the damage was too extensive to contain. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.
The Champagne family own the Texaco Gas Station.
Cotty Champagne released a statement on the behalf of his family.
"On behalf of my family and myself, I would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all the emergency personnel who responded swiftly and selflessly during our recent crisis. Your dedication to serving and protecting our community has not gone unnoticed, and we are truly grateful for your tireless efforts. In addition, I would also like to express our sincere appreciation to all our friends and customers who generously offered their support and assistance during this challenging time. Your kindness and solidarity have been a source of strength for us, and we are humbled by the outpouring of support we have received. Please know that your acts of kindness have touched our hearts deeply, and we are eternally grateful for your compassion and generosity. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a caring community, and we are confident that with your support, we will overcome this adversity and emerge stronger than before. Once again, thank you to each and every one of you who has reached out to help us in our time of need. Your support means more to us than words can express, and we look forward to serving everyone again."
Delcambre Mayor Pam Blakely expressed the community’s sadness over the loss and hopes for a swift reopening of the store.
“A sad day in Delcambre. The loss revenue to the town plus the effect this will have on the employees of Texaco and the people that gather in the morning for conversation and coffee also people travel through town getting gas and supplies for their day,” said Blakely. “Our prayers are with the Texaco people and hope they return even bigger and better.”

The Mayor said she is hoping to restore electricity and have the gas pumps operational as soon as possible.
The Texaco station has been a part of the community for over 20 years and has previously endured two hurricane floods in the last 15 years.
Mayor Blakely emphasized the significance of the store to the community, mentioning that she herself frequented it regularly.

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Abbeville High players walk off the field when the game was stopped.

Abbeville football game stopped after coaches hear fan threaten to get a gun

It ended with still seven minutes to play, and Wildcats losing 50-12

The Abbeville High/Franklinton football game was halted with 7:33 remaining in the fourth quarter after Abbeville High assistant coaches overheard a spectator behind the AHS players threatening to get a gun.
Abbeville was losing 50-12 when the game was stopped.
The young man who allegedly made that statement had just been in a pushing match with another person sitting in the first row of the AHS stadium.
 Within seconds, security officers were in the stands trying to escort the young man out of the stadium. As the young man was being escorted out, the Abbeville assistant coaches, with a protective instinct, started waving their hands and directing their players to the safety of the school bus.
In the meantime, the Abbeville Wildcats offense was still on the field, running plays while the AHS coaches were trying to get their players off of the field.
Abbeville High Head Coach Jonathan Zenon walked across the field to tell Franklinton head coach Nick Saltifamagio why he was calling the game.
On the way back, Coach Zenon explained why the game was stopped early.
“There was a group of kids in the stands heard that a guy was going get a gun,” said Zenon. “We decided to end it.”
Once the game was over, Franklinton trotted across the field and onto their bus, while the Wildcats walked to their buses.
When the game was called, Abbeville Principal Phillip Freeman was on the Abbeville High sideline. 
He did not want to make a statement until he investigated the incident.
It was almost two years to the day that someone fired five bullets near the J.H Williams football stadium. It was also Abbeville’s homecoming game. 
On Friday, it is also Abbeville High’s homecoming.
As of Friday night, it was not known if anyone was arrested for allegedly making gun threats on a school campus.
This is the second week a Vermilion Parish football game had a strange ending.
Fighting broke out at the end of last Friday’s North Vermilion/Comeaux High football game. The two teams were suspended from playing this Friday because of the fights.

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Councilman Brady Broussard Jr., Councilwoman Terry Broussard and Councilman Carlton Campbell (seated L-R) listen while Jason Akers explains details of the process of financing improvements for the city’s water plant.

City capitalizing on ‘good deal’ for water plant improvements

Officials with the city of Abbeville set off to devise a plan to use nearly $3 million in grant funding ...

