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ALL ELEVEN Abbeville High School students in the PreEducation Pathway recently earned their micro-credential in Classroom Culture through the Educators Rising program! Micro-credentials are performance-based assessments in which rising educators can showcase their growing skills. The Micro-credential in Classroom Culture is the first in a series of “Beginning to Teach” credentials offered through the Educators Rising curriculum for students who are considering careers in education. Each micro-credential submission requires an estimated 5-15 hours of work. Submissions, in the form of portfolio pieces that include classroom observation hours, reflections, and written essays are reviewed by expert educators. This ensures that achieving a micro-credential represents a meaningful early step on the path to accomplished teaching.
The goal of the PreEducator Pathway is to cultivate highly skilled educators by guiding young people on a path to becoming accomplished teachers, beginning in high school and extending through college and into the profession. Through high-quality curriculum focusing on anti-bias instruction, classroom culture, professional collaboration, understanding assessments, and authentic engagement, the pathway aims to address workforce needs related to the recruitment and retention of teachers of color while expanding Grow Your Own initiatives across the state of Louisiana.

Elizabeth “Liz” Touchet has announced her candidacy for Vermilion Parish Police Jury, District 5 to succeed her husband Wayne Touchet who passed away last year.
She became the first female police juror to take the oath of office in Vermilion Parish in July of 2022, when she was appointed to serve the remainder of her husband’s term.
“The police jury is the elected position most connected to the people,” said Touchet. While serving as campaign manger, she was at Wayne’s side for 18 years as he made the rounds throughout the district taking important calls and meeting his constituents who needed assistance or wanted to voice their opinion about a certain project. “I spoke with Wayne for many months before his passing about this day and I am prepared to continue his passion for public service,” added Touchet. “I am humbled and proud to ask the people of our parish for their continued support.”
Touchet served the community as a Disaster Case Manager with Lutheran Social Services. Through the Upbring Disaster Division, she helped carry out the organization’s faith-based mission of providing short term basic needs and case management, and spiritual care over the longer term to individuals and families responding to disasters. Her public service included helping families prepare for disaster, applying for emergency hardship grants, emotional and spiritual care, volunteer coordination and repair & rebuild assistance.
Touchet was chosen as one of 10 people in Louisiana as a “Hurricane Hero” by the Louisiana Arthritis Foundation for her dedication to recovery efforts from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Embracing the philosophy that her community is made stronger through its volunteers, she has served as chairperson for Abbeville High’s Project Graduation, board member and various positions for Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary, past advisory board member for Abbeville General Hospital, program director/treasurer for Vermilion Faith Community of Care, past lay minister at St. Theresa Catholic Church, past board member for American Red Cross, cancer-caregiver and founding member of Abbeville Library Grief Support Group.
A native of New Iberia, Touchet has lived in Abbeville since 1982. A licensed realtor early in her professional career, she also held public employment with the Social Security Administration, where she gained valuable experience in public service. Her private sector experience includes Trans La Gas, where she was a customer service representative for the utility company. Touchet also worked for Lafayette Hilton and Towers, Coastal Fluid Technologies/Coastal Chemical Company and Republic Auto.
An avid gardener who also loves to fish, Liz is Ben and Victoria’s mother and stepmother to Carrie Durke, Becky Sonnier, Brian Touchet and Renee Touchet.
Aside from currently serving the people of District 5 on the Vermilion Parish Police Jury, she says her most important “job” is grandmother of 22, great-grandmother of 12 and great-great grandmother of one!

