The Ville Platte City Council met Tuesday night, and the Council discussed reducing Utility Deposit Rates.  Council approved reducing Residential Water and Sewer Deposits to $150 and Gas Deposits to $100.  Commercial Water and Sewer proposed deposits would be reduced to $250 and Gas deposits to $500.  This Ordinance will be introduced at a Public Hearing on May 14^th at 5:00.

The City Engineer Ronnie Landreneau informed the council that E.B. Feucht & Sons has been cleared as contractor to perform the Water Sector project for the rehab of all the lift stations.  The proposal came in under budget.  The Council approved the motion to sign the contract.  The bids for the Louisiana Love project for Heritage Park are due Wednesday at 2:00.  Mr. Landreneau is also getting bids for the Subsurface Utility Evaluation.

Fire Chief Chris Soileau reported 11 incidents in the City in March.  Two were structure fires, and there were no fatalities.  There were 9 incidents in the fire district.  The department is updating pre-incident planning and will begin post-pressure testing.  Chief Soileau introduced Ryan Dupuis, and Council approved hiring and welcomed Mr. Dupuis aboard. 

The Police Department responded to 630 calls in March, up from 544 in February.  This number included 33 arrests, of which 4 were felonies.  They also handled 19 accidents, and there were no fatalities.  Also reported was that the city lost 2 -3 of the new hires introduced in March.

Mayor’s Comments

• The City should have the two new sewer jetter trailers from Trojan Worldwide in the next couple of weeks.
• The Love Louisiana Project for the City Parks is moving forward as discussed by Ronnie Landreneau.
• Crews are working diligently to advance the streets and drainage project.
• Phase I of the new annex building renovation is complete.
• The Mayor and Donald Bergeron met with Senator John Kennedy’s staff to learn about tapping into different sources of funding available to the City.
• The City has hired a meter reader company to read the meters so that they are done on a timely basis at the same time of the month.  This is a money saving move, and the process will be streamlined.

The Council approved the remaining agenda items, and the next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 14^th.

   KVPI News has learned that all Evangeline Parish Public Schools and Sacred Heart Schools are closed today due to expected stormy weather this morning.

  Here is the statement from Supt of Schools Darwan Lazard:

In communication with our local 911/Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) and based upon the most recent National Weather Service (NWS) advisory, indicating severe weather conditions with a possibility of unsafe driving conditions for buses and other vehicles, the Evangeline Parish School District, all campuses and district offices, will be closed on 4-10-2024.

Rotary Club Meeting – 4-2-24

 

The program at Tuesday’s Rotary luncheon was presented by Rotarian Beau Wilson.  Beau introduced Connie Lamke, the Founder and President of The Acosta Foundation, a 501C3 non-profit that was formed in 2019.  The mission is to improve lives one donation at a time.   Connie’s work continues the lessons she learned from her father, Rodney Acosta, Sr., to be generous to those in need   

 

The Acosta Foundation helps support the Savoy Indigent Support organization in Mamou that helps cancer patients with expenses incurred for their treatment.  They help get food to those in need in Evangeline Parish.  The Foundation helps with disaster relief all over Louisiana. 

 

The Aswell House was donated to the Foundation, and it is used to continue with traditions including the Tee Cotton Bowl and local Fairs and Festivals.  The house cab host conferences and other events, and they can offer education and training.  This also requires a significant amount of funds for repairs, renovations and upkeep.

 

Upcoming events include a fishing tournament on April 20^th at Bayou Chicot.  Funds raised will be used for flooring at the Aswell House.  On the same day, April 20^th, there will also be a 5K Color Walk/Run at Bayou Chicot to raise money for Savoy Indigent Support.

 

There is a 12 member Board for The Acosta Foundation that helps determine what causes to support.  To find out more information or help support The Acosta Foundation, go to their website at theacostafoundation.org.  Also check out and share their Facebook page.

 

Other Rotary News:

• The Spring Social will be at the Group Camp at Chicot Park at 6:00 on April 16th.  The band, The Browning Onions will perform and there will be barbecue.
• The speaker for the next meeting on April 9^th will be presented by Donald Bergeron

On Monday night, after much discussion, the Evangeline Parish Police Jury approved the Request by IBV Energy Partners and/or Bayou Chicot Solar, LLC for certain tax exemptions and other considerations negotiated by the Industrial Development Board for the Bayou Chicot Solar Farm with a vote of 6-3.  This project is now ready to move on to the next phase.