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Mitchell Wayne Livings

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services for Mitchell Wayne Livings is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday, October 22, 2024 in the chapel of Kinchen Funeral Home – 218 N. St. Valarie Street with burial in St. Paul Cemetery. Visitation will be from 8 a.m. until time of service.
Mitchell Livings (62) a resident of Kaplan, passed away in an automobile accident on Sunday, October 13, 2024.
He is survived by his loving wife, Essie Plowden Livings of Kaplan, LA; his mother, Ethel Livings; one daughter, Tori Anderson; one brother, Michael Livings (Carla); sisters, Annetta Livings, Tasha Livings and Tina Livings (Melvin) of Lake Charles,LA; two grandsons, Dion and Tatum, and a host of other relatives and friends.
Mitchell was preceded in death by his father Joseph Livings and two brothers, Tommy and Raye Livings.
Kinchen Funeral Home Inc. is in charge of final arrangements. Additionally, condolences to the family may be expressed on our website at: www.kinchenfuneralhome.com.

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North Vermilion player No. 34 gets pushed out the line by a Comeaux High player.

Vermilion Parish School officials watch video of handshake; does not clearly show ‘BTA’ took place

Video shows the fight, click link

Did the TikTok trend “BTA” cause the fight between North Vermilion High and Comeaux High School after last week’s football game?

It has been a week since it happened, and no one knows the official details yet.The Vermilion Parish school officials have lo acated a video of the handshake after the game. The Meridional also obtained a copy of the video, which shows the teams shaking hands. During the handshake, a Comeaux player suddenly stops and walks back to a North Vermilion player, who was four players down in the middle of the field.

The Comeaux High player then runs up to the  North Vermilion player, who is not uniform and pushes him out of the handshaking line.Based on the video, the Comeaux player takes a swing at the NV player, who then tries to escape. School officials are still trying to determine why the Comeaux player turned and pursued the North Vermilion player.

Other media outlets have reported that the Comeaux High player was upset because the North Vermilion player allegedly touched that Comeaux player with a towel on his butt.  The Meridional first reported that a Patriot player touched a Comeaux player  with a towel while shaking hands. 

That touching with a towel is known as “BTA” or “Beat Your A--.”The video does not show the North Vermilion player touching anyone with a towel. When he is pushed outa of the line by the Comeaux High player, he is holding a towel like the other players.

 

“I do not know if he swings the towel,” Vermilion Parish Superintendent Tommy Byler said. “Do I think it was the TikTok challenge? No. Something provoked the Comeaux player. 

“Regardless of why it happened, the result (fighting) was not justified.”

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) handed down a one-game suspension for both teams. North Vermilion and Comeaux did not play Friday night. The two schools will also have to write up a plan to prevent an incident like this from happening again.

The North Vermilion player initially pushed by a Comeaux High player is not one of the players who suffered concussions after being beaten by Comeaux High players.

North Vermilion officials are still investigating the videos.

“Any student found to be actively participating in a fight will be disciplined accordingly, said North Vermilion Principal Denise Lotief. “We are trying to separate who was attempting to remove players and who was a willing participant at this point.”

 

 

 

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2024 Erath High Homecoming Grand Marshal Nellie Broussard

2024 Erath High Homecoming Grand Marshal

Imagine a child strolling into a 1st-grade classroom and then sixty-one years later, you can still see that person walking the halls of that same school as an active participant. It is a feat not many (if any) can claim. Though roles shifted from student to teacher through the years, In Erath, Nellie Broussard is that rare example.
As a 1st grader many years ago, she began her journey at Erath High, which housed grades 1-12 at that time. (PreK and Kindergarten didn’t exist in public schools until much later.)
Before 1972, Erath High housed all twelve grades. Unlike Erath students today, she attended 1st through 12th grade, at only one school. She graduated from there in 1971.
After leaving her alma mater, she attended USL (now UL) and graduated in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics and Math Education. In 1976, she earned her Masters in Education at USL. She also earned certification in the supervision of student teachers. She had several through the years.
Following her 1974 college graduation, her teaching career began right back where she started, at Erath High School.
Broussard taught for thirty-three years, then retired in 2007. However, she returned the following year. Upon returning to EHS in 2008, she remained for eleven additional years. By 2019, she retired a second time, with forty-four years of teaching experience. However, she didn't stop there, this two-time retiree then began substituting at Erath High.
Through more than four decades, this 1994-1995 - Erath High Teacher of the Year taught Home Economics (Home Ec I, II, III, IV), Parenthood Education, Foods and Nutrition, Consumer Education, Child Development, ACT prep, Chemistry, and several Maths (Algebra I and II, general math, financial math),
It can be said that EHS claimed much of her existence, whether it was as a student, teacher, or substitute.
All in all, that little first-grade girl has grown up and sixty-one years later, she is still walking the halls of EHS as an active part of the school. Approximately 6000 students have entered her classroom during her tenure. She said she “taught many of my students’ parents and grandparents!”
With that rare accomplishment, Erath High Principal Dr. Belisa Smith announced that Erath native Nellie Broussard was chosen as the school’s 2024 Homecoming Grand Marshal.
She is a native of Erath and a mother to three children. Jason Broussard (spouse Laurie), Amy Broussard Leblanc (spouse Lance), Seth Broussard (spouse Megan). She has five grandchildren Lawson Broussard, Locke Leblanc, Janson Broussard, Mailey Broussard, and Maverick Broussard. Her parents are the late Perfay and Lillian Broussard. She has two siblings, Ann Broussard Clostio, and the late Howard Broussard.

