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Henri Clay Bienvenu was born in 1941, but his story really begins over half a century earlier, around 1886, with a 12-year-old kid tacking obituary notices to telegraph poles in St. Martinville, notices that he had printed himself on a small hand press in the offices of a brand-new newspaper called the Weekly Messenger.
The kid was Lazaire E. Bienvenu, Henri’s grandfather. Lazaire’s older brother, Albert, started the paper with another fellow, but by the time he was 20, Lazaire was running it. He was followed by his son, Marcel (“Blackie”), who was followed by his son, Henri. Along the way, the name was changed to Teche News.
When Henri was growing up in the 1940s and ‘50s, St. Martinville was like Mayberry and surrounding St. Martin Parish was the epitome of the Sportsman’s Paradise. Henri’s sister Marcelle Bienvenu, famous for her books on Cajun and Creole cuisine, said their childhood “was always some big adventure.” They roughed it in various campsites around Catahoula Lake, had to melt the ice from the coffee pot in their duck camp near Gueydan, fished and swam in Bayou Teche.
Henri, who was a few years older, was often charged with bringing Marcelle along as he and his chums roamed the nearby woods and fields.
“One time they were practicing their boy scout knots and they tied me up and left me in a cane field,” she said. “Their knots held just fine but they forgot where they left me.”
Blackie had to call the sheriff’s office to turn out a search party, by then after dark.
“But Henri was a good little guy,” she said. “He was no trouble at all.”
Like his father and grandfather, he started working at the newspaper at a young age. His lifelong friend Ray Pellerin (who followed his own father’s footsteps into the funeral home business) remembers Henri running around tacking funeral notices to the telephone poles, just like his grandfather. As a teenager, he fed lead to the Linotype machine and ran the presses.
But by all accounts, Henri did not want to be a newspaperman. He majored in business administration at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, where he met another St. Martin Parish luminary, Paul Hardy, former lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and state senator.
“Henri was Mr. Cool at USL,” Paul said. “He had a BMW Isetta,” (A one-cylinder four-wheel covered motor scooter with the door in front and no reverse.) “but it was a car. Nobody else had a car. Gas cost him 68 cents a week, he told me. And he even double-dated in it one time!”
Paul met Henri through Phi Kappa Theta, where Henri had risen to president. They lived in a fraternity house on Jefferson Street, roomed together in fact.
“Henri, who was a year older, appointed me to my first responsible position, he made me housemother! Ten fraternity rats and a bulldog!” (PKT at the time housed the university’s mascot, Gee.) “And I’m responsible for keeping the place clean. It was a long time before I sought another responsible position, I can tell you,” Paul said.
Someone else Henri met at USL was Maria Comeaux of Lafayette. They met on a blind date in 1962, and married when Henri got out of Officer Candidate School, a newly minted second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. They began married life at the former Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty, in North Carolina, where he served as an artillery officer.
“We liked the life,” Maria said. “Fort Bragg had lots of activities. There were seven golf courses, seven officers’ clubs. And even back then, we both loved to travel.”
The couple had decided to make the Army a career, until they came to the confluence of two events in the spring of ‘66. The war in Vietnam was ratcheting up, and Henri was fast approaching the time for him to re-up or end his tour of active duty. One by one they saw their friends being separated, wife and kids going home to family, husband moving in with Henri and Maria in their spacious triple-wide trailer until they received orders to ship out.
“Henri didn’t know what to do,” Maria said. “He called his father for advice, and Blackie said ‘Come on home, Son. I need you here.’
Thus, Henri became the fourth Bienvenu to head up St. Martin Parish’s journal of record. But that’s far from the end of the story. Henri and Maria went on to have four daughters, a son, and 18 grandchildren. But Henri was also married to the Teche News.
“Many, many times he would come home in the evening, watch the news on TV, eat supper, and then go back to work until eight or eight-thirty,” said Henri’s son, Gerard.
He remained in the Army Reserves for a couple of years, commanding a combat engineer company in Lafayette and rising to the rank of captain before his separation from military service. One of those quiet, steady fellows whose words have weight, Henri became a pillar of the community, serving as president of the Jaycees and the Rotary Club, and lending valuable editorial space to any number of civic projects.
Up the road in Breaux Bridge, his old friend Ray Pellerin turned to Henri when he needed help with one of his many endeavors, like a parish-wide fire-fighting district, or an annual Christmas boat parade.
“Any project I ever did, Henri was right there,” said Ray. “Anything he could be involved in, he didn’t have to be asked twice.”
One might expect a business administration graduate and former commanding officer to be a good business manager, but it turned out that Henri also inherited a good nose for news. And sports. Following Blackie’s lead, he penned what became the first thing many Teche News subscribers turned to, his newsy, gossipy, and often dryly humorous column “Pense Donc!!”, which, after Blackie’s death, incorporated his beloved “This & That...” column.
Perhaps because Maria became a teacher, Henri took a special interest in education, covering the St. Martin Parish School Board until he died. Burton Dupuis, whose many roles in St. Martin Parish’s civic scene included a stint at superintendent of schools back in the 1980s, remembers Henri as a very thorough and accurate reporter.