After opening items, the public was invited to speak on agenda items, and there were numerous speakers who had comments and questions about the Request by IBV Energy Partners and/or Bayou Chicot Solar, LLC for certain tax exemptions and other considerations.  Earlier in the day, the Industrial Development Board and other community leaders met with IBV Energy Partners to amend the resolution adopted on March 19^th.   Note that this resolution is only attributable to the Bayou Chicot Solar Project.  The Ad Valorem Pilot was changed from a 75-25 split to a 72 – 28 deal for the first 15 years of the project.  In the 16^th year of the project and going forward, the company will be obligated to pay 100% of the ad valorem taxes that will then be assessed.  The maximum increase in the value was removed from the resolution, so the Parish can share in the total increase in value of the project, but the minimum valuation of $240 million was kept in the resolution.  A Sales Tax Pilot was also added, so that the company will pay $5,000,000 in sales taxes.  When this is added to the amount being collected from IBV, the incentive changes to 60-40, and this is the best deal that currently exists in the state of Louisiana based on research done by the Parish Tax Assessor.  Funds collected will be distributed according to the Ad Valorem schedule in place.  These changes were made in accordance with the concerns of the Jury Members and their constituents.  The total amount of funds expected to be collected in the first fifteen years of this project is $58 million.

There were questions about the tax incentives, and what amounts of money will be realized by the Parish.  There were concerns about the way the moneys will be divided among the taxing entities.  People also wanted to know what jobs will be created and if local businesses will be hired for work to be done.  All of these issues were discussed by the Jury and the Representatives from the Industrial Development Board. 

Troy Wayman from One Acadiana spoke at the meeting.  He let everyone know that IBV plans an initial investment in this Parish of $169 million.  There will be many jobs during the construction phase.  The tax impact from sales in the first year and a half is expected to be $4,000,000.  The total amount in taxes projected to be collected for the first 15 years is $58 million.  The power infrastructure will be improved by this investment as well.

IBV has proposed to award $2000 scholarships for one graduating senior from each of the five high schools in the Parish.  The split of the funds will be 53% to the Police Jury, 8% to the Sheriff, and 39% to the School Board.

This project has been under way for four years.  All of the due diligence has been done. The argument was put forth that this project will set a precedent for future industries considering this parish for development, and that this is something the needs to be done for the future of the parish, and for the children and grandchildren.

When the resolution was put to a vote by the Board, there were three votes in opposition – Kevin Veillon, Darion Arvie and Daniel Arvie.  Those in favor included Bryan Vidrine, Keith Saucier, Sidney Fontenot, Ryan Ardoin, Timothy Causey, and Brent Guillory.  This project was approved to move to the next phase.

At the closing of that discussion, IDB Board Member Wayne Vidrine asked the Police Jury Board to strongly consider an industrial park near the highway.  The Parish loses potential investing companies because there is no access to a four lane highway.

The Board then continued on with the remaining Agenda for the meeting.

Sheriff Department Arrests March 6, 2024 Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory reported to KVPI News that a Mamou man was stopped for a traffic violation on Tuesday on Veterans Memorial Highway. Following a search of his vehicle, the search yielded 67 grams of marijuana. This led to the arrest of the driver: Collins Lee King age 35 of Mamou. Traffic citations were also issued for the equipment violation. In another case, last Sunday March 3 at 1;00pm, deputies with the patrol division conducted a traffic stop on Old Highway 13 for a violation. Following a search of the vehicle, officers discovered 6.6 grams of Methamphetamine, 5 grams of Marijuana, 3.5 Hydrocodone pills and 2 Dextroamphetamine pills. This led to the arrest of the passenger: Michelle Lynn McDaniel age 55 of Mamou. The driver, Tellisa Sheree McCauley age 48 of Mamou was released on traffic citations.

