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Dear Editor,

I worked as a mental health professional for years. I have worked with adults and children from all different walks of life – from children with anxiety to adult felons in prison. Many of my former clients suffer from trauma and mental health issues that may require the aid of medication. Access to these medicines is crucial to the healing and stability of my clients’. I have seen, firsthand, how medications have changed patients’ lives for the better.
Which is why I am concerned about the repercussions of lawmakers’ current attempts to make changes to Medicare. This Medicare “negotiation,” overreach, would severely limit access to medication for many Americans including my clients. A recent example is the astronomical rise of the price of insulin effectively putting the life saving drug out of reach of many Americans. One can extrapolate the regrettable and even deadly consequences. Thus, allowing the government to control medicine availability through the mechanism of price controls is a slippery slope that will only lead to severe rationing, suffering and a class system of medical services. This has been demonstrated throughout the ages in the many communist and dictatorial systems around the world.
To expand on this idea, one sees that the availability of new cures in other countries is much lower than it is in the United States. This is due to the ill thought out practices of government medical “negotiations.” In countries like Canada and Germany, patients wait longer to receive treatments. For the vulnerable who are struggling with mental health issues, this extra wait time could be the difference between life and death.
Therefore, Instead of expanding government’s role in our health care system, lawmakers should look at ways to lower out-of-pocket costs and ensure that access to treatment is not inhibited. Possible solutions are capping insurance costs and lowering cost-sharing burdens. Patients and doctors need real relief right now, not obstacles.

Sincerely,
Kayla Walsworth
Marthaville, LA

April 22, 1972 ~ October 22, 2021

Abbeville —Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Mitchell David Thibeaux, 49, who died Friday, October 22, 2021 at his residence. He will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Pastor Jeremy Cupp officiating the services. Pallbearers will be Wesley LeMaire, Patrick Miguez, Troy Michaud, Blake Hebert, Chad LeMaire, and Michael Meaux. Honorary pallbearers will be Trenton Thibeaux and Landon Thibeaux.
He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Kristy Thibeaux; two daughters, Kelsee Thibeaux Hebert and her husband, Blake, and Bianca Thibeaux; two sons, Trenton Thibeaux, and Landon Thibeaux; two grandchildren, Jonah Hebert and Brantley Hebert; four sisters, Judy Litwiler, Jean Bertrand, Sandra Whalen, and Rachelle Gallet; and brother, Nolan Thibeaux, Jr.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Nolan Thibeaux, Sr. and the former Juliette Ann Leger; and brother, Ronnie Thibeaux.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 from 1:30 PM until 9:00 PM; Thursday, October 28, 2021 from 8:00 AM until time of services.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

There are stressful football games, and then there are fun football games. Most football players enjoy playing fun football games.
That was the case Friday night in Abbeville’s lopsided 54-6 win over Class 2A Rayville Hornets.
The Hornets drove four hours from north Louisiana to play the Wildcats.
By the time they got warmed up, Rayville was down 12-0.
Heck, 10 seconds into the game, they were losing 6-0 after Abbeville kick returner Blake Saddler ran the opening kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown.
On Abbeville’s first possession, they marched 49 yards downfield in five plays. The big play on the drive was a 40-yard completion from quarterback Tahj Judge to Saddler.
Tre Green ran two yards for Abbeville’s second TD and a 12-0 lead.
At halftime, the Wildcats had a nice 27-6 lead.
Saddler had 193 all-purpose yards in the first half. He had 63 yards rushing, 55 yards receiving, and he had a 75-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
In the end, Saddler had 136 yards rushing on 11 carries.
With a big lead throughout the game, Abbeville linebacker Jason Alvarez said Friday night’s game was a “fun game.”
“It was a good game for me, but I was having fun out there. We were all having fun out there. We fed off one another,” said Alvarez.
Alvarez said the AHS coaches are now trying to preach to the players to enjoy the game of football instead of just trying to focus on winning.
“If we are going to have fun, then we are going to win,” Alvarez added. “Tonight we enjoyed ourselves, and we had fun.”
The AHS defense held the Hornets to just six points and just over 100 yards of total offense.
Alvarez, who plays outside linebacker, had one of his best games of the year. He had at least five solo tackles, a quarterback sack, a blocked punt, he tackled the punter before he punted. He also forced the Rayville quarterback to fumble while Alvarez had his arms wrapped around his waist. The fumble was for minus 15 yards.
The senior has watched the bad and the good at AHS the last four years.
He said he prefers winning over losing.
“Everything is new to me,” said Alvarez about winning. “There are fans in the stands. My teammates do not argue on the sidelines. We are a team, which is the best thing for us.”
Abbeville had 10 different players carry the pigskin.
Green had six carries for 43 yards and two scores. In the second half, Braylon Moore had five carries for 33 yards.
Abbeville (7-1) is on the road Friday to take on parish-rival Kaplan (3-4).

This past Sunday, at North Vermilion High School’s stadium, the 5th annual Snap to a Cure 5K took place.
This year was a collaboration between Snap Fitness Maurice and The Kaylee Abigail McLain Memorial Fund.
For the past six months, race director Matt Landry, Roslyn Simon, and team, have been hard at work, putting time into this event.
“The most difficult thing about putting on any event, is always getting sponsors,” Landry stated. To get local businesses to be a part and to believe in what you're selling is a challenge. This year, was no doubt another challenging year with COVID present. As the race approached, the love of the community poured out and sponsors came with it.”
Key sponsors were G&H Tire, Abbeville Chiropractic Clinic, Faulk’s Repair Services, Ray Chevrolet, Mendoza Ford, Toni and Bubba Broussard, Mouton’s Crawfish, Vermilion Gator Farms, Farm Bureau, Diamond Drywall and Elite Auto. The day finally arrived, where it began cool and breezy, but heated up when the crowed arrived.
“This year was our biggest, with 553 runners signed up.”
The 5K (3.1miles) race began on the NVHS track, and then hit the road where it was no shortage of competitors.
North Vermilion’s own Jarrett Comeaux won the overall race, with a time of 19:36.
Coming behind Comeaux was Chris Guidry (20:48) and Andrew Courville (21:27).
The top female competitors include, Gretchen Leger (23:45), Patricia Redifer (24:45), and Noelle Dore (24:31).
Landry said this year’s goal was not only to raise funds for the new scholarship fund created by The McLain Family, but to have a morning to remember a young girl taken away after a tragic accident nearly a year ago.
“This memorial fund scholarship money will go to a deserving Catholic student in the local area,” Landry added.
The event was put on by Matt and Brooke Landry and Roslyn Simon. Snap Fitness Maurice owners, Zack and Bert Istre welcome all family and friends of Kaylee to come out to Shucks Restaurant in Abbeville, on a date soon to be named where the check will be presented.