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It’s almost time to head to the polls once again.
Early voting for the March 29 election will begin this Saturday, March 15. Some voters in the city of Abbeville will see a special election, while all Vermilion Parish voters will see four constitutional amendments.
The process will run through Saturday, March 22. However, there will be no early voting on Sunday, March 16, when the Vermilion Parish Courthouse is closed. It will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day in the Vermilion Parish Registrar of Voters office, located on the courthouse’s first floor.
Some voters will help decide a special election for the District B seat on the Abbeville City Council. Rachel Touchet Mouton and Francis Plaisance are the two candidates seeking the remainder of former Councilman Francis Touchet Jr.’s unexpired term, which is set to end in June 2026. Touchet, who is the superintendent of the Lafayette Parish School System, stepped down last September.
Mouton, Touchet’s sister, was appointed by the council last October and currently holds the seat. Plaisance previously served on the city council as councilman-at-large from 2006 to ‘22.

Fans of Elijah Mitchell will need to buy a new football jersey when the 2025 NFL season starts in September.
On Monday, Mitchell, a 2020 Erath High graduate, signed a free agency one-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. His one-year salary will be $3.5 million.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ quick work in free agency continued in the legal tampering window provided by the NFL with the news that the team had signed Elijah Mitchell to a one-year deal.
Mitchell was the sixth-round choice of the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 NFL Draft. 
The Chiefs concentrated on rebuilding their backfield during the offseason. They had previously relied on Isiah Pacheco, who has faced injuries, and veteran running backs Kareem Hunt and Samaje Perine. Both Hunt and Perine are 30 years old and are set to become free agents, although the team might choose to re-sign one of them.
Mitchell missed the entire 2024 season on injured reserve for the 49ers with a hamstring. MCL injuries robbed him of a few games during his rookie year in 2021, and myriad injuries have limited him to just over 240 offensive snaps over the last three full NFL seasons.
In 2024, the 49ers reached Super Bowl LVIII but lost 25-22 to the Kansas City Chiefs. In the Super Bowl, Mitchell had 2 carries for 8 yards and scored a touchdown against the Chiefs.
In three seasons as a running back for Erath, he rushed for 4,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. In his senior year, he rushed for 1,900 yards and 28 touchdowns. 
After high school, he signed with UL-Lafayette. Mitchell played in 42 games and carried the ball 527 times in college for 3,267 yards and 41 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 49 passes for 597 yards and five touchdowns.

Clare L. Martin of Maurice has been appointed as the Executive Director of the Vermilion Council on Aging (VCOA).
Martin brings years of experience working with elder populations and nonprofit management. As part of her vision for the VCOA, Martin says she would like to become “embedded” within the communities of Vermilion Parish to increase outreach to senior citizens. 
According to Martin, she is committed to “reaching deep so that senior citizens and their families can take full advantage of the services and programs such as home-delivered meals, social group (congregate) meals, wellness and recreation activities, homemaker services, and respite/sitter services that the VCOA offers.”  
Martin calls Vermilion Parish home. She aims to meet community leaders, business owners, and individuals who can help the nonprofit organization broaden its impact on seniors through sponsorships, donations, and volunteerism. 
“I hope to engage the people who are shaping our communities to bring awareness to the needs of our elderly population. I hope to grow support for the vital services and programs of Vermilion Council on Aging that can improve the quality of life for our elderly residents,” Martin said. “I’d also like to thank the dedicated staff of VCOA for their hard work and endeavors to serve the elderly of Vermilion Parish. They have done a tremendous job and deserve great appreciation,” Martin further noted.
The Mission of the Vermilion Council on Aging is to help the elderly of Vermilion Parish maintain their independence and dignity in their homes and grow old comfortably and gracefully. The emphasis is on reaching those who are isolated, alone, and in need.
For more information or opportunities to support the Mission of VCOA, contact Clare Martin at (337)893-2563 or vocadirector@gmail.com. VCOA’s offices are located at 1928 Graceland Avenue in Abbeville, LA, and office hours are 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.  
The Vermilion Council on Aging is a 501 ( c ) 3 nonprofit. Donations are 100% tax-deductible.

On Thursday, March 6, 2025, at approximately 7:27 pm, the Abbeville Police Department responded to several calls reporting shots fired at 1021 W Port Street, the address of Chapel Down Apartments.
Upon arrival, officers received information that someone from one of the apartments walked to the rear of the complex and discharged 4 or 5 rounds from a firearm. The apartment security cameras were checked, and a suspect was identified. Officers located casings behind one of the buildings.
Officers arrested DaMarcus Broussard, 21, of Lafayette. Broussard was charged with Illegal Discharge of a Firearm and Possession of a Stolen Firearm.
Broussard was transported to the Abbeville Police Department to be booked on both charges, then transported to Vermilion Parish Correction Center.
Abbeville Chief of Police Mike Hardy would like to send a message to anyone that shoots a firearm in the city limits of Abbeville that illegal discharge is a Felony and anyone who is charged with illegal discharge will go to jail.
Hardy said he would like to thank everyone who called to report this incident. Hardy stressed that Abbeville Police needs the community’s assistance to get the bad element off our city streets.
This case is still actively under investigation and Chief Hardy urges the public to provide any further information regarding this crime or any other crime by calling the Abbeville Police Department at (337) 893-2511. You may also contact our “Tips” line at (337) 892-6777. All callers may remain anonymous. Citizens may also send anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers of Vermilion by calling (337) 740-TIPS or the P3 app, which can be downloaded through the Apple App Store or at Google Play Store.