Evangeline Parish Police Jury Meeting 3/4/24 The Evangeline Parish Police Jury met on Monday night. During the hearings prior to the meeting, Matthew Baker from Heroes Everywhere Animal Rescue spoke in favor of creating an ordinance mandating spaying/neutering for animal control in Evangeline Parish. The Jury decided that a meeting with the Sheriff should be scheduled to discuss enforcement of the leash law, and there will also be a push for voluntary spaying and neutering. Brian Richmond, the new manager of Crooked Creek, provided an update on the Park. He asked for approved to purchase a new lawn mower, to get Starlink for internet, and to get 2-3 Golf Carts for the park. There are a number of events planned, and the plan is to have music and food trucks including: Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July – June 29th, Labor Day – August 31st, Halloween – October 19th – Campers only, October 29th – Public invited. The Executive Committee approved hiring a part-time person for the front desk. The Building Committee created a Chauncey Pitre Barn Committee that will include someone from the Beef Council, the 4-H, and Tim Causey, Keith Saucier and Bryan Vidrine. The committee was created to discuss the use of the barn, and rental issues. The Sacred Heart Girls' Basketball team were introduced at the Police Jury meeting, and congratulated for their historic season. Congratulations, Lady Trojans! A Solar Panel Farm Board was created. The Board will include two Police Jurors and 5 independent members. Kevin Veillon and Brent Guillory will be on this Board. The Board will also include someone from the Farm Bureau. The Jury also approved the a moratorium on future Solar Panel Farms that will be in place until December 4th for further evaluation and study of the economic, health and safety concerns of Solar Farms and to determine if changes need to be made to the Ordinance. Each District has a $10,000 allocation for handling nuisance and neglected properties. Dirk Deville has a list of the adjudicated properties, but the sheriff's department has not taken the next step. Mr. Deville was asked to schedule a meeting with the Sheriff. The Public Works Director, Jody Snoddy, discussed some equipment needs in different districts as well as the budgets for Crooked Creek. Mr. Ronnie Landreneau gave an update on the Wyble Subdivision. The Secretary/Treasurer, Dirk Deville, is getting settled in his new position. He will have the 2% sales tax update for the next meeting. The Ward 4 Fire Department's request to hire Kenny Granger was approved, and the Jury received an update on the Property and Casualty Insurance. They approved the parish grass cutting plan. Mr. Deville was asked schedule a meeting with the DOTD to discuss the Bridge Program's non-compliant status. There will be a Special Meeting to ratify the recommendations of the Industrial Development Board on Tuesday, March 5th at 7:30 PM.

Rotary Club Meeting – 2-20-24 Rotarian Peter Strawitz invited Martha Aubert and James Douget from the Louisiana Orphan Train Museum to present the program at the Rotary meeting on Tuesday. The Louisiana Orphan Train Museum will be celebrating 15 years in October. This museum is 100% volunteer run, and there are approximately 2000 visitors per year. They do a lot of community outreach as well. In the mid-1800s, there was a huge influx of people to New York, and due to shortages, there were thousands of street children, possibly as many as 30,000. Sister Irene Fitzgibbons founded the New York Foundling Hospital. She got the Catholic Church involved, and they were able to send children, as many as 350,000, all over the country. Most of them taken in as indentured servants, but they became a part of the families and part of the local communities. The Church sent people to check on the welfare of the children. Many people in this area can trace their roots back to the Orphan Trains. For a long time, their stories were kept quiet due to the stigma attached. However, the stories are being brought to the forefront now. The museum tells the stories of the orphans who came by train to Opelousas. The beautiful pictures on the walls were restored and brought back to life by Bobby Dardeau. There are 434 orphans whose stories are shared in the museum now, but they know there are more. For more information, please reach out to the Louisiana Orphan Train Museum. Other Rotary News: • The speaker for the next meeting on February 27th will be presented by Phillipe Vidrine. • St. Peter's Catholic Church in Grand Prairie is having their Fish Fry on Friday from 5:00 – 7:00

Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Department Investigates 4 Wheeler Theft February 20, 2024 Last Monday February 12, Detectives of the Criminal Investigation Division with the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office was contacted and advised that a St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office Detective contacted the Patrol Sergeant with the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office and advised him that a confidential informant had told him that a four-wheeler stolen in St. Landry Parish was in Evangeline Parish and at a residence on the Chatagnier road and he would like Deputies to go and try to find it. Detectives went and met with the Patrol units responding to a residence located at the 5900 Blk. of Chataignier Road. Upon arrival, Deputies met with a subject residing there. That subject allowed Deputies to go into two storage containers on the property which possibly contained a stolen four-wheeler but none were found. Deputies later learned there was an address on St. Julien Road and that the stolen four-wheeler might be there. Upon arrival at the 1000 Blk. St. Julien Road, Deputies received consent to search from the homeowners. The homeowners allowed Deputies to search the residence and even helped Deputies look for VIN numbers. During the search, Deputies found a red Honda TRX90 four-wheeler stolen from the Eunice area along with several other four-wheelers that are still awaiting confirmation as being stolen. After interviewing the home owner (Tim Stelly age 41 of Ville Platte) took full responsibility for having the stolen four-wheeler .He was then placed under arrest for Possession of Stolen Things and is currently being heled in the Evangeline Parish Jail with a $35,000.00 bond. Lacey Miller was also placed under arrest for an unrelated St. Landry Parish warrant. She also resides at the above-mentioned address. This investigation is still ongoing and other arrests are possible. As always, Sheriff Charles R. Guillory and the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office is seeking information on criminal activity and urges the public to contact their Investigation Department via phone at 337-363-2161 or through the agency's website at www.evangelineparishsheriff.org. Any person reporting information will remain anonymous. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.

On February 5,2024 the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office was given a donation of $1,500.00 from Boardwalk/Texas Gas Pipeline Company towards the purchase of new 700 mhz portable radios. The donation was presented on February 8, 2024 by representative Brian Johnson to the Sheriff. The Sheriff would like to thank Boardwalk/Texas Gas Pipeline Company for the generous donation that was very much appreciated.

Ville Platte City Council - Meeting, Tuesday, February 6, 2024 The Ville Platte City Council met Tuesday night, and Council members asked about specific drainage ditches and sewer lines, and requested signs for churches and schools as well as cross walks. The City Council also voted to set Utility Deposit Rates for Residential Customers at $75.00 and Commercial Customers at $150.00. Charles Tate and Sarahi Sawtelle presented their request for a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the City. Freedom Family Church is planning to build two outdoor courts behind the Hundredfold Coffee building as well as an indoor facility for inclement weather in order to provide supervised activities for children in the Parish. Under the CEA, they requested $6,000 to go towards the expense of completing the courts and buying the necessary supplies. The Council approved the Resolution. The City Engineer, Ronnie Landreneau, updated the Council on various projects. The Phase 4 Water Improvement Project has been funded. The plan is to refurbish all the lift stations. The estimated time to start is 45-60 days, with an estimated completion time of 6-9 months. Mr. Landreneau recommended a Subsurface Evaluation of Utilities. The State has approved the plans for the Heritage Garden. A few changes are needed to meet federal guidelines, and they are about 2 weeks from getting approval to get bids. The preliminary plans are finished for the big parks. The design and construction is approved for half of the project, and they are working with our Representative and Senator for the second half. Fire Chief Chris Soileau reported from the Fire Department. The water leaks under discussion also affect fire prevention and ratings, and he indicated that they may need to change out some fire hydrants. There were 31 incidents handled by the Fire Department in January. In the City, there were three structural fires, one electrical wiring, one carbon monoxide related, one cooking fire and one travel trailer. If you have a generator, you should have a carbon monoxide detector. The Fire Department is working to replenish their staffing. They are recruiting volunteers for the junior program, advertising and taking applications. Chief Soileau introduced and obtained Council approval to hire Dennis Scott as a Full Time Probationer Firefighter/Operator and Christopher White as a Full Time Provisional Firefighter/Operator. The Police Chief, Al Perry Thomas, reported to the Mayor that there were 633 calls in January – down 151 from December. The police made a total of 30 arrests and three of those were felony arrests. There were 20 accidents, four with injuries. The Mayor reported the following: 1. He appointed Eric Fontenot to Cabot's Economic Development Board. 2. The City street and drainage crews are staying on the Canal project. The sewer issue is an obstruction. The City invested in a pipeline inspection camera. It showed that 125' from the man hole, there was a tree root growing through the main line. Two Sewer Pipe Jetter Machines were purchased to clear the pipes. 3. There have been numerous calls to add or repair street lights. The Mayor is looking into some new long term solutions. Please report street lights that are out so they can be addressed. 4. The City is going to participate in the Clearance Program created to address and eliminate slum and blight. The Council approved a Resolution for the City's application for the 2023-2024 LGAP. This is the Local Government Assistance Program - $50,000 for the removal of blighted and abandoned properties. The next meeting will be Tuesday, March