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Pictured are (Top) Principal Andrea Ford and Assistant Principal Jessie Leger. (Bottom) Caroline Lee, the 2024 Homecoming Flower Girl, and Sawyer Stal, the 2024 Homecoming Crown Bearer.

Dozier Elementary 2024 Homecoming Crown Bearer and Flower Girl

Each year Dozier Elementary randomly chooses one boy and one girl from the first-grade class to represent our school as the EHS Homecoming Crown Bearer and Flower Girl. On Friday, September 27, 2024, a drawing took place with the first-grade students and teachers.
The 2024 Erath High Homecoming Crown Bearer and Flower Girl are Sawyer Stal and Caroline Lee. This duo will represent Dozier Elementary at the Erath Homecoming festivities and game on October 18, 2024!
Caroline is the daughter of Steven and Lauren Lee, and Sawyer is the son of Ian and Amy Stal.

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Bryan Golden

The Placebo Effect

The placebo effect is a great illustration of the awesome power of the mind. Here is how it works.

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Harry Lee Broussard

Harry Lee Broussard, better known as Paw, was born on December 10, 1929, in Kaplan, LA, the eldest of seven siblings. Known for his strong work ethic and honesty, Paw dedicated over 60 years to farming rice, soybeans, and crawfish, providing for his community. He was also very involved at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church in Kaplan, St. John the Baptist in Lyons Point and the Knights of Columbus.
A Mass of Christian Burial officiated by Reverend Stephen Sahayaraj Irudayasamy will be held at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church on October 17, 2024, at 12:00 PM. Reading at the Mass will be Julie Mouledous and gift bearers will be Jenny Broussard and Paula Lemaire. The visitation will take place at Vincent Funeral Home of Kaplan on Thursday, October 17, 2024 from 8:30 a.m. until the procession departs for the church at 11:30 a.m., with a rosary being prayed at 10 a.m.
The burial will follow at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Aaron Trahan, David Trahan, Jodie Broussard, Barret Lemaire, Dylan Lemaire, and Gabe Broussard.
Paw loved sports and spent many evenings bowling, forming lasting friendships and winning numerous league competitions. His infectious laughter and love for jokes endeared him to all who knew him. His most cherished moments were spending time with his wife of 75 years, Della, and watching his family grow.
On October 12, 2024, at his home in Kaplan, Paw passed away peacefully. He leaves behind his wife Della Dubois Broussard; one daughter, Wanda Trahan; one sister, ElJane Neisser; one sister-in-law, Mary Broussard; grandchildren, Jenny Broussard (Jodie), Aaron Trahan, David Trahan, and Paula Lemaire (Barret), 11 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; family friend, Barbara Thibodeaux; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Whitney Broussard, Sr. and the former Nolia Bertrand; one son, Russell Broussard; two brothers, Leroy Broussard and Whitney Broussard Jr.; three sisters, Mae Rose Broussard, Mildred Schexnider, and Lorraine Mire; one son-in-law, Gaylan Trahan; and three brothers-in-law, U.J. Schexnider, Clarence Neisser, and Donald Mire.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Scott Bergeaux, Dr. Jon Leleux, Our Lady of Lourdes Staff, AMG Park Place Staff, Hospice of Acadiana and thoughtful neighbors for their compassion and care.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan (337) 643-7276.

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