RSS Feed

Article Image Alt Text

Debra Lynn Touchet

Debra Lynn Touchet, born on October 27, 1959, has passed away on April 12, 2022, at the age of 62.
She is survived by her Husband, Troy Touchet; her daughters, Dedria Stelly, Nicole Stelly, Dayna Stelly, Natalie Stelly, Katie Stelly Camacho; her grandchildren, Jessica, Spencer & Heather Green, Landon Stelly, Rylan Boudreaux, Rawlis Leslie III & Layna Leslie, Lane Stelly, Christopher Green III & Hayden Green, Hunter Arcemont, Sadie, Cruz & Kennedy Camacho; her great grandchildren, Kylan & Kohen Schexnider, and her siblings, Jane Callais, Kim Callais, Lisa Callais
Debra was preceded in death by her parents Mary Jane Callais & Wildon Callais Jr., as well as her sister, Jeanette Callais.
Debra enjoyed playing bingo, cards, and loved going to the casino with her friends. She loved boating, just being on the water, and loved anything to do with Dolphins. Debra loved listening to country music and her favorite colors were yellow and purple, but she truly had a heart of Gold. She would help anyone that she could even if she did not always have it for herself.
Yellow is the color of light, hope, and encouragement; while purple often represents, dignity, love, and the uplifting of one’s spirits. Dolphins often symbolize, peace and harmony, protection, playfulness, and joy, inner strength, and resurrection. Although Debra will be missed here on Earth, we hope that she is at peace; that she has found a new light and is embodying all of the things she adored here on Earth, now in heaven.
Family and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life for Debra on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Louisiana Funeral Services and Crematory located at 108 Hardware Road, in Broussard. Please share your condolences, kind words, or fond memories, with the family below by signing our online guestbook.

Article Image Alt Text

Kathy Primeaux Gisclair

ABBEVILLE – A Mass of Christian Burial for Mrs. Kathy Primeaux Gisclair, 65, will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church with Fr. Donald Bernard officiating. Interment will follow at St. Paul Cemetery.
Visitation will be held at David Funeral Home of Abbeville on Monday, April 18, 2022 from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. with a recitation of the rosary at 7 p.m. Visitation will resume on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 from 8 a.m. until the time of the services.
A native and resident of Abbeville, Mrs. Gisclair died at 8:21 a.m. on Thursday, April 14, 2022 at The Calcutta House. The love of Kathy’s life was her family, especially her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Robert F. Gisclair of Abbeville; two sons, Brady P. Gisclair and his wife Angele of Gonzales and Cale B. Gisclair and his wife Julia of Erath; a daughter, Kylie G. Quibodeaux of Erath; two brothers, Wayne Primeaux and Freddy Primeaux; and eight grandchildren, Lexie Gisclair, Cameron Gisclair, Austin Gisclair, Leah Gisclair, Eva Quibodeaux, Jolie Gisclair, Anthony Gisclair, and Emmett Quibodeaux.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul Fred and Joyce Duplantis Primeaux.
Serving as pallbearers will be Brady Gisclair, Cale Gisclair, Wayne Primeaux, Freddy Primeaux, Cameron Gisclair, and Todd Minter.
David Funeral Home of Abbeville at 2600 Charity St. (337)893-3777 will be handling the arrangements.

Article Image Alt Text

Sherry H. Guidry

August 16, 1948 ~ April 11, 2022

COW ISLAND — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday, April 18, 2022 at St. Anne Catholic Church honoring the life of Sherry H. Guidry, 73, who died Monday, April 11, 2022 at Abbeville General Hospital. She will be laid to rest at St. Anne Cemetery with Reverend Matthew Barzare officiating the services.
She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Jeffery Guidry of Cow Island; her three sons, Randy Broussard and his wife, Donnie of Cow Island, Shane Guidry and his wife, Nicole of Maurice and Rusty Guidry and his fianceé, Nancy Smith of Abbeville; her nine grandchildren, Wyatt Broussard, Walker Broussard, Hunter Guidry and his wife, Kristin, Alaina Guidry and her fiancé, Noah LeBlanc, Olivia Landry, Sarah Landry, Ashley Rodriguez and her husband, Josh, Amanda Allen and Jesse Laperouse; her four great grandchildren, Parker Guidry, Oliver Guidry, Evan Rodriguez and Noah Rodriguez; her two sisters, Melissa Duhon of Henry and Cynthia Cormier of Hempstead, TX; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Isaac Hebert and the former Annie Menard.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan, 300 N. Eleazar Ave., on Sunday, April 17, 2022 from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM with a rosary being prayed at 7:00 PM; Monday, April 18, 2022 from 8:00 AM until the procession departs for the church at 10:30 AM.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Kaplan, (337) 643-7276 [Service Information 225-5276]. Condolences may be sent to the Guidry family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.