Police searching for subjects wanted in two shootings February 2, 2024 Ville Platte Police Chief Al Perry Thomas reported to KVPI News that on Wednesday January 31 at 1:37pm, detectives responded to an apparent shooting. The location was at the intersection of Young Street and Martin Luther King Street where a male victim was injured from a single gunshot wound to his lower leg. The victim was identified as Andrew Thomas age 28 of Ville Platte He was transported to a hospital in Rapides Parish by Acadian Air Med where he was listed in stable condition. Chief Thomas said his department was notified at 1;39pm the same day on Wednesday of a second shooting incident, this time near the 600 block of East Washington Street in Ville Platte. The male victim was identified as Artrell Denton of Ville Platte. He was transported to a hospital in Lafayette where was listed to be in stable condition. Anyone who has information on these two shootings is asked to contact the Ville Platte Police Department. All callers will remain anonymous.

Rotary Club Meeting – 1-30-24 The Rotary Club program today was presented by Rotarian Joey Soileau. He invited Chris Guillory, the Evangeline Parish Assessor and his guest, Josh Fontenot, the Chief Deputy and CPA, to provide updates on the effect on Millage Totals for Evangeline Parish that will be provided by the Pine Prairie Energy IDB. The grand totals for tax year 2023 will be $2,571,683.66. This is significant for the Parish. This amount is roughly equivalent to the addition of 1000 - $300,000 homes in the area. The next IDB meeting will be held on February 6 at 4:00 at the Coreil Campus. The Assessor also presented information about a potential Solar Project and how that could affect taxes. These negotiations are all confidential, and have not been concluded. Other Rotary News: • Wayne Vidrine reported on the success of the Azalea planting at Chicot Park. The weather cooperated, and they were able to get the azaleas planted with the help of the Rotarians who volunteered and the students. He acknowledged how great it was to have the Reimagine Academy Students out to help. • Money is being collected for the Super Bowl pool. Beau Wilson would like to have all funds collected by next week's meeting • Rotary Bills have been mailed. Check with Annette Johnson with any questions. • The tentative date for the next Board Meeting is February 6th. This will be confirmed. • The speaker for the next meeting will be presented by Kirk Soileau.

Drug Arrests January 29, 2024 Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory reported to KVPI News the following drug arrests: On Thursday January 25, 2024, Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office received a call from a local store owner in Ville Platte stating that there was a female in the store who was becoming disruptive. Upon the arrival of Narcotic Agents came in contact with a white female identified as Mindy Soileau 28 years old of Ville Platte. Soileau was arrested and charged with Possession of 3.54 grams of methamphetamine and 3 unopen packs of Suboxone Sublingual strips 8mg each. On Tuesday January 23, 2024, Narcotic Agents were conducting Criminal Patrol in the town of Mamou, specifically traveling down Mulberry Street, when they observed a male subject, agents identified as Leroy Moses ,38 of Mamou who was known to have active warrants through the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office. Upon making contact with Leroy Moses, he was advised he was under arrest due to warrants. Agents then conducted a routine pat search of Leroy Moses. During the search Agents located an unopened pack of Suboxone. Leroy was taken to jail on the active Warrants. The Agents secured an arrest warrant for Possession of Suboxone without a prescription. On Wednesday January 24,2024 Narcotic Agents conducting Criminal Patrol in the Chataignier community conducted a traffic stop for vehicle violations. Upon making contact with the driver who was identified as Ricky Dabney a 39 year old from Opelousas. Narcotic Agents recovered approximately 1.3 grams of marijuana and 2.23 grams of cocaine. A criminal summons was issued for the marijuana, citied for traffic citations and arrested for Possession of schedule II Cocaine.

