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A hero of the Battle of New Orleans

Rebecca Chaisson
Friday, January 14, 2022
Jean Lafitte was probably the most famous French-speaker at the Battle of New Orleans, fought Jan. 8, 1815. But there were some others — mostly former Napoleonic soldiers — who made a good account of themselves.

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Cleco: Being energy efficient is a resolution worth making

Rebecca Chaisson
Friday, January 14, 2022
PINEVILLE — It’s a new year, and as customers contemplate what to include on their list of New Year’s resolutions, here’s an achievable one that will benefit them and their family or business, as well as the community as a whole – being energy efficient.

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J.D. Powers ranks SLEMCO a top ten power company

Rebecca Chaisson
Friday, January 14, 2022
In the national 2021 J.D. Powers Electric Utility Business Customer Satisfaction Study, Lafayette-based SLEMCO ranked seventh out of the nation’s 145 largest electric utilities.

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Bellard announces ‘State of the Parish’ address in February

Rebecca Chaisson
Friday, January 14, 2022
OPELOUSAS – St. Landry Parish Government President Jessie Bellard announced the first annual “State of the Parish” address is scheduled at 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Delta Grand Theatre, 120 S. Market St. Opelousas. The event is to inform the public of everything that Parish Government is doing.
John Pucheu, right, chairman of the Eunice Rotary Citizen of the Year committee, presents Alicia Mire with the Citizen of the Year award at Wednesday’s Eunice Rotary Club meeting, (Photo by Myra Miller)

John Pucheu, right, chairman of the Eunice Rotary Citizen of the Year committee, presents Alicia Mire with the Citizen of the Year award at Wednesday’s Eunice Rotary Club meeting, (Photo by Myra Miller)

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Mire is Rotary Club’s Citizen of the Year

Rebecca Chaisson
Friday, January 14, 2022
The Eunice Rotary Club’s 2021 Citizen of the Year is Alicia Smith Mire. The nomination letter written by Pam Quirk requested the club consider Mire to be honored as Citizen of the Year. Mire is employed by the city of Eunice as director of tourism and Main Street and event coordinator for St.
St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard, right, and Karia Rami, executive assistant and permit officer, open bids at the Jan. 5 Parish Council meeting in Opelousas. Also present at the bid opening was Richard Lewis, code enforcement director. (Photo by Harlan Kirgan)

St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard, right, and Karia Rami, executive assistant and permit officer, open bids at the Jan. 5 Parish Council meeting in Opelousas. Also present at the bid opening was Richard Lewis, code enforcement director. (Photo by Harlan Kirgan)

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Parish Council accepts bids on adjudicated properties

Rebecca Chaisson
Friday, January 14, 2022
The St. Landry Parish Council accepted bids on 29 adjudicated properties in the parish at a special meeting on Jan. 5. “This is the first time the parish has done this to this magnitude,” Parish President Jessie Bellard said in telephone interview.
Keynote speaker Domoine Rutledge at Saturday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 35th annual Citywide Celebration. (Photos by Harlan Kirgan)

Keynote speaker Domoine Rutledge at Saturday’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 35th annual Citywide Celebration. (Photos by Harlan Kirgan)

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebrated

Rebecca Chaisson
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
The city’s 35th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated Saturday earlier than the official day of Jan. 17 this year. But Eunice celebration at New Zion Baptist Church came a day after a teen was gunned down.
Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot, let, visited with people after Tuesday’s city meeting. (Photo by Harlan Kirgan)

Eunice Police Chief Randy Fontenot, let, visited with people after Tuesday’s city meeting. (Photo by Harlan Kirgan)

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Killing, gun violence dominates city meeting

Rebecca Chaisson
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
A street murder and a Sunday shooting said by Police Chief Randy Fontenot as retaliation dominated Tuesday’s city council meeting. Newly named mayor pro-tem Ernest Blanchard asked Fontenot to speak about the gun violence.

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Tri-Parish jobless rates down in Nov.

Rebecca Chaisson
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Tri-Parish unemployment rates were down in November, but the workforce also declined 1% from 68,178 a year ago to 67,451, according to statistics released by the Louisiana Workforce Commission. The Tri-Parish unemployment rates by parish in November were: St. Landry, 4.8%, down from 7.