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Jason Lopez joined the VC family.

Vermilion Catholic has new head softball coach, receiver coach

Fri, 09/12/2025 - 11:05am

The Vermilion Catholic Eagles have a new head softball and wide receivers coach.
Jason Lopez joined the VC family in July. Aside from coaching, he teaches seventh and eighth-grade Social Studies as well as high school English.
Lopez is a 1997 graduate of Rayne High School. He then attended both UL-Lafayette and LSU before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history from UL in 2001. From there, Lopez went to law school. That decision led to his first experience with Abbeville.
Lopez is a 1997 graduate of Rayne High School. He then attended both UL-Lafayette and LSU before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history from UL in 2001. From there, Lopez went to law school. That decision led to his first experience with Abbeville.
“I went to law school for a year and figured out that I really hated that,” Lopez said. “I actually lived in Abbeville for a year after that. I was working offshore and lived on State Street. It’s wild because I didn’t think I’d ever be back, but you never know what life has in store for you.”
Lopez then decided to join the United States Army, where he enjoyed a career spanning over 20 years. He earned his master’s degree in history from LSU in 2012 before earning a second master’s degree in military studies from Marine Corps University in 2016. He is currently a doctoral candidate in war studies at the Royal Military College of Canada.
Lopez is married to Noel Lopez. She is an ER nurse from Raleigh, North Carolina.
Together, they had five children. Landri is the oldest at 21. She’s a senior in college. Jackson would be 19, but he unfortunately passed away. Andrew is 16 and is a junior tackle on the football team at VC. Emma is 13 in the eighth grade at VC. She’s a softball player. The caboose is Cooper. He is six years old and in the first grade at VC.
When he decided it was time to retire from the Army, Louisiana, and a school where he and all his kids could be at the same time were his requirements. When he interviewed with VC, the school not only fulfilled the bare minimum, but it also far exceeded his expectations.
“We were looking for our next job after retirement, and my wife said she’d really like to live in Louisiana,” Lopez said. “I had to check her for a fever because it’s melt-your-face hot here in August. But it’s family first, and my mom, grandma, and brother all still live here.
“I did my interview, and the kids did their shadowing in the Spring, and it was a perfect fit. I constantly pinch myself, and I’m not exaggerating. The kids, the families, and the environment are just amazing. My kids and I wake up every day excited to go to school. Every day is a blessing.”
Being a military family, the Lopezs know a thing or two about schools. They’ve lived in nine different states over the years. Emma, the eighth grader, has attended six other schools.
“VC is a special place,” Lopez said. “With our military experience, we’ve been to good schools with great education and great athletic programs, but none of them have checked every box the way VC does. We’re beyond blessed to be here.”
Lopez is currently focused on the football team, but he also has his eye on the upcoming softball season. This will be his first head coaching job at the high school level, but he has coached his daughters in travel ball for 20 years.
“I’m looking forward to working with these girls in this environment where everyone is bought in,” Lopez said. I had the opportunity to interact with some of them, and they are excited. They’re looking forward to a new face and a new coaching style.”
Lopez believes his family has found their forever home. If he has his way, they will be staples of the VC community for years to
“I’m a loyal guy,” Lopez said. “When we find something that works, we like to stick to it. This is a special place, and we’d like to stay here as long as they’ll have us.”

DHS freshman Adrian Godette scored three different ways. He scored on an interception, kickoff return and a 57-yard touchdown run.

Delcambre improves to 2-0

Fri, 09/12/2025 - 11:01am

The Delcambre Panthers improved to 2-0 with a decisive 53-7 victory over Berchman’s on Thursday.
Freshman Adrian Godette had an outstanding game, scoring three touchdowns. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown, intercepted a pass and returned it for another touchdown, and capped off the night with a 57-yard rushing touchdown on a single carry.
Senior Hugo Morales also ad a great Friday night, totaling 14 carries for 158 yards and contributing one rushing touchdown. Eli Larson added to the scoring with a 30-yard rushing touchdown from one carry, while Nathan Prioux scored on a 3-yard run. Andre Venable had one carry for 10 yards.
Quarterback Rix Robin attempted one pass, which resulted in a 68-yard touchdown completion. Lynkon Delcambre had six carries for 81 yards and scored two touchdowns. Additionally, he completed two out of three passes for a total of four yards. Tucker Zagar contributed with two catches for 39 yards.

Abbeville quarterback DaZavien Maze puts his head down against LRC.

Braylon Himel dives for the ball. He caught it but when he hit the grown, it popped out.