Assistant Supt. Of Schools Mike Lombas reported to KVPI News that all public schools in Evangeline Parish will not have classes due to the flooding conditions. Keep tuned to KVPI for further announcements. Evangeline Parish is under a flash flood warning for today.

Evangeline Parish Police Jury Meeting January 22, 2024 The Evangeline Parish Police Jury, in a special meeting Monday, accepted the recommendation of its parish engineer to delay the awarding of a contract on major improvements at the Wyble Subdivision sewer plant. Engineer Ronnie Landreneau told jurors that the lowest bid out of three bids submitted was for $1 million 99 thousand, which is about $100,000 budget over the parish budget estimate. The project funds are coming from a sewer grant. The engineer said he will work with the bidder to see if they can scale back the project to fit within the budget amount. Jurors also discussed the financial issues the parish has been facing with the operation of its ten sewer plants scattered throughout the parish. The parish has about 1000 customers with about a 30 percent delinquency rate. One customer owes the parish some $3,000 in delinquent fees. Jurors say the sewer fees which are $22 a month are too low to sustain the costs of operating the plants. The monthly sewer fees should be almost double the amount they are now charging. Jury President Bryan Vidrine said the state is helping by putting delinquent sewer customers a tax lien on their state taxes. Juror Kevin Veillon said the sewer plants are "draining our budget and putting a strain on our employees". The sewer plant employee is on medical leave so the jury is having to move their parish road and bridge maintenance supervisor over to make necessary repairs and work on the sewer plants which is backing up road and drainage projects. In other action, the police jury appointed Dirk Deville as new interim secretary treasurer to replace Chester Granger who is retiring February 17. Granger served 25 years as maintenance supervisor and the last year as Secretary Treasurer.

Sheriff Office Arrests January 22, 2024 Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory reported to KVPI News, on Thursday January 18, narcotics agents while conducting criminal patrol on the Lanse Bleu road observed an occupant in a vehicle commit traffic violations. The traffic stop resulted in the arrest of Jessica Deville on a charge of possession of 6.78 grams of Methamphetamine and was issued a ticket for driving under suspension. Also, on January 18, sheriff's office narcotics agents conducted a search warrant at a residence at 570 Bayou Marron road. Richard Manuel was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute 28 grams of Methamphetamine and Possession of a firearm in the presence of illegal narcotics. In another case, on January 5, narcotics agents with the sheriff's office and the Allen Parish Swat Team executed a No-Knock narcotic search warrant at 115 West Jefferson Street in Ville Platte, the residence of Kaybrien Ardoin. As a result of the search warrant, Ardoin was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute 492.1 grams of marijuana, 8 MDMA pills and possession of a weapon in the presence of illegal narcotics. Also, a juvenile suspect was arrested in connection with the theft of two ATY's stolen December 8 from the tow yard of R&T Towing. The business owner reported that suspects gained entry into the tow yard and had stolen two ATY's. It was later learned that the business owner had video evidence of suspects that committed the burglary. The juvenile was later arrested and charged with simple burglary, criminal trespass, criminal damage to property and unauthorized entry of a place of business. The investigation is on going and more arrests are likely. Sheriff Guillory urges the public to contact his office to report criminal activity at 337-363-2161. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Despite the chilly weather, the annual Evangeline Parish Jr. Market Animal Show and Sale for 4-H and F.F.A. students was a big success today at the Chauncey Pitre Ag Arena sponsored by the LSU Ag Center. The Classic Hits 92-5 KVPI road crew, Misty Parker and Mike Perron, were on the scene talking with Ag officials and students. A big thanks to all our sponsors.

Sacred Heart School Closed Tuesday January 15, 2023 Here is a special message from Sacred Heart School Development Director Kimberly LeJeune: "Based on an advisory from our local weather service, as a result of anticipated unsafe driving conditions due to extreme weather, Sacred Heart School will be closed Tuesday January 16. We will update everyone as soon as we receive additional information."