“Before my first meeting, my secretary told me to expect a phone call from Henri at 8 o’clock on Thursday morning,” Burton said. “And sure enough, at 8 o’clock, Henri was on the phone asking questions about the agenda. The school board didn’t always share the details, but that wasn’t going to stop him.”
Burton instructed his staff to give Henri the same packet of information board members got, a practice that continues to this day.
Henri also became a first-class news photographer, perfecting the art of tasteful, girl-next-door cheesecake in the monthly “Bayou Belle” feature whose subjects constitute an honored sorority in St. Martin Parish.
His impactful coverage of Mardi Gras, the Crawfish Festival, La Grande Boucherie helped them to thrive and put St. Martin Parish on the map.
His old friend and former roomie Paul Hardy continued to subscribe to and read the Teche News long after he moved permanently to Baton Rouge.
“I’d call people back home and tease them, telling them about one thing or another, and they’d say, ‘How do you know that?’ It’s in the Teche News, I’d say. If you want to know what’s going on, you gotta read the Teche News!”
Henri semi-retired in 2007, but he continued to cover the school board, and high school football, and write “Pence Donc!!” (translates as ‘Think About It!’), and of course shoot “Bayou Belle.” He had some health issues, heart surgery, cancer, but he kept on keepin’ on, until that Monday morning when he couldn’t make it to his desk without pausing to catch his breath. He was 82.
Henri’s gone, and it’s not just the end of a line of talented and dedicated newspapermen. In some ways it’s the end of an era

According to Sheriff Mike Couvillon, the Vermilion Municipal and Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force made the following arrest for narcotics related offenses within the parish.
After a lengthy investigation into the sale of illegal narcotics inside the city limits of Abbeville, agents were able to apply for and secure a search warrant for 1108 South Saint Valerie.
Upon execution, with the assistance of the Abbeville Police Department Patrol and Detective Divisions, agents were able to safely detain multiple subjects inside of the residence without incident.
After a thorough search of the residence, agents were able to locate a loaded Glock handgun with an extended magazine, which was easily accessible by the occupants of the residence, as well as a large amount of various types of suspected illegal narcotics.
As a result of the investigation, Maxie Mitchell, (Date of birth: 12-31-1987 of Abbeville), was arrested and charged with the following offenses:
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I, (Marijuana)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I, (MDMA)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II, (Methamphetamine)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule IV, (Alprazolam)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II, (Crack Cocaine)
• Manufacturing of Schedule II, (Crack Cocaine)
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
• Possession of a Firearm with a Controlled Dangerous Substance present. Sheriff Couvillon would like to note that more arrests are expected as a result of this long term investigation.
Sheriff Couvillon would like to thank the Mayors, and their council, of Abbeville, Gueydan, and Erath, along with their Chiefs of Police, for their support of the Vermilion Municipal and Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force.
Sheriff Couvillon also applauds the concerned citizens of Vermilion Parish for their awareness and assistance in helping the Task Force in fighting the war on illegal drugs.
He encourages all citizens with information in regards to illegal drug activities to contact the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office or the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit at 337-740-4501 or E-mail the Task Force anonymously at taskforce@vpso.net and your e-mail will be held in the “strictest of confidence” and replied to in a very timely manner. Sheriff Couvillon and the agents of the Task Force will continue their fight against narcotics dealers and narcotics traffickers inside of Vermilion Parish and will continue to network with other agencies in this fight. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
More information on reporting drug activities can be seen on our Web Site at www.vpso.net. Click on Narcotics and fill out the TURN IN A PUSHER information.

ERATH - The Erath Bobcats ended their year with a remarkable non-district win against Donaldsonville, setting a new school record for most points scored with a final score of 68-42.
This victory helped them finish the season with a 2-8 record.
The game witnessed a total of 16 touchdowns, out of which Erath scored 10.
The Bobcats’ 68 points is a new record in the school’s history, surpassing the previous record of 61 points set in 1998.
The game produced a total of 595 yards of offense for Erath. The 595 yards was the second most yards in the school history.
Despite the loss, Donaldsonville (1-6) had a total of 375 yards of offense, with 264 yards passing.
Both the teams combined for a total of 42 first downs, out of which Erath secured 27.
Three offensive linemen were able to see what it was like rushing the football. They combined to rush eight times for 50 yards and three touchdowns.
Center Jadon Soirez had two carries for 12 yards and a touchdown.
Right guard Branson Word had two carries for seven yards and a score.
Right tackle Wyatt Richard had four carries for 31 yards and a score.
Left guard Ryan Fobbs attempted a pass to tight end Lynkon Romero.
During the game against Donaldsonville, the Bobcats started off strong and quickly took a 20-0 lead in the first half.
Bo Lancon scored a 69-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, followed by Christian Pillette’s 25-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jack Landry.
Although the extra point was missed, the Bobcats were still in the lead with 13-0.