Lafayette Renaissance easily handles Abbeville

Fri, 09/12/2025 - 10:59am

Charter school wins 48-6 on Thursday

LAFAYETTE - The Abbeville Wildcats faced difficulties from the game’s start to the final minutes on Thursday.
AHS head coach Jonathan Zenon, still in search of his first win after 12 games, decided to attempt an onside kick to start the game. Unfortunately, the attempt was unsuccessful. As a result, Lafayette Renaissance Charter (LRC) gained possession of the ball at midfield and quickly scored one of their seven touchdowns, leading to a decisive 48-6 victory over the 0-2 Wildcats.
With less than three minutes left in the game, the Wildcats found themselves on the LRC one-yard line but failed to score after seven attempts. LRC, a Class 2A team, then regained possession and ran out the clock, improving their record to 2-0.
LRC did what it wanted against Abbeville in the first half.
In its first three possessions, it scored and led 21-0 at the end of the first period.
At the end of the first quarter, the Wildcats put together a decent drive and moved the football down into LRC territory, attempting a long pass. It was intercepted, and the LRC defender ran it back for what looked like another touchdown. But AHS safety Justin Montgomery ran the LRC defender down and tackled him at the 10-yard line. Two plays later, LRC was in the end zone for a 28-0 lead.
LRC did not punt one time in the first half and led 35-0.
Both teams put up a lot of offense in the first half. LRC had 241 yards of offense (108 rushing, 133 passing), while Abbeville had 122 (76 passing, 46 rushing).
Abbeville quarterback DaZavien Maze completed nine out of 19 passes for 76 yards and an interception. Cameron Samuels had three catches for 38 yards, and Jacolby Campbell had three receptions for 23 yards.
Montgomery had six carries for 36 yards in the first half.
The Wildcats did have one bright moment on the first play to open the second half. Montgomery, at the AHS 47, took the handoff and ran it 53 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was missed, putting AHS down 35-6.
The Wildcats attempted their second onside kick of the game, but LRC recovered it at midfield. Two plays later, LRC was in the end zone for a 41-6 lead.
LRC had close to 250 yards rushing and around 200 yards passing for four quarters.
Abbeville, on the other hand, Montgomery had 101 yards rushing on 11 carries, while Maze had 10 carries for 18 yards.
Samuels had four catches for 48 yards for AHS.

The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office now has real-time access to the Vermilion Parish School System’s cameras, including Abbeville High School. This monitor (below) is located in Langlinais’ office.

Sheriff’s Office has real-time access to Vermilion Parish School System cameras

Wed, 09/10/2025 - 11:18am

When it comes to student safety, officials with the Vermilion Parish School System and Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office review every possible angle.
That is now literally the case thanks to an enhanced partnership between the two entities. Vermilion Parish Superintendent Tommy Byler and Vermilion Parish Sheriff Eddie Langlinais announced that the sheriff’s office will have real-time camera access to all schools across Vermilion Parish.
“We have partnered with the Vermilion Parish School System for the safety of our community and the safety of our kids,” Langlinais said. “They have allowed the sheriff’s office access to the cameras within their schools, which will be better for response time and investigations when responding to an incident. We will be able to respond directly to where the incident is happening.”
Byler said this creates another level of safety for the schools.
“There is a time element,” Byler said. “They are not waiting for us to get them into the camera system in the case of a crisis. In the case of a crisis, they now have access, and the communication with their people is immediate. This is one of those things that we hope we never have to use, but in the event we have to, this just helps the safety and response time for our students and our faculty.
“It’s another step up in safety.”
The access is not limited to school campuses. The sheriff’s office can also access cameras at the school system’s central office at 220 S. Jefferson St. in Abbeville as well as maintenance and other sites.
“Wherever we have cameras,” said Brooks David, the school system’s safety officer, “the sheriff’s office has access.”
This marks another step in the working relationship between the two entities. That includes the sheriff’s office making more resource officers available on campuses.
“Superintendent Byler said, this is an added layer of security that we can give them,” Langlinais said.
Byler pointed out that members of the sheriff’s office will not be sitting and watching every moment of a school day.
“This is for a crisis or if we call to see if we can get another pair of eyes,” Byler said. “We have mechanisms in place for auditing purposes. This is not them sitting there to get anyone. In the that we need it, the capability is there.
“That’s where people should feel safe about it.”
David said the sheriff’s office and school system are also working side by side with the schools through the new emergency management system, the Raptor Alert System.
“The sheriff’s office does have access to it,” David said. “If a crisis kicks off at a school, they automatically know about it.”
Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Lt. Marcus Hebert, who serves as supervisor of the schools resource officers, said that the sheriff’s office also has mobile camera trailer that can be placed at schools for sporting events and other activities.
“We can monitor those in our Real Time Crime Center,” Hebert said. “We used them at the (Gueydan) Duck Festival. There was something happening in the parking lot, and we were able to respond and handle the incident.”
Langlinais, who took office in July of 2024, said the goal is to constantly be looking for ways to improve safety, including utilizing technology.
“We realized how much we did during our first six months,” Langlinais said, “which was almost everything on my bucket list. We started to come up with other ideas on how to make Vermilion Parish safer and better. We didn’t have things like this when I started my career back in 1981. I see the value and the asset it can be for law enforcement toward the safety of our community.”
Byler, who became superintendent in ‘20, said the school system is always looking for ways to increase safety. Byler said the school system’s crisis plan is now “multiplied.”
“We made a commitment to hire a district safety officer,” Byler said. “Part of that commitment was looking at the next step. Thus, the Raptor app. Brooks took that and ran with it. There is ongoing communication with resource officers. We are trying to centralize what we are doing. The pieces have been there, and this brings it all together.
“This takes it to another level.”