Evangeline Parish School Closure January 15, 2024 Evangeline Parish Supt. Of Schools Darwan Lazard reported to KVPI News: "In communication with the local 9-1-1 Office of Emergency Preparedness an based upon the most recent National Weather Service advisory indicating extremely cold temperatures with a possibility of unsafe driving conditions , the Evangeline Parish School District, all campuses and district offices will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday Jan. 16 and 17. The safety of our students and employees remains our top priority. We anticipate that we will resume regular operations Thursday January 16. Check local media outlets, school board website and social media platforms for updates."

Ville Platte City Council Meeting January 10, 2023 The Ville Platte City Council Tuesday heard from Linda Fontenot who is in charge of a program to help young people called "Save Our Community Kids Adventure Camp". Her group plans activities and events for young people including workshops the arts and science. Her headquarters is on Jack Miller Road. This past year, her group mentored some 35 young people. Ville Platte Mayor Ryan LeDay Williams, in his mayo's report announced that the city will be adding another retail business that will bring in another 40-50 new direct jobs to our area. The mayor said the agreement with the new firm forbids him from disclosing more information about the business. He said ground breaking will take place late this summer. The city council reviewed the cost of utility deposits in the city as compared to deposits that residents in other municipalities are paying. It was learned that Ville Platte residents are paying more than in other comparable size cities. No action was taken by the council. The council approved annexing property along US 167 Opelousas road from Crimson Lane to the East Side Water system office. Fire Chief Chris Soileau reported there were 22 incidents for the month of December including two grass fires and two building fires. For the year 2023, the fire department worked 308 fire incidents. The Ville Platte City Council approved a request to raise the salaries of paid firefighters by two percent for a cost of $8800 a year. The city approved the hiring of Chirstopher Jordan Dupre as a new firefighter. Police Chief Al Perry Thomas reported there were 784 calls for December. The police wrote 8 traffic tickets, made 28 arrests including 7 felony arrests, and worked 27 traffic accidents and one fatality. The city approved hiring John Christophel and Javonte Freeman as new police officers. In other business, the city: --Approved advertising for bids for the refurbishing of 19 sewer lift stations using funds from a five million dollar grant; --voted to name Councilwoman Anna Frank as Mayor Pro tem for the year 2024; -approved moving the February council meeting date to Feb. 6 due to the Mardi Gras holiday.

Ville Platte Rotary Club Meeting January 9, 2023 The Ville Platte Rotary Club today (Tuesday) heard from Rotarian Annette Johnson speak about an event that occurred in 2011 when the local club buried a time capsule in connection with the centennial celebration of Evangeline Parish. Johnson showed photos and newspaper articles detailing the various events that took place at the courthouse square in honor of the parish' 100th birthday. Rotarian Jimmy LeBlanc read a proclamation that was included in the time capsule that will be opened in 2061. The time capsule was buried in front of the bell tower. The time capsule was donated by Chad Soileau of Soileau Industries and the marker was provided by Centurion Monuments. A number of items were included in the capsule including some 70 photographs of homes and businesses in the Ville Platte area. Annette Johnson was the guest speaker of Rotarian Ronnie Landreneau. In other business, the rotary club: --have scheduled January 23 to gather to plant azaleas at Chicot State Park assisted by Sacred Heart and Reimagine Academy students; --heard from Larry Lachney who announced the winners in the football pool. The pool is used to provide two $1250 scholarship winners for its youth leadership program "Ryla".

On Wednesday night, Sacred Heart School presented Christmas Under The Oaks. KVPI was there and spoke with Ms. Rebecca Ardoin, the Religion Administrator at Sacred Heart School. The students have been working on this program for several months and did a wonderful job! They presented the Nativity of our Lord. The Junior Class presented a Live Nativity Set. The Elementary Choir sang beautiful Christmas carols, and the Praise Team performed a beautiful dance for the Celebration. It was a lovely evening for Christmas Under the Oaks!

