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The honors keep coming for Brigadier General Bob LeBlanc.
Earlier this week, LeBlanc, 96, was honored by the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office for a life-long dedication to Vermilion Parish.
Sheriff Mike Couvillon, in front of parish dignitaries, gave an appreciation plaque to LeBlanc on Wednesday. He also cooked a meal for LeBlanc and friends.
The Sheriff read the plaque to LeBlanc.
“In recognition and appreciation for meritorious service and leadership to the Armed Forces of the United States of America and contributions to Vermilion Parish.
The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office proudly presents this award unto one of Vermilion Parish’s esteemed leaders. Brigadier General Robert J. ‘Bob’ LeBlanc for lifelong dedication and service to your country, your fellow man and the people of Vermilion Parish.”
Presented on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Mike Couvillon and Col. Kirk J. Frith.”
Couvillon was one of many dignitaries who greeted LeBlanc when he returned from Washington D.C. last month. At the airport in Lafayette, he promised LeBlanc a rice and gravy meal cooked in his honor.
“There will never be another Bob LeBlanc,” said Sheriff Couvillon. “Whoever tries to succeed and accomplish as much as Gen. Bob LeBlanc has done for this parish, they will have some large shoes to fill.”
LeBlanc was a long-time postmaster in Abbeville, and then he went to work for the Police Jury as the Office Emergency Preparedness director for more than 40 years.

PECAN ISLAND — On April 10, at approximately 9:40 a.m., Louisiana State Police Troop I responded to a two-vehicle crash involving a bicycle on LA 82 west of LA 3147 in Vermilion Parish. The crash claimed the life of 34-year-old Michelle J. Hebert of Lafayette.
The preliminary investigation revealed Hebert was traveling east on a bicycle, approximately 4 feet from the solid white fog line in the eastbound lane of travel, when she was struck from behind by a 2012 GMC Acadia driven by 30 year old Racquelle Koch of Kaplan. At the time of the crash it was daylight.
Hebert was ejected from the bicycle and was not wearing a helmet. Hebert sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by the Vermilion Parish Coroner’s Office. Koch was wearing a seat belt and was not injured.
Impairment is not suspected to be a factor in the crash, however; routine toxicology samples were obtained from Hebert and submitted to the State Police Crime Lab for analysis. Koch voluntarily submitted to a chemical test and was not impaired.
Koch was cited for Limitations on Passing a Bicycle. The crash remains under investigation.
Louisiana state law requires every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable. The operator of a motor vehicle, when overtaking and passing a bicycle proceeding in the same direction on the roadway, shall exercise due care while the motor vehicle is passing the bicycle and shall leave a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of not less than three feet and shall maintain such clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle. An operator of a motor vehicle may pass a bicycle traveling in the same direction in a no-passing zone only when it is safe to do so.
While the cause of this crash remains under investigation, distracted and inattentive driving continue to be leading causes of crashes in our state. Information on distracted driving may be found online at www.distrtaction.gov.

As they passed through Abbeville on Tuesday morning, judges with the Louisiana Garden Club Federation liked what they saw.
That is apparent, as the judges awarded the city with a another district title in the Cleanest City Contest. The city won in District III. This marks five in a row and six out of the last eight times the city has won such an honor.
“It’s nice to have this victory again,” Mayor Mark Piazza said. “We are really excited about it.”
The city had to score at least 95 out of 100 to win the title. Points are deducted for litter and the appearance of municipal buildings, businesses and residences, among other things.
“I would like to thank everyone who worked so diligently to make the Cleanest City Contest such a success,” Abbeville Main Street Director Charlene Beckett said. “With out the help of the Garden Club, Keep Abbeville Beautiful, our City Workers and help from The Arc, and the many volunteers we would not have been able to say that we won the District Contest and that we will be moving to the State competition!
“We look forward to this next phase and everyone’s help, once again, is and will be greatly appreciated!”
District III Cleanest City Contest Chairmen Gwen Lanoux and Patsy Hebert stated that, “Abbeville excelled in the District III Contest. The judges were impressed with the overall cleanliness of the city and the extent of civic pride and community involvement.” Judges for the District III CCC were LGCF members Pam Langley. Ann Corbello, and Stephanie Tompkins.
Piazza thanked all who helped make the win possible, including support from the City Council and everyone with the Abbeville Garden Club and Keep Abbeville Beautiful.
“A lot of the credit goes to the volunteers,” Piazza said. “They are very hard working volunteers, both from Keep Abbeville Beautiful and the Abbeville Garden Club. Those volunteers work very hard to make this a success.”
The Mayor offered a special thanks to the contest committee co-chairs, Sandra Creswell and Liz Gremillion.
“We are thrilled,” Creswell said. “I think this is well deserved because of all the hard work everyone put in.”
That hard work is not over. The city will now go after a state title, which Abbeville has won three times, including 2012 and ‘16. The State Cleanest City contest will be held during the last week of April and first week of May. The exact date for judging in Abbeville will be announced by State Cleanest City Contest Chairperson, Jean Gilstrap.
“The competition gets tougher,” Piazza said. “There are a lot of municipalities out there who work hard and want as much as we do.
“We are looking forward to it and are going to continue to work hard.”
In 1958, the Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc. began sponsoring a state-wide “Cleanest City Contest.” To date, Louisiana is the only member of the National Garden Clubs, Inc. to sponsor such a contest. The aim of the contest is to instill civic pride in the individual citizens and thus, improve the appearance of villages, towns and cities.
The city of Abbeville is sponsored by the Abbeville Garden Club which is a member of National Garden Clubs, Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc., Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc., District III.