Paid for by
Liz Touchet

ERATH — A Mass of Christian Burial for Mrs. Rable Comeaux Girouard, 88, will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church on Monday, May 8, 2023 at 1 p.m. Entombment will follow at Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery.
Visitation will be held at David Funeral Home of Erath on Monday, May 8 ,2023 from 9 a.m. until time of services with a recitation of the rosary at 11 a.m.
Mrs. Rable passed away on Wednesday, May 3, 2023. She graduated from Erath High in 1953. She married Roland Girouard of New Iberia on April 17, 1955, who was in the retail business. This brought them to places like Bogalusa, Harahan, Opelousas and finally to Abbeville. Mrs. Rable worked as a receptionist for doctors and dentists in these towns. While in Bogalusa, she and her husband became involved with bowling teams where many trophies were won between the both of them. Their competition followed while in Harahan. When in Opelousas, Rable started her hobby of Tole Painting with instructors in Lafayette. When they were transferred to Abbeville, she continued the hobby traveling to Lafayette with friends, Belva LeBlanc and Kelly Broussard. After a while she began giving painting lessons in her home.
Rable was a member of the Catholic Daughters of Our Lady of Lourdes Court #1670, the Demi Tasse Coffee Club, monthly supper club held at “The Camp”, a Pokeno group, and Saturday night girlfriends get together. Once Rable returned to Erath, if you saw her, you usually saw her with her sister, Vella Mae Bernard. They became known as the “Comeaux Sisters”. She accompanied her sister to outings in and around Erath. Mrs. Rable will be deeply missed by many as a good friend, and nannie or aunt.
She is survived by her caregivers, niece and nephew, Deana Simon and Shelby Bernard and his wife Debbie; her sisters-in-law, Bobbie Girouard and Lynell Romero (Junior); and numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband Roland Girouard; her sister and brother-in-law, Vella Mae Bernard and Lee; her parents, Azard and Louria Comeaux; and her sister, Clara Dean Comeaux.
Serving as pallbearers will be Bo Bernard, Ross Simon, Christian Vargas, Gavin Broussard, William Simon, Tatem Suire, and Chett Vargas
Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Orris Dale Belanger and Leland Harrington.
The family would like to extend a special thanks to The Vermilion at East Ridge and Hospice of Acadiana for the special care they gave Nannie/Aunt Rable.
David Funeral Home of Erath 209 E. Putnam St. (337)937-0405 will be handling the arrangements.

Beginning at 8:30 p.m. tonight, changes regarding the curfew for anyone under 18 will go into effect.
The Abbeville City Council approved the ordinance last month.
Among the changes are that those under 18 who are not accompanied by a parent(s), guardian(s), or other adult having the care and custody of the minor must be off the streets by 8:30 p.m., until 5 a.m., on Sundays through Thursdays, and from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
“I want to make sure there’s clear communication,” Councilman Francis Touchet Jr. said during Tuesday’s regular city council meeting. “We do have school activities that are going on. We have baseball that is taking place at our parks, and so on.
“I want to make sure everyone is clear.”
Chief of Police Mike Hardy said officers would use discretion for minors who are heading home from work, a sporting event or other school activities.
Mayor Roslyn White said on Tuesday that the city had made a concerted effort to create awareness for the curfew change.
“A postcard went out to households through the postal service,” White said. “It gives a summary to the minor curfew and where they can get the full information. We notified all the businesses. That’s something (our) staff worked on last week. We called, informing that their underage workers could still work, but to notify the cops that they are coming and going from work.”
White said she has spoken with Vermilion Parish School Superintendent Tommy Byler and representatives from Vermilion Catholic and Harvest Time Christian Academy.
“They are going to use their means to notify students and parents,” White said. “We talked to all the schools and got the dates and times for their graduations. We will make sure the chief knows that so that all of his officers are aware. All the graduations start around 7 or 7:30 (p.m.).”
The city also issued a text message through Nixle.
“We are also working on signage for A.A. Comeux Park,” White said.
Along with changing the time and age, the ordinance will include minimum penalties for parents and guardians. Penalties include not less than $50 for the first violation, $75 for the second, $100 for a third, and not exceeding $500 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 60 days for further violations. The ordinance does allow for community service as an alternative to a fine at the court’s discretion.
Hardy said his officers have prepared for the change and have a plan in place.
“Our guys will stop them and explain why they are being stopped,” Hardy said. “We will issue some warnings at first, but we are going to document each case. After that, we are going to contact the parents.”
Touchet said it’s about education as this change is rolled out.
“Education is what the mayor and chief are saying,” Touchet said. “We will give time, but a month from now, summertime will be in full swing. Kids are going to have a lot of time on their hands. Things will need to be tightened up.”