Rotary Club Meeting – 1-2-24 The Rotary Club program on Tuesdqy was presented by Rotarian Dan Poret. He invited Colisse Dupont, the Executive Director of Enrollment Services at SLCC. The strategic plan for SLCC is to boost enrollment by developing plans to increase the programs being offered, particularly outside of Lafayette. Since COVID, application numbers have doubled in Ville Platte, and overall enrollment has increased by 3%. SLCC is now offering Agricultural Science. They offer an on-line program in Education and Oil and Gas Production. Business Office Technology has been added, and they have added Virtual Programs. Tuition has not increased, and SLCC is now offering assistance for students who need laptops. There is a food pantry to help with food insecurity needs. Other programs being offered include Welding, Criminal Justice, Practical Nursing, Business, Adult Education and an excellent Dual Enrollment program. The Advisory Boards have been revitalized. SLCC is working on a Medical Assistant Program and an Advanced Manufacturing Program that should be available in 2025-2026. They are offering Engineering packages within the General Studies program. When determining the educational packages to be developed, they look at the industries in the communities and determine what skills are needed to fill those industry jobs with the goal of educating the youth to keep them here living and working in this community. In conjunction with the State Mission, SLCC has a goal of completing 46,000 students by 2030. Other Rotary News: • Larry Lachney spoke about the College Championship Football pool. This game is scheduled for January 8th, and there will be 2 scholarships in the amount of $1250 each awarded from the proceeds. • The next meeting will be on January 9th, and the program will be presented by Ronnie Landreneau • The Azalea Project for Chicot Park is planned for January 23rd or 24th or both, depending on whether the project is completed. The plan is to plant 150 azaleas. The Interact Club at Sacred Heart will be involved, and students from Reimagine Academy have also been invited.

Election Returns November 18, 2023 Complete but unofficial election returns show that District Six in Evangeline Parish has a new police juror. Challenger Brent Guillory defeated incumbent police juror Eric Soileau in balloting Saturday night. The final vote was Brent Guillory with 466 votes or 55 percent of the vote to Soileau's 368 votes or 44 percent. All local millage tax propositions were renewed by voters. For the Elderly Services proposition , the millage tax was renewed by parish voters with 2394 people cast yes votes while 1091 votes were against the measure. For the 9-1-1 Communications District millage tax renewal, it passed with 2363 voters voting yes and 1142 voters voting no; For the Police Jury Ward One millage renewal, the millage tax was approved by 510 to 296; For School District Number Seven in the Basile School area, the millage tax renewal was approved 159 to 64; In the Mamou Gravity Drainage District Number Five , the millage tax was renewed with 127 voting yes and 55 voting no; In Statewide races, Evangeline Parish voters did the following: For Secretary of State: Nancy Landry defeated Gwen Collins Greenup with Landry getting 2966 votes and her opponent 696 votes; For Attorney General: Liz Baker Murrill easily defeated Lindsey Cheek, 2977 to 671; For State Treasurer: John Fleming with 2904 votes beat Dustin Granger who received 748 votes. In the constitutional amendments: Amendment #1, Evangeline Parish voters approved the amendment 2094 votes with 1327 against which deals with the timing of gubernatorial action on bill; Amendment #2 deals with repealing certain funds in the state treasury passed by parish voters: 1765 votes yes and 1648 votes no; Amendment #3-provides for ad valorum tax exemptions for certain first responders. That measure was approved by parish voters with 1874 yes votes and 1560 no votes; Amendment #4-dealing with the use of money in the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund. That measure was voted down by parish voters: 1827 voted no and 1555 voted yes. KVPI's Misty Parker and Mark Layne were there broadcasting complete return coverage on Classic Hits 92.5 KVPI.

Suspect arrested for theft of stolen ATV and another suspect arrested for bomb threat Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory reported to KVPI News the following suspects were arrested: On November 3, deputies responded to the 2000 block of West Main Street in reference to a stolen ATV. Through the use of tracking devices, sheriff's deputies went to the location where the stolen ATV was tracking. They discovered the missing ATV and another ATV inside a shed and later determined it was stolen too. The suspect , Jaquan Lavergne, age 18 of Enola Street. He was charged with two counts of possession of stolen things with bond set at $30,000. He is currently in the parish jail. On November 16, a suspect, Heath Morris Cintron age 49 of Eunice was located by the state police in Rapides Parish and arrested on an outstanding arrest warrant for "Communication False Information of planned Arson". His bond was set at $15,000. The charges are in connection with a bomb threat at his former place of employment, Cabot Corporation. Sheriff Guillory urges the general public to contact his office to report any type of criminal activity at 337-363-2124. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.