The Eunice News is presenting a month-by-month review of 2020’s news. The review is an attempt to note major and some minor issues through the year dominated by COVID-19. The report is a continuation from Thursday’s edition.
June
The Sunday June 7, edition reported on the city preparing for Tropical Storm Cristobal, which was the earliest-ever third named tropical storm to form in recorded history of Atlantic storms.
The June 11 edition reported sales tax collections dropped from April to May, but remained up from a year ago. Free COVID-19 testing was coming to the parish.
Evangeline Downs was planning to layoff 246 workers due to the coronavirus shutdown. The casino-racetrack had employed up to 450 people prior to the virus.
The June 25 edition reported the retirement of Eunice High coach Paul Trosclair. Eunice High held its first outdoor graduation ceremony on June 19.
A summer storm on June 24 caused damage in Eunice.
July
The July 2 edition reported the fireworks display would be held despite the coronavirus. The virus was showing up in the employment numbers with St. Landry Parish’s jobless rate at 12.8%.
The city improved its fire rating from 4 to 3, which should mean insurance premium savings.
The city’s library reopened after being closed for several months.
More than 4,500 jobs in the parish were linked to the federal Paycheck Protection Program. The jobs affected were in businesses receiving at least $150,000. About $7.3 billion went to more than 73,800 organizations in the state. Out of 98 recipients of loans of at least $150,000 in the parish, 25 were in Eunice.
Parish sales tax collections through June were up 5.3% over the same period in 2019.
The July 19 edition reported the St. Landry Parish public schools would open Aug. 20 with online instruction. The Board voted the opening date at a meeting conducted over Zoom.
The July 26 edition reported parish property assessments were up 8.23% from 2016 to 2020. The parish’s total assessed value was $821,181,890, a $62,412,820 increase from the 2016 value.
The July 30 edition reported the parish’s unemployment rate in June was 10.4%, down from 13.6% in May and up from 7.1% in June 2019. Acadian Medical Center announced it would operate separately from Mercy Regional Medical Center in Ville Platte. The St. Landry Parish School Board was reconsidering its Aug. 20 school start date.
August
The St. Landry Parish School Board voted to open schools on Sept. 8. The original start date had been Aug. 12, which was moved to Aug. 20 before the September date was settled upon. St. Edmund students started school on Aug. 5.
Sales tax collections continued to show increases over the previous year. The report for July showed a 9.4% increase in collections through July compared to the same period in 2019.
St. Landry Parish public school teachers were given the option of wearing hospital scrubs during online instruction.
St. Landry Parish President, elected to a third term in November 2019, announced he was stepping down on Aug. 21 due to health reasons.
Jerry Devillier, of Eunice, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica.
As Tropical Storm Marco and Hurricane Laura threatened, the St. Landry Parish Council named Jessie Belllard as parish president. His first order of business was disaster delcarations.
Hurricane Laura loomed as a Category 4 storm and would cause severe damage in southwest Louisiana including Lake Charles. Power outages in Eunice followed Laura’s passage along with extensive tree damage. Eunice experienced a surge of storm-related fuel and food shopping following Laura.
September
Two Eunice men, Lee Joseph Vidrine and Michael Lyn Vidrine created a statewide stir when they filed a recall petition against Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Wind and rain dealt a blow to the rice crop in storage.
Employment numbers remained depressed when the report for July was issued showing a 10.4% unemployment rate in St. Landry Parish.
Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot announced the city would receive a $730,000 FEMA grant to buy a new ladder fire truck.
When the public schools opened virtually on Sept. 8 a slew of technical problems followed. Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said the opening was mostly successful.
Longtime Moosa Memorial Hospital administrator Douglas Longman died on Sept. 4. He was 90.
The state’s economy was in the worst downturn since the 1980s when the oil and gas industry went into a recession.
The St. Landry Parish School spent more than $800,000 on COVID-19 expenses. The School Board decided on Sept. 11 to send students back to campuses. Students from fifth to 12th grades would be in a hybrid setting. The lower grades would go back to schools.
October
The August job reported showed the unemployment rate in St. Landry Parish at 8.9%, down from 10.4% in July and up from 6.8% in August 2019.
Legislators were seeking a role in setting mandates to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Oct. 11 edition reported preparations were underway for Hurricane Delta.
The Oct. 15 edition reported Delta hit Eunice hard on Friday, Oct. 9. Widespread wind damage was reported with severe tree damage across the city.
Eunice aldermen approved an agreement aimed at restoring the Liberty Theater.
Early voting began with a strong turnout at Eunice City Hall and the parish registrar of voters office in Opelousas.
Parish sales tax collections continued to be strong. Collections through September were up 8.1% over the same period in 2019.
The Oct. 29 edition reported that an outbreak of COVID-19 had closed Eunice High School. Five staff members had tested positive.
Hurricane Delta damage to parish public schools was estimated at $1.4 million. Most of the damage was to roofs.
Eunice Junior High School, which had been closed due to mold issues, was to reopen at the first of November.
November
The Nov. 1 edition reported that former mayor Curtis Joubert had died Oct. 30. Joubert was 89. He was known for launching Eunice as the “Prairie Cajun Capital.”
St. Landry Parish’s September unemployment rate was 8.9%, up from 6.4% in September 2019 and down up from 8.8% in August.
Chad Pitre defeated Charles Cravins in the election for district attorney in the 27th Judicial Court District. Cravins had been serving in the office since Earl Taylor retired in February.
Terry Hoychick won re-election as city judge as did Terry Darbonne as city marshal.
St. Landry Parish sales tax collections were up 9.7% through October compared to the same period in 2019.
The coronavirus fired up again in the city with much of the second floor of the Eunice Municipal Complex affected.
LSUE was set to honor its first chancellor, Dr. Anthony Mumphrey, by renaming the Acadian Center after him. The LSU Board of Supervisors agreed in December to the renaming.
Riceland Crawfish pioneer Dexter Guillory died on Nov. 15 from COVID-19 complications. Guillory led Riceland Crawfish to national prominence.
Gov. John Bel Edwards announced reimposed tighter restrictions as the state encountered a third surge of the COVID-19.
Mayor Scott Fontenot said bid-letting for the state DOTD Maple Avenue project had been reset from October to January.
December
The Eunice Players’ Theatre announced it is planning its 51st season after much of the 50th season had been canceled due to COVID-19.
St. Landry Parish’s jobless rate in October was 10%, up from 8.8% in September and 6.5% in October 2019.
St. Landry Parish Crime Stoppers announced it had won top awards including St. Landry Parish Sheriff Deputy Chief Eddie Thibodeaux winning the top coordinator award.
A 1-mill, 10-year property tax was approved by voters after failing in 2019. The tax funds jail maintenance and operations.
Eunice Police Deputy Chief Richard Daigle retired after 30 years of service.
Sales tax collections continued strong. The parish total was up 11.4% through November compared to the same period in 2019.
Sherri Zeringue McGovern took the oath office as St. Landry Parish assessor, succeeding Rhyn Duplechain who had held the office 34 years.