Janus Reaux

Agents recovered narcotics and paraphernalia, as well as cash, during the arrest.

Fugitive Janus Reaux apprehended following Crime Stoppers tip

Fri, 09/05/2025 - 10:54am

Sheriff Eddie Langlinais announced that on the morning of Sept. 2, Crime Stoppers of Vermilion received a tip that ultimately led to the arrest of long-sought fugitive Janus Reaux, 41.
Based on the information provided, the United States Marshals Service and the Lafayette Police Department Special Investigations Division located and apprehended Reaux later that afternoon within the city limits of Lafayette, in Lafayette Parish.
Reaux had been on the run since September 2021 and was wanted on multiple felony narcotics warrants in Vermilion Parish. He had been featured on Crime Stoppers of Vermilion several times and was actively sought after by multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, which held primary apprehension responsibilities.
Reaux was taken into custody without incident and safely transferred to the Vermilion Parish Correctional Center, where he was booked on numerous felony drug charges and several outstanding failure-to-appear warrants issued through the 15th Judicial District Court.
Charges Include:
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I (Marijuana)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I (Marijuana THC Cartridges)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I (Marijuana Edibles)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I (Synthetic Marijuana)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I (MDMA)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II (Crack Cocaine)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II (Oxymorphone)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II (Methamphetamine)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II (Oxycodone)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule III (Suboxone)
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule III (Sublingual)
• Transactions Involving Drug Proceeds
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Sheriff Eddie Langlinais offers his sincere gratitude to the United States Marshals Service and Lafayette Police Department for their swift and professional apprehension of this fugitive. He also thanks the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Task Force for their investigations into Mr. Reaux and the Transportation Division of the Vermilion Parish Correctional Center for their commitments to safely detaining and transporting him to the secure facility. This joint effort
Sheriff - Eddie Langlinais www. VermilionSheriff.gov Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office emphasizes the importance of networking across agencies and is an example of why collaboration with our federal partners is imperative.
He also reminds the citizens of Vermilion Parish that this is an ongoing investigation, and all suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty. Information on how to anonymously report illegal activities can be found on our website at www.VermilionSheriff.gov. Click on Anonymous Tips and fill out the Crime Stoppers of Vermilion Tip Form to submit information. You can also report illegal activity anonymously by calling the Crime Stoppers tip line at (337) 740-TIPS (8477) or by downloading and logging in to the P3 App where you can earn a cash reward. You can also download the “Vermilion Parish Sheriff LA” app from the App Store and Google Play. There you can tap the Crime Stoppers logo and submit your tip.

Sheriff Langlinais announces Enforcement updates on excessive speeding violations in Vermilion Parish

Fri, 09/05/2025 - 10:43am

Sheriff Eddie Langlinais announces that, with the support of the Judges of the 15th Judicial District Court and pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statute 32:57, significant changes in the enforcement of excessive speeding violations under LA R.S. 32:61 (Maximum Speed Limits) and LA R.S. 32:64 (General Speed Law) will be implemented in Vermilion Parish.
Effective immediately:
• Speeding in excess of 25 miles per hour over the posted speed limit will result in the immediate removal of the driver’s license. Offenders will be required to make a mandatory court appearance. These violations will no longer be resolved through citation and fine alone.
• Speeding 35 miles per hour or more above the posted limit will now result in the driver’s arrest at the scene.
Sheriff Langlinais emphasizes that these measures are being taken in the interest of public safety, particularly in response to the increased risks caused by excessive speed on parish roadways.
“Our priority is the safety of Vermilion Parish residents and visitors. Excessive speeding puts lives at risk unnecessarily. These enforcement measures are meant to send a clear message: reckless driving will not be tolerated,” said Sheriff Langlinais.
The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office urges all motorists to drive responsibly and obey posted speed limits to protect themselves, their families, and the community.
Questions regarding these enforcement measures may be directed to the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office Enforcement Division at (337) 898-4400.

