Former St. Landry Parish School Board member Milton Ambres is to fill the District 3 seat left vacant by the death of John Miller Jr.. s
Miller, a former School Board member, never was sworn into office after being elected on Dec. 8. He died on Jan. 28.
Miller defeated Ambres in the Dec. 8 election with 51 percent of the 1,158 votes cast.
Ambres is to serve until an election is held on Oct. 12. A runoff would be held in November.
Ambres won the seat on a 7-5 vote at Thursday’s Board meeting.
Courtney Joiner, Board legal counsel, said the seat had to be filled within 20 days of its vacancy. Qualifications were minimal and include being 18 years old, a state resident for two years, a district resident for one year and being able to read and write.
Two new Board members offered nominations to fill the vacancy.
Myron Guillory, District 11, nominated Miller’s widow, Catherine Olivier Miller.
Josh Boudreaux, District 7, nominated Ambres.
Voting for Miller were Albert Hayes Jr., Raymond Cassimere, Kyle Boss, Denise Rose and Guillory.
Voting for Ambres were Donnie Perron, Hazel Sias, Mary Ellen Donatto, Anthony Standberry, Randy Wagley, Joyce Haynes and Boudreaux.
Qualifying for the special election is scheduled Aug. 6 to 8.
Miller was 77 years old when he died.
Miller pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery on July 1, 2013, and was sentenced on Nov. 19, 2013, to home detention for 10 months and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine.
Also guilty in the case was former St. Landry Parish School Board member Quincy Richard Sr., 51, of Opelousas.
Richard was sentenced to 33 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and two counts of bribery. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a $10,000 fine. A jury found him guilty after a two-day trial on Aug. 20, 2013.
