Top 7 stories of 2013 in Vermilion Parish

Common Core
hot topic

Some Vermilion Parish parents and students got to learn who “Twista” was and that he sung a song called “Po-Pimp.” Unfortunately, the students who learned those facts were a handful of elementary students from the parish.
The year 2013 welcomed in a new way to teach Vermilion Parish public school students, as well as all Louisiana public school students. That new, and controversial method, is called “Common Core.”
It took about a month into the school-year before parents began to rise up and voice their concerns about the new curriculum called Common Core.
Vermilion Parish School System even made national news after an elementary student was given a worksheet assignment. A parent read the homework assignment and was shocked when the assignment sheet used the words “Twista” as being rapper Carl Mitchell. The assignment sheet explained that Mitchell sung a song called, “Po-Pimp.”
The student asked his mother what a “pimp” was.
At the school board meeting, new superintendent Jerome Puyau took full responsibility for the homework assignment going out and apologized to everyone.
The homework assignment made national news and helped kick off an uproar from parents throughout the state about Common Core.
A week after the homework assignment, more parents attended a school board meeting to voice their problems with Common Core. Charles Campbell, then president of the school board, said it was not the parish that selected Common Core, but it was the state.
Laurie Duhon, a parent with a seventh grader in the parish, organized a meeting in the Abbeville library to talk over Common Core with Holly Boffy, a BESE member, who is from Abbeville. Close to 200 parents and teachers attended the meeting.
VC wins
two state titles

Although it was not in the same school year, it was in the same calender year, 2013, that Vermilion Catholic brought home two state titles.
The first state title was in March when the Lady Eagles, behind Katie Frith, nipped West St. John 54-52. Kaylen Collins hit a last second shot to win the game.
This year, VC girls coach Kim Guidry won her 700th game at VC and also had the gym named after her.
Closing out the year was the Eagles football team winning the Class A Select title by beating the St. Frederick Warriors 63-18 in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
Mike Campbell had 17 carries for 178 yards and he scored three times.
Most Valuable Player of the Game was VC quarterback Brennan Gallet, who completed 14 out of 21 passes for 209 yards.
The final few games were dedicated to Father Donald Theriot, who passed away right before VC began its run in the playoffs.
The Eagles finished the year 14-0 with the help of Father T.

Burglary ring
solved

For those who lived north of Abbeville, many feared their homes would be broken into throughout the summer.
At least 20 homes were broken into over a two month time period.
There was a spike in home burglaries ranging from north of Kaplan to north of Abbeville. The motive was almost the same, kick in the door, run in and grab as much as they could in a short time. Guns, jewelry, money and other items were taken.
These criminals began to expand their operations into other parishes such as Acadia, Iberia and Lafayette.
At the end of August, law enforcement got the break it needed when a neighbor in Acadia Parish noticed someone breaking into a home and called police. The Scott police joined in on the investigation and went to the adress of 1701 St. Mary Street in Scott.
The Scott police located 41 shotguns, 29 rifles, six handguns, a crossbow, almost 60 one ounce solid gold bars, along with jewelry, electronics, watches, a military medal and other items.
Arrested were Damien Schexnayder of Rayne and Jerome Thibodeaux of Maurice.

Goodbye, George

In the beginning of September, Erath lost its mayor, George Dupuis, who had been mayor for 10 years. He died of cancer at the age of 63.
Erath alderman John Earl Leblanc said, “There is no doubt, George was a good leader. George was progressive. He moved Erath forward.”
Under his watch as mayor, the small town with 2,000 people dealt with two storm surges from two different hurricanes three years apart. The first one, two years into his office, was a test he passed with flying colors. He would take the same test three years later with Hurricane Ike.
“He led the town through the two biggest tragedies. He never got nervous. He was calm and cool,” said Alderman ‘T-Bob” Domingues.
Serving as mayor today is Billy Cormier, who was an alderman before accepting the mayor’s seat.

Two parish residents part of national news

Kayla Gaspard Robles and Anne Segrera did not know when they left Vermilion Parish for what they thought would be a good time, turned out to be a stressful time.
In Feburary, Kayla, who was six months pregnant, was with her husband Eric on a Carnival Cruise in hopes of having a relaxing time. While the first half of the trip was relaxing, the return trip home was not.
The cruise ship the Robles were on stalled and had to be towed in. The Robles and the other 3,000 passengers slept on the deck or on the floor, and waited in line for hours for food. Passengers had to go to the bathroom in bags or buckets.
When the ship returned to Mobile, Ala., Kayla’s mother and sister were there to pick them up and take them back to Abbeville. Today, Kayla has a six-month- old baby that is healthy.
In mid April, Anne Sagrera, who lives in the parish, had completed the Boston Marathon and was en route back to meet her husband when she heard the explosion near the finish line. Sagrera was not injured in the ordeal.

Two brothers killed

The Guidry family in Abbeville did not have much to celebrate on Mardi Gras morning of 2013.
Brothers Mike Guidry, 24, and Gary Guidry, 25, were shot dead in their home that morning.
That same morning, the Abbeville police arrested D’Andre Jamal Senagal and charged him with two counts of first degree murder.
Neighbors heard the shooting was over a disagreement. They were the first murders in Abbeville in 2013.

Economic
Development

It almost took a year to get accomplished, but police juror Paul Bourgeois envisioned creating a parishwide economic development department. The only problem with the idea was funding it. WIth the help of other jurors, Bourgeois went to different municipalities, sheriff’s office, school board, and other government agencies asking for funding.
After asking, a total of $98,000 was committed for three years. The police jury chipped in another $100,000 over a three year period. A economic development committee was created and is now in the process of searching to hire a director.

Honorable
mention
Other stories that were considered for the Top 7 - On Jan. 11, Vermilion Parish received a lot of rain to begin the 2013 year. Erath had 10 inches of rain but no homes were flooded. In April, a handful of Vermilion Parish residents came together to put on “In the Wake of Time” community play in Abbeville; Brian Campbell of Delcambre raised $104,000 for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society; Courthouse turned 60 years old in June, 139 people applied to be the park director in Abbeville. The city hired Jerry Smith. In October, Phase 2 opened at Abbeville General Hospital; Virgie Foreman was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame. In November, a referee, who is from Kaplan, was attacked by players and coaches after an Erath High football game.

Economic Development