Hunters get a tax break during Louisiana’s 2nd Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday, Sept. 5-7

Thu, 09/04/2025 - 12:42pm

BATON ROUGE – Consumer purchases of firearms, ammunition and a wide range of hunting supplies are exempt from state and local sales tax during the Louisiana Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday, Friday, Sept. 5 through Sunday, Sept. 7.
The sales tax exemption applies to all consumer purchases of firearms, ammunition and specified hunting supplies, including archery items, hunting apparel and certain types of knives.
Purchases not eligible for the sales tax exemption include hunting dogs, animal feed, off-road vehicles and vessels such as airboats.
The exemption applies to individual consumer purchases only. It does not apply to business or commercial purchases.
Visit www.revenue.louisiana.gov/SecondAmendment for more information, including special provisions and complete lists of eligible and ineligible purchases.

Unrestrained Motorist Killed in Iberia Parish Crash

Thu, 09/04/2025 - 10:12am

NEW IBERIA — On Sept. 2, 2025, just before 6 a.m., Troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop I began investigating a two-vehicle fatal crash on US Highway 90 near its intersection with Neco Town Road.
The crash ultimately claimed the life of 58-year-old Waddell Mulmore of Lake Charles.
The preliminary investigation revealed that Mulmore was driving a 2000 GMC Sierra westbound on US 90.
At the same time, a 2020 Nissan Murano was traveling east in the left lane. For reasons still under investigation, the GMC exited the roadway to the right before overcorrecting and crossing both lanes of US 90 West. The pickup then entered the median, continued across, entered the eastbound lanes of US 90 and struck the Nissan.
Mulmore, who was unrestrained at the time of the crash, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Nissan was restrained, sustained serious injures, and was transported to a nearby hospital.
Routine toxicology samples were collected from both drivers for analysis.

David Doyle Gooch

Wed, 09/03/2025 - 11:41am

David Doyle Gooch, passed away peacefully at his residence on September 1, 2025 after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 81.
David was born in Abbeville, Louisiana on May 17, 1944 to Dee David Gooch and May Yvonne “Badie” Baudoin. He graduated from Mount Carmel High School and the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and a reliable, trustworthy friend to all who knew him. He was an avid reader, lifelong learner, engaging storyteller, and true believer in the power of family tradition. He loved fishing and sports and always looked forward to his annual summer pilgrimage to the family gathering in Destin, Florida. He could always be counted on to provide quiet wisdom and patient support for anyone trying to find their way.
He is survived by his loving wife, Drusilla Guidry Gooch, and by his children, Danielle Gooch Howell, her husband Drew, and their sons, Henry and Harvey, Laurie Gooch LaPorte, her husband Troy, and their daughter, Camille, David B. Gooch, his wife Angie, and their children, Valerie, David, and Dylan, his daughter in law, Leonora Deprez Gooch (wife of Michael Gooch), and their children, Jordan and Katherine. He is also survived by his brother Daniel Roy Gooch, his wife Debbie, and their daughters, Andree and Elizabeth, his sister Kathy Gooch, and by many loving great nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his son Michael Gooch and his grandson Zachary Gooch.
At David’s request, his body will be donated to the LSU School of Medicine for the advancement of science. A eulogy and memorial service officiated by Rev Louis Richard will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 13 at St. Mary Magdeline Church in Abbeville, Louisiana, followed by a celebration of life at Riverfront Banquet Room, 503 W. Port Street.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Rock Steady Boxing Acadiana (loveofpeople.org/rsbacadiana) or Calcutta House (hospiceacadiana.com).
The family would like to extend a heartfelt and special thank you to all of the doctors and nurses that assisted with David’s care, especially Dr. Dana Dicharry and Dr. Thomas Privett, the Lafayette Parkinson and Caregiver Support Group (lftparkinsonsupport.com), the staff at Rise Physical Therapy, Hospice of Acadiana, Calcutta House, and his caregiver, Joe Cain, whose commitment, care and support were immensely valuable.