Article Image Alt Text

Mayor Wayne Theriot (seated), Alderman Warren Rost, Alderwoman Phyllis Johnson and Alderman Jonathan Schlicher (L-R) show the ordinance that made Maurice a town.

Maurice is a town!

Board of Aldermen approves ‘historic’ ordinance at meeting

MAURICE — Mayor Wayne Theriot struck his gavel against the sound block Wednesday night.
In doing so, the village of Maurice became the town of Maurice.
During Wednesday’s monthly meeting, the Board of Aldermen approved an ordinance to reclassify Maurice as a town.
“It’s a historic ordinance,” Theriot said proudly. “We are officially now the town of Maurice.”
Last month, the board accepted a proclamation from Gov. John Bel Edwards to reclassify Maurice as a town. That move was necessary because Maurice had not yet received official certification from the 2020 U.S. Census.
However, unofficial data released last year showed Maurice with a population of 2,118, more than enough to be considered a town. In ‘10, Maurice missed becoming a town, when it had a population of 964. More than 1,000 is considered a town, with a population of 5,000 or more is considered a city.
Alderwoman Phyllis Johnson made the motion to adopt Wednesday’s ordinance. Alderman Warren Rost provided a second.
“Can I third?,” Alderman Jonathan Schlicher jokingly asked.
Maurice’s Board of Aldermen will now grow from three to five members. Two new members will be appointed before next month’s meeting, which is scheduled for May 18. Theriot said a special meeting would likely be called to discuss the appointments.
There are currently four candidates who have submitted their names for consideration. They are Troy Catalon, Megan Landry Lalande, Neil Arsement and Matthew Trahan. Theriot said anyone interested in a possible appointment to the board could submit their names by either going to Maurice City Hall, located at 405 Lastie Ave., or by emailing Theriot at villageofmaurice.mayor@cox-internet.com(link sends e-mail). All submissions must be made in writing.
Maurice will hold its regularly scheduled elections in November. Qualifying will take place July 20-22.
Maurice has grown rapidly for several years, so its ability to qualify as a town is no surprise. That growth has shown not only in population but commercially. Theriot said Maurice’s sales tax collection his past February totaled $96,493.57, an increase of 63% compared to February of ‘21.
“Some of that is from the construction of homes in subdivisions,” Theriot said. “If you extract that number, which is about $15,000, it still leaves us with a very healthy level. Our businesses are prospering because our citizens, including new ones, are spending money in the village.”
Yes, Theriot referred to Maurice as a village, even after the ordinance’s passing. Theriot said he does not want Maurice ever to lose its village appeal. After all, Maurice spent its first 110 years as a village.
“We want to keep the village identity,” Theriot said. “It means a close, family-oriented community.
“We don’t want to lose that identity, but we will be called the town of Maurice from this day forward.”

Article Image Alt Text

The Kaplan Lady Pirates have a hit a school record 65 home runs this year. Kennedy Marceaux leads the team with 20 home runs.