Brayden Landry scored the third touchdown with a 12-yard run, and Payton Pickens kicked the extra point, bringing the score to 20-0.
The Bobcats cemented their lead with Jadon Soirez’s 6-yard run, bringing the score to 33-8 by the end of the second quarter.
Donaldsonville managed to score a 47-yard pass and ended the first half with a score of 33-14.
The Bobcats maintained their lead throughout the second half, with Trevan Williams scoring a 4-yard run that brought the score to 47-20 at the end of the third period.
In the game, Donaldsonville started the fourth quarter with a 14-point scoring run and narrowed the lead to 47-34.
However, the Bobcats quickly sealed the game by scoring three consecutive rushing touchdowns by Branson Word, Wyatt Richard, and Brayden Landry from 4 yards, 4 yards, and 18 yards respectively.
Pickens kicked six extra points for EHS, and six different Bobcats scored rushing touchdowns.
Mason Hebert led EHS with six carries for 84 yards, while Brayden Landry had 10 carries for 80 yards and scored twice.
Lynkon Romero had six rushes for 37 yards, and Wyatt Richard had four carries for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Jack Landry completed nine out of 12 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns.
In addition, Romero, who was playing as a tight end, made six catches for 90 yards and a score, while Pillette made three receptions for 59 yards and two touchdowns.

FYI: Lynkon Romero broke Elijah Mitchell’s career total offensive yards record of 6,556 yards. Romero finished his high school career with 6,571 yards.

It’s a rare achievement for seniors not to lose a district game during high school. Still, this year’s Vermilion Catholic High School seniors can proudly say that they were part of four perfect district seasons, having gone 22-0 in the district.
The eight seniors who accomplished this impressive feat are Ethan Landry, Dane Richoux, Andrew Prejean, Roy Bertrand IV, Phillip Summers, Tyjh Williams, Ty Williams and Connor Golden.
They secured their perfect district record by crushing Hanson 43-14 in their final regular-season game at home.
This is the second consecutive year that Vermilion Catholic High School has finished the regular season with a 10-0 record.
Ethan Landry and Andrew Prejean are two of Vermilion Catholic High School’s eight seniors, and for them, staying undefeated in the district was a significant achievement.
Landry, a wide receiver and defensive back, acknowledged the pressure to maintain their perfect record in the district, saying, “We all wanted to do it. We had to get the job done.”
VC has maintained an undefeated record of 27-0 in the district, dating back to the 2019 season.
It’s a remarkable achievement for the Eagles, who have not lost a district game in five seasons.
Andrew Prejean, a tight end and defensive end for the Eagles, commented that continuing the streak of winning district games is crucial because that is what the team expects. He added that it is amazing to keep the streak going, and the team behind them needs to maintain the winning trend.
Prejean mentioned that the team did not discuss the idea of keeping the district alive before heading into the district.
He said, “We don’t look ahead. We play one game at a time.”
The last time VC lost a district game was in 2018 against Louisiana Christian Academy (LCA).
VC head coach Broc Prejean has been with the team for four years and has not lost a district game, just like the seniors.
He said, “We have not lost a district game. I just put on the headset. Good players and coaches surround me. It is an unbelievable effort by this group of kids. I am not sure if there were many expectations at the start of the season with this group. I know they had high expectations. I am proud of this team and what they accomplished this season.”
The Eagles used more aerial passes in this game than in any other this year.
Jonathan Dartez, the quarterback for VC, had an impressive performance in the game.
He completed 12 out of 23 passes for a total of 196 yards.
In addition to this, he rushed for 132 yards on 18 carries and scored three touchdowns.
The game was won by the Eagles in the final eight minutes of the second quarter, during which they outscored Hanson 29-0.
At the 8:01 mark in the second quarter, the score was tied at 7-7, but VC took the lead when Dartez had a 38-yard touchdown run, making the score 14-7.
With 4:23 left to play in the second quarter, Dartez scored another touchdown by darting three yards up the middle, making the score 22-7.
VC’s third touchdown came in just 16 seconds, thanks to a 21-yard pass from Jonathan Dartez to Ross Dartez. Ross finished the game with three catches for 75 yards. The Dartez to Dartez connection happened again, this time for a 49-yard touchdown play, making the score 28-7 in favor of VC.
VC kicker Dane Richoux nailed his third extra point and put the Eagles up 29-7.
VC’s fourth touchdown of the second quarter was a 25-yard pass to Hudson Hebert for a 36-7 lead heading into the half.
Hebert had five receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown on the night.
Dartez’s final touchdown pass was a corner route to Jyrin Bessard for a seven-yard TD reception. Bessard had three catches 57 yards in the game.
With VC tailback Tyjh Williams sitting this game out due to an injury, Luke McLain and, Joe Langlinais, Caleb Guidry stepped in to carry the load.
McLain had 14 carries for 64 yards. Langlinais had two totes for seven yards, and Guidry had four carries for 19 yards.
VC gets a bye in the first round of the Division 4 Select playoffs.