Jeff Crouere

Democrats descend to deeper depths of Trump despair

Tue, 09/02/2025 - 1:35pm

Since the day Donald Trump descended the golden escalator to launch his first presidential campaign, Democrats have hated him. Previously, he was the celebrated real estate mogul and reality television star; however, once he launched his presidential campaign, he became political enemy number one.
Thereafter, Democrats, joined by establishment Republicans, members of the Deep State, and left-wing journalists have tried untold dishonest tactics to stop Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda.
Trump has survived more dirty political tricks than any politician in American history. He also suffered through unfair media interviews and coverage and biased presidential debate moderators.
Through it all, Trump has remained energetic and committed to his MAGA agenda. He is an inspiration to his followers and is the driving force in American politics today. Through seven ½ months of his presidency, Trump has kept an extremely fast pace, accomplishing a tremendous number of goals in only 223 days.
Anyone with this schedule needs a vacation. Thus, President Trump had set aside time during this holiday weekend to relax, play golf, and be with family members.
Incredibly, hateful Democrats used this relaxation period to start vicious Internet rumors that “Trump is dead.” This phrase was a popular trend on social media. According to Newsweek, “Grok, X’s AI powered chatbot, posts speculating about Trump had acquired over 1.3 million user engagements as of Saturday morning…was the sixth most popular trending topic on X in the United States.”
Of course, this outrageous speculation was not based on any facts, just dreadful dreams from Democrats and disgraced Republicans like Rick Wilson of the Lincoln Project who despise Trump with every fiber of their being.
In response to the President’s social media post about the ongoing crime crisis in Chicago and the possibility that the National Guard would be sent to the Windy City, the incompetent Democrat Governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker tweeted “Why don’t you send everyone proof of life first?”
In fact, the President did send “proof of life” and is very much alive. On Saturday, he was spotted leaving the White House to play golf in Virginia with two of his grandchildren.
In response to the hateful speculation, online supporters stated that the President is alive and “just getting started” and the entire episode proves that he is “living rent free” in the “empty heads” of his political enemies.
Trump haters act morbidly if the President does not have a full schedule every day. They have been conditioned to constant action from this administration since Inauguration Day.
In contrast, President Joe Biden did almost nothing during his entire presidency, spent an inordinate amount of time on vacation and was mentally absent for four years and the left-wing media and Democrats raised no questions. They would shut down legitimate questions about Biden’s physical or mental condition and claim he was “sharp as a tack.”
Biden had no idea about the names or duties of his cabinet members and did not sign important documents such as presidential pardons. Thus, the “autopen” presidency is rightfully being investigated by House Republicans to see what documents were illegitimately signed and what White House personnel were culpable in potential misdeeds.
Not surprisingly, none of these actions triggered any questions from “Lamestream Media” members or his Democratic Party supporters. It was only after Biden’s pitiful debate performance against President Trump that Democrats and the media had to admit the truth about his deteriorating mental condition.
For Biden, the 25th Amendment should have been exercised early in his presidential term. Ludicrously, corrupt U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) who was silent as Biden declined during his term, now has concerns about the health of President Trump.
In an interview on MSNBC, Waters blasted Trump for his decision to fire Lisa Cook, a member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors. Waters said, “It is time to call for Article (Amendment) 25 of the Constitution of the United States of America to determine his unfitness, to determine that something is wrong with this President. And I would suggest that we move very aggressively to talk about the danger to this country and to our democracy and not play around with this because this is absolutely one of the most destructive things that this President could do.”
These comments are utterly foolish as Waters does not even know the difference between an “article” and an “amendment” of the U.S. Constitution. She has beclowned herself throughout her pathetic congressional career, regularly championing the impeachment of President Trump and urging her supporters to threaten members of his administration.
At a 2018 rally, Waters infamously implored her supporters that “if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they are not welcome anymore, anywhere.”
In response, President Trump has often called Waters “an extraordinarily low IQ person.” This label also applies to all the Trump haters questioning the health of our remarkably capable 47th President.

Jeff Crouere is a native New Orleanian and is a political columnist, the author of America’s Last Chance, and provides regular commentaries on the Jeff Crouere YouTube channel and at Crouere.net. For more information, email him at jcrouere@gmail.com

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Vermilion Catholic has new head softball coach, receiver coach

Delcambre improves to 2-0

Lafayette Renaissance easily handles Abbeville

Sheriff’s Office has real-time access to Vermilion Parish School System cameras

Fugitive Janus Reaux apprehended following Crime Stoppers tip

Sheriff Langlinais announces Enforcement updates on excessive speeding violations in Vermilion Parish

Hunters get a tax break during Louisiana’s 2nd Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday, Sept. 5-7

Unrestrained Motorist Killed in Iberia Parish Crash

David Doyle Gooch

Democrats descend to deeper depths of Trump despair

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