Five softball teams make the playoffs

NV, Kaplan are at home on Monday

The Kaplan Lady Pirates, coming off of a 2021 season where they were the second seed in the playoffs, followed that with what should be the third seed when the LHSAA announced the Class 3A playoff pairings Thursday.
Kaplan (25-4 overall) held the number two seed for most of the second half of the season but dropped to the third seed in the final week and will play host to No. 30 seed Ville Platte High (6-11) in the opening round. It will be played Monday at 5:30 p.m.
“There was a chance that we could end up as the four seed depending on what happens elsewhere, but whatever seed we draw, we’ll be ready for,” Kaplan coach Brittany LeBeouf said,
LeBeouf also said that the way the season started for her Lady Pirates, she wasn’t sure if her team would be a top-five seed this year.
“The way we played in the first couple of weeks of the season really had me concerned,” she said. “But the girls have worked hard, and right now we’re playing really good softball as we head into the playoffs.”
The Lady Pirates won the district outright and hit a school-record 65 home runs.
Kennedy Marceaux, a sophomore, leads the team with 20 home runs, 65 RBI and a .702 batting average.
Briley LeBeouf (43 RBI) and Lauryn Packard (31 RBI) both have 11 home runs. Noble Hebert has nine and Molly Sistrunk has eight.
The North Vermilion Lady Patriots will be the only other Vermilion Parish team to host a first-round game as NVHS (9-13) enters the playoffs as the 13th seed and will play the No. 20 seed Hunington (10-6). NV will play Monday at 4 p.m.
“Our team has so much potential, and for us to be playing like we right now shows that the girls deserve a home playoff game. We hope that the community takes this opportunity to come out and support them,” said NVHS coach Adele Trahan. “They have worked hard all season to get to where they are. Playing on our home field is an advantage that helps the kids remain calm and bring their all to each game. As a result, they feel relaxed at home and can play with confidence. “
The Erath Lady Bobcats (15-14), under first-year coach Amber LeBlanc, will go into the Class 3A playoffs as the 23rd seed and will travel to 10th seed Mamou (18-9) for its first-round game. They will play Tuesday at 5 p.m.
In Class 2A, the Delcambre Lady Panthers (6-21) will go into the playoffs as the 27th seed and will travel to No. 6 seed DeQuincy (18-9) in the first round.
The game will be held Monday in DeQuincy at 5 p.m.
In its first-round contest, the Gueydan Lady Bears (3-12) are the 18th seed and will travel to 15th seed East Iberville (6-18).

Article Image Alt Text

Robert “Bobby” Patrick Broussard

ABBEVILLE — Robert “Bobby” Patrick Broussard, a caring brother, uncle and friend, passed away at his residence on April 5, 2022.  He was born on February 11,1962 to the late Louis “Black” Broussard and the late Ella Mae Simon Broussard. He was 60 years old at the time of his death.​​
“Bobby,” as he was affectionately known, is survived by his three brothers: Ronald and his wife, Jeanette, of Marerro, Teddy and his wife, Patty, of Lafayette, Dean and his wife, Suzette, of Toledo Bend and one sister, Patsy, and her husband, Terry, of Abbeville, along with many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews.
Bobby’s beautiful soul shined brightly through his bright smile and caring brown eyes. Genuinely kind-hearted and compassionate, Bobby had the rare gift of making a meaningful connection with everyone he encountered. He was a friend to all and an empathetic listener. To know him was to love him. During his free time, you could find Bobby working in his yard, cultivating many beautiful plants and flowers. He enjoyed sitting on his patio and visiting with family and friends. Bobby loved listening and dancing to music, especially classic country and most recently Christian praise and worship music. He loved to laugh and was known to play jokes on his siblings from time to time. Bobby always enjoyed a good cup of coffee and a nice, long visit with those who meant the most to him. He loved having outdoor gatherings like crawfish boils and barbecues, especially when surrounded by his loved ones. He said the rosary faithfully and was committed and passionate about helping those in need, no matter the situation. He gave freely of his time and resources to various charities and organizations. Bobby was a treasure to all who loved him.
Bobby took great pride in his job as a Bridge Inspector for the Vermilion Parish Police Jury. Hardworking and conscientious, he loved his job and dedicated many years of his life working for the parish.
Bobby was preceded in death by his father, Louis “Black” Broussard, mother, Ella Mae Simon Broussard, a nephew “Little Dean” Broussard, a grand niece, Leanna Hoover and a devoted fur companion, a boxer named Diesel.
You may sign the guest register book and express condolences online at www.davidfuneralhome.org
David Funeral Home of Abbeville, 2600 Charity Street, (337) 893-3777 handled the arrangements.

