Thinking back on 2020 there was little need to study past editions. Starting in March and continuing through the year, COVID-19 was and is the predominate news.
Chances are great the virus will be 2021’s top story because there seems to be no end to the misery and disruption in lives from COVID-19.
For instance:
— The latest news is there is a new strain of the virus.
— A rising star in Louisiana politics, congressman-elect Luke Letlow, died Tuesday from complications due to COVID-19.
The virus story is certain to continue into 2021.
The other top stories were hurricanes Delta and Laura.
Legendary former mayor Curtis Joubert died in 2020. Joubert launched a major tourism push for Eunice and that was a model cross south Louisiana.
Riceland Crawfish’s Dexter Guillory also died in 2020. The frozen crawfish tails are marketed across the U.S. and even the world.
St. Landry Parish President Bill Fontenot resigned due to health reasons. His successor, named by the Parish Council, is Jessie Bellard.
The November election returned familiar figures to the Eunice Municipal Complex. Judge Terry Hoychick and City Marshal Terry Darbonne were re-elected. The election brought new faces to the St. Landry Parish government. Chad Pitre was elected district attorney. Sherri McGovern was elected assessor.
Louisiana State University Eunice Chancellor Nancee Sorenson guided a successful renaming of the Acadian Center to the Mumphrey Center in honor of the campus’ first chancellor, Dr. Anthony Mumphrey.
Early in 2020 the state’s economy was looking bleak as oil prices collapsed. The COVID-19 pandemic overshadowed the oil price situation. And, federal dollars helped the state weather the economic downfall, but that money was shoveled out to combat the virus impact.
The year closed with an optimistic note that the Liberty Theater may have a future. A non-profit group was organized with the city’s agreement to begin reviving the theater that helps anchors downtown Eunice and south Louisiana’s culture.