Article Image Alt Text
Article Image Alt Text

Bradley Broussard

Article Image Alt Text

Jaylin Veney

Abbeville Police arrests one man, looking for another in connection to April 9 shooting

One man has been arrested and another is wanted in connection to a shooting that occurred in Abbeville last Saturday.
Investigators with the Abbeville Police Department obtained warrants regarding the shooting that took place near East Oak Street and North Bailey Street on April 9. Officers who responded to that call found one victim shot. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment.
On April 13, the Abbeville Police Department arrested 22-year-old Bradley Broussard of Abbeville on charges of Principal to Illegal Use of Weapons and Obstruction of Justice. Broussard was transported to the Vermilion Parish Correctional Center.
​Investigators are searching for 27-year-old Jaylin Veney of Abbeville. Veney has an outstanding warrant for Attempted 2nd Degree Murder and Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of Certain Felonies. The Abbeville Police Department is asking for anyone knowing Veney’s whereabouts to contact the Abbeville Police Department. Veney is to be considered armed and dangerous.
​This investigation is still ongoing and more arrests are expected in this case.
Anyone who may have any information regarding any crime, to please contact the Abbeville Police Department by calling 893-2511. You may contact our “Tips” line at 892-6777. All callers may remain anonymous. Citizens may also send anonymous tips through CrimeStoppers of Vermilion by calling 740-TIPS or the P3 app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Article Image Alt Text

United Way of Acadiana announces grants cycle for Lafayette Parish public school educators, schools

LAFAYETTE – United Way of Acadiana has announced its first grants cycle targeting educators and schools in Lafayette Parish public schools.
The funding for the grants was made possible by the merger with Lafayette Education Foundation (LEF) in 2021.
In the merger agreement, United Way of Acadiana assumed the responsibilities of the LEF endowment, investing the earnings in educational programming for the benefit of Lafayette Parish students. The funds will be overseen by an advisory committee made up of five former LEF board members for at least five years.
Classroom based grants have a maximum of $1,000, and school-based grants (where four or more teachers must be involved) have a maximum of $5,000.
Grants are due on June 4, 2022, and they will be awarded prior to the start of the school year.
“Those familiar with the LEF grants will recognize many of the same elements in this request,” said Carlee Alm-LaBar, President/CEO of United Way of Acadiana. “As we said with Teacher Awards, the leadership at the Lafayette Education Foundation paved the way for so many good things in education in Lafayette Parish, we are excited to build off the strong model they created.”
“We want to encourage our teachers and administrators to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Our educators can be creative and explore new possibilities to best utilize these funds in their classrooms and schools,” said Superintendent Irma Trosclair. “We are excited to see United Way of Acadiana continue their support of public education with this grant cycle. Supporting our educators translates into supporting our students.”
The application can be found on United Way of Acadiana’s website at www.unitedwayofacadiana.org/lafayetteeducationgrants.

Article Image Alt Text

Jim Bradshaw

The police escorted the ump

Back in prehistoric days when nobody had a TV set or air conditioning, there were few things better to do as the weather turned warm than to seek out entertainment and a cooling breeze in the grandstands of the hometown baseball team. In south Louisiana that meant the game could quickly turn hotter than the weather.
The Evangeline Baseball League was organized in 1934 and fielded teams until 1957, over the years earning, even reveling in, its nickname — the Hot Pepper League. The season usually ran from mid-April through the Labor Day weekend, and in most games fans were just as likely to see a brawl as a double play.
t was a Class D league, the most minor of the minor leagues, so the baseball was not the best. But the games were always entertaining and always lively — especially in the early days when only one umpire (making the magnificent sum of $2.50 per game) had to call balls and strikes, as well as outs on the bases, while keeping tabs on the outfield.
League historian Paul Leslie pointed out several years ago, “The use of a single official produced serious problems: On close plays in the outfield, the distracted official lost sight of the base runners who often took shortcuts across the diamond to either third base or home plate.”
I can attest to that. I remember attending a game in Lake Charles as a boy, and people in the stands yelling, “Cut across, Shorty! Cut across!” on such a play. I don’t remember who Shorty was. My most vivid memory of those games is of the hot dogs served at Legion Field. I’ve been trying to replicate them for years. They were the best I’ve ever eaten.
The league suspended operations for three seasons during World War II, but in 1945 “local baseball leaders” from across south Louisiana decided to reorganize it “to provide the returning veterans with their favorite national pastime,” according to a news account.
Baseball buffs from Eunice, Rayne, Opelousas, Ville Platte, New Iberia, Jeanerette, Lafayette, Alexandria, and Lake Charles were among those who met at the Pecan Grove in Erath, to see who could pony up the fees demanded by the National Association of Professional Baseball Clubs.
Teams proposed for 1946 included the Abbeville Athletics, Alexandria Aces, New Iberia Cardinals, Houma Indians, Thibodaux Giants, Hammond Berries, Baton Rouge Red Sticks, Port Arthur Tarpons, and Natchez Giants. It appears that the smaller towns couldn’t come up with the needed cash.
Still, William Keefe, sports editor for the Times-Picayune in 1946, predicted a good season with lots of fans welcoming the return of hometown baseball. Better highways would mean “more fans following their teams around for the night games,” he said. “Most of the parks are well-equipped with lighting systems and can get ready without undue expense.”
Loyal fans did follow their teams, and sometimes helped the league reestablish its “hot pepper” reputation.
A 1946 game between Alexandria and Port Arthur illustrates the point. The game was tied 14-14 in the bottom of the 11th inning when an Ace player tried to stretch a single into a double and was called out by umpire Carmen Conte.
“The Alexandria bench emptied in protest,” Leslie reports. “Manager Harry Strohm and a number of his players charged out of the dugout and surrounded the official. ‘Everybody was yelling at the top of their voice,’ Conte recalled.”
When a couple of players bumped the ump, he demanded, “Who’s the manager here?”
Strohm replied, “It don’t make no difference who is, you punk. ... We’re all managers.” So Conte ejected the entire group from the game — six players and the manager.”
That’s when trouble really started. The ejections left Alexandria without the nine men needed to continue the game.
Alexandria had to forfeit, the fans joined the melee, and the ump needed a police escort to get safely out of town.
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

Article Image Alt Text

Bryan Golden

Dare to Live Without Limits: You Want to Win -- Not Avoid Losing

Do you strive to achieve your goals or worry about losing what you have? Someone who feels they have nothing, is much more likely to reach out and take chances to get what they want than a person who has already attained something.
Many people live their lives defensively. They become limited, fearing loss of what they have. Their fear acts as an anchor that impedes forward motion. When faced with an opportunity, they weigh what they have to lose instead of assessing what they have to gain.
Often the statement, “I’ve got nothing to lose” precedes striving for something new. What this means is that people look for a zero-risk situation before taking a chance. Those people who win the most do so because they free themselves from the fear of losing.
Fear of loss is strong. Of course, no one wants to lose what they have. But growth involves risk. For example, in order for someone to start their own business, they have to invest startup money. There is no guarantee that their business will succeed.
Yet if they were concerned about losing their money they wouldn’t risk starting a business, they would just keep their money in a savings account. The degree of acceptable risk is linked to the soundness of their business plan and the amount of effort one is willing to put in.
There is a big difference between a sound plan to win and gambling. Gambling leaves your success to chance and influenced by forces beyond your control. A winning plan is based on thought, planning, and hard work. Although nothing is guaranteed, planning to win enables you to accomplish more than you might initially think possible.
When you went to school, your passing wasn’t insured, it was dependent on your effort. An Olympic skier doesn’t leave the starting gate with a goal of not falling. Instead a skier visualizes and anticipates a perfect run.
Living involves risk. If a pilot wanted to ensure there would be no possibility of a mishap, he would never start the engines of his plane. Life involves constant judgement calls. On an ongoing basis, you evaluate potential gain against potential loss.
Fear of losing is like always looking in the rearview mirror. A focus on winning is like looking out the front windshield. You wouldn’t get very far without crashing if you only looked at what was behind you. Success means constantly making progress toward your destination.
In order to reach a goal, you have to direct your energy to winning. You have to free yourself from the fear of loss. How do you prevent this fear from limiting your growth? The first step is to have desirable goals. You want goals that excite and motivate you. An attractive destination will change your focus from what you can lose to how much there is to gain.
If your goals are important enough, your fear of loss will be minimized. On the other hand, if your goals aren’t meaningful to you, you will have little interest in risking what you already have to work toward them.
There is little appeal in winning something you don’t really want. It’s hard to get excited about goals that aren’t your own. There are many situations where someone has a goal that was imposed on them by someone else. In other circumstances, someone has a goal they feel they should have rather than one they sincerely want.
Develop goals you really want and you will willingly work toward them. If you find you are more concerned with not losing, you may not have suitable goals. Those that accomplish the most are the ones who devote their effort to winning